The Bachelor - Episode 1 Recap

Henley Monday -

I'm pretty sure this is the end times. My bathroom won't stop flooding, I have nowhere to watch the Emmy's tonight, and every news channel looks like scenes from the Leftovers.

But lo, what light through yonder henley breaks, it is Ike Barinholtz, hands down the funniest character on the Mindy Project and he is clad in a grey henley holding and parading B.J. Novak's book "One More Thing".

That's a good thing. And Mindy Project season two just came out on DVD so yeah, that's TWO good things. 

Accurate and Astute Analogies:

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Joey Richter is to Andrew Garfield, as Steve Urkel is to Stefan Urquelle. Discuss!

Henley Wednesday -

Good day everyone! You're halfway through the work week as of noon so congrats! You did it. As a reward, feast your eyes on this British, henley wearing gentleman of your dreams.

It's Mattew Lewis aka Neville Longbottom from the Harry Potter films and every single time I see a picture of him looking so handsome and debonaire I am shocked, SHOCKED that he is the same person as this:

In fact, I found the top insanely attractive shot him in this amazing BuzzFeed Article because it's important to site your sources.

The Bachelorette - Episode 4 Recap

     This week on the Bachelorette, the party is officially leaving Charlotte and heading to Bermuda (which I bet is geographically located in a very different place than where your brain thinks it is)! I was wary considering Emily insisted on being in Charlotte to be close to Ricki, but it looks like she’ll be tagging along for most of the adventures. We get some screen time with just the two of them, and Emily truly looks like a great mom with a great kid. You can tell Ricki is going to grow up to be just as pretty as her mother. Thanks genetics!

This week we’re getting a fully mixed bag of dates with a one-on-one, a group date, and the first of the dreaded two-on-ones where only one bachelor comes out alive.

Inexplicably and hilariously all of the bachelor’s pull up to their hotel on matching mopeds.

The one-on-one goes to…DOOGLAS! Oh Doog, you sweet baboon. Let’s see how many times you mention your “little one” on this outing. The burgeoning tropical storm outside affects the stormy mood indoors as the men egg on poor Doog because he is super nervous. Arie points out how “easy it is to push Doug’s buttons” and we watch the men poke a bear with a stick by saying “We think you’re just building it up in your head,” for two whole minutes.

Emily notices the tension in the room because she walks in just as Doog was about to step to Arie. The two lovebirds leave for the date, and Arie, charming as ever observes Doog’s resemblance to a certain comic book character. “Doug ANGRY! DOUG SMASH! Doug…sad,” he says in a Hulk voice.

For the date, Emily and Doog walk around downtown St. George and do some touristy shopping things. “I just like island towns a lot,” Doog observes. Emily likes this date because it’s what a “married couple would do on vacation”.

                       On the steps of a lovely church Doog tells Emily all about how lucky he was to have a great grandpa who raised him, and how he wants to be that kind of father figure to his son Austin. Emily is very impressed by his positive attitude but wants to know if he is ever not perfect. He admits being grouchy when Emily picked him up. as he had just “scolded all the boys”. Emily quips, “They had the fear of God in them. You did a good job.” And Doog takes this as a compliment which is not great because Doog is starting to ride pretty high on his horse.

Emily and Doogie write a postcard to Austin, in reply to his letter to Emily the first night. This is actually sweet and shows how much Emily is always thinking like a parent. Then they make a wish and walk through this Moon Gate arch thingy, per Bermudian tradition. Emily’s wish? “That I won’t be single forever,” which…oh my gosh, girl, I feel you, but you’re gonna be fine.

                 Back at the hotel suite we get the group date card announcement. “Let’s set sail on the sea of love” is the date for these lucky fellows: Charlie, Ryan, Chris, Jef, Sean, Arie, Travis, and Kalon. 

It’s now “dinner” time for Emily and Doogie Bowser. Emily feels like he’s hiding something from her in how he always gives her the perfect answers. She worries that this is too much like Brad and her worst nightmare is this ending up like her and Brad again. So the Maynard plan of action is to put him before a firing squad in order to torture the flaws out of him. She wants to know what an ex would say his faults are, and he says “Too much time with my son.” He also says he didn’t was his ex-girlfriend’s car enough. “What kind of girls are you dating?” posits Emily, and I have to agree, Huh?

            Emily rattles off that she’s sensitive, stubborn, doesn’t work out (what a terd), and sometimes wears her pajamas all day. Then she realizes she put him in a really tough spot. “I’m just a guy,” Doog states, “I’m not a genius, and I’m not a dummy. I’m not wealthy, but I’m not poor. I’m just Doug.” She thinks he just may be that perfect a person, and gives him the rose.

Doogie is floating on cloud 9 but per his grandpa’s advice, won’t kiss a girl until he sure they want him to, so he hasn’t kissed a girl in….months…eesh. He also doesn’t EVER make the first move…eesh. Then he speaks in the third person...EEESH! I’ve got one eye on you, Doog.

             It looks a little chilly as the group date men arrive at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. They get a quick sailing lesson that consists mostly of “Watch out for the boom.” The men will be split into two teams and compete for the real date-time with Emily. Ryan with his, ahem, “Something about Mary” hair, rrreeaally wants to win because the only joy he has ever had in his life is from winning (I assume).

We cut to the hotel to see the men still agonizing over the two-on-one, when there’s a knock at the door. They will “explore this Bermuda-love-triangle” with Nate and John “Wolf”. They are :(

Back on the water, we have Team Yellow (Arie, Jef, Kalon, and Ryan) and Team Red (Charlie, Sean, Travis, and Chris). The race kicks off and the dramatic music kicks in. The race is kind of strangely shot so we’re never quite sure what is happening in the race or who is ahead. Sometimes the boats are seriously really close together and listing really heavily and I’m really scared and nervous. But the yellow team prevails! Bittersweet because Arie and Jef are two of my fav’s, but Kalon and Ryan are two of the worst.

         Oh my gosh, baby goblin prince Jef hurt his fingers, but it doesn’t matter because faint heart never won fair lady, right y'all?

The red team is sad they lost. They are “disappointed.” In the car they’re moping, and Charlie might be crying. He might just be tired, but we can’t really tell. Did his brain injury affect his ability to regulate his emotions?

At the “after party” Ryan kicks off by toasting to a “beautiful trophy...possible wife”. Grade A Tool-baggery. Arie steals her away first because he likes her so much and missed her. They are adorable talking and catching up like a real couple. They kiss. These two have fantastic physical chemistry in addition to their “connection.”

               Now we have alone time with Jef, the “master of group dates”! He is always so calm and soft-spoken when talking to camera. The two of them get wrapped up in a blanket by a big beach bonfire. Jef says he really likes who Emily is in between saying “like” a million times. I hate when people do this, but I love Jef so I’m chalking it up to nerves. She kisses his boo-boo finger!!!  And then we get a huge empty moment where there should have been a kiss, and Emily is sad there wasn’t one. She says it’s still fun to wait and anticipate that first great kiss. Smart, smart lady, this one.

Ryan is “being very intentional with what he’s doing” and is being a huge ass by testing Emily. Instead of the run-down of the conversation, here’s just a list of all the aphorisms uttered by Ryan during this segment:

-The enemy of great is good and just being “good” is not enough.

-I’m not here to impress you, but to make an impression upon you.

-If ya ain’t cheatin’, ya ain’t trying.

-Me and you would have some pretty children.

-God designed you to be a beautiful woman, so be a beautiful woman.

-Being flirtatious is a good thing. If you cain’t flirt, what can you do?

-To whom much is given, much is required.

                       Emily sees through all of his BS and doesn’t like the feeling that Ryan is judging her. Preach, lady-sister!

Date rose goes to our pompadour-ed babe Jef! Much to his shock and precious surprise! He feels he’s beginning to fall for her. Fireworks over the bay and everything is lovely, for now...

Y’all, ready for the two-on-one?! The two men going have had barely any screen time yet and this is clearly a fat trimming move. I have to be honest that every time John “Wolf” speaks to camera, I get totally distracted by his job title - “Data destruction specialist”. What is that?! What kind of data does he destroy? Does this mean he has maximum security clearance? Does this mean he’s rich? Does this mean he’s just the copy-room guy in charge of the shredder? What?!

                   In the prison-like hotel suite, the other dudes get into an argument with Chris about age.  Chris gets really heated up that it doesn’t matter, and all the other guys are like “No, there’s a world of difference between 25 and 30.” What was just an average conversation got turned into a tiff thanks to Chris’ 25 year-old, dainty ego.

This two-on-one is so awkward it hurts me. They are on a boat, do some cliff jumping, then go on an amazing trip into cave for their dinner. It’s…painful. Nate keeps saying “kwin-oh-ah” pointing to his plate. Dude, stop talking about fiber and pronouncing quinoa super wrong.

             Emily hates her life in this moment. Nate cries about how great his family and friends are. Emily uses the word “innocent” to describe him and in that moment we know the axe has fallen on poor Nate. It is indeed the end of the road for Nate who makes a very graceful exit. JohnWolf gets the rose. He’s growing on me, but still not super special or stand-out.

