Week eight of “The Bachelor” brought Grant Ellis and his final three — Litia Garr, Juliana Pasquarosa and Zoe McGrady — to Dominican Republic for Fantasy Suite dates, where emotions ran high and relationships deepened. Between intense conversations, lingering doubts and unexpected declarations of love, each date tested their connections in new ways. As Ellis navigated his strongest relationships yet, the pressure to make his final choice loomed larger than ever.

Overnight Date: Juliana Pasquarosa

Before her overnight date, Pasquarosa confided in season 28 contestant Daisy Kent about her past partner’s infidelity and feeling nervous about letting people in because of it. Kent calmed Pasquarosa’s nerves and encouraged her to lean into the overnight date.

On their date, Pasquarosa and Ellis spent a mud-splattered afternoon off-roading throughout Dominican Republic. That evening, the duo settled in to chat over drinks and a fruit and cheese plate. Pasquarosa opened up to Ellis about her past relationship, specifically how she was cheated on “time and time again” for multiple years.

“That did a lot of damage to me,” Pasquarosa said. “It’s such a challenge to go from feeling, like, so minimized in somebody’s life.”

The pair both shed some tears, and Ellis reassured and comforted Pasquarosa in her struggles.

“I have parts of me that are broken too,” Ellis said. “That’s what love is for, because it fixes you.”

The couple spent the night in the Fantasy Suite and both woke up in positive spirits the following morning. After their night, Pasquarosa felt good about their connection, and Ellis headed off to his next date.

Overnight Date: Zoe McGrady

Before her Fantasy Suite date, McGrady met with past contestant, Rachel Nance, who advised her to stay confident despite having the least time with Ellis. McGrady and Ellis kicked off their date with an unconventional silent yoga session in the extreme humidity. McGrady was hesitant and skeptical but pushed through.

At dinner, Ellis opened up about his challenging childhood and desire for a committed relationship.

“What I want is a wife to spend my time with and share my emotions with,” Ellis said. “That’ll be a priority for me.”

McGrady was happy to learn more about Ellis’ past, and the two spent the night together in the Fantasy Suite. 

Overnight Date: Litia Garr

Garr experienced anxiety before her overnight date about Ellis being intimate with two other women. She confided in a past contestant, Kaity Biggar, about the insecurity. Biggar advised her to focus on Ellis, not on his other relationships.

Garr and Ellis started their date off with ziplining — much to Garr’s nausea-inducing dread — before shifting to a serious conversation about their future by the pool. Garr reveals she is not ready for physical intimacy, and Ellis respects her decision. He surprised Garr when he told her he loved her, and she said it back. The next morning, doubts crept in as Ellis wrestled with whether to choose Garr now or keep exploring his feelings for someone else.

Rose Ceremony:

Ellis chose Pasquarosa and Garr as the final two contestants at the rose ceremony, tearfully sending McGrady home.

Review

As any season of “The Bachelor” goes, Fantasy Suite Week brings the most emotion and often the deepest conversations. This week has always been a time to have tough conversations and further emotional connections without the anxiety of an entire camera and production crew right behind you. 

The week started with Pasquarosa’s fantasy suite date, during which they went off-roading during the day portion and discussed her past relationship during the dinner portion. It was an emotional conversation, with Pasquarosa sharing she was still healing from over half a decade of infidelity.

If it was not already clear Pasquarosa was an emotionally intelligent woman, this conversation proved it. She handled the difficult conversations with grace and maturity, which seemed to bring those traits out of Ellis — a marking of a very healthy relationship. 

The pair decided to enjoy a night alone together, and based on the brief conversation in the morning that viewers were privy to, the overnight date went well. However, soon after Ellis left, Pasquarosa started getting in her head about his remaining two overnight dates. 

While she was speaking to Kent, she said she knew what she signed up for coming onto the show but the overnight dates specifically were difficult to swallow. It’s one thing to pitch a fit every time Ellis speaks to another woman during the season, much like Quixano did, but Pasquarosa’s nerves regarding the most intimate part of the show were much more valid. 

McGrady’s overnight date was, to nobody’s surprise, mundane. Their connection has never been as strong as that of Pasquarosa or Garr’s, and this was clear during this week’s episode. One can only laugh at the fact Ellis chose a date for the two of them that required no talking. 

Sure, Pasquarosa and Ellis engaged in an extremely deep conversation about Pasquarosa’s past relationship that ended in both of them crying, but this doesn’t hold a candle to what McGrady and Ellis discussed — favorite colors. Out of all of the women Ellis could have brought this far into the journey, it doesn’t look like it will ever be clear why he chose McGrady. 

Garr’s overnight date involved ziplining and swimming during the day, and while she did accept the fantasy suite key, she informed Ellis beforehand she did not want to be physically intimate. Anyone who has watched prior seasons of “The Bachelor” could be seen physically tensing up, as past contestants such as Madison Prewett and Susie Evans shared this sentiment, and it promptly blew up in their faces. 

However, Ellis seemingly handled it like a pro at first, saying he respected the decision. Things took a turn soon after when he told Garr he loved her and proceeded to wonder if he should leave with her right then and there. This conversation would not have been nearly as problematic had he not already shared intimate nights with the other two women beforehand. 

To the surprise of nobody, probably not even McGrady herself, Ellis’ final two roses went to Garr and Pasquarosa. McGrady exited very gracefully and said she was grateful for the time with Ellis and she was ready to give her all to the right person. If there were seasonal awards, McGrady would be the frontrunner for “most character development.” 

The episode ended with Ellis reuniting with his family and immediately telling them he was in love with both women — a phrase that may as well be copyrighted by the show at this point. 

Based on the previews for the finale shown so far, it is hard to tell what exactly Ellis will do, but one thing is for sure — it will consist of drama, heartbreak and an emotional conversation between him and the runner-up during After the Final Rose.