Sorry it has taken me a little longer to blog this week. I was out of town. This week was what we've been waiting for all season: the proposal! Over the past 12 weeks, we've watched Ben date 25 different women in hopes of finding his princess. Now, we are down to the final two women, Lindzi and Courtney. Hopefully one of these women have what it takes to find happily ever after with Ben.
Ben and the two remaining women travelled to Zermatt, Switzerland to spend their last moments together before Ben's big decision. Just like the season premiere, the season finale begins with Ben brooding over balconies, contemplating his future (full circle moment, eh?). The difference this time is that Ben is no longer looking for love, he's found it. He says he is head over heels in love with BOTH of these women. Now Ben has the difficult decision of choosing his (hopefully) future wife. Thankfully, Ben's mom and sister Julia have made the trip to Zermatt to meet the final two women and help Ben make this difficult decision.
Before meeting the girls, Ben sits down with his mom and sister to catch them up on what his journey has been like and where he's at now. His sister asks Ben if one of the girls caused drama and fights with the other girls. It seems Julia has a sixth sense because not only did Ben have a troublemaking girl this season (Courtney), but she's still in the running. Ben's sister warns him it's a red flag if she doesn't get along with the other girls. Of course, Ben does what he has done all season and ignores any warnings about Courtney's behavior.
Lindzi has the honor of meeting Ben's family first. Its very obvious that Lindzi is nervous upon meeting Ben's mother and sister. She says that she's never felt this way about anyone before so she has every right to be nervous about getting the family's approval. Ben's mom sits down with Lindzi to ask her some questions. Lindzi tells her that she is in love with Ben and he has made her a more open person. Lindzi says she doesn't want to let him go. Lindzi tells Julia that she's excited for Ben to propose. Julia asks Lindzi about Courtney because of the apprehension she has about her. Lindzi says Courtney is different and shut herself off from everyone else. This doesn't sit well with Julia. However, Julia does seem to like Lindzi a lot and says she thinks she is a good fit for Ben. Ben's mom says that Lindzi is the total package and a great girl. Lindzi seems to have gotten a great stamp of approval from the Flajniks.
Next the family meets Courtney. After hearing that Courtney is a model, Julia is concerned about the type of girl she is. Courtney acts immature when meeting Ben's family. She tells them the other girls were very judgemental of her because she is a model and intimidated them. She acts super fake to Ben's mom and sister. She tells them that her problem with the other girls was that she tried really hard to be their friends and they didn't want to get to know her. Which us girls at home all know are complete LIES. She tells Julia that she put her guard up around the other girls. She also tells her that she is in love with Ben. When Courtney talks to Ben's mom, she very insincerely says she loves Ben. The way she says she loves him is like she is talking about a puppy. "I just love 'em!" After Courtney leaves, we learn that Ben's naivete is a Flajnik family trait. Julia says she is shocked that Courtney is so amazing (um,what?). She said she misjudged her and you can't judge a book by its cover. Ben's mom simply states that Ben is happy with Courtney and that's what matters (aka she doesn't love Courtney).
After meeting both girls, Ben talks with his family to get some perspective. Julia thinks he has two amazing girls left. Ben's mom really seems to like Lindzi. They think that Courtney is strong and secure. Julia thinks that Courtney is what Ben wants. Ben tells them he knows that if he chooses Courtney, there will be controversy. At this point, it sounds like Ben's mind is already made up that he is going to choose Courtney.
Ben picks up Lindzi in a horse drawn carriage (how appropriate) for their last date together. The couple are going to go skiing, which Lindzi is very excited about because she's never been before. They take a gondola ride up to the top of the hill. The stop in the middle to have a picnic over the Swiss Alps. Lindzi tells Ben she really enjoyed meeting his family. Ben informs her that his family supports his decision if he decides to choose her. She asks Ben if he can seem them together in the future. His answer is yes. She tells him she really wants a future with him and he seems to be excited that she shares this with him. After lunch, they go skiing (cue The Bachelor finale music and cheesy metaphors about love and skiing). In the later portion of the date, Ben comes over to Lindzi's hotel room and they share some wine. Lindzi tells him that no one has come along in her life that is really worth letting in until now. Lindzi says those three magic words to Ben and that she wants to make a life with him. In interviews, Ben says its hard to not be able to say anything back to her when she says she loves him. One major thing Lindzi's date lacked was a gift. Its a known tradition that the final two women give special gifts to The Bachelor on their final date.
Courtney's last date with Ben begins with her saying in her interview that Lindzi has no depth. (Courtney has obviously learned her lesson and quit bashing the other women, right?) Ben and Courtney take a helicopter ride through the Swiss Alps and over The Matterhorn. They have a picnic in the snow and discuss Courtney's meeting with his family. Ben says his mother and sister loved her, which Courtney responds to with a childish squeal of joy. She tells Ben she doesn't regret anything and that he's worth it all. The pair spend the rest of the afternoon sledding. The later portion of the date takes place in Courtney's hotel room. In her phony way, Courtney says she loves Ben and has never felt like this before. She makes jokes out of everything and is rarely serious when discussing her feelings for Ben. Courtney remembered the final date present tradition and gives Ben a photo album of their journey and a love letter she wrote. Courtney confronts Ben about her past issues with the girls coming up with his family. She didn't think it was still an issue for them and starts to doubt his feelings for her. In her interview, Courtney says with fake tears that she loves Ben.
Keeping with tradition, Ben meets with Neil Lane to pick out an engagement ring. He says it feels different than it did when he picked it out for Ashley. There's only one woman he is thinking about while picking out the ring. His mind is clearly made up. The girls are seen getting ready for their meeting with Ben and discuss their journeys. For some reason, the girls both wear weird long capes with their dresses. Both girls are wearing black dresses. Lindzi's dress is strapless with a long skirt covered with feathers. Courtney wears long black gloves to accompany her simple black gown.
Now its the moment we've all been waiting for. Whoever steps out of the limo first, or in this case helicopter, is the girl who is going to be rejected. Us girls at home gather close to the television holding out for the sight of those hideous black gloves. But unfortunately, all our fears have been realized when we see the black feathers at the bottom of the dress. Lindzi is about to walk into her worst nightmare, being rejected from the man she loves on national television. She is escorted by Chris Harrison to Ben and our stomachs sink because we all know what is about to happen. Lindzi approaches Ben with confidence. She starts to tell him how much she loves him but her words trail off because she can see it in his face. Lindzi doesn't even have to ask, she knows Ben will not be getting down on his knee for her. Ben tells Lindzi what an amazing woman she is and then the awful word make its appearance: but. He says he is in love with someone else and he has found the love of a lifetime with someone else (harsh?). Lindzi is quiet for a while as Ben escorts her out. She tells him she's mad at herself for not giving him what he needed (honey, you didn't do ANYTHING wrong). Then she says an awful phrase no self-respecting woman should ever say: "If things don't work out, call me." Lindzi should realize she is a great catch and should never be anything but someone's FIRST choice. Lindzi seems to be very shocked that it wasn't her. She walked in with so much confidence and walked out heartbroken.
Now its the moment we've all been dreading. Ben is about to propose to this season's villain and most hated bachelorette, Courtney. The proposal is not anything like we wanted to be. It isn't romantic, it isn't fairytale like, it isn't emotional. The entire thing is fake and hard to believe. Courtney should never try acting because her performance as a woman head over heels in love with Ben Flajnik was weak at best. She pulls out her phony, pageant crying face and fans her face with her hand. Courtney cannot contain her joy at the size of the ring. She makes a huge deal about how much she loves the ring. It makes sense though because we all know it was all about winning the prize for her, and I don't mean Ben. They exchange corny "I will love you forever's with each other. He gives her the rose and she lets out one last evil witch cackle. In my opinion, this was the most unromantic proposal in Bachelor history. I think when Brad Womack rejected both girls there was more passion than Ben's proposal to Courtney. Also, did anyone notice the lack of happily ever after Bachelor finale music? Apparently, the producers were Team Anyone But Courtney too.
I know the majority of us were let down by the ending of this season. Apparently, love really is blind. Hopefully, Ben realizes Courtney's insincerity before its too late. And if not, hopefully they will find a happy life together.
AFTER THE FINAL ROSE
After the Final Rose gives us a little more insight into Ben and Courtney's relationship. Basically, Courtney and Ben's relationship was good for about a month. Then the show aired. Obviously, problems arose for Ben as he saw how Courtney was acting behind his back throughout the season. It became too difficult for Ben and he broke off the engagement while the show was airing. He and Courtney didn't talk for a period of time. Ben blames the tabloids for causing problems in their relationship. He swears on his father's grave that he never cheated on Courtney. On Valentine's Day, Ben and Courtney were not speaking and he did not send her any type of gift. Courtney said Ben abandoned her. But it seems Courtney and Ben still love each other and are working on their relationship. Even though they have trust issues with each other, they are moving forward with their engagement. Ben gives Courtney back her ring. Ben thinks the worst is behind them and they can now move forward together.
After the Final Rose does not offer any kind of assurance that Ben and Courtney's love is real. It still seems as fake as ever, mostly on Courtney's part. The audience boos Courtney and seems to hate the couple. This has never been the case. Normally everyone is thrilled for the happy, new couple and can see how smitten in love they are. The entire show was uncomfortable and awkward. The only redeeming moment was when Ashley and J.P. made an appearance. They seem super happy and more in love than ever. They were a joy to watch and announce they are planning to get married within a year.
Interestingly, Lindzi did not make an appearance on After the Final Rose. Looks like Courtney finally got what she wanted, for the show to be all about her.
The future of Ben and Courtney's relationship does not look bright. Ben needs to learn that just because you are going through a hard time does not mean you can pause a relationship until things are better. I hope that our Bachelor finds true happiness whether it be with or without Courtney.
I'll leave you with this funny video which pretty much sums up this season. I'll be back in May for the next season of The Bachelorette with Emily Maynard!
A weekly recap of ABC's The Bachelor.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
The Final Three
We are quickly approaching the finish line, ladies. In this week's episode, Ben and the final 3 girls traveled to Interlaken, Switzerland to spend some serious romantic one-on-one time. Each lady had a whole day (and night) dedicated to just her. The feelings are running deep now and with that comes serious heartbreak.
