Life is About Minimizing Regrets...and Choreographing Swan Dances for Your Boyfriend

Last night’s Bachelor was every reason why I watch this show. The hometown date visits were nothing short of spectacular. At each one, we are led to believe that Jake is falling in love. And of course, each lady is ready to get engaged. How is it that Jake can ask more than one parent for his or her daughter’s hand in marriage in the same week? Does he feel guilty about this? Do the parents know that he is asking more than one mom or dad for one of the most precious gifts a parent could possibly give someone? Would their answer change if they knew that 48 hours later, Jake would be asking somebody else’s parent for the same thing? I would have loved for one of these parents to say, "Absolutely not, unless my daughter’s hand is the only one that you are asking for." Why can’t they say this? I don’t have a daughter but that is exactly what I would say. If Tenley’s family is so concerned about Tenley getting hurt again, then why didn't they try to find out more about what Jake’s intentions are with the other women? I would have liked to see a little more grilling, a little less crying.

But anyhow, let’s discuss each of these spell binding dates. First off, as a New Yorker, I have to say that seeing the city by boat is definitely the most touristy way to do it. Jake is a tourist, so I bet he loved this. But usually it's a pretty cheesy crowd who takes those boat tours (unless you're going to Ellis Island, in which case a boat is the only way to get there). She could have taken him on one of those duck tours, which seem like more fun. And please tell me that there was a good reason for her to point out to Jake the Empire State Building to Jake. I mean the guy may be from Texas, but if he’s a pilot and he’s ever left his house before, there is a very good chance he knows what the Empire State building is. Knowing Jake, he loves the movie Sleepless in Seattle, and since that movie prominently features the Empire State building, it’s a good bet that Gia’s tour guide mode was a bit too basic.

The physical chemistry between these two is definitely high. Jake is extremely attracted to her, and yet I have yet to hear them have an intellectual conversation much beyond learning that Gia’s been dumped and that they were both nerds growing up. When you have nothing to talk about, I guess you can just start taking pictures of one another – which seems to be the highlight of their New York tour. It is confusing whether Gia lives in Queens with her family or whether she is on her own on the Upper East Side. I was thrilled, however, to learn that the actual meeting of the parents took place in an Italian restaurant only a couple of blocks from our apartment! You could see the street signs "85th" and "2nd" when they shot scenes outdoors, diagonal from Mustangs, the dive bar, near the restaurant where they ate. Guess where the Fiance and I are going to have dinner this weekend?? Just kidding.

So we meet Donna, Gia’s mother, best friend and accent twin who we learn during the outtakes after the show that she reads tarot cards (and of course happened to bring them with her to meet Jake). We learn that Donna could have easily fit into the cast of Moonstruck as herself.

Side note: in a couple of the cameos where Jake is discussing his hometown date with Gia, he is wearing a Jamaican beaded necklace and has a tan. Did anybody pick up on that? Did he take a “bathroom” break during dinner and head to Jamaica when nobody was looking? This was definitely a little strange, and confusing and shows that this was filmed way after the actual date. If this wasn’t foreshadowing that Gia sticks around, not sure what else could be.

I was absolutely horrified when Gia tells Jake that her ex boyfriend cheated on her with all of her friends. What does that say about Gia’s choice in men or her choice in friends? You are the company you keep, right? What a disaster. I think this must be part of the reason she hides behind her hair so much. There were multiple scenes last night when I wanted to brush aside Gia’s hair so we could actually see her face. Come out, Gia! But I guess if my boyfriend had cheated on me with all of my friends, I’d hide too.

Back to the dinner. We meet Donna, her step father Tony and “Spikes,” her brother Erick (with a "ck"). I think Tony and Erick are at least half Jewish as is the younger step brother Dylan who didn’t say a word. So Donna gives Jake the typical momma speech – Gia’s special, Gia’s got this thing about her. Jake agrees that she’s different from all the other girls. Yes, she’s the only one from New York with an accent. Jake even goes as far as to admit that he has fallen for four women. As a parent, this would not win me over, but you have to give credit to Jake for being honest. Meanwhile, Gia speaks to Spikes outside (which is where we can see that they are on the Upper East Side) and the brother says he doesn’t want to see her get hurt again. Does Spikes live on the Upper East Side? I think I saw his twin on the subway this morning. Hmmmm. Anyhow, Donna falls in love with Jake during their alone time and gives her daughter false hopes.

“Honestly, I think I see the love in his eyes for you …Don’t give me that look!” says Donna, as Gia rolls her eyes. Donna makes this conclusion by reading Jake's body language. Gia emphasizes that he has the same body language with all the girls (did any of you laugh when Ali’s legs were pulled over Jake’s body when she came to see him before the rose ceremony?”) Donna tells Gia to reach for the stars, but keep one foot planted on the ground. Gia wants the fairytale. Mom and daughter are both in love with Jake. Meanwhile, Spikes is laying it on thick to warn Jake not to break Gia's heart. “If I have to hunt you down and break a couple of legs.” The Fiance says that Spikes needs more hair gel.

After the date, I was really annoyed that the Fiance and I were not out strolling our neighborhood when Jake and Gia were having a moment on an Upper East side stoop. Whose stoop was that? Does Gia live there? I’m guessing no since we didn't see any scenes of them in her apartment. Can you imagine if you were coming home from the gym and you see Jake on your front stoop? It’s probably better I didn’t see them. I would have had a heart attack.

Meanwhile, in Gia’s cameo side chats to the audience, she’s back to her bright red lipstick and matching red top. I really hate this look for her. She doesn’t need all that crazy makeup. I also hated the “Have you ever kissed on a stoop?” line from Jake. Gross.

Williamstown, Massachusetts seems like a very nice place to live. Ali looked adorable in her white wool coat, high brown boots and wavy half up do. It’s amazing how Jake can just snap his fingers and forget about his incredible date with Gia’s family all to focus on Ali. Jake starts saying all of these cheesy lines to her (like the fact that this is really her second hometown date since their time in San Fran counts as one as well and this “puts her ahead.” Way to tease her, Jake. Then they play some childhood game (Jake LOVES the childhood games – spin the bottle, etc.) where they catch a leaf and make a wish.

Ok, so here’s where it gets a little nuts. Ali discusses her sick grandmother. As she describes that she came to live with her and take care of her, I suddenly felt Ali’s redemption levels sky rocket. Ok, so she was definitely rude in bashing Vienna and extremely aggressive and opinionated. But the girl has a “heart of gold” according to her mother and she was taking care of her sick grandmother while she was a freshman in college. That definitely shows a caring side to Ali. I’m ready to like her again.

