Tag Archives: Producers

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?

What the Big Three Could Learn From HLN and the 39th Annual Daytime Emmys!

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When HLN decided to air the 39th annual Daytime Emmys I was psyched.  While awards shows in general can get a little dull, I have always tuned in for the chance to see my daytime drama stars get their due for some of the hardest jobs in the biz.  Soap stars, writers, and directors work longer and harder than most putting out a show that doesn’t have a “season” but runs all year-long and has passionate fans that won’t shut up if someone’s “out of character”.  As our world has changed over the past 50 years (almost the amount of time General Hospital has been in existence) the soap audience has changed as well.  We aren’t stay at home moms or elderly women who have nothing else to do.  Often times we’re busy successful women (and men!) who have to DVR our favorites and make time to connect with our “stories”. The saddest part of this evolution is that it isn’t recognized by the powers that be in programming and many of our beloved soaps have been cancelled due to poor ratings.

The great thing about HLN and their treatment of the Emmys was that they took the time to figure out what the viewers wanted and gave it to them.  They cut the fluff pieces and gave out the awards.  They did big awards in the beginning, middle, and end.  They gave us a red carpet with people who asked questions that proved they either did their research or watched the shows themselves.  But probably the coolest thing they did was interact with their audience through Twitter before, during, and after the show.

Using Twitter, they gave soap fans the opportunity to share their thoughts and love of soaps for days before the show, stoking the excitement and increasing their odds of viewers.  During the show HLN had someone reading viewer tweets and responding to them in real-time like they were watching the show with us.  The #DaytimeEmmys actually trended worldwide for most of the show!  After they took the time to thank fans and invite them to view the show again, although the tweet asking if we could get it trending again on a rerun was a little naïve.

HLN didn’t pull in the number of viewers that the big networks want for the shows they overproduce and spend way too much money on, but they got the biggest audience they’ve had for a regularly scheduled non-news program ever! ABC, NBC, CBS – pay attention! The viewers don’t watch in the traditional way in big enough numbers to bring in the ratings soaps used to.  The number of people watching soaps according to your unrealistic Nielsen numbers is about the best they can expect in a changing world.

TV is a different animal these days.  Just because I might sit and watch General Hospital for five hours in a row on Saturday morning doesn’t mean I shouldn’t count in your ratings.  Soaps need to embrace their viewers on a level that works with their lives today! Use Facebook and Twitter. Promote the show in primetime. Count the online viewers as ratings! We may not be watching live daily but we’re watching everything you’re throwing at us. Look at your stories, assumptions and pace. The storylines that got you ratings in the 80’s will still get you ratings with the right twists and updates (see Dallas – TNT as a perfect example!). Soaps are a treasure that the big three networks will regret letting slip through their hands when they realize that nothing is going to bring in the ratings from pre-cable/satellite/internet days.  If only they would take a page from HLN and promote what they have and connect with their viewers!

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.

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?

After The Final Rose… One Happy Viewer

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Another season of the Bachelorette has come and gone and I have to say, despite a less than promising beginning, I am a totally satisfied viewer. Not because I think Ashley was the greatest bachelorette ever, in fact she was somewhat dull and insecure, and not because the producers filled the season with drama that was unnecessary and at times ridiculous.  I am a satisfied viewer because I feel like I watched a genuine love story that will actually end in marriage.

Ashley wasn’t always fun to watch.  Her insecurities early on were annoying and somewhat overwhelming.  I wanted to reach out and shake her and say to her, “Seriously? You’re the freaking bachelorette! Act like it.”  Watching the final episode though gave me some insight (whether real or not) that helped me revise my thoughts on her self – esteem issues.  I mean, come on, with a sister like that, who needs enemies?  I know she apologized and after watching the season realized what an idiot she was, but had I grown up with someone who obviously didn’t trust any of my instincts – I’m not sure I wouldn’t be as messed up as Ashley felt.  My heart almost broke for J.P. when on the beach she said she just had to figure it out and he responded, “I kind of thought you already had.”

As for the producers and their drama…of course it’s a double-edged sword.  We need the drama to make it interesting, and when you pit 25 guys against each other for one girl you’re going to get some, but did they really have to drag the Bentley saga out for as long as they did?  And, at this point I have to question how much manipulation there was in Ashley’s behavior with Ben the night before the proposals and at the proposal itself.  He was blindsided. Part of it was his fault – he never considered the possibility that she could be having feelings for someone else and he didn’t pay attention to her response when he pointed out she didn’t have a ring on yet.  Did they have to let him get down on one knee? This has been an argument among viewers since Jason Mesnick came in #2. It has merit…making the loser propose just seems cruel.

Still, as I watch Ashley and J.P. doing the required talk show tours, it’s impossible not to feel it was all worth it.  The look that J.P. gets when he sees her is one of real devotion.  I have no doubt that what started on the show has grown exponentially through their Skype sessions and weekends together.  It was smart of the show to finally cave and let the couples see each other during the break.  Ashley is serious about moving to New York and it looks like they’re serious about a wedding next fall.  As to all the rumors of him cheating etc…even Reality Steve says they’re bogus.  When a guy that lives to make fun of and debunk the show says they’re for real – they’re for real.

So, I’m glad I watched and I’m really hoping for a televised wedding next fall.  For any of you doubters out there I am willing to make a bet that this marriage happens.  First five people who want to bet five dollars on it, send me a comment.  I say solid wedding plans will be in the works by Dec. 2012. And now…onto Bachelor Pad!
*****As far as the next Bachelor is concerned, I don’t want Ben or Ames…maybe Ryan P. or Michael Stagliano, but I REALLY want someone NEW!