Tag Archives: The Bachelorette

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: The Final Three

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Hometowns:

The first hometown date of the evening belonged to Zack, who, to put the cart before the horse, Des sent home. But who didn’t see that coming?  In truth, I was sad to see him leave because I had really warmed to the guy. He was a tiny bit goofy looking, but he was confident, charismatic, mature, built, wealthy, and his family was crazy perfect for TV. He gave Des a gorgeous antique promise ring, which as viewers knew sounded his death knell from the beginning (literally of the show). I think Zack could make a decent Bachelor, but they probably wouldn’t go with him, simply because he might actually get married and they’re success rate with Bachelors just shows lack of good judgment.

The second date was at Drew’s. Drew’s family is incredibly sincere and loving. It was obvious Des felt comfortable there.  She met his severely mentally challenged sister and I was surprised at how sensitively the show handled it. He is a great guy and the way he took care of her showed real depth to him as a person.  When Des talked to his dad, his dad asked her if she believed in angels and if she’d ever met one.  He told her she had met one in Melissa.  I admit, I cried.  Anyway, Drew said I love you to her when she left and she likes him a lot. The previews make it seem like she likes him more than she does.  She’s definitely fallen the hardest for Chris and Brooks. Drew would make an OK Bachelor, too…a little saccharine for my taste, but I’d still watch.

Chris’s hometown date was adorable and a little scary.  The editing made it seem like there was a real chance his mom didn’t like Des, but she did and she cried about her son being in love.  Chris has it bad for Des. But, I think Chris might just have it bad for love.  I could see Chris bounce back and find love again as the Bachelor. They played baseball together, she drew him pictures, his dad gave her some kind of medical massage, which was weird enough, but then his dad used and instrument to clean out Chris’ sinuses on TV! I did not need to see Chris’ snot and it actually lowered his Bachelor stock a bit for me (yuck!). Still, they have mega-chemistry and she loves him.

The hometown with Brooks was interesting.  Brooks seems like he’s taking this whole thing really seriously and he hasn’t told Des he loves her because he’s actually not sure. But she thinks he is.  She thinks he’s just not ready to say it or she wouldn’t be keeping him.  This could be delusional, but I think she’s right.  The man has a very close and thoughtfully intelligent family.  The questions his brothers asked him were sensitive, right on, and showed how much they loved him.  His conversation with his mom was honest and real.  Brooks in one word is genuine.  So, is Des, I think. That’s why no matter how much she likes Chris or Drew, Brooks is and has been the one all along.

Brooks for the win, with lots of made up drama between now and then (like the conversation with her brother that isn’t even worth recapping it was so staged).

 

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 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.

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: Did Jef take the lead? Will Sean give her babies? What happened with Arie?

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Ashley Hebert tweeted that, “When s%*t goes down…the guy with the next date is the one! #secretformula?”  I laughed out loud because she could be right on the money.  DeAnna Pappas Stagliano tweeted about the music change they used for Jef and said it was “frontrunner” music.  These girls know that of which they speak.  If we look at the edit of the show and past season experiences it’s very possible that Jef Holm could end up Mr. Emily Maynard.  Last night was a great episode, and not just because Kalon’s smug behind finally took a hike. Last night’s episode had real romance with two guys we KNOW are 100% there for the right reasons and want to marry her!

Sean’s tour date through the city of London showed a natural chemistry.  I loved the cute pics they were taking together.  You know those will end up in the family album.  When he got up to speak I almost believed the producers didn’t walk them past that spot on purpose.  He spoke from the heart and he had her from word one.  At dinner in the Tower of London – HOW COOL  –  she twirled her hair nervously and asked him about babies! Points for him he didn’t look scared.  One caveat: when she asked him how many and he said two, he looked like he was hedging his bets because he didn’t know how many she wanted.  There’s no way he’s intentionally holding back but I’m not sure he’s not just agreeing because he’s so in love.

