Category Archives: Bachelorette

The Bachelorette: I’m Still Watching…

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So, I’ve always opened myself to ridicule by admitting I watch the Bachelorette, but here’s the deal…I have also always been able to reasonably defend myself. Until now. Last night’s twist was worse than I anticipated. The reason the Bachelorette worked (and the reason it will work for the rest of this season after this travesty) is that the woman holds the power. In addition to being able to choose who she wants to be with, we can be pretty sure the guys who are there want to be with her and are actually in it for a relationship. By taking the power out of the women’s hands and letting the men pick, both of those positives went down the drain. That’s why we’re angry, Chris Harrison. It’s not about your stupid comments that change is hard. SPOILER ALERT FOR TONIGHT’S RESULTS While I am happy that Kaitlyn came out the winner (as the media has let us know), she now has to wonder in every interaction she has throughout the season if a man secretly voted for Britt to stay.

I don’t understand how the show can so seriously underestimate its viewers. Sure, social media would have you believe that everyone is watching for the drama and conflict, and the raunchier/sleazier the better, but that’s not the case. While there is a base audience that is in it for that kind of stuff, those viewers won’t be going anywhere – no need to up the ante for them. The viewers that the show will shed and has shed are the viewers that held out any hope that the show had some sincerity and real romance left. Trista and Ryan + Babies, Jason and Molly +Baby, Ashley and JP + Baby, Sean and Catherine, and a few more past results have proven that DESPITE their attempts to cheapen the game, real love can be found on this show. However, I personally don’t know how much longer I’ll be hanging around.

Juan Pablo was a trip into sleaze. Andi D. was never going to find real love, we could all see it from the start. I began last season with Chris, but quickly lost interest despite liking Whitney. I am here now for Kaitlyn because she reminds me of our favorite Canadian Bachelorette Jillian. She’s real, funny and will hopefully see through the BS the show throws at her. Watching her face last night as the twists kept unfolding you could tell she felt the same way we did. You could see her struggle with the fact that it was all so demeaning, but if she could just get through it she might have a shot at something real. If we could all just get through the episode we might be able to see a real season despite the producer’s intentions.

So, thank goodness that tonight in part two the stunt ends and Kaitlyn is the Bachelorette, although if you haven’t read any online sources you might not know that for sure yet because of the stupid new cliffhangers they’re employing more and more frequently. That’s at least one positive on which to cling!

There are a few more, and their names are Ben H., Ben Z., Dan and Ian (1st Bachelor of color anyone? Finally a guy who could actually be a contender!) Each of these guys showed real personality and genuine interest in the women. And, we can’t leave out Shawn B., who, while not a favorite of mine, was described by Kaitlyn as possible love at first sight. I like the bits of interaction they showed between her and all of these guys, but my early pick is Ben H.  – Wow, show me more of him. Kudos for asking about her tattoo, dude! I always wondered about it myself. Point in Kaitlyn’s column for her answer being sweet and meaningful. See, the good does shine through the sleaze, despite the efforts to make the show sensational. I’m also interested in seeing more about David, who we only caught glimpses of. He’ll either be the guy in three episodes that we’re all still wondering about or an actual contender for her heart.

I’ll be watching tonight with the hope that I won’t feel as ashamed of myself as I did last night. I’ll be watching with the hope that things get back on track when Britt leaves. I’ll be watching and hoping that we see some of the old Chris Harrison who seems like a different guy since his divorce (Seriously, his crush on Britt was half the reason we’re in this mess.) And, I’ll be watching because I really like Kaitlyn and want to see her fall in love. In short, I’ll still be watching because I can’t help who I am, a hopeless romantic who keeps going back for more even after she realizes the show she loves isn’t worthy of her.

Bachelorette Des: And the winner is….

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I didn’t think there was a way to come back from last week. Brooks had to come back because how – HOW? – could she profess her love for Drew or Chris after that fiasco where she told Brooks she loved him and cried for days?

But from the beginning my heart said Chris. How wonderful that she got past that infatuation to recognize the real affection and friendship she had with him from the beginning. Does she love him? Absolutely! Anyone watching the “After the Final Rose” episode could have seen it.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Brooks came out…her tears before he appeared had me worried, but after the initial shock you could see her relax. It was like something in her said, “Yes, I was right to choose Chris.”

Speaking of right – that proposal was gorgeous. I was nervous and mad when Chris H. indicated she was going to bring up the Brooks thing at the proposal. I was like, “You’re gonna blind side amazing Chris S. like that?” But he was eloquent and passionate. He was genuine and oh, oh, oh – the grow old and start a family stuff? Be still my heart.

I have no doubt that it was still hard for Chris S. to watch last week, but she did what most of us never get the chance to do! She chose real love. How many of us out there would have given Chris up to take the adrenaline feelings that Brooks gave her?

And the thing is – Chris gave her those too, she just couldn’t see it until Brooks stepped aside. I don’t see Brooks as any type of villain. I do think he hoped she would have stayed single. I think he regretted his choice just a little, but I honestly don’t think she regretted hers.

Watching the montage of her experiences with Chris you could see how special it was from the beginning. I think I was 100% (Chris’s fave words) sold when he asked her dad for her hand…her dad’s a slight geek, but Chris had something in common with him. They both loved Des with all their hearts.

I think this will last and I am absolutely happy with the outcome. I do feel bad for Drew, but can we say mature? I was so impressed with his responses to her when she let him go and then again on “ATFR”. He’s a gem, but I’m glad he’s not the next bachelor.

The next Bachelor? JUAN PABLO!!!! Had it been anyone else it would have been anti-climactic. He’s gonna be great – and really, he serves a purpose for the producers…they’ve been accused of not having diversity so a Latin lover can’t hurt.

There were times this season I was bored to death and I still think the editors and producers need to mix things up. It’s just a little too predictable episode-wise, if not outcome-wise. Still, I got that warm fuzzy feeling with Des and Chris just like with JP and Ashley…bet Des and Chris get married before Sean and Catherine!

Bring on Juan Pablo! Wish I was 25, I’d be at those additions in a heartbeat. Too bad I took German, though…

Bachelorette Des: Does Brooks love her or not?

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I was truly surprised by what happened last night on the Bachelorette. It’s kind of crazy. Either it’s going to be a season where she picks no one, or Brooks is going to come to his senses. You see, after her conversation and declaration of love when Brooks was breaking up with her, I see absolutely no way she can pick Chris (and let’s be honest – it should be Chris) without it being obvious he was her second choice. In a way, unless Brooks comes back, the season is ruined.

I have to say that it was fascinating watching the stuff with Brooks last night. In the history of the show I don’t think we’ve ever seen such gut wrenching honesty. But here’s my question: Was his honesty the result of too much self-reflection in an unreal situation or was it real?

It seemed like he was very logical and honest regarding what he thought when he was away from her. He actually said definitively that he wasn’t going to feel the way he needed to in order to get engaged. But when he was with her, when she said I love you? His body language, face, and voice was that of a man in love.

So the real questions for the season are these: Will Brooks return and realize he’s in love or will Desiree be alone in the finale? Will we see a scene where Brooks has come around since the end and asks to date her like Jason did with Molly? Will she find a way to realize Brooks was a fantasy and Chris was real?

Bigger Question: Will any of us keep watching if they don’t change up the formula enough to keep viewers from getting incredibly bored? I loved these men. I loved Des. This season – even with this drama – was like watching paint dry. Evolve Mike Fleiss.

Bachelorette Des: Episode Six – And then there were five…

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So. The question remains. Will Desiree fall in love? I’m pretty sure for the sake of the show she’ll find one of these remaining men irresistible and get engaged, but I’m still wondering if what I’m watching is legit? (In the JP/Ashley, even Sean/Catherine way) Last night’s episode was much better than the past few, and I’m looking forward to the remaining shows, but I can’t help feeling like everything is still very surfacey with this group.

