What to Watch the Week of July 28: The Bachelorette Gets Really, Really Good in Week 4
The Bachelorette heads to Auckland, New Zealand in week four, and it’s going to be a game changer for Jenn Tran. How do I know? Well, I visited the production in New Zealand as Jenn went on a rugby group date and a 1:1 date, and also spent a half hour with her during some rare downtime to get an idea of just how she’s feeling and what we haven’t seen play out on the show.
For someone who is almost at the midway point of their journey, Jenn was remarkably centered and not overwhelmed by the travel, the emotions, or the men. (That’s even more surprising given how intense the last cocktail party was before Jenn and the guys left Australia. Says Jesse Palmer: âThere’s a lot of guys causing drama in the house, and this group has multiple button pushers: Devin, Thomas, Sam M., and [even] Sam N. Those are the lightning rods so far.â)
But a new settingâand new countryâcan offer an immediate reset, and for Jenn, arriving in New Zealand was exactly what she needed. âIt’s always been a dream of mine to go to Australia and New Zealand,â she told me from her hotel suite in Auckland. “Anytime you think of New Zealand, you think of the beautiful scenery, the nature, and so I’m excited to see more of that.â
Waiheke Island, a 45-minute ferry from Auckland, New Zealand. (Shot on an iPhone 14 Pro Max)
Jessica Radloff
Sunrise in Auckland, New Zealand. (Shot on an iPhone 14 Pro Max)
Jessica Radloff
Hobbiton, which is about a two hour drive south of Auckland. (Shot on an iPhone 14 Pro Max).
Jessica Radloff
Jenn (and the viewers) will get that, but given all the events that will happen this week, she’s going to need to plan a return visit to really see New Zealand’s natural, untouched beauty. Jenn has two 1:1 dates this week, with frontrunners Devin and Sam M. And whenever she’s with them, everything else is just outside noise.
âEarly on, she might’ve been a little bit guarded and was playing it safe, but she’s finally putting the walls down,â Palmer tells me. âShe’s had a lot of guys already open up to her, and I think she realizes the importance of trying to meet these men halfway. She’s starting to do that. I absolutely think she’s turned the corner. Things felt more surface level in L.A. and Melbourne, but now in New Zealand, there’s going to be some separation, and she’ll dig deeper into her feelings for these guys.”
It’s a sentiment Jenn expressed to me in our interview, which you can read here immediately after The Bachelorette airs on Monday night.
Jenn will also discover what she doesn’t want in a life partner, especially when it’s time for the group date at a rugby match with the New Zealand national rugby union team, commonly known as the All Blacks. Glamour has an exclusive clip from the match, so take a look:
There’s a lot that’s going to go down, so pay attention to the dynamic among the men on this date, and then check Glamour’s Instagram tomorrow for a special video with the guys. We play a game of Red Flag/Green Flag/Beige Flag, and let’s just say Jenn’s answers don’t quite line up with theirs.
Me and Jenn on the field (and site of her group date) where the All Blacks rugby team plays in Auckland, New Zealand.
Brett Levine/ABC
The Bachelorette isn’t the only one playing games this week (see what I did there?), as it’s the first full week of the Summer Olympics. Whether you watch all the highlights on TikTok or on NBC and Peacock, here’s an easy guide to tell you when every event is happening.
That’s not all that is worth your time. Take a look at the full guide below, along with a more detailed description of tomorrow’s The Bachelorette, and I’ll see you back here next week.
