Welcome to the weekly recap of The Bachelor. As usual, I’ve given you a detailed recap of the show, in addition to my own reactions.

This week’s episode of The Bachelor was the best so far. There was a lot more action in this episode—two one-on-one dates, two shorter dates, and the slumber party from hell. Likely because there was more action to cover, the voiceovers weren’t as repetitive as they were last week, although the episode didn’t completely deprive us of stilted, scripted dialogue.

In this episode, we got to see a lot more of four women that we haven’t seen a lot of so far: Tanya, Elizabeth, Cindy (Cynthia), and Mary. And, we got to see a completely different side of Jayne, which has changed some of my views on her that I expressed in recaps of earlier episodes.

Previously on the Bachelor

If you’ve been watching the show regularly, you can probably recite most of this segment by heart....”America’s most eligible bachelor, Byron Velvick, was introduced to 25 women in the hopes that one of them would become his wife”...“Byron narrowed the field to 15 women, and then, for the first time ever, the bachelor moved into the ladies' mansion.”...“The dating began, and Byron narrowed the field to 10.”...”But a shocking mystery date brought back two former bachelorettes.”...”All hell broke loose when they moved into the mansion.”...”And, after an emotional rose ceremony, eight women remain.”

Preview of Tonight’s Show

”Tonight, some of the women are falling for Byron”...”And some are just falling apart”...”A sexy slumber party drives tensions in the house over the edge”...”Will the pressure be too much for Byron to handle? Eight women, six roses. Who will he choose? And who will he send home brokenhearted? Find out tonight on The Bachelor”...One new addition this week to the show’s introduction was to show pictures of each of the eight remaining bachelorettes, identifying them by name. Now that we’re down to eight women, I can finally tell them apart. But, I still liked the reminder.

Cindy Gets Some Time Alone With Byron

After the preview, we see Cindy in the kitchen alone cutting up pineapple and putting it in a carafe with cut up oranges and other fruit.. Cindy tells the camera that she wants some alone time with Byron because she hasn’t had a chance to show him what she’s like....Cindy: I'm very goofy and very silly, but I also have a very serious side...Cindy makes a “spontaneous” visit to Byron’s bungalow, bringing with her a pitcher of her special sangria...Byron: Cindy surprised me at the front door with sangria. I’m attracted to her....Byron goes on to tell the camera that he’s pleased that she’s making an effort to be close to him...Cindy and Byron walk out to a secluded spot on the mansion grounds that has been fitted out with a double lounge chair, an umbrella, and cushions.

Cindy to Byron: I want to get to know you in a relaxed way and not in a competitive way, because that's just not my personality. And I'm not shy, but I'm not overbearing and manipulative and want to force you to like me. And I feel like some girls are trying to force themselves on you....(Note: Hmm, I wonder who Cindy is referring to?)....and I think things should happen naturally. (Right Cindy. I’m sure you always take a camera crew with you when you “drop in” with a pitcher of your special sangria.)...Byron to the camera: Cindy surprises me. She's complex, she's smart, she's sincere about what she's looking for as far as a relationship. And that's where I think I'm intrigued because I'm seeing a lot more than just the cover of the book.....Cindy: Do you think I'm too goofy or not sincere enough?...Byron: Nope, not at all. Do you think I'm too goofy or too insincere enough?...Cindy: No, I enjoy your company a lot....Presumably there was more to the conversation than this, because, afterwards, Cindy tells the camera: I think I have a great connection (with Byron), and if this doesn't work out, I will be very sad.

Note on Cindy: Cindy is a very pretty woman with long blonde hair and nicely enhanced cleavage, but sometimes she makes a strange expression with her eyes. I keep trying to find the right adjective to describe it: googly? bug-eyed? However to describe, it’s off-putting, and sometimes annoying and rather strange

Tanya's One-on-One Date With Byron

Next, we see the women gathered by the pool when Byron puts his latest invitation to a one-on-one date on the special podium...All the women are excited, and Cheresse tells the camera that she hopes it’s for her because she wants to think that she and Byron had such a good time on their first date that he’ll ask her out again....Sorry Cheresse, this time it’s for Tanya.

Tanya reads the invitation: "Come share with me the land and sea. Tonight promises to be full of surprises. So hold on tight. Byron”...Naturally, Tanya is excited, but Andrea is disappointed...Andrea: When you find a guy that you're falling for, it's really hard to watch him spend quality time with someone else.....Tanya goes on to tell the camera that she is excited because she hasn’t had an individual date with Byron...(Heck, I’d forgotten that Tanya was still on the show until the rose ceremony last week)...Tanya goes on to tell us that she feels very secure in her life “and this is just the one piece of my puzzle that hasn't fit yet.”...Byron repeats Script D, that is, that he wants to understand where Tanya is at in her life as far as relationships and kids, and what she’s looking for.

Byron and Tanya drive off in a limo, and offer a toast...What’s the thing with toasts on The Bachelor? I feel like I’m at an endless wedding reception. Hmmm, maybe that’s the idea...Byron doesn’t tell Tanya anything about the date except that they will be going near where he grew up...Byron to Tanya: I started fishing here and I figured since I knew the area, we're gonna take a sports car and drive around a little.

