“The Bachelor” Recap: Episode 9 - Spilling The Tea!

This week’s “Bachelor” episode took us back to Memory Lane in the "Women Tell All" special, where eliminated contestants gather in the studio to discuss their experiences on the show and face-off with each other and with our Bachelor Matt James. We saw many familiar faces and revisited the season’s most dramatic moments, so here are the highlights!

1. The Queen Bees Return

In recapping one of the most bullying-intensive “Bachelor” seasons yet, we cannot forget all the drama caused by Queen Victoria and her allies in the first half of the season. Ryan, who Victoria had degraded for her profession as a dancer, does not receive an apology but is instead told to toughen up, with Victoria citing her own experiences with online hate and her attempts at brushing off the criticism. Mari calls out Victoria for her use of derogatory terms towards the women, and Victoria apologizes to Katie for her name calling, arguing that “life is a learning experience.”

MJ and Jessenia discuss their two-on-one with Matt, which resulted in MJ being sent home for her bullying allegations. The two don’t have any regrets in how they acted and stand their ground in their words and actions. We also see Brittany in the hot seat, where she addresses Anna’s accusation of her being an escort. She opens up about the aftermath of the rumor and describes it as one of the lowest points in her life. Anna gives a seemingly sincere apology for starting the rumor and blames it on her insecurities about her relationship with Matt.

Katie is under fire next, with Chelsea, Serena C, and Pieper blaming her for the toxicity in the house. They are resentful that she brought up the drama to Matt and believe she was playing the victim to further her relationship with him. Essentially, they wish she had led an open dialogue with the ladies before involving our main man.

2. The Hot Seat

Now that most, if not all, of the drama has been addressed, Chris Harrison invites a few top contenders to discuss their respective relationships and breakups with Matt. Katie talks about how blindsided she felt when Matt sent her home after their one-on-one but now understands that their relationship was not where he needed it to be. Abigail looks back at the high of getting the first impression rose on the first night, and how she believes things would be different if the couple had more time together. She also addresses all the support she received from the Deaf community in representing the gray area between the hearing and capital-d Deaf groups.

Pieper then admits she was in love with Matt but wishes he had been more honest about his feelings for her. She describes feeling “absolutely heartbroken, soul crushed.” Serena P, the most recently eliminated contestant, brings up the doubts she had about the relationship. As we saw last week, her family helped bring clarity and she walked away after not being certain in spending her life with Matt.

3. Chit Chat With Matt

Matt joins the group with a full-grown beard that the ladies compare to that of NBA star James Harden. He addresses the drama he has seen now that the show has aired that he was unaware of during filming and attempts to sympathize with MJ, Anna, Victoria, and Serena C, stating that he understands why drama is unavoidable in this complicated and emotional process.

The episode ends with some bloopers to lighten the mood and exclusive scenes from group dates that never aired, involving cringey mystery boxes and a pancake eating contest. The ladies also discuss Matt’s uncomfortable tendency to keep his eyes open while kissing. Next week, we will close out Matt’s journey with the season finale!