The Bachelorette is back to remind us all that Charity Lawson is everything, and these men vying for her affection are just Kens.
That’s right, Bachelor Nation. We were blessed with a Barbie-themed date in Week 3, along with a cameo from one of the film’s stars, appearances from two franchise favorites, and an unfortunate reference to Will Smith’s infamous Oscar’s slap on primetime ABC. Ugh! In addition to a change in scenery, we got two surprising one-on-one dates, a group date that evolved from delightful to dramatic, and we finally saw Charity threaten to rip someone’s rose right off his chest. (Whether or not she made good on that threat is a whole other story.)
Brayden-related groans aside, The Bachelorette Season 20, Week 3 was the most fun I’ve had watching this franchise in recent memory. The episode struck a perfect balance between fun activities, serious conversations, charming romance, and petty drama. It was a reality TV treat, thanks in large part to the Barbie collab, which was perfectly timed despite being pre-recorded and made me wish the franchise would lean into relevant pop culture trends more often.
Looking for a recap of The Bachelorette Season 20, Week 3? Wondering who snagged a one-on-one date with Charity? Who was crowned the Ken to her Barbie? And who went home? Decider’s Season 20, Episode 3 recap breaks down all the juicy details. Just be mindful that spoilers lie ahead.
Date 1 Recap: Charity Lawson and Brayden Bowers’ One-On-One Date
The episode kicked off with a classic franchise fakeout as Charity visited the mansion to tell her men she decided she “can’t do this anymore.” After an uncomfortable pause, she added “in LA!” and told the group they’d be relocating to Oceanside, California, by bus, except for one lucky man, who would spend the day with her and ride in style. And who would that lucky man be? Well, the red flag waving Brayden, of course! The men were understandably baffled by Charity’s decision to reward this dude — who’s been at the center of the show’s drama since Night 1 — again, but Charity told cameras her days of ignoring red flags were done and her day with Brayden would be pivotal.
The two took a helicopter ride (that would have greatly benefited from Succession theme music) to Petco Park and spent their date playing catch, hitting balls, and “being stupid, playful, and fun” on the Padres field. The date seemed like a home run until Brayden admitted he was unsure if he could stay on the show because Charity is dating other people. (Once again, I ask why men on The Bachelorette are acting like they don’t know how the show works?!)
When the two met back up for dinner, Brayden shared that the only serious girlfriend he had cheated on him, so being in an open relationship on the show brings back his trauma and insecurities. Charity, who’s also opened up about a past partner’s infidelity, understood and appreciated his honesty. And after Brayden wrote “YOU’RE WORTH TRYING FOR” on a baseball, gifted it to her, and promised he’d try to overcome his doubts and remain on the show, Charity offered him a rose.
Did Brayden Get The Rose? Yep! But will “that shit” be ripped off his chest before the episode ends? We’ll get to that in a bit.
Date 2 Recap: Ken You Feel The Love Tonight?
Week 3’s group date saw Joey, Aaron B., Michael, James, Caleb B., Aaron S., Sean, Xavier, Tanner, Adrian, Dotun, and John get in the Barbie spirit with a little help from franchise alum JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers, plus actor Simu Liu, who plays a Ken in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie film, premiering July 21.
Liu, who claims he’s a huge fan of Charity and Bachelor Nation, recorded a video, explaining, “When I found out I was gonna be a part of Greta Gerwig’s new film I knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and something really special — probably how some of you are feeling right now. I really want you to put it all out there because let’s face it, Charity is worth it.”
Like Ryan Gosling’s Ken, who writes a love song for Barbie in the film, the Bachelorette men were tasked with writing original lyrics and performing a love song set to the tune of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” in front of judges Charity, Jojo, Jordan, and a live audience. But first, they had to dress the part. Michael was Bad Boy Ken, Caleb was Cowboy Ken, John was Birthday Suit Ken, Tanner was Ice Skater Ken, Xavier Sugar Daddy Ken (?!), Adrian was Classic Ken, Dotun was Astronaut Ken, Joey was the iconic Rollerblade Ken, and Sean was the famous Gosling Double Denim Ken. After a round of hilariously terrible performances (with the exception of Caleb B, who can SING) Charity named Sean the Ken to her Barbie, and the two spent some quality time on the pier while the rest of the guys headed to the afterparty.
