Clayton Echard has finally said goodbye to Shanae. On Monday night's episode of The Bachelor, the medical sales rep sent the villain of his season home, but a new woman was waiting in the wings to take over the title, and ET is breaking it all down in the recap below.
The episode picked up with Clayton's awkward two-on-one with Shanae and Genevieve. Good prevailed, and Shanae was left screaming at Niagara Falls.
A one-on-one with Teddi followed, as Clayton learned more about the first impression rose recipient. When one woman earned a second solo date, Mara was left feeling insecure and decided to throw her under the bus.
Keep reading for a full recap of episode 6 of The Bachelor.
Shanae's Plan Fails
The dreaded two-on-one date started the episode, and Genevieve was quick to tell Clayton that the situation has "not been easy" for her, but that she's been "really trying" to be vulnerable.
Shanae used her time to tell Clayton that Genevieve had been saying that she wanted to go home. "She says one thing and then does the other. It’s confusing. It’s awkward. To me it’s just two-faced and it’s a red flag," Shanae said, before claiming that Genevieve had "actress vibes."
While Shanae believed that her highly planned conversation with Clayton "went off without a hitch," he didn't see it the same way.
Before he sent Shanae home, though, Clayton asked Genevieve, "Are you an actress and are you lying to me?" Genevieve was stunned and Shanae was laughing, as the former woman answered, "I’m not an actress. I’m not faking anything."
When Genevieve asked Clayton what brought the question on, he walked away and Shanae confessed to the other women that she'd been behind the inquiry.
Clayton eventually came back and told the women, "The rose today is going to somebody who helped me see the truth in all of this. Shanae, I am so sorry, but I cannot find it in my heart to give you this rose."
The women at the hotel cheered as Shanae's luggage was taken from the room, and Shanae was fuming.
"I’m 100 percent shocked. One hundred percent. Like, what the f**k just happened? He chose an actress over me. Weird. Like, f**k that guy," Shanae told the cameras, as she was left alone in Niagara Falls. "I’m pissed. I’m literally blindsided. What does he see in her? It’s sickening. It’s disgusting. You open up and you be true and vulnerable and this is what you get? That’s why I’m single. Thank you. I hate Clayton."
At the cocktail party, Clayton told the women that he hoped Shanae's departure allowed them to turn over "a new leaf." He went on to have good conversations with Sarah and Rachel, before Serene angered Mara by interrupting her time.
Clayton ended up awarding roses to everyone except Hunter and Marlena, before telling his remaining women that they were heading to Croatia.
Teddi Tells Clayton She's a Virgin
Teddi and Clayton spent their one-on-one exploring Croatia together, making wishes into a fountain, walking around, and getting ice cream. When the nighttime portion of their date rolled around, Teddi told Clayton that she's a virgin.
"I am a sexual person and I enjoy that aspect of myself, and I don’t like that I felt like I had this pressure to wait," she told Clayton, after revealing that her mom had a baby in high school. "That’s where I came to the realization that I don’t need to wait until marriage, but I am going to wait for the first time until I’m in love."
While she said she wasn't waiting for marriage to have sex, Teddi said she did plan to wait until she was in love, something she'd yet to experience.
"I think there will be a feeling, but I think it’s also just feeling safe with the person that I’m with, feeling protected by them, that I can trust them," Teddi said of when she'll know she's in love. "I haven’t felt, especially this early, this much trust with a man. I do feel really safe when I’m with him. I really am allowing myself to fall, because I do see a lot of hope in what we could have. I want that."
Clayton wasn't fazed by Teddi's confession, even telling the cameras, "It is exciting to know that I could be the first person she falls in love with, I think I could be her first in many things. I think it could be very special, but it carries a lot of weight, especially now, knowing all that, I really want to make sure that, with her, I’m 100 percent in."
After accepting the rose from Clayton, Teddi said in a confessional, "I could see myself falling in love with him. I haven’t felt this way ever."
Mara Plants Seeds of Doubt
The group date got underway next, as the women participated in a set of quests led by a knight.
They had a physical test, before being tasked with eating such delicacies as pig's liver and fish eyeballs. Serene and Mara went all in on the eating challenge, but Serene walked away as the victor.
The women next had to kneel in front of Clayton and confess their feelings, and, despite a poem from Mara, Serene won that challenge too.
