Earlfor1

Very good point. While I didn't have someone else while I was dating my ex (real world is a little different as we don't usually date more than one person at a time ?), I had the same issue when I first started to date my now husband. There was no drama, and I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I thought he was a rebound person, so I couldn't see "his real issues". Not to mention that my ex kept contacting me while the new relationship was fresh. When I finally realized what I had with my now husband was real, I decided break all contact (sm mostly at that point). He kept contacting my family. I couldn't give my future husband the attention he deserved, and even though I was sure I wanted my husband, in the back of my mind I kept wondering if I was really making a mistake. It took me getting a job halfway across the country, and my future husband stating he would move with me to be finally free. Different scenarios, but the complications are all the same. Rachel had to feel some of the same emotions.

The last thing I will state on this topic of production is this. It is the producers' job the get the desired footage for their desired storyline(s). Rachel is a Litigator and understands what she is contractually obligated to do. That is all.

^ Thanks. I usually only watch reality TV to focus on the production value. I rarely pay attention to the "plot" because I know how heavily manipulated they are. In this case, I actually have acquaintances who know Rachel (sorority sisters) so I watched this season. That is why I focused on Rachel mostly, and who I thought was best for her and not who I wanted her to end up with. I also was supposed to watch Nick's season as I had the episodes recorded, but Rachel was spoiled to be the next lead, so I didn't bother. This is the only season I watched, and probably won't watch any more seasons.

I agree. Unfortunately, R&B's love story wasn't a major storyline this season. Peter was the star and R&B were the supporting cast. I wasn't able to watch in real time, and since I am on vacation, I binged watched within the last 48 hours so it is all still fresh. Many people on social media were up in arms because Peter wasn't chosen. I definitely understand why they feel the way they do based on how the season was presented. Having seen the episodes back to back, I was able to deduce that the major storyline was The Fall of Peter, not Rachel and Bryan's Love Story. Even on the ATFR episode, more time was spent on Rachel and Peter than on Bryan and her. If Rachel and Bryan had more angst and drama, it would definitely be shown. Rachel and Bryan probably got along so well that the too good to be true or the too charming storyline was the only one they could give them. I am a producer for a morning news/entertainment show here in Northern California, so I know how to exploit raw footage, interviews, voiceovers and live action caps to produce a storyline. What I am saying is that this show is not a documentary on a love journey. It is about storylines and ratings (Demario's "girlfriend" Subplot, the Kenny and Lee Subplot- casting actually spends a lot of time vetting contestants so they knew what they were doing with Lee, and Peter Won't Propose Subplot). They produced what they felt would give the franchise the greatest profit. While the story's plot progressed, the ending was anticlimactic. It left many viewers who were invested over the past 12 weeks unsatisfied. Some things to note: Per my professional networking, of the contestants cast for Bachelor/ette, only a third of them are a compatibility match for the lead. The rest are cast for ratings/drama or potential leads. Josiah and Bryan were cast later than others when they found out Rachel was the lead. Bryan told his good friend Pauldine that he had the biggest crush on Rachel and that he thought that they were a perfect match. Pauldine signed him up when she was announced. Now that the season is over, the Rachel and Bryan Love Story Plot can now play out in real life and in real time. Good post. I posted similar points. I guess we were posting at the same time.

I was going to include that people made the smooth operator or player projection on Bryan, and many stated this from the perspective of their own personal experiences. Thanks for making this point. People react to situations based on who they are and what they have experienced in their lives up to that point. Some people have had trauma and their reactions and emotions may be different from someone who didn't have the same trauma. It is what is is. While people saw Peter as great for Rachel, I saw things that made me see the opposite. I never ascribed any character traits unto Peter. I stated his behaviors as I observed them and explained why I thought they were red flags. As I type, my friend who lives in Dallas, was at the engagement party and posted photos of B&R. I couldn't imagine Peter being comfortable in that setting. Bryan definitely is. I saw Bryan as great for Rachel since he gave her a back alignment massage the night Demario left. He focused on how she was feeling and did what he did to make her feel better. I married a Bryan, so my lenses look different than most. BTW, this forum is the first forum I have posted on in years (TWoP before this), and it is nice to read intelligent posts have intelligent discussions.

