Bachelor's Harrison on Kacie's Emotional Date, Blakeley's Outfit and Next Week's Mystery Lady

While some dates on The Bachelor turn into an emotionally bonding moment, others are all about making out in the pool. In this week's chat with host Chris Harrison, he tells us why Kacie B's Sonoma stroll and theater date fortified her status as a front-runner, how Blakeley's breasts earned her a rose and that next week's mystery woman gets a big beating.

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On Kacie and Ben's date, they watched home videos. Was that too much too soon?
Chris Harrison: It was a lot to put on them, but the only reason I'd disagree with that is that we could already tell that he and Kacie had something going and it worked. Ben is this dichotomy; he's metropolitan and loves San Francisco, but he's more of a small-town guy. That's what the death of his dad brought him, that life and getting back to what's important. I think Kacie reminds him of his dad and that life and what he's looking for. You notice how quickly he let his guard down and was relaxed with her. She brings out a side in him he likes. Kacie is in it for the long haul and she cemented herself as a front-runner.

Courtney and Ben may get along well, but there doesn't seem to be too much there between them.
Harrison: You'll notice that's a running theme with him. He likes her and she's a front runner, but the more you hear them talk and he's like, "Our relationship is going really well," I'm like: Is it? Eventually he will also realize this and [and say] "Is she really saying anything? Is she really here for me?"

Watercooler: The Bachelor's new bad girl

Is Courtney the new Michelle Money where she comes off a certain way, but is a different person?
Harrison: I think Courtney will get a much worse rap and a worse beating than she deserves, much like Michelle Money. She has a very dry sense of humor and it's in the delivery and inflection of what she says. Even talking to Ben about it recently, he's like she is getting a beat down already, but once you get to know her it'll turn.

Did Blakely get the group date rose for any reason other than her making a big move on him in the pool?
Harrison: It was pretty much her [outfit] and the pool. The one thing about Ben is that he's a dude. Sometimes it's like, "Oh, he's so deep and so sweet" [but] he's also a dude. I think if you talked to him he'd be like, "Yep, guilty." But Blakely was cool, they had a good time and they got along. He didn't see the drama that was going on until the rose ceremony.

The Bachelor's Chris Harrison: We thought Jenna would be a front-runner!

The women were pretty angry she still went after him at the cocktail party despite being safe.
Harrison: It's the great debate of whether or not there are unwritten rules on The Bachelor — that once you get a rose you have to sit on the sidelines and let everyone get their time. Or is all fair in love and war and I'm going after this guy and I'm going to take as much time as I can? After she got the rose she kept talking to him. But why wouldn't she?

I'm guessing you weren't shocked Jenna got the boot.
Harrison: She barely got a rose by the skin of her teeth last week, it was more Ben saying, "I'm going to give her half an extra chance to redeem herself next week" because he was sympathetic to the fact that it was such an experience that first night. But it didn't take her much to hang herself this week. I hope she'll come back to the Women Tell All because I bet she will have such good perspective. I hope she'll laugh it off.

VIDEO: The Bachelor's Ben shares his thoughts on the premiere

Next week the mystery woman shows up. What can you preview?
Harrison: It is someone from Ben's past, but also someone from our past. The contestants immediately assume it's an ex-girlfriend ... and it's definitely a he-said/she-said thing [for the woman and Ben]. It ends up being a huge benefit for Ben, who realizes just how much the girls like him and how serious they are. But [the person who returns] takes a beating and she didn't anticipate that, we didn't and he didn't. With Bentley [coming back] on Ashley's season, that was really off-putting for the guys. They were ... mad at Ashley that she was still taken with him. This is the opposite. This is, "Wow, these girls really care."

Don't forget to catch Chris Harrison hosting the Miss America Pageant on Saturday at 9/8c on ABC.