But here it comes – she tells Jake all about Grandma, who is like a mom to her. Then she says she wants him to meet her Grandmother and brings him to her house. The Fiance was very confused. At first he thought we were being taken to a graveyard. He thought this was a terrible idea and I reminded him that one of the other bachelorettes (I believe it was Meredith, who ended up being the Bachelorette), took someone to a graveyard on their hometown visit. Once he realized we were not going to a graveyard, he was even more confused.

“Wait, is the grandmother living in the house?” the Fiance asked.

“No,” I said. “Grandma is dead.”

“Who lives in the house?” the Fiance asks.

“Nobody, I think.” I responded.

“So why is there still a picture of the grandmother in the house looking at them?”

All legitimate questions. We learn pretty quickly that Grandma was extremely important to Ali and that hours before she died, Ali had told her that she was going to be on the Bachelor to pursue Jake. Ali concludes once they leave the house that Grandma has met Jake and approves of him. The Fiance was convinced a Ouija board was going to be set up somewhere with candles and roses, but this never happened. Jake doesn’t seem disturbed at all by this unique hometown visit. He calls it “sad and intimate.” Chris the Host said in his blog today that it was an extremely touching moment. Ehh, part of me thinks it's nice in theory to want to show Jake her grandmother's house. Another part of me thinks it's just a bit too creepy and soon.

So after meeting Grandma, Ali takes Jake to her mom’s house. While they are hugging and exchanging pleasantries, some creepy person in black runs up the stairs in the background. I was wondering whether this was a camera guy or Grandma’s spirit. If you still have the show on your DVR, check it out.

Mom Elizabeth, or “Beth” seems like a very nice woman. I instantly loved her. She was down to earth and quite in the loop on the Bachelor. I liked that she admitted to doing some online research about Jake, learning that he said something about physical beauty being part of it, but that we all grow old and it’s what’s inside that counts. The mom says that Ali is beaming (this seems to be a common theme throughout the night with all of the girls). The questions the mom asks Jake are softballs.

Example: “What does family mean to you?”

Jake knocks this one out of the park. Beth is hooked. I am a bit floored when Jake asks for Ali’s hand in marriage - this makes Ali's departure later even that more of a shock. Beth gives her blessing, saying that Jake is very genuine.

Ali and Mom gush together. Mom is ready to plan a wedding. She also, like Donna, has intuition that this is going to work out. Ali and Jake’s alone time at the end reveals that Ali is ready to be there for Jake in the end. She wants the whole package. He is everything she has ever dreamed of. For a split second, Jake just stares at her and says nothing. He looks like he may cry. I thought he might even send her home - because he's done it before with other women. And then he pulls his gloves off and just makes out with her. A split second later, the camera flashes back to more kissing and strangely enough - his gloves are somehow back on. Another poor editing job. Out of sequence make outs drive me nuts. Go back to your DVR and check it out.

Off we go to Newburg, Oregon – which also looks like a very nice town. Tenley is tinier than ever with more makeup than ever. Jake is into her core values. Tenley wants to know that Jake can make his own decisions. Jake says he runs “everything by his parents.” Gulp. For some reason, this response from Jake gets Tenley really excited. What exactly did her ex husband do to her?

Probably my favorite part of the evening – Tenley's dance. I think my mouth actually dropped open as she started doing this dance for him. What on earth was she thinking? What would you do if your date suddenly performed a choreographed dance for you? What inspires someone to do that? The dance is to Pahelbel’s Canon in D, a very popular song choice for a wedding processional - is she trying to give him any ideas? She truly is a Disney character. Tenley said she was putting her emotions and heart into the dance. Jake’s expression during the dance is priceless. The fact that he didn’t go running out of the studio means he might have actually been touched by it.

How many guys get their own dance? What a completely awkward thing to do. I guess it’s the equivalent of singing a song for someone if you’re a singer, or writing a poem if you’re a poet, but making up a dance? It just seems way over the top and unnecessary. I just felt like she wanted to show off her talents - to a broader audience than Jake. If she had done this with no cameras, then perhaps it would have come off as a bit more sincere. Unusual? Yes. But at least it would have been heartfelt. I am now entirely convinced that Tenley is on this show to make her acting debut. She's not trying to land Jake. She's trying to land a role on Broadway.

So then the cry fest begins. Tenley brings Jake to her father Robert, mother Beth and sister Carly. As soon as Tenley hugs her family, she is in tears. It is very apparent that they all hated her ex. Dad takes Jake upstairs where he pours his heart out. I loved that he admitted to watching the Bachelor last season and that he was hoping Tenley could meet Jake or someone like him. When he starts saying how the most painful thing for a father is to watch his daughter go through heartbreak, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house (literally).

Later on, Tenley speaks to her father about her time with Jake. Again, they are both in tears. This family really needs some group therapy – they are so overcome with emotion. I guess if nothing else, it’s nice for them to see Tenley happy again with someone. If things don’t work out with Jake, at least she knows that she can fall in love again. Jake asks the mom whether Tenley is ready for him since she still seems so hurt about her ex. If anybody could be ready, it’s Tenley, according to the mother. Now the mom is in tears, saying that it is her pleasure to be Tenley’s mother.

One interesting point – Tenley’s parents seemed extremely affectionate with each other. They were holding hands and seem to be in love. Jake should take note of this as well as all the emotion going on in that family. I think he would really fit in well with them. He loves the mushy gushy stuff. I don’t see him as a city boy in the NYC area nor do I see him chasing alligators down the river with Vienna. In Jake’s blog, he reveals that Tenley’s family all salsa danced later on in their date and Jake participated. That would have been too clear of an indication that she’s in the final 2, if not the actual winner.

Of course, just when we think that Ali has it in the bag, we see Jake out on the porch, asking Tenley’s father if he can marry his daughter. Jake gets tears in his eyes. The father is choking up. I have to admit, Jake is pretty damn eloquent in all of these very stressful, emotional scenarios. He seems to always know what to say, and he’s definitely very open with his emotions, admitting more than once on these dates that he’s scared. It’s almost like ABC brings in a coach to help him envision these types of situations, and work out how he would react. Is there such a job? A visualization/social scenario coach? What a great gig that would be!

Jake is really into kissing Tenley on the nose. I haven’t seen him do this with any of the other girls, so maybe he’s trying to build out his signature moves. It’s like he’s kissing a little child. Of course Tenley put on a recital for him, so a kiss on the nose is probably appropriate. Tenley’s reaction to all of this is that her “heart feels safe with Jake.” Uh-oh. I think all of the girls feel safe. Come on, Tenley, hopefully you have seen this show before. Nobody is safe. People that leave come back. People that fall in love have their heart broken. Please stay grounded!

Finally, we’re off to Florida. We get to see Vienna in her hometown and I once again realize that she is only 23 years old. Straight out of college, practically. What on earth does she have in common with a 31 year old pilot? Nothing. Jake says he wants to “narrow the gap” between what the others in the house are saying about Vienna and the real Vienna. They start heading down a river and discover lots of wild life. Vienna’s smile has been driving me nuts for a while now. Does she really need to smile with two rows of teeth showing? She gets so much energy when Jake’s around, that if she had a third row of teeth, they would for sure be showing as well.

