Group Date: Chris, Ryan, Drew, Michael, Brooks, Brad, Mikey, Brandon, Zack K., Ben — “Love is a battlefield”

The group of fellas gathered, waiting for Desiree’s suitors look fierce. They’re here to play dodgeball!  Yeah!  And these guys are from the National Dodgeball League. Did you know such a thing existed?  I hope someone starts throwing wrenches. “If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!”

Someone’s getting hurt, right? You can just totally see that coming.  As soon as the balls start getting thrown…ouch. Looks painful (but very entertaining to watch).  After some serious welts and deflated egos, I’m sure, Chris Harrison saves the boys by announcing they’ll play each other instead of the hardcore pros. I know I’m not the only one a bit disappointed.

The boys suit up, they’ve got the headbands on, short shorts and tube socks pulled high. Awesome.  I love how serious it gets. After a short while, it’s down to Chris and Drew…and blue team wins. Yay! Except, it’s best of three and next thing we know, the red team wins round two.  At the start of the last round, Brooks goes down with an injury and all we see is a bloody hand as he’s whisked away to the hospital. Now it’s down to Chris and Zack, the two pro baseball players…it’s intense. Zack nails Chris and is thus hailed a hero. (read: lots of man hugging and dog piling).

Winners get an after party but Desiree declares them all to be winners so just like AYSO soccer, everyone gets to play. Except Brooks who is at the hospital all by his lonesome.

Brad pulls Desiree away for some one-on-one time to share that he has a three-year-old son named Maddox. His mom and brother help him raise his son. He says the relationship with the mom was uber bad. Like drinking problem, Brad getting slapped with a domestic violence arrest and restraining order (which was all dismissed..whew!).  Not pretty.  But, hey, he seems normal despite the fact that he chose to procreate with a crazy lady. Let’s hope his taste has improved.

Chris surprises Desiree with a walk up to the roof where they get a great view,good conversation, giggling, they’re dangling their feet over the ledge…so romantic, right? But the dude totally fails to go in for the kiss.  Chris thinks he’s totally got the rose on lock but uh oh, who arrives at the last minute?  Brooks!! What a champ!  He looks a little drugged and he’s still in his sexy sport attire (which reminds me even more of Russell Brand for some reason) but he still gets a kiss for getting injured.  Whatever works, bud.  Every broken bone should come with a good story. Later I’m just as surprised as Brooks is pissed that he broke a finger and didn’t get the rose because Chris was right and he won the rose!

Not just a rose winner, Chris gets extra time with Desiree and a private concert by Kate Earl.  And they dance and kiss and sway and smile as all the other guys get to look on in a jealous rage.

One-on-One Date: Kasey — “Love defies gravity”

Before her date, Chris Harrison calls with “bizarre” news about one of the guys so she hops in her Bentley and cruises on over to the mansion to lay into Brian, who apparently has a girlfriend back home.  But wait!  She’s not back home…she’s here!

Best tweet of the night: “It’s never good when Chris Harrison shows up without a date card or a butter knife.”

Girlfriend’s name is Stephanie and he says their relationship was in the past but she said that he invited her to come to California with him, she has a son, they were together the day before he came for The Bachelorette. In fact, even as he denies everything he’s calling her “babe.”  Oh, and apparently they just slept together two nights before he came on the show.  I really wish with every fiber of my being that Desiree would just excuse herself to go have a good time on her date and let these dramatic folks deal with their own horrible lives.  The guys inside looking on are right: “this is stressful.” The best part is when Stephanie just looks over at Desiree and pretty much says “he’s not an honest guy.”  Yeah, got that, thanks.

Kasey has a great attitude about hoping to turn her day around.  I like him already.

“If the lady says she wants to dance on the side of the building, we’ll dance on the side of the building.” — Kasey, a smart man.

I love that he’s being super cute and supportive, encouraging her and telling her how good she’s doing. Just darling.

Their dinner is set atop the same building they spent the afternoon dancing on…and gnarly wind kicks in ruining their intimate conversation, knocking over candles.  So, hey, like I always say: when in doubt, get in the pool.  So they jump in…except, it’s freezing. Ha!  That’s the worst. So, really, what I always say is: when in doubt, just make out. So they do some of that too.

