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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.

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!

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?

Bye Bye Ryan! Hello Final …Six?

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Last night’s Bachelorette episode in Croatia was a feast of beautiful scenery, but if Ryan was to be believed, the only scenery worth looking at was Emily.  Thank God she finally came to her senses and sent the pro football player packing! After the most uncomfortable “post rose” conversation I’ve ever sat through, he walked out, ego intact, sure she was making a mistake.  It’ll be interesting to see if he has the media savvy needed for redemption on the upcoming “Men Tell All” episode.  Perhaps if he took a lesson from Humble Doug he would have a shot at being the Bachelor, NOT.

His parting words about hoping the editors “cut” things so people would see who he really is and that he wouldn’t come off as an “an arrogant ass” were priceless. Almost as good as the scenes of the boys (I have a hard time calling them men.) sitting back in the room talking about how he’s just that! I almost felt bad when he mentioned that he had made good friends with them, knowing that he would have to hear what they were saying while he was gone, but then again, if Ryan really is going to be a better person like he says he wants to be, he needs a huge reality check.

Chris had a good night getting the rose and the “Bravery Cup” after seeing Disney’s new movie and competing in the Highland games. I just have to take a moment to thank the producers for the kilts and sleeveless shirts.  Who would have thought that six men in skirts would look that hot. If the award had been given to the traditional winner it would have no doubt been Sean, but Emily went for her own definition of bravery and gave it to Chris.  We did get a moment where Em reassured Sean of his place in her heart.  Even though, and perhaps because, we didn’t see much of him in last night’s episode, there’s no doubt that man is final two stuff.

Earlier in the show Emily let Travis go on his one on one date.  Not much to say about it.  Travis was really sweet and he was obviously a great friend but there was no chemistry and she didn’t have trouble being honest with him.  It was the first time this season I’ve really felt sorry for a contestant.  Listening to him talking about how he has “such a big heart” and was so ready for love again made him sound like the perfect next Bachelor. Unfortunately, he just doesn’t cut it in the looks department.  Why can’t we mix Travis’ personality with Ryan’s looks? Oh wait, that was Jason Mesnick. Too late.

Another guy that almost got the boot but was saved at party, if we believe things happen the way we see them, was John. Such a handsome guy, but what does Emily know about him? Not a lot. He saved himself by pulling his grandparents funeral cards out of his wallet and confessing that his parents didn’t even know he carried them.  It was sweet and cool that he was finally opening up but does anyone think it’ll get him more than a week?  Ditto Doug, he made a small move on Emily but it’s too late – he’s eating the front-runner dust.

Speaking of front-runners, the producers are giving us a good rotation of Arie, Sean, and Jef.   Hmmm….final three anyone?  Of course.  In last night’s episode Arie made the season’s obligatory sneak out visit to tell Emily how happy he was she sent Ryan home. Their chemistry is off the charts and she gave him the rose she didn’t give Ryan. It seems like that would seal the deal, right?

BUT oh, no! He dated a producer? Now we are supposed to question everything? Manipulation, manipulation, manipulation. For those people who watched the previews, we know that it’s revealed that Arie dated a producer from the show and Emily will find out next episode! Knowing that Arie has had a relationship with a producer all along should make us question every move he’s made. So, he just happened to decide on his own to visit her.  He just happened to find her apartment in Croatia.  She just happened to have the rose from Ryan lying on her bedside table?  Total set up scene – question is – do we care? I’m not sure we do.  He’s such a hottie and their attraction is obviously real, so it’s easy enough to overlook.

This has been a great season so far!  The editing tonight with making us wait to see what would happen with Ryan and then on the last two roses (I almost believed she was letting them both go.) was awesome.  I’m feeling really positive about Emily and the men that are left! What about you?

Bachelorette Emily Maynard – Episode Two Thoughts

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Those of you who read my Bachelor and Bachelorette blog regularly know that one of my biggest obsessions and complaints regarding the series is producer interference. I’m not naïve enough to think reality TV is reality, but I would like to be able to watch it without thinking it’s fake. One of the reasons I think the Bachelor/Bachelorette works so well is that actual chemistry usually finds a way to trump the cheesy storylines producers feel compelled to manipulate, but last night’s episode was hard to watch. While there were occasional glimpses of chemistry between Emily and a few (very few) guys, it was hard not to notice the script. Whether it’s because they cast really boring guys to fill “roles” they thought would be exciting, or because Emily’s charisma is only present when acting, my hopes for the season have lessened.