Vienna warns Jake about her dad, and Jake knows he has his work cut out for him. They arrive at the house and all of a sudden, the dog that Vienna couldn’t get enough of in her initial appearance on the show, she suddenly had no time for. It was all about Jake. Poor Chloe the dog! What I don’t get is how when Vienna hugs her father upon entering the house, they both start crying. She again admits to being a Daddy’s girl. Why are there tears already?

When Vincent the dad asks Vienna how she feels about Jake, her responses are intense. She’s never been in love before and thinks she’s really falling for him. She’s never had this feeling of falling for someone. This makes Vincent need to intimidate the hell out of Jake. He wants to make sure his daughter is treated like a princess.

But here it comes, my favorite line of the night. If Jake chooses Vienna, according to the father, he’ll “come home, the house will be clean, the kids will be raised right.” WOAH. Is Jake looking for a nanny, a housekeeper or Mr. Belvedere? In what decade is Vincent living in? This is not the 1950s! If Vienna didn’t want to do the dishes and be a housewife, would that be acceptable to Jake? And just then, we get a tiny glimpse into perhaps what Jake sees in Vienna – and in what he wants in a wife. And if this is actually what Jake wants, we see why the others perhaps would not be as a great of a match.

I also found it interesting that Vienna’s family revealed that Vienna has always had a problem with other women liking her. They say it’s because she’s competitive and being herself. Then they all giggle about how many times she’s wrecked a car. Awkward. I wonder why all of these women don't like Vienna. Perhaps, just perhaps it may actually have something to do with Vienna? Then we learn the dad gave Vienna some sort of “stay single” ring to wear until she gets engaged. Also strange. There may certainly be some daddy issues here. The father and his mustache were a little too much and his rough and tough speeches to Jake seemed scripted. Jake seems to take it all in stride and handles the dad wonderfully. The Fiance definitely thinks it was scripted that the dad walked in on Jake and Vienna making out. I tend to agree with this. Interesting that they don’t show Jake asking the dad permission to marry Vienna. Don’t believe for a second that he didn’t ask. ABC is certainly messing with us.

So all the hometown dates are over. I have no idea who he is going to eliminate at this point. It’s so intense and he seems to really be falling for each girl and of course each girl is in love. I am completely drained from watching all of this, but since there’s about 45 minutes left in the show, I know something big is coming. And it does.

Now what are the chances that Ali’s departure was a scripted idea from the producers? I can just picture a discussion behind closed doors. A conspiracy theory: Ali leaves the show for her job, then decides she made the wrong decision and comes back (the Bachelor LOVES when the departed contestants return). This worked very well for Ed on last season’s show. He won the whole thing. I wonder if the same would occur with Ali.

I also noticed that while Ali seems so distraught while she is trying to figure out her problem (sitting down and crying in the middle of the hotel hallway), then later on when she went off to speak to Jake for over 2 hours (Jake says it was 3 hours) during the rose ceremony, Jake is definitely not as upset as she is. He is sad, concerned, but a little too at ease. Does he know that she is coming back at some point? Does he already know who he is picking and therefore isn’t so concerned if Ali leaves? Interesting that he told Ali that her rose was not in question last night. So if Ali was going to the next round, who would have gotten the boot? It had to have been Gia. Before Ali comes to talk to him, Jake seems a little too relaxed even though he is technically going to have to send one of these ladies home at that point. If he really was falling in love with four women and knew these women were falling for him, wouldn’t he have had a bit more angst over what he was about to do? Did he know from the start of the rose ceremony that Ali was going to leave? It all seems a little convenient for him. And then of course we see in the coming attractions that Ali calls him while they are in St. Lucia. Who knows where that will lead? The coming attractions don’t really show any additional footage of the girls beyond next week’s episode so we don’t know if Ali actually returns or not.

I felt bad for Ali. Mostly because whatever Jake told her did not persuade her to stay. Even his whole “life is about minimizing regrets” speech couldn’t shake her. If this was not a conspiracy and Ali genuinely needed to leave for work reasons, then my respect level for her completely went up. Good for her for making the smart move. Who else would turn down a job they love in this economy for a 3 in 4 chance of having your heart broken? It shows a lot of maturity. It also may line her up to be the next Bachelorette.

It’s interesting that Jake wants Ali to make the actual decision as opposed to him trying to convince her. You’d think that if he was definitely into Ali at that point enough that he had a pretty good feeling she’d make the final 2, he would have said something. Chris the Host was wise to point out that if Ali does choose to stay, that this would be an enormous amount of pressure on Jake.

Side note: there was a commercial on after all of the girls arrived individually. It was for Kay Jewelers. A couple is stuck in a thunderstorm and the guy gives his girlfriend a necklace and they hug in a romantic way. I could not stop laughing at this – of course they are trying to appeal to the romantic crowd watching the Bachelor.

Anyhow, back to the show, Ali says she didn’t know she would “have to choose between the loves of her life.” My thinking is that if you love a job as much as a you love a guy, you don’t really love the guy. A job can’t keep her warm at night and love her back. Her confusion was growing, directly proportional to the messiness of her blonde ponytail. She just kept holding her face and crying but she didn’t seem to get whatever she wanted out of Jake. Ali listens to Jake babble about weighing whether she is falling in love into her decision. Then she says her wisest words of the season, “If you were mine, the choice would be easy.” But then she blows it by whispering to Jake that she loves him. Another one bites the dust.

Chris finally interrupts them (thank goodness – I was sick of watching the torture) and Ali starts crying because she hasn't made up her mind. At last, she states she is leaving. HOLY COW. I didn't think she would actually do it! Jake tells Ali that she’s slipping through his fingers and he doesn’t know how to stop her. Yes you do, Jake. Tell her she's the one!

Finally we get to see to some real crying in the limo and Ali saying that she doesn't know if she made the right choice. I think the audience already understood that she was confused. I really like Ali's dress by the way. Does anyone know who makes it? I'm in the market for a rehearsal dinner dress these days.

Meanwhile, back at the rose ceremony, three ladies in waiting have no idea what is going on (according to Chris H's blog). So they were standing there for 2-3 hours in their heels and dresses just waiting for Jake to come back. Jake, meanwhile, seems to make a pretty quick recovery. His philosophy is that he "doesn't think it's in his cards to be devastated at the end of this process." Chris the Host announces that Ali has left. Tenley's arms look like they are missing in her dress (it freaked me out at first). The girls squeal with delight when they learn they are headed to St. Lucia. (and probably relieved that Ali is gone) The Fiance immediately declares that they must be going to Jade Mountain (when we researched Caribbean honeymoon spots, all of the online travel reviews declared Jade Mountain as the #1 most romantic resort of all time. We looked into it, but could not justify spending over $1000 a night on a room).