           The cocktail party started with forty minutes left in the show, and Emily is in a slamming white jumpsuit. She is one of three people on Earth able to pull this look off. We talk with Alejandro first who is nervous because he hasn’t had hardly any time with Emily this week or at all and HOLY CRAP, YOU GUYS! JEF IS WEARING BERMUDA SHORTS! I SEE WHAT HE DID THERE! He’s also wearing sky-blue KNEE SOCKS!!! I LOVE HIM. KNEE SOCKS AND BERMUDA SHORTS IN BERMUDA 4EVA!

            Ryan is once again talking to Emily and laying it on thick, just...slathering it on. He is so condescending towards her.

Arie and Emily make out some more after telling each other how much they like each other. The two of them truly do have the best connection in the group.

Again, Ryan is such a huge butt-hole that I’m just going to directly transcribe what he said: “I like what I see in her; I see that there’s great potential. But then again, to be very honest with you, I feel like I’m called to something greater…When this whole thing is done, if it doesn’t work out for me, I’ll get involved with the media back home and say ‘Let’s do Bachelor-Ryan…Bachelor-Augusta… If I was the Bachelor, I would be ready to open my heart up, and it would be neat for everybody to see,” then smiles like a Cheshire cat. HE IS A FART BUCKET.

Emily and Sean -28 do have a strong connection considering how little time they’ve spent together. They have a natural ease to their conversation, good ebb and flow. They kiss and it’s nice, but there’s not the same heat as with Arie.

                 Chris rehashes the age thing with Emily again, and rather that really assure her, or me, that he’s mature and ready, it makes me feel like he’s insecure about it. He should be more insecure about the fact that he looks like Sam the Eagle, but instead he pulls Doogie Schnauzer aside to confront him. Doog completely has the upper hand in the argument as he keeps his cool, which just riles Chris up even more. “I’m never, ever gonna stand down to you,” Chris says, and Doog just laughs.

When Chris Harrison walks in to break up the cocktail party, someone dorkily says, “Christopher!” and it killed me but we don’t know who did it! *Sigh* Emily and Christopher have a good talk. Chris Harrison is such a calming presence and great voice of reason.  The most important part of the conversation is Emily admitting her “sixth sense” suspicion of Ryan and how he thinks he’s pulling one over on her. Chris is reassuring about the process, and that Emily needs to, basically, toughen up about the rose ceremony process because it’s her and Ricki's lives at stake.

           Jef in the front of the line in his shorts and rose and jacket is cracking me up. He looks like a Von Trapp! Sean – 28 is called first, good for him. Both Ryan and Kalon are still around, I suspect at the behest of the producers. In the end it comes down to Michael, Alejandro, and sweet, sweet brain-injured Charlie. She picks Alejandro. Alejandro the mushroom farmer who is 24 and very cute but VERY young. What??? Charlie and Michael are both sad to go, and I’m sad to see them go. Both are such sweet, adorable dudes. Michael has never been in love before?!?!?!? Oh, SWEETHEART, you are precious to me! I just want to squeeze them both.

                     Next stop on the world tromp is London!!! It looks like a great episode because Jef has a one on one.  Most importantly there is some major drama! As what I swear to you is the music from Intervention plays, we find out that one man is cold-hearted and sees Ricki as “baggage.” Emily is furious and tells him to “Get the F*** out.” So who could it be? Villain from the start Kalon? Virtual unknown Travis? Or is it someone we already love like Sean? Only time will tell. Until then, keep on your “journey” fellow viewers.

The Bachelor Recap - Episode 2

            There is no time wasted jumping into this week’s episode which purports to be filled with drama and jealousy and dumb, dumb group dates.

Sarah, the beautiful girl born with one arm, wins the very first solo date and she’s just humbly excited as the other girls humbly plan her murder. She actually seems lovely and well-adjusted, but the producers just keep making her talk about the fact that she only has one arm. It’s kind of hard to understand who she is as real, NORMAL PERSON, when all you keep making her say is ONE ARM, ONE ARM, ONE ARM, ONE ARM.

As if from on high, Sean arrives to pick up his date in, you guessed it, a helicopter. Week two, date number one, we’ve got a helicopter. This show is going to make me lose sense of the word helicopter. Sean picks up adorable Sarah and tries desperately not to reach out and grab her stump as he helps her in.

“Oh! So amazing!” he says devoid of true emotion as they sweep over the “feh” landscape of LA.

Sarah voices over, “I might seem unapproachable to you guys because I have one arm, but my ability to love someone is not affected by how many hands I have.” Please God let this be the last mention of her phantom limb.

“We are really high up, if you haven’t noticed,” Sean helpfully points out when they land on a helipad on the roof of a sky scraper. “I brought you all the way up here for a champagne toast, which is all the way down there at the bottom…We are going to free-fall three-hundred feet all the way down!”

Sarah is confused and freaked out and nervous and I’m nervous too because even thinking about heights makes my tummy sad and gurgley. But Sarah bravely trusts completely in Sean (not the cables, harnesses, etc) to guide her safely at the bottom.

I hate this. It is a horrific nightmare somewhere between sky-diving and bungee jumping. I would probably go through with it but I would be displeased at having to prove my ability to have an adult relationship by performing death defying stunts. They make it down, her shrieking the whole way and him kind of bellowing. What a f*cking well-earned glass of champagne that girl drinks down.

Sean and Sarah change into formal ware for “dinner” on what appears to be the bed of a concubine to the King of Siam. Sarah tells a really touching story about not being allowed to zip line because of her disability (ONE ARM) and that today meant a lot that Sean(the stunt company) trusted (made her sign a waiver) in her ability to do something so courageous and fun.

Sean replies by saying that he considers himself a man. Oh, Sean. Help me out here. To be fair though, he’s very affectionate in a not gross way towards her and their body language (MINUS ONE ARM) seems comfortable.

Group date card arrival! Kristie, Katie, Amanda, Brooke, Leslie M., Daniella, Catherine, Robyn, Selma, Diana, Erin, Kacie, and Tierra (barf) are going to “capture the romance”. That’s thirteen. Thirteen women on a group date. Tierra’s pissed. Tierra looks like Latina Britney Spears.

Back on the date, they discuss past relationships and why they didn’t work blah blah blah. Then they head back up the helipad of the building they jumped off for more champagne. He gives her the rose and they kiss! They are blonde and cute.

Now we’re piling into limos for the group date! Most girls are euphoric while Tierra wears her best stank face. They pull up to an insane looking Beverly Hills chateau and Sean in a purple henley. Sean tells them they’ll be doing a photo shoot for covers of Harlequin romance novels. Kristy the Ford model goes insane at the idea. And taking a strange Top Model-esque turn, the girl they decide has the most “real chemistry” with Sean will grace the covers of three different books. Like, why? Why? How is that an incentive? This is one of the dumbest group dates ever.

The girls are grouped into four categories: cowgirls, sexy glam, vampires, and historical. Cowgirls are up first and do such sexual things as embracing on bales of hay, embracing next to a horse, embracing while feed a horse an apple flat-palmed safety-ways so fingers don’t get bitten off.

Everyone already hates Tierra and feels like she’s psycho-high-maintenance-judgmental-fake. Which she may very well be. She is very aggressive and already hates having to share Sean with anyone. This is her face. THIS IS HER FACE.

Kristy the Ford model really takes the reins on her shoot and does some good, sexy modeling, I think? Mr. Jay isn’t there to tell me if she’s too posey, so I have no real idea. But he liked her energy, and she wins the contract. How lucrative.

Now it’s pool party time! Pool party in cocktail attire! Leslie M. is the first to pull Sean away based on their chemistry from the photo shoot. She seems a little young to me and Sean seems like an old soul. They like each other, but they’re kind of awkward together. She’s giggling and he wants to kiss her but won’t and I don’t know. I’m uncomfortable.

As the girls “steal Sean for a second” one by one, Leslie musters up the courage to just take action and get that kiss. Go girl! Daniella is comically upset, but she’s got some cocktails in her so girlfriend’s gonna be alright.

Sean’s favorite thing is to put his hand on a lady’s leg protectively yet affectionately. He does this with Kacie who I’m obviously rooting for because I love her and want to be her friend. They agree that they’re going to explore if they have something. Good. Please let them having something.

Catherine is vegan and makes a joke that “I’m vegan but I love the beef.” And Sean thinks it is a TERRIFIC joke. Heavens, does he give a hearty guffaw over that. It might be the first joke he's ever heard and is delighted at the idea of comedy.

Then we cut to Tierra stuffing her face as she lays herself out on a chaise lounge in a dress covered in boob-fringe. Girl.  Boob fringe is not the way to secure a husband. Selma tries to include her but she refuses. Selma is trying to be nice, but Tierra’s hungry and busy ostracizing herself.

When they talk, Sean tries to reassure Tierra about the whole “process” and about not getting hung up on girl drama. He likes her. He likes her chutzpah. Which. Gross. Why is there always one gross girl that the Bachelor is just blinded by? Every time.

Katie the yoga instructor with amazing curly hair is uncomfortable with “the process”. She talks to Sean who immediately gives her his jacket when she says she’s cold. Swoon. She decides that she needs to go because it’s not the right setting for her. Which is fine and she did it early on and did it with dignity. So he walks her out. Good for her. And good for Sean for being such a gentleman about it. The other girls are just secretly glad to have one less lady around.