For the sake of this blog I’ll start by telling you that she sent James home. The damage done by the other guys telling her things he said just couldn’t be overcome. I do wonder though, if he got ramrodded. It reminded me of Ben. The guys kept saying all this stuff, but the producers never showed us anything. If they had anything real on him wouldn’t they have showed us? I kind of feel like these guys are acting like a bunch of mean girls.

I’ll also go ahead and tell you the other two that went home were Kasey and Juan Pablo. I know she didn’t have a really great connection with either of them, but I did, and I’ sorry to see them go. Both of them were gorgeous and fun to watch. Kasey was downright eloquent, as I’m sure Juan Pablo would be in Spanish. Either would be someone I’d watch as a Bachelor, but I’m sure it will probably end up being one of the other guys left. Unless they could lure Arie back – now that would be worth watching!

Anyway, since this season is still in session, let’s talk about who’s left.

It seems like Chris and Brooks have the best shot at winning Desiree’s heart. Last night they were both on the group date, but we got to see their one-on-one time with her. She pulled Chris up to her room and read something she wrote for him. It was sweet and he was excited. She has that nervous, omg-I hope he likes me thing going on with Chris. With Brooks, there’s a natural comfort plus a sizzle. I feel like they’re the ones who really have a shot.

But then we got some surprising dates with Drew and Zack. Both were really romantic and it looked like she was really into kissing both of them (of course, it looks like she really loves to kiss anyway). Zack was really mature. Their conversation had depth and weight. It was the first time I could see him as hot, despite his amazing physique. I knew he was smart, rich, and built, but last night he was also in charge. With Drew, we got to see him open a little. He also stepped up in the “manly” department. They made out a lot, and she obviously liked it, but I can’t see them together.

The last guy she kept was Michael G. This just kills me. Maybe it’s the way he’s being edited (but I don’t really think so). He is like a queen bee. Pardon my language, but he’s a little bitch. He says he’s there for Des, but all he’s done is target Ben and James. Well, it doesn’t matter…I’m sure out of the five left, he’s low man on the totem pole.

The previews were the typical ones for this part of the season…depressing and drama-filled..designed to make us question what we’re thinking and ponder whether she actually found love. These next few weeks have all the tricks in the previews – like what’s this thing that makes it seem she’s so in love with Drew all of a sudden and that he’s going to leave her? And then we have all of the guys crying? I guarantee there’s not that much drama ahead. I don’t want there to be. I wonder if the people who make the show remember that while drama can be fun, most of us watch for a glimpse of love.

Bachelorette Des – Episode Five: It’s a Fairytale (or so they tell us)

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I don’t know what’s going on with this show, but I think they may have some new editors or people deciding what to highlight. It’s basic storytelling – show don’t tell, but I’m hearing the words from Des, “I’m having so much fun,” and she looks bored to death. They’re telling me she’s falling in love and having fun but they aren’t showing me. I don’t think the problem is her or the guys – it’s a great cast. The Bachelorette bleachable moments and the bloopers at the end are more endearing than the actual show and there’s a marked lack of close-ups on any of her one-on-one conversations.This problem is all behind the scenes, someone’s not connecting or recognizing romance in the editing room.

They’re in Munich this week. Michael G. expresses he wants a on-on-one since he hasn’t had one yet. Kasey speaks some German. His German sucks but at least he says he wants to kiss her. Chris gets a second one-on-one which he reads in German. He’s better at it than Kasey, but later he says the only Deutsch he knows is, “Can I have another cappuccino?”

On their date, they start exploring the city. He looks amazing in his black jacket and they kind of look like each other. She says the date’s been fun, but I haven’t seen anything fun yet. They’ve walked around with a map and took a picture with a creepy clown guy. She says Chris is goofy, funny and himself…he’s also in lederhosen.

Back at the room, Bryden’s still whining. His feelings aren’t progressing. He tells James he’s leaving. He’s going to interrupt her date with Chris to do it. Bryden goes out looking for the TV cameras (yeah right…that happened). They’re dancing in circles in the middle of a courtyard as Bryden stands stalker like behind them. WHY? Why are they dancing in circles? They look bored. They aren’t boring people. Chris says the day’s perfect and I don’t think anything could go wrong. Ummm…then after the interruption Chris actually says, “Des and I were dancing to some polka music…” He kept a straight face. He’s worried Des will come back upset.

Bryden thinks he’s made the right decision to leave. She’s a little hurt, but won’t let it affect her date with Chris. She just wants to get back to Chris so she can feel happy again. She says she doesn’t need to talk about it. He makes her happy. Still, Chris takes the opportunity to tell her he is there for the long haul. It’s kind of awkward, but if they both drink that whole beer in front of them, it won’t be awkward for long.

They have dinner in a palace after walking down a long red carpet. He does kind of look like Prince Charming. She asked him what he’s looking for. He’s ready for a relationship and to start a family. She explains how she knows she needs someone expressive. He wrote her something again – on the plane – “Thoughts so true”. It makes her cry and they kiss. He says you can tell a lot from a kiss and her feelings towards him are building and she communicates that very well. All of a sudden they’re having a private concert with Matt White and it’s in his words again, “epic – it’ a fairytale”. He says he’s slowly falling in love with her and he thinks it’s mutual.

This is too much too soon…unless they’re messing with us he probably won’t be the one, but then we haven’t seen any Brooks lately, there just really aren’t any other contenders. But it’s just too much knock you over the head Cinderella imagery and wording here.

The group date is sledding and an igloo. Kasey’s got some charisma! He’s so likable. James thinks they have something so unique and special that no other guys can touch! They go up a gondola looking at the mountains. We’re reminded of Drew. He’s a cutie. They encounter a yodeler (Juan Pablo trying to say “yodeler” was still hot) and then they see the sleds. The guys seem scared. Drew ploughs into her. They have snowball fights that she says bring her back to her childhood.

They go warm up in an igloo hotel with pretzels, a rose, and wine? Brooks gets some nice-on-one time. He talks about their experience together and about how he tries to be in the moment with her. She grabs him and pulls him in for kissing…yep he’s a finalist.

Mikey has her make her snowman family. They talk about whether he’d leave Chicago. He says he’d consider it. Zack W. interrupts with a yodel. Mikey’s pissed, but she likes it. Zack says he thought he was going to be a priest in college and that 10 years ago he climbed a mountain there, and that’s when he knew he wasn’t supposed to be one. He says it’s real for him right now.

Drew thinks James is a player and thinks he’ll be there until the end. He doesn’t understand it. James works it while Brooks looks on. Brooks doesn’t like it so he goes to interrupt. Brooks says James is one way with them and another with her. Brooks watches them kiss but doesn’t interrupt. Later Des says the person she’s giving the rose to brings out the best in her. Brooks gets it. James is full of disbelief because they’re polar opposites, but says the only competition to him is himself.

The most uncomfortable two-on-one ever happens with Michael G. and Ben. Michael says it’ll be hard because he finds Ben repulsive, but in this gladiator like setting he needs to go murder Ben. Strange??? During the group date it’s very uncomfortable with
Michael, Ben, and Chris alone in the hotel. Michael thinks Des may be doing this because she trusts him to expose Ben for the fraud he is.

Again with the “show don’t tell.” I’ve been told Ben is a bad guy since the beginning,but you know what? We’ve not seen Ben do anything more than be devious about getting alone time with her. I feel kind of bad for him which makes me think they could actually be setting him up as a potential bachelor. Make his story a good one…good boy who got a bum rap?

She says at the beginning of the date that she embraces awkwardness. With that Michael brings up that there’s been some confrontational behavior between them. She suggests the polar bear plunge since she didn’t do it in Canada last season. They don’t want to, but Ben says he’s competitive so he’ll do it. As they’re about to jump in she says she has a better idea, they’ll be in a hot tug! She actual has a lot of fun with them.

On the tug, Michael brings up that Ben hasn’t talked to his son since he’s been in Germany. Then moves on to bring up his own childhood issues of his dad not being around. She knows Michael is pushing Ben’s buttons and it’s making her uncomfortable. Ben says it’s hard to be a good person when someone’s saying all this stuff about you, and hopes the night goes better.