Byron tells the camera they are going to Newport Beach. There is a flashy red convertible waiting for them....Byron guns the engine, and says, “Wait till we get out on the wild streets of Newport.”...Note: That’s sarcasm on Byron’s part, because, while the Newport Beach area is very pretty, it’s not wild, and in any case, the traffic would prevent driving very fast...Cindy again asks Byron where they are going, and Byron nonchalantly says that they are going to cruise around the city and drive by the waterfront....Tanya: Let’s see what this baby (the car) can do.....Byron drives to a pier and proceeds to drive the car straight into the water with a huge splash that totally drenches both of them with water....Even though he knows what’s coming, Byron cracks up and yells, “Oh f*ck!”...Tanya is shocked but is also laughing and excited.

Tanya: One minute we're driving around in this amazing sports car, and then the next minute we're shooting down to the water. I was completely blown away by it all.....Note: I have to give Tanya credit. She came on the date all dolled up in a blue, off-the-shoulder blouse and black skirt, and she doesn’t pitch a fit when her hair and clothes get drenched....However, Tanya jokingly says to Byron: You didn't tell me to bring my swimsuit!....Byron was as impressed by Tanya’s reaction as I was: She was an absolute trouper. She lit up and did not throw an attitude like I half expected I was gonna get....He goes on, “...She's adventurous, she's fun. This is perfect”...In a voiceover we learn that Tanya wasn’t thrilled about her hair and clothes getting wet, but kept it to herself (smart woman)...Tanya: We were soaked head to toe, but I was not even gonna let that ruin my night. I want someone that is fun-loving, that I can have a good time with. There we are driving a car into the water that then becomes a boat, and we're laughing about it. It was perfect.....Byron says to Tanya: We're driving this to dinner, honey....And, they nonchalantly drive their car into through the water on the way to the restaurant...It was a great scene.

This date had to be every man’s James Bond fantasy. Heck, I’m not into either cars or boats, and “I” thought that driving a red convertible into the water and having it turn into a boat sounded awesome.

After seeing something innovative and fun, we are then brought back abruptly to the reality of the Bachelor when Chris breaks in to introduce a commercial with the same tired voiceover formula...”Eight women, six roses. Who will stay? Who will go? Find out when The Bachelor continues....By the way, for the rest of this recap, I’m going to skip the actual words of the Chris commercial introductions, figuring you know by now what they’re like.

Byron and Tanya are still on the car/boat when we return and, as they go under a large bridge, Byron tells Tanya how he used to fish under the bridge as a kid and people in the restaurant would watch them catching fish.... Byron and Tanya get off the boat, and walk toward the Balboa Bay Beach Club. (BTW—Somewhere along the way, they seemed to have been given a chance to dry off a bit and to comb their hair. They’re not walking into the restaurant soaking wet....Tanya tells the camera that she is ecstatic right now. She says that when she is with Byron, everything is comfortable and seems to go so smoothly and naturally that she feels at ease....Byron shows Tanya to a private table at the restaurant...Byron tells us once again that he’s looking forward to getting to spending time with Tanya because he doesn’t know a lot about her yet.

Byron asks Tanya how she’s feeling....Tanya: I don't know. I can't even put it into words. I'm very excited, because I'm enjoying you. I already knew you were a very laid-back personality, which is so perfect for me....Byron: What's your “type”? What kind of type of guys do you go out with?...Tanya: I don't have so much of a "type." I'm really just finding someone that I mesh with. I'm trying not to judge. I’m looking for a best friend. And, I believe everything should be decided together and "we." Is that kind of what you're looking for in a wife? ...Byron:.Exactly. It's two people making each other's lives better, (rather) than one person telling the other person how to live.

After dinner, Byron and Tanya go to another private room and sit down on a couch....In a voiceover, Byron says: Tanya is a beautiful woman. She's also got some passion that I see in her smile, and some of the glances and looks we shoot each other, it's got something behind it that I appreciate.....The two of them exchange some kisses on the couch.

Let’s stop for a second here to talk about the kissing on the Bachelor so far. Mostly it’s been of the “smacking” variety—lots of short kisses. People who hated the way that Drew and Diane kissed on Big Brother 5 will also hate most of the kissing on The Bachelor so far. Now, on BB5, the “smacking” was due to the fact that either Drew and Diane, or both, weren’t great kissers to begin with, complicated by the fact that Diane said once that she hadn’t been used to long French kisses, and felt embarrassed doing it except in the middle of the night. Byron is 40, not in his early 20’s like Drew and Diane, and it’s pretty clear that he knows how to kiss, because once in awhile, as we’ll see in a second, the producers show us a more passionate kiss. I strongly suspect that the producers have told Byron hold back on passionate kissing, because previous bachelors, particularly Bob in Bachelor 4, have been criticized for going on the show just to make out with as many women as possible. Also, we have to remember that (unlike BB), the people on The Bachelor have the cameras right in their faces. Personally, that would cool some of my ardor—presumably they get used to it.

Byron and Tanya are shown kissing several times, including some slightly longer kisses. The chemistry there is obvious. Then Byron says to Tanya in kind of a husky, whispery voice, “So when is our next date going to be?”...Tanya: You tell me....Byron: Why don’t you make one up?...Tanya: You have control here... Clearly what both of them want to say to each other is, “Your place or mine?” but they are constrained by the show. Still, there is definitely something going on... They both sigh and then get up to go....In the limo on the way home, they sit cuddled with each other, with Byron’s jacket over Tanya’s shoulders...This is, by far, the most physical affection we’ve seen between Byron and any of the women.