It’s rose time. Kacie is GUNNING for it. If he gives it to Tierra I’ll die. But he doesn’t! He gives it to Kacie. That’s my girl! Too bad Tierra says she wants to punch Kacie B. for winning the rose.

Now Sean meets up with the almighty Chrarrison to plan a prank to pull on poor unsuspecting Desiree for her one on one date.

It’s at an art gallery, and I swear to God Chris Harrison says the word “supposably” just like Joey in that one episode of Friends. The plan is for a “supposably” priceless work of art to break and for Desiree to think it’s all her fault! Oh! What droll fun that will be! I always thought this show should be more like Punk’d!

Desiree is just thrilled to be at an art gallery filled with people. That should’ve been her first trigger because never in the history of this show has a date occurred in the presence of other humans. They pull Sean away for an interview leaving Des alone in the room with the priceless work of art priced at $1.5 million. Back in the secret viewing room, Sean begins to regret pulling this heinous prank on really sweet girl.

Then the sculpture thing falls and shatters. Des is trying to keep a game face but is panicked. The actors are being super mean and accusatory to her. She feels terrible. THIS IS THE MOST FUN IMAGINABLE ON A FIRST DATE.

Sean comes in to save the day all, “It doesn’t matter what happened. I’m gonna support you. I’m always gonna support you.” WHICH SEEMS TO BE LAYING IT ON PRETTY THICK FOR A FIRST DATE, SEAN. She looks at him like he’s crazy.

 “But tonight I don’t have to, because these are actors!” he beams. Yes there is so much to be proud of with that stunt you ass.

Since Des took the prank so well, Sean decides it’s alright if she comes back to his place for dinner and a nice date that’s not having fun at her expense. How chivalrous.

Back at his bachelor pad, they have a steak, broccoli, and wild rice dinner. To be honest, that sounds delicious and low key and fun. As they get to know each other, they perpetuate this horrible idea that only people whose parents have successful relationships know how to love and can be good life partners. I’ll fly into a rage about that later, but for now, the two of them look very cozy. They get even cozier as they take a little hot tub time. Hot tub on a first date sounds horrible to me, but everyone on this show seems to love it.  

Des gets the rose and gives a long pause after he asked to accept the rose. She says the prank was rude but then she’s is pranking HIM and accepts ahahahahahah! MORE COMEDY.

At the cocktail party there is a truly horrifying display of cocktail attire from the ladies. Lindsay the wedding dress girl wants to save some face after wearing a WEDDING DRESS and getting a little too drunk the first night in the mansion. Sean pretends to be all very amused by it. They talk about, what else, family. It’s Sean’s favorite topic, so I think she pretty much secured her rose by sharing how much she wants a family.

Back in the living room with all the ladies, Amanda is wearing a pretty yellow dress and an angry face. And, they may have edited this, but she seems to be completely unresponsive to even a direct line of questioning. Very rude and negative.

Robyn is concerned about race and whether or not Sean is attracted to “black females” which is a pretty broad statement. Like, I’m not attracted to all Japanese males just like I’m not attracted to all Venezuelan males. But still, I can see her concern, and she bravely asks him outright.

Sean answers pretty honestly and openly with much the same sentiment. “It’s the mind, and it’s the woman behind the physical appearance,” he says. He’s attracted to who he’s attracted to, and, in fact, his last girlfriend was black. So he just makes the whole point moot and they move on. Man that made my heart swell a little.

Selma tries to teach him a little Arabic. I like her even more. She teaches him to say “you are very beautiful” and she’s just a nice woman and is very, very pretty.

Sour faced Amanda perks right up as soon as Sean steals her away, much to the chagrin of all the other women who think she is rude and mean and arrogant. All they can keep saying is the age-old adage that she’s “not here for the right reasons”.

Rose ceremony time. Sean is conflicted, but here’s who is safe.

Roses from previous dates: Sarah, Kacie B., Desiree.

Roses from tonight: Ashley, Lindsey, Robyn, Jackie, Leslie M., Selma, Catherine, Kristie, Leslie H., Tierra, Taryn, Daniella, and Amanda Drama Queen.

Leaving eliminated only two ladies, Brooke and Diana. That is so many women left that I’m concerned this will be an excruciatingly long process. We have much to look forward to in the drama department next week however as Tierra becomes even more territorial which is ironic considering her name means land in Spanish (it also means Earth and dirt which are also fitting).

See you next time!

The Bachelorette - Episode 8 Recap

       I have been prancing around and singing “Hometown dates! Hometown dates! Toniiiight aaare the hometown daaates!” all day long. It is time, journeyers, time to meet the families of these men. Their families that may make or break them. This cut is always the very hardest I think, and I’m saying right here right now at 6:53pm 7/2/2012, as I prepare to watch the beautiful mess, that Chris is going home tonight and will be the final mystery man on Bachelor Pad*.

              Let us begin! Emily gets to spend some much needed time with her adorable daughter Ricki who clings to her like a baby koala. Ricki is one seriously adorable child, and I love the little scenes where we get to see how great a mom Emily is. I really want this to work out for them.

Just in case you haven’t been paying attention all season long, Emily spends a good couple of minutes recapping each remaining relationship. It all boils down to these basic facts about Chris, Jef, Arie, and Sean: they are nice guys who make Emily feel special and have “qualities” that Emily would look for in a husband. The standouts are Arie and Jef, with Sean close behind, and Chris bringing up the far rear running and waving his arms to be noticed and practically shouting, “HEY! Remember me?!” Emily is a good deal nervous for these dates though, and can we blame her? Meeting someone’s family is hard enough, but with a full camera crew and the knowledge that the whole event will be aired on television, the nerves would be pretttyyy high.

                  First stop is Chris! We get a lot of sweeping shots of the sexy, sexy beast that is Chicago in all its glory. Chris is a big fart, but Emily and he reunite in front of the historic Water Tower because “it’s the closest thing we have to a castle”. Which…false. Has he ever heard of a little thing called the Prairie District? They walk hand in hand down Michigan Avenue like happy tourists. Mr. Sam the Eagle actually made me chuckle at his comment that “On a scale from one to Polish...we’re Polish,” re: his first generation immigrant family. As a second gen-er myself, I can really relate, but I sure hope the Bukowski’s do us proud.

         At the famous Chicago eatery “Polish-American Restaurant”, they have a heart-to-heart about the last discussion they had in Prague. She thinks it’s so nice that Chris is man enough to admit when he’s wrong, but I think he acts like a big baby in time out and only apologizes when he feels he won’t get his way.

Deep in the farm lands far, far away from the city itself is where we find Chris’s family home. They welcome her with open arms and gather around a full dinner table for the meeting. I do believe I spy some pierogis on the table and several other Polish dishes that NO ONE WILL TOUCH BECAUSE THEY DON’T EAT ON THIS SHOW.

His dad, John, pulls Emily aside to talk to her. He’s a sweet man who, of course, loves his son very much. When Emily asks him if he’s ready to be a father to Ricki, he answers, “He will do his best”. As he’s talking, you can see that the apple did not fall far from the tree. John has the exact same mannerisms as Chris when he talks.

Chris’ very lovely mom makes sure he knows that “if you really love this woman, then you’ve got to get out there and kick ass and fight for her.” Chris’ sister Renee puts Emily under fire that if he is not the one and will end up broken hearted, that she should let him go “sooner rather than later”. Harsh words, but knowing Emily, she will do what her heart tells her and be merciful in the breakup.

      Emily and Chrissy have a cuddles moment outside in which Emily is physically pulling away from him. He tells her that he is “Definitely in love with her” and then they have more than just a few grandma kisses. Then, BLESS MY SOUL, there is a traditional Polish band and dance in the family’s backyard! So cute and fun! It should be noted that for however good we are at cooking and embroidery, we are not the best at making good music. And so ends the hometown with Chris. Nothing too groundbreaking on either a good or bad side, but I just don’t think this guy has a snowball’s chance in hell.

      St. George, Utah! All aboard! Jef’s family ranch is huge and surrounded by a national park. Holmstead Ranch is a sweeping masterpiece of landscape that they travel about in an ATV. I’m so jealous on so many levels.

And then they go skeet shootin’! “Who knew Jef in his skinny jeans was such a good shot?” Who knew, indeed, Emily? She’s nervous because he hit all the clay pigeons, but I have faith in our West Virginia girl. She hits them all, and goes, “I may or may not have pretended not to know how to hold a shot gun!” She uses a whole bunch of other guns like a pro. I don’t know why this endears me to her so much, but it really does. Jef and she have such a good thing going on here. They have that easy going thing where they can do anything at all and still have fun.

         Emily’s still hung up on the fact that Jef once broke up with a girl because his family didn’t like her. She is going to have to “work her charm” which is true, but I can’t imagine her Southern graces failing her at all.

Holy Mormonism, y’all. Jef has a ton of family members and sisters with babies on their hips. So many. So many like a beautiful army, and it’s not even all of them. It reminds me of that sketch from Portlandia where Fred and Carrie go to the free-range chicken farm, Aliki Farms, and join the commune as they fall in love with Aliki, and Jef is Aliki in this case.