Michael says he’s going to show her he has her back, like he said would. Michael asks why Ben hasn’t made friends in the house? She tries asking real questions, like what traditions they want to start with their families? Ben says he wants to go to church every Sunday and Michael says “Well, what about Easter? Didn’t go Easter?” Ben says it was a Catholic service all in German. Michael says there were Morman and Jewish guys that went.

Ben excuses himself for a few moments to cool off. Des says Michael didn’t need to do that there. Ben says he’s saying things to make him look stupid, and like he’s lying. She says she doesn’t see the qualities in either of them that she really wants. They tease at commercial break she might send them both home. Michael realizes from her face after he walks out that he f%&*ed up.

Ben says he’s never had someone question him as a father, or question his faith. Des doesn’t see what goes on in the house and she feels like Ben is sweet and isn’t meaning to be bad. She wants Michael to share why he feels so strongly about why Ben is so bad. Michael says he’s condescending and made comments about his business, and how his business could benefit from their time on the show. Michael is petrified that she could know all this and could still choose Ben.

Des tells Ben she believes he’s a good father and his faith is true, but she can see a potential future with Michael so she gives him the rose. Ben denies Des a chance to walk him out and is pissed. He can’t believe she would pick someone who would treat someone like that. To be honest, I kind of feel the same way. They have him saying things like, how long do I have to wait to be seen with someone, and let’s go get drunk, in the limo as he leaves, but I think he’s pissed and that’s just how he’s dealing.

Back at the house, Drew tells Brooks and Chris, that he and Kasey overheard Mikey asking James about what will happen after they go back to Chicago and he talked about maybe being the next bachelor and how he could introduce Mikey to lots of ladies. They would take over Chicago. Drew hates it and thinks Des needs to know. They guys agree.

The cocktail party is again at a castle. Des calls it a fairytale again. She thinks she may do something different this rose ceremony. It’s also her first sit down with Chris. They talk about how cold it was and that it was a good week. He asks if she’s falling in love and she says she’s getting there. He brings up that she’s kissed quite a few of the guys and asks who’s the best? She’s not kissing and telling. If she could kiss anyone guy right now, who would it be? She says Brooks because their relationship has gone the deepest. Chris says what about purely physical? She says Zack. Wow, we have been edited out of the loop, who knew? Last we saw they had an awkward almost kiss.
She thinks she knows her decision and isn’t going to have cocktail party so it looks like the guys won’t get a chance to tell her about James. So – to be continued… obviously setting up next week’s conflict.

She sends Mikey home and Drew and Kasey are horrified (to the camera).

Next week: Spain and lots of kissing and lots of fighting!

Bachelorette Des: Episode Four – Zzzzzzzzz

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So, I have to be honest. I can’t blog about the Bachelorette last night because it was so dull it couldn’t keep my attention. Sure there were some moments where I looked up from what I was doing, but overall…it was the first time in many seasons where I was just BORED.

She took Brad on the first one-on-one and sends him home because they can’t talk to each other. Brad is sweet and cute but that date was painful. The silences…yeah.

The group date pageant with the guys was sort of cute. Kasey won and he is adorable, but she’s not that into him – you can tell. Zack W. sings relatively well and gets the rose. Michael G. does a cute acrostic game with her name during his alone time.

Her date with James was OK. James cheated on his girlfriend from high school his first year of college. Ummm…that’s supposed to be our drama? Will he cheat again? Should she take a chance on him? They help some people from Hurricane Sandy. A couple who lost everything. It’s their anniversary. Des gives them their date in Atlantic City. I should know their names – they were all over Twitter with people saying how cute it was. For me, I got caught up in something online and never looked back to the TV. That’s not good, folks.

Bryden says he’s not sure he’s feeling it and asks if he should stay or go? She’s playing it like “Oh, he’s having trouble with the format…”, as people have in the past, but it’s pretty clear to me the guy just doesn’t like her that much.

Then there’s Chris. My cutie baseball player that wrote her poetry. She writes poetry,too. They both sit alone at coffee shops and write poetry. If that’s not a reason to get married and have babies, what is? Chris shows that it’s obviously a competition between him and Brooks. I mean really, has she had any serious chemistry with anyone else?

She eliminates only one guy at the ceremony – Zak K. – he is stunned. OK.

I hope this season gets better quickly because if things go like last night, I might not make it.

Bachelorette Des Episode Three: A broken finger beats a broken heart

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Intro: Chris Harrison meets our hotties to explain that this week we will have three dates: two group dates and a one on one. Ben reiterates how he’s not sorry for stealing her away the previous week and he doesn’t care if the guys like him. Hmmm – wonder what’s gonna go down that they started with that?

The first group date card says: Love is a battlefield and the names on it are: Chris, Brian, Drew, Michael G., Brooks, Brad, Mikey, Brandon, Zak K., and Ben.

Des looks really pretty in the neon pink she’s wearing. She says the men are amazing and are gonna flip out about what they’re doing. A garage type door raises to a gym and we see – Dodgeball! They practice with a professional team before Chris shows up and gives them the news they’ll be battling each other in a winner takes all match (best two of three) that will happen in a public arena. They put on their uniforms and look goofy in knee-high striped socks, short shorts, and headbands. She almost dies laughing when she sees them, but says they owned it.

The Teams:
Red: Mikey, Michael G., Brooks, Chris, and Brandon
Blue: Ben, Drew, Zak K., Brad, and Brian

The first game comes down to Chris and Drew with Drew winning it for the blue team. In the second game blue gets in a hole and can’t fight back. It’s one to one.
Final Game: The game is interrupted for a medic to look at Brooks’ finger. They showed a quick shot of it and it did look bad. The medic says it has to be reset and Brooks is taken to the ER. This leaves red one man down and it comes down to Chris and Zak (who Mikey says are both professional baseball players – yummy!) Chris fights hard but the blue team wins. However, Des must have wanted the red team to win because she decides to take them all on the date that night.

The Date Part: Des laments that Brooks is missing the date (His ER scenes seem pretty intense.) and she toasts him in his absence.

She talks one-on-one with Brad who wants to share a past that’s haunted him that he didn’t want to tell her right off the bat until he knew if there was a connection. He has a three year-old son who lives with him full-time. His mom’s watching him. He wasn’t going to come if it wasn’t Des. He hasn’t dated for two years because he’s raising him herself and he says he’s here to find love and leaving a lot behind. He’s pretty sweet.

Next Up: Chris talks about how everyone is taking Des away and it’s getting late, he’s afraid he’s running out of time and wants to do something special so he finds an awesome spot and makes a move. (I looove Chris, but come on! He just randomly find a spot on the roof top to take her? Producer manipulation.) They sit and talk. He says he was skeptical but he liked the way she acted, listened and coached that day. She says she noticed that no matter where he was, he noticed her and smiled and let her know he was there. He talks to the camera about it feeling comfortable and right. He thinks he’s feeling a connection and might get the rose….until Brooks shows up. Chris has a very cute moment when he says, “Damn that Brooks – he’s so charming.” So are you, Chris! So are you!

Brooks and Desiree sit on a blanket and she tells him she misses him. He says kiss me. You can tell she really likes him. She says they don’t have to try. I don’t think it matters that he had the first date. He could go all the way.

When she hands out the rose she tells Zak he killed it (in a good way), and thanks Brad for opening up, but says she’s giving the rose to a person who made a great impression during that day and the night. She gives Chris the rose which means extra bonus time at a concert with Kate Earl where they dance and she kisses him – a lot. She says Chris continues to surprise her and makes her feel comfortable. He tells us that this moment is the beginning of something great.

The other guys know they kiss because Brandon watches. Ben says sometimes it’s just better not to see. He really does get how you have to play it to win.

The one-on one date card shows up at the house. It’s for Kasey and says “Love defies gravity.” Kasey’s excited but not a huge fan of heights. However, before their date can happen, Des gets a phone call from Chris Harrison about a guy that’s been lying. She says she didn’t see it coming and it’s so rude someone is there to play a game when this isn’t a game.

