‘Bachelorette’ Week 4 recap: What happened with UNC’s Xavier Bonner this week?
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Read more about Xavier Bonner on ‘The Bachelorette’
The UNC-Chapel Hill doctoral candidate is courting Charity Lawson on Season 20 of “The Bachelorette.” Here’s our coverage.
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We’re at Week 4 of ABC’s “The Bachelorette” and UNC’s knitting giant Xavier Bonner — a 6’6” Ph.D. candidate who knows his way around a skein of yarn — is still in the game.
He hasn’t gotten major screen time yet, even though he scored major points last week when he presented Georgia native Charity Lawson with a scarf he had been knitting while on the “Bachelor” clock.
Also last week, Xavier got a minute or two on screen when he dressed as “Sugar Daddy Ken” at a “Barbie”-themed group date and the week before when he impressed with his strong dodgeball skills.
That changes this week, as Xavier finally got his one-on-one date in Washington state.
What happened? Let’s find out.
Dotun crushes his one-on-one date
Xavier did get a one-on-one date, but Dotun got his first, so we’ll start with that one.
While we’re Team Xavier, there’s no reason to hate on Dotun. He seems like such a great guy. He and Charity had to bungee jump off one of the tallest bridges in North America and they were both terrified. They horror-movie-screamed all the way down, but they did it, and then drank champagne while gazing at a rainbow.
That night they snuggled in front of a campfire and reflected on their joint bravery. He told her the story of how he emigrated from Nigeria when he was 4 years old and she talked about her childhood in Georgia. Charity seems super into him. “It’s natural, it’s not forced, it’s just right,” Charity said.
They ended the night in classic “Bachelor/Bachelorette” fashion: in a hot tub.
Goodbye, ‘Bachelorette’ villain Brayden
This group date started with Joey, Aaron, Brayden, Caleb, MIchael, John, Sean and Tanner and ended spectacularly — with Brayden escorted out.
First, the men met Charity and three little Skamania Girl Scouts and were tested for resourcefulness, bravery and strength. Brayden was showy and obnoxious (as usual), in an an effort to “assert his dominance” and upstage everyone else.
Brayden and Aaron have been foes since almost Day 1, and the first shot fired in this week’s Brayden vs. Aaron Battle was when Aaron was picked by the Scouts (& Charity) to visit The Kissing Tree and make out with Charity while the other guys trudged back to the lodge. Brayden ranted (shirtless, in a freezing cold forest) about Charity picking a “cookie cutter” guy who “showed no skills” in the woods.
The second phase of combat started at the evening cocktail party. It took no time for Aaron and Brayden to start arguing about Brayden’s attitude and commitment. Charity walked in during the argument and the guys (all sick of him!) told her that Brayden has packed his bags twice, ready to go home. Charity called Brayden into another room and they talked/argued a bit and Brayden basically said he doesn’t think he can “get there” with her “in this environment.”
She walked him out.
Thoughts: SO GLAD HE’S GONE but I wish Charity had tossed him out instead of him saying “I can’t get there” and basically bowing out.
And prayers: Brayden saying he thinks the “door wasn’t fully shut” sends shivers down my spine. Please Lord, don’t let him come back.
He came back
My prayers were not heard. More on that later.
Xavier and Charity: One-on-one fruit-stomping date
Xavier and Charity went to a “fruit festival,” which looked to be set up just for them because there were no other patrons there.
They tried some hot peppers, stomped fruit to make “pear jam” and bobbed for apples. Then they snuggled on a train and talked about commitments and growing feelings. “You make me kind of giddy,” Xavier told her, as she giggled.
One troubling thing is that Charity says Xavier reminds her of her ex — is that good or bad for him? (Not good.)
At dinner that night, Charity brought up previous relationships and asked if he’s afraid to be in a relationship. He said his fear is giving all of himself and it not being reciprocated. Xavier asked her what she’s most afraid of in a marriage or relationship and she told him it’s infidelity, because she’s dealt with that in the past and it messed up her self-esteem.
Xavier told her that she will get complete honesty from him and he will do anything for his partner.
Xavier also opened up about his mom having MS and his dad being her primary caregiver, and he said he wants to be the same kind of person for his wife and kids. He also said that his mom’s illness is the reason for his career choice, because he wants to do something to help her. (Xavier is a Ph.D candidate in the Biomedical and Biophysics Department at UNC).
Of course, he got the date rose.
Brayden tries to come back
Just as the guys were getting dressed for the cocktail party and rose ceremony, talking about how good it feels for Brayden to be gone . . . it turned into a horror movie, like when you think Michael Myers is dead and he pops up behind Jamie Lee Curtis.
Charity was kissing on Poor John, laughing and wiping lipstick off his face, and that toxic peacock was standing in the shadows the whole time, wearing flip-flops and wrapped up in his Golden Girls scarf.
The guys were shocked and angry that Brayden walked back in and stolen time from them. Again.
Brayden essentially told Charity that he came back to tell her that she did nothing wrong (WHAT!? DID SHE THINK SHE DID?!) and then left. Or at least he tried to leave, but Aaron followed him out and demanded he apologize to Poor John. Brayden talked some smack and climbed into his party bus/prom limo while all the guys stood outside and heckled him.
The cocktail party ended early, so Poor John and some of the other guys didn’t get more time with Charity before the rose ceremony.
Non-Xavier moments on the show
▪ All the good stuff is above.
Did Xavier get a rose?
Yes, Xavier got a rose and will be back next week.
Who went home on Week 3 of ‘The Bachelorette’?
These guys didn’t get a rose this week:
- Poor John
- Caleb B.
- Michael
- Brayden
Note: Both Poor John and Caleb B. cried when they got sent home (see y’all in “Paradise”!) — and Xavier also cried.
How to watch ‘The Bachelorette’
This is huge, wonderful news: Starting next Monday (July 24) “The Bachelorette” returns to 8 p.m. on ABC. You can also stream on Hulu.
This story was originally published July 17, 2023 at 10:58 PM with the headline "‘Bachelorette’ Week 4 recap: What happened with UNC’s Xavier Bonner this week?."
