Katie Thurston is down to her final four men!
Katie Thurston said her hardest goodbye yet on Monday night's episode of The Bachelorette. Episode seven of Katie's journey included three breakups, tough conversations, and hope for the future, all of which ET is breaking down in the Bachelorette recap below.
The episode began with Greg landing his second one-on-one date, before one man, discouraged over his lack of time with Katie, left the show ahead of the scheduled group date.
A second man ended up single before the rose ceremony, but the heartbreak really ramped up with Katie's most devastating split to date, which left both the Bachelorette and the man in question wondering if things really had to end.
Keep reading for the full recap of episode seven of The Bachelorette.
Greg Gets His Second One-on-One
Greg was delighted to learn that he'd scored a second one-on-one date with Katie at the beginning of Monday's episode, though Brendan and Mike P. were less than thrilled with the news, as they'd yet to land a solo date with the Bachelorette.
Greg and Katie arrived to their date in matching green shirts, and the leading lady kicked things off by leading her suitor around Seattle-themed scenes to give him a sense of her hometown.
After throwing fish, playing football and other general silliness, Greg was further convinced of his connection with Katie.
"I honestly haven’t met anybody like her before. I just love learning what makes her her. When we’re together, everything just disappears. It feels extremely easy. It doesn’t feel like there’s six other guys waiting for her at home. It feels like it’s just me and her," he said during a confessional. "I feel like we’re just two kids having fun out here. I adore her, honestly. The connection we have is something I haven’t felt in a very long time."
It seems Katie felt the same, as she told Greg that she's "never felt so giddy before."
As the date moved to its nighttime portion, Katie expressed her ever-present fear that the process would become too much for Greg and he'd leave the show. He was quick to allay her concerns.
"Especially since my father died, I don’t just let my guard down with everyone. In this process, I have had my weak moments and I have been scared as hell," he admitted. "But you’ve been the strongest person that I’ve ever met. You have been incredible during this. I honestly feel like the luckiest guy in the world. You just amaze me in every way. If we do move forward into next week, I am really excited to show my family the girl I’m falling in love with."
After sharing a kiss and handing out a rose, Katie brought Greg outside for one more Seattle-themed event: a rain-soaked kiss. In a conversation on Twitter Spaces last week, Katie said that "very steamy make out" with Greg was her favorite kiss of the show.
"I will say that was probably one of the greatest kisses ever because it was such a fantasy being lived out to have this romantic theme play out," she said at the time.
During the episode, the kiss left both Katie and Greg swooning just as hard.
"She is exactly what I feel like I’ve been missing in my life. I’m falling so in love with her. I think that I found the love of my life," Greg said in his confessional. "She’s made me love more than I ever thought I could."
"I could truly see Greg and I walking away together at the end of this, married and having kids," Katie said.
Brendan Says Goodbye
With all the guys hoping to not hear their name on the group date card and instead score the second one-on-one of the week, Brendan was devastated to learn he would not be getting a solo date before Hometowns.
The firefighter trainee was left questioning why he was still in the running, after having near-zero one-on-one time on dates or at cocktail parties. It was in that moment that he decided to visit Katie's room for answers.
"When I’m with you, I feel like we can take over the world. It’s awesome. But right now, I’m the only guy without a one-on-one," he said. "… I know I have so much to offer. My family would love you. My dad would love to just drink beers with you. But I haven’t been able to tell you that stuff. Tomorrow on a group date, I wouldn’t have had that time to tell you that and express myself."
Katie stopped Brendan there and praised him for continuing to put himself out there, before calling it quits with the Toronto native.
"You are somebody that I felt a connection with. I was like, 'This is somebody that I really want to get to know more.' But what I will say that is hard for me is, because of Hometowns being next week, I don’t know that we could get there in time," Katie told him. "At this point, given you coming here and talking to me, I just don’t think it would be right to even make you go through that."
Brendan accepted Katie's decision and, after a goodbye to Blake, was on his way home.
Michael A. Stands Out on the Group Date
Following Brendan's departure, Blake, Michael A., Andrew S. and Justin went on the group date, where they were shown intimate paintings and tasked with creating a similar art piece with Katie as their muse.
