We had a few of you asking yesterday where the column was and, well, there was no show on Monday so I didn’t think there was much to write about. And next week will be the same thing since next Tuesday is the finale, where this will all wrap up. And yes, a 3 hour finale. People are acting like this is something new. They’ve had plenty of 3 hr finales in the past. 2 hours of footage from Mexico (and now we know post show with the Rachel/Tino breakup), and then a live 1 hr ATFR. And with the promo last night showing more of Rachel & Tino’s “fight,” you gotta remember that the average fan watching that just assumes that happened in Mexico. Clearly it didn’t and that footage was post-engagement during a Happy Couple weekend, but most people don’t pick up on that stuff. So the casual viewer watching the promo for next week sees that argument and they’re thinking that happens in Mexico and maybe Rachel and Tino break up in Mexico, or he never proposes or what not. Even though we have footage of both women at the final rose ceremony and them talking about getting engaged to their men the next day. All sorts of wonkiness. Is that a word? It is now.
Today’s Daily Roundup is now up where I talk about the stuff you’re about to read regarding last nights episode and next Bachelor talk. Also, Kaitlyn coming to town, a BB smooch, and a coach realizing his bonehead mistake.
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Here are my thoughts from last night that were discussed in today’s Daily Roundup as well:
-The idea of this show basically having to end in an engagement basically ruined this season. And it’s reared its ugly head in some recent seasons too. But geez, this season it’s gotten really bad. Starting with that conversation between Aven and Rachel after he met her family. I felt like it was constant banging your head against the wall. Aven said, “I do feel like I want to get engaged, I just want to be sure.” He was basically telling her, “I wanna leave here with you, I just don’t want to get engaged 5 days from now.” However, he didn’t do a great job of expressing that, because all he kept focusing on was that his feelings hadn’t changed, he could absolutely see himself with her, and that he wanted to be with her. He just didn’t want to be engaged so quickly. But we know how this show works. It wants an engagement. Rachel made it clear she wanted one at the end of this. Aven had every right to feel the way he did. As did Rachel. So these two weren’t going to work in the long run.
-Now, Rachel basically going into a reality show saying she wants to leave engaged is a problem. In the real world, it makes perfect sense. Take Rachel out of this environment. She’s single, she’s at a point in her life, and if she meets the right guy, she could absolutely be ready to be engaged. However, in the real world, she has options to date whoever she wants, whenever she wants, and however many times she wants. On this show, while you may feel you want to leave engaged, you’re putting WAY too much pressure on yourself. Why? Because your “dating pool” is limited to 30 men who a casting department picked for you. And on this season, even LESS because she had to split her men with Gabby. So really she only had about 15. It’s just unrealistic. She can want to feel that way, but, knowing how little time these couples actually spend together on the show, she needs to dial it back a bit. Gabby seemed to take a more loose approach. Like, I think Gabby wanted to get engaged too, but seemed more ok if that wasn’t in the cards. She just wanted to find someone to be with and would be ok either way. Rachel putting her foot down, and her friends saying she didn’t come here to date someone, while it makes sense within the concept of the show, she had to understand that maybe not every guy is ready for that.
-People seem to forget that this is 46th season of the show. Couples like Trista/Ryan, Des/Chris, Ashley/JP (for 8 years), Rachel/Bryan, and JoJo/Jordan are the exception, not the norm. More than likely, whatever relationship comes from this show is going to fail. That’s not being pessimistic, that’s being realistic. The stats bear it out. So for Rachel to not even be open to dating someone post show and it HAS to end in an engagement for her just seems to be putting too much pressure on herself and the guy she chooses in the end.
-When it came to Aven, I kinda disagree with a lot of the sentiment out there after last night’s episode, which seems to be that she wanted to choose Aven and because he wasn’t ready, she’s settling for Tino. I don’t see it that way. Aven was telling her his feelings hadn’t changed, he absolutely thought they could work post show, and he wanted to make that work – and she still let him go. To me, if Rachel saw a future with Aven, she would’ve been ok with that and would’ve done everything in her power not to leave the show without him because he’s who she wanted. Ultimately, she didn’t. As much as she wanted to be engaged, and it was repeated multiple times, I really don’t think it was more about the ring than the relationship to her. She’t not with Aven not because he wasn’t ready to propose, but because she wanted Tino more. It’s always been Tino this season for her. She wanted him from night one, she gave him the first impression rose, and all season long he was the front runner. To say it was Aven and she’s settling for Tino just after last night’s conversation, I don’t buy it. I saw last night as Rachel trying to find a reason to end things with Aven, and him not being ready was exactly what she needed to hear to know he wasn’t her guy. Probably an unpopular opinion, but that’s the way I saw it. Because women know what they want certainly more than men do. And if Aven was her end all be all, she wouldn’t have left the show without him. Remember, she told Tino to his face, “I’m IN love with you,” and still hadn’t told Aven she was IN love with him, just that she was falling in love. Big difference.
-The funny part about last night was how careful both Rachel and Gabby were being on stage. Every answer they gave was so rehearsed and so generic, it was quite comical. Obviously they didn’t want to give anything away since they have to sit there and look at footage from four months ago, knowing what’s really going on in their lives now, and pretend to act/behave a certain way as to not give anything away. But the consensus was Rachel was miserable last night and Gabby was, well, less miserable up there. It’s not like she was grinning from ear to ear the whole time because she definitely had a stare going for a lot of the time the camera was on her, but she certainly seemed more relaxed up there. Yeah, neither of them said anything in any of their answers where you could say they definitely gave something away. VERY generic answers.
-In terms of Bachelor talk, I’ve told you for the last week or so I had no idea who it was or where they were leaning. Recently, I started hearing rumblings. And I think there’s a good chance I’ll know for sure in the next 24-48 hrs. So I would expect at the latest Friday. Yes, I may be setting myself up for failure here by saying that, but, I really do think I’m gonna know soon. I know their choice has been made and the behind the scenes stuff of getting the lead ready for the season is underway. Just trying to get the confirmation and I think I’ll get it soon. Anyway, not gonna give any hints or throw any names out there just because I know how that works. When I get the confirmation I need, I will tell you.
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