The coming attractions look amazing - lots of bikini time and making out. Then there's a phone call from Ali coming. It's three weeks until the finale! Four weeks and counting until my own wedding. Overall, A+ for this episode. Highlights being Tenley's insane dance, Ali's surprise departure, Jake asking for at least two women's hands in marriage and learning that Jake was only a couple blocks away from us!

UPCOMING NEWS: The Fiance and I are going to be podcasting later this week about this season's The Bachelor. If you have any questions or topics that you would like for us to discuss, please post them and we will try to cover them. Looking forward to hearing from you, as always!

-Stacey B

Ali is the new Ed

My blog post is coming...will be posted Tuesday evening as usual. I am off to bed for a 6AM wake-up, but have to say this was definitely my favorite episode of the season. So much to write about - so little time!

Speak to you all soon and looking forward to your thoughts!

-Stacey B

Vienna - Are the Rumors True?

US Magazine reported yesterday that Vienna cashed out $5000 of her ex husband's money while he was over in Iraq in the armed services. The article claims Vienna used that money for a boob job. I wonder how this could be true considering it sounds like her daddy would have probably forked over the money anyhow. The report was supposedly quoting her ex hubby's mother.

Chris Harrison was quick to come to her side and said that Vienna is a sweet girl who he and Jake love very much. Hmmmm. Was he allowed to say that?

In other news, the Washington, DC area is about to be hit with 2 feet or more of snow this weekend. This really stinks because the Fiance and I are headed (scheduled to, anyhow) there tomorrow as we have a ton of stuff to accomplish for our wedding. We could possibly go next weekend, but we would have to rearrange a bunch of meetings and some of my closest friends were throwing us a brunch and won't all be there next weekend. Very aggravating!

Speaking of aggravating, did you know that American Airlines, despite us flying business class for our wedding/honeymoon, is still charging us $20 for our first checked bag, $30 for the second checked back and an additional $50 per bag weighing over 50 pounds?? Talk about ridiculous - you'd think the money we're spending to fly business class would more than cover at least ONE bag but it doesn't. Considering that my wedding dress will be one of my carry-ons and I will need to bring a lot of extras for the wedding, this is particularly annoying. Come on, American - how about giving us a wedding gift and waiving the $200? What exactly did all that extra money to upgrade to business class pay for?? Certainly warm nuts and a few sodas couldn't have broken your bank.

The Bachelor Will Never Be Perfect, But Love Can Be

Last night’s episode was a tad on the boring side again. Besides the brief few minutes we saw of Vienna lost and roaming the castle, candle in hand, looking for Jake and Gia and watching her gradually freak out, there wasn’t much to get excited about. (Jake mentions in his blog that Vienna was lost for over an hour and all the lights in the castle were on timers and went out at midnight). I think they should have spent the full hour of the show following Vienna and watching her freak out. It’s like Blair Witch all over.

I don’t remember if we’ve ever seen 3 one on one dates before combined with a two on one, particularly where the Bachelor did not have to give out any roses on the actual dates. This is definitely the result of Jake giving the boot to so many women earlier than scheduled. I wonder who he would have chosen between Gia and Vienna if he needed to make a decision. For some reason, I have this horrible feeling that Vienna is going to make it really far. I mean if he wasn’t turned off by her jumping into bed with him (he actually called her “sexy” when she showed up with two glasses of wine, when he was all ready to zonk out) unexpectedly after a long day where I am sure he just wanted to crash, that speaks volumes. Also, he seems to love taking care of her emotional needs. She was freaking out and baby talking him the whole episode up until the rose ceremony and it was kind of strange how Jake took Vienna into his hotel room to show her the view. Actually, it wasn’t strange if he was completely and totally infatuated with her. I guess I just don’t understand her appeal.

I feel like ABC is really trying hard to spread the word that Vienna is not insane. For example, in Ella’s interview which came out a couple of days ago, she claims that Vienna is just “misunderstood.” They also showed clips of Ali last night saying that she trusts Jake to make the right decision, and it sounded like she will stop bashing Vienna. They also showed Ali saying that “people make mistakes and the important thing is that they recognize those mistakes…” blah blah blah. In case this doesn’t win us over to Vienna’s side, they have Vienna saying that she also trusts Jake to make the right decision about Ali. What has this guy done to these ladies?? They are all swept up in his boyish charm. He’s a lucky guy.

San Francisco seems like a great spot for dating. Tenley’s date, after she stopped “freaking out” and avoiding hyperventilation, looked like loads of fun. She is definitely cheeseball city, but I think Jake is a little cheeseball as well, so perhaps they can be cheesy together. Also, my friend Piper reminder me that Tenley played the role of Ariel in an international theatrical production of The Little Mermaid and now I can’t stop thinking of her as a Disney character. Jake would make a wonderful Prince Charming, Prince Eric, Prince Anything in a Disney role, so I’m starting to think they would make a great pair.

The suite the girls stayed at in the InterContinental looked pretty awesome, especially after coming from a road trip. It doesn’t look like the girls were allowed to roam the city on their own, though, so I guess it would be a bit boring after a while. I love how Jake hands the girls a date card when they arrive somewhere and tells them not to open it until he is gone. Is he afraid they are going to yell at him? Beat him? Demand to know why THEY weren’t selected for a particular date?

Tenley’s reaction to finding out she has the first one on one, is nothing short of ridiculous. “Where are we going?” she squeaks. “Ohhh myyyy gosh, this is becoming really real. My heart is beating too fast.” She’s like a sweaty mouse and I feel like she might have a panic attack. The girl is so tiny that I almost think she may not be able to handle the Bachelor process. I hope these girls went under stress testing before being allowed to withstand the pressures of this show. Jake’s blog this week also reveals that Tenley did not eat any of the ethnic food they ordered together while in Chinatown. Oh no. Please don’t say eating disorder. Still, Tenley may be a bit high maintenance for Jake.

In line with their cheesiness, Jake and Tenley go outside and take a San Fran trolley. Chinatown looks like a ton of fun. Jake mentions that Tenley is “so much fun; she’s playful. You can throw anything at her.” Kind of like a mini dachshund.

Tenley may have the cheesiest lines of the show, “Falling in love in San Francisco would be so incredible…” Falling in love in a trashcan would be equally incredible for this girl.

Back at the suite, Corrie reads out the next date card, with a hilarious joke that Ali and Vienna were sharing the next date. Tension fills the room as these two are clearly pissed that they will be sharing Jake. Corrie screams out, “Just kidding!” it’s really Gia and Vienna who will be sharing Jake. The girls babble a bit about how much they hate each other (Ali and Vienna) and eventually they agree to disagree.