In voiceovers, Tanya says: My feelings for Byron right now are definitely growing. I think that if he and I were to continue on the same route that we're going, I could see myself with Byron...Byron’s voiceover says: Tonight, through that whole time we spent together, she grew in my eyes and in my heart so much. She just proved tonight that she's even more than I could actually hope for. It's definitely changed gears and gone into overdrive...This interchange is a perfect example of one of the most frustrating things about The Bachelor. From the body language in the restaurant, Byron and Tanya clearly made a connection. But, we were never shown anything in their conversation that led to that, that differentiated Tanya from the other women—we don’t know where the connection came from.

The Women’s Reaction When Byron and Tanya Get Home

Back at the house, the remaining seven women “just happen” to all be sitting in the living room waiting for Byron and Tanya....Krysta says that it’s harder now that there are fewer women in the house. There is a lot more time to think about what Byron is doing when he’s out on a date...Cheresse admits that she’s jealous. Even though she got the first date, that was a long time ago...Andrea goes on to say that her date with Byron was two days ago and, she feels like they had a great connection, but . “...he hasn’t called me yet so I’m pissed off at him.”....Krysta says to the camera: Andrea is very melodramatic. We all want time with him. We all feel a connection for him, but she's so different from the rest of us and just kind of over-the-top...One of the women asks Andrea, “Are you in love with him?”...Andrea: I think I am....Cheresse says to Andrea: That's a huge thing to say, ‘I think I'm in love with this person.’...Cindy says to Andrea that she’s mystified that Andrea is in love with Byron already....Andrea: I'd like to think that I'm the only one that really lights up his world...Mary is sympathetic to Andrea and says to her, ”It obviously hurts if, when you're in love with someone like you're saying that you are, and you see this person that you're in love with going out with other people, and you can't do anything about it.”...Cynthia: Do you think if he came home, are you that in love to tell him tonight?...Andrea says that she is.

A word about Andrea here. I got a comment last week that I’ve been too hard on Andrea in past recaps, and that could be true. I think it’s possible to “fall in love at first sight,” but, from my own experiences and those of my friends, in most cases, “falling in love at first sight” turns out, in fact, to be “falling in lust at first sight” and the relationship doesn’t last. Still, it can happen. But, I have concerns about Andrea because the Bachelor is not a usual dating situation, and Andrea has no idea what goes in Byron’s interactions with other women. I’m afraid that Andrea could be setting herself up for a big fall.

While the women are in the living room, Byron and Tanya come in. They say good-night to each other, and kiss several times, and Byron says to Tanya, “When will I see you again? When’s our next date?”...Tanya: You tell me.....Byron: Tomorrow?...They kiss a few more times and Byron seems very reluctant to say good-night...Note: Byron has never shown this much enthusiasm to seeing one of the women again as soon as possible. If this were real life, I suspect the dialogue would be, “Let me change out of these clothes and I’ll meet you at the bungalow in a few minutes.” And, who knows, maybe that happened? But, I don’t think so.

In the living room, the women are listening intently....Krysta says: I hear kissing...Cheresse says to the camera: When Byron and Tanya got home from their date, we definitely heard some kissing going on--a lot more than I think any of us had received...Tanya heads up the stairs and Byron heads into the living room to cut through to his bungalow....When Byron walks in and sees the women, he gets an embarrassed look on his face. Byron says, sort of sheepishly, “Good morning, everybody.”...Note to Byron: Wrong thing to say. This shows how distracted/tired Byron is, because, unlike the previous bachelor, Jesse Palmer, who was always putting his foot in his mouth, Byron rarely says the wrong thing...Second note: It’s still dark out, so it isn’t actually morning. Presumably, however, it’s after midnight.

The “Good Morning” comment from Byron is greeted by looks from the other seven women similar to what a mother would give her teenaged son if she waited up for him past his curfew, and he’d been out with a girl she didn’t approve of...Also, Byron’s goofy smile and disheveled shirt doesn’t help at all. He definitely looks like someone who’s been thoroughly kissed, if not more...Of course, the women don’t know that in the course of his date, Byron was completely drenched with water, and presumably wasn’t given a chance to iron his shirt again....Byron says to the camera: I came into the room, and I started talking to the ladies, and I was hoping there was not lipstick on my face. I visited briefly and got the hell out of there....Smart man...Note: The interview when Byron made the comment above was obviously done as soon as he got home, because Byron hasn’t changed his clothes. Byron is normally very articulate in interviews. In this one, he seems punchy, and more than a little drunk. He doesn’t slur his words, but is just short of that....As we leave Byron and his awkward moment, we go to a commercial with the usual voiceovers from Chris.

Byron and Mary go for a Massage

When we come back, it’s the next day (presumably), and Byron tells the camera that he has invited Mary to come have a massage with him....Byron comes to the house, and Mary is in the living room waiting for him with several of the other women. Mary is wearing a bikini top and very tight string-tied pants, along with (for some reason) a cowboy hat....Sabrina is with him, and one of the women asks Byron, “Is Sabrina coming?”...Byron says, “We’re not going far, so she may join us”...A note here. I really like having Sabrina on the show. The Bachelor is unnatural and fake in so many ways that having Sabrina tag along with Byron when he’s out on the grounds makes it seem much more natural. Sabrina is a very relaxed, quiet dog, who is always wagging her tail and just seems to enjoy doing whatever Byron is doing....When Byron and Mary leave, Cindy says to the camera that she was bummed that she didn’t get the date with Byron...Cindy: Then I was like, ‘He likes brunettes with small boobs.’...Note: Mary’s boobs aren’t small at all, they just aren’t as large (and fake?) as Cindy’s.