Ben's first date of the trip was with Nicki. She greeted Ben with a classic Bachelor run and jump hug. Its obvious that since hometown dates Nicki's feelings for Ben have grown tremendously. After a short hiatus during hometown dates, the helicopter has returned to Bachelorville. Nicki and Ben take a romantic helicopter ride over the lake and through the beautiful mountains. The helicopter drops them off on a mountain where they share a romantic picnic. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. The mountains behind them don't look real. During the picnic, Nicki tells Ben how happy she is with where there relationship is and where its heading. In interviews, Ben says he always has a smile whenever he is with Nicki.
In the later portion of the date, Ben surprises Nicki with a romantic candlelight dinner. Ben asks Nicki important questions about how she will integrate into his life if they end up together. With confidence, Nicki tells him she sees herself moving to Sonoma to be with him and making a life for herself there. After dinner, the famous envelope from Chris Harrison makes its appearance. Inside the envelope is a key to the "Fantasy Suite" and an invitation to Ben and Nicki to spend the night there together. Without any hesitation, Nicki accepts the key. In the fantasy suite, Ben and Nicki drink some wine by the fire. Then they get in the hot tub and it gets pretty steamy! After that, the Bachelor cameras leave them alone for the rest of the night.
The second date in Switzerland goes to Lindzi. Ben surprises Lindzi with an andrenaline-pumping date. They have to rappel down a 350 foot gorge. Lindzi is not exactly thrilled with this choice of date, but she overcomes her fears and goes down the gorge with Ben. In interviews, Ben says he "loves this woman." Granted, this is not a flat out "I love you," but its pretty darn close. After rappelling, Ben and Lindzi relax in the hot tub for a little while before dinner. Lindzi talks about how she is no longer an "ice queen" and has become a new girl because she has put her guard down. Ben can tell that Lindzi has been more open with him and he really likes it.
Later, the couple has an elegant dinner together. Lindzi tells Ben she now realizes that her previous relationship was not a good one. She's learned from that relationship and can now appreciate what she and Ben have. Lindzi tells Ben she is falling in love with him and wants him to propose to her in the end. In interviews, Ben mentions love again saying he is "starting to love" Lindzi. The white envelope makes another appearance and Lindzi also accepts the key.
The last date of the trip is Courtney's. She and Ben take a train ride to a nearby town to spend the day exploring. They go to a bakery and some other shops to buy food for their picnic. After acquiring all the necessary supplies, the couple has a picnic in a field with cows grazing around them. Ben brings up Courtney's situation with the other girls and how badly she treated them. She says she regrets being mean to them and should have been nicer. Ben actually gets kind of irritable and says he doesn't want to get into it with her.
In the evening, they enjoy some wine by the fire and talk some more about Courtney's issue with the girls. She tries to defends herself saying she's never gotten along with girls well. This concerns Ben because he has lots of women in his life and he needs support from his partner. Ben seems to feel better about this issue because Courtney acknowledges the mistakes she made. Ben presents Courtney with the key to the fantasy suite and, of course, she accepts it. They get into a hot tub the size of a kitchen sink and then the cameras give them some privacy.
During this week's episode of The Bachelor, we got to see a little sneak peak of the upcoming season of The Bachelorette. The new Bachelorette is Emily Maynard, the winner of Brad Womack's (second) season. This season of The Bachelorette will be filmed in Emily's hometown Charlotte, NC so she can be at home with her young daughter. During the sneak peak, Emily met up in LA with previous Bachelorettes Ali Fedotowsky and Ashley Hebert. They share some advice with Emily about being the Bachelorette while spending the afternoon shopping, getting their make up done, and going to see Titanic 3D.
After the Bachelorette sneak peak, there is a shocking twist when Kacie returns. She shows up at Ben's door and he is very surprised to see her. She's really nervous about talking to Ben and is shaking. She tells Ben she came back because she wants answers. She was so confident in what they had and was blindsided when he sent her home. Ben explains that they are worlds apart with where they come from. He didn't think he could give her what she needed and didn't see her in the end. Kacie says she love him and doesn't want his heart to be broken. She tells him if he does pick Courtney, he will get his heart broken. She warns him again about her suspicions that Courtney's intentions aren't sincere and that she doesn't have real feelings for Ben.
After Kacie's impromptu visit, Ben has a deliberation with Chris Harrison (yay!). Ben says he is really confused after talking to Kacie. Chris asks Ben if he wants Kacie in the rose ceremony, but Ben thinks too much has happened this week with the other girls. Unfortunately, Ben does not take Kacie's advice and sends Nicki home.
IN:
-Lindzi
-Courtney
OUT:
-Nicki
Next week: The Women Tell All reunion special! The girls get their chance to confront Ben! Girls we are just 2 weeks away from the Bachelor finale!! Have a great week!
Ben's first date of the trip was with Nicki. She greeted Ben with a classic Bachelor run and jump hug. Its obvious that since hometown dates Nicki's feelings for Ben have grown tremendously. After a short hiatus during hometown dates, the helicopter has returned to Bachelorville. Nicki and Ben take a romantic helicopter ride over the lake and through the beautiful mountains. The helicopter drops them off on a mountain where they share a romantic picnic. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking. The mountains behind them don't look real. During the picnic, Nicki tells Ben how happy she is with where there relationship is and where its heading. In interviews, Ben says he always has a smile whenever he is with Nicki.
In the later portion of the date, Ben surprises Nicki with a romantic candlelight dinner. Ben asks Nicki important questions about how she will integrate into his life if they end up together. With confidence, Nicki tells him she sees herself moving to Sonoma to be with him and making a life for herself there. After dinner, the famous envelope from Chris Harrison makes its appearance. Inside the envelope is a key to the "Fantasy Suite" and an invitation to Ben and Nicki to spend the night there together. Without any hesitation, Nicki accepts the key. In the fantasy suite, Ben and Nicki drink some wine by the fire. Then they get in the hot tub and it gets pretty steamy! After that, the Bachelor cameras leave them alone for the rest of the night.
The second date in Switzerland goes to Lindzi. Ben surprises Lindzi with an andrenaline-pumping date. They have to rappel down a 350 foot gorge. Lindzi is not exactly thrilled with this choice of date, but she overcomes her fears and goes down the gorge with Ben. In interviews, Ben says he "loves this woman." Granted, this is not a flat out "I love you," but its pretty darn close. After rappelling, Ben and Lindzi relax in the hot tub for a little while before dinner. Lindzi talks about how she is no longer an "ice queen" and has become a new girl because she has put her guard down. Ben can tell that Lindzi has been more open with him and he really likes it.
Later, the couple has an elegant dinner together. Lindzi tells Ben she now realizes that her previous relationship was not a good one. She's learned from that relationship and can now appreciate what she and Ben have. Lindzi tells Ben she is falling in love with him and wants him to propose to her in the end. In interviews, Ben mentions love again saying he is "starting to love" Lindzi. The white envelope makes another appearance and Lindzi also accepts the key.
The last date of the trip is Courtney's. She and Ben take a train ride to a nearby town to spend the day exploring. They go to a bakery and some other shops to buy food for their picnic. After acquiring all the necessary supplies, the couple has a picnic in a field with cows grazing around them. Ben brings up Courtney's situation with the other girls and how badly she treated them. She says she regrets being mean to them and should have been nicer. Ben actually gets kind of irritable and says he doesn't want to get into it with her.
In the evening, they enjoy some wine by the fire and talk some more about Courtney's issue with the girls. She tries to defends herself saying she's never gotten along with girls well. This concerns Ben because he has lots of women in his life and he needs support from his partner. Ben seems to feel better about this issue because Courtney acknowledges the mistakes she made. Ben presents Courtney with the key to the fantasy suite and, of course, she accepts it. They get into a hot tub the size of a kitchen sink and then the cameras give them some privacy.
During this week's episode of The Bachelor, we got to see a little sneak peak of the upcoming season of The Bachelorette. The new Bachelorette is Emily Maynard, the winner of Brad Womack's (second) season. This season of The Bachelorette will be filmed in Emily's hometown Charlotte, NC so she can be at home with her young daughter. During the sneak peak, Emily met up in LA with previous Bachelorettes Ali Fedotowsky and Ashley Hebert. They share some advice with Emily about being the Bachelorette while spending the afternoon shopping, getting their make up done, and going to see Titanic 3D.
After the Bachelorette sneak peak, there is a shocking twist when Kacie returns. She shows up at Ben's door and he is very surprised to see her. She's really nervous about talking to Ben and is shaking. She tells Ben she came back because she wants answers. She was so confident in what they had and was blindsided when he sent her home. Ben explains that they are worlds apart with where they come from. He didn't think he could give her what she needed and didn't see her in the end. Kacie says she love him and doesn't want his heart to be broken. She tells him if he does pick Courtney, he will get his heart broken. She warns him again about her suspicions that Courtney's intentions aren't sincere and that she doesn't have real feelings for Ben.
After Kacie's impromptu visit, Ben has a deliberation with Chris Harrison (yay!). Ben says he is really confused after talking to Kacie. Chris asks Ben if he wants Kacie in the rose ceremony, but Ben thinks too much has happened this week with the other girls. Unfortunately, Ben does not take Kacie's advice and sends Nicki home.
IN:
-Lindzi
-Courtney
OUT:
-Nicki
Next week: The Women Tell All reunion special! The girls get their chance to confront Ben! Girls we are just 2 weeks away from the Bachelor finale!! Have a great week!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Hometown Dates
This week's episode was hometown dates! Personally, this is my favorite episode of the whole season. It gives us a chance to see the girls in their element at home with their families. Ben headed back to the States this week to meet the girls' families!
Ben's first stop was Ocala, FL to meet Lindzi's mom and dad. Naturally, Lindzi greeted Ben by riding up on a horse. (This week the tables were turned because the girls were the ones planning the dates!) Lindzi starts their date by taking Ben on a carriage ride around her family's property Then they settle down for a picnic lunch and talk. Lindzi tells Ben that after her last train wreck of a relationship, she has put walls up. She tells Ben that she wants to be open with him and is going to let her guard down for him.