Meanwhile, Tenley and Jake have a romantic, candlelit dinner at the Coit Tower – I didn’t even know this was a possibility. Jake drills Tenley about her marriage and what mistakes she made. Tenley’s response is that she wished she had jumped off the couch when her husband got home from work each day. I have a really hard time believing that this girl sat still for any length of time. She just seems like the nurturing type and I am sure her hubby either a) didn’t appreciate it b) married her too young or c) was just a jerk. In any event, Jake seems to love her answers on this.

Tenley asks Jake what his expectations are of marriage. He seems to want respect, discipline and someone to have his back. I wonder if maybe he’d be better off with a guard dog. Then he utters the ultimate in cheeseball lines, “A marriage will never be perfect, but love can be.” The Fiance seems touched by this remark. Tenley manages to get out of Jake what she was probably most worried about – he is a faithful pilot. Cheating is a choice and the woman he marries will be the last woman he looks at. Ahhh, now that’s romantic. In case Tenley had any doubts as to how the evening was going, fear not. On the Wings of Love, the instrumental version, is BACK! I guess they ran out of versions of this song.

When a chest of clothing and accessories arrives at the ladies’ suite, the women get really excited. Vienna even curled her hair for the occasion. A limo comes to pick them up and takes them to the Castello di Amorosa, which happens to look incredible. Gia states at the beginning that she feels like a third wheel as Vienna is “being Vienna.” I am ready to smack Vienna when she starts using her baby voice around Jake. Gia should have totally called her out on that. It would have been awesome if she had said, “Vienna, why are you speaking like that? Do you need a bottle and a diaper change to go with that voice?” Of course maybe she did say something and it was edited out because we’re supposed to like Vienna.

Vienna tells Jake about Ali’s reaction at the rose ceremony. This is the first time we hear Vienna really mention that one of the other girls sucks as opposed to all of them just generally not liking her. Of course this triggers a well of tears and while Jake verbally comforts her, he basically is nuzzling Gia. The Fiance loved this. Then to put salt in Vienna’s wound, he asks for alone time with Gia.

Gold star for Gia for busting Jake on his unoriginal affection go-to move: sweep the lady’s legs onto his lap. Jake tries to make it up to her by telling Gia that she’s drop dead gorgeous” (she’s loving this compliment) and that he’s falling for her, and that he’s had some amazing moments with her that he hasn’t had with any of the other girls. She is eating this up. I like their chemistry together. Gia could have totally taken this time to bash the hell out of Vienna, but she just focuses on her relationship with Jake. Good for the swimsuit model!! Someone is calling her pretty and she’s surprised. It’s television at its best.

And while the smooching is going at full force in the castle between Jake and Gia, we are thrown back to Vienna, who looks like a gatekeeper walking around with a lantern as if she’s in a dungeon. “Jake? Honey?” She claims to be scared. I would understand this if there weren’t multiple members of a camera crew following her. I found her so unbearably annoying at this point. Her individual cameos are equally annoying – they seem to overlap with some of the cameos she made last week.

When Vienna finally gets some alone time with Jake, I immediately crack up because we see that she has her legs across Jake’s lap (exactly the unoriginal move that Gia talked about). Jake seems distant to Vienna and for a second, I’m delighted, because I think this means he finally realizes that he’s just not that into her. Of course then Vienna starts talking about her idea of what married life would be like. She lays it on thick. She’s into him and is “keepin’ her eyes on the prize.” Gross.

Ok, so then the date is over and the girls are escorted to their room, only for Vienna to go off and find Jake. It would have been far more interesting for her to wait for Gia to fall asleep and then go. She would have had a better chance of Jake not sending her back. Clearly Jake is uncomfortable when Vienna shows up. He eventually sends her back to the room. I would have loved to see the scene where Vienna makes it back to the room. If they could have shown a split second of some sort of smirk from Gia, I would have found that priceless. If Jake can still think of Vienna as “sexy as hell,” after pulling such shenanigans, this girl is going straight to the finals.

The Wardrobe Consultant, Corrie, wears high heels to go spend a day in San Fran with Jake. It’s hilly there. What is she thinking? This would be enough for me to break up with her, but she still seems like one of the more normal girls left, so I’m keeping an open mind. The row boat conversation they have is painful to watch. They both describe how a kiss should be (Corrie says the guys comes in 90%, she goes 10%. Jake says the guy goes 80% and the girl goes 20%). Sorry to say, but their formulas just don’t seem to add up properly and we know this date is doomed. When we find out later on their date that Corrie is a closet virgin (The Fiance kept referring to her as the Dark Horse Virgin after she revealed this secret), I am shocked. Yes, this explains a lot, but Corrie does not want this to define her. Sorry, Corrie, that’s all you’ll be known as from now on. Remember the girl who was a Virgin on the Bachelor with Jake? Even if I can’t remember her name a couple of years from now, I will know who she is based on her virginity status. I actually like Corrie a lot. She’s old fashioned. She won’t live with a guy before marrying him and she’s got traditional values – which I think Jake would be pretty compatible with. It’s a shame she got the boot later.

Ali is ready to go on the date she can’t stop talking about. Their date seems perfectly nice, but it’s not clear to me that Jake is as into it as Ali is. When he describes Ali as “comfortable” and “safe” for him when Chris the Host asks him about each of the women, I think unfortunately for Ali, that her days are numbered. My sister claims that Ali is going to be the next Bachelorette. We’ll have to see how much damage she has done with her Vienna bashing to see if she could possibly be the next Bachelorette.

We learn that Ali did not come from a picture perfect family. We also learn that she denies the opportunity to completely bash Vienna when Jake directly asks her about it. Is this taking the high road? Perhaps. The scene where they are basking in the sun on a blanket and it turns into a kissing session looks exactly like a Calvin Klein perfume ad.

What makes no sense is why on earth they went running into the ocean with their clothes on. I’m sure Ali’s boots were pretty expensive. The Fiance was like, “Why didn’t they just take their shoes off? It would have taken 2 seconds.”

And so it’s another rose ceremony and Tenley once again discusses her wild heartbeat. I want to make sure that I mention the horrible hair stylist that these women all probably used for this week’s rose ceremony. Vienna got the worst one – not sure if she was going for a Martha Washington look, but each of the ladies (except for Tenley) seemed to have hair styled after the famous matriarch. Of course maybe they were all trying to look matronly, in which case, they definitely achieved it. So their hair is atrocious and they all are dressed like old women about to go to tea (except Tenley who almost always wears something revealing her boobs and shoulders.).

Jake’s alone time with each of the women combined with their dates this week reveal that he really seems to be into each of these ladies. Going into hometown dates when Jason was the Bachelor, it was clear that Naomi was probably not going to make it past that week as he barely knew her (I don’t even think they had kissed at this point). Jake really seems like he could fall for any of these ladies at this point. It repulses me, therefore, that he chooses to take Vienna to his hotel room to escape the rose ceremony party. The thing that she has over these other girls is that she truly seems like her entire world would be ruined if he doesn’t choose her.