The group date added drama and it was highly enjoyable to watch.  I did feel al little bad for Dad Doug when she didn’t give out the rose because no one had her back enough to tell her about what Kalon said. Huh? Did the scene we watched seconds before not actually happen? How did she describe what Doug did? Anywhoooo…It was awesome to see her come alive and go “West Virginia, hood rat, backwoods” on him! That was as true to life feisty as we’ve seen her.  That’s the Emily I want to know, not that southern belle, polite, submissive stuff.

Jef’s date was saved until last and even though he won me over, I wondered the whole time when it was going to pick up! Emily said she was slow but he might take things even slower.  Had he not kissed her last night he might have been taking himself home.  The cool thing about their date was his proclamation in the London Eye of what he wanted with her.  Don’t know that there were many women watching that didn’t ignore his funky hair and melt when he so GENUINELY explained how he thought she could be his best friend.  It was at that point on Twitter that he even won JP Rosenbaum’s support.  This boy (he calls Emily a girl) is the real deal…but Emily’s looking for a protector – can he beat Sean in that department?

We didn’t see much of Arie but even with the producers attempt to make it look like she was mad at him for not telling her, he was never in any danger. No doubt he’s still in contention.

I can’t wait to see what happens next.  The previews looked awesome. Romance, tears, drama.  Hoping she didn’t actually mean she really liked Ryan again but there were obviously some kisses coming up.  Did you see her walking angrily towards Chris Harrison and that woman saying, “What else do I not know?” Something big is happening there! It’s going to be a bumpy ride but a great season and I’m 100 % positive we’re finding true love! Yeah!

Bachelorette Emily’s Lost Charisma…Found! (best episode yet!)

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Dare we hope that Emily has found her charisma? The question floated through my mind as they played the teasers for the evening and I found myself getting excited.  After watching the first two episodes, I had almost given up on Emily.  Where was the sparkly, flirty, entertaining woman that we caught glimpses of with Brad? Turns out she might have had a little stage fright/insecurity to deal with, or maybe she just felt overwhelmed when surrounded by the larger group of men, but whatever it was – last night she found her chutzpah!

I haven’t really been a Chris fan since I viewed his pic on ABC.com, but I’m willing to say I was wrong about him.  His date was the first time this season that I actually felt excited for Emily.  Sure he’s a little competitive, young, and he seems to be seriously underestimating what she may have going on with other guys (has he watched the show?), but she sparkles when she’s with him and their first kiss was undeniably romantic. He seems sincere and for the most part sweet, although I could have done without his comment on how unbelievable she looked in a harness! (Ick!)

When Emily lets it slip she’s been thinking about someone since the beginning, I tend to believe that’s her voice and not the producers.  It’s obvious he’s on her list of potentials. There date was a pretty cute set up, but you can’t convince me they couldn’t have checked the weather forecast – scaling the building with a threatening thunderstorm seemed an unnecessary risk. The Charlotte people running into the dance floor after their kiss was a little contrived as well, but cute.  Overall, this date brought me back into the process! Hooray!

The group date was one of the best ever, in my opinion.  Never has a Bachelorette had the chance to get so much scoop on her men before.  Emily’s friends preformed to the best of their ability, not shirking the harder responsibilities like viewing the push up performances or the pectoral magnificence of various men.  If you hung around to watch the credits you caught a glimpse of the reasoning behind Emily’s party time conversation with Alessandro, too.  Would she have kept him by mistake had her friends not been looking out? Maybe!

The group date also gave us the chance to get to know Sean and Ryan better.  With Sean, well, let’s face it – is anyone not head over heels for this guy yet?  He’s handsome, sincere, wants to be a husband and father and talked about family and faith.  He seems like he could be her perfect match! With Ryan – wow – the warning signs that cropped up last week made a full-on appearance tonight.  Could a guy be any denser than to say he wouldn’t be “loving on” Emily if she gained weight?  And to say it in front of her friends? Loser! His behavior at the party before the rose ceremony was like that of  a snotty toddler.  Seriously, I know he may have been sincerely jealous when he saw her kissing Arie, but it’s what he signed up for and Arie’s a race car driver not a ballerina! He called him girly! His face as he lifted his glass for a toast spoke volumes.  She’s picking up on it, too – so it’ll soon be sayonara Ryan!