Out on the grounds of the mansion, two massage tables have been set up under a tent...Byron and Mary talk while they get their massages. (Note: They wear bathing suits for the massage.)...Mary tells the cameras the usual thing about how much she was looking forward to spending time alone with Byron...Mary also says: “Before Byron and I got our massages, Byron had to take his shirt off, and I wasn’t complaining....I agree with Mary. Byron has a very nice body. And, he actually has some chest hair (yum!), unlike the shaved look that was popular among several of the younger guys in the Big Brother house.

Mary says to Byron: How have you been? I'm sure that all this running around is hard on you...Byron chuckles: It's been stressful....Mary: Well, this is a good place to be, then...At first, Mary’s conversation with Byron is the same old stuff....Mary: I am attracted to you, but I don't know you because I haven't spent enough time with you. I'm looking for my perfect person...Byron asks Mary if she thought she had found the perfect person in Bob (on The Bachelor 4)....Mary: Just by things that he (Bob) was saying to me, I believed a lot of things. So yeah. He was just saying all the right answers to me....Translation: Mary fell for Bob because she believed the things he told her and didn’t realize until afterwards that he was a jerk...Byron asks Mary what she’s looking for in a man...Mary: Someone who's honest. Someone who loves life. Someone who loves me for me, who wants to be mature with me, be a kid with me, laugh with me, cry with me, and be a good father...Note: Either Mary has relaxed some from the strong desire to have kids that she showed on Bachelor 4, or someone has coached her not to bring up fatherhood as the first subject.....In a voiceover, Byron makes the usual remarks : I feel something towards Mary. I felt comfortable with Mary, and I do feel that she's beautiful and she's attractive. If I had a type description, she would fit the type description.

Byron and Mary then go over to what appears to be the same double lounger with umbrellas and pillows where Byron drank sangria with Cynthia earlier in the show...Mary asks Byron if he’s happy to be here, and Byron says he is....Mary says to Byron: We spent a short time talking to one another and I felt like there was a chemistry there.... Byron: I felt something with you. It has to be explored....In a voiceover Mary says: When I initially came here, I was very skeptical. I had these walls that I had built up. At this point, I just want to let those walls come down. I just want to have a good time.....Byron leans over Mary, holding hands, with their faces close to each other...Mary says to Byron: I hope you find what you're looking for...Byron: You think I'm gonna find it with you?...Mary: We'll see...The dialogue here doesn’t capture that this was a very intimate moment. Byron seemed to respond positively to the fact that Mary wasn’t trying to sell herself to him, but was also concerned with what he needed and wanted....Byron says in a voiceover: I feel an attraction right now for Mary. She's got some endearing, warm qualities, and there is a spark. But there's so many other women that I think are so great, and I'm confused. It's overwhelming.

Byron’s One-on-One Date With Elizabeth

Next, we completely change scenes, with Byron saying that he is going on a date with Elizabeth....Yay! The producers realized that we understand the date concept and don’t need yet another shot of Byron putting an envelope on the podium while the lucky woman reads a corny invitation....However, before we get too confident that the producers realize we aren’t total morons, we get yet another voiceover with Byron saying “I’m looking forward to spending time with Elizabeth. I need to find out more of who she is...” Etc. Etc.

Byron meets Elizabeth by the pool....Elizabeth is wearing a casual, strapless white gauze dress over jeans... Byron says to Elizabeth: Your date starts right now.....We see a helicopter flying over, and in lands in a nearby sports field. (The mansion has a sports field?)...Byron and Elizabeth get in the helicopter and fly off as the remaining women wave good-bye to them from the ground.

Elizabeth is very excited because she has never been in a helicopter before. She says that she is giddy and has butterflies in her stomach....Note: I hope it’s just butterflies that Elizabeth has in her stomach, because helicopters make some people motion sick, and that would be a bummer on a date. However, a woman who isn’t prone to motion sickness is probably an essential requirement for a man who fishes for a living, so all these dates on small planes, boats, and helicopters may not be a coincidence...Elizabeth tells the camera the same old stuff. She thinks it’s important for her to really know a man's heart because that will determine what type of friend he will be, what type of husband he will be, and how loyal and supportive he will be....Despite the fact that I’m a romantic, at this point it would be almost refreshing to hear one of the women say, “I wanted time alone with Byron to see if he’s a good kisser and whether I’d want to have sex with him.” However, since this would cause most Bachelor viewers to instantly brand the woman as a slut, the producers make sure that we know that everyone’s motives are pure (except maybe Krysta)

When they land, they go to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach (south of LA)....They go to a tunnel with the a large fish tank surrounding them, where a table for two has been set up....Elizabeth tells Byron that she has a number of questions she wants to ask him....Elizabeth: Could you give me some idea as to what intrigued you to give me a rose and have me last this long?...Byron: You asked direct questions early on that could even have been uncomfortable to ask or were hard to ask....Elizabeth: What are you like when you get angry?...Byron: I look to communicate my way out of it by understanding their perception, my perception. And if it's not working, and we're still butting heads, then I say, "Just give me 10 minutes, and I'll go for a walk."....Elizabeth: Cool. Good answer....Byron says to the camera: Elizabeth was engaged in what I might call a ‘husband interview.’ And, I appreciate that she has an idea of what she's looking for. She's here for the right reasons, and she is hoping to find someone in her life through this experience.