     This time the fake-meal is a beautiful family picnic, and we’re assured that the toast is a “lemonade toast” because they are super Mormon. I’m a little disappointed that Jef’s brothers are nowhere near as good looking or cool as he is.

Emily keeps fidgeting and adjusting her clothes during her talk with Jef’s brother Steve. She is super nervous about making a good impression on them because she cares so much about him. The chat with the sisters was kind of like a firing range on the View. So many women sitting and grilling Emily and all agreeing he’d be a good father. At the very end, one of the little beans interrupts, and the children flock to her. She just fits right in and wins eeeverybody over. The family all give her two thumbs up, at least to camera.\

      Oh no, Jef wrote down some things that he will read to her now at this very scenic lookout. Hopefully, it’s less bad than Ryan’s horrible letters. Oh. Ok. It is better. It’s a list of things he loves about her and gets choked up about it. I might get the goose bumps because oh.my.gosh. It’s so sweet. He lists all the very little things he loves and promises to love Ricki too. I can’t believe that’s real. That’s a real thing. “It feels perfect inside my heart,” is how Emily sums it up.

Arie-time! Arie time! We meet up with him at the racetrack in Arizona! “I just wanted him to park the car so I could kiss him...Arie definitely looks...stupid hot,” Emily says when he finally gets out of the Indy car. Girl, you got it good right now. They go racing around the track together for funzies.

    At a little picnic, Arie reveals that he’s nervous for his very European (Dutch) parents to meet Emily. He warns that his mother will be the most closed-minded about the whole thing which spurs the little lovebirds to drink! Yay wine! Also yay to the phallic symbol fountain that we admire from afar and up close.

We meet Arie senior, his mom, his twin (SQUEE) brothers, and his lovely sister. They are one beautiful family. Leave it to the Dutch to be stunning. The conversation seems nice until they all start speaking in Dutch in front of her. “So rude!” quoth my friend Jenny, and I must agree. Finally, FINALLY, Arie breaks down and translates for her. It was general small talk, but still, a rude and unwelcoming thing to do.

      Arie’s mom is a little bit...risqué? Is that the word we want? She’s wearing a dress that accentuates her bust and shows her sequined bra strap. She is very tan. This is purely judgmental, but she seems like the crazy lady who is a gold-digger but hires a sexy pool boy to seduce while her husband’s away.

Emily and she have a standard conversation about whether or not Arie is ready for fatherhood. But she does level with Emily that being married to a racecar driver is a difficult life with how much they travel. By the end, the woman has kind of won me over, and she says, “I can’t wait for her to choose him, and they can be together.  They will make an awesome couple!”

    Coming out of the date, the “awesome couple” feel great about how the meeting went. It seems like the best hometown date so far. No shocker there. “I am ready to propose. I am definitely going to marry Emily, and I don’t think of it any other way,” proclaims Arie, and hearts all over America melt to goo.

Last stop, Dallas! We come upon smokin’ Sean and his sexy, sexy dogs. They walk the dogs and pick wildflowers and do some generally cute stuff.

      Some secret drama happens with Sean later, and we here at HQ are speculating that it is either a “Jane Eyre” Mr. Rochester deal where he’s keeping his crazy wife in the attic or it’s a “Psycho” special where he’s keeping his dead mother’s corpse in the basement. Attic or basement? Basement or attic? Time will reveal...

We meet his beautiful blonde family including two lovely moppets. His niece Kensington (seriously?) has a playhouse, but it is like a legit miniature house complete with its own air conditioning unit. It’s called Kensington Cottage which really triggers the old gag reflex. Of course, Emily wins her right over with cooing over the place.

     OH MY GOSH! IT’S PRACTICALLY AN ATTIC BOMB THAT SEAN DROPS! IT’S THE BIGGEST BOMB  THAT SEAN STILL LIVES AT HOME! HE IS 28 AND STILL LIVES AT HOME! HE HASN’T EVEN CLEANED UP.

Wait. He’s got to be pulling a practical joke. There are stuffed animals everywhere and broken cookies. This is an elaborate joke. THANK GOD! It IS a joke. Emily is indignant and kind of barely laughs because she was so sure that he was serious.

       Sean’s family is, of course, incredibly sweet and gracious. His father just has that kind of lovely glow and seems like a pastor/guidance counselor. He is a great man who just adores Emily and would welcome her into that family. His mother is equally kind and sweet.

Yet another great hometown on the bill. So great in fact that Sean chases after her car to give her just a few more kisses at the other side of the cul-de-sac. Sadly, we only see them from a distance because the camera guy couldn’t quite run there fast enough.    

Chris Harrison, dapper as ever, greets Emily for the rose ceremony in Los Angeles. Emily’s hair is high and close to God tonight, yeehaw. They recap everything that happened on the hometowns. Each one went really well and she loved all the families which is why she starts to breakdown talking about the cut she has to make. Like I said, this is the toughest cut to make, and she doesn’t want anyone’s family to think it was because of them.

   Here we go with the rose ceremony. First up is Arie in the least surprising event of all time. Next we got Sir Jef, Prince of the Goblins of Holmstead Ranch. Now it’s down to Sean and Chris......................it’s Sean! It’s Sean! Chris literally slumps in defeat when the ax falls.

He spits, “I’m not too surprised, to be honest with you.” And is really taking this like a dick and kind of disrespects her as she’s being so gracious to him. “I mean, how much faster could it move?! I told you that I loved you!” he interrupts, and she’s totally taken aback. I think it probably only solidified her decision in letting him fly. On his bye-bye limo ride he says he’s ten times the man than any of those men left in there to which I say HAAAAA HAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!  NOT THE TRUTH. “Stimt nicht” as they say auf Deutsh.

     But next week on the show we’re traveling to Curacao. Yet another place the gents can’t find on a map! There are a lot of very pretty sunset water kisses and swimming with dolphins and a very emotional breakdown for Emily. It’s also fantasy suit time you guys which means sexy, sexy kiss, kiss time.

I don’t normally bring up the final credits scene, but this was so exceptional. It featured Sean’s adorable, dorky dad. He pulls a Texas specialty out of the oven covered in tin foil, and tells Emily it’s Sean’s favorite. He reveals “steamed armadillo”! Like, a whole armadillo laying in a roasting pan of vegetables.  Emily, again, tries to be such a Southern lady until the dad squeals out that it’s just a joke! He giggles along with the rest of the family members. His dad totally keeps that fake armadillo around just to pull this joke on any and all northerners who come to their house. And for him, it never gets old. It was really his time to shine, and boy did he ever. Sean’s dad is the best!

Until we connect again next week, y’all!

*Turns out my super sleuthing logic skills were right. Chris Bukowski joins the upcoming season of the Bachelor Pad. Click here for more information on the full cast!

The Bachelor - Episode 8 Recap

WOW. QUICK TURN AROUND. We’re already onto the next episoderight after I posted the last recap. I thought about posting everything all at once, but that’s a lot of pressure. So I didn’t. You get it.

Anyways! Once again, we still have a Rose Ceremony to get through in Iowa to determine who the other three women with hometown dates will be.

Oh my God. Just kidding. Becca has a one-on-one date in Des Moines today. I can’t believe they’re putting us through this. Chris has a chill date with her at the loft he’s staying in. They have a detailed discussion about how Becca’s never been in love before, but that she really feels a strong connection with Chris. They feel strongly for each other but are excited to have more time to figure out their relationship. They watch the sunset from his rooftop and kiss a lot. Quick and painless.

In the hotel suite, the women are sitting around and talking about the Show Down Blow Down from the night before when Britt walks in. She tells the other girls that she has packed her bags and will most likely leave before the rose ceremony the next night. They are surprised because she has such a strong connection to let one rose blow it all.

Britt explains that it’s not as “petty” as just one rose, but rather that she had expressed that she could see herself as his wife and moving to Iowa. She starts to cry.  All the other women are just blankly looking at her because that is what you do on this show. You tell the guy you could envision being his wife and then maybe he doesn’t pick you first. And maybe he doesn’t pick you at all. Britt is just functioning from a delusional place about how this show works. It’s a cracked situation to be sure, but that’s the whole crux of the show. You open up to a man who has all the power and never know where you stand with him.

Britt feels the antagonism of the other women and continues to cry. She leaves the room to cry more, and the women essentially agree that if she really wants to leave, to just leave. Get out and save everyone the drama.

As the women gather in their Modest Ass Suite to assemble for the cocktail party and Rose Ceremony, Chrarrison enters to break the news that there will be no cocktail party. Britt is freaking out because she needed the cocktail party to tell Chris she was going home. Jade is worried because she needed the cocktail party to tell Chris that she did nude modeling. Whatever will happen?!

They assemble at a beautiful mansion for the cocktail party. Chris starts in on his speech about how he’s truly falling in love and believes in the process, but that the decisions he had to make this week were the hardest yet. And just then, Britt interrupts him to pull him aside to talk for “like two seconds.”

Here we go.

As soon as she leaves the room, the women are up in arms. Kaitlyn explains that Britt can’t stand the thought that he might reject her, so she wants for him to beg her to stay or to get the final word and leave before he can dump her. Preach, Kaitlyn! Even Whitney is upset by how selfish she’s being because they are all feeling the same emotions as her. Again, selfish in terms of the show, not real life. Never mistake this show for real life.