Emily’s last one-on-one date with Arie showed why he’ll be around until, my guess, the end.  Not sure about the very end but probably top four, at least.  Her actual words after her date with the daring driver, “Guys like Arie are really hard to find.  I feel like I finally found him and I don’t want to screw it up.” My only concern with Arie is that Emily has a bit of a transference issue going on.  First she transferred all her excitement and idol worship of Dolly Parton in to the experience of the date, then she transferred her feelings about little Ricki’s daddy to Arie.  She said he reminds her so much of him – good for Arie, maybe not so psychologically good for Emily finding true love.  She’ll have to get past the image she’s imposing on him to see the real him.

My favorite moment and line of the night had to be when Kalon reprimanded her for interrupting him. In reference to his rudeness she stated, “I do like tall, skinny, and funny but I don’t like tall, skinny, and condescending.” It was at that moment I fell in love with her.  I just wish the producers would have let her kick his skinny butt off the show like you know she wanted to! Sadly, it was Kalon’s nemesis, Stevie, that took the walk out alone since she had already sent Tony and Alessandro packing!

Three moments to keep in mind for future shows: Sean and Emily’s first kiss at the rose ceremony party (oh my goodness!), Arie and Emily’s make out session at the rose ceremony party (oh my goodness gracious!), and Jef’s confession of his crush on her – courtesy of her friend’s advice.  We only caught a glimpse but it was apparent in that moment that her friend’s dug him.  They gave him the edit they gave Sean last week and look what that got Sean this week…I’m just sayin’.

Looking forward to next week’s show – Golly, I’m so happy to be able to say that!

Golly, That’s a Gorgeous Bachelorette…

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Gorgeous! Beautiful! Amazing!

Gag me! If I heard the description gorgeous one more time last night I think I would have been physically ill.  I’m still excited about this season, but I feel really bad for Emily.  I think it’s pretty obvious from their tongues hanging out, nervous, panting reactions that she’s going to have a hard time getting a guy to look past her exterior to really see who she is on the inside!  Then there’s the fact that what should have been a bumper crop of good-looking men is a big group of really average Joes. Thank goodness that there seem to be some men that might have brains, be in it for the right reasons, and look better on TV than their pictures at ABC.com suggested.  Yes, Emily might have a chance for true love after all – IF she can fight through the masses of worshipping idiots to find the keepers in this sorry group.

The limo introductions were pretty pathetic.  I’ve never seen a more jittery group of guys.  Their lines came off as rehearsed and cheesy.  I mean, come on! Prince Charming? Tony’s a nice looking guy but that was way over the top! He, along with Kalon were obviously just looking for that first impression rose (Which she was smart enough to give to a genuinely nice man – but more on Doug later!) Thank God she gave fitness model Jackson the boot after he maligned her with an overused quote that only makes the teen girls I teach swoon! And poor grandma guy – he probably thought he was making a witty comment on the girl who had her grandmother come to the party last season but I don’t think Emily was smart enough to catch on in the moment…probably too overwhelmed by the number of men and names to keep straight.

It was interesting to see her first impressions of some men though.  If you watched her carefully, it seems she would giggle and blink a lot after talking to guys she was attracted to.  Men that fell into this category were Arie (race car guy), Jef (water bottle company owner), Charlie (Mr. Normal Nice Guy), Nate (who she touched first and said smelled good!), John (also known as “Wolf”), Alejandro (San Fran boy) and Ryan (ex – pro football guy.

Twitter was buzzing with comments from fans all the way through the show.  It seems the fans out there were torn between super hot Ryan and normal guy Charlie! I think both will stay around awhile. It’s also fairly observable from the previews that Jef has a future on the show.  He got a really good edit as someone who is looking to see beneath her surface to the real her…still, he was quoted saying, “Her fiancé died so I think she deserves the best.” Um, yeah – that’s logical, right? Jef does have another thing going for him though.  She described him as the “cool guy” and hoped he thought she was “cool”, too.  Sooooo high school, BUT soooo telling.  He’ll be sticking around.