A note on Elizabeth and Byron’s conversation. Byron’s description of their conversation as a “husband interview” was a good one. Byron is good at making casual, relaxed conversation, but his talk with Elizabeth seemed more formal, like she was conducting an interview, and making mental notes about whether Byron gave a good answer or not. Elizabeth and Byron didn’t seem to have the chemistry that Byron has had with several of the other women...However, Elizabeth told the camera: I really, truly feel we had a good connection. I felt good and positive, and hopefully I'll get a rose at the next ceremony. Byron and Elizabeth leave the aquarium, and a voiceover from Chris takes us to commercials.

When Good Slumber Parties Go Bad

When we next see Byron, it’s evening, and he’s walking to the mansion wearing a long-sleeved black T-shirt with a big peace symbol on it, and is carrying a large black sports bag...Byron tells the camera: Tonight it's gonna be a little different. We're actually gonna spend the night having a slumber party...All of the women “just happen” to be in the living room. They are excited to see Byron and want to know what’s in his bag....Byron tells them it’s a pajama party, and shows them the champagne, lingerie (and apparently, feather boas) in his bag...The women give their best “cheerleader camp” whoop of excitement...Byron to the camera: I've been wanting quality time with all the ladies at the same time to see them interact with each other, interact with them as a group, and just kind of hang....Byron says to the women: I didn't want to go out, so I thought maybe it'd be good for all of us to spend time here. Everybody gets to pick out what they want to wear. Sabrina, you're already wearing yours. (Sabrina has a black feather boa around her neck.)

Note: The slumber party segment is the longest on the show, and it gets pretty intense. In particular, we see a totally different side of Jayne. But, we also learn some things about Byron by the way he handles the situation. I’m going to go straight through the fairly lengthy summary of the slumber party, and then give comments.

The women go upstairs to change into lingerie and pj’s... Krysta and Andrea are excited, and Andrea does a little show as she’s putting on her lingerie....Some of the other women aren’t so excited...Elizabeth tells the camera: My initial thought was, ‘Oh, lord, this is gonna be some freak fest.’ I didn't want to wear anything that would be too ‘hoochie’....Mary looks at one of the items on offer and seems disconcerted that it’s pretty see-through...Jayne goes through her own suitcase...Jayne to the camera: He brought pajamas, and everyone was kind of in a frenzy, trying things on, and it makes me feel a little uncomfortable. I kind of like a bit of privacy. I just get embarrassed....Byron, on the other hand, is looking forward to the evening. He tells the camera: I think all of the ladies are gonna look hot in lingerie and pj’s tonight. There is not a woman in this house that will make pajamas and lingerie look bad.

The women are apparently taking their time picking out their clothes, because Byron asks where everyone is. Krysta is the first one back down to the living room, and Byron kiddingly asks her, “Did you kill everybody?”...Krysta laughs and says, “I didn't have a one-on-one date yet, so I had to kill them all.”...Then Byron pulls out a can of silly string, and sprays it on Krysta and wrestles her to the couch...When the rest of the women come down, Byron and Krysta have removed their silly string and are sitting on the floor. With innocent faces, they tell the other women that they have a toast for them. Then they attack all the women with silly string. The women chase Byron around the house with silly string....Krysta then says to the camera: Everyone's having a really good time at the pajama party, but the “truth-or-dare” game is where it really kind of got dicey.

The women and Byron sit down in the living room to play “truth-or-dare.”...Cindy dares Andrea to give Byron a striptease dance...At first, Andrea says, “No way.”...But, the other women egg her on, and Andrea gives Byron a very brief lap dance (and is surprisingly good)...However, Andrea quickly says, “That’s enough”...Clearly both she and Byron are uncomfortable...Byron tells the women: I get really nervous in a striptease situation. I don't handle strip clubs very well....Krysta to the camera: I think maybe Andrea didn't get the response she wanted. I'm not saying he didn't like the lap dance, I don't know. I just think that afterwards I think she probably felt silly for doing it....Andrea to the camera: It was very embarrassing. I danced a little bit for him, and then I just turned around and sat down....Then Andrea tells the other women and Byron, ”I'm going to bed. Bye”...Byron says to Andrea: No, you're not. It's your turn to ask...Andrea asks Jayne, “Have you ever thought about kissing Cindy?...Cindy gasps, “Not me, I’m heterosexual”...Jayne coolly answers, “No. I mean, not that you're not beautiful”...One of the women says to Cindy: But you're not her type.

Then we see scenes of several of the women all “dirty dancing” at the same time, including Jayne leaning back over the staircase...There is lots of laughter among the women...After a little dirty dancing, Mary stops, and looks embarrassed, and pulls a blanket over herself...Byron says to Mary, “Come on! You were good!.. Byron says to the camera: Through the course of the pajama party, I looked over at Mary, and I could see that she was put off. Something was wrong, and I felt that I needed to pull her aside just to kind of understand what she was going through. I've been worried about it....Byron takes Mary outside, and says, “Okay, what’s happening? We’ve got to talk.”