But don’t worry, Chris gets to actually shut Britt down all on his own. She is just trying to apologize and be so earnest with him about the other night, and she asks if he has anything to say in reply to her. He doesn’t really but she pushes. And finally he reveals that her behavior just confirmed things he’d heard from other women in the house about Britt being not the most honest person.

Britt then demands to know who said those things. “Was it Carly?” she asks.

“Does it matter?” Chris replies. Britt insists that it does, but Chris doesn’t budge. From that point on it’s all downhill. Britt is scrambling to get ground and a word in edgewise, but Chris plows through ending it all with. “The way Carly reacted was what I would want in my future. And the way you reacted disrespected myself and everyone around you, and that’s something that I don’t want for a wife.”

BOOM. Wow. So Chris still sent her home on his own terms, but he’s still rattled by the whole ordeal. Britt walks out and immediately starts uncontrollably sobbing and sits in the dirt and leaves. Carly is triumphant, but Britt feels so betrayed by Carly. We will be seeing more on that dynamic at the Women Tell All, mark my words.

But Britt, you can’t blame Carly for the way you threw a temper tantrum at Chris for not getting your way. At the end of the day, you dug your own grave on that one.

After composing himself, Chris comes back into the room to explain what happened. He says it was for the best and thanks the people who spoke up about Britt because it only confirmed the suspicions that he was already having.

Whitney gets the first rose (obviously), then Becca, and then Jade gets the final rose. Which means our dear Carly is going home. Carly ultimately got too caught up in the Britt Situation where she should have forged ahead with her relationship with Chris. But I stand by what I said that Carly deserves better than Chris Soules. I wish her the best and look forward to seeing her at the Women Tell All.

The women are sad to see her go. Carly is so upset to be back in the place she feels she always is, but she will overcome. If what you wanted was to feel wanted and like a priority, the Bachelor was not the place to go methinks.

With Carly sent on her way, we move into the Hometown Dates.

We start out in Shreveport (TRUE BLOOD!!!!), Louisiana with Becca. Becca is so beautiful it’s stupid. She is sweet, but is there anything there? We spent so much time focusing on everyone else that I don’t know much about Becca other than her being a virgin. Seems like a great way to generalize a woman’s personality: virgin. Cool. Modern. Feminist.

As they canoe through the bayou, Becca warns Chris that this is the first time she’s ever brought someone home to meet her family. Chris gets very nervous. Becca assures him that he’ll be fine because her feelings for him are real.

“Even though I’ve never been in love before, I’m assuming it starts with the feelings I’m feeling right now,” Becca tells us. She seems like she has a lot of depth.

Becca’s big Louisiana family welcomes Chris with open arms. I can tell right away that Becca’s older sister Katie is going to be trouble.

To wit, Katie pulls Chris aside right away to shoot straight about his feelings for her sister. She starts the conversation by saying how surprised she was that Becca let him touch her knee.

“Becca’s not an intimate person by any means,” she explains. Oh, ok. Cool, cool. Seems like something that is definitely your place to share.

Chris sits down with Becca’s mom next, and she reiterates a lot of the same feelings that Katie impressed upon Chris. The whole conversation can be summed up in her mom’s parting words of, “Don’t break my daughter’s heart. Be sweet. Be tender.” Gross. Bye!

Meanwhile, Becca and Katie are talking about how Chris doesn’t yet know that she’s waiting until marriage to have sex. They come to the decision that waiting until the Fantasy Suite would be a good moment to share her decision with him, and that if all else, they can use the Fantasy Suite to just have some quality time and order room service.

“But the sugar donut is all the treat you’ll be having tonight,” Katie jokes of what Becca might say to Chris in the most disgusting way possible to say “no sex for you.” So odd.

Then it’s time for Chris to leave, and Becca doesn’t want him to go. As they’re kissing good-bye, Chris whispers, “Can I tell you a secret? You’re coming with me.” Why is this whole date tinged with creepiness?

They go to the State Fair to ride the Ferris Wheel. They make out a ton. Becca thinks she’s officially falling in love. The end.

Next up we’re in Chicago for Whitney’s hometown date. They are claiming to be in Chicago, but it’s really some outlying suburb. Instead of giving Chris a tour of the city, she is giving him a tour of her life.

“So what do you say we go make a baby?” she winks. Normally I’d groan and be sick to my stomach but I find Whitney’s exuberance to be genuine and contagious? What’s happening to me?

Chris is blown away to see how passionate Whitney is about her job and how smart she is. She shows him all the parts of how they do what they do at the fertility clinic. She even shows Chris the “Man Room” where they get the male specimen. It’s all very tongue in cheek and they are giggling the whole time. It is high comedy.

Before they go see Whitney’s family at a cool apartment downtown, Chris makes sure to ask Whitney which member of her family he should ask to get their blessing in marriage. It’s actually a really nice gesture. Whitney tells him she’d like him to ask her older sister.

They head inside to meet her family. It’s her older sister Kimberly, her brother-in-law, her Uncle Johnny, and her adorable grandma. There’s someone else there too that was not introduced to us, so that’s weird.

Uncle Johnny and Chris talk together, and Chris seems much more passionate about Whitney and who she is than he was with Becca. Uncle Johnny describes her as a perfect combination of vulnerable yet strong. Chris loves that.

Then we see Kimberly and Whitney having a very real discussion that’s not at all rehearsed. They are arguing, really, about whether or not Kimberly will give Chris her blessing to propose to Whitney. Whitney wants a proposal from him, but Kimberly is not willing to give her blessing with three other women still in the competition. She doesn’t feel comfortable with that, but Whitney wouldn’t feel comfortable saying yes to him without her permission.

Whitney is really emotional and completely understands why Kimberly is so protective with both their parents being gone at a relatively early age. And Kimberly explains to Chris her feelings exactly when he does ask. She explains that she doesn’t want her sister to be one of four, she wants her to be the One to guarantee that he could take care of her the way she does, the way their mom did.

“I want that for her, so call me when you have that for her,” Kimberly says. I think that’s a fair compromise. Whitney is upset to hear that’s the way the conversation went, but Chris tells her that he’s ok with that.

Then to reveal to Chris that she’s fallen in love with him, she shows him a bottle of wine. She bought it in Napa a few years ago, and it was very expensive. But she bought it and told herself that she would share it with the man she wanted to marry. So they share it together. Chris kisses the crap out of her to show his appreciation for that. Whitney feels great about where they are and great about where they could be once the show ends. Me too, frankly. I’ve said it from day one: Whitney makes sense for Chris.

Next up is Kaitlyn in Phoenix, Arizona. Her family is from Alberta, Canada but winter in Arizona, so that’s where they’ll be meeting. How very posh!

She meets Chris is a dirty back alley and man is he worried about that HA HA HA! But they move right into a cool recording studio. So they AREN’T having their date in an alley. Hoo. That was rich. They are going to be laying down some sweet rap tracks. I would rather strangle myself with a live eel than watch this. But here I am.

Watching them recall different things they did so they can write a “rap” hurts me in my soul. Kaitlyn is having a blast because he takes it so seriously. One of the lines is “family means everything and so does an engagement ring.” I WANT TO DIE. I can only imagine the twisting of disgust in the pit of the producer’s stomach that is helping them record. Chris is SO bad at rapping and they are RUINING this art form.

They have fun with it though. I’m glad someone enjoyed that experience.

We finally get to her family and they are SUPER Canadian. We meet Kaitlyn’s mom, step-dad, dad, step-mom, and her sister. Chris then explains how glad he is that even though her parents are divorced, they’ve found a way to make family work.

“It definitely shows me that even in an unconventional family, there’s still a lot of love and support,” he says.

And then I paused Hulu so I could scream at the TV: UNCONVENTIONAL? UNCONVENTIONAL? OH, WOW, YES  DIVORCED AND REMARRIED PARENTS, HOW F***ING UNCONVENTIONAL! HOW RARE AND SPECIAL! OH AND WOW THEY STILL MANAGE TO LOVE EVEN THOUGH SOMEONE’S PARENTS ARE DIVORCED WHAT A F***ING SHOCK, YOU DULLARD PIECE OF HUMAN GARBAGE.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, on this show makes me more enraged than the implication that children of divorce are somehow less capable of relationships. It drives me up the wall and statements like the one Chris just made are the root of all that. What an absolute, small-minded, piece of shit person thinks that divorced and remarried parents is unconventional in 2015? I don’t even know that we’d call Whitney’s family “unconventional” because THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS UNCONVENTIONAL FAMILIES. THERE’S JUST PEOPLE WHO LOVE EACH OTHER AND MAYBE THEY’RE RELATED AND MAYBE THEY’RE NOT BUT JESUS CHRIST, BACHELOR, THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS NORMAL.

Anyhoodle, back to the date. The date starts off very well because Kaitlyn’s “unconventional” family is so warm and welcoming. Her mom is especially thrilled to have Chris there.

Kaitlyn’s mom pulls her aside to chat about the standard mom concerns that even though Kaitlyn is falling in love, she has to be careful because he could break her heart.

As they leave the house, Kaitlyn sets Chris up to see something. She’s very nervous about being so vulnerable. Chris turns around to see a digital billboard lit up that says “Kaitlyn <3 Chris”. Remember when he did that for Andi last season with a plane? It’s a way of letting her guard down to tell him she loves him and to still be cute. It’s fine, I guess.