Winning more totally cute points, Kasey assures her that their date needn’t be perfect, he just likes spending time with her.  Desiree heads back into the treacherous winds to retrieve the rose for him.

Group Date: James, Bryden, Zak W., Juan Pablo, Dan — “Who’s the lone man standing?”

Instead of Desiree’s Bentley, a horse-drawn stagecoach is there to take the fellas to their group date. Their group date they’ll be working with the stunt coordinators for the new movie The Lone Ranger.  Very cool. The boys go through cowboy boot camp learning how to gun sling, lasso, and fight.  During their cowboy competition, Dan’s pants rip. That’s funny.  Also, Juan Pablo, the Spanish cowboy…totally pulls it off.  Super hot. He wins. As the winner, he gets a private screening in a barn of The Lone Ranger with Des.  And like any date with a sexy foreign cowboy, Desiree and Juan Pablo spend most of the movie in a steamy liplock session. I think he’ll stick around for just that reason.

P.S. How hot is Armie Hammer?  Whoa.

Later on:

• Desiree gets a bit impatient with Bryden and has to help guide his way to kissing.  But hey, once they’re there, he thinks it’s awesome.
• Zak W. seems like too much of a jokester for Desiree to take seriously. He has to apologize for what sounds like an awful failed kiss attempt earlier in the day. We don’t see a redemption there but whatever. He’s intense and probably going home soon.
• James seems maybe a little too enamored with Desiree but he’s sweet. He shares that he’s worried about his sick dad back home but he’s really trying to submerge himself in the experience with Desiree. He wants Desiree to tell him that she’s interested so he’ll feel like his time away from his dad is worth it. He comes off a bit insecure but Desiree is smitten with his big guy, big heart softy side. All she can think to do is to show James that she’s serious by giving him a rose, proving she wants to get to know him more.  And just the cutest thing ever: when she presents him with a rose, he offers her a daisy he picked. Aww, you’re cute, big fella.

Pool Party

Instead of a cocktail party, Des is coming over for a dip in the pool.  Ben decides to meet Desiree in the driveway for a quick getaway. The other boys at the pool party are sad watching Des and Ben drive up kissing in that car. I think all is forgiven when Desiree gets in her bikini.  Except, Mikey is pissed again when Ben lies about getting one-on-one time…so once again, he confronts Ben. Michael comes too. And lawyer man profoundly declares that he and Ben are not going to be friends. Ben does not seem sad about this.

I get the pillow out to cover my eyes and ears when Brandon pulls her aside because I’m just so worried about him breaking into tears. I feel a restraining order coming on.  The whole conversation escalated really quickly.  You didn’t mishear it: he definitely did just tell her that he’s falling in love with her. And went in very abruptly for a kiss. And all she can do is laugh because, yes, this is her life and this really is happening.  I hope she doesn’t give him a rose tonight because I just don’t think I can handle this for any more episodes.

Rose Ceremony

• Chris
• Kasey
• James, the big softie
• Bryden with the Lloyd Christmas haircut
• Juan Pablo, the sexy Spaniard
• Zak W.
• Brooks with the broken finger
• Drew
• Zack K., dodgeball champ
• Brad the dad
• Michael G.
• Mikey
• Ben

Going home: Brandon (thank goodness…gotta nip that in the rosebud – pun intended) and Dan. Dan says a classy goodbye but Brandon is really upset and heartbroken. Gosh, can you imagine how that could have escalated in just one more week?  Eek. Bullet dodged. But, Des is trying to be nice and walks after him but he’s already crying and angry and she’s trying to let him down nicely but it’s not helping.  She just keeps apologizing and he just keeps feeling abandoned.  Seriously, they need to reconsider keeping therapist on full time for this show.  Oh yeah, and I’ve already forgotten about Brian and his girlfriend who are probably causing a ruckus working their way toward angry hate sex when they both get back home.

Next week: Atlantic City, carnival games, sand castles, helicopter rides, concerts, lots of making out, a Mr. America pageant, and more Ben controversy.

P.S. The cowboy scene outtakes where the guys are teaching Juan Pablo how to talk in cowboy is hilarious.