Kasey is so cute and ready to go, but she says she needs to see Brian before their date. She plays him and asks if there’s anything she doesn’t know. She wonders if their conversations are sincere. She says she’s making sure everyone is there for the right reasons. He says his past relationship was over recently, but was really over a long time ago. They realized there wasn’t a future, but there’s still a friendship. Des says, “Do you know how she feels about it? Because she’s actually here.

BOOM: In walks a cute brunette who hugs Des and says, “Hi, I’m Stephanie – Brian’s girlfriend.

Stephanie says he told her that he wasn’t going to see anyone else, and that she tried to break up with him but he said he needed time to figure stuff out. She has a son who looks up to him and he never told her he was coming on the show. He said he was going on a convention and invited her knowing she couldn’t come.

Des says there’s obviously feelings there. Chris tries multiple times to interrupt.
She calls him a coward. Chris asks, how is it possible that he told casting he was single and looking to find love? (hmmm…I don’t know Chris. But I think your producers do.) Stephanie says they slept together two nights before he came out there. Chris asks Des, “Is there any chance this guys is staying here?” She says, “No, not a chance.”

One-on One Date with Kasey: Kasey’s a little worried there might be a lot on her mind. He has to try to turn her day around. They go to Sunset Boulevard. She calls Kasey fun and trustworthy, but something about the way she says it let’s us know she may like him, but not as much as some others. They watch people dance on the side of a building. Kasey says he’s a terrible dancer but he’ll do it for her. She says he was a good support and a good sport. She’s a daredevil and trying to focus on him, but she’s exhausted mentally and physically. She says it’s not going the way she wanted it to, but it’s not Kasey’s fault.

They do a dinner on a rooftop and a big wind comes through. The wind is bad, the candles go out. The rose looks like it’s gonna blow away so they decide to get into the pool that’s freezing cold. He kisses her in the pool, though. The whole day was off and she feels awful. He says he just likes being with her. She thinks he’s a great guy and she trusts him so she gives him a rose anyway.

Second Group Date: Dan, James, Juan Pablo, Bryden, Zack W.
The Date Card: Who will be the lone man standing?

James doesn’t know what to expect but they walk out to a stage-coach and horses. They are delivered to the Rose and Thorn Ranch where Des is dressed in a gown on a balcony. All of a sudden, a man pops out and grabs her. She throws him off the balcony and introduces the guys to the stunt team from Disney’s The Lone Ranger. They put them through a cowboy boot camp. Whoever breaks away from the pack will get some special one-on-one time.

The men look good in their cowboy suits. They have to master a few cowboy tricks: throwing a lasso, a quick draw with pistols and fighting for justice (fake fighting). She surprises them with horses and they get to see the real Silver from the movie. They put everything they learn into one final challenge. James does well. She calls Bryden dreamy. Zack was hilarious, a natural actor. Dan’s pants split, and Juan Pablo spoke Spanish the whole time and was awesome!

She says they all did good, but Juan Pablo came out, was a natural and owned it. (He is sexyyyyyy.) She takes him to a movie theater in the barn where they get to watch the Lone Ranger. Her comments about the movie date are basically just a big commercial for The Lone Ranger – hello ABC/Disney. She tells us Juan Pablo is distracting in a great way and makes out with him.

That night they have a campfire. She says she loves the entire group of guys before she takes them off one-to-one. She and Bryden sit in a tree and she tells him she wanted him to keep the cowboy outfit on. He says he’s having fun. She recognizes he’s reserved and doesn’t quite know when to make the moves so she has to lead a bit and then he’s on it.

Zack says she makes things fun and says she’s a team player and gives such great feedback to them. She so easy to like that everyone’s in love with her. He mentions his attempt to kiss her earlier and they laugh because she says she got confused.

James and she share a blanket and he mentions how he likes the way she laughs at his stupid jokes. He feels at home, but it’s tough to even out the feelings. He worries about his dad at home. His father is sick and has a cancer spot on his pancreas. He asks her if she thinks they have something. He needs to know if he’s wasting his time. She reassures him with the rose. She sees the rose a symbol of more time. He asks her to accept his daisy. He’s relieved their feelings line up and they kiss.

The Final Day: Chris shows up to tell them the cocktail party has been canceled and that Desiree has asked for a relaxed, chill, pool party.

Ben catches her before she gets inside and asks for a 15 minute car ride. He kisses her in the car when they return and some of the guys see that he stole time with her

She finally arrives and there’s a a montage of pool play time. Dan give her a pizza that says, “Will you be my girlfriend or is it too cheesy?” She wants to connect with a few guys to see where things stand. Ben lies to Chris about getting alone time with Des and that pisses Mikey off. He says no to people when he’s asked if he’s talked to her. Mikey confronts him about lying, but he says he did it because he doesn’t kiss and tell. Michael G. says they won’t be friends because he’s been dishonest and he can’t unscramble that egg.

Brandon has a moment with Des where he discusses the week and how he feels about her and how the Brian thing affected him. He doesn’t want see her get hurt and he promises not to do that. He pulls her in for an awkward kiss that he thinks is awesome, then tells her he’s falling in love with her (Too soon dude!) and thinks about her all day long.

Chris breaks up the pool party and Des leaves. At the rose ceremony she looks gorgeous in a blue jewel toned dress.

By the way – that broken heart? Brandon all the way…we knew it was coming and it was obvious she wasn’t into him, but kudos to Brandon for making me feel bad for him despite his overwhelmingly fantastical view of the situation.

Roses go to: (James, Kasey, Chris) Bryden, Juan Pablo, Zack W., Brooks, Drew, Zak K., Brad, Michael G., Mikey, and the final rose goes to…Ben
Sent home: Brandon and Dan

My picks for final four still include Chris and Brooks, maybe Bryden, maybe Michael G.?

Bachelorette Des, Episode Two: Boys with “B” Names

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Episode Two of the Bachelorette did not disappoint. Our first look at all of the guys in their everyday casual clothes revealed an amazing amount of hotness. It’s a frustrating group to figure out as a viewer because it seems like each guy gets cuter or uglier depending on the camera angle. I can’t get a handle on them, so I’ll have to wait and see their personalities! Which lucky for me that was the highlight of this show. We started to really see who some of these guys are.

The First One-on One: Brooks gets a rose.

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ABC.com Bachelorette Bios
The producer’s make sure we know that the guys of the house think Brooks is genuine by having Ben (the least liked guy – though we don’t know why yet, say so). Brooks is just a really chill guy. On their date he continuously calls her by her full name and he’s really, really cute in an indie, not hipster, way.

For their date they check out a wedding dress store, because surprise, she wants him to know that she seriously wants to design her own line of wedding dresses. She tell him to pick out a tux and we see his humor when he chooses a hideous green concoction. Brooks says silly is fun and he wants to really get to know her. He calls her beautiful because of her confidence

I’ll admit they look cute together. He picks her up and puts her in the Bentley and they drive around in their costumes, stopping for a cupcake at a truck where she gets mobbed by fans.

Their date has two more parts and both are romantic and we see a side of Brooks that let’s us know he’s a crazy good listener and able to open up! They drive to Hollywood sign where Des explains it’s the sign’s 90th anniversary. He gives her his jacket and they talk past relationships and taking chances on love. Brooks gets the first kiss he at sunset and it was very natural. He’d had his arm around her for a while and there was no awkwardness at all.

Later, driving in a shady looking area, she says she’s lost and she freaks him out a little with driving past the road closed signed. Viewers, however, know she’s got that practical joke side to her and it turns out to be an awesome dinner for two on a bridge that’s lit with a romantic purple glow.

At dinner we get to see he genuinely wants to know about her. There’s no agenda. She describes her parents relationship as the reason she hasn’t settled and asks about his family. His parents are divorced. He didn’t talk to his father from age 13-19 and is still working on that relationship. He’s learned not to take things for granted and to be grateful for what he has He almost cries as he’s telling her this but doesn’t. It’s just the right emotional tone.