Probably the clearest evidence of Jake’s affection toward Vienna comes during his one on one time with Chris. Jake says that he feels he’s needed to hold back his feelings for Vienna so he doesn’t shut the other girls out. But now, he says, he is ready to just go with it. Seriously, Jake???

So Corrie goes home this week. I agree that if they had a little more time together, she may have stayed on longer. She could have been a good match for him. She seems funny and confident and smart. But I guess the fact that she wasn’t willing to get engaged on their first one on one date means she needed to be cut.

Next week it’s hometown dates and there will not be a rose ceremony. What happens? My mother started emailing me some suggestions for what happens. Jake seems to be hugging a dirty blonde girl, with wavy hair, emotionally. Does somebody come back? Why is he unable to do a rose ceremony? Does that mean all four girls will go on exotic overnight dates with Jake? Is he allowed to do this?

In any event, I’m hoping the drama factor picks up next week. Meeting the families is always an interesting insight into the women. Can’t wait to hear Gia’s mother’s thick New York accent. Vienna’s father is insane. Tenley’s parents seem cute and Ali’s mom looks nice. Should be better than this week.

Overall grade for this week’s episode: B-. I’m yawning a bit and really would like to see things pick up. On a bright note, my opinion of Jake has gone up recently both by his ability to handle the cattiness that is going on in the house. I also think he was very considerate in handling the two on one date with Gia and Vienna, not wanting to upset either one of them by paying too much attention to the other. A+ for sending Vienna straight back where she came from (too bad he didn’t send her directly home though).

5 weeks and counting til we leave for our wedding!! I think the Bach will be over by then. Then it’ll be the Academy Awards on Sunday, March 7^th followed by Molly and Jason’s wedding on March 8^th. So much to blog. So little time. Til next week. Let’s hear your thoughts. Who do you think will make it to the exotic overnights? Who is the surprise guest? Is Vienna growing on you? Do you like Jake more or less since the first episode? Chime in!

Molly and Jason's Wedding to be Televised

Wow - did you hear the news?

Molly and Jason's wedding will be televised on ABC on March 8th!!! This is just a few days before my own wedding. Maybe M & J will be on our honeymoon. Will you watch their wedding? And did you know that Trista and Ryan's wedding received an audience of 17.1 MILLION viewers?

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/01/bachelor-jason-and-molly-to-wed-on-abc-/1

There's Something They're Not Showing Us About Vienna

In an otherwise relatively average episode last night, there were some exciting highlights. I will say, however, that I miss Michelle and the Nanny. They totally could have done some really creepy things in the woods – sneaking into Jake’s tent uninvited, etc. I love how Jake is slashing girls left and right – and wonder why this has never been done before? Every woman on this show is expected to fall madly in love with The Bachelor and truly believe that he is the ONE for her. I never understood how this happens. Does ABC feed them a certain drug? Are they pumped with subliminal thoughts throughout the nights in the mansion? In any event, I'd like to congratulate Jake for being the first to kick girls out early, especially when he totally could have landed Ashleigh, Kathryn, Ella and let's face it, Michelle in a heartbeat - and probably all on the same night.

Last night’s episode got me wondering a bit too hard about Vienna. The girls really hate her. She’s like this season’s Wes, but worse – the girls can’t stand to be in the same room with her. Last week I wondered whether ABC was not showing us certain things about Vienna, wanting us to be in the dark so that we would perhaps remain neutral a bit longer. This week, I am convinced. What we currently see of Vienna is a googly eyed, bubbly girl who is overly smitten with her Jakey. How could she be so bad? She can’t help but speak in this soft baby voice within an inch from his face whenever she’s near him and this seems at contrast with her large personality. Certainly she's a bit irritating and not the most attractive girl, but is this enough to deserve the harsh criticism from the ladies of the house? Jessie, who we almost never see any footage of, goes out of her way to warn Jake about Vienna. Interestingly, in probably the only clear cut evidence we discover about Vienna last night, Vienna is a Daddy’s Girl – she crashes cars and her father writes the checks. We kind of knew she was well off when we saw her on the season premiere with her little dog, wearing a bikini and reminding us way too much of Prince Lorenzo’s season when that Blonde girl from Texas who wore tiaras all the time pranced around the house. (Off topic: didn’t she end up starting her own line of tiaras after the show?)

At one point Jake coaches Vienna into taking her outspokenness down a notch in the house so that the girls will hate her less. Later on in the show, Vienna wants to know whether Jake’s family and friends will like her, admitting that the girls in the house hate her. Now if Jake is remotely questioning his relationship with her, buzz words from Vienna like “your family” and “your friends” would send him running so fast in the other direction. But he still manages to give her a rose – despite Jessie’s warning and despite knowing that the other girls hate her. He’s asking for it. If ABC is hiding all the good stuff (Vienna has now been describes as a liar, deceiver, someone that is 110% wrong for Jake, someone that badmouths all the girls (though in her defense, they all bad mouth her too)), I’m really annoyed. I want to know all the annoying stuff she does so I can groan even more if/when Jake decides to pick her each week leading up to the end. Since it is evident that Vienna will go far on this show based on the fact that she’s still around despite all of this, I’m just going to sit back and enjoy the train wreck.

So this week’s “road trip” was all too familiar (with Jillian, the guys took a train ride with very similar dates lined up). The girls self split themselves (kudos to ABC for not putting enemies together and forcing us to watch unnecessary cat fights for the entire California coastline). They force Jake to ride his motorcycle the whole time - that must have gotten tiresome after about the first 60 miles. Ali’s definitely still bothering me this week. Her and Tenley’s feigned enthusiasm over getting onto a bus was simply annoying. It irked me when their mouths formed this “OMG” gesture – because really, who is that excited about knowing that you will be living out of a bus for the next week? It also appeared that 95% of the conversation on the Ali/Tenley bus revolved around how annoying Vienna is. I guess it made for some interesting conversation, but it really painted them in a negative light (which is perhaps what ABC is trying to accomplish. You can almost see the producers sitting around being like – well Vienna is annoying, but if we can make Ali and the rest of the girls seem catty and mean, then Vienna will seem like a better choice). In one particular scene, Ali said that she would volunteer to take the two on one date with Vienna and “take one for the team.” Tenley actually thanks her. This is a completely ludicrous statement because Ali has absolutely no decision making power on who gets what dates and certainly Ali is no saint for volunteering to do so. The Fiance found her very controlling this episode and said that ultimately her personality will not match Jake’s very well. He seems to need a nurturing, sweet type like Tenley.