After their lunch, they take a carriage ride through the woods to meet Lindzi's parents and their two dogs. After chatting with Lindzi's parents, Ben learns they were married in San Francisco City Hall, which coincidentally is where Ben and Lindzi's first date was (wedding bells near?). Then Lindzi's parents challenge Ben and Lindzi to a carriage race. Showing age is not a factor, Lindzi's parents win the race. As punishment for the losing team, Ben and Lindzi have to pull Lindzi's parents back to the house in the carriage. Lindzi tells her mom in a private conversation that she's falling in love with Ben. Ben asks for Lindzi's dad for permission to propose. Her dad gives a wishy-washy answer, but ultimately he says he just wants her to be happy. They end the day by roasting marshmallows together around a big fire. In interviews, Ben says that his feelings for Lindzi have grown a lot in one day. He thinks her heart is really in it because she is finally opening up to him.
The next stop for Ben was Clarksville, TN to meet Kacie's family. Ben arrives at the high school football field to find Kacie twirling her baton with the marching band. Kacie greets Ben with a classic Bachelor move: the run and jump hug. Kacie and Ben take a seat in the bleachers. Kacie shares with Ben that the football field was named after her grandfather. She talks about her grandparents and how much she admired their love for each other. Ben asks Kacie if there is anything he needs to know before meeting her family. She informs him that her dad is a very conservative man and does not drink any alcohol (bad news for a winemaker, eh?). This seems to worry Ben a little because he may be too different from Kacie's family.
The couple arrives at Kacie's house where Ben meets Kacie's mom, dad, and sister. With confidence, Kacie calls Ben her "husband" in a conversation with her sister because she is positive he's the one for her. Kacie's parents seem to be very skeptical of the whole Bachelor process. Ben sits down with Kacie's very southern dad to discuss his feelings for Kacie. Ben tells him that he has liked her from the beginning and thinks they have great communication. He asks Kacie's dad how he feels about the situation. Her dad strongly urges Ben not to rush into anything and take it very slow. Then Ben has a conversation with Kacie's mom. She tells him she is concerned about Kacie moving in with him if he picks her. Its obvious that Kacie's parents are protective over her and have very traditional values. Kacie's dad tells her that if Ben asked for permission to marry her right now he would tell him no because he thinks they need to take it slower. Kacie seems to be very uneasy at the end of the day and its obvious this was a very rocky hometown date.
Making his way through the south, Ben's next hometown date was in Fort Worth, Texas with Nicki. Ben arrives downtown to meet Nicki and they walk around together. Their first stop is a cowboy boot store. After doing some shopping, the two emerge from the store dressed in complete cowboy attire. They make their way to a park to have a picnic. Nicki talks to Ben about how her parents dealt with her failed marriage. He is concerned about what Nicki's parents will think, but she assures them they will be very welcoming.
Ben meets Nicki's mom, dad, and brother. Nicki's parents have been divorced since she was little but they seem to have a good relationship. Nicki's mom tells her that she sees a connection with Ben that is different than with her first husband. A very giddy Nicki confesses to her mother that she is in love with him. She has a very emotional conversation with her dad about how she wasn't ready for a long time but now she's ready to be with someone else. Nicki's family seems to really like Ben and they tell him they want to see them together in the long run. At the end of the day, Nicki tells Ben that she's in love with him and he seems to be very pleased after hearing this.
The last hometown date for Ben is in Scottsdale, Arizona to meet Courtney's family. Ben arrives at Courtney's house and meets her dad, mom, and sister. They all have lunch together while getting to know each other. Courtney tells her sister that she's very happy. She thinks she's been with the wrong people before and that Ben is different. Courtney's dad has a private conversation with Ben and asks if he is ready to make the commitment, to which Ben answers yes. Courtney talks to her mom and tells her she is really falling for Ben (we also learn that Courtney gets her lack of personality and weird mouth quirk from her mother).
After visiting with Courtney's family, the couple have a picnic in a local park. Ben makes sure that Courtney knows he wants to be married because Courtney's previous boyfriends have not wanted that. Courtney mentions that the park they are in is a place she would love to be married in. Magically, there is a wedding set up nearby (Bach producers at work once again). They go explore the wedding venue. Courtney pulls out notebooks from her bag so they can write "vows" to each other. She also has a bow tie for Ben and she just happens to be wearing a white dress. I'm all for the cheesiness of The Bachelor, but they don't need to act so surprised in these OBVIOUSLY planned situations. Ben and Courtney read their fake vows to each other in front of a preacher at the front of the altar. At the end of Courtney's vow, she confesses to Ben that she loves him. Ben seems to be very giddy after she shares this with him.
Before the rose ceremony, Ben sits down with Chris Harrison to discuss the hometown dates. I was extremely happy they included this segment this week because I think precious Chris Harrison needs more screen time. Ben needs some wisdom imparted on him from time to time. Overall, Ben thinks the hometown dates went very well and enjoyed getting to meet the girls' families. He says the decision is a very tough one for him. Sadly, it seems that Kacie's family's differences were just too much for Ben to handle and sweet Kacie did not receive a rose. She did not take it well and had a very emotional limo ride home.
Next week on The Bachelor: Ben and the girls travel to Switzerland and it looks like there will be ANOTHER surprise visit to Ben's hotel room! Have a great week girls!
IN:
-Courtney
-Lindzi
-Nicki
OUT:
-Kacie
Ben's first stop was Ocala, FL to meet Lindzi's mom and dad. Naturally, Lindzi greeted Ben by riding up on a horse. (This week the tables were turned because the girls were the ones planning the dates!) Lindzi starts their date by taking Ben on a carriage ride around her family's property Then they settle down for a picnic lunch and talk. Lindzi tells Ben that after her last train wreck of a relationship, she has put walls up. She tells Ben that she wants to be open with him and is going to let her guard down for him.
After their lunch, they take a carriage ride through the woods to meet Lindzi's parents and their two dogs. After chatting with Lindzi's parents, Ben learns they were married in San Francisco City Hall, which coincidentally is where Ben and Lindzi's first date was (wedding bells near?). Then Lindzi's parents challenge Ben and Lindzi to a carriage race. Showing age is not a factor, Lindzi's parents win the race. As punishment for the losing team, Ben and Lindzi have to pull Lindzi's parents back to the house in the carriage. Lindzi tells her mom in a private conversation that she's falling in love with Ben. Ben asks for Lindzi's dad for permission to propose. Her dad gives a wishy-washy answer, but ultimately he says he just wants her to be happy. They end the day by roasting marshmallows together around a big fire. In interviews, Ben says that his feelings for Lindzi have grown a lot in one day. He thinks her heart is really in it because she is finally opening up to him.
The next stop for Ben was Clarksville, TN to meet Kacie's family. Ben arrives at the high school football field to find Kacie twirling her baton with the marching band. Kacie greets Ben with a classic Bachelor move: the run and jump hug. Kacie and Ben take a seat in the bleachers. Kacie shares with Ben that the football field was named after her grandfather. She talks about her grandparents and how much she admired their love for each other. Ben asks Kacie if there is anything he needs to know before meeting her family. She informs him that her dad is a very conservative man and does not drink any alcohol (bad news for a winemaker, eh?). This seems to worry Ben a little because he may be too different from Kacie's family.
The couple arrives at Kacie's house where Ben meets Kacie's mom, dad, and sister. With confidence, Kacie calls Ben her "husband" in a conversation with her sister because she is positive he's the one for her. Kacie's parents seem to be very skeptical of the whole Bachelor process. Ben sits down with Kacie's very southern dad to discuss his feelings for Kacie. Ben tells him that he has liked her from the beginning and thinks they have great communication. He asks Kacie's dad how he feels about the situation. Her dad strongly urges Ben not to rush into anything and take it very slow. Then Ben has a conversation with Kacie's mom. She tells him she is concerned about Kacie moving in with him if he picks her. Its obvious that Kacie's parents are protective over her and have very traditional values. Kacie's dad tells her that if Ben asked for permission to marry her right now he would tell him no because he thinks they need to take it slower. Kacie seems to be very uneasy at the end of the day and its obvious this was a very rocky hometown date.
Making his way through the south, Ben's next hometown date was in Fort Worth, Texas with Nicki. Ben arrives downtown to meet Nicki and they walk around together. Their first stop is a cowboy boot store. After doing some shopping, the two emerge from the store dressed in complete cowboy attire. They make their way to a park to have a picnic. Nicki talks to Ben about how her parents dealt with her failed marriage. He is concerned about what Nicki's parents will think, but she assures them they will be very welcoming.
Ben meets Nicki's mom, dad, and brother. Nicki's parents have been divorced since she was little but they seem to have a good relationship. Nicki's mom tells her that she sees a connection with Ben that is different than with her first husband. A very giddy Nicki confesses to her mother that she is in love with him. She has a very emotional conversation with her dad about how she wasn't ready for a long time but now she's ready to be with someone else. Nicki's family seems to really like Ben and they tell him they want to see them together in the long run. At the end of the day, Nicki tells Ben that she's in love with him and he seems to be very pleased after hearing this.
The last hometown date for Ben is in Scottsdale, Arizona to meet Courtney's family. Ben arrives at Courtney's house and meets her dad, mom, and sister. They all have lunch together while getting to know each other. Courtney tells her sister that she's very happy. She thinks she's been with the wrong people before and that Ben is different. Courtney's dad has a private conversation with Ben and asks if he is ready to make the commitment, to which Ben answers yes. Courtney talks to her mom and tells her she is really falling for Ben (we also learn that Courtney gets her lack of personality and weird mouth quirk from her mother).
After visiting with Courtney's family, the couple have a picnic in a local park. Ben makes sure that Courtney knows he wants to be married because Courtney's previous boyfriends have not wanted that. Courtney mentions that the park they are in is a place she would love to be married in. Magically, there is a wedding set up nearby (Bach producers at work once again). They go explore the wedding venue. Courtney pulls out notebooks from her bag so they can write "vows" to each other. She also has a bow tie for Ben and she just happens to be wearing a white dress. I'm all for the cheesiness of The Bachelor, but they don't need to act so surprised in these OBVIOUSLY planned situations. Ben and Courtney read their fake vows to each other in front of a preacher at the front of the altar. At the end of Courtney's vow, she confesses to Ben that she loves him. Ben seems to be very giddy after she shares this with him.