Finally, she gives him the rose for his openness and vulnerability, and they go off to dance to Andy Grammer and his band. He says he’s “stoked” and the moments are only going to get more romantic.

I’m in love. The thing I like watching the two of them is that he listens to her, recaps – proving he heard her, and then makes a deduction that shows he wants to figure out more. It was a damn good first date, but this is the Bachelorette, does the 1st date guy ever win? This date feels different from other first dates. They aren’t gushing about each other or overwhelmed by the experience of a date on the show. They seemed to really connect on a chill, romantic, and friend level with room to grow.

Back at the house:
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ABC.com Bachelorette bios
We hear that Chris wants a date! But since we’re hearing this, we can be assured the cutie, normal, brown-haired boy of course won’t get put on group date. The scene plays out again with the next one-on-one. Disappointment. Then at the group date, we’re shown a snippet of her walking somewhere to talk with him and he’s saying how glad he is to get to talk with her. It’s looking good for him staying around a while…that’s producer editing for a sleeper top three boy…and I just intuitively like him so I’m hoping.

The group date is crazy: Ben gets the rose and a kiss.

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ABC.com Bachelorette bios
Soulja Boy leads the guys and Desiree through a video rap of “All the Right Reasons”. The only funny part was that they dressed some of the guys up like old Bachelors and it kind of felt like we were getting some foreshadowing and hints.

Brandon is sure he’ll pass any test, but it’s obvious he’s playing “guard and protect your heart” Kasey from Ally’s season. I wish they hadn’t made that connection because I liked Brandon and now I can’t see him without thinking of tattoo boy.

Ben’s in cowboy hat. Is this foreshadowing that he’s like Wes and there more for his career? It’s hard to think that when you’ve only heard about his little boy but later the guys talk about how he talks about his hopes that his business will expand because of the show.

James plays Justin, Ally’s guy that faked a broken leg and had a girlfriend. We’ve seen in the preview some convo where he ends up in tears and she looks miffed so that makes sense as well.

Michael G., the federal prosecutor who tried to fish her wishes out of the fountain played single dad Jason. Remember as a Bachelor Jason came in second…I doubt Michael will be the one but he’ll stick around. He tells her he’s got her back and will let her know about other guys.

Throughout the date she says she wants a man who can let loose and have a good time and at the group date night has a few moments worth mentioning besides all the guys ganging up on Ben.

Zack W. wanted time to show he was more than abs and brought her something from an antique shop. It’s a journal that’s never been written in with an inscription from a father to a daughter. SCORE! She’s impressed and he says don’t think of me as the clown. He blew her away with his depth.

We get a hilarious quote from Brandon regarding love that unfortunately comes off as too “Kaseyesque” He says love is like a butterfly…and he’s not gonna be the guy who squishes it. Then he goes and interrupts Drew who she was having a great conversation with to say he’s not ivy league, rich, , and doesn’t own his own business, but he’s a good guy. He tells her the story of his dad leaving, moving every two years as a child and his mom’s addiction. He basically raised his little brother and sister and can’t wait to have kids.

Desiree’s such a good person. She says she saw kindness in his heart, can tell he’s selfless, and has positive energy. My thing is if he’d just been a little more patient he’d have been more effective. He rushed all that information into a few minutes and came off a little crazy.

Ben steals Des from Mikey who runs and tattles that he got “swooped”. This starts off the whole Ben’s not here for the right reasons discussion with all the guys and Ben saying “what????” Ben honestly looks like he’s clueless as to why the guys dislike him. And as former bachelorette Ally F. tweeted, “What has he done?” Not much besides talk about his kid and kiss her.

Des asks if he misses Brody. He does but wants to know if she have questions. She says it doesn’t scare her. He said he wanted to kiss her earlier but thought the cowboy hat was gonna get in the way, so he asks to kiss her that night.

They’re setting up lot’s of tension between Mikey, James, Brandon and Ben.
Mikey wants to air frustrations – on a date???? Ben appreciates him approaching. Mikey says he gets a politician feel with him but wants to be friends. Ben assures him that he doesn’t want tension and says he won’t talk trash or stab him in the back, then compliments his shoes…is Ben good??

Rose time: She mentions Zack W. and Brandon but the person who made her feel special and used his time wisely was Ben. The guys are not happy and Ben will sleep with one eye open.

The Last One-on-One: Bryden – The Iraqi War Vet
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ABC.com Bachelorette Bios

Desiree takes Bryden on a road trip. She loves road trips because they were too poor to fly when she grew up. She’s stoked to have Bryden on date (yes, she says stoked – like Brooks said earlier…interesting as it’s not a word commonly used) and they stop for snacks.

1st stop: El Matador Beach – it looks like beach from the Notebook when Allie says, “Say I’m a bird.” They play on the beach and just goof around. There’s a very child like vibe with Bryden…an innocence that you don’t see much. They feast on fish tacos before heading on. First thought with that was,”Guess they won’t be kissing soon.”

2nd stop: an Orange Grove, where they stop to pick some oranges and he confesses he doesn’t know what Brie is. (He’s not missing much in my opinion). They run through the groves and we move on.

3rd stop: Ojai Valley Inn and Spa – At this point some very familiar, romantic music plays…it’s a music cue…he’s sticking around. We should pay attention.

Des says she likes his funny and goofy side and how they’re like little kids when they’re together. He says you need that once in a while. Then, we get serious and he tells the story of his car accident in college that he had to be airlifted from. He brought pics and then talked about how it influenced his decision to join the military the next winter. He thinks you should enjoy every moment because you don’t know what’s gonna happen.

Des says the more she learns the more she wants to know and asks about his being ready for a relationship. He says he may have used the military as and excuse, but now he’s ready for something real.

He’s so sweet and he accepts the rose before they go to the pool. They do have chemistry. Des says there is something there and that he’s 100% such an amazing man. However, in the hot tub she obviously wants to be kissed and he’s clueless. She has to say “Just kiss me already.” To which he responds, “Just go for it?”

The pool and hot tub, the making out, the music…it’s all reminiscent of Sean and past successes so we can be assured Bryden will be around for quite a while.

At the Party:

While most of the guys are obsessed with the fact that Ben interrupted Michael G’s revelation to Des that he’s diabetic, Brian keeps his eye on the prize. He says, “Can I steal you, sweetie?” He picks her up and takes her outside. The voiceover let’s us know he wants the rose badly and is not gonna leave anything on the table. They talk past relationships. His last ended a couple of months ago, but was probably over about 6 months ago. He says it was hard to break it off. This is obviously all a set up for the next show’s girlfriend drama.

At the Rose ceremony:

Keeps: Ben, Bryden, Brooks, James, Kasey (who we don’t know yet), Dan(who we’ve seen nothing about!!!!), Juan Pablo, Brad (another…who???), Chris, Brian, Zack W., Drew, Mikey, Zak K., Michael G., and Brandon gets the final rose!

Sent Home: Nick M. who was a little shocked and feels rejected. Robert, who didn’t see it coming and Will who says, “Thanks Athena…”

My predictions: Still have high hopes for Chris, Brooks, and Bryden…she threw me for a loop by getting rid of Nick M. and I think Ben will stay around until at least final four. No new crushes for me tonight though.

Bachelorette Des: Episode One

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Well, we’re off to another great start. First let me say that I loooove Des. She’s real, and funny, smart and unafraid to stand up for herself. She’s everything I wanted Emily to be. So, yeah – I’m excited.

I’m going to take a calculated risk here and offer what I saw on the guys she kept vs. the guys she sent home because come on, a guy in a suit of armor, a magician, and player that kept trying to take her to the fantasy suite – did anyone really think they were staying?

So, I tried to do a pre-ranking using the abc.com photos and profiles and was once again totally foiled. The photos of the guys never show what they really look like and you just can’t judge anyone until you’ve seen them next to Des.

