'The Bachelor' 2011 Week 9: Adios, Awkward Ashley

Second-time seeker Brad Womack continued his quest for love February 28 on ABC with the airing of "The Bachelor" week 9. The penultimate episode of the popular reality show followed Brad and his three remaining potential wives as they dated and dined in South Africa. After two fabulous dates, the third was a disaster and prompted Brad to say good-bye before the rose ceremony even took place. Here's a complete recap.

"The Bachelor" 2011 week 9 opened in New York City with bachelor Brad preparing for his trip to South Africa with Emily Maynard, Chantal O'Brien and Ashley Hebert. He nervously confessed that he worried about getting hurt, and stressed over the possibility that he could repeat his previous performance, emerging from the season without a mate for the second time and becoming "that guy" -- the one that made him the victim of the 'slap heard round the country' -- all over again.

He went on to assess the remaining ladies as his plane flew toward his destination. (And yes, it came complete with a cheesy graphic of a plane flying toward South Africa.) Brad called the ease that he felt with Chantal "unmatched" and remarked on their "immediate" chemistry. However, he worried that their relationship had been too much of a "roller coaster" to stand the test of time. He praised Ashley as "beautiful" and "accomplished," but noted the "speed bumps" of insecurity that they'd encountered along the way. He worried that he didn't know how she felt about him. He called Emily "one in a million," and said that she makes him a better man. (Aw.) He said she was "a truly sweet woman," but called her past and her role as a mom "intimidating." He was excited about the possibility of taking each of the relationships to a higher level, and proclaimed that "one of these women is going to be my wife." We shall see, non-yellow crayon. We shall see.

The first date of the "The Bachelor" 2011 week 9 South Africa trip belonged to none other than Chantal O'Brien, who eagerly awaited Brad's arrival. He pulled up in an Indiana Jones hat and joined the brunette, who gushed that every time she hung out with him, she fell more deeply in love. The two took off for a safari. Chantal gushed more, marveling over the safari and asking "is this really my life?" (I simply must pause here to roll my eyes. This is the very same chick who was married to a musician (Jason Vena) and is the daughter of a former NFL star. She's hardly a gal from the sticks who hasn't led a charmed life. Give. Me. A. Break. But anyway.)

The pair oohed and aahed over the animals. Brad was especially thrilled to see lions. Okay. He went on to proclaim that he "loved the look on Chantal's face" when they saw a giraffe. And she was excited over wildebeasts. Uhm, yeah. They settled in for a meal next to the water and a hippo muddled along nearby. She said that she felt like Brad would keep her safe. (Yes, I'm sure Brad Versus the Hippo would end well.) Brad told her that he missed her family, and she was tickled pink. She went on to repeat that she loves him and that she wants the best for him... which was, of course, her. She must've been channelling departed "Bachelor" 2011 contestant Michelle Money.

Later that day, the pair sat down to dinner in a natural outdoor setting. She said she looked forward to meeting Brad's family, and he said he looked forward to it as well. He confessed that he's most comfortable around her of the three of the women still in the competition. Chantal joked that they should just screw the show and get married right then and there. Brad was delighted, because he said he needed an injection of her "spontaneity" and "boldness" in his life. He handed her a note from host Chris Harrison, which included a key to the fantasy suite. She was pumped and jumped at the opportunity, asserting that "whatever happens in the fantasy suite stays in the fantasy suite." Brad took her out into the middle of an open field, and pointed out a treehouse. Yes, the fantasy suite was a treehouse. Chantal called it a "perfect... adventure fairy tale" kind of an experience. There were smoochies, and lots of Chantal gushing about how ideal it all was. And then the sun went down.

"The Bachelor" 2011 week 9 continued with Brad's date with Emily. The two met outdoors, where they embraced and Brad shared that he'd been "counting the seconds" until their time together. He ran off again because he'd "forgotten" something, and returned riding an elephant. Emily was thrilled, and in sweet southern belle fashion repeated "oh my goodness!" and "this is my dream" several times over. As they rode along, Emily noted "this feels like the Lion King but better." Too cute.

As they sat down to talk, Brad shared that he missed Emily's daughter Ricki, and she was once again tickled. Brad got down to business right away, asking if Ricki would be okay with them spending a lot of time together. Emily said that she would, and turned the tables, asking if Brad was okay with having a five-year old. He insisted that he was ready to take on a fatherly role, asserting that he loved that she was a "package deal." Then there was kissing. Brad called the conversation and the date "perfect" and looked forward to having an "even better" time over dinner that evening.

Later, the two met for dinner. Emily confessed that she was "starting to fall in love with Brad" and that she'd been thrilled when he'd told her he was ready to be a father figure to Ricki. The two toasted, and a nervous Brad stumbled with nerves as dinner began. Emily confessed that she was having increasing difficulty with dealing with the other girls, but said that she was "so excited" about the prospect of a future with him. She stumbled through the words, not quite managing to say 'I'm falling for you,' but she got the point across. Brad worried over whether or not she'd accept the fantasy suite card, asserting that he needed the time alone with her. Emily read the note from Chris, and looked at the key on the table. She paused before telling Brad that she wanted to "set a good example" for her daughter, but that she also wanted to have more time to talk, so she agreed to go.