Inside the women notice that Byron has gone, and the party mood immediately stops....Jayne asks, “Where is everybody? What's going on?! Is this what they call a “buzz kill”?...Cheresse says to the other women, “I think this is, like, the woman that can create more drama gets the attention....Cheresse says to the camera: Byron walked over to Mary and proceeded to walk outside with her. And at that point, all the fun and the energy level kind of disappeared...We are getting a glimpse of a whole different side of Jayne. In past recaps, I had described Jayne as “serene.” This is the exact opposite—Jayne has lost it. ...Jayne yells, “This is such a downer. I can't even believe it.” Jayne also appears to be drunk (although not falling down, sloppy drunk).

Outside, Byron says to Mary, “Something's up, and I want to make sure you're okay....Mary: I'm good. It’s just that the whole dancing thing was kind of “déj vu-ish” for me...We are shown a flashback of Mary on Bachelor 4 doing a provocative dance on a stage while Bob sits in the audience alone and cheers her on...Mary says to the camera: I don't want the same thing that happened with Bob to happen with Byron. At the slumber party, I couldn’t help but start thinking of about all the pain I went thought (with Bob). So, it scared me and I felt like I wanted to go...Mary is crying, and says to Byron: I don’t want you to make a mistake with me. Maybe you should let me go. I feel like I could really fall for you. But not like this...Byron replies to Mary: I promised myself if somebody wants to go, I will not beg them to stay. The time we shared was beyond great. If you feel that I'm possibly the one and that we could have something, give it time and don't look for coincidences in your past. Understand? Is that cool?....Mary and Byron share a long hug...Mary to the camera: I certainly have fears of getting hurt, but the conversation (with Byron) was definitely a turning point for me. It showed me that Byron wanted me to stay...Before they go back to the others, Byron and Mary share a long kiss.

Inside, Jayne has lost it, “Why did Byron leave? What the frig? I mean, what's going on? Holy [Bleep] Everyone's been complaining. They don't have fun, and it's all [Bleep] So now we're having some fun, and everyone's, like, gone....At this point, Chris breaks in with an introduction to the commercials.

When we come back, Byron and Mary are returning to the living room, and Jayne is still freaking out...Cheresse comments to the camera: Jayne was mad that Byron left with Mary. Jayne was a completely different person, yelling at him (Byron) for talking to Mary for an hour...We see Jayne saying angrily to Byron: You run out and destroy everything for Mary?...Byron: I didn't know I destroyed everything....Jayne: No, it did. We've been waiting. How long are we supposed to wait? We've been waiting for, like, an hour...Byron is very calm with Mary: It wasn't over an hour. It's about somebody that's upset....Jayne replies angrily: Seriously, you know, we all have our problems. We're all freaking out. We're all roller-coastering...And I can tell you right now, we're all crying....Byron to Jayne: I don't see the drama. I'm stuck over there with Sabrina....Byron: I just care about people....Jayne: In other words, I can start crying at some point, and you're going to come running after me? 'Cause maybe that's what I should start doing. We were having so much fun. I don't get it...Byron says to the camera: I don't know what to think about Jayne yet. There's some great qualities there, but there's also some big questions. She was especially upset because she feels as though I'm giving other people time, and she's having a tough time with this whole experience

Back with the women, Byron makes probably the most strange Bachelor toast ever, “To, um...to a slumber party that we can't sleep here now because it's destroyed”...Byron then says to the camera: There's so much tension in the house. It's really becoming difficult for the girls. And I think that a pajama party was probably the right thing to do at the wrong time....Then Byron says to the women: Good night, everybody. Yeah, that's it...Note: Uh, no such luck Byron, there’s more to come.

In the next scene, we see Krysta heading to Byron’s bungalow carrying two glasses of champagne....Meanwhile, most of the other women have gone out to the hot tub...Jayne says (apparently after having seen Krysta head for Byron’s bungalow), “Where's Byron?”...One of the other women says Byron is in his house...Jayne: Oh, he can't come out? Should I go find out? It's a little over-the-top for me, but I'm, like, seriously, tonight has been such a damper, it's unbelievable....Tanya comments on Jayne’s behavior: Jayne's usually so low-key. I was very surprised at her behavior change....Jayne meets Krysta at Byron’s door and asks her if she’s coming to the hot tub...Krysta: No, I'm gonna, um, have some champagne with Byron, real quick. Jayne: In a private situation? Are you all gonna come out to the hot tub when you're done?....Krysta: Maybe. Do you want me to ask him to come out? ...Jayne: I would love for you to ask him....Krysta: Okay, I sure will...Then Jayne opens the door and says to Byron, “Are you gonna come out to the hot tub?”...Krysta says the to the camera: I walked over to Byron's with a couple glasses of champagne, and out of nowhere pops GI Jayne....Jayne says to Byron: I f you do not come to the hot tub, there's gonna be a whole lot of problems....Byron says, “I'll just go right now.” ....Jayne says, No, you have champagne with Krysta....Byron: Why don't we just go out there together? Let's everybody hang out. This is like a group thing...Byron heads toward the hot tub, and, on the way says to Krysta that it would be inappropriate (for the two of them to remain at the bungalow right now)...Krysta says to the camera: At the point that Jayne darted in the (Byron’s) door, and I'm left standing outside by myself with two glasses of champagne, I realized I'd been blocked by “the mute.”