At the after-party, Rachel got real about her feelings for the Bachelor, telling him, "I am falling for you so hard. I’m terrified because I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I don’t know if you’re going to bring me into next week. I’m confident, but there’s just so much going on. I truly want you to know that I don’t have a doubt in my mind that I would love to bring you home to my family."
Clayton was pleased by Rachel's reveal and how she was giving him "all the validation in the world." His good mood was short-lived, though, as Mara continued to grow more and more frustrated by the lack of attention she'd received from Clayton.
"I’ve been vulnerable, sweet, cute, flirty. I’ve done literally everything you say you’re looking for, but to get the last rose at the last rose ceremony and to not get a one-on-one, it’s hard to still be giving that much because it is discouraging," she said. "I’m just a little surprised. You’ve been adamant about saying that you’re looking for a wife, looking for children and long-term, but the roses that are given out, the one-on-ones that are given out, don’t reflect that."
The root of the problem was revealed next, when Mara, the oldest in the house, complained that Sarah, the youngest in the house, had landed a second one-on-one date.
Mara told Clayton that some women "have been openly vocal about" not being ready for marriage, and expressed concern about others due to their age. When Clayton asked if she was referring to Sarah, Mara confirmed that Sarah was one of the women she believes is "not fully ready" to get married.
While Clayton told Mara that he'd do his "due diligence" going forward, he ended up awarding the group date rose to Rachel. Mara found the whole thing to be "exhausting" and "defeating."
A Surprise One-on-One
Later that night, Clayton received a mysterious note under his door that instructed him to "meet me at the clock tower." Once he arrived, he was delighted to find Susie there waiting for him.
In a confessional, Susie revealed that the idea for the surprise date came about because she'd begun to feel "insecure about losing" Clayton, despite seeing "a future with him."
After they climbed up to the top of the clock tower, Susie confessed, "I do feel as though I’m falling in love with you."
Clayton gleefully laughed in response, telling her, "I can’t believe you just said that. It’s a phenomenal thing." In a confessional, Clayton revealed, "This might be the happiest I’ve been since I’ve been on this journey... I could see myself falling in love with Susie."
Sarah Professes Her Feelings
Ahead of Sarah's one-on-one date, Clayton told host Jesse Palmer about his conversation with Mara, confessing, "I don’t want to fall for that person and then be stood up at the end of it all." After Jesse encouraged Clayton to "keep your heart open," the Bachelor set off for his dinner date with Sarah.
On the date, Clayton brought up his concern that she may not be ready, something Sarah tearfully denied.
"I really do see it going somewhere and I really could see a future with you... I’ve told you since day one that I was here because it was you. Literally after we talked I kind of cried a little bit because there’s something here and it’s something I’ve never felt," she said." After our one-on-one, I was like, 'I think I could see myself being engaged to this person'... I came in with the hope of that happening."
Clayton was "really confused" after Sarah's speech and excused himself from the table. Meanwhile, Sarah fumed, storming off and wondering to a producer, "Who the f**k said that?" While speaking to the cameras, Sarah called it "b**ch move" and said it was "complete bulls**t."
When she and Clayton were seated at the table again, she confessed, "I’m scared of losing you and losing this," but he was quick to put her fears to rest.
"I don’t question your sincerity," he told her. "This is a strong connection and I can tell that you’re pouring in everything that you have into this, and that you’re here for me and you want what I’m after."
In a confessional, Sarah declared, "Karma’s a b**ch."
Clayton Wishes He 'Never Would've Fallen in Love'
In the preview for next week's episode, Mara fumes that "Sarah’s walking around like she’s already got this in the bag." Meanwhile, Sarah proclaims, "Someone thought that this would take me down. If I’m shining, how is that my fault?"
When the women eventually speak to each other, Mara tells Sarah, "You’re getting a little sloppy and it’s showing."
Elsewhere, Rachel cries, Gabby says "it feels like we don't have a chance," and one woman states, "She dug herself a hole and she doesn’t know how to get out of it."
Clayton believes that, while "it hasn’t been easy, it’s all going to be worth it." Flash forward to later in the season, though, and the Bachelor says, "I wish I never would’ve fallen in love. I’m so broken."
Clayton Echard's season of The Bachelor airs Mondays on ABC. ET has got you covered throughout the entirety of his season with all of our Bachelor content.
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