Gia’s date in the vineyard was beyond ridiculous. I’m from New York and let me tell you – nobody with a shred of common sense (regardless of where they are from) would wear stilettos for a motorcycle ride or date on a vineyard. What was she thinking? I am glad she immediately took them off to go frolicking in the vineyard. I love how their game of hide and seek lasted 30 seconds - long enough for Jake to see her through a leaf (was she really hiding?) and carry her around. Then again, what else is there really to do in wine vineyard if you’re not on a tour and you’re not working there? I’m guessing SPUD was out of the question, so hide and seek is probably a fair option despite the lack of hiding spots. The two advance to more grown up games like spin the bottle, which is also completely ridiculous. Jake, don’t you know the whole thrill of spin the bottle is not knowing who it will land on? I mean, if you’re playing with one other person, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to make out with her. Then again, I guess it’s kind of awkward to just start making out for no reason. And I did like the fact that these two both self admit to being nerds growing up. Gia is definitely attractive (except when she wears that horrible bright red lipstick and looks kind of clownish or trampy) and might be a good person to share Jake’s inner dork with. She did, however, seem down to earth and have a warm personality once we got passed her thick accent.

I love when Jake asks Gia what she wants at the end of this process and Gia says, “In the end it would be you and I and we’d be engaged and be engaged for a while.” This boggles my mind - and yet simultaneously proves once again why this is the most entertaining show on television. This is their first one on one date and miraculously, she is ready to be engaged. Of course maybe she’s talking in hypotheticals, which is the only sensible thing to guess here. When Gia starts telling Jake that she wants to have 2 kids and adopt a little girl from China, Jake starts rubbing his face. When The Fiance starts doing that, it means he’s stressed and I can only imagine what must be running through Jake’s head. Long term, I don’t see these two working out. Gia is way too concerned with her hair and lipstick and while Jake appreciates these things, I don’t think they are a solid foundation for a relationship. After Gia accepts the rose, we have reason to celebrate: the On the Wings of Love music is back! The piano version!! Who knew there were so many different versions?!

Did anybody else notice how much scenery was incorporated into last night’s show? I guess they had some time to fill since the only story line of the show is that Vienna sucks and Jake still likes her. I’d say a good 20% of the shots last night were dedicated to the California coast, the great outdoors and Jake riding his motorcycle like the rugged man he is. They were definitely beautiful – but also evidenced that there wasn’t much else going on this week.

I found some of Jake’s conversations with the girls awkward last night. Especially the part when the girls arrive at the camp sites and he says to them all: “Do you like camping…nature is such a big part of my life” giggle giggle. Awkward. To balance this, they soon show Jake shaving with an electric razor in the woods, a button down shirt exposing his tanned perfect abs. I can forgive the awkwardness temporarily.

So the former Mr. Dateless makes some big moves this episode. He gets Gia to fall in love. The whole dune buggy date seemed insane. The girls pretend they thrive off of being dirty. I didn't really get the sand surfing thing (definitely a California thing), but it looked kind of fun. Corrie seems to bond with him a bit, but doesn’t open enough for Jake. Corrie seems relatively normal, but I’m still not over her mean comedy act from last week, plus the fact that we haven’t seen much of her to this point means she’s headed nowhere fast on this show.

One of my favorite scenes from last night was Jake’s alone time with Ashleigh on the group date. She’s basically wearing a dress with no bottom, thighs exposed, throwing herself at Jake – and he couldn’t look more uncomfortable. The Fiance was squirming watching them, because it was palpable just how uninterested Jake was in her. They had absolutely nothing to talk about. Ashleigh seems like a relatively smart girl – certainly a calmer type than Vienna, however, if Jake is going to prefer Vienna over Ashleigh, we can see why he’s still single.

And then there was the Ella vs. Kathryn match up. This is the most face time we’ve seen of Kathryn all season and I have to say – I liked her very much. I didn’t buy Jake’s speech to her about how she’s so beautiful that he wants to make sure it’s not just her beauty he’s wrapped up in and that he’s scared of being overwhelmed with her looks (is this for real?). I agreed with Kathryn in how she felt like a third wheel on the date because Jake did already have that one on one time with Ella and then he goes off with her first. He should have been spending a little extra effort getting to know Kathyrn. I whole heartedly applaud her effort for calling Jake out on ignoring her and not giving her sufficient time to get to know her. She’s no wallflower and some of what she said to Jake may be the smartest words that ever came from a contestant on this show. Once they have established that they are physically attracted to each other and Jake apologizes for making her feel like he’s not interested, Kathryn says, “Well let’s talk because really…we don’t have that much time!”

Ella laid it on a bit strong as to what she’s looking for (which mostly seemed to be mother/father related). I think this was too much for Jake. I loved, however, when Kathryn tried to interject her own thoughts and Ella just kept on talking right through and continued speaking, completely ignoring Kathryn.

I love how in Jake’s time with Kathryn, Jake promises that he won’t discredit the fact that they have only spent a little bit of time together – and yet that is exactly what he does by getting rid of her. He says he’s “scared” of opening up to her. This is crap. He’s just not that into her. Go read the book, Kathryn!

I like Jake’s speech to Ella when he lets her go. It’s respectful and to the point. I also liked that he took her outside to do the dumping rather than do it in front of Kathryn. It is kind of strange though, because Kathryn probably thought she was getting a rose while he dumped Ella. Good for him for not leading either girl on. I was a little surprised at Kathryn’s reaction – she seemed to have developed some strong feelings in their limited time together (probably a result of spending too much time with Ali and Tenley). Kathryn warns him that he’s making a mistake.

Ella’s upset too, but mentions that she’s surprised to be “let go this early in the GAME.” The game. That says it all – it’s a competition for her. I don’t see this really going anywhere between them regardless. A highlight of the show, however, is definitely once Jake finishes crying against his cabin once he ditches both girls. He takes the roses, the cameras follow him around looking very much in deep though and then he dramatically burns them. I couldn’t stop laughing at this point. Did they have him practice this? Were they like, “Jake, walk slower toward the fire, try to look confused and upset.”

If you're going to dump a girl, at least spell her name correctly. In Jake's blog this week on People.com, he keeps referring to "Katherine." If I were K, I'd be happy that Jake let me go as early as he did. If he doesn't know that you are Kathryn, he's not paying attention to details which really means he's not interested.

Why did the girls cry when they found out that not only Ella but Kathryn's bags were taken away as well? Shouldn't they be happy that they have 1 less person to compete against? Their chances just went up, actually. Ella and Kathryn seem like good people - sweet, fun, smart and well liked. Isn't it a good thing to watch your competition get the boot?