Daddy Doug received the first impression rose for his ability to make her feel relaxed and the way he manipulate their conversation to be about their kids without making it seem like he was using his son.  That letter was an ace in the hole to get him through the first rose ceremony and it looks like it paid more than he expected with the first rose.  He may end up on her nerves eventually but he’s there for a few more weeks.

If I had to place bets now that we’ve met them all I would change my top five to the following: Ryan, Jef, Arie, Charlie, and Nate.

Other guys that will stick around simply because the producers need conflict will be Chris (They were already setting him up to be Mr. Competitive), Stevie, and Kalon.

I like the places they seem to be heading this season and it’s cool she gets to take Little Ricki with her.  I just sincerely hope she can curtail her use of the term “Golleeeeeeee!” so I can make it through the rest of the season without strangling her.

***I haven’t been reading spoilers but in a straight up article I looked at it appears Sean Lowe plays a bigger role in the season than I woul dhave thought – especially since I didn’t mention him….hmmmm 🙂

Bachelorette Ashley Has Baby Squirrel Syndrome

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This morning driving to work a baby squirrel barreled towards the road in front of me. I stepped on my breaks and as I did, the squirrel turned and ran back towards safety. Then suddenly, he turned and ran straight for the road again. Thank goodness I stopped in time. There have been times in my life where I’ve suffered from baby squirrel syndrome. I’ve psyched myself up to try something and began running straight for the goal, only to turn around at the first sign of danger. Had I stopped there, I might have been considered mature, or conversely a coward, but things would never have degenerated into road kill. The mistake of the baby squirrel was in suddenly reversing and running headlong into danger. It was as if he became confused in his fear and over reacted in a way that could have cost him his little life.

The Bachelorette’s Ashley Hebert seems to be suffering from baby squirrel syndrome this season as well, first with Bentley, then with her decision to tell the others about the Bentley saga. In the beginning Ashley knew Bentley was trouble. She’d been told so by Michelle Money through texts before the show. I can see where maybe she wouldn’t have listened; she and Michelle weren’t the best of friends in their fight for Brad. But she ran towards the road anyway and it seemed like she had made the turn for an episode or two when Bentley left and we saw some decent progress with her, JP, and Ben!

Ultimately though, baby squirrel syndrome took over and she became confused and fearful running right back into the road. It was painful to watch how hopeful she was when she was told Bentley was in the hotel. For those of us who have been manipulated by guys as suave and snake-like as Bentley it was like watching a cat play with a mouse and we knew that the mouse would lose. No doubt about it, even with her assertive “*&#@ you” after their meeting, as an audience we knew she had tire tracks all over her.

The one thing she had going for her at this point was the fact that none of the guys was aware of her recent confusion and immaturity. She seemed lighter, more sure of herself, and really ready to move on and give the guys a chance. Cue repeat of the syndrome. Now, there are arguments that can be made for telling J.P. the truth. If her feelings are as strong for him as she said, full disclosure and honesty is important. But she could also have waited until they were stronger as a couple or even engaged to say, “Hey – you might not like the first few weeks of the show.” She was lucky that the driver on the road – J.P. – was compassionate and understanding, and probably already in love with her.

I have to think that J.P. probably felt a lot like I did watching the squirrel run right back into the road when he heard her telling the other guys. She’d already been luckier than she deserved in his reaction and then she decides to lay it all out there for everyone else? Poor Mickey and Blake accidentally over-corrected and hit her hard, while Constantine and Lucas just seemed to step on the gas. (Side note here: the whole scene was a tribute to the fragility of the male ego…even J.P. had to get in on the action and rub it into the other guys that she told him first.)

I really hope that with all of this behind her she can be cured of her ailment and develop a decent relationship with one of the deserving guys left, but the previews don’t bode well. The producers are either trying to entice us to keep watching with drama because the rest of the season is dull due to her obvious love for J.P. or Ben, or it really was a train wreck and they have no choice in the matter. I still don’t want to give up hope. As sick as she is, I’d like her to find love.