It was the nighttime portion of the date where things took a serious turn, when Blake confessed to Katie that he wasn't in love just yet.
"I am so in for you right now. It’s crazy," Blake said. "I’m not in love right now, but the way that we’re going, it’s f**king inevitable. I know it’s coming, but I won’t lie to you either… You’ve just got to trust me."
Blake's reveal left Katie struggling "to embrace" her feelings for him, as she said during a confessional, "I see the possibility of where we could be together, but I don’t know if we are as far along on our journey as I am with some of the other guys here."
Thing were less confusing with Justin, as the pair shared a sweet moment that left Katie gushing, "Our connection is so strong, and easy, and natural, and that excites me."
Up until his one-on-one time, Michael A. had been stressing about what his and Katie's future would hold, due in large part to his role as a single dad.
"If it’s us in the end, that’s all that matters and we’ll figure it out as we go. I think about it," Katie assured the dad of one. "... The life that I picture with us and with James is such a dream. Truly."
Michael A. was delighted by Katie's promise, praising her for giving everything "a lot of thought."
"[I think about it] every day. Half because of you, but truly half because of James," Katie told Michael A. of his son. "I think I said that from the very beginning. 'Know that every time I give you a rose, know that I’m also giving it to James.' He’s part of the picture. He’s the full picture. What I’m looking for, ultimately, is to be in love. That’s the bigger picture. Everything else will fall into place when it’s meant to fall into place."
"I can assure you," Michael A. replied, "that no one can love you like I can."
Katie offered similar calming words to Andrew S., who opened up about being "willing" to end his professional football career.
"All I would do is encourage you to keep going. If that means that we’re living in two places every year, then so be it. If that means that we have to hold off on having a family because of the inconsistency of our home, so be it," Katie said. "We’re always going to have obstacles, and you’re the kind of person I feel so confident that I could be holding hands with, figuring this s**t out."
While Andrew S. felt like "there's no one else" for Katie after their conversation, the Bachelorette ended up giving the group date rose to Michael A.
"I don’t feel all that good now. I definitely felt [like] it was just us tonight, and that’s what kind of hurts, because you put so much into it," Andrew S. said after not receiving the rose. "I don’t want to put so much in this and it all be for naught."
Katie Sends Mike P. Home After a Cuddle Session
Mike P. finally got his first one-on-one date this week, but it didn't turn out as he'd hoped. The gym owner, who previously opened up about being a virgin, arrived in the woods for his date, where he found out that he and Katie would be led in a cuddle session.
The whole thing left Mike P. feeling "awkward," though he found comfort through Katie's "very calming" presence, which he compared to that of his mom.
"[Katie] reminds me of my mom. My mom brings a nurturing touch to everything and every situation that she comes in contact with. Katie does the same thing," he said. "… My mom’s the best woman I know, but Katie’s a better cuddler. There’s no question about it. My mom’s going to hate me for saying that, but at some point every boy has to move on."
The pair had a nice discussion following their cuddling session, during which Mike P. told Katie that she reminds him of his mom because she "takes on people's feelings." Katie agreed with his assessment, noting that that personality trait makes the process "really hard."
"It literally would be my worst nightmare," Mike P. told her. "I’d rather have my heart broken a hundred times over than break somebody’s heart."
It turns out that's what happened next, as a crying Katie approached Mike P. to break things off.
"Don’t get me wrong, I had a really amazing time with you today, and that’s probably why I’m struggling so much right now," Katie said. "... If I’m being honest with myself and the bigger picture of what this is, I know I do have stronger relationships. It’s tough because today would’ve had to really take our relationship to the very top and it didn’t."
"I just don’t think it would be fair to make you go to a dinner with me tonight. I don’t think it’d be fair to continue our journey and involve our families if deep down I know where my heart is headed," she continued. "It’s a hard decision. I don’t want to send you home. Truthfully."
Ever the gentleman, Mike P. replied, "I’ve told you this and I mean it from the bottom of my heart, no matter what the result is, my respect for you is never going to change. I know what type of wife you’re going to be, I know what type of mother you’re going to be, and one of those guys is really lucky. I’m bummed I don’t get to experience life with you, doesn’t mean that I’m not going to be rooting for you."