In Gary, Nebraska, the dark cloud hanging over Jade is both figurative and literal. She really wants to tell Chris about her modeling for Playboy, and is also worried her family might break it to him first. They get straight into the family visit portion.

As Chris talks with Jade’s dad and then her brothers, they are all hinting towards a secret that Jade has. Chris is starting to get worried because they are all not so subtly hinting about how she is a “wild mustang” and a “free spirit”. Her brother Zack is also just concerned about Jade’s willingness to move to Iowa.

“I feel like she’s a hot mustang, but I don’t know about a wild side,” Chris says as he tries his hand at a joke. Again, stop.

After the family date, Jade and Chris have a chat about how Chris doesn’t understand why they keep referring to this wild side he hasn’t seen. Jade takes this opportunity to tell Chris about her modeling for Playboy. She feels like she’s been harshly judged in the past, but explains that she was just going through a time of being free and taking chances at new opportunities. She then comes clean and tells him that she posed nude for the magazine.

Chris is speechless and graceless in handling this. Jade asks to show him some pictures and he just shrugs that if it’s going to make her feel better, then sure. He’s very uncomfortable and feels very strange about it.

He’s being super judgmental of her and everything she’s showing him.

“Jade seemed like a very innocent, somewhat shy girl. I would never have expected something like this to be a part of her past,” Chris tells the cameras. Ok. Sure. Surprising is fine, but I still feel like he’s being really condescending towards her in the interviews. He tells her to feel fine about it, but I don’t think he means it.

“I know you for who you are as a person, and I respect you,” he tells her. And yes, he should listen to that. She is a person not just someone who posed nude. I don’t love Playboy because it is strictly and specifically for the male gaze, but Jade is an adult woman who can make her own decisions about what to do with her body. Prizing “innocence” is such a lie, so I hope he doesn’t let this color how he views her though I know he probably will.

For the rose ceremony this week, everyone gathers in Dubuque, Iowa. The Iowa Tourism Board really won the lottery with this whole dog and pony show. Chris calls Whitney first because now that Brit is gone, we can all agree that she is the front-runner in this thing. Then he calls Kaitlyn, and lastly he calls Becca.

Which means that Jade is going home. Is it necessarily because of what she shared with him this week? No, probably not. But did that color that big dumb goon’s perspective of what was already a relationship not advancing quickly enough? Certainly.

Jade is upset to be leaving, but once again, I have to urge her to see the forest through the trees that she deserves way better than that guy. She’s beautiful and quiet but astute and she deserves great love not some farmer whose face is currently the color of my favorite boots.

Oh wow. This week has been a roller coaster of emotions for me and for the contestants. I’m excited to move towards the Fantasy Suite dates to see if anyone pulls ahead farther than Whitney. And frankly, who among these remaining women could be the next Bachelorette? I don’t know if I have seen her yet.

UNTIL THEN, JOURNEYERS! AU REVOIR! 

Henley Monday -

Look at that smile plastered on this smug S.O.B. It’s like he’s taunting us. Taunting us to gaze so longingly upon his perfectly formed, truly god-like physique and eyes bluer than the ices of Jotunheim. Dear, dear Chris Hemsworth, we are so blessed by your existence and perfect casting/performance as Thor, God of Thunder.

The Bachelor - Episode 9 Recap

Buckle up everyone! It's going to be a bumpy ride! The final few weeks are often the most wrought with emotion, but also the time when it gets harder and harder to fill a two-hour time slot. So let’s see what happens when the gang goes to Thailand and some “suite” cards are laid on the table.

We arrive in the terribly specific “South of” Thailand where Sean describes it as “something out of a movie”. I assume because he has seen movies with his eyes and probably never read books with his brain to compare the scenery to.

Sean thinks about the week to come as he sits on a boat, then walks across the beach, then does a quick change into a tank top to think about the week as he walks through the hotel, then a rock garden, then while lying in a hammock. Sean thinks about Catherine while sitting in front of a fountain. Sean thinks about AshLee while looking off into the middle distance. Sean thinks about Lindsay while walking across the beach! So much thinking and recapping he has to do! He even has to think about it while going for a dip in the pool!

The name of the place they’re staying is Si Kao, and it’s pronounced Sea Cow and that is HILARIOUS stuff right there. Lindsay comes barreling out of the hotel in five inch platform heels and seafoam skirt. Lindsay is excited to tell Sean at their date tonight that she is “in fact” in love with him. Because falling in love with him is NOT ENOUGH for this show.

They get to walk around a cool, local market. They try all sorts of fruits and treats and see cute clothes. Sean remembers Lindsay saying that she’s up for trying anything, but she won’t eat a bug. So he beelines for the bug stand as soon as he sees it. They try a grub and a grasshopper. She doesn’t like it, but Sean is so brave that she manages to do it for him. Isn’t that sweet and codependent?

“I feel like I’m with my high school sweetheart, and that’s what I’m looking for in a marriage,” Sean tells us of Lindsay. I can’t even start with all the problems. First of all, what? Secondly, like are you trying to get back what you had with your high school sweetheart or? What? Seriously, I don’t get this. What?

They sit on the beach and discuss how good their relationship is. “You’re the best friend that I’ve been looking for,” he tells her. I don’t know why, guys, but I’m calling it right here that Sean picks Lindsay. That’s right. My official prediction is that Sean picks the girl who wore a wedding dress the first night.

As the sun sets over “Yong Ling Beach” or “monkey beach” as the helpful scroll tells us, the happy couple help destroy the delicate ecosystem of Thailand by feeding grapes to the monkeys who live there. The monkeys are cute, but my God, people. This is not the way we’re going to save our planet! Don’t give wild monkeys grapes!!! I just hope you washed your dirty little paws.

We do get some spectacular shots of Sean and Lindsay kissing in the water while a monkey eats some grapes, though. Bless, monkeys and camera people, bless.

Dinner takes place in front of spangley, sparkly, blinking Thai floats and flowers made of petals around their little dais. It’s very beautiful if a little garish, but hey, what’s this show if not a little garish? They continue having fun and just talking about why they like each other. Sean also brings up her moving to Dallas, being engaged, picking out a house. These are specific and serious topics. He likes her big time!

She repeats a few times that she takes this all “very serious” and when it comes to family and love she takes it “very serious”. This woman is a teacher, everyone. This woman who doesn’t understand how to even SPEAK with proper grammar and adverb use could be teaching your children. WOE TO THE FUTURE WHERE GRAPE CRAZED MONKEYS AND INARTICULATE CHILDREN SHALL RULE.

Just as she’s getting the gumption to say the words “I love you” to a man contractually obligated not to say them back, a traditional parade of Thai dancers and musicians trounce out. Lindsay is awestruck and keeps asking how to say “thank you” which I appreciate. I like that she is soaking up the culture and trying very hard to be polite.

The moment of truth arrives! Sean hands Lindsay the fantasy suite card, and she struggles through reading it out loud. Lindsay takes no time in accepting the fantasy suite.  FINALLY, when they get in the suite, she hems and haws and squeaks out that she loves Sean. The music swells. I am underwhelmed.

AshLee is up next. She is positively bursting with joy to be here with the love of her life and can’t stop proclaiming how wonderful he makes her feel. They set sail on a big old boat to get somewhere special. I love boats and taking boat rides so much, y’all. AshLee would be content to be on that boat all day and so would I, girl, so would I. But JUST KIDDING! No more relaxing fun for you. Sean is putting you through yet another Fear Factor of Love and making you relinquish control by having him blindly navigate you through a sea cave to get to a private beach.

Have you guys ever seen the movie “The Beach” with Leonardo Dicaprio and Tilda Swinton? There’s a legend about this pristine beach off the coast of Thailand, and Leo really wants to find it. So they finally find it after many trials and live there in this nutso hippie commune and Tilda Swinton is, shocker, totally bazoo, and everything comes crashing down after there is a shark attack and no one can get the injured parties to help fast enough? Yeah so basically that’s all I was thinking about while they got through the cave and finally to the beach.  It is a terrible movie, and this is an equally terrible thing to do to a girl.

In true Bachelor fashion, both Sean and AshLee manage to make being lost in a pitch black sea cave a metaphor for being in a relationship. “I want to prove to her that I can get her to safety without a problem,” Sean assures us. Yeah, ok, great, good thing you need to constantly prove your manhood.

Over dinner, four blinking boats at harbor watch over their wee beach cabana. They talk about why they like each other and how much AshLee loves him.  When the card is presented, AshLee is hesitant. Sean lays out his intentions to use the time to just be alone and talk with no distractions. She is concerned about how things will be perceived, but she ends up accepting.

In the suite they talk about their relationship and how far they’ve come. AshLee tells him exactly what she wants in an engagement ring which makes me cringe. Don’t jinx yourself, lady. Don’t get too far ahead of him!

Catherine has the final date of the week. She adorably comes running up behind him and adorably surprises him with a kiss hello. They get to go for one long big boat ride! They get to go on one of those fancy Asian boats with the big red sails. Am I painting you a picture with my words?

