The Bachelor: Brad Womack Returns - Episode 5 Recap

Brad Womack is back as "The Bachelor" to find true love for the second time. Brad infamously didn't choose a woman on his first attempt on "The Bachelor" four seasons ago, so this time he feels he's ready. He's been through three years of intense therapy to deal with his commitment issues. Brad realized that his absentee father was the reason why he couldn't open up and commit to a woman before.

Last time Brad went on two one-on-one dates and one group date with nine ladies. In the end he chose the 11 women that he wanted to continue his journey with. Brad let Lindsay, Meghan and Stacey go.

On this episode, the cast moved to Las Vegas and Brad went on one one-on-one date, one group date and one two-on-one date.

Vegas, baby, Vegas. Yes "The Bachelor" moved to Vegas, because that's where single people usually go to find serious relationships. It's true. Las Vegas is where a lot of couples get married. That's where Britney Spears got married for the first time and that marriage lasted a whole 24 hours! But Vegas is also where prostitution is legal, Celine Dion found a home and Cirque du Soleil passes as entertainment. Needless to say the women were excited as was Brad because he needed to spend a week in Vegas to figure out his feelings for the remaining ladies.

Firstly Brad escorted the ladies to their suite at the Aria hotel. Chris Harrison described the suite in his Entertainment Weekly blog as making Rain Man's suite "look like a trailer."

The first and only one-on-one date this episode went to Shawntel, the funeral director. The date card described the date as ending with a "bang." Did that mean bang like bang-bang boom boom or was it more poetic like both dying for each others' love with a bang? The ladies tried to figure it out while Shawntel ran around and got ready. Basically Brad or "The Bachelor" producers think that the most exciting thing for a man to give a woman is a shopping spree. So that was the first part of the date. Yay! Free stuff! It's great but is it "every woman's dream?" Yes, but only at Chanel and Louis Vuitton... After Shawntel's grab and snatch, she got to take it back to the suite rub it into all the other girls' faces and then change for dinner. During the rooftop dinner Shawntel started talking about her job because talking about embalming bodies is so romantic and doesn't make you feel like your going to throw up while you're eating. Fireworks exploded - oh the "bang" - got it. Shawntel accepted the rose and cue the kiss, fade out and pan to the fireworks. Oh those "Bachelor" cameramen have got all the innuendo down.

Next up was the controversial group date with Alli, Britt, Chantal, Emily, Jackie, Lisa, Marissa, Michelle. They were going to go "speed dating." Basically everyone was excited to be on the NASCAR racetrack except Emily. The Las Vegas Motor Speedway was the same place where her RIP fiance Ricky Hendrick crashed, hurt himself and basically ended his career as a driver. Supposedly this date was set up before the producers knew who the women were on the show, but after they cast Emily they sure knew her story but still kept this date to milk her emotions. Cruel, maybe. Emotional, yes. Intentional, partially. But Emily did sign up for the show so she should've known that all this would be exploited. And maybe it was good for her to confront her demons. She said she never really talked about it before and that's a sign that she was holding on to him. Now that it's out in the open hopefully she can move on. Of course Brad is intimidated because he doesn't want to feel like he's replacing her dead fiance who's child she gave birth to and named Ricki after her father. Anyway Emily handled the date well. After Brad pulled her aside to ask what was wrong and she told him the deets, she then reassured him (and maybe herself too) that she needed to drive the car for closure and to move on. So she drove the first few laps for Ricky and the last one for herself. Not sure how to take Emily though because she seems like an angel but she did sign up with a modeling agency so who knows what her real intentions are. But no matter what it seems like she's way too good for Brad, for "The Bachelor," and for this planet.

At the after-NASCAR racing party, Brad gave most of his attention to Emily and gave her the date rose. Alli, of the gigantic white teeth, seethed: "Just because someone comes in with the worst story, they get the most attention??" That's right Alli, angels get the bachelor and bitches get sent home.

The two Ashleys had to prepare for their two-on-one date where one would "stay" while the one would "go." The date consisted of them being hoisted into the air to be a part of a zany Cirque du Soleil Viva Elvis show. Brad got to take the ladies one at a time up in the air to practice looking stupid strapped to a hip harness in tiny shorts soulful with. Then to draw the agony out more, the threesome all got to have dinner together. Brad decided to let Ashley S - "I'll be your friend" - go. Honey, Brad doesn't want a "friend," he wants a soul mate. That was your mistake to tell him that on the first night! Then a letter-dress wearing Ashley H and an overly made up GI Joe-clad Brad were hoisted in the air to Elvis' "Are You Lonesome Tonight" while a tearful Ashley S was banished in the limo.

Brad talked to his therapist again, blah-di-blah. Then he was off to another last cocktail party. Nothing too notable happened except Marissa slipped Brad a note because she couldn't just talk to him in person, and Michelle dominated Brad with craziness. Couldn't tell if he liked it or not but we would find out at the rose ceremony.

Brad had to give roses to the other 5 women he wanted to continue the journey with.

Shawntel - one-on-one date rose
Emily - group-date rose
Ashley H - two-on-one date rose

Alli
Britt
Chantal - last rose called
Jackie
Michelle

Brad didn't give roses to:
Ashley S, Lisa, Marissa

Already dismissed from the show:
Episode 4: Lindsay, Meghan, Stacey

Episode 3: Madison, Sarah P, Kimberly

Episode 2: Keltie, Melissa, Raichel

Episode 1: Britnee, Cristy, J, Jill, Lacey, Lauren, Lisa P, Rebecca, Renee, Sarah L

Next time: The show keeps moving to more and more exotic locations like Costa Rica and South Africa. Chantal will cry and her hair will get curly from the humidity.

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 pm on ABC

More Bachelor:
Click here for a recap of Episode 4

Click here for a recap of Episode 3

Click here for a recap of Episode 2

Click here for a recap of Episode 1

Click here to read about all 30 women cast on The Bachelor