Before the rose ceremony, Ben sits down with Chris Harrison to discuss the hometown dates. I was extremely happy they included this segment this week because I think precious Chris Harrison needs more screen time. Ben needs some wisdom imparted on him from time to time. Overall, Ben thinks the hometown dates went very well and enjoyed getting to meet the girls' families. He says the decision is a very tough one for him. Sadly, it seems that Kacie's family's differences were just too much for Ben to handle and sweet Kacie did not receive a rose. She did not take it well and had a very emotional limo ride home.
Next week on The Bachelor: Ben and the girls travel to Switzerland and it looks like there will be ANOTHER surprise visit to Ben's hotel room! Have a great week girls!
IN:
-Courtney
-Lindzi
-Nicki
OUT:
-Kacie
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Black Widow Spiders in Belize
This week Ben and the girls traveled to Ambergris Caye, Belize! This week was a little different than past weeks. Now that we're getting down to the final girls the rules have changed a little. This week's episode had 3 one-on-one dates and one group date. There were no roses on the one-on-one dates and one rose on the group date. This week is about the girls getting to spend as much time as possible with Ben before they take him home to meet their families!
The first one-on-one date went to Lindzi. Ben and Lindzi are picked up by a helicopter (classic Bachelor) and taken out over the beautiful water surrounding the island of Ambergris Caye. The helicopter hovers over an area Ben calls the "Blue Hole," which is a huge circle of coral reef surrounding a deep part of the ocean. Ben and Lindzi decide they are going to jump out of the helicopter into the water (yikes!). Lindzi is really afraid of heights and is scared to jump. After some convincing (and kissing!) from Ben, Lindzi is able to conquer her fears. She and Ben jump together into the deep water below. This was an excellent use of The Bachelor's "conquering fears leads to love" theme. In the later portion of the date, the couple enjoys a beautifully arranged picnic on a dock next to the water. Ben tells Lindzi that its a 2-way street and asks if she would like to bring him home to meet her parents. Of course she says she would love for him to meet her parents and tells him she's falling for him. At the end of their date, Lindzi and Ben write a message in a bottle. They write a fairy tale about their journey so far together and send it out into the ocean.
Emily had the pleasure of receiving the second one-on-one date. Courtney gets really upset that Emily has the one-on-one date. She even starts crying. What?! Courtney is human?! Anyway, Emily and Ben spend the day exploring Ambergris Caye. Emily meets Ben on another part of the island (by plane!). First, they take a bike ride around the town. Then they do lots of different activities like buy coconuts, play basketball, do shopping, and even dance to street music. They come across a boat and "spontaneously" decide to go diving for lobsters for dinner (we all know spontaneous is not in the Bach producer's vocabulary). The later portion of the date they dance together at a local party. Then they have dinner and discuss the possibility of Ben meeting Emily's family. Emily tells him she wants to bring him home with her and even extends a formal invitation to him to come to her house.
The last one-on-one date goes to Courtney (ugh). Thankfully Ben chose her for a one-on-one date because Courtney said if she didn't get asked on a one-on-one this week she wouldn't accept a rose from Ben (seriously?). They begin their date by walking through the jungle when they "come across" a massive temple. They climb part of the way up the temple and stop to have a picnic. Now it's time for Courtney to manipulate Ben some more. She tells him ONCE AGAIN she's unsure of his feelings for her. AKA she needs him to "validate" her feelings by giving her rose. All this girl wants is a rose, not Ben's heart. She just wants the most attention she can get. And as we've all learned by now, Ben falls for it. He tells her how much he cares about her and wants to meet her family. Suddenly Courtney's mood seems to change and she's as chipper as ever. After their picnic, they climb to the very top of the temple. The later part of the date is a candlelight dinner by a pool. Ben confronts Courtney about her relationship with the other girls. She says she wouldn't be friends with any of them in real life. This should be concerning to Ben because obviously Ben likes the other girls for some reason and Courtney says she would never be friends with people like that. Courtney then blabs about being a model (has she mentioned, she's a model?) and how she's dealt with people like them before. Ben hangs on her every word. Shocker.
Group date girls: Kacie, Rachel, and Nicki. The girls are awakened very early in the morning by Ben. It's complete chaos as the girls stumble out of bed and try to hurry and get ready for their date. The girls go out on a boat in the ocean and Ben informs them that they are going shark diving! Nicki and Kacie are very excited but Rachel is not. Nicki and Kacie get in the water with no problem, but Rachel takes some serious coercing from Ben. Nicki and Kacie get mad that Rachel is monopolizing Ben's time because she's scared to get in the water. Rachel eventually gets over her fears and jumps in the water. They go back to their house for the later portion of the date to relax and hang out outside. While Rachel is talking to Ben, Kacie and Nicki discuss Courtney, comparing her to a black widow spider because she sucks the life out of everything. They decide that they should confront Ben about her. Nicki talks to Ben about how great she feels about their relationship. Kacie tells Ben she is falling in love with him and wants her parents to meet him. Ben is very pleased with Kacie's openness about falling in love with him and gives her the rose, which secures her a hometown date next week! At the end of the date, the girls warn Ben about their concerns that Courtney does not have the right intentions.
At the cocktail party, Chris Harrison appears and tells the girls that Ben would like to skip the cocktail party because he has already made his decision. But this is contradicted when right before the rose ceremony, Ben pulls Courtney aside to talk. Us girls at home think finally Ben has come to his senses! He questions why she is there and tries to get some clarification on the doubts he is having about her sincerity. But sadly girls, Courtney talks her way back into Ben's heart and he gives her a rose at the rose ceremony (see full list below).
Next week: HOMETOWN DATES AHH! Have a great week Bachelorettes!
IN:
-Kacie
-Nicki
-Lindzi
-Courtney
OUT:
-Emily
-Rachel
The first one-on-one date went to Lindzi. Ben and Lindzi are picked up by a helicopter (classic Bachelor) and taken out over the beautiful water surrounding the island of Ambergris Caye. The helicopter hovers over an area Ben calls the "Blue Hole," which is a huge circle of coral reef surrounding a deep part of the ocean. Ben and Lindzi decide they are going to jump out of the helicopter into the water (yikes!). Lindzi is really afraid of heights and is scared to jump. After some convincing (and kissing!) from Ben, Lindzi is able to conquer her fears. She and Ben jump together into the deep water below. This was an excellent use of The Bachelor's "conquering fears leads to love" theme. In the later portion of the date, the couple enjoys a beautifully arranged picnic on a dock next to the water. Ben tells Lindzi that its a 2-way street and asks if she would like to bring him home to meet her parents. Of course she says she would love for him to meet her parents and tells him she's falling for him. At the end of their date, Lindzi and Ben write a message in a bottle. They write a fairy tale about their journey so far together and send it out into the ocean.
Emily had the pleasure of receiving the second one-on-one date. Courtney gets really upset that Emily has the one-on-one date. She even starts crying. What?! Courtney is human?! Anyway, Emily and Ben spend the day exploring Ambergris Caye. Emily meets Ben on another part of the island (by plane!). First, they take a bike ride around the town. Then they do lots of different activities like buy coconuts, play basketball, do shopping, and even dance to street music. They come across a boat and "spontaneously" decide to go diving for lobsters for dinner (we all know spontaneous is not in the Bach producer's vocabulary). The later portion of the date they dance together at a local party. Then they have dinner and discuss the possibility of Ben meeting Emily's family. Emily tells him she wants to bring him home with her and even extends a formal invitation to him to come to her house.
The last one-on-one date goes to Courtney (ugh). Thankfully Ben chose her for a one-on-one date because Courtney said if she didn't get asked on a one-on-one this week she wouldn't accept a rose from Ben (seriously?). They begin their date by walking through the jungle when they "come across" a massive temple. They climb part of the way up the temple and stop to have a picnic. Now it's time for Courtney to manipulate Ben some more. She tells him ONCE AGAIN she's unsure of his feelings for her. AKA she needs him to "validate" her feelings by giving her rose. All this girl wants is a rose, not Ben's heart. She just wants the most attention she can get. And as we've all learned by now, Ben falls for it. He tells her how much he cares about her and wants to meet her family. Suddenly Courtney's mood seems to change and she's as chipper as ever. After their picnic, they climb to the very top of the temple. The later part of the date is a candlelight dinner by a pool. Ben confronts Courtney about her relationship with the other girls. She says she wouldn't be friends with any of them in real life. This should be concerning to Ben because obviously Ben likes the other girls for some reason and Courtney says she would never be friends with people like that. Courtney then blabs about being a model (has she mentioned, she's a model?) and how she's dealt with people like them before. Ben hangs on her every word. Shocker.
Group date girls: Kacie, Rachel, and Nicki. The girls are awakened very early in the morning by Ben. It's complete chaos as the girls stumble out of bed and try to hurry and get ready for their date. The girls go out on a boat in the ocean and Ben informs them that they are going shark diving! Nicki and Kacie are very excited but Rachel is not. Nicki and Kacie get in the water with no problem, but Rachel takes some serious coercing from Ben. Nicki and Kacie get mad that Rachel is monopolizing Ben's time because she's scared to get in the water. Rachel eventually gets over her fears and jumps in the water. They go back to their house for the later portion of the date to relax and hang out outside. While Rachel is talking to Ben, Kacie and Nicki discuss Courtney, comparing her to a black widow spider because she sucks the life out of everything. They decide that they should confront Ben about her. Nicki talks to Ben about how great she feels about their relationship. Kacie tells Ben she is falling in love with him and wants her parents to meet him. Ben is very pleased with Kacie's openness about falling in love with him and gives her the rose, which secures her a hometown date next week! At the end of the date, the girls warn Ben about their concerns that Courtney does not have the right intentions.
At the cocktail party, Chris Harrison appears and tells the girls that Ben would like to skip the cocktail party because he has already made his decision. But this is contradicted when right before the rose ceremony, Ben pulls Courtney aside to talk. Us girls at home think finally Ben has come to his senses! He questions why she is there and tries to get some clarification on the doubts he is having about her sincerity. But sadly girls, Courtney talks her way back into Ben's heart and he gives her a rose at the rose ceremony (see full list below).
