Welcome back to “A Local Rose,” a weekly recap of “The Bachelorette,” as we cheer on local contestant Xavier Bonner as he (hopefully) wins the heart of Charity Lawson. If you missed the first recap from last week, go back and check it out, then meet me back here.

Now that we’re all caught up, let’s jump right into week two! Admittedly, I’m embarrassed by how quickly we moved from Charity’s brother in a bad wig to grown men in neon underwear. More on that in a moment.

The most awkward part of week two is always that there are at least five men who I don’t remember at all. Seriously, were all these guys there last week? One face I definitely remember is Aaron B., and he gets the first solo date! I incorrectly guessed that Dotun would get it last week, but both of them were in my top five so I’m still calling that a win.

I’m going to cut to the chase with the sweet date Charity and Aaron go on, mainly because she wasn’t with Xavier but also because these episodes are two hours long. They drive a gorgeous red convertible up to a stunning view of the Hollywood sign, which somehow connects to their conversation about traditional family values. It seems to work for them, and considering all the nonsense that happens for the next 120 minutes, let’s just go with it.

Their date continues with a private dinner + performance by Lauren Alaina. I expect Aaron to go far. He and Charity have a genuine connection that seems to have started the moment he was the first to step out of the limo. (I told you guys that it was a two-headed coin.) Plus, Aaron drops that he knows what “active listening” is, and that he goes to therapy. He’ll make it at least six more episodes based on that info alone.

Back at the house, there’s a group date card that shows up for Dotun, Tanner, Adrian, John, Caleb A., Caleb B., Xavier, James, Kaleb K., Sean, Aaron S, Brayden. Tell the truth – did you guys know there are three Calebs? They’re off to play a few innocent beach games with Charity, because this is a family-friendly show that never makes you question your morals. Just kidding – these guys are about to strip down and play dodgeball.

Before I even knew that Xavier was a dodgeball Adonis/former camp champion, I was rooting for the pink team white simultaneously asking myself where I went wrong in life that I’m taking notes on a bunch of men in neon underwear playing dodgeball? Between our guy Xavier making game-winning plays, Caleb B. having an advantage as a pro-wrestler and the spectators of Bachelor Nation getting hit with stray balls, this is everything I want from a Bachelorette episode.

The pink team wins, and green team member Adrian wins MVP, so they get to join Charity on a more exclusive date at what appears to be a furniture store. My biggest takeaway here is that Josh deserves that group date rose just for calling cheerleaders athletes.

Brayden is becoming very cringe to watch. To quote my husband: “flirting that works on college girls shouldn’t work on grown women.” I’m not sure why Charity finds it so charming. I know Brayden was in my top five last week, but that was three pairs of earrings and one scarf ago. For those of you who are new here, it’s a common theme for one of the ‘older’ guys to target one of the ‘younger’ guys and in case you haven’t figured it out – both parties look bad every single time.

The next group date sees Charity gathering the remainder of the guys in a park in downtown LA with Gabby and Rachel — who shared Bachelorette duties during season 19. They’re playing a public trivia game, with the longest kiss in Bachelor Nation history at stake. I checked out for a moment and came back to John Henry, Warwick, Spencer, Michael, and Joey kissing their own hands. Seriously, how did we get here?

Joey wins and gets to make out with Charity in front of everyone for over 3 minutes. Do you guys know how long three minutes is? Most songs are shorter than that. Imagine a group of people watching you kiss a person you met 48 hours ago for the entirety of “Africa” by Toto.

With his big “win,” Joey also gets a one on one date with Charity and much like Aaron, I think he could go far in this journey. He opens up in a very genuine way when the time is right, and minds his business the rest of the time.

The Barbecue gives a couple guys like Sean and Tanner more time with Charity, but it also gives Adrian a chance to stir the Brayden pot too. Knowing they both get roses at the end of the episode is frankly exhausting.

Speaking of, Dotun, Tanner, Kaleb B., Warwick, Michael, Sean, Xavier, Aaron S., James, Adrian, and Brayden get a rose at the ceremony, in addition to the roses that Aaron B. and Joey already received.

Contestant Power Rankings

Now that we know who’s in a limo on their way to the airport, here are my top five guys from episode 2:

5. Dotun has unsurprisingly stayed in the top five. He’s proving to be as kind as he seems, and I really enjoyed watching him share his story with Charity. Plus, he’s the tallest guy there.

4. Warwick continues to be a Disney Prince in human-form. I really appreciated that he was on the second group date (Thanks, Charity!) so we could watch him share more about himself and be even more charming.

3. Aaron B. has stayed the favorite Aaron and really seems to connect with Charity. His attempt to open up about past relationships may have missed the mark a little bit (if your ex-girlfriend flirted with other men in front of you, coming on a show where that is the exact premise is a weird choice) but I appreciate that he’s committed to expressing his emotions with Charity. (Shout out to therapy!)

2. Joey jumped from honorable mention last week into the top two this week. He’s downright delightful, and I think his story about his parents shows he comes from an environment where showing love was the most important thing. I’m sure Charity the Therapist has picked up on that.

1. Xavier is our number one fella again! In addition to him looking really good in pink, he made the most of his group date and showed he’s willing to compete for Charity. I hope we get to see him continue to stand out.

X Marks the Spot

This one was a doozy! While Chapel Hill doesn’t have a great equivalent to the Hollywood sign, I think a great place to take in a local view is at the top of Occoneechee Mountain in Hillsborough. It’s a manageable hike, and it’s an unexpected hidden gem in our area. Moving to a private dinner + concert, I would definitely head to the Varsity Theater on Franklin Street! You could enjoy a private dinner for two in the lobby, before going into one of the theaters for a private showing of your favorite film, or even a surprise performance by a local artist.

I love that Charity had a Barbecue with the guys. Not only is this a less-stuffy way to spend time with them, but it gives me an excuse to mention Blues on Franklin! The barbeque is delicious, and the restaurant is located right next to He’s Not Here and the Yogurt Pump – two more local faves. If you find yourself in need of a good spot to host a date with roughly 20 men at a time, I recommend this little corner of Chapel Hill.

We’ll see you for week three, where we only have to keep track of two Calebs instead of three, and more of the Brayden/Adrian (Braydrian?) drama is sure to unfold. Anyone else already miss John Henry and his bowtie?

Ali Evans is a three-decade Chapel Hill resident currently living in Mebane with her husband Brian, dogs Cameron & Macaroni, and cats Brooke & Dexter. Ali is a Marketing professional in Durham, and a reluctant reality TV expert. She currently serves as President of Leadership Chapel Hill-Carrboro through The Chamber For a Greater Chapel Hill Carrboro. Ali loves all things local – food, drinks, people and places and is a really big fan of trains. You can find Ali on twitter @helloalievans, or get in touch via email – helloalievans@gmail.com.

Related Stories
None