‘The Bachelorette’: Michelle Young’s Episode 5 Recap — What Happened and Who Went Home
The Bachelorette Episode 5 aired on Nov. 16, 2021. Michelle and the men headed to Minnesota, ending the show’s two-year traveling hiatus, and had fun around the lead’s hometown. Here’s what you missed, including all the Chris S. drama, how Martin stuck his foot in his mouth this week, and who went home.
‘The Bachelorette’ Episode 5’s first one-on-one: Joe and Michelle explore their hometown with new eyes
After everyone arrived in Minnesota, Michelle announce that the first on-on-one would be awarded to Joe, who also hails from the area. The date started with Michelle throwing the opening pitch at a Twins game. The announcer stated that if the bachelorette threw a strike, she’d have to kiss Joe on the mound. She succeeded and the crowd went wild as they shared a kiss. Next, Michelle and Joe headed to the lead’s former high school where they visited her old locker, flipped through her yearbook, and played a game of one-on-one basketball.
“Being on the court with Joe, we just have this magnetic energy between us,” Michelle told producers.
At dinner, the couple’s relationship continued to grow. Joe opened up about a harrowing time he went through in college after a foot injury. After he underwent surgery, the rehabilitation process proved to be uniquely challenging both physically and mentally. Eventually, he made the decision to stop playing basketball and move back home. He struggled with anxiety, depression — “there were times when I was thinking I didn’t even want to still be here.” Michelle thanked Joe for opening up to her. “You got through it,” she told him. “I got through it,” he responded.
The lead didn’t hesitate to give Joe the date rose.
Joe and Michelle ended their evening by taking a romantic ride on the ferris wheel.
“After today, my feelings for Joe have grown tremendously,” she told cameras.
A recap of ‘The Bachelorette’ Episode 5 viking group date
The group date took place at the Minnesota Vikings stadium, where the contestants participated in viking challenges led by two large men dressed as actual vikings. They saw who’s viking yell was the most intimidating, who could throw a stump the furthest, who could stomach viking food like fermented herring and viking head hash, and who was the ultimate arm wrestling champion. At the end of the challenges, Clayton was awarded the title of “Ultimate Viking.” All throughout the challenges, there was a clear tension between Chris S. and the rest of the contestants, who were still not over what Chris S. told Michelle last episode.
During the evening portion of the group date, Michelle had a good conversation with Clayton, the Ultimate Viking. He asked her how she got so confident, and she told him she learned from her father.
Michelle also spent some special one-on-one time with Brandon. She brought him some Swedish Fish candy to make up for him having to eat fermented herring during the challenge. They shared a passionate kiss at the end of their conversation.
At the end of the evening, Michelle awarded Clayton with the group date rose.
Chris S. left the date upset because the lead never told him “thank you” for what he told her about Nayte. He was also upset she gave Nayte a one-on-one this week after what he’d told her.
Nayte’s one-on-one with Michelle and two of her best friends
Nayte’s one-on-one took place on a boat on Lake Minnetonka. Shortly into their afternoon together, Michelle’s two good friends, Ali and Tia, joined them on the boat. Ali and Tia grilled Joe about how he felt he fit in on the show and his feelings about Michelle. He seemed to pass the test because they told him: “I like what I see” and “I love the way you guys look at each other.”
Michelle told producers that “Nayte meeting my friends went better than I could have imagined.”
During the dinner portion of their date, Michelle opened up to Nayte about a painful former relationship she’d been in. She told him that she gave so much to the ex only to be met with nothing in return. Eventually, she fell ill. She couldn’t eat — there was talk of putting a food bag in. When she was at her sickest, her ex broke up with her, after which Michelle learned that she’d been so sick because of her toxic relationship. And she began to heal. Nayte couldn’t believe someone would do that to her and appreciated her sharing. “I feel real feelings, this is crazy,” said Nayte.
But then who walks up to the table but Chris S. He asked to speak to Michelle in private.
“I feel really insecure being here,” he told her. “I feel really disappointed last night I didn’t get to speak with you. I felt really played.”
Michelle told Chris S. that she’d been caught off guard with how he approached the whole situation.
“I do appreciate you wanting to look out for me but, at the same time, I can speak for myself,” she said.
Ultimately, she didn’t see a relationship progressing between her and Chris S. so she walked him out.
When she returned, she gave Nayte the date rose and the two ended their evening under a display of fireworks.
“I do feel that I’m starting to fall for Nayte,” she told producers.
‘The Bachelorette’ Episode 5 cocktail party and rose ceremony
Michelle began the cocktail party by thanking her contestants for making her “feel so seen” during the week’s group date.
Then, she and Rick took a stroll down the street. They walked past a piano player and began to dance together and kiss.
Back inside, Michelle sat down with Brandon and gave him a birthday cake in honor of his birthday that week.
After that, Michelle took Rodney to the roof of the building where they screamed that they love Minnesota and kissed.
Later in the evening, Martin asked Michelle if she means all the compliments she doles out since she says nice things to everyone. She asked if she seemed like someone who’s insincere and he told her she didn’t. He went on to talk about how the “girls in Miami” are “very high maintenance” but he knows that Michelle is “different.” The bachelorette asked what makes women in Miami so high maintenance, seemingly skeptical. He told her that they expect their boyfriends to do everything for them. Michelle asked how that’s any different from a man who expects their girlfriend to do everything for them. When he replied that men don’t really do that, she held back a laugh. After their conversation, Martin said that he felt Michelle didn’t understand what he was trying to say.
Despite their tense conversation, Michelle awarded Martin a rose along with Rick, Olu, Brandon, and Rodney. She sent Casey and Leroy home.
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