Next week: HOMETOWN DATES AHH! Have a great week Bachelorettes!
IN:
-Kacie
-Nicki
-Lindzi
-Courtney
OUT:
-Emily
-Rachel
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Shocking Revelations in Panama
In this week's episode Ben and the girls traveled to Panama City, Panama! Last night's episode was a dramatic one for sure. This week featured the dreaded two-on-one date and an unexpected interruption by Chris Harrison with some shocking news!
The first date of the week was a one-on-one and went to Kacie B.! Kacie B. is the first girl to get 2 one-on-ones and some of the girls still haven't even had one! Ben must like Kacie B. a lot if he picked her for this date. The date card says that she must pack 3 things with her to take to a deserted island. Kacie and Ben are picked up at the house by a helicopter (3rd week in a row!) The helicopter takes the couple around Panama City and then drops them off on a deserted island. Kacie and Ben share the three things they brought with them to survive on the island. Kacie packed a stuffed monkey, a pocket knife, and some candy. Kacie is cute, but really how is a stuffed monkey going to help you if you're deserted on an island? Thankfully Ben brought all useful things: a machete, fishing net, and some matches. They spend the afternoon hacking down coconuts, making a fire, catching fish, and making a small meal out of it. The couple seems to have a fun afternoon together. In the later portion of the date, Kacie and Ben have a beautiful outdoor dinner. During dinner, Kacie tells Ben a secret she has been wanting to share with him for while. While she was in high school, Kacie had an eating disorder. She tells Ben about how it changed her and what she learned from that dark period in her life. Ben seems to be very happy that Kacie was so open with him and shared this personal secret. After a wonderful day together, Ben gives the rose to Kacie B.
Group date ladies: Emily, Nicki, Lindzi, Casey S., Courtney, and Jamie. Ben takes the girls out on a boat through the rainforest of Panama. They come up to a bank and find little boys in loincloths playing soccer. They decide to get out of the boat and explore. They "stumble upon" a friendly village (thanks Bach producers). There is a language barrier but Ben and the girls are able to effectively communicate with the village. The natives give the girls handmade beaded tops to wear. All the girls put the tops on over their bathing suits, except Courtney (shocker). Of course the beaded top does not cover Courtney's boobs and for the rest of the date she has a constant blur over her chest (classy). In the interviews, Courtney says she is the only one making moves on Ben and the other girls don't know how to, when really the other girls just aren't as slutty as Courtney. Ben emerges wearing only a loincloth and the ladies LOVE it (what girl with a heartbeat wouldn't?!). They spend the afternoon body painting, visiting with the natives, and learning about their culture.
The later part of the date is a poolside party at the Trump Ocean Club. Lindzi confesses to Ben that she's cried over him because its hard to see her "boyfriend" with all these other women. Courtney pulls the same stunt she's pulled before by manipulating Ben. She tells him she's feeling unsure of how he feels about her, which is a cheap ploy to get him to give her the rose. This girl literally infuriates me. I get so angry and yell at the TV because Ben doesn't see how CRAZY she is! While Jamie tries to have some special alone time with Ben, which is really important for her this week, Courtney tries to sabotage it. In Ben's line of sight, Courtney strips down to her bikini and flaunts herself. She runs around the pool, makes loud noises, and lays on her back while seductively rubbing herself in attempt to get Ben's attention. And OF COURSE, it works. Poor Jamie is trying to talk to Ben and he can't keep his focus on her because he's drooling over Courtney. This is one of the many reasons us girls at home detest this model chick. Emily and Ben have some nice one-on-one time. She says she's over all the drama and feels like she's back on track with him. When its just the girls, Emily genuinely apologizes to Courtney (no clue why), but of course Courtney doesn't accept it and rudely tells Emily they will never be friends (take back that apology Emily!). Lindzi gets the rose on the date (yay not Courtney!). Earlier in the date, Courtney had planned to meet Ben for another late night rendezvous, but thankfully he never showed.
Its finally time for this season's awful two-on-one date! And the two unlucky girls are Rachel and Blakely. Blakely is oddly excited to be on the two-on-one date. She's excited to have to compete against only one other girl for Ben's attention as opposed to a group date. Rachel, on the other hand, is less than thrilled. The girls go with Ben to Habana Panama to learn Salsa dancing! The girls get changed into more appropriate dancing dresses. Unfortunately Blakely looks straight out of an 80s prom in a horrendous puffy pink dress. Rachel and Ben have some good chemistry while dancing. Blakely uses her sexuality while dancing with Ben and wraps her leg around him. This date is so awkward and uncomfortable for the girls because they have to stand there and watch while the other has a turn with Ben. The later portion of the date they have dinner and Ben pulls them each aside for some one-on-one time. Rachel tells Ben to give her a chance and she really thinks they could have something special (did anyone else notice the weird flashing lights on their faces while they talked? police cars maybe?). Blakely gets emotional in her conversation with Ben. She shows him a scrapbook she has made of their journey. I found this a little creepy. That's something a girl in the final 2 would do after the whole process. Blakely hasn't spent THAT much time with Ben. Ben gives the rose to Rachel and Blakely immediately storms off. She gets super emotional and Ben tries to calm her down. He puts her in the car and sends her home.
Time for the unexpected Chris Harrison entrance! They girls are just sitting and talking when Chris comes in. If Bachelor history has taught them anything, they all know this means something bad is going on. Chris asks Casey S. to come with him outside so they can talk. Once outside, Chris tells Casey S. that he has 3 sources back in the United States who "brought it to his attention" that Casey S. is still in love with her ex-boyfriend. Her ex-boyfriend says that they are still in a relationship. Um, WHAT!? Please tell me this girl isn't pulling a Frank from Ali's season! Casey S. explains her boyfriend did not want to get married and that is not something she is willing to compromise on. She came on the show looking for marriage but admits that she should not have come on the show. She isn't over her ex because she's still holding out hope that he will change. Chris takes Casey S. up to Ben's room to share the news. She confesses to Ben she's not completely over her ex and Ben is a little upset. He tells her he could tell she's been holding back. He says he wished that she had told him earlier because he has sent home girls who really wanted to be there. Casey ends up getting super emotional and leaves the show. Ben lets the news sink in while leaning on the balcony (yay balcony shot!). Casey sobs the entire car ride. Chris tells the girls what happened and they are all SHOCKED. I hold nothing against Casey S. because she really didn't do anything wrong. She can't help the way she feels and she was trying to get over her boyfriend. But obviously, she wasn't ready for this and needed to go home.
The cocktail party is pretty drama-less. Ben says he just needs the time to get a little clarity about his decision for that night. In a last attempt to hook Ben, Jamie makes a complete fool of herself. She thinks the best strategy is to use her sexuality to win him over. Bad choice, honey. She makes it completely awkward by telling Ben when she's laying in bed at night she thinks about what she would do with him (OMG so inappropriate!). Then she straddles him in attempt to have a hot make out sesh, but she just ends up making it awkward. To make it even MORE uncomfortable, she then tries to tell him a play by play of how they are going to kiss. So awkward! I wonder how many glasses of wine she had at that cocktail party. Unfortunately, Jamie's actions seal her fate as the girl who does not receive a rose in this week's rose ceremony (see full list below).
Next week: The girls and Ben go to Belize, relationships start getting serious, and the Courtney drama comes to a head.
Have a great week ladies and get excited because we are just two weeks away from HOMETOWN DATES! Ahh! Any predictions on who it will be?!
IN:
-Kacie B.
-Lindzi
-Rachel
-Nicki
-Courtney
-Emily
OUT:
-Blakely
-Casey S. (by choice)
-Jamie
The first date of the week was a one-on-one and went to Kacie B.! Kacie B. is the first girl to get 2 one-on-ones and some of the girls still haven't even had one! Ben must like Kacie B. a lot if he picked her for this date. The date card says that she must pack 3 things with her to take to a deserted island. Kacie and Ben are picked up at the house by a helicopter (3rd week in a row!) The helicopter takes the couple around Panama City and then drops them off on a deserted island. Kacie and Ben share the three things they brought with them to survive on the island. Kacie packed a stuffed monkey, a pocket knife, and some candy. Kacie is cute, but really how is a stuffed monkey going to help you if you're deserted on an island? Thankfully Ben brought all useful things: a machete, fishing net, and some matches. They spend the afternoon hacking down coconuts, making a fire, catching fish, and making a small meal out of it. The couple seems to have a fun afternoon together. In the later portion of the date, Kacie and Ben have a beautiful outdoor dinner. During dinner, Kacie tells Ben a secret she has been wanting to share with him for while. While she was in high school, Kacie had an eating disorder. She tells Ben about how it changed her and what she learned from that dark period in her life. Ben seems to be very happy that Kacie was so open with him and shared this personal secret. After a wonderful day together, Ben gives the rose to Kacie B.
Group date ladies: Emily, Nicki, Lindzi, Casey S., Courtney, and Jamie. Ben takes the girls out on a boat through the rainforest of Panama. They come up to a bank and find little boys in loincloths playing soccer. They decide to get out of the boat and explore. They "stumble upon" a friendly village (thanks Bach producers). There is a language barrier but Ben and the girls are able to effectively communicate with the village. The natives give the girls handmade beaded tops to wear. All the girls put the tops on over their bathing suits, except Courtney (shocker). Of course the beaded top does not cover Courtney's boobs and for the rest of the date she has a constant blur over her chest (classy). In the interviews, Courtney says she is the only one making moves on Ben and the other girls don't know how to, when really the other girls just aren't as slutty as Courtney. Ben emerges wearing only a loincloth and the ladies LOVE it (what girl with a heartbeat wouldn't?!). They spend the afternoon body painting, visiting with the natives, and learning about their culture.