Sunday, July 28Watch with Alex Cooper (Peacock): Starting today through August 11, the creator/host of Call Her Daddy will host Watch with Alex Cooper as she comments on Womenâs Team USA events, engages with fans in real time on Peacock, and hosts friends and celebrities to talk everything Olympics. Streaming
Monday, July 29The Bachelorette (ABC): In the fourth episode, Jenn and the men travel to Auckland, New Zealand for a competitiveâand very windyârugby match. Most important, Devin and Sam M. are left alone to bond in their hotel. Later, Jenn and one man deepen their understanding of New Zealandâs MÄori culture and then an unexpected visitor shows up, leaving Jenn more confused than ever. I really hope it’s not Aaron, but who else could it be at this point? 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT, and streaming the next day on Hulu
Summer Olympics (NBC): Men’s gymnastics team final, swimming medal events, and synchronized 10-meter platform dive events are on the schedule for tonight. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT
Signora Volpe (Acorn TV/BBC America): Season two of the detective drama returns today, starring Emilia Fox (Silent Witness, Delicious, The Pianist) as disillusioned British spy Sylvia Fox. She finds herself starting a new, quiet life in the Italian countryside, only to have a local case of murder and blackmail lure her back into investigative work. The series is filmed on location in the picturesque Lazio and Umbria regions in Italy. Streaming
Tuesday, July 30Summer Olympics (NBC): The women’s team gymnastics final takes center stage tonight, along with the women’s 100-meter backstroke final, and much more. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT
Wednesday, July 31Summer Olympics (NBC): The all-around competition for men’s gymnastics air tonight, along with the women’s 100-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT
Women in Blue (Apple TV+): The ten episode Spanish-language crime drama featuring an entirely Hispanic cast and crew makes its global debut with the first two episodes today, followed by one episode weekly through September 25. Per the release, Women in Blue is âset in 1970 and inspired by true events, [and] tells the story of four women who defy the ultra-conservative norms of the time and join Mexicoâs first female police force, only to discover that their squad is a publicity stunt to distract the media from a brutal serial killer. As the body count grows, MarĂa, whose determination to catch the killer becomes an obsession, Gabina, whose father is a renowned cop, Ăngeles , a brilliant fingerprint analyst, and Valentina, a young rebel, set up a secret investigation to achieve what no male officer has been able to do and bring the serial killer to justice.â Streaming
Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa (Netflix): In this documentary, the first Nepali woman to summit and descend Mount Everest, Lhakpa Sherpa devoted her life to empowering girls. Now a single mother working at a Whole Foods in Connecticut, she embarks on a dramatic return to the mountain, determined to redeem her lifeâs purpose and inspire her own daughters. Streaming
Thursday, August 1Summer Olympics (NBC): Women’s basketball, women’s singles semifinal tennis, badminton, and more. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT
The Change (Britbox): Creator/writer/star Bridget Christie takes an honest and hilarious look at menopause and the self-discovery that comes with it. She plays Linda, who’s having an existential crisis at age 50 after being informed she has started menopause. Feeling invigorated by this information, Linda decides to claw back some of the time she’s spent doing âinvisible workâ over the years and do something for herself. Streaming
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (Netflix): In this six-episode series based on the New York Times best-selling mystery YA novel by Holly Jackson, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by her boyfriend Sal Singh five years ago and the case was closed. But Pip Fitz-Amobi thinks the real killer is still out there. Streaming
Friday, August 2Summer Olympics (NBC): More swimming and diving before next week’s track and field events start, so admire that blue swimming pool water while you can. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT
Boot Camp (Wattpad): Rachel Boudwin, Drew Ray Tanner, and Emmanuelle Chriqui star. Here’s what else we know about this coming-of-age rom-com: âReady to challenge herself before her sisterâs wedding, bookworm Whitney (Boudwin) signs up for an intense six-week boot camp and quickly finds herself at odds with her personal trainer, Axel (Tanner), after they get off on the wrong foot. But as Axel puts her through grueling physical and mental challenges, Whitney discovers a strength she didnât know she had and surprises Axel with her growing confidence. Similarly, Whitney realizes thereâs more to him than meets the eye. Underneath his tough facade is a guarded yet sensitive soul who shares Whitneyâs passion for reading. And as Axel opens up to Whitney their connection blossoms, teetering towards forbidden romance. Trainers arenât allowed to date campers after all.â In select theaters and on demand
Saturday, August 3Summer Olympics (NBC): The women’s gymnastics vault final airs tonight, along with the men’s swimming 100-meter butterfly finals and the men’s shot put final. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT
Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes (HBO/Max): Directed by award-winning filmmaker Nanette Burstein (Hillary, The Price of Gold), and an official selection of the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival, The Lost Tapes allows Elizabeth Taylorâs own voice to narrate her story through newly recovered interviews and access to the movie starâs personal archive. In addition to Taylor, the documentary features the voices of actors Roddy McDowall, Debbie Reynolds, Richard Burton, George Hamilton, producer Sam Marx, agents Marion Rosenberg, and John Heyman, longtime assistant and co-Trustee Tim Mendelson, and friends Liz Smith and Doris Brynner. 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT and streaming on Max