It’s not over for Byron yet....He goes over to the hot tub, and sits on the edge with his feet in the pool....Jayne is still angry at Byron and says to him: What happened? I thought we were all going to be sleeping on the living-room floor? And no one is asleep on the living-room floor...Byron: No, everybody changed. It all morphed into some kind of weird, strange experience....Jayne: Because of you....Byron: No, I didn't realize that the whole environment would change...Jayne: You don't realize that everyone just is, like, adoring you, and you are god?...Byron: No....Jayne: Okay, you're a guy that was just fishing, and all of a sudden you've got all these women vying for your attention. It's not going to your head at all?...Byron: No....Jayne: You stopped the world because you chose Mary over what was happening...Byron: Unbeknownst to me....Jayne: Well, that's what everyone saw. Apparently --because everyone left....Mary comments to the camera: A lot of girls were upset by Jayne's behavior. She just had this look on her face like she wanted to fight with somebody. ...Byron to the camera: Jayne was having a hard time at the slumber party. I do have feelings for her, and I'm attracted to her, but I'm confused by her actions. I'm not sure what I'm going to do in the next rose ceremony with regards to any of the women. I'm gonna have a very, very tough time....Byron says to the women: It's too bad that the night ended early.

Okay, time to comment on what happened here. I was wrong in earlier recaps—Jayne is not serene. One commenter described Jayne as “evil” after seeing this segment, but I wouldn’t use that word, because, to me, “evil” connotes trying to hurt somebody else on purpose. Instead, I think we saw Jayne drinking too much, and not handling her feelings well.

The Jayne we’ve seen so far is very quiet, reserved, and private. But, we know that she has found the fact that Byron is dating multiple women difficult, as she told him in her bedroom conversation with Byron in a previous episode. And, like some people I’ve known who keep their emotions very much under control most of the time, Jayne loses some of her inhibitions when she’s been drinking.

I don’t hold it against Jayne that she’s finding the whole premise of The Bachelor very difficult. Heck, the show was deliberately designed to cause emotional conflict. In real life, a man may be dating multiple women, but the women aren’t all living together (and there usually aren’t eight of them.) I don’t think I’d handle The Bachelor very well. And, because Jayne is truly beautiful, she doesn’t normally have to compete for a guy. In fact, her shyness and reticence may have come about to help her deal with guys coming on to her all the time.

But, even giving Jayne the benefit of the doubt, I’ve changed my opinion that she and Byron would be good for each other. I think Jayne may be someone who ideally finds a guy who adores her and makes her the center of his attention. There is nothing wrong with this, and I suspect that there are many men who would relate to Jayne in this way. But, that’s not Byron, on or off the Bachelor.

On the Bachelor, all the women, by definition, are going to have to share Byron. In real life, Byron competes in tournaments and makes public appearances, and is very outgoing, and flirty. Byron needs a woman who won’t be uncomfortable when he is in the spotlight getting attention from others. Because he’s a fisherman who spends a lot of time alone, Byron clearly doesn’t need or want public attention all the time, and from his interactions with the women so far, he seems to enjoy spending time alone with a woman, and making her feel special. But, Byron needs a women who will not be uncomfortable when he gives his attention to other people, but, will, in fact, enjoy with him the times when he does get a lot of attention from others.

And, Jayne made a mistake when she confronted Byron in front of the other women. Byron seems like someone who, at least in public, is laid-back and wants to avoid confrontation, and doesn’t like making other people mad or hurting them. Ideally, Jayne would have realized that drinking might cause her to overreact, and have just gone to bed when the evening seemed to start to go sour. Then, the next day she might have found a time to talk privately to Byron about how she had felt the night before. Ah, the benefits of hindsight.

Also, a note about Byron asking Mary to leave with him for awhile. In the scenes we saw of the party, Mary seemed uncomfortable, but she didn’t seem in terrible distress, or crying (although she did cry later when she talked to Byron). I think Byron wanted to talk to Mary alone not only because he sensed she was upset, but also because he was feeling uncomfortable. Actually, I was surprised that Byron was uncomfortable. We know that his former wife is an entertainer in Las Vegas and he apparently has dated women who are strippers. The fact the situation made him uncomfortable suggests that one reason he may have agreed to go on The Bachelor was to find a partner who isn’t part of the Las Vegas entertainment world, because it looks like he has mixed feelings about it. Since Mary had told Byron about some of her experiences on Bachelor 4, he probably figured that she was someone who would sympathize with his discomfort, and not just laugh it off as him being “uptight” or not being a fun person...Okay, back to the show.

When we next see Jayne, she is talking to Andrea the following morning, and seems like her usual self. Jayne says that there was a lot of giggling and whispering in the bathroom which made her paranoid....Andrea: It’s not you....Jayne to the camera: After the slumber party, I could sense that the girls weren't happy with me, and it was hard for me to understand. Because, my whole intention the night of the party was to have fun with all of us....Jayne asks Andrea: So it's okay that I was a little upset about that, do you think? Or was I completely out of line for being upset about that? Actually, I don't care. I still think it (the party) shouldn't have stopped (when Byron left).

