The Bachelor is having trouble sniffing out his season's biggest villain.
Clayton Echard is siding with a villain. On Monday night's episode of The Bachelor, Clayton shocked his women by picking Shanae over Elizabeth, which led things to get physical on a group date, all of which ET is breaking down in the recap below.
Shanae and Elizabeth traded barbs in front of Clayton at the start of the episode, and Clayton made his choice clear at the rose ceremony. The group jetted off for their travel-filled adventure next, and Rachel's feelings soared on her one-on-one date. A football-themed group date followed, and Shanae didn't take kindly to coming out on the bottom.
The drama is only beginning, as the preview teased a two-on-one date to come next week.
Keep reading for a full recap of episode 4 of The Bachelor.
Clayton Chooses Sides
After the drama between Elizabeth and Shanae took over last week's episode, Clayton entered the cocktail party in "a somber mood." He quickly pulled the women in question, telling them, "I can't build a relationship with either of you when we are having this conflict."
The two women proceeded to fight in front of Clayton; Elizabeth claimed Shanae told her to "f**k off," Shanae called Elizabeth "toxic," and the pair went back-and-forth over the shrimp situation from last week.
"We’re not resolving conflict, we’re talking about shrimp," Clayton complained in a confessional.
After Clayton stepped away from the conversation, Genevieve got in on the drama, yelling at Shanae, "You’re not talking about it because you know you’re wrong and everyone knows that... Who cares about shrimp? These are people’s feelings and this is so f**king unfair... It’s f**king shrimp!"
Clayton overheard some of the girls' bickering and sent host Jesse Palmer in to cancel the cocktail party. Elizabeth was in tears over the situation, and things only got worse when Clayton sent her, Kira and Melina home.
Shanae, on the other hand, was overjoyed about Elizabeth's exit, celebrating in a confessional, "Ding dong the witch is dead!"
Rachel's Feelings Take Flight
After the drama of the rose ceremony, the women were delighted to learn that they were leaving the mansion for good. First stop: Houston, Texas. Upon his arrival in Texas, Clayton was surprised by a visit from one of his college friends, and foreshadowed drama to come during their conversation.
"I don’t know how I’m going to pick one over the other at the end of this. It’s like I’m going to be down to two, maybe even three, possibly four, women where I’m just like, I don’t even know which one I should send home and which one I should keep," Clayton said, perfectly guessing the situation that played out in the season preview.
Drama took a backseat during Clayton's one-on-one with Rachel, as the pair rode horses and joined a random family's barbeque.
"When I’m with Rachel, everything else seems to vanish," Clayton admitted in a confessional. "She’s so charismatic... She’s so intelligent. She’s absolutely beautiful. She’s humble."
"I’ve been really shocked at how easy it is with him," Rachel agreed, before admitting that her "very strong" feelings for the Bachelor "scare" her.
On the nighttime portion of their date, Rachel opened up about not having "the best previous relationship," as her former beau "wasn't supportive" of her career as a pilot. Clayton eased any concern that he may feel the same way, telling her, "I'd never hold you back from doing something that you love."
The pair enjoyed a private Restless Road concert, and Clayton awarded her the rose.
"She’s somebody I could see a future with. I see us having a family. I can see myself growing old with Rachel," he said in a confessional, with Rachel agreeing in hers, "I absolutely see myself falling in love with him."
The Shanae Show
Before the women headed out on their group date, Gabby, Sierra and Genevieve plotted against an eavesdropping Shanae.
When they arrived at the group date, the women enjoyed a tailgate with Clayton, before two Houston Texans players informed them that they'd be playing tackle football. Shanae was amped up at the chance to tackle Genevieve and Sierra, and ended up getting into it with Sierra on the field.
It was Genevieve and Sierra's team that won, though, sending Shanae and her teammates home to the hotel while the winning women headed to the after-party.
Clayton managed to have a meaningful conversation with Teddi, before Sierra and Genevieve enacted their plan and expressed their concerns about Shanae to the Bachelor.
Not one to be deterred, though, Shanae wiped her tears, got dressed up, and headed to the after-party to defend her name.
"If I have to ruin an after-party, I will," she told the cameras. "... I’m here for Clayton and love and marriage, but if you’re going to f**k with me, watch out."
Shanae told Clayton, "I deserve to be here," when she arrived, and he ended his chat with Sarah to speak to the villain. Shanae told Clayton about the conversation she overheard, and claimed that Gabby, Sierra and Genevieve said, "We need to get the 14 girls together to gang up on Shanae to send me home." She also expressed specific anger toward Sierra, claiming she "checked in" on her and then "tattled" to Clayton. Clayton responded by kissing Shanae.
"I have him. Trust me. I know I have him," Shanae said in a post-kiss confessional. "The way he looks at me, I just feel that he does like me, so these girls, I think they should be scared. I think I’m kind of winning a little bit. Obviously."
After her successful conversation with Clayton, Shanae went up to the women and told Genevieve and Sierra to "keep my name out of your f**king mouths."
In a confessional, Shanae added, "It’s Shanae Show, not The Bachelor."
The Dreaded Two-on-One
In the preview for next week's episode, Clayton's connections with Sarah, Gabby and Rachel continue to grow, but Shanae isn't done causing drama.
"It’s me against 14 women," Shanae says. "He’s mine. Sorry, but not sorry, b**ches."
Genevieve calls Shanae "toxic," before finding out that she's been selected for a two-on-one date with her nemesis.
While Shanae assures the cameras that "Genevieve is not going to know what hit her," Clayton confesses, "My head is spinning right now."
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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