‘Bachelorette’ Week 4 recap: Jenn gets a surprise visit, but what about Raleigh’s Marcus?

It’s time for another episode of “The Bachelorette” on ABC, featuring front-runner Marcus Shoberg from Raleigh.

The 31-year-old military veteran is among the 12 men left heading into the fourth week of pursuing 26-year-old Jenn Tran.

After some time down under, the group made their way from Australia to Auckland, New Zealand. But is Marcus still finding a connection with Jenn?

Spoiler alert: If you didn’t catch Monday night’s episode, here’s what you missed.

The Bachelorette’s Rugby Royale

After a thrilling and terrifying one-on-one date with Sam M. jumping off a building, Jenn saw Marcus and a few of the guys hit the field to play rugby in the first group date. As the only one of the group who’s played rugby, Marcus was crushing it in practice.

In the end, he and the rest of the blue team took the W, though he did get a bit hurt in the game. But later that night, Jenn brought out her stethoscope and put her P.A. skills to the test to make sure he was okay.

She said she was reminded of a previous conversation between the two where Marcus shared how he was injured in combat in Afghanistan.

“I keep thinking back to what you said on our one-on-one date and how you felt like there was a period of time where you felt really alone and no one was there, and I want to be able to be there for you…even in the little things,” she told him.

He then admitted to Jenn that he typically puts pressure on himself to not be perceived as weak and doesn’t want anyone to feel bad for him.

In a private interview, he said he’s nervous to open up to Jenn about “hurting, about anything kind of opens the door to hurting about everything.”

“The most difficult things I’ve ever gone through in my life, I went through them alone and I, like, just think that some of the burdens that I’ve carried… sometimes I wonder if I’m strong enough to carry them on my own,” he said. “And it just feels like a little bit selfish to ask someone else to carry them.”

But Jenn reassured him, telling him, “You don’t always have to be strong for me. Like, I can… help carry.”

Though Sam N. — who most of the group were annoyed at for being “arrogant” and “disrespectful” — thought he was a shoo-in for the group date rose, it was actually Marcus who got it after Jenn decided to send “the love virgin” home.

“Being vulnerable is hard and I see this person trying and it’s not always easy,” she said when giving him the rose. “But I want them to know that I see them and I’m here for them and I see the bravery in all of that, and I’m excited to uncover more of that.”

Completely surprised and happy, Marcus choked up and shared to the guys: “She makes me feel like it’s safe to open up about these things that I’ve been struggling to open up about for years.

“I feel overwhelmed by it and I mean obviously feeling super grateful right now. I think the rose kind of symbolizes that she sees that I’m trying.”

Who got roses?

In addition to Marcus’ rose, Sam M. and Devin received roses on their one-on-one dates.

But we’ll have to wait another week to learn who else will go on to the next part of their journey with Jenn.

In a shocking twist just hours before the rose ceremony, Jenn’s ex-boyfriend, Matt, took a 24-hour journey to New Zealand to see if there was a chance for the two to rekindle their romance.

Long story short: The two started dating about three years ago for a few months but reconnected since then, he told host Jesse Palmer.

Matt surprised Jenn, who was clearly not expecting her ex to show up in New Zealand.

“I’m not ready to just let you go … and get engaged without telling you that I still have really strong feelings for you more now than ever and so I’m just asking you to just give me the chance to show you how much this all means to me,” Matt told Jenn.

“You are one of the most important people in my life. You know me more than anyone else in the world and I’m not ready to let it all go.”

With the season nearly halfway over, Jenn felt extremely confused by his request to join her and the other guys in the rest of her journey.

But only time will tell how it pans out next week in a continued episode with the rest of the rose ceremony.

How to watch “The Bachelorette”

You can watch “The Bachelorette” every Monday at 8 p.m. on ABC and on Hulu the day following their premieres.

This story was originally published July 29, 2024 at 10:36 PM.

Chyna Blackmon

The Charlotte Observer

Chyna Blackmon was a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA. Support my work with a digital subscription