Bachelor 27 - Zach Shallcross - Feb 13 - *Sleuthing Spoilers*

I'm still having trouble putting Gabi in the top women. Usually I can pick the f3 by now when completely unspoiled but the only ones I'd put there right now (being partially spoiled) are Kaity and Kat. Charity, Greer, and Ariel have also stood out a little although Greer has really dropped since her FIR.

I listened to the latest Dear Shandy and they don't have Gabi in either of their top 4. They both have Kat at #1, Andy has Kaity at #2 and Sharleen has Ariel and they flip for #3, Sharleen has Jess in #4 and Andy has Greer.

They and their guests all like Kylee and that the producers convinced her to tell on Anastasia. I'm giving her a break but don't see her lasting beyond next week.

I finally got to see the episode in its entirety. Albean, I agree with you -- the only two that I would think are sure picks for the F4 at this point are Kaity and Kat. And I would pick Kaity for the winner, because she and Zack just seem to fit together comfortably.

First, seeing everyone enjoying the Bahamas was a balm for my winter-tired soul. The Baha-Mar resort looks lovely.

Kat's 1-on-1: She and Zack IMO had a lot of chemistry together, and they seemed to enjoy each other's company. Based on what I saw happening in their date, I would put her in the F4 at a minimum.

The group date (and the fallout): Anastasia was making a mountain out of a molehill with her upset over the word, "fight." I think any reasonable person would have interpreted it to mean a disagreement or argument. The most charitable spin I could possibly put on it was that she sensed that she was on the chopping block, and she was getting desperate and emotional. Maybe. Also, I understand that she went into the show with some brand partnerships, *but,* discussing how many followers the remaining cast members would get was just not her smartest move. My sense is that she was not very high on Zach's list anyway, and she just gave him a convenient set of excuses to send her home.

Kylee did little better, and IMO she was lucky that she eventually got a rose. In Kylee's shoes, I think the wisest course of action would have been to not make a big deal of Anastasia's foolishness. And I seem to recall that this is not the first time she has tattled to Zach about other cast members. I always have to question when cast members use their time to tattle as opposed to building their own relationship with the lead.

Charity and Gabi both took on the role of co-narrators in this episode. I like how they dispassionately told the facts as they saw them, without adding to the drama.

Brooklyn -- I have to praise Zach for being a very kind and compassionate person. He has created a safe environment in which the women can speak to him about painful things. I like Brooklyn a lot, but I'm not seeing a very strong connection between them. She's the kind of cast member that I take to, and for whom I want to do some matchmaking. If she's up for Paradise, I would love to see her try to find her partner there, or at least get some more practice dating. I'm rooting for her!

Apart from the 1-on-1s, I enjoyed seeing Zach build his relationships with Charity, Ariel, Kaity, and Gabi. I continue to enjoy seeing Jess very much -- she is one of my favorite S27 cast members. I like that Zach is very intentional, and is making choices that are understandable from what we see on screen. I like that he is giving the women multiple opportunities to get to know him and vice-versa. He makes for a very sincere lead.

@Amethyst I always enjoy reading your recaps! TY