The Feb. 8 episode of The Bachelor left off on a cliffhanger as Season 23 contestant Heather Martin shocked everyone by arriving in hopes of competing for Matt's heart. The following week, the Feb. 15 episode picked up right after Heather's surprise entrance, which led to even more conflict. With hometown dates right around the corner, the number of contestants left at Nemacolin is shrinking fast. So, who goes home on Matt's Bachelor Week 7? Things are getting serious.
Week 7 began as Heather arrived at the resort, but her dreams of finding her future husband in Matt were short-lived. After facing some hostility from the current contestants, Matt ultimately decided to send her home because it was too late in the season for them to form a connection before hometowns. "If the circumstances were different, it would be another conversation," Matt said, noting he had to honor his promise to the remaining contestants that he saw his wife among them. And just like that, Heather was sent packing.
But the other women left on the show still had plenty to deal with, because the episode then went right into the rose ceremony. Pieper and Michelle already had roses going into the episode, meaning even fewer contestants received roses at the actual ceremony. Here's who else made the cut:
- Bri
- Rachael
- Serena P.
- Kit
- Jessenia
- Abigail
Two contestants went home: Chelsea and Serena C. "Saying goodbye to Matt killed me," Chelsea admitted tearfully, adding, "We're not even getting the chance to figure [our relationship] out, which sucks." Serena C. added: "I feel rejected."
With hometown dates coming up, Matt was forced to send even more women packing in the Feb. 15 episode. After the episode's two 1-on-1 dates went to Serena P. and Jessenia, Abigail became worried about her and Matt's future. Although she received the first impression rose on Night 1, fan-favorite Abigail was the only woman left who hadn't received a 1-on-1. (Serena P. was already on her second one.)
Abigail later confronted Matt about the state of their relationship during a group date, telling him: "All I've wanted is just more time with you." He responded that although he automatically felt drawn to her on Night 1, he felt so comfortable with their connection that he pursued relationships with other women in the meantime... and developed stronger connections with them as a result. Matt decided to send Abigail home on the group date, breaking plenty of Bachelor Nation hearts in the process.
"You deserve someone who is going to put you first," he told Abigail before walking her out. Abigail, in turn, was crushed. "For me to lay it all out and for him to come back and say he doesn't see it, it's just kind of eating me alive right now," she said in her exit interview.
There were plenty of other dramatic goodbyes before the next rose ceremony, too. When Matt gave Rachael the group date rose after Kit got real about what she wants out of a relationship, Kit took things into her own hands and showed up at Matt's suite later. Things took a 180 when she admitted she was sending herself home because she didn't have total clarity about her feelings for Matt. "You deserve someone who is 100 percent sure of you getting down on one knee tomorrow, and that's not me," she told him before leaving the show for good.
Next up was Matt's 1-on-1 date with Jessenia. They had a fun day recklessly driving a car around, but during the night portion, he admitted they were "missing the love" he felt they needed going into hometown week and sent her packing.
Jessenia admitted she was completely blindsided by her elimination, telling the camera: "I felt more for [Matt] than he felt for me. But getting to see his heart and be vulnerable with him, I'll always cherish that."
Rachael and Serena P. already had roses going into the next rose ceremony, (for the episode's group date and 1-on-1, respectively) meaning Matt only had two more roses to give out during the second ceremony of the episode. They went to Bri and Michelle, leaving Pieper to be the last contestant to leave before hometowns. "I put my weakness and my happiness on the table for literally nothing," she cried on her way out, concluding, "[It feels like] your entire soul is being stomped on."
To see what these Week 7 exits mean for Matt's journey going into hometown dates, fans will have to keep watching The Bachelor on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