Ali’s obsession with Vienna’s downfall is getting to be too much. When she says she’ll throw up if Vienna gets a rose, that’s really unnecessary. We get it. You hate her. Now remember that you are not there to make lifelong friends, you’re there to find love – so stay focused and keep your mouth shut and perhaps you can keep an ounce of self respect. Even more annoying than Ali’s anger is Vienna’s reaction to Ali – like when Ali calls shotgun on the group date and Vienna’s response is “have your fun with him, cause I’m gonna marry him…” Are they 7 years old? It’s like they’re fighting over a doll.

One more point about the group date. Who came up with the concept of sand surfing? And rolling down the hill? There seems to be a common theme of playing children’s games this episode. But I guess that’s all part of seeing who is free spirited and who likes to get sand in their crotch.

Tenley’s alone time goes well – which is reinforced by her receiving the rose on the group date. Jakes wants to make sure that she’s over her ex husband and I’m not quite sure whether we clear that up. Personally, it concerns me as well. We do see, however, that she is over him enough to really want to make out with Jake. Good for her. These two have some good natural chemistry. Not sure how she and Ali can be BFF and still both be competing for the same guy.

In her alone time with Jake (which Vienna defers so that she can have the “last” alone time on the group date), Vienna starts whining about wanting Jake to herself. She’s talking sing songy like and it’s really irritating. Jake points out that she’s a little bit different around him than when she’s with the girls. He likes Vienna, but he’s been pumping the breaks based on what other girls are saying and he’s seeing some red flags, though he doesn’t describe what those are. He gave the rose to someone he “ignored at the beginning” (did he ignore Tenley? Didn’t she get the first impression rose on the first night after reading her top 10 list?) After giving Tenley the rose, Corrie looks like she’s going to kill him. Ashleigh is shocked that her thighs didn’t win the rose tonight. The girls think Tenley is too bubbly. Side note:

Some additional comments:

Why do Ella and Jessie have to wear super gooey pink lipstick?

Why does Tenley feel the need to tell Ella and Kathryn to “enjoy Jake, cause he really is a great guy.” Is this sincere?

Tenley loved pointing out to Ella that there is a 50/50 chance that she won’t come back. Then she laughs. Then she apologizes for laughing. Ditz.

So the rose ceremony takes place in a big white mansion. Ali is back to a yellow dress (does this mean she will be nicer?)

Corrie is wearing an 80s crimped dress and wants to know if Jake feels uneasy around her. I think she’s trying to flirt with him, but he doesn’t get it and answers her honestly. Chemistry is just not there in my opinion.

Ali’s speech to Jake, that she thinks what he did with Ella and Kathryn is “unbelievably honorable,” seems a bit designed. She wants to make it clear to Jake that she is falling for him and when she relays this information, Jake is all over it. I’m still really disappointed in Ali and her fall from the throne as a frontrunner. I had her marked as a light hearted, fun loving girl full of love, but her constant remarks about Vienna really bother me, despite the strong possibility that they’re true. FOCUS, Ali! Nobody likes a bad mouther. Of course Jake has only seen Ali’s sweet side so far, so maybe she’s hiding it well.

Her comment prior to the rose ceremony that she’d accept her “rose with dignity” but then have a stern talking to with Jake seemed like an outrageous comment. Can’t wait to see that conversation come off as care free and sweet.

And then came one of the most dramatic points of the night – Jake’s got two roses left and with three girls standing: Ashleigh, Jessie and Vienna, he gets tears in his eyes. There’s dramatic music playing in the background and all of a sudden you wonder whether Jake’s going to burst into more tears, run out of the house or wet his pants. He opts to leave the post and go find Chris Harrison. After blubbering to Chris about being confused, not knowing what to do, etc., Chris translates it pretty quickly: So what Jake is saying is that he realizes that Ashleigh’s strong pursuit of him (despite her self-proclamations that she would never throw herself at him) and Jessie’s scary green made up eyelids are not something he’d like to have for the next 60 years of his life. Chris comes back, gives a very eloquent speech and takes a rose away. The girls are once again shocked. Even more so when Vienna is revealed as his final choice. Deanna Pappas tweeted that this whole scene with Jake leaving the ceremony was scripted to provide the audience with an explanation of why Jake did what he did. Originally, I think Jake was going to only give out 1 of those two last roses and then say he was done – whereas it was more dramatic to have Jake wander off to find Chris – and cutting to various crew members with a wobbly camera. I bought it – it was a unique and thrilling insight into what goes on while Jake is handing out roses. I would say, however, that Chris finally is showing his purpose on the show. He always knows the right thing to say and he takes the show’s goal (finding true love) very seriously. A+ for Chris – seriously, I’m not sure that anyone other than Ryan Seacrest could pull off this role any better.

Side note: Interesting how Jake ignores Jessie’s intel– as wasn’t Jake the one who provided Jillian with intel that Wes had a girlfriend? He should know better than to ignore the words of wisdom. Then again, Jillian ended up choosing Wes the same week that Jake showed up to warn her – only to get rid of him an episode later. We can only hope that Jake gets to the bottom of things fast. I’m curious.

Ashleigh is beyond pissed that she’s not given a rose. It’s hard to determine whether she’s mad about losing Jake or whether she’s mad because he chose Vienna over her. Sounds like the latter.

So next week we’re on to San Francisco where it looks like Ali will be getting another solo date. This is awesome because I can’t wait to see how she bashes Vienna. Interestingly enough, it looks like Vienna may be getting some alone time of her own. Perhaps we will start to see a little bit more of why the girls absolutely hate Vienna. Or maybe we will only see the nasty things the girls say about her and how sad this makes Vienna, building sympathy for her. I think next week’s episode will be a turning point in how we view Vienna either way – which will also set up whether she really does make it to the end. How awesome would a Vienna/Ali finale be? They’d end up wrestling each other.

Overall, I give this episode a B+, mostly because I’m happy that Jake is slashing girls I knew he wouldn’t pick anyway earlier on. I still see Tenley, Ali and Vienna as front runners – although Gia seemed really cool once she stopped worrying about her hair, lipstick and shoes. What did you guys think?? What do you make of the Vienna/Ali sitch?

Six week countdown til The Fiance and me leave for our wedding. Thank you for all of your well wishes and support!! It’s been a nutty time for us but we are enjoying every second of this time period.

Let’s just hope that our wedding and the finale don’t overlap. Is it wrong to watch this show and blog during our honeymoon??

- Stacey B

What's Worse than Rozlyn?

Something that's a 10 on a scale from 1-10, says Jake. Apparently we haven't seen the worst or craziest or most scandalous event yet. That's kind of tough to believe, yet makes me very hopeful.

Here's the link. What do you think the scandalous event is? Jake's ex shows up? Reid shows up and proposes to one of the girls? Two of the women are having an affair with each other? Jake decides all these women are not for him and leaves the show in a limo? Nah, he'd just fly away or use his motorcycle.

Alright, let's hear your thoughts:

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebritynews/news/jake-pavelka-expect-horrible-event-worse-than-rozlyn-scandal-2010211