The later part of the date is a poolside party at the Trump Ocean Club. Lindzi confesses to Ben that she's cried over him because its hard to see her "boyfriend" with all these other women. Courtney pulls the same stunt she's pulled before by manipulating Ben. She tells him she's feeling unsure of how he feels about her, which is a cheap ploy to get him to give her the rose. This girl literally infuriates me. I get so angry and yell at the TV because Ben doesn't see how CRAZY she is! While Jamie tries to have some special alone time with Ben, which is really important for her this week, Courtney tries to sabotage it. In Ben's line of sight, Courtney strips down to her bikini and flaunts herself. She runs around the pool, makes loud noises, and lays on her back while seductively rubbing herself in attempt to get Ben's attention. And OF COURSE, it works. Poor Jamie is trying to talk to Ben and he can't keep his focus on her because he's drooling over Courtney. This is one of the many reasons us girls at home detest this model chick. Emily and Ben have some nice one-on-one time. She says she's over all the drama and feels like she's back on track with him. When its just the girls, Emily genuinely apologizes to Courtney (no clue why), but of course Courtney doesn't accept it and rudely tells Emily they will never be friends (take back that apology Emily!). Lindzi gets the rose on the date (yay not Courtney!). Earlier in the date, Courtney had planned to meet Ben for another late night rendezvous, but thankfully he never showed.
Its finally time for this season's awful two-on-one date! And the two unlucky girls are Rachel and Blakely. Blakely is oddly excited to be on the two-on-one date. She's excited to have to compete against only one other girl for Ben's attention as opposed to a group date. Rachel, on the other hand, is less than thrilled. The girls go with Ben to Habana Panama to learn Salsa dancing! The girls get changed into more appropriate dancing dresses. Unfortunately Blakely looks straight out of an 80s prom in a horrendous puffy pink dress. Rachel and Ben have some good chemistry while dancing. Blakely uses her sexuality while dancing with Ben and wraps her leg around him. This date is so awkward and uncomfortable for the girls because they have to stand there and watch while the other has a turn with Ben. The later portion of the date they have dinner and Ben pulls them each aside for some one-on-one time. Rachel tells Ben to give her a chance and she really thinks they could have something special (did anyone else notice the weird flashing lights on their faces while they talked? police cars maybe?). Blakely gets emotional in her conversation with Ben. She shows him a scrapbook she has made of their journey. I found this a little creepy. That's something a girl in the final 2 would do after the whole process. Blakely hasn't spent THAT much time with Ben. Ben gives the rose to Rachel and Blakely immediately storms off. She gets super emotional and Ben tries to calm her down. He puts her in the car and sends her home.
Time for the unexpected Chris Harrison entrance! They girls are just sitting and talking when Chris comes in. If Bachelor history has taught them anything, they all know this means something bad is going on. Chris asks Casey S. to come with him outside so they can talk. Once outside, Chris tells Casey S. that he has 3 sources back in the United States who "brought it to his attention" that Casey S. is still in love with her ex-boyfriend. Her ex-boyfriend says that they are still in a relationship. Um, WHAT!? Please tell me this girl isn't pulling a Frank from Ali's season! Casey S. explains her boyfriend did not want to get married and that is not something she is willing to compromise on. She came on the show looking for marriage but admits that she should not have come on the show. She isn't over her ex because she's still holding out hope that he will change. Chris takes Casey S. up to Ben's room to share the news. She confesses to Ben she's not completely over her ex and Ben is a little upset. He tells her he could tell she's been holding back. He says he wished that she had told him earlier because he has sent home girls who really wanted to be there. Casey ends up getting super emotional and leaves the show. Ben lets the news sink in while leaning on the balcony (yay balcony shot!). Casey sobs the entire car ride. Chris tells the girls what happened and they are all SHOCKED. I hold nothing against Casey S. because she really didn't do anything wrong. She can't help the way she feels and she was trying to get over her boyfriend. But obviously, she wasn't ready for this and needed to go home.
The cocktail party is pretty drama-less. Ben says he just needs the time to get a little clarity about his decision for that night. In a last attempt to hook Ben, Jamie makes a complete fool of herself. She thinks the best strategy is to use her sexuality to win him over. Bad choice, honey. She makes it completely awkward by telling Ben when she's laying in bed at night she thinks about what she would do with him (OMG so inappropriate!). Then she straddles him in attempt to have a hot make out sesh, but she just ends up making it awkward. To make it even MORE uncomfortable, she then tries to tell him a play by play of how they are going to kiss. So awkward! I wonder how many glasses of wine she had at that cocktail party. Unfortunately, Jamie's actions seal her fate as the girl who does not receive a rose in this week's rose ceremony (see full list below).
Next week: The girls and Ben go to Belize, relationships start getting serious, and the Courtney drama comes to a head.
Have a great week ladies and get excited because we are just two weeks away from HOMETOWN DATES! Ahh! Any predictions on who it will be?!
IN:
-Kacie B.
-Lindzi
-Rachel
-Nicki
-Courtney
-Emily
OUT:
-Blakely
-Casey S. (by choice)
-Jamie
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Skinny Dipping with a Model in Puerto Rico
This week Ben and the girls jetted off to gorgeous Vieques, Puerto Rico! This week was extra exciting for the girls because EVERYONE got to go on a date! Ben is getting closer to finding his future wife and certain girls are definitely starting to stand out, some for good reasons and some for bad (Courtney). This week's episode was filled with baseball, lots of skin, and a shocking rose ceremony elimination.
The first one-on-one date went to Nicki. A helicopter (of course) arrived at the Bachelor beach house to pick Ben and Nicki up for their date. They take a ride together around the beautiful island. They end up being dropped off at a historic park. The couple buys snow cones together and it looks like its going to be a beautiful day for an outdoor date. Unfortunately that was not the case. Suddenly it starts POURING rain. Ben and Nicki are completely drenched and have to run to find the closest shelter from the rain. It looks like their day is going to be completely ruined because of the now flooded Vieques. Thankfully, Ben can think on his feet and they decide to go shopping and buy some dry clothes. They pick out the most authentic Puerto Rican threads they can find. Nicki finds a beautifully colored dress and Ben buys a completely white outfit with a big hat that makes him look like a 70 year old Puerto Rican man. Thankfully the weather clears up while the couple has a fun time shopping. They take a walk and discover a wedding going on. They sit on a nearby bench and watch while discussing Nicki's previous marriage. Nicki tells Ben what went wrong and what she'll do differently this time. The evening portion of the date they spend more time talking while lounging and drinking wine. Ben and Nicki seem to have a good connection and he gives her the rose.
The group date ladies: Lindzi, Courtney, Jennifer, Kacie B., Emily, Rachel, Casey S., Jamie, and Blakely. This week's group date is a physical test, the girls have to play baseball! The girls and Ben are assisted by a few Carolina Gigantes coaches and run some drills. (This date would be my worst nightmare. I am not athletic in the least and I'm pretty sure if Ben saw me playing baseball that would assure my immediate elimination.) Some of the girls were super athletic and did great while others definitely struggled. After drills are over, Chris Harrison makes an appearance. The girls all know that when Chris shows up unexpectedly, it usually means something bad. Chris informs the girls that there will be a beach party for the later portion of the date. The problem is there isn't enough room for all the girls. The girls have to split into teams and play a baseball game against each other. The winning team gets to spend the night partying on the beach with Ben. The losing team has to go back to the house Bachelorless. Since there is an uneven number of girls, one girl gets to play both teams, which assures her invite to the beach party. Chris lets Ben make the decision of which girl will play on both teams and he chooses Lindzi (lucky girl).
Blue Team: Blakely, Emily, Rachel, and Jennifer.
Red Team: Courtney, Kacie B., Casey S., and Jamie.
The baseball game is really intense and of course its accompanied by the most intense Bachelor music (usually reserved for the finale). The game ends up being tied and having to go into an extra inning. Unfortunately, it is Jennifer who strikes out giving the win to the Red Team. Blakely, Emily, Rachel, and Jennifer are tearfully sent back to the house. During the beach date portion, Courtney is constantly bad mouthing all the girls. She thinks none of them are a threat to her except maybe Kacie B. (oh yes she is!). Ben and Kacie B. have some nice one on one time and Ben confesses every woman he's fallen really hard for doesn't seem to love him back. Kacie B. gets the rose and Ben tells her she makes it easy for him to open up. Courtney pulls Ben aside and tells him she wants to go skinny dipping with him. As we find out later in the episode, this is not just flirty talk.
The second one-on-one date goes to Elyse. We haven't really gotten to see much of Elyse. She's only been on one group date so she was really excited that she had a one-on-one this week. Ben takes Elyse on a private yacht (jealousss). They spend the afternoon drinking wine and talking while the yacht cruises around the island. At one point, the couple jumps off the boat and takes a swim together in the ocean. The boat docks at a beach where a beautiful dinner is set up for them (nice chandelier in the middle of the beach Bach producers). Throughout the date, it seems that Ben isn't really feeling it. During dinner he tells Elyse he has felt missed connections between them. He didn't find what he wanted to during their date. Ben thinks his relationships with the other women are far past what he feels he could get to with Elyse. He does not give her the rose and she is immediately eliminated. I want to scold Ben because while having his "you're not getting the rose" speech he was holding the rose in his hand the whole time! Poor girl thought he was going to hand her the rose and was totally shocked he sent her home. Ben puts Elyse on a boat and sends her home. Ben ends the date by throwing the rose into the ocean (thanks for the symbolism Bach producers). When the man comes to get Elyse's bags, the girls are shocked that she was sent home, realizing that not everyone is as safe as they think they are.
Sounds like a normal episode of The Bachelor, right?
Wrong.
After finding out Elyse is gone, Courtney decides to go to Ben's hotel room (bigggg no no). Ben is surprised to find Courtney in a robe waiting with wine when he arrives back from the date. Courtney says she's going to keep good on her promise to skinny dip with Ben. At this point, Courtney just makes me sick. She is rude, manipulative, cocky, and what we've most recently learned, a slut. In her interview she says Ben has "probably never skinny dipped with a model before" and she's going to "make his day." Could this girl be anymore into herself?! She and Ben go out to the beach and they quickly ditch their clothes and go out into the water together. Courtney has to be the BIGGEST slut in Bachelor history. Courtney is doing whatever it takes, like losing any respect or dignity people had for her, to get that rose from Ben. It's so obvious that Courtney is not there for Ben at all. The only thing she cares about is beating the other girls. She will do whatever it takes to make the other girls jealous. The sight of Courtney and Ben naked and making out in the water is disgusting.
