OPINION: It was Jack who stirred Lexies heart on tonights dramatic Bachelorette NZ, prompting an emotional overspill that had Lexie in tears of shock.
What happened? A small amount of one-on-one time with Jack early on in the cocktail party threw Lexie into a tailspin as she realised they had some sort of unspoken, raw connection, which was complicated by him being six years younger than her. It seems Lexie and Jack were both absolutely rocked by said connection, which, the more they described it, sounded to me like it was carnal desire, but I imagine that would have been a bit much to spell out on national television, and I also dont want to reduce their connection to just that. They also do seem to have a genuine shared chemistry, and they make each other laugh. Generally, Id side with Lexie in regards to the age gap, as I think women are often more mature than men, but in this case, Jack seems like a very mature guy, perhaps the most mature from this season. I personally dont think the age gap should have been a barrier, but in the end
It was a raw connection and a rough goodbye – for Lexie and Jack.
Jack bounced. Fair enough. He did so rather dramatically, spinning on his heel and literally marching away from the rose ceremony before it even began. It made for great television. He expressed that he didnt feel like he could put his family through meeting Lexie if he wasnt sure he was fully in it, which is a very sound and wise decision, fair on both himself, his family and Lexie.
READ MORE:* Bachelorette NZ: ‘It’s the best first kiss I’ve had in my life’* The Bachelorette NZ: An absolute bloodbath – and a surprise intruder* The Bachelorette NZ: Who’s really making the dating rules?
But they could have had something! Maybe, if theyd had more time together, and several times Lexie expressed frustration that shed only been able to steal short moments with Jack throughout the season, wondering if perhaps shed had more time with him, her decisions could be clearer, and shed know how she felt. Huh, its almost as though The Bachelorette format isnt conducive to forging genuine connections with potential lovers…
Just like Titanic, well never let go of this Jack.
Whos left? Just Todd, Paul, Hamish and Joe, who will now take Lexie back to meet their families. (I guess its worth mentioning here that Jesse also bounced, concluding the most anticlimactic arc of this season.)
Tell me about the hometown dates then. First up was Hamish, who whisked Lexie up to Northland for some fishing and kina diving. It went poorly. They managed to catch just one young fish, who was, I presume, just minding their own business before they were dragged unexpectedly up from the ocean, forced to kiss Lexie on the lips, and tossed back to sea. (Ill admit Im letting my biases show; when I was a child, my poor hearing meant I was terrified of loud noises, including my grandfathers boat. I have sustained traumatic associations with fishing throughout my life as a result, and I apologise for projecting this onto Hamish and Lexie).
Kissing fish and broken boats didnt exactly scream romance.
Did they get any kina? One.
Nice. No! Hamish couldnt start the boat after they found the kina, thus proving my point that we should never trust boats. Thankfully, with a bit of help and laughter, they got going again, and were able to enjoy the kina back on land while having lunch with Hamishs family. Strangely, Hamishs dad didnt believe that Lexie liked kina, an incorrect belief he upheld throughout lunch; I couldnt tell if he was doing a bit or if he was just being a bit mean.
But all was well. Hamishs family were, naturally, charmed by Lexie, as we all have been.
How about Joe? Joe who shares Hamishs hometown took Lexie to a picturesque waterfall, which washed away all previous anxiety that their chemistry may have been floundering. I couldnt help but smile imagining the cameraman who had to squeeze behind the waterfall to capture Lexie and Joe smooching, but it was worth it for such a cinematic kiss.
Joe took Lexie to a waterfall, which washed away any anxiety about a lack of chemistry.
How did meeting the family go? Not quite as swimmingly. Joes friend Evie came in hot with an awkwardly-timed comment about aphrodisiacs, while Joes mum was disapproving of Lexie giving Joe the cold shoulder to him throughout lunch. I feel like that could be chalked up to nerves Lexie was trying to impress you guys, not Joe! But Joes mother seems pretty protective of her son, and it raised a red flag for her.
Were down to the wire now. Its just Paul and Todds home visits left, then were heading towards the finish line.
