SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from the Season 29 premiere of ABC‘s The Bachelor.
Grant Ellis is ready to find his happily ever after.
The Season 29 premiere of The Bachelor kicked off Monday night with its usual introduction to the new leading man, a 30-year-old day trader from Houston, Texas. Bachelor Nation first met Grant when he was vying for Jenn Tran’s heart on Season 21 of The Bachelorette and, while that love story didn’t work out, Grant is ready to give it another go.
This time, he’s the one who will be dating a few dozen women at once in the hopes of getting down on one knee by the end of the journey.
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Audiences may remember that last season, Grant confided in Jenn about his father’s sobriety. In the Season 29 premiere, we get to meet Grant’s dad and see them share a moment before Grant departs for Los Angeles for night one. He’s excited that he and his dad are both embarking on new chapters in their life at the same time, and he seems hopeful for the future. His entire family, in fact, seems very supportive of this endeavor.
When night one finally rolls around, Grant welcomes 25 women to the Bachelor Mansion. Some standout arrivals include Carolina, who threw Grant for a loop when she did her entire introduction in Spanish, and Alli Jo, who brought Grant a “pizza” her heart. There was also Radhika, who taught Grant a Bollywood dance, and Alexe, who trekked up the driveway on foot with her llama Linda in tow (which Grant mistook for a donkey).
Sarafiena arrives with a huge cardboard cutout of Grant’s head, while Kyleigh brought Grant some chips and salsa for a bit of a snack break. Savannah, a wedding planner, aptly brought a wedding cake, and Vicky rolled up the driveway with a neon sign that read, “Viva Las Vicky.”
After pulling out all the stops to impress Grant during arrivals, the women jockeyed to spend some time with him inside the mansion in hopes of getting that coveted first impression rose.
All the ladies are waiting with bated breath to see who, if anyone, will kiss Grant on night one. As these things usually go, Allyshia, the woman who insisted she doesn’t kiss on first dates, is the one to kiss Grant first — much to the chagrin of the others.
But, she isn’t the only one. Juliana also kisses Grant after a heartfelt conversation about their families and past relationships.
So far, the night has been pretty drama free, and all the women seem to be getting along very well, even amid some obvious twinges of jealousy over who has seemingly progressed farther than others with Grant. But, of course, The Bachelor can’t simply be drama free.
Just as all the women are remarking about the calmness of the night thus far, they get a bit of a surprise in the form of one last woman, who arrives in a limo in the middle of the cocktail party. She walks straight through the mansion, ignoring everyone in her path, heading straight for Grant. Who is this person, and why is she here?
The producers keep her face hidden for quite a long time, even as she asks Grant if he’s kissed anyone yet. All of the other women are in a bit of a tizzy. But, it’s all for naught, because it’s just Grant’s sister, Taylor!
She gathers everyone inside and takes the reins, doing her sisterly duty by embarrassing Grant and showing his baby photos to the group. After a few laughs, Taylor announces she’ll be sticking around the cocktail party to get to know the women and give them some intel on her brother. Their conversations include Grant’s past relationships, his emotional intelligence, his upbringing and more.
Taylor tells Grant he’s got a hard decision ahead of him to figure out who should stay and who should go.
Before long, it’s time to hand out the first impression rose. Host Jesse Palmer announces that not only will the first impression rose save one woman from elimination at the rose ceremony, they’ll also get the first one-on-one date with Grant.
After a few last minute conversations (and a couple of smooches), Grant offers the first impression rose to Alexe. He tells her that, “aside from being beautiful,” he thinks she’s funny and intelligent. Naturally, she accepts.
At the rose ceremony, Grant gives out roses to Litia, Rose, Zoe, Ella, Alli Jo, Natalie, Juliana, Vicky, Carolina, Beverly, Bailey, Dina, Chloie, Rebekah, Sarafiena, Allyshia, and Parisa.
That means 18 women are heading into the first week of dates, and seven have already been eliminated.
This is just the beginning of the road for Grant, and while the first episode felt fairly drama-free, the previews for this season certainly make it seem like it won’t stay that way. Anyway, The Bachelor airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
The post ‘The Bachelor’ Recap: Grant Meets the 25 Women Vying For His Heart In Season 29 Premiere appeared first on Deadline.