Cocktail party time. Jennifer tells Ben she really likes him and she hasn't felt like this in a really long time. Blakely really opens up to Ben about how this process is changing her for the better and she's so happy about that. Ben is pleasantly surprised by his conversation with Blakely. Emily tries to make up for her mistakes last week. She tells Ben that she wants to focus on him and doesn't care about Courtney anymore. Sounds nice, right? Wrong. The conversation immediately flips and Emily starts bashing Courtney all over again! I literally yelled at the TV "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Emily obviously got a second chance last week and it looks like she just screwed herself over again. During the rose ceremony (see full list below), it comes down to Emily and Jennifer. I think everyone was POSITIVE Emily was going home after sticking her foot in her mouth for the second week in a row. But apparently Ben believes in 3rd chances because Jennifer got the boot.
Next week: Panama, the two-on-one date (ah!), and a shocking interruption by Chris Harrison involving Casey S.! Can't wait! Have a great week girls!
IN:
-Nicki
-Kacie B.
-Lindzi
-Jamie
-Rachel
-Courtney
-Casey S.
-Blakely
-Emily
OUT:
-Elyse
-Jennifer
The first one-on-one date went to Nicki. A helicopter (of course) arrived at the Bachelor beach house to pick Ben and Nicki up for their date. They take a ride together around the beautiful island. They end up being dropped off at a historic park. The couple buys snow cones together and it looks like its going to be a beautiful day for an outdoor date. Unfortunately that was not the case. Suddenly it starts POURING rain. Ben and Nicki are completely drenched and have to run to find the closest shelter from the rain. It looks like their day is going to be completely ruined because of the now flooded Vieques. Thankfully, Ben can think on his feet and they decide to go shopping and buy some dry clothes. They pick out the most authentic Puerto Rican threads they can find. Nicki finds a beautifully colored dress and Ben buys a completely white outfit with a big hat that makes him look like a 70 year old Puerto Rican man. Thankfully the weather clears up while the couple has a fun time shopping. They take a walk and discover a wedding going on. They sit on a nearby bench and watch while discussing Nicki's previous marriage. Nicki tells Ben what went wrong and what she'll do differently this time. The evening portion of the date they spend more time talking while lounging and drinking wine. Ben and Nicki seem to have a good connection and he gives her the rose.
The group date ladies: Lindzi, Courtney, Jennifer, Kacie B., Emily, Rachel, Casey S., Jamie, and Blakely. This week's group date is a physical test, the girls have to play baseball! The girls and Ben are assisted by a few Carolina Gigantes coaches and run some drills. (This date would be my worst nightmare. I am not athletic in the least and I'm pretty sure if Ben saw me playing baseball that would assure my immediate elimination.) Some of the girls were super athletic and did great while others definitely struggled. After drills are over, Chris Harrison makes an appearance. The girls all know that when Chris shows up unexpectedly, it usually means something bad. Chris informs the girls that there will be a beach party for the later portion of the date. The problem is there isn't enough room for all the girls. The girls have to split into teams and play a baseball game against each other. The winning team gets to spend the night partying on the beach with Ben. The losing team has to go back to the house Bachelorless. Since there is an uneven number of girls, one girl gets to play both teams, which assures her invite to the beach party. Chris lets Ben make the decision of which girl will play on both teams and he chooses Lindzi (lucky girl).
Blue Team: Blakely, Emily, Rachel, and Jennifer.
Red Team: Courtney, Kacie B., Casey S., and Jamie.
The baseball game is really intense and of course its accompanied by the most intense Bachelor music (usually reserved for the finale). The game ends up being tied and having to go into an extra inning. Unfortunately, it is Jennifer who strikes out giving the win to the Red Team. Blakely, Emily, Rachel, and Jennifer are tearfully sent back to the house. During the beach date portion, Courtney is constantly bad mouthing all the girls. She thinks none of them are a threat to her except maybe Kacie B. (oh yes she is!). Ben and Kacie B. have some nice one on one time and Ben confesses every woman he's fallen really hard for doesn't seem to love him back. Kacie B. gets the rose and Ben tells her she makes it easy for him to open up. Courtney pulls Ben aside and tells him she wants to go skinny dipping with him. As we find out later in the episode, this is not just flirty talk.
The second one-on-one date goes to Elyse. We haven't really gotten to see much of Elyse. She's only been on one group date so she was really excited that she had a one-on-one this week. Ben takes Elyse on a private yacht (jealousss). They spend the afternoon drinking wine and talking while the yacht cruises around the island. At one point, the couple jumps off the boat and takes a swim together in the ocean. The boat docks at a beach where a beautiful dinner is set up for them (nice chandelier in the middle of the beach Bach producers). Throughout the date, it seems that Ben isn't really feeling it. During dinner he tells Elyse he has felt missed connections between them. He didn't find what he wanted to during their date. Ben thinks his relationships with the other women are far past what he feels he could get to with Elyse. He does not give her the rose and she is immediately eliminated. I want to scold Ben because while having his "you're not getting the rose" speech he was holding the rose in his hand the whole time! Poor girl thought he was going to hand her the rose and was totally shocked he sent her home. Ben puts Elyse on a boat and sends her home. Ben ends the date by throwing the rose into the ocean (thanks for the symbolism Bach producers). When the man comes to get Elyse's bags, the girls are shocked that she was sent home, realizing that not everyone is as safe as they think they are.
Sounds like a normal episode of The Bachelor, right?
Wrong.
After finding out Elyse is gone, Courtney decides to go to Ben's hotel room (bigggg no no). Ben is surprised to find Courtney in a robe waiting with wine when he arrives back from the date. Courtney says she's going to keep good on her promise to skinny dip with Ben. At this point, Courtney just makes me sick. She is rude, manipulative, cocky, and what we've most recently learned, a slut. In her interview she says Ben has "probably never skinny dipped with a model before" and she's going to "make his day." Could this girl be anymore into herself?! She and Ben go out to the beach and they quickly ditch their clothes and go out into the water together. Courtney has to be the BIGGEST slut in Bachelor history. Courtney is doing whatever it takes, like losing any respect or dignity people had for her, to get that rose from Ben. It's so obvious that Courtney is not there for Ben at all. The only thing she cares about is beating the other girls. She will do whatever it takes to make the other girls jealous. The sight of Courtney and Ben naked and making out in the water is disgusting.
Cocktail party time. Jennifer tells Ben she really likes him and she hasn't felt like this in a really long time. Blakely really opens up to Ben about how this process is changing her for the better and she's so happy about that. Ben is pleasantly surprised by his conversation with Blakely. Emily tries to make up for her mistakes last week. She tells Ben that she wants to focus on him and doesn't care about Courtney anymore. Sounds nice, right? Wrong. The conversation immediately flips and Emily starts bashing Courtney all over again! I literally yelled at the TV "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Emily obviously got a second chance last week and it looks like she just screwed herself over again. During the rose ceremony (see full list below), it comes down to Emily and Jennifer. I think everyone was POSITIVE Emily was going home after sticking her foot in her mouth for the second week in a row. But apparently Ben believes in 3rd chances because Jennifer got the boot.
Next week: Panama, the two-on-one date (ah!), and a shocking interruption by Chris Harrison involving Casey S.! Can't wait! Have a great week girls!
IN:
-Nicki
-Kacie B.
-Lindzi
-Jamie
-Rachel
-Courtney
-Casey S.
-Blakely
-Emily
OUT:
-Elyse
-Jennifer
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
A Week with Mother Nature
This week Ben and the ladies made their way to breathtaking Park City, Utah. The dates this week embraced the great outdoors (just Ben's style). As we're getting closer and closer to finding the right girl for Ben, emotions are running high. Ben is starting to develop real, deep connections with the girls and with that comes the drama.
The first one-on-one date went to Rachel this week. At this point in the game girls are definitely becoming more jealous of each other getting special one-on-one time with Ben, but this week Kacie B. was especially emotional about it. Kacie B. seems to be having a really difficult time because she's developed a stronger connection with Ben than most girls so far and its hard for her to watch other girls spend time with him.
Rachel and Ben's date begins with a helicopter picking them up at the house (classic). After taking a short tour of the Utah landscapes, Ben and Rachel are safely back on land and take a canoe out on the lake. They row the canoe out to the middle of the lake with breathtaking scenery that provides a romantic moment for the couple. They share a kiss on the canoe which would have been so much sweeter if there hadn't been gnats flying around EVERYWHERE (come on Bach producers, think we could take care of that next time?). Then the couple shared a picnic by the lake. This is when it starts to get awkward. Rachel and Ben's conversation is extremely lacking. They have nothing to say to each other and Rachel just awkwardly starts talking about things around them to break the silence. Their conversation has absolutely no substance to it and consists of Rachel just rambling. Us girls at home can definitely tell that something is off. Ben says in his interview that he doesn't think Rachel shows any interest in him. The awkwardness continues at dinner and we are all positive that Rachel is not going to receive a rose on this date. Then, somehow, Rachel talks Ben into keeping her by confiding in him that its very hard for her to open up but she's really trying. Ben still sees potential with her so he gives her a rose hoping she will open up eventually. Even though Rachel is still in the running, I don't see their relationship continuing much further after the lack of chemistry we all witnessed on their date.
Group date lucky ladies: Jamie, Casey S., Blakely, Lindzi, Samantha, Nicki, Kacie B., and Courtney. The date begins with our Prince Charming riding up on a horse (literally). The girls join him and they all go horseback riding. Everyone seems to enjoy it and have a good time. The next task is a little more difficult for the girls: fly fishing (um, what?!). The girls have absolutely no idea what they are doing, which gives Ben an opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with the girls to help them. Courtney is being especially catty on this date. She's bad mouthing the other girls and acts like she has Ben eating out of the palm of her hand (which she kind of does, unfortunately). Courtney pulls him aside while they are fly fishing and of COURSE he is captivated by her and we have no idea why. Courtney has about as much personality as a wall. The other girls are all annoyed by Courtney and to make it even worse, she's the only girl who catches a fish.