As the pair entered the night's fantasy suite (a very nice room this time), she overcame her fears and told Brad that she was falling in love with him. He was stunned, and said that he too was falling in love with her. Aw. Emily went on to say that she was confident that Brad was the person for her, and that Ricky had been in her life to show her what love was. Aw.

With two dates down, "The Bachelor" 2011 week 9 continued with the third and final South African adventure with bachelorette Ashley. The dentist arrived for her date and jumped into Brad's waiting arms. She expressed a new sense of confidence in their relationship after her hometown date, while Brad shared that the very same date had caused concerns about her place in life. He led her to a helicopter in a field, and she ran off shrieking. Like a teeny little banshee. Or a teenager. After some coaxing, she boarded with him and they took off. As they flew along, she gushed that she felt like she could do anything with him by her side. There was much 'oh my gosh'ing as they took in the scenery.

The copter landed and the pair settled in for a picnic on a spot known by the locals as God's window. Brad opened the meal by toasting Ashley's family, and expressed how comfy he'd been with them. But then things got serious as Brad asked hard questions about where she wanted to live and how she planned to balance work and play in the future. Brad went silent before sharing that she reminded him very much of himself at an earlier phase in his life. He worried that her career might hold her back from other pursuits. Ashley called all of the questions a "huge wake-up call." Brad came to the realization that they'd never tried to "mesh their individual lives together" and planned to try to do so at dinner that evening.

After nightfall, Brad and Ashley met for their meal, complete with fire and lanterns. Ashley appreciated the duo's "fun and playful" relationship, but acquiesced that they needed to talk about serious topics. She admitted that she's very career-oriented, but insisted that she wanted a good balance in life but probably hadn't done a good job of communicating that in the past. She said that she valued the idea of compromise, but Brad called her out when he noted that she'd not mentioned Austin when he'd asked her where she wanted to live after school ended. The rest of the conversation was just plain awkward, marked by Brad looking frustrated and rubbing his temples. A lot. It was by far the most painfully awkward of the three dates. I cringed a little, especially when Ashley asserted "I just want what's best for you" even though she didn't seem to really mean it. Then Brad got frustrated... yeah, it wasn't pretty. And then they got quiet and Ashley talked about the food. And looked like she wanted to run away.

Brad presented her with the fantasy suite card, eager for some alone-time to help him regain his bearings, and she accepted with a definitive "there's no doubt in my mind." They entered the suite and kissed a little. Then they got quiet, and Ashley awkwardly asked what he thought about the mosquito nets. What? Then they were quiet. Oh, such a cringeworthy date. It was a mercy when it ended.

With the dates over, "The Bachelor" 2011 week 9 returned with Brad preparing for the rose ceremony. He met with Chris, who asked him about his mood and feelings. Brad called the situation "really difficult." He was of two minds about the whole thing, happy to be moving forward, but sad about the prospect of bidding farewell to one of the ladies.

Brad noted his physical attraction to Chantal, and said he felt like he'd "known Emily for a decade." But all wasn't beautiful in "Bachelor" land: He went on to call his date with Ashley "rough," but worried that a bad date didn't necessarily mean a bad relationship down the line. He decided that he needed to talk with Ashley before the rose ceremony to be certain he was making the right decision.

Brad addressed the three gals in awkward fashion, and pulled a very squirrelly-looking Ashley aside for a private chat while Chantal and Emily waited. He apologized for the disaster that was their date, and said he was "completely shocked" that their relationship hadn't bloomed as he'd hoped it would. A tearful Ashley shared his sentiments. He admitted that he'd asked her a lot of hard questions, and she insisted that she'd wanted him the ask them, which seemed to flummox Brad even more seriously. He told her that he was "brokenhearted" that he still had lots of unanswered questions in mind, but that time had essentially expired on the fact-finding mission. Dude, the two of you just don't work. Please stop asking questions that she can't or won't answer. Brad finally told her that he didn't want to put her through the rose ceremony, and that he needed to tell her good-bye. She claimed to be "very surprised" and said she'd "thought this was it," but Brad said he was confident in the decision. He took her out to the truck, and they had a very awkward farewell. Really, ugh. Horribly awkward. Oil and vinegar, people. They didn't mesh. A tearful Ashley had plenty to say to the camera.

Brad was clearly off-kilter when he shared that he'd always thought Ashley would be one of the final two, and he struggled with his new reality. He returned to the other two ladies and let them know that he'd dismissed Ashley, and reiterated that he was very serious and wanted the relationship he began to be permanent. And then he went ahead with the rose ceremony to be sure that both Emily and Chantal were in it to win it. And of course, they were. He let them know that they'd be meeting his family in Cape Town.

So that's it for "The Bachelor" 2011 week 9. Courtesy of some not-so-careful bloggers, I already know the outcome of the season, so I'll just say that it'll be interesting to see how the Chantal-versus-Emily finale -- which will air in two weeks -- goes from start to finish. It's sure to be a wild ride.