Emily’s first one on one date with Ryan could have been a really cute date, but I don’t think I was the only viewer that got bored. While I have often said I’m looking for a man who can make every day errands romantic and fun, Ryan didn’t seem all that into it. He said the right things but they didn’t feel sincere. During dinner when Emily posed her “challenging questions”, he threw them right back at her. It was then that I got the sinking feeling that he thinks he’s better than her but wants to date her anyway to be able to say he did. His seven page letter seemed forced and too early, and really – couldn’t he have told her to read it later. It’s hard to imagine Ryan Sutter (the original and only Ryan worth loving) allowing Trista to read his thoughts in front of another guy for 15 minutes. The other thing missing from this date? Emily’s pizazz! She couldn’t even pull off the Chuck E. Cheese joke.

It was on the group date with the Muppets that I came to a sad realization. Emily only has charisma when she’s acting. The scenes with Kermit and Piggy sparkled more than her sequined outfits (I really wanted her pink skirt!), but only highlighted the dull interaction with most of the men. I find this a mystery. When you hear almost every guy say after talking with her, “No one else could have had a conversation or moment like ours,” it’s obvious she knows how to make someone feel special, but it’s not showing on-screen.

The group date wasn’t as boring as Ryan’s date, but I did contemplate turning it off and watching it on dvr later. It was evident the group date rose was going to Jef. Did anyone else find it painful to watch her throw herself and her insecurities at him? He looks like a child and I can’t figure out if he is sincerely that clueless. I think he’s playing a part, just like Kaustic Kalon, Squirrely Stevie, and Competitive Chris. This is where I started to see the producer’s fingerprints. You knew they would give Charlie something to freak him out. Kudos to him for actually asking Emily for a different part, and to her for offering to let him sing. She must not have asked permission first though, as the producer’s just gave him something slightly less nerve-wracking – an interview with Piggy. Alas, my thought after the group date was that Emily shined brightest and was most herself in her moment with Ricki after singing (which she should never do in public).

In between these dates we get glimpses of the house and the men left. Woo hoo, more staged conflict between Kalon and anyone else he can insult. These scenes were another area of the show where the script overshadowed the men. The only interesting edit in the mix was Sean’s. Here’s a guy we didn’t see much of last week and who didn’t get a date this week, BUT is obviously getting the good guy edit. He comments were rational, friendly, and showed he’s got friends in the house. There’s a reason they did that. They’re trying to put him in our subconscious. They want us to like him and see him as the hidden hero.

The last date of the evening was with Joe, who Emily describes as looking like Matthew McConaughey. Too bad for Joe – there was no spark. We were treated to a glamorous date that you could tell Emily knew was going nowhere. I think the producers thought that by having a “shocking” early elimination we would be able to tell she was serious about finding love. Even though she cried, it didn’t seem that hard to let him go. At the rose ceremony Emily had to eliminate two more guys. That however, seemed anti-climactic following her scene with Kalon. Anyone who watches the Bachelorette knows that the villain always gets the attention of the Bachelorette early on (Wes? Vienna? Courtney?), but I truly didn’t think Kalon could pull it off. However, when they were chatting it was pretty clear that she did find him attractive and that she bought his, “Oh woe is me, I’m the youngest in the house,” spiel. Yuck!

If I didn’t look up the names of the guys she got rid of, I would only have remembered Aaron because of the glasses – that’s how dullsville these guys are. Truth be told, I wanted her to eliminate a lot more than three guys last night, but that would have been too easy. I guess I’ll suffer through until the producer’s hand me semi-real stuff in the final three or four.

Hey Ya’ll! I’m (Maybe) Excited about Emily Maynard as the Next Bachelorette!

Bachelorette, Entertainment Musings, , , , , ,

Emily Maynard is the next Bachelorette.  Old news, I know, BUT for the first time since hearing it, I’m sort of excited.  My initial reaction to the reveal wasn’t positive.  I was disappointed that the franchise would again go with a runner up instead of bringing in fresh blood.  On the heels of my disappointment in goofball Ben’s fiasco of a season, I was ready to give up on all things Bachelor/ette.  I guess I could just be feeling the need for optimism, but I think there’s potential that Emily’s season could be one of the best ever.