The later part of the date consists of lounging around the pool. We find out that Ben has been in love 4 times (does anyone else think that's a lot?). Nicki and Ben bond over both having lost someone close to them very recently, but Samantha interrupts. Samantha rudely asks Ben why she's been on 3 group dates. Ben is offended by this because Samantha has had a date every week and not all the girls have so she should not be complaining. Ben tells her that he has observed that she's emotional and dramatic and doesn't think that she is there for him. Ben doesn't think Samantha is taking this opportunity seriously and he doesn't see it going any further. He unexpectedly sends her home right in the middle of the date (love it when they make their own rules!) The other girls on the date are shocked by this sudden elimination. After the drama, Kacie B. gets to spend some alone time with Ben. He tells her that he wanted to kiss her so badly during fly fishing but he wanted to be sensitive to the other girls' feelings (so sweet). Ben admits that he really likes Kacie B. and that their relationship is growing faster than the others. At this point we are all positive that Kacie B. is going to receive the rose on the date, but Courtney isn't going to let that happen. She pulls Ben aside and tells him she's having a super rough time and she's upset. This is classic case of a girl working a man. She totally tricks Ben into giving her the rose to comfort her and assure her of his feelings. Then Courtney proceeds to brag to the camera about getting the rose and how"winning" she is. Irritating much?
The last one-on-one goes to Jennifer (yay!). Jennifer seems like a really sweet, genuine girl and I was really glad that she got to have a one-on-one this week. Their date begins with just a normal hike up a mountain, but then Jennifer learns this date is anything but normal. Ben shows Jennifer a huge crater in the ground and then informs her that they will be rappelling down it (at this point I would start questioning if this guy was really worth it). They strip down to their bathing suits and begin repelling into the giant hole in the Earth. After they get a good ways down, they unhook their harness and fall down into the water below. Ben and Jennifer (Affleck and Garner?) play around in the water and share a few kisses. Then they have some time to clean up and get beautified (thanks Bach producers) for an outdoor dinner. They discuss past relationships (classic first one-on-one date convo) and Jennifer shares that she walked away from a four and a half year relationship because the man wasn't going to marry her (good for you girl!). Their dinner is cut short because it starts storming. Ben and Jennifer run together in the rain to get inside (super romantic). After they are dry and inside, Ben tells Jennifer that he feels really comfortable with her and gives her the rose. Ben then surprises Jennifer with a Clay Walker concert (I'm sorry, who?) and they have a great time singing and dancing together. Overall it was a great date for Ben and Jennifer.
One quick side note: while Ben and Jennifer were on their date Blakely did Emily's highlights. Does anyone else find that weird? I guess there must not be a lot to do when you aren't hanging out with our Bachelor.
Cocktail party time. Emily is concerned about Courtney being fake to Ben and decides to confront Ben about it. I really like Emily but we have learned from previous seasons that this is a HUGE no no in The Bachelor/Bachelorette handbook. Of course Ben doesn't want to hear it and he tells Emily she needs to not worry about Courtney because it will only drive her crazy. The only thing Emily needs to be concerned with is her relationship with Ben. Emily makes the mistake of relaying her conversation with Ben to some of the girls including Casey S., who happens to be Courtney's best friend in the house. Uh ohhhhh. Casey S. then gets up (where are her pants?!) and immediately goes to tell Courtney what Emily was saying. Courtney then confronts Emily and the drama ensues. The only highlight of the evening is that it snows! This creates a very romantic moment for Ben and Nicki as they watch the snow out on the balcony. Then its time for a pretty uneventful rose ceremony. The only really notable thing was how cute Chris Harrison looked in his striped shirt and skinny tie. Ben waits to give Emily the last rose so us girls at home were nervous that she had screwed herself over but thankfully she is around for another week to redeem herself.
Next week: Puerto Rico, skinny dipping, and more trash talk! Have a fabulous week bachelorettes!
IN:
-Courtney
-Rachel
-Jennifer
-Lindzi
-Jamie
-Nicki
-Kacie B.
-Elyse
-Blakely
-Casey S.
-Emily
OUT:
-Monica
-Samantha
The first one-on-one date went to Rachel this week. At this point in the game girls are definitely becoming more jealous of each other getting special one-on-one time with Ben, but this week Kacie B. was especially emotional about it. Kacie B. seems to be having a really difficult time because she's developed a stronger connection with Ben than most girls so far and its hard for her to watch other girls spend time with him.
Rachel and Ben's date begins with a helicopter picking them up at the house (classic). After taking a short tour of the Utah landscapes, Ben and Rachel are safely back on land and take a canoe out on the lake. They row the canoe out to the middle of the lake with breathtaking scenery that provides a romantic moment for the couple. They share a kiss on the canoe which would have been so much sweeter if there hadn't been gnats flying around EVERYWHERE (come on Bach producers, think we could take care of that next time?). Then the couple shared a picnic by the lake. This is when it starts to get awkward. Rachel and Ben's conversation is extremely lacking. They have nothing to say to each other and Rachel just awkwardly starts talking about things around them to break the silence. Their conversation has absolutely no substance to it and consists of Rachel just rambling. Us girls at home can definitely tell that something is off. Ben says in his interview that he doesn't think Rachel shows any interest in him. The awkwardness continues at dinner and we are all positive that Rachel is not going to receive a rose on this date. Then, somehow, Rachel talks Ben into keeping her by confiding in him that its very hard for her to open up but she's really trying. Ben still sees potential with her so he gives her a rose hoping she will open up eventually. Even though Rachel is still in the running, I don't see their relationship continuing much further after the lack of chemistry we all witnessed on their date.
Group date lucky ladies: Jamie, Casey S., Blakely, Lindzi, Samantha, Nicki, Kacie B., and Courtney. The date begins with our Prince Charming riding up on a horse (literally). The girls join him and they all go horseback riding. Everyone seems to enjoy it and have a good time. The next task is a little more difficult for the girls: fly fishing (um, what?!). The girls have absolutely no idea what they are doing, which gives Ben an opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with the girls to help them. Courtney is being especially catty on this date. She's bad mouthing the other girls and acts like she has Ben eating out of the palm of her hand (which she kind of does, unfortunately). Courtney pulls him aside while they are fly fishing and of COURSE he is captivated by her and we have no idea why. Courtney has about as much personality as a wall. The other girls are all annoyed by Courtney and to make it even worse, she's the only girl who catches a fish.
The later part of the date consists of lounging around the pool. We find out that Ben has been in love 4 times (does anyone else think that's a lot?). Nicki and Ben bond over both having lost someone close to them very recently, but Samantha interrupts. Samantha rudely asks Ben why she's been on 3 group dates. Ben is offended by this because Samantha has had a date every week and not all the girls have so she should not be complaining. Ben tells her that he has observed that she's emotional and dramatic and doesn't think that she is there for him. Ben doesn't think Samantha is taking this opportunity seriously and he doesn't see it going any further. He unexpectedly sends her home right in the middle of the date (love it when they make their own rules!) The other girls on the date are shocked by this sudden elimination. After the drama, Kacie B. gets to spend some alone time with Ben. He tells her that he wanted to kiss her so badly during fly fishing but he wanted to be sensitive to the other girls' feelings (so sweet). Ben admits that he really likes Kacie B. and that their relationship is growing faster than the others. At this point we are all positive that Kacie B. is going to receive the rose on the date, but Courtney isn't going to let that happen. She pulls Ben aside and tells him she's having a super rough time and she's upset. This is classic case of a girl working a man. She totally tricks Ben into giving her the rose to comfort her and assure her of his feelings. Then Courtney proceeds to brag to the camera about getting the rose and how"winning" she is. Irritating much?
The last one-on-one goes to Jennifer (yay!). Jennifer seems like a really sweet, genuine girl and I was really glad that she got to have a one-on-one this week. Their date begins with just a normal hike up a mountain, but then Jennifer learns this date is anything but normal. Ben shows Jennifer a huge crater in the ground and then informs her that they will be rappelling down it (at this point I would start questioning if this guy was really worth it). They strip down to their bathing suits and begin repelling into the giant hole in the Earth. After they get a good ways down, they unhook their harness and fall down into the water below. Ben and Jennifer (Affleck and Garner?) play around in the water and share a few kisses. Then they have some time to clean up and get beautified (thanks Bach producers) for an outdoor dinner. They discuss past relationships (classic first one-on-one date convo) and Jennifer shares that she walked away from a four and a half year relationship because the man wasn't going to marry her (good for you girl!). Their dinner is cut short because it starts storming. Ben and Jennifer run together in the rain to get inside (super romantic). After they are dry and inside, Ben tells Jennifer that he feels really comfortable with her and gives her the rose. Ben then surprises Jennifer with a Clay Walker concert (I'm sorry, who?) and they have a great time singing and dancing together. Overall it was a great date for Ben and Jennifer.
One quick side note: while Ben and Jennifer were on their date Blakely did Emily's highlights. Does anyone else find that weird? I guess there must not be a lot to do when you aren't hanging out with our Bachelor.
Cocktail party time. Emily is concerned about Courtney being fake to Ben and decides to confront Ben about it. I really like Emily but we have learned from previous seasons that this is a HUGE no no in The Bachelor/Bachelorette handbook. Of course Ben doesn't want to hear it and he tells Emily she needs to not worry about Courtney because it will only drive her crazy. The only thing Emily needs to be concerned with is her relationship with Ben. Emily makes the mistake of relaying her conversation with Ben to some of the girls including Casey S., who happens to be Courtney's best friend in the house. Uh ohhhhh. Casey S. then gets up (where are her pants?!) and immediately goes to tell Courtney what Emily was saying. Courtney then confronts Emily and the drama ensues. The only highlight of the evening is that it snows! This creates a very romantic moment for Ben and Nicki as they watch the snow out on the balcony. Then its time for a pretty uneventful rose ceremony. The only really notable thing was how cute Chris Harrison looked in his striped shirt and skinny tie. Ben waits to give Emily the last rose so us girls at home were nervous that she had screwed herself over but thankfully she is around for another week to redeem herself.
Next week: Puerto Rico, skinny dipping, and more trash talk! Have a fabulous week bachelorettes!
IN:
-Courtney
-Rachel
-Jennifer
-Lindzi
-Jamie
-Nicki
-Kacie B.
-Elyse
-Blakely
-Casey S.
-Emily
OUT:
-Monica
-Samantha
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