Jess Girod’s journey on season 27 of The Bachelor came to an end in the middle of a group date during the show’s Feb. 27 episode. With just nine women left and Greer Blitzer in quarantine due to a positive COVID test, six ladies were part of the group date, and Jess was one of them. Ariel Frenkel and Charity Lawson got one-on-one dates this week, making Jess the only woman on the group date who had never had a one-on-one. She started getting in her head about the fact that she wasn’t getting that quality time with Zach Shallcross.
At the group date after-party, Jess expressed her concerns. “I know what I signed up for,” Jess told Zach. “I put myself here, but I just don’t have that much confidence. And when we’re in a room full of women who are so confident in themselves…it’s a lot to see the women progress their relationships with you In my perspective, I was waiting on that one-on-one to open up more.”
Zach assured Jess that he still felt there was “something there” with her, even without a one-on-one. Jess started getting emotional. “I just want you to see my frustration,” she explained. “The clock is ticking and it’s like, what can I do that is organic and natural and not forced. It’s hard being the last one. I hope you can see that a little bit.”
Zach told Jess not to see it as being the “last one,” adding, “It’s not like that. I have a lot of confidence with you.” Jess reiterated that she didn’t think she’d be able to open up to him in the way that he wanted if they didn’t have more one-on-one time together. “I never want you to think of this as a process where on the one-on-one is the only place you can open up,” Zach insisted. “I am upset that I feel like you think you need to feel that way. You keep bringing up that it’s about a one-on-one. I’m feeling so confident about us, but then it’s about a one-on-one? What am I missing?”
Jess stood her ground with how she was feeling. “I understand your perspective that one-on-ones are not what I think they are,” she sad. “But to not get one, in my opinion, it’s a big deal. I don’t know where you’re heads at. I’m confused.”
It was at that point when Zach realized he and Jess were on two different pages. “I feel like there’s a disconnect,” he admitted. “I don’t feel any more sure about this and I feel nervous. I’m not feeling that confident, as hard as it is and pains me to say.” Jess was in full-on tears now, as she told him, “I told you from the start I’m not going to fight for someone. I told you that all I wanted was someone to fight for me. I’m not doing that. I’m not going to beg for you.”
She got up and Zach walked her out, bringing their relationship to an end. “I’m at a loss,” Zach said afterwards. “This is literally the last thing I could’ve expected with Jess. We were just butting heads and we weren’t going to get to a better place, and I think for both of us this was the right thing.”
Meanwhile, Jess was baffled that Zach never understood her point. “Is it the craziest thing to want to go on a date with someone who I could potentially marry?” she wondered. “Is it the craziest thing that I’m upset that I’m the last one? If it’s someone who I want to marry, I want to be chosen right away. Wouldn’t I want to feel like he wants to take me on a date? So for him to be shocked that I’m hurt is crazy to me. I’m so confused.”