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"If you thought things were brutal last week, they haven't even started." With that promise--and threat--Simon Cowell welcomed us back to CUPID. Video clips from the previous two weeks served as a reminder of the droves of potential suitors that Lisa Shannon and her friends, Laura and Kimberly, have been auditioning for the role of Lisa's soulmate. So far, only twenty have survived, those twenty having been flown out to Los Angeles, where their number will be winnowed down to ten by the end of this week's episode. Host Brian McFayden welcomed Lisa's "Top Twenty" to Los Angeles and congratulated them on making it this far. But he reminded them that only half would be left by the end of this hour, and by the end of the season only one would be able to call himself "Mr. Lisa Shannon." The Top Twenty all were clearly excited by the challenge that lay ahead. With no further adieu, Brian reintroduced the guys to the woman of their dreams, Lisa Shannon, AND "the women of your nightmares," Laura and Kimberly. THE FOUR ESSENTIAL MEN GROUPS Striding in with her two judgmental pals at her side, Lisa laughed as she greeted the expectant gathering: "I've got great taste, I have to say." She then proceeded to break the Top Twenty into four groups in order to make the selection process ahead a little easier. She put Evan, Robert, Rob, Dain and Darren in "The Serious Group" and said she was looking forward to finding out if any of them would be able to let their hair down. Despite having great personalities, Zach, Nate, Ben, Renda and Mark seemed a little "rough around the edges" to Lisa, so she placed them in the "Diamonds in the Rough" group. Lisa told this group she and her friends were going to "polish [them] up a bit," a promise none of them seemed to mind. Hank, Cory, Scott, Ken and Dominic were "The Jocks"; Lisa wanted to make sure these guys had as much grace as they did athleticism. Last but not least, Lisa labeled Omar, Paul, Paco, Joe and Scott "The Creative Types" and told them she was looking forward to seeing if they possessed a "macho side." Omar immediately started flexing his muscles, obviously eager to show he had the right stuff. WORDS OF WISDOM Laura and Kimberly stepped forward to offer the guys some pointers. Laura claimed that even though she and Kimberly wouldn't be going on the dates, they'd be hearing about every single detail afterwards. She encouraged the guys to think of her and Kimberly as "the fly on the wall." Echoing Laura, Kimberly promised she'd be keeping a close eye on all of them. In case they didn't get her drift, she warned them to "Watch out!" As Lisa left to get ready for her date, Brian explained that at the end of each group date, one member would be dumped from each group and from contention for Lisa's heart. But he also tried to reassure them, telling them not to worry. After all, "all that's at stake is a beautiful woman with a million dollar dowry." FIRST DATE Up first was the Serious Group, which Evan claimed was a euphemism for "the boring group." Dain said he'd wait to size up the competition before making his move. The competition got going quickly as the group's limo pulled up outside a karaoke bar. Inside, with Lisa watching intently, the guys took turns performing a song Lisa had picked especially for this group: "Born to Be Wild." Rob went first, doing an enthusiastic, if slightly off-key, version, changing the chorus to "Born to be Lisa's man!" Karaoke hostess Ramona praised Rob for setting the bar high. Robert followed with a version that he mangled with his Austrian accent, but which left Lisa almost in tears from laughter. Evan was next, making up in spirit what he lacked in musical talent. Lisa was impressed to see Evan coming "out of his shell." After Darren and Dain sang the Roy Orbison classic "Pretty Woman," Brian told Lisa it was time for her to make her decision: which one of these serious guys would be seriously gone? THE FIRST TO GO Lisa invited Rob, Evan, Robert, and Darren back in the limo with her, which left Dain with the distinction of being the first guy dumped by Lisa. Dain admitted the rejection was hard for him to handle. But, he added, "a little humility will probably do me some good." Kimberly was glad to see the last of Dain, but Laura thought Lisa made a big mistake letting him go. ( Bye-bye to one Serious guy  )
PUTTING THEIR GAME FACES ON As Group #2, the Diamonds in the Rough, prepared for their date, they tried their best, as Mark put it, to "put their game faces on." Little did they know that Lisa was preparing to put new faces on all of them. Lisa had decided to take this group to a beauty salon, where she was eager to see if they'd be receptive to her smoothing out some of their rougher edges. For starters, Renda would have to lose the goatee, and Nate was in serious need of a pedicure. Zach admitted feeling foolish getting a "Princess Leia 'do," but he was going with it. Afterwards, Lisa hoisted a glass of champagne and drank to Renda's "new chin," then asked Ben and Zach to tell her why they were worth keeping around. Zach seemed to be holding something back, which Lisa noticed and didn't appreciate. Unfortunately for Zach, his reluctance to reveal more about himself proved to be his undoing, leaving Nate, Mark, Renda and Ben to ride back in the limo with Lisa. Laura approved of Zach's dismissal, but Kimberly thought Ben would have been a better one for her to dump. ( Lisa ditches a Diamond in the Rough )
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