Rose, 27, and Carolina, 29, are two contestants who have formed strong connections with Grant, 31, and after a group date ended with Carolina straddling and making out with Grant, much to the distress of the other women, Grant had to reassure the other women that he was still thinking of them. This set off a chain of events that ended up with Rose deciding to leave the competition early after being gaslit by Grant. Rose's choice proves that she values herself more than reality TV drama.
Rose Took Grant’s Indecisiveness As A Sign
Grant Struggles With Picking A Side
Grant has been criticized for being "too soft" to be The Bachelor, often trying to protect his image as a nice guy and not offend the women. In the case of Rose and Carolina, Grant's actions proved this, as he refused to accept accountability for telling Rose he was thinking about her while he danced and made out with Carolina. In episode 2, Grant told Rose she was still a frontrunner in the competition, despite his make-out with Carolina.
"I'm very interested in you. Like even today, right, you know, the whole dancing thing on stage and everything, I was thinking about you. I don't want you to feel like I wasn't paying attention, because I am."
Grant's actions proved that he is incapable of taking accountability for saying things that may hurt another woman's feelings. He's trying to protect his image, not the women competing for him. There are also whispers that perhaps Grant's true motive is to promote his music career (he dropped a single called "Party Girl" just before the show premiered). Either way, Rose's decision to self-eliminate from the competition was a direct result of Grant's indecisiveness.
Rose Chose Herself And Didn’t Get Caught Up In Drama
Rose Stood Up For Herself To Grant, Carolina
Rose also stood up for herself against Carolina, who she felt had back-stabbed her by telling Grant what Rose repeated about his thoughts during his dance with Carolina. Again, Rose didn't lie, she said what Grant had told her. After choosing to leave the show, Rose let Carolina know how she felt.
"It's just that your actions really set me back and it really kind of f****d me over in a big fat f*****g way...You backstabbed me... You f-----g did me dirty."
Rose And Carolina’s Drama Takes Away From The Point Of The Bachelor
The Drama Is Distracting
Grant said in confession: "That was tough. But I decided to give Rose that rose tonight because we have a connection. She apologized, and at the end of the day, you know, everybody makes mistakes. So I feel like it's the best decision to move past it and move forward.”
On a show where the goal is to find love, Grant needs to keep things on track, not add to the drama. Rose made the best decision for herself when she essentially gave Grant his rose back, leaving him free to continue pursuing other women, including Carolina. It remains to be seen whether Carolina will end up with the final rose after all is said and done.