There’s no denying that Emily has the “it” factor.  The camera loves her.  After catching part of the episode this season where Ashley and Ally helped her dress shop, I was charmed by her charisma. It seems like a given that the Bachelorette should be beautiful (inside and out, but for now let’s focus on the out), but how many seasons have we dealt with disappointments in this area?  Sure we fell in love with Ashley, Ally, Jillian, and Jen, but not since Trista have we really seen the total package.  Part of the fun of watching the Bachelorette is to see gorgeous, dreamy men fall all over themselves and compete for the girl!  For the first time in a great while there’s the chance a group of men will indeed, truly be gorgeous AND dreamy because it seems like all men find Emily to be gorgeous and dreamy!

Then there’s the fact that she might be beautiful on the inside as well.  I’ll admit that after her season with Brad, I indulged in the gossip and rumors that she was probably in it for the publicity and fame, but I think I may have to revise that opinion. I started thinking about the fact that the show is making the unprecedented move to hold events in her hometown instead of making her come to LA. The fact that she demanded this shows she really does put family first and isn’t just interested in another Hollywood experience.  She wants the men to see where and how she lives and to be able to make a commitment fully knowing what they’re getting into. That’s savvy.

Finally, I’m excited because after a season like Ben’s, how can this one not be better?  Anything in comparison will seem like a success.  On Ben’s season watching the women was tiring and icky.  Men are always more interesting to watch in the house.  The villain angle with Courtney really hurt viewers buying into Ben’s final choice.  We’ve already seen the “Bentley” character that wanted Emily over Ashley, so hopefully there won’t be any major villains involved.

The elements are in place. You’ve got the girl that every man desires.  There will be men that every woman will want to watch.  The tragedy of Emily’s past with her first love and her experience with Brad will have the audience hungering for a true “love that heals all” experience!  If the producers can keep their grimy hands out of it and let a realistic and genuine love story unfold, this could turn into one of my favorite seasons ever.

Why I still watch The Bachelorette…

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Another season of the Bachelorette is upon us, so I thought I would reflect on my relationship with the franchise in general.  I have to admit I didn’t watch season one or two of The Bachelor.  At that point in time you couldn’t have paid watch reality TV.  Without anything to base my opinion on, I deemed it misogynistic and exploitative, not to mention fake.  After all, who could really fall in love on a show like that?  How could the process of quick elimination work when we all know how hard dating and finding that special someone can be?  Then came the Bachelorette and Trista.  When told from the point of view of a woman, the same process seemed to make much more sense.

After all, a woman who goes on a show entitled The Bachelorette probably really wants to get married.  I don’t think that’s the case for most of the Bachelors, as evidenced by their final rose relationship track record.  A bachelor goes on the show and is exposed to 25 women who fight over him and all of a sudden he thinks, “If these 25 women all want me, how many more women are out there that would want me, too?”  Ego takes over and even if he really did think he might want to get married in the beginning, the seeds of doubt have been planted.  The exception to this has been Jason, who from the very start of the show was obviously genuine in the fact he was ready and looking for a wife – so much so that he braved scores of angry women and the media to follow his heart and dump Melissa for Molly.

The process used in the Bachelor/Bachelorette isn’t really new.  It’s not that different from the process used in historical romance novels depicting England’s “Ton” and the courting process.  People would meet at a ball, the gentlemen would decide who they were interested in and would then “call” on their choices.  The women would then pick (with the help of their fathers, brothers, or uncles– perhaps the Chris Harrison role?) from their suitors.  The suitors may have visited for tea and cakes or perhaps walked with them in the park, but it wasn’t like they dated for months trying to figure out if that person was the one.  With today’s all time high divorce rate for people who “know each other” and live together before marriage, it doesn’t seem like it’s a worse way to do things.

So when Trista fell in love with Ryan and we got to watch them get married, and have babies, it was proof enough to me that there was  a chance that the show could really work.  I sat through seasons like Jake and Vienna in order to catch glimpse of real romance like Trista and Ryan, Jason and Molly, Allie and Roberto, even Andrew and Jen (who didn’t work out – but were no question in love).  I guess you could say that my relationship with the Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise is like that of a woman who has married a reformed player.  I stay committed because I believe that there’s something real there, but I never let down my guard because I can still always get played.

I’m hoping that this season with Ashley no one gets played and there’s a couple who walks away 100% in love.  If the producers (who I know make half the choices anyway)don’t manipulate the season with the “Bentley” storyline or create unnecessary tension with surprise revelations, I think Ash might have a shot.  My money’s on J.P. and “Cupcake”.