Right off the bat, I knew I’d missed some good ones when half the guys in the opening segment weren’t on my list. Like Bryden, the Army guy that loves his dog and spent time in Iraq. He was adorable in person and she really liked his vibe. He walked away with a rose, but not the first rose of the evening.

The show repeated Sean’s trick from last season and gave Des the chance to pass a few out during the party. The first rose went to Ben, a relatively handsome dude who played the kid card in a way no one has before. He brought him in the limo. Now granted the kid was frigging adorable but I’m thinking this is a producer set up all the way. She’s definitely attracted to him but there’s something off that she’s not picking up on yet.

Another party rose went to Drew, who happened to be first out of the limo. She liked him right away and he talked about his “butterflies” that he hoped wouldn’t leave. I think it’s his eyes and his pretty smile that had her saying, mmm, mmm, mmm as he walked away.

Zak W. is a hard one to figure out. He came out of the limo shirtless and at one point stripped down to his undies to jump in the pool. He’s super smart and can actually be pretty good-looking at times but I can’t get a consistent read on whether he’s a geek or not. He’s definitely a nice guy though and I think I’m glad she kept him around.

Two other guys got roses at the party but we didn’t see hardly any of their conversations. That leads me to believe they could be sleepers and in it for the long haul. Michael G. who had her looking for the old penny she threw in the fountain seems nice but a little goofy. They showed him get a rose and get interrupted, but we only got a quick glimpse of the rose going to Nick M. He’s a pretty handsome fellow with some stunning blue eyes and a nice masculine aura. He wrote her a poem that he read out of the limo and it actually came off genuine. Des cries at the drop of a hat and you could see her eyes get a little shiny. I think she likes him a bit.

All of the other guys got their roses at the ceremony and it wasn’t really full of surprises. She kept The gorgeous Venezuelan, Juan Pablo, who played soccer with her and gave her chocolate – duh – no brainer. However, their language barrier will eventually get in the way. She also kept James from Chicago, who talked about loyalty and from the previews seems to be a part of some big drama in the house…he obviously loses.

Brandon from Maine is a cutie but maybe a tad too cheesy for her? He gave her his mother’s AA coin that he used to flip to flip to see whether he’d go to the interview for the show, and told her to give it back to his mom on their hometown. I like the kid but I’m betting he doesn’t get quite that far.

Other guys that she kept that were probably place fillers: Zack K. in his chucks, Will with his nicknames, and Brad with the bonehead wishbone move.

The guys we have left all have “could be” status. Brooks didn’t get a rose at the party despite some good conversations, but she obviously liked him and said his name at the rose ceremony in a way that made me go hmmm. Kasey seemed a little goofy at first but the more I watched him the more handsome he looked and he seems to have a brain as well. Robert – same as Kasey.

The final three guys to discuss all look really similar. Brian, who showed up in what looked to be a velour smoking jacket and jeans, Dan who was handsome yet pretty bland (although that could be an editing trick to throw us off), and Chris from Seattle who was one of my pre-show picks. Out of the three I just have a gut feeling that Chris will stick around awhile. He seems smart, genuine, cute. He’s non-threatening and serious and he just looks like they match up.

So: Episode One Predictions? I’m sure these will change by episode two but I’ll place a bet on her final four being:

Brooks, Chris, Bryden and Nick M….I’d throw Ben in there but it just feels like something has to be off with him. Happy Monday! See you next week. PS. If you leave comments make sure they aren’t spoilers. I’m going cold turkey this season…want to practice my matchmaking intuition.

Bahelorette Desiree’s Season – Let’s Pre-rank the Bachelors…

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So, I thought it might be fun to pre-rank the men of The Bachelorette before the show tonight, based solely on their ABC.com profiles and pics. I have not been to any spoiler pages and will admit only to watching the previews on the Bachelor Funniest Moments special the other evening, so I’m pretty much flying blind, but sometimes that’s best when it comes to this show.

Here’s my top 6 in order of preference without having seen them in action:

Dan, 30, Beverage Sales Director, Dublin, CA – This guy might have some potential…his pic looks a little smarmy but he could also be devastatingly handsome with the right personality. His fave movie seem to indicate he’s a guy who can laugh and likes action. He seems pretty mature and serious about the process. Could be a good match for her. http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette/bios/9-bachelor-dan

Brooks, 28, Sales and Marketing, Salt Lake City, Utah – considering ABC always makes the guys look goofier than they are in their pics, I’m hoping Brooks is as handsome as he should be. He likes Indie music and seems like he’d be really cool to talk with…here’s hoping he lives up to his profile.
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette/bios/9-bachelor-brooks

Chris, 27, Mortgage Broker from McMinnville, Oregon – Chris seems like the solid, handsome type. His Scrabble loving, almond eating soul might seem a little boring but the boy played baseball so we know he’s gotta know how to flirt.
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette/bios/9-bachelor-chris

Jonathan, 26, Attorney, Hickory, NC – Handsome, active, sentimental in the right way…if he’s not some weirdo in the first few minutes I’d expect him to stay a while.
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette/bios/9-bachelor-jonathan

Ben, 28, Entrepreneur from Lubbock, Texas – seems pretty normal from his answers, sort of cute, not a good listener according to his own self eval.
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette/bios/9-bachelor-ben

Brandon, 26, Painting contractor from Maine – seems pretty handsome and genuine in his profile…he could turn out to be too girly but he’s pretty into adventure stuff so we’ll have to wait and see.
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette/bios/9-bachelor-brandon

A few maybes with potential:

Brian, 29, Financial Advisor, Olney MD
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette/bios/9-bachelor-brian

Nick M., 27, Rochester NY, Investment Advisor
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette/bios/9-bachelor-nick-m

Larry, 34, Overland Park KS, Doctor
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette/bios/9-bachelor-larry

Potential Trouble:
James, 27, Sales, Georgia – Have to admit saw this one causing trouble on the previews – that never bodes well, but he’ll probably stick around, too. We know the producers need their drama.
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette/bios/9-bachelor-james

Zak W. 31, Drilling Fluid Engineer, Dallas Tx – This guy’s either way too smart for this show or he’s lying on his resume…favorite books: Candide, Bartelby, the Scrivener, and Atlas Shrugged? Wonder how he’ll get along with the boy above whose favorite author is Dr. Seuss? That being said, I’d personally probably date this kid.
http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-bachelorette/bios/9-bachelor-zak-w

Check back tomorrow and we’ll see which of these guys lived up to their own hype!

Best Season Ever? Emily Picks Jef!

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What a fantastic season.  I look back at how I thought Emily might be dull or fake and I’m so happy I was wrong.  In one of my first blogs regarding Emily’s season I said that I thought she had the potential to be the best Bachelorette ever. I’m not willing to put her above Trista Sutter at this point but I think she’s on equal ground.  I think this may be the first season since Trista and Ryan where I one hundred percent like both parts of the couple.  Oh, I’m sorry – in case you didn’t watch – Emily picked Jef!

The fact that I could just have easily put Arie’s name in that last sentence and felt the same way just goes to show that, finally, creator Mike Fleiss and his crew got it exactly right.  My only fear is that they will take the wrong lessons from their success.  Emily didn’t succeed because she was a beloved past contestant.  I hope they learned from Ben F. that you CANNOT rely on America’s love of the 2nd or 3rd place contestant to have a successful season.   Instead, you must focus on whether that person has real presence on camera and truly is looking for marriage and true love.

The night started with the family visits which were almost exactly the same for both men, with Emily’s family unable or unwilling to help her choose.  Jef was smooth and genuine and Arie babbled like a baby (adorable if not suave).  Emily’s family is strange.  Her mom reminded me of Arie’s mom, her dad was sweet but quiet.  Her brother came off a little scary psycho but chilled out a little the more he spoke with the guys.  Both guys asked for the blessing to propose and got it!

