Chris Harrison blogs 'Bachelor Pad' episode 5

I hope all of you enjoyed a nice long Labor Day weekend. I’m happy to see that once again you were kind enough to make sure part of that extended weekend included your usual Monday night appointment with all of us at Bachelor Pad. Before I left the mansion after last week’s rose ceremony, I informed everybody that from now on they would be competing as a couple and would be voted off as a couple. This didn’t seem like huge news, but by the end of the episode you saw that it really was.

I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoyed hosting this week’s challenge. I loved The Newlywed Game and admire Bob Eubanks’ hosting skills. Oddly enough over the last couple of years I’ve had the honor of getting to know Mr. Eubanks, and have enjoyed our talks about TV and hosting shows. Who knows — some day soon I might even host a game show. Heading into the competition, I really thought Holly and Michael and Kasey and Vienna would have a huge advantage considering they had relationships heading into this game. I was wrong… again. The king and queen of the house, Michelle and Graham, devised an incredibly smart strategy and played it pretty much to perfection. They assigned numbers and names as answers to specific categories of questions, so no matter what the question they would always have the correct answer. It was funny to watch as the other contestants slowly caught on. I was just personally glad to know that Graham did not lose his virginity at seven years old.

Graham and Michelle won the competition and the roses, setting up an incredibly romantic date. I think you could all see this coming for weeks now. Graham and Michelle have played this game wisely, not letting their emotions get the better of them. But once they get out of the house you can see them let down their guard and really enjoy each other. Team “GQ” as I call them are certainly in control at this point in the game. I also have to give credit to Blake and Erica for doing so well in the competition. They knew nothing about each other the night before yet they did their homework and put it together pretty well. All this did unfortunately for Blake was earn him the most uncomfortable, awkward date ever. As Blake so eloquently put it, subtlety is not Erica’s strong suit. But in her defense, her astrologer did warn her there would be a romantic connection on Bachelor Pad.

Once again this week Michael and Holly had an intense moment discussing their relationship. Again I’m amazed at how open and honest they are. I’m also impressed that Holly has been able hold her ground and not just give in to Michael. It’s the safe, easy way out for her so while it’s tough to see, I do applaud her for sticking to her convictions.

Blake and Erica were given two roses on their date, but these roses had to be given to another couple. I know jaws dropped all over the country when they made the decision to save Kasey and Vienna. Somehow week after week these two find a way to survive. To secure their safety they promised Blake and Erica that they’d also be safe. That was a check Kasey was not actually able to write. Michelle’s feelings towards Blake combined with Graham’s strong alliance with Michael meant Kasey and Vienna had zero influence over anybody. The real irony this week was the entire vote came down to one woman, Holly. Holly was faced with the choice of going against the entire house and essentially sealing her fate, or saving her newfound crush Blake so they could stay together at least one more week. In the end she played it smart and played the game.

I get the sense that Blake is somewhat relieved to be out of that house and away from those women. He got a note from Holly, which is exactly what he was hoping to win. Next week the final four couples leave the mansion to earn a spot in the finals of Bachelor Pad. The two couples that earn a spot in the finals will have definitely earned it, as the final competition will challenge them like never before. The final two couples will then battle it out in front of a live studio audience and a jury of their peers. Until then you can always find me via Twitter @chrisbharrison.

More Bachelor Pad from EW:

Bachelor Pad episode 5 recap: Pair tactics