Unfortunately, Sean’s Ken status went to his head and he rubbed everyone the wrong way by returning from his one-on-one time and stealing Charity before anyone else got a chance to connect with her. Aaron S. was rightfully annoyed, but as an only child who prides herself on not being an asshole, I do have to call him out for asking Sean if he was an only child because of his behavior. Unnecessary and uncool, bro!
Read Related Also: Lamest Presidential Campaign Ever Gets Even More Pathetic
Who Got The Group Date Rose? After all the fuss over Sean, he didn’t even walk away with the rose. The group date prize went to the smooth-talking Dotun, who connected on another level with Charity by sharing all the qualities he admired about her.
Date 3 Recap: Charity Lawson and Warwick Reider’s One-On-One Date
The final date card of the episode went to Warwick, and if you don’t know who that man is, join the club! The guys in the house were so shocked when Warwick got the one-on-one date, because he’s so quiet they sometimes forget he exists. Charity explained she was physically attracted to and intrigued by him, so she took him to Belmont Park for a private, playful night of riding rides, snacking, and chatting.
The date looked fun as hell until producers stripped away exciting edits and revealed just how awkward and quiet their time together was. Warwick told cameras that amusement parks make him tired, which, OK! But when he couldn’t tell Charity why his past relationships ended or what his positive attributes were it was clear she’d had enough.
Did Warwick Get The Rose? Absolutely not. Although the date was fun, Charity felt like they were on two different pages so she didn’t give him the rose. Warwick initially looked upset as his car drove away, but within minutes he was fast asleep and snoring, so I guess the date really did take a lot out of him.
The Bachelor Season 20, Episode 3 Cocktail Party And Rose Ceremony Recap: Who Went Home Week 3?
Charity kicked off the cocktail party by saying, “Let’s pray it’s a good night. No one piss me off, please!” And her wishes were NOT granted.
The night started off promising, with Joey showing Charity notes from his late grandfather and Xavier gifting her something he knitted. But Brayden drama put a damper on the evening yet again after Aaron B. decided to warn Charity that her first impression rose winner wasn’t ready for an engagement and doesn’t want to date someone who’s dated 20 of his friends. (Again, sir… That is the whole show!)
After the conversation, Aaron felt good. Charity felt “irritated times a million.” And Brayden felt “like I need to be like Will Smith right now! Like keep my name out your fucking mouth!” The moment we’ve been waiting for happened when Charity said she’d have no problem ripping a rose off Brayden’s chest. She took him aside to ask why the hell he was here if he didn’t want to date a woman who’s dated multiple men. And though none of the guys like Brayden, they were mostly upset with Aaron B for putting a damper on the night and taking away their time with Charity.
But did Brayden talk himself out of going home again? The first rose of the night went to Aaron B. The last rose went to Tanner. And the following men went home Week 3:
- Warwick, a 27-year-old construction manager from Nashville, Tennessee
- Aaron S, a 33-year-old firefighter from San Diego, California
- James, a 28-year-old attorney from Chicago, Illinois
- Adrian, a 33-year-old realtor from Northridge, California
Charity had the chance to make one of the most iconic moves in Bachelorette history, but for reasons no one can seem to comprehend, she let Brayden keep his rose. “For me, he is a strong connection. That was hard. And I didn’t want to act too prematurely on anything, so hopefully my gut is right,” she said. From the look of Week 4 previews, her gut was wrong! But we’ll have to wait and see for ourselves.
See you back here next week for another chapter of Charity’s unconventional love story.
New episodes of The Bachelorette Season 20 premiere on Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC. Episodes are available for next-day streaming on Hulu.
(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&appId=823934954307605&version=v2.8”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));