The first thing we see is Catherine screaming “I’m the queen of the world!” from the bow of the ship. Come on Catherine. You and I both know you’re better than that. But they lay down for some heart to heart and talk about how Catherine is totally herself, weirdness and all, in front of Sean. He kisses her head about four times while she’s talking. He likes her too! She’s so cute I can’t handle it. Damn you, Catherine! Let’s be friends!

They have an actual conversation about their future and where they’re both at in terms of wanting to settle down. I like the two of them together you guys. I don’t want to think Sean’s going to pick Lindsay because I think he should pick Catherine!

“Snorkeling. Is. Awesome,” is all Sean has to say about how awesome snorkeling is. The two of them can’t get over how much they like each other. They kiss in the rain and guess what we see? Way too much of Sean’s tongue, that’s what.

Over dinner, Sean asks her more questions about their future. Catherine gives the textbook answers about marriage and kids. She goes on to explain her hesitations about the fantasy suite, and he reassures her about his “intentions” one more time. She accepts!

Catherine gets the best fantasy suite because hers has a little mini pool for swimming and sexy times. She actually has a nice, sincere moment where she tells him that she’s been a little insecure in her life and that she feels totally comfortable around him. He says, “I’m the lucky one!” That is nice. They have a good time. Catherine says journey.

We are reminded of the fact that this is the point at which Emily sent Sean home last time. Sean feels like he’s resolved as to who he’s sending home, and feels confident all through his conversation with Chrarrison. His baby blues almost tear up even as he talks about sending this “sweet” woman home. But, at the end of the day, Sean does see himself getting down on one knee because he is in love with at least one of the women here.

Chrarrison pulls that same video message crap that they pulled last season. Lindsay, Catherine, and AshLee leave emotional and awkward video messages for Sean about just how much he means to her. It is torture to sit through. Sean tears up at all three, but especially during AshLee’s very emotional proclamation about how together they are whole. He isn’t smiling though. Oh, no. Oh, boy. Things look bad. AshLee looks good though. Her dress is boob-tacular.

Moment of truth. Chrarrison gives a somber speech. Sean gives a somber speech about how blindsided he was when Emily sent him home and how sorry he is to be doing the same to one of these women. The first rose goes out to Lindsay, so AshLee and Catherine must wait in agony to find out if their hearts will be shattered. It’s the longest pause in the history of the Bachelor, but finally, quietly he calls Catherine’s name.

The look on AshLee’s face is one that you might see on a person about to kill or seriously maim another person. She is livid. She silently walks out of the rose ceremony as Lindsay whispers, “she looks pissed”. Sean follows and tries to start giving his speech, but AshLee turns right around and says, “Just stay here,” and keeps walking towards the car.

She eventually relents and lets him explain himself. He seriously looks like he’s going to puke as he tears up and tries to explain what’s going on and does a TERRIBLE job at giving her closure. “I think the world of you,” are some pretty effing hollow words, my man. “This wasn’t some silly game to me,” AshLee spits out in the van, “This wasn’t some joyride about joking and laughter and fun.” I believe her 100%, but I think that might’ve also been part of the problem. It would not kill Ash to lighten up just a little. She turns away from the cameras as the real tears start to flow, and we get a pull-away shot of Sean with his head in his hands.

Well, wasn’t that nice and depressing? Real-live heartbreak piped straight into your living room! No matter! Next week is the Women Tell All, and after this season, it is shaping up to be the most dramatic one ever. I mean we’ve got Tierra, we’ve got Amanda, we’ve got Desiree, we’ve got poor one-armed Sarah who should be my friend! It’s gonna be bad, and it’s gonna be so, so good. See you for the juiciness next week, y’all!

The Bachelorette - Episode 3 Recap

Even armed with a twelve pack of Summer Shandy, I’m not sure I’m prepared for this week’s double-header of The Bachelorette. But with tonight, the third episode, Andi and Company are already hitting that rowdy road off to Santa Barbara. That is even faster than usual to begin the traveling.

“I’m so lucky to be here in Santa Barbara. This place is unbelievable from the sand, to the air, to the mountains,” Andi beams. She is thrilled to be both in the lap of luxury and in for some serious romance.

Back at the bro-mansion, Chris Harrison breaks the news to the guys that they are going to Santa Barbara to join her on the dates for the week. First guy making the journey is Nick V! The cutie-patootie from Chicago. “Let’s ride off into the sunset,” the date card reads.

He puts on an adorable olive-drab henley, scoring infinity points in my book. They are going to go bike riding through the town and just have a relaxing date. She is excited that this date on bikes and at the beach is just normal and chill, something they might do in real life.

In LA at the mansion, Andrew and Marcus are having an in depth discussion about Nick’s odds of coming home while both sitting shirtless on a tiny settee on the patio. They tell us that Nick is the biggest skeptic of “the process” in the house, so it could work to his benefit, or it couldn’t. But I’m mostly distracted about the homo-eroticism of two men sitting in towels and heatedly discussing the love life of another man.

After bike riding, Nick and Andi do some hiking in the gorgeous foothill mountains just outside Santa Barbara. They have a really calm, natural energy between them, and Andi is right. By Bachelorette standards, this date is fairly normal/low-key.

Atop a small mesa, Nick tells Andi that he feels the natural amount of skepticism about “the process”, but that he’s been so impressed by her so far she’s blowing him away. Nick is just a regular dude: a great, nice regular dude that if I met in Chicago, I probably would never have pegged as someone who’d be on the Bachelorette. But here he is. Doing great. Being a normal, kind of dorky dude.

They climb farther up the hills to watch a stunning sunset. I do like them together, so we’ll see how far this little “schoolboy crush” goes.

The dinner portion of the date is at the old Santa Barbara courthouse that is in that beautiful, traditional Spanish mission style. She starts right away by asking him why he thinks he’s still single. So he dives into his whole love life including a long high school relationship, a quickly broken engagement, and why all that led him to where he is. Andi loves his honesty and supports his decision to break off an engagement when he knew it wasn’t right.

As they continue talking, Andi realizes that they share a lot of the same views when it comes to love and finding someone to spend your life with. She says it’s “obvious” there’s a connection. She gives him the date rose with the promise that she’ll “make [him] a believer in all this.” They kiss from the top of the bell tower, and it looks like a pretty good kiss, lemme you tell you what.

Now it’s time for the group date I’ve been most looking forward to. These are the men participating: Brian, Marquel, Cody, Tasos, Brett, Ron, Bradley, Josh, Eric, Andrew, Patrick, and Marcus. “Let’s start things off on the right note” says the date card and the men are convinced it’s karaoke.

It’s not karaoke though; it’s so, so, so, so much better. I should start this off by saying I am 100%, un-ironically, obsessed with Boyz II Men. Like there is no group with tighter, more beautiful harmonies in the last thirty years. AND I’M SO EXCITED THEY ARE THERE TO COACH THESE DUDES.

Bradley the Opera Dork is already doing arpeggios on the car ride to warm up. I’ll kill him. Such an embarrassment to Holland, Michigan home of New Holland Brewery and Hope College and two stunning state park beaches!

They are at the Music Academy of the West and enter an auditorium to the three remaining members of Boyz II Men singing “I’ll Make Love to You.” The dudes are appropriately pumped. I have goosebumps because of beautiful harmonieeeeeees!!! I’m so EXCITED FOR THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“I’m pretty sure I touched my first butt to ‘I’ll Make Love to You’ in the 7th grade,” Eric admits. Amazing, dude. Bradley already tries to sing, and I hope he chokes. Josh is really nervous because he’s not trained like Bradley but I think today the underdog shall prevail.

The guys split off into two groups to start rehearsing with their respective Boy II Man. And oh my god! OH MY GOOOOOOD. THEY ARE ALL TONE DEAF. I’M LAUGHING SO HARD I’M CRYING AT JOSH JUST NOT EVEN CLOSE TO MATCHING THE NOTES THE PIANO IS MAKING. Cody is also very not good. Brian is worse than both of them put together. I am SCREECHING and CACKLING with abandon as we cut to Marcus who at least knows how to get away with talk-singing, but it still hurts me so bad.

This is already 100%, without a doubt, my favorite group date in Bachelorette history on sheer entertainment level. Bradley is singing like an opera singer and that hurts me almost as bad as the tone-deaf singing. Tasos is ok. Compared to the rest he’s an American Idol. As they practice the harmonies together it sounds like a pack of wild dogs. They know they suck, so it’s at least laughing with them (but also a good dose of laughing AT them).

Andi is also so, so, so tone deaf it’s incredible, but she is such a good sport with it all. She’s winning me over by being so hilarious and fun with everything. Bradley won’t stop being the WORST, and I can’t wait for the final performance in front of people.

The Boyz are giving some great color commentary about two or three of the guys being able to carry a tune well enough to bring it to water and drown it. I’m laughing on purpose; I’m laughing at their expense. I’m laughing so much. Please, please find a clip of this online and listen in because it will make your life a better place.

The concert starts up with the Boyz II Men singing their new and old hits and slaying the crowd. Marquel is thrilled and says they are #blessed to have the opportunity to sing with them.

The bachelors make their way up to the stage through the soaring voices of the Boyz. They enjoy the concert as nerves rise and rise. During one song, Cody leans over to Andi and says, “hey, whatever happens, this is an awesome experience.” I hate Cody so much, but he is so right in this situation.