Emily didn’t think she was going to introduce anyone to Ricki but after talking with Jef on date day she decides she’ll take him.  The best part of watching this decision-making process was the discussion beforehand.  It seemed like she was really going to tell him he couldn’t come, but then we saw something rare that confirmed for me the coming success for Jef.  They had an actual conversation.  A real, back and forth, thoughtful conversation where they decided TOGETHER.  It was exactly the thing a real couple would do and the consideration they gave to each other and the points each was making told me that Arie was toast.

When Jef met Ricki, it was obvious they were going to be a family.  They all fit together so well.  I started to feel a little sorry for Emily that she had to spend the day with Arie, but in a Bachelorette first, she didn’t.

Probably the most painful awkward part of the evening came when Emily told Arie (after a deep discussion with Chris Harrison to figure out what to do – right!) that she wouldn’t be able to go on their date because she picked Jef.  However, she was woefully bad at explaining this and Arie just had to infer from her behavior, tears, and small comments that she had more confidence in Jef that he wasn’t the one.  I felt really bad for them both.

Fast forward to the proposal. Can Jef speak or what? That boy has a golden tongue and his words were romantic and confident.  He swayed Emily to say yes even after she was unsure she would actually get engaged again.  If we are to believe them both (and I only halfway do), she didn’t expect the proposal because they hadn’t talked about whether he would do it. Uhuh, right. But I have to say it brought tears to my eyes and I felt like I was watching something real.  When they brought Ricki out after it was obvious that this was a family.

As far as the live show with Chris Harrison? I think it was a bust.  I didn’t care for watching the show with the audience and his questions were dull.  Then we had to sit through a half hour with Arie, who we discovered flew to Charlotte unbeknownst to producers and left his journal from the experience for em to read.  He didn’t go see her out of respect for Jef and she didn’t read it out of respect for Jef.  I think everyone, including Arie realized after watching the show that Emily made the best choice for herself.

There was so little time to hear Emily and Jef.  We had to sit through them watching their own proposal scene again and Chris asking stupid questions like tell us how you feel about Emily.  Chris! I just sat through a whole season about how he felt about Emily! Tell us about wedding and baby plans. Apparently Jef is moving to Charlotte (Did anyone doubt Emily would come out victorious on that point?) and will have his own place until they get married.  Of course a couple who didn’t use the fantasy suite wouldn’t live together before marriage.  Emily says she’d like a spring wedding.

Another thing that disappointed from the live show was the lack of time with Ashley and JP.  They didn’t even get to come to the stage! Here you have a couple that is actually happy, living together and planning their wedding and you don’t give us an update? Arrrghh…at least we did get to see them and their spark is still there and real!

For those people looking to know who the next Bachelor is…rumors still say Roberto.  I’m OK with him but I’d rather have Arie.  I think Sean would end up being another Ben (not in the geeky way b/c Sean is awesome) because of his lack of conversational skills.  The lead in this series has to talk! If you go back and watch any of Sean’s dates he never brought up anything besides he’d be a good husband or dad, his faith, or his family.  Good man but despite how much America loves him now, the wrong choice for Bachelor. Arie on the other hand? Brilliant choice – better than Roberto – but doubt they can pull it off this fast after the word is out that they already signed Roberto.

What a great season! Looking forward to Bachelor Pad, Ed and Reid, and watching Chris B rebound with three different chics! Debauchery!

Bachelorette Emily: Finally! An Entertaining Men Tell All Episode

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You know, I usually hate the Men/Women Tell All episodes of this franchise, but for some reason I loved this one from Emily’s season.  I think it has something to do with the fact that despite my initial belief they cast a bunch of ugly, boring guys (review blogs of first two episodes), I ended up with real feelings for these men.  Love (Sean, Wolf, Charlie…) or hate (Kalon!) I ended up caring and you can’t ask for more when it comes to reality TV.

The show started off with a nice montage of memorable moments and moments we didn’t see.  I agreed with the choice of Kalon’s baggage comment, Ryan’s don’t gain weight comment, and Doug’s uncomfortable first kiss! I cringed at seeing more of Travis and the egg and Emily spilling wine before she didn’t give Joe the rose on his date, but loved-loved-loved seeing Arie’s younger brothers spying on their kiss!

Seeing Ryan and Kalon reinforced all the beliefs I’d formed throughout the season.  I wondered if maybe they’d be better in person, but neither one seemed to be able to look back and see what was clear to the audience. Ryan wouldn’t take back his, “I would love you, but maybe not love on you” weight comment and Kalon couldn’t see why the guys had such a bad reaction to the helicopter entrance.  He would have found it “interesting”. Funniest moment had to be when Chris Harrison actually asked Ryan, “Is there a chance you just might be an arrogant ass?” His answer that he couldn’t be arrogant? PRICELESS and predictable.  He wanted to be the next Bachelor so bad he could taste it and was, I think, genuinely hurt when Chris spoke for ABC and said it’s not gonna happen! Ha!

Chris B. still loves Emily.  Poor guy.  It’s true what they say, he was a little immature – BUT I’d rather have an immature guy like him than a 35 year-old Doug, or a 30 year-old Ryan any day.  I think that the best thing to say about Chris is he was in it with his whole heart and truly believed in the process.  It sucked to see how much he still was hurting…hope he finds love on Bachelor Pad! If not he’d be a viable Bachelor option in a few years.  The ability to be that vulnerable and open to the experience is exactly what’s needed in a bachelor! I did a total turn around on Chris from the first show of the season.

The discussion with Sean was tough to watch.  He obviously still has strong feelings for her and truly believed she would be his wife.  It hurt to watch him ask, “What am I missing? Am I not bringing something to the table”? No one wants to feel inadequate but the sad truth about love is that sometimes you’re just not what the other person needs and there’s nothing you could do to make it so. He also admitted he’d never really had a broken heart and this is the first time he’s been broken up with! Aww…Sorry Sean but it had to happen someday! At least he said she showed him what he wanted and opened him up.

Everyone wanted to know why didn’t Sean make the final two? Well, I think people were watching with their hearts instead of hers! Emily said Sean is a great looking guy, a gentleman, confident without being cocky, and sensitive with a vulnerable side.  When you listen to what she said in the voiceovers it still seems like, “What? How did that happen?” But seriously, if you watch their interactions and the difference in her conversations with Jef and Arie, it’s crystal clear they didn’t connect on the same level.  Still, Sean said he did love her with “every ounce of his being.” Again, a great Bachelor quality. He was fully prepared to be a husband and father. Haven’t had a bachelor like that since Jason Mesnick! Emily admitted to ugly crying in her room when she watched Sean’s episode and I think that says a lot.  She really had feelings for the man – just not the feelings she had for Jef (hahaha she didn’t say that last part obviously).

Emily’s conversation with Kalon rocked! From the previews I thought I might feel a little bad for him but the boy showed no remorse and fed her more lines! She ended with, “I hope you find faith in something bigger than your Prada shoes and rented helicopters. You go girl!

Chris Harrison ended after bloopers by saying, “Normally I’d ask how things were going…” but he didn’t.  He said we’d all have to tune into watch.  PLEASE!  They are so trying to milk some drama out of this.  And truthfully, I ‘m not sure why.  The audience loves Jef an Arie.  We’re already psyched to see the end.  This all feels so contrived and unnecessary! UNLESS – and here’s an out on a limb wacko guess in case she doesn’t let either guy propose – we get a live proposal from Jef on Sunday night.  Slight, small, miniscule possibility that Jef won’t propose until she meets his parents, or something along those lines.  A live proposal would justify the first ever LIVE After the Final Rose.

Don’t forget the finale is SUNDAY!  Not Monday – Monday is Bachelor Pad and it looks like a sleazy, entertaining, cheesy festival of love, hate and lust.  So excited to see Reid and Ed from Jillian’s season together again!

Bachelorette Emily: Final Two and What’s to Come?

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Last night was the first night I felt really bad for Emily.  Having to let one of those three guys go had to hurt.  Even though there was a statement to Chris that noted she knew who she wanted in the end and just had to get there. (It was quick – if you blinked you might have missed it.) If you’re looking for a clue as to who that guy might be, I’ll give you one you may have overlooked.  The whole show seemed to be about Emily dealing how hard it was going to be to send one guy home.  She was really worried about hurting feelings and dealing with the guilt of knowing they are all three in love with her.  When she talked about what a good guy Sean was in the beginning she teared up.  When she talked about Arie in the end, she teared up.  No tears for Jef.