They parted ways with a hug, as Katie contemplated what Mike P.'s departure meant for her journey to find love.
"I know what I signed up for, but that doesn’t make it easier. This is my real life. This is his real life. I’ve always said, ‘I want a good guy.’ Then I get handed a group of them," she said. "How hard is it to freaking navigate good guy after good guy after good guy? It makes this so difficult. Every decision I make going forward is going to be harder and harder. The one thing that’s keeping me going is the hope that this is all worth it in the end."
Katie Chases After Andrew S. Despite Not Giving Him a Rose
As the rose ceremony neared, Katie feared the "really scary" possibility that she'd send home the wrong guy. That fear only grew after she awarded roses to Blake and Justin, sending Andrew S. home.
Both Katie and Andrew were in tears as they sat down to have their breakup conversation, during which Katie confessed that she had stronger feelings for other guys.
"I could not look your mom or your sister in the eye and tell them what they would want to hear, because they know what you deserve. I know what you deserve," she said. "The hard part is, I am building stronger connections. You deserve more than what I can give you. Tonight is really hard saying goodbye, because you are truly one of a kind, and you deserve to find a great love."
Andrew S. called the moment "bittersweet," as he and Katie expressed their joy at having met each other and said their goodbyes.
"It’s heartbreaking," Andrew S. said as he was driven away. "I haven’t felt this way for a woman before. I poured myself into every little bit of this and she had stronger connections with everyone else. It hurts 'cause I put everything into it."
Katie didn't take the split any easier, telling a producer that sending Andrew S. home "was probably the first decision I had to make where I wasn’t fully confident. It’s the first decision I had to make where I just kind of had to hope it was the right choice. I don’t even know. I don’t even know what to say. Oh f**k."
The Bachelorette felt much the same the next morning, and was thus delighted to have Andrew S. appear at her door.
"I think it would be a terrible shame if I were to leave this place and us not have a smile on our face," he explained. "It would be not like me and not like the relationship we had to not leave on a smiling, happy note."
Katie reiterated how hard her decision had been, a confession that, Andrew S. said, gave him "comfort."
"It’s hard, but that means so much to me 'cause it was real. I can really say that I fell for you," he said "… It’s a feeling I’ve never really felt with anyone. I’m super proud of you and love the woman you are. You are just incredible."
The pair said their second goodbye from there, but things took another turn when Andrew S. handed Katie a letter on his way out.
"If you change your mind... I’ll be waiting," the letter read. After seeing Andrew S.'s words, Katie raced out of her hotel room and sprinted down the stairs, all while sobbing, to catch up with him.
As soon as she reached him, Katie leaped into his arms as he told her, "I believe there’s something there. Whenever, if ever, you have me."
The moment seemed to deeply affect Katie, as she asked Andrew S., "If there’s a way to stay a little longer, would you want to?"
"It’s tough because it did happen and I feel hurt in this place," Andrew S. answered, before wondering if he made the right choice in a confessional.
"I wanted to say yes. I’d love nothing more than to be with her. She f**king sprinted down the stairs, dude. And I said no," he said. "But I want my future wife to choose me and I wasn’t chosen, so I had to say no. I don’t want to go through this with her again. I don’t want to be standing at a rose ceremony waiting for her to not choose me again."
Katie accepted Andrew S.'s decision and the pair shared one last kiss together.
"Today, Andrew offered me the closure that I didn’t even know I needed, reminded me of all the feelings I have for him," she said. "We kind of had this opportunity to say goodbye. It was hard. I didn’t want to say goodbye because I know… if it was Andrew and I at the end of this, I would be so lucky. I really would. There is obviously a part of me that wishes that we could’ve got there."
"This journey just wasn’t for us at the end of it," Katie continued. "This is so hard, but I know at the bottom of my heart, this is worth it. With every goodbye, I’m one step closer to finding my husband."
The Bachelorette airs Mondays on ABC. ET has got you covered throughout the entirety of Katie's season with recaps, interviews and exclusives. Check out all of our Bachelorette coverage for the latest.
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