Out by the pool, Cindy, Krysta, Tanya, and Cheresse are talking...Cheresse asks: What happened since I went to bed? Because I was annoyed with, like, the whole evening. I don't know what happened....Krysta: Okay, reenactment. I'm, like, standing at the (Byron’s) door with two glasses of champagne and all of a sudden --vvvvvvvvt! Jayne runs into his house. And Jayne says, ‘We're all going to the hot tub. Are you guys coming to the hot tub? Are you and Krysta coming to the hot tub?’ And he's so nice, and he's not gonna say “no.” ...Cheresse: But, I mean, is he nice? Or is he just paying attention to the people that are psycho?...Krysta: I think he was being nice. I think that he was trying to lessen the drama....Cheresse: I mean, every person that was psychotic last night, he was talking to....Krysta: I think he was troubleshooting...Cheresse: But maybe he likes the psychotic ones....Cheresse to the camera: We were all hanging out, going off on Jayne, hoping that Byron, the guy that we're all dating, sees what Jayne is really all about. I just hope he's getting it....Cindy: He might not, though, because people can mask things really well....Then Cindy does an imitation of Jayne with a shotgun in her hand “Who am I? I'm Jayne of the jungle--wash the dog, walk the dog. We have a new Jayne.” Cindy makes shooting noises. Then Krysta walks by and says, 'Here's me with my champagne. I’m walking over. Hi, Byron.’ Cindy imitates gunfire and pretends to shoot Krysta, and Krysta dramatically falls down...On that note, Chris gives his voiceover introduction to the commercials.

The Rose Ceremony

When we come back, it is the rose ceremony. No last-minute talks. The women look very tense and serious as Chris and Byron walk up....Poor Chris, once again wardrobe has assigned him the “geek” suit, the better to show off how cool Byron is....Chris reminds the women and Byron that there are only six roses to give out, which means that two women must go home tonight. (I’m sure Chris’ first grade teacher is proud when Chris says this every week, because it shows that her basic arithmetic lessons haven’t gone to waste)....It’s now Byron’s turn to give his scripted speech before he gives out the roses. He starts with a sigh to show how hard his decision was, and thanks all of the women for being there with him and sharing this moment with him. Byron begins to hand out the roses as suspenseful music plays in the background.

--Mary
--Tanya (Note: Tanya is a beautiful woman, but she should never wear her hair up because she’s got a “Prince Charles ears” thing going.)
--Andrea (Cheresse shakes her head when Andrea’s name is called.)
--Cindy (When Cindy accepts the rose she once again gives Byron her weird “bug-eyed” look.)
--Cheresse

Even though this show skipped other rituals, the producers apparently felt that we wouldn’t feel the appropriate suspense unless Chris said, “Ladies, this is the final rose tonight.”

--Jayne

Chris, as always, then says, “Ladies, I'm sorry. If you did not receive a rose, take a moment, say your good-byes. Please gather your things. It's time to leave the mansion....The woman say their good-byes to each other and to Byron... Elizabeth says to the camera: The thing that really hurts the most is I wanted to get to know Byron even more, and it didn't happen. I would really love to know what went wrong. Meeting Byron definitely gives me hope that there are men out there who are ready to commit and who are waiting to share the rest of their life with someone....Krysta tells the camera: I am sad because I completely misjudged the situation, and I thought that he felt the same – that Byron felt the same way about me that I felt about him. And I was completely wrong, and that's disheartening, you know? It sucks to think that somebody likes you when they obviously don't.....Krysta actually gets a little damp around the eyes during the interview, but not enough to affect her eye make up....Krysta goes on: I think Byron made a big mistake by letting me go. I'm real. I'm the same today as I was the first day I walked in here. It'll be difficult to get over him

Byron says in a voiceover: I'm glad the rose ceremony's behind me. This is one of the hardest things I've ever experienced in my entire life. I'm excited about what's in the future. I believe my wife, my soul mate, my life partner could easily be one of the 6 women that I am now with....Hmmm, this statement isn’t quite as strong as earlier statements where Byron said he definitely knew his future wife was among the remaining women....Byron toasts the remaining six women: To patience in finding love.

Next Week on The Bachelor

Chris tells us “Things are getting intense as Byron is getting closer to several women.”...”And they are passing the point of no return”.: One woman says :Byron and I didn’t have sparks, it was more like the Fourth of July... Byron says, “I do have concerns about how fast this is happening.” Tensions at the house reach their boiling point and Jayne explodes. ...Then we see scenes of Byron and the women at night, searching the mansion grounds looking for Jayne....Chris says, “Four women will go on in the most dramatic rose ceremony ever. Who will Byron choose? And who will he send home brokenhearted?...Note: Only the faces of five of the women are shown at the next rose ceremony, with Jayne’s face missing. However, there is one long shot of the women standing on the mansion steps, and, although we can only see five women, we see the shadow of the sixth woman standing at the end of the line...So, is Jayne at the next rose ceremony, or have the producers edited the picture to add a sixth shadow?...”Find out next week on The Bachelor.”

As the credits roll, we see a scene with Byron and Elizabeth getting to know some zebra sharks and their trainer in a shark tank at the Aquarium of the Pacific. Byron is obviously really enjoying the experience. Elizabeth is trying to be a good sport, but doesn’t seem convinced when she’s told that the sharks are docile.

Until next week....