Both groups of guys get on stage. One group is in khaki jackets and red ties, and the other group is in matching blue cardigans with bow ties and baseball hats. The music starts up and they do the traditional 90s R&B low-talking to their “girl” at the beginning. Would you be shocked to hear that Bradley starts out? And he’s singing it straight opera-style, and Josh Groban he ain’t. This is not meant to be sung like a trained opera singer, BRADLEY. IT SHOULD COME FROM YOUR HEART AND YOUR LOINS NOT YOUR DUMB DIAPHRAM.

Eric does passably well. Cody is very bad. Brian hurts my ears so much. They are butchering the song but commit to it like someone at karaoke singing Whitney Houston when they know they are in way over their head but having so much fun anyway. Andrew is terrible. Marcus doesn’t remember the words. Bradley is straight up hogging the mic. Everyone is in agreement that they had a blast and it was fun despite ruining the song. I agree too. That was a blast for me.

The cocktail party is poolside at the resort, and Andi is in a killer hot pink, draped, one shoulder dress. She pulls Cody (ugggh) aside first because she feels like she and Cody share a similar sense of humor, and she wants to try a little prank. So she sets up by saying she heard “chatter” that he has a girlfriend.

Cody is shocked and then says, “I’ve been single for about three and half years!” Dawg, you such a playa no one can hold the Cody down for too long, ‘nah mean?! Ha HAAAAA!

But anyways Andi goes on and says, “Well there are guys who’ve been saying you have a girlfriend…and that’s she’s A STRIPPER!!!” AND THEN THEY LAUGH AND LAUGH AND LAUGH. WHAT A HILARIOUS PRANK. Wow. I almost crack a smile it’s so funny, but then I don’t because nothing will ever make me laugh like those men trying to sing a 90s R&B classic.

Man, do they ever laugh. Cody is such a jabronie, and I can’t handle him. But a fun thing is that you can see that his natural hair and eyebrow color is growing in without the opportunity to bleach it every third day. I hope he continues to metamorphose into a normal human man.

Eric is starting to worry about their connection and wondering if it’s perhaps faded a little bit since the initial heat of the first date. Andi tries to reassure him that it’s just a different setting and that she still feels the same for him. Eric accepts this.

Nick brings the date card at the mansion over to the three remaining men sweating it out in the hot tub together. The date is going to JJ! My favorite pantsapreneur around!!!

Marcus is feeling pretty nervous about being around all these other guys when he’s developing real feelings for her. He’s hoping he’ll get his first kiss with her tonight. I 1000% do not understand her obsession with him. They kiss. Marcus feels really great about it. I do not.

Josh continues to be adorable with is dimples and tiny scarf on his big body. They make out hardcore because she likes him a lot. He is kind of yucky and VERY, VERY sensual. I’m sorry I just said sensual, you guys, but there is no other word for the way Josh is behaving. He’s close talking and whispering and interspersing tiny kisses with long, deep kisses. Josh got mad game, yo.

And for “opening up” to her (WITH HIS MOUTH HOLE) the date rose goes to Josh. He’s stoked. Bradley is crestfallen in a dumb red satin tie. SATIN. I mean honestly.

And now it’s time for JJ’s date. He’s so tall and cute. Andi is stoked, as am I. He is wearing quite the pair of pants that I can only assume are his design. The date today though is the most cracked thing you could imagine.

They are going to “grow old together” which is funny in theory, but in actuality they are just being put into full body old age makeup complete with hair, clothes, and I imagine a ton of spirit gum. It really feels like the producers were scraping the bottom of the barrel with this one.

JJ looks like the Crypt Keeper, legitamtely, and he says it. “I look like a creepy old uncle or grandfather! Whatever…I look like a really creepy old man.” They both have a good hearty laugh about how dumb he looks and kind of cute she is. They go for a walk on the boardwalk to try and fool some people with their act. I don’t like it. They basically just stage whisper to people as their old people voice, and it is just terrifying.

But they both seem to have a lot of fun with roaming around Santa Barbara on motor scooters.

They yuck it up throwing a football around a park and doing some cartwheels. They just keep laughing fooling all these people. I don’t think they’re really fooling anyone, but they both have so much fun. They share an awkward first kiss swinging around on a tire swing.

Um and then in the CUTEST moment of the whole day, JJ pulls a Werther’s Orignal out of his pocket for Andi. Then they ride a carousel together and continue to be generally adorable.

Meanwhile, Ron gets a distressing phone call. He’s pacing around the driveway of the mansion and speaking in Hebrew/English to someone. He packs all his bags as the guys wildly speculate as to what happened. He comes in to say good-bye, and share that his close friend has passed away. He’s so cute. Literally my roommate and I were just cooing over him during the group date, and I feel so bad for him. Poor Ron! Godspeed. We wish you well.

 Back at the date for dinner, the two meet up back to their normal, young selves. JJ is still dressed kind of like an old man, but in the most charming and adorable way. He will probably have a rough patch of adult acne for the next week because of that makeup though.

JJ really opens up about being picked on and having to switch schools because he was having such a hard time. And he talks about how it’s hard for him as a weird, quirky guy to find a girl that will really love him. JJ! You SWEET, PEACH OF A MAN. Andi assures him that they all worry about finding someone and encourages him to continue just being himself.

He’s so cute, you guys. I can’t stand it.

More Mansion Drama is going on with the men though. Not boy-fights, but Dylan Bad Hair-Good Face has some life stuff he’s worried about telling Andi. So in the interest of telling someone before he explodes from nerves, he tells Farmer Chris, who is turning out to be the Renee of this season. He’s such a sweetheart as he listens to Dylan BH-GF pour his heart out about having both a sister and a brother pass away from drug abuse. This poor, poor man. He cries a little and Chris puts a reassuring hand on his back. These two. Like a couple of puppies.

Andi is really taken with JJ though in all his goofy, sweet ways. He tells her about his most recent past relationship and blah, blah, blah. Can you all tell that this is always my least favorite part? No one cares! Get to the good stuff! JJ’s talking a lot though, so I hope Andi’s not turned off by that.

She gives him the date rose though and they share a lovely kiss that isn’t hindered by layers of old-age makeup and spirit gum.

At the start of the rose ceremony, Andi sheds a tear or two over Ron having to leave. Her heart is aching for him and his loss, and she is so grateful for the men sacrificing their time to be there. Andi’s dress tonight is on point. Finally. It’s this deep raspberry, strapless number. I love it.

While Andi is talking to Eric and having a good time, a delivery guy walks in and hands her a bouquet of flowers she has to sign for. “I wish I was responsible for this,” Eric whispers as Andi reads the heartfelt card from none other than…Nick! That is a slick, slick move Nick (the Producers). How very cunning of you (the producers) to concoct such an elaborate scheme.

Andi feels really bad for being so happy about the flowers while Eric is sitting there. He is totally thrown off his game. Poor Eric.

Nick totally wins all of the points from Andi for sending those flowers. She loves that it seems like real life that he just sent the girl he likes flowers. Nick admits that he wants to make this process seem as close to real life as possible and do exactly what he’d do under normal circumstances. Andi loves this, of course.

But once again, and I have a feeling not for the last time in the next two episodes, drama erupts. JJ pulls Josh aside to discuss what they witnessed the week prior when they went out to dinner, and Andrew not only got the hostesses number, but also bragged about it to the other guys at dinner.

Josh and JJ are the truth police and pull Andrew aside to talk to him about it. I at least like that they talk to Andrew about it first, instead of running straight to Andi. The phrase “here for the right reasons” gets thrown around a lot. And Andrew just says “I’m not going to engage in this. I’m sorry.” And walks away which is exactly how a guilty asshole behaves. They chase him through the house demanding he “man up” and are finally turned away by him slamming a door.

Andrew decides to come out of his temper tantrum ready for battle. He feels that Josh and JJ attacked him, and you know, he’s the type of person who will give anyone the benefit of the doubt, “even dorks, even assholes, even the f***ing nerds.” SHOTS FIRED, ANDREW. SHOTS. FIRED.

He comes downstairs to confront the guys in the kitchen over a cheese platter and some cocktail meatballs (I’m hungry). He tries to defend himself saying that he was handed a phone number and that was that. But all the other guys are saying that no, he “got” a girl’s number then proceeded to brag about it to everyone else in the van on the way home and to the other guys in his room back at the house. He’s being an absolute ass hat about the whole thing. I don’t like this guy to begin with, so every move he makes just digs him deeper and deeper into being a smarmy yucko.

Andrew won’t stoop to the level of the “three lowlifes” who confronted him. What an ass.

But with all that being said, we go straight into the rose ceremony with nothing being said to Andi. Which leads me to believe that the major drama tomorrow night will be as a result of this shit hitting the fan.

Roses go to: Marcus, Brian, Marquel, Tasos, Cody, Patrick, Chris, Eric, Dylan, and the final rose goes to Andrew.

Which leaves Brett the hairstylist with a mullet-mohawk and Bradley the Dweebus opera singer going home. It also leaves tensions high and hackles raised amongst the remaining guys with Andrew squeaking by. Until tomorrow, folks! We’ll see you there.