No tears for Jef actually means the exact opposite from what you might think.  No tears for Jef means no guilt about Jef.  She doesn’t have to worry about hurting his feelings because she knows she’s going to pick him. And, as much as I like Arie and agree that he’s hot, I just can’t deny that Jef and Emily have a deeper connection.  When she mentioned she saw him while she was making breakfast? When she said she wanted to turn him down with the fantasy suite and he beat her to it?  All more signs.

When Emily told Arie she didn’t know what he did on a Tuesday morning I was thinking about how she wouldn’t know what he was doing on most of his mornings if he married her because he would be traveling.  I know the producers and editors cut the scenes to make it seem like she was great with their conversation but if you dvr’d it, go back and watch her face as she listens to him.  There are moments of realization that hit her where you can see her thinking, “but that’s not us” (her and Ricki).

I felt horrible for Sean when he was sent home but that exchange on the bench was a perfect example of why he was sent packing.  They sat there not knowing what to say.  They sat on there date not knowing what to say.  In scenes with Jef and Aries you can hear them whisper and talk as they walk before the edit in the actual conversation.  With Sean there was so much dead air.  I get that he was probably extremely uncomfortable revealing love on camera.  feel sorry if that in any way influenced how she felt.  Still, I don’t think there was anything he could have done.  She’s head over heels for Jef and 100% physically attached to Arie.

Next week is the Men Tell All.  While I will enjoy getting the chance to hear from Sean and some of the other guys, I can’t say I’m that interested.  I don’t really want to see Ryan, Kalon, Doug or any of the others again.  All season it’s been Jef, Arie, Sean and Emily and that’s what I want to watch. The following week we get meet the families, the proposal and a LIVE After the Final Rose all in the same night.  Previews do what they always do…try to get us to believe that maybe she doesn’t pick anyone.  They show her crying and her family making crazy statements.  Trust me, they would never have edited Emily’s love story the way they did this season if she wasn’t getting engaged in the end and I’d put all my money on Jef at this point. (5% of me that thinks I might lose that money…great season!)

Jef, Arie, or Sean – Who will get the final rose + thoughts on hometowns!

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If it was that hard for Emily to get rid of Chris last night, I don’t know how the lady will make it through this final three.  There can be cases made for each one of the men to receive the final rose…and I’ve already made most of them.  After the hometown dates I thought maybe Jef and Sean had a slight edge because I didn’t think Emily could see Ricki in Arie’s life as well as she could at Sean’s family home and Jef’s family ranch, but who knows? The chemistry between Arie and Emily is definitely off the charts.

I’m not going to even say much about Chris’ hometown date in Chicago because it was obviously the least eventful of the four, BUT I have to give it to the producers, editors, and to Em as an actress, they almost had me thinking maybe she would go for him.  I think it was a little out of line for her to tell Chris’ dad she was falling in love with Chris.  She had to have known at that point that the other three men had a stronger hold on her heart.  Maybe Chris’ sister telling her to let him go if he wasn’t the one sunk in too late and she was just caught up in the excitement of his loving family, but I think, unfortunately, that her statement was more of a calculated move by the show to keep us guessing. Yuck.

Jef’s date in Utah couldn’t have been better.  Who would have guessed he had “a little country in him” as Emily said.  It was fun to watch them shoot and she seemed to really connect with his sisters.  I have to admit when they left the family gathering, I thought, “That’s it?” Cut to the scene of them on the picnic blanket and him reading her the letter…heart melt.  It was so different from the last letter Emily had read aloud to her on the show ( Ryan Bowers!).  It’s obvious that Jef has fallen head over heels for Emily and, I think, from the way she looks at him with goo goo eyes – she’s fallen for him as well. However, once again, we are watching a show and you will have noticed that she didn’t tell his family she was actually falling in love with him. (Calculation and acting – no!)

Saving Sean and Arie for last totally sets the viewer up to think they will be the final two.  The fact that she told Arie she had missed him and she called Sean “honey” were just two of the little clues being dropped that, hey – these two are sure things.  The show is totally setting us up for the ouster of one of the big guys next week.  I can’t even begin to guess which one it might be…unless I look at Emily’s behavior with Sean’s family which on the surface seemed really cool.

When Emily was with Arie’s family there was a moment of tension with his mom but then we saw their one on one conversation and it was clear that they liked one another.  With Sean’s family we had the practical joke about him still living at home (and if you watched the credits – the armadillo for dinner).  With both of the jokes, Emily’s smile never reached her eyes.  She seemed uncomfortable and a little out of place.  The other clue we got was the absolute overuse of the term perfect with Sean.  Everything about Sean is “perfect”.  In the Bachelorette that usually signifies an upcoming issue or problem.  True, he ran after her for one last kiss and he’s romantic, but if you watch the way she kisses all three of them he’s the one that she looks the least comfortable with.

To close, I will say that if you contrast the way Emily used the word perfect with Sean to the way she used it with Jef, her tone of voice says it all.  My prediction after hometowns: Jef is final two – probably endgame – but I still have no clue about Sean and Arie.  Leaning towards Arie.  What do you guys think?

Bachelorette: No recap, just thoughts and predictions…

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I’d have to be living in a hole to not have heard the rumors that Arie, Jef, and Sean are Emily’s top three guys in the best installment of The Bachelorette since Trista Sutter’s season.  Knowing this takes a little of the edge off the upcoming hometown dates next Monday.  It’s pretty pbvious from the episode last night that Chris B. is her fourth the out of the four.  I have to say that for the first time in a long time, I have no clue who she picks and I’m excited about it.  I think it’s because out of Arie, Jef, or Sean, I think she’s found love. Still, if I had to hazard a guess? My gut after last night is leaning towards Jef.

Sure, the chemistry with Arie and Sean, who both snuck out to see her, has been off the charts as far as TV chemistry, but the chemistry between her and Jef on that library floor? It wasn’t just physical.  It was the shared dreams type chemistry.  Emily has been burned before by Brad and this time I think she’s going for his exact opposite.  Jef is an intelligent, self-aware, respectful man who wants a life just like the one Emily’s envisioning.  The one caveat with Jef? His Mormon family.  They haven’t said it out loud yet as far as I know, but you have to think religion will somehow come into the discussion when Emily goes to meet them! One more thing…will she uproot to start a life with him? I’ve read he’s in L.A. which makes it much more likely than Salt Lake.

As far as Sean goes, I LOVE him.  He’s strong, adorable, smart, and seems to have compatible goals with Emily but I haven’t heard any discussions yet about who Sean really is? I feel like we don’t even know the guy.  BUT, she seems very into his kisses and he seems pretty sure of his place in her heart.  Wonder what they haven’t been showing us?

Arie is the odds on favorite right? But I think in the long run Arie and Emily only have chemistry. I know she was fishing for him to tell her about the producer but that conversation at the lunch table was so strained and forced.  Have they ever really talked about life together? Every time they say something he leans over and kisses her.  He may be an awesome kisser and a beautiful man but I think she’s looking for a situation to jump right into.  When Jef told her he wanted babies yesterday I think it sealed the deal.

We’ll see what hometowns hold and who the final two end up being.  Right now I would say Jef and Arie but that’s the beauty of being so into a season and not knowing what’s going to happen! You can totally enjoy it!

***Random thoughts:

I thought it was time for Doug to go.  Great guy but as he said, his girl radar is way off.

I thought the way they handled the producer situation was cheesy and anti-climactic BUT mature.

Nice cheesy writing last night:” sitting on top of the world” with Arie as they were on top of the boat, “need to go deep” with John as they descend into a dungeon.

You KNOW the lock they gave John to use was one with issues.  Total set up.

If John would have opened up sooner and was more comfy on camera he’d be a great Bachelor.