archer1267

A large reason why many women stay in abusive relationships is economic - they simply don't have the resources to leave. Bethenny was certainly in a financial position to have options.

I feel for anyone who loses a parent, but I found her statement (as covered by Page Six) to be rather classless and just as much about her as Bernadette. My mother similarly had demons and could be cruel and emotionally abusive; I struggled with writing my eulogy. I didn't see it as an opportunity to air dirty laundry or to be anything other than diplomatic though.

I'm so used to Diner- and Wings-era Tim Daly that it took me a moment to recognize him. If nothing else, I'm loving the cameos on the show. Still wanna know how they landed David Byrne! The pharmacist is my favorite character. He sees through everyone's ploys and calls them out on it, but genuinely cares about them too.

Really? Huh. I don't know about "always," maybe we're both right with the seasons we've watched. My memory is of the earlier seasons, like I remember Trista very clearly dismissing Charlie first and then telling Ryan how she felt before he spoke. But now I'm remembering that Ashley Hebert let Ben go on and propose before she stopped him, and he was understandably pissed.

I've watched a good number of Bachelor/ette seasons and have never seen a finalist speak before the B/lette does. (Maybe it's happened, but I've never seen it myself.) Teresa maybe figured she had nothing to lose, and if he was at all on the fence, she didn't want it to be because she hadn't shown her feelings. (I think of Arie choosing Becca because she was all in, very verbal and demonstrative while Lauren was more reserved. Arie picked Becca because he didn't know if Lauren would turn him down.)

Am I the only one not taking "$60,000 dress" literally? I think Leslie either threw that number out there to convey that the dress was expensive, or she meant to say "six thousand." Unless the show provided the wardrobe for these women, I can't see ANY of them spending $60k on a dress.

Teresa mentioned having a FINRA license. You have to make it thru an exam to get that, and it's not a cakewalk. As for how she reconciles having a serious credential with being so deferential to Gerry, maybe she's downplaying her career situation to make herself more appealing to a retiree. If Leslie was just after sex, she could easily get it, and no need to go on the show to find it.

I wondered about the religion aspect too. I know several interfaith couples (Jewish/Christian). I would guess that since they have grown children who were raised in their respective faiths, it's less of an issue now? But I remember my grandfather embracing his faith once he felt the end was near and regularly attending church. It would be interesting to know how much faith plays a role in each of their lives. I wonder if Gerry's family will drill down on that.

I hope Teresa isn't watching the show. Gerry's "I found myself wondering what Leslie was doing" will hurt regardless of who he chose. I loved her back story about her career, though. Ageism is so prevalent in hiring/promoting people, and HR never discusses it when we talk about bias. Kudos for that company giving Teresa a chance over the usual youthful candidates. I didn't think Leslie's question about sex was that odd, given that the Fantasy Suite was looming. I hope it's not the only question she asked him though. Maybe she hasn't gone that deep because she doesn't know how to talk to Gerry about his wife in the natural way that the widows on the show have. It's not a shared experience. Is it me or did Leslie seem more distant the morning after? I can't tell if she just keeps her cards close or if she's not as into Gerry as he is her. I do think Gerry will pick her even though Teresa seems like a better fit.

This may be an unpopular opinion and I'm not sure how to articulate it... I just watched the Women Tell All and was struck how often the words "inspiration," "inspirational" are used to describe the women. (Not just on the show, but what I've read in articles about the show.) It bothers me, like these women are just being themselves and living full lives, but somehow they're "inspiring" because they're senior women? I see the word also used to describe people who are dealing with serious illnesses or disabilities. I get that it's meant as a compliment, but the word sometimes seems patronizing to me. Maybe it's just the way we view aging in the US, that if seniors are still leading active, interesting lives (and are not ill or incapacitated), they're considered outside the norm? Maybe this is tied to what Joan said about women her age being invisible. I hope I didn't offend anyone with this observation - I'm curious if others noticed this and feel the same way.

Faith and Leslie are both so guarded/wounded from past relationships and it makes me a bit sad to hear that Gerry's the first guy to make them feel safe, chosen, etc. Everyone has a past, but I wonder about Leslie's pattern of picking the wrong man instead of a mensch who treats her well. (Her own brother noted that Gerry is not at all the guy she's typically gone for.) Sometimes people think they don't deserve good things. I hope that's not the case here. That said, all three women seemed to have lovely families and it would be hard to leave that behind. Gerry seemed to be talking himself into loving Teresa. It's like, it didn't cross his mind as a possibility until her daughter raised the question and he hesitated. I was surprised at how demonstrative he was with Faith in front of her family. I think he's definitely fond of Teresa, but it's not a I can't keep my hands off you! kind of attraction.

The Villages has been mentioned a few times - I recommend this documentary, "Some Kind of Heaven," to anyone interested in seeing what life's like in The Villages. After I watched it, the statistics about the high rate of STDs there made more sense 😉

That squares with Susan being the only one NOT to drink during "Never Have I Ever" when the talk turned to being with another woman. She just kind of shrugged it off like, no biggie. Lol!

I loved the women water-dancing to different religious songs in the beginning. Fun! I really came to like Susan and wished she could have stayed around, but I'm hoping she's got a great guy in her future. She just took things in stride, knew that her life would be just fine if she didn't get a rose. Ditto Sandra. I was personally relieved that Faith got a 1:1 date so she could finally stop whining about how much time has passed since she had meaningful time with Gary. When you tell someone you're falling in love with them and they say "aww, you're so sweet" in response that's not a good sign. Some of those heartfelt declarations were awkward. I want to believe that Leslie is sincere but Gary just seems kind of square for someone who's dated Prince. Teresa's near-hyperventilating before the final rose was a bit much.

I'd have to re-watch, but it seemed too like she was initiating more of the kissing than he was. There have been some Bachelor seasons where a finalist was sent home for not being upfront enough with their feelings. Like, Arie picked Becca because her feelings were never in doubt; Lauren was more reserved and more of a risk. Ellen probably wanted there to be no doubt in Gerry's mind as to how she felt. Putting yourself out there can give you the edge if the Bachelor/ette is already leaning towards you (like Ryan in Trista's season). But I think Gerry and Ellen have a friends vibe and her declaration probably = limo ride next week. Is it me or does Teresa have an odd hairline? I can't tell if that's a wig or something else. Maybe it's just that the center part isn't flattering.