Thanks for responding. I said based on my experience I saw red flags. I even stated that he could be genuine, but those red flags were present for me. I was posting from my perspective because Rachel has stated similar experiences to mine, so I can understand why she said Peter messed with her head. It was in response to a previous post of how could Peter get into Rachel's head. I was very careful to qualify in the beginning that this was my point of view based on my experience, not that this is who I think Peter is. For what what it is worth, I actually understand why Peter has the fan base he has. I wish him luck and hope he finds someone who gets him. However, he is not for Rachel or people who have had similar experiences as Rachel. I apologize if my post was received as projection. The intent was to explain Comosdice's question of how someone could mess with someone's head. Due to it happening to me, I tried to answer.

It so hard to explain, but it happens, especially if one is not strong or equipped to avoid those mind games. Some men know how to play on some women's insecurities. While I can say that it wouldn't happen to me now, it has happened in my past. From my experience, as I had dated a "Peter" in my 20s for 3 years, I could see how Peter could have done it. My ex didn't want to formally commit to marriage but wanted me to move in with him. After I realized that we were going nowhere, I decided to break things off (several times). He would tell me what I wanted to hear, and I ended up staying longer than was healthy for me. Peter's actions actually triggered some emotions in me that I thought I had gotten over 10 years ago. I could only imagine how Rachel was caught up in emotions as she mentioned that Peter reminded her of a past relationship. My ex also told me that I wouldn't find anyone as good as him, and I would be miserable without him. It was the kind of things my ex said to get in my head. So when Peter said "mediocre life", I was done with him. There were other red flags regarding Peter. First red flag was him commenting on Rachel leaning into him first when they were kissing ( "you leaned into me but I was going to lean into you"). That was a very peculiar thing to say during an intimate moment. Then one episode, he commented on how much she drank when she was feeling nervous and vulnerable. He never made eye contact when they were supposed to be having intimate conversations. Him mentioning that her outfit was the wrong thing to wear in the wind, was side eye worthy as well. My ex made comments about how inappropriate my attire was and his reasons could be anything (wind, the type of company, the full moon, etc.) He acted as if he were the lead instead of her. For instance, him having his hometown friends evaluating Rachel as if he had the final say was odd. That is what the role of the lead, which he is not. While Rachel having to beg him to kiss her is not a red flag per say, it appeared that he was withholding his affections on purpose. Even if he wasn't comfortable making out on camera, he could have showed his affection in various ways when they were alone such as intimate touching. However, he was all hands in front of the other men during their group dates. Now, I am not saying that there were ulterior motives to how he presented himself, and he could be genuine for all I know, but I learned to beware of the warning signs with the relationships I had after my ex, so I wouldn't repeat the cycle. From my perspective, I would avoid Peter like the plague. I don't care how pretty he is. I truly believe that Rachel was in the same head space that allowed Peter to get into her head. Also remember that Rachel's family had reservations about Bryan and was seeing him for the first time since Dallas. She, for the first time, was feeling unsure about Bryan due to family, so her uncertainty about her F1 coupled with her insecurities would certainly make her more vulnerable to Peter getting into her head.

Per her interviews, Rachel stated that she told Bryan that she was in love with him during the FS. She stated that although she told others that she was falling in love or that she loves them, Bryan was the only one to receive the "in love with you". If Rachel and Peter's break up scene is any indication, I believe he told her some of what she wanted to hear so she could keep him during their FS, if she was leaning towards letting Peter go. She seemed very distracted during the earlier part of her FS date with Bryan. I believed she would have let Peter go instead of Eric if he didn't tell her what she wanted to hear. I get the feeling that Peter said what ever he said during FS that "messed with (Rachel's) head" is because he didn't want to lose, and he isn't used to losing.

I never thought Peter was number one. Bryan was. Not only did he get the First Impression Rose, he was always called before Peter to receive his Rose. During the meet and greet, the way she looked at Bryan when he walked away as she said, "mmh, I like trouble " compared to what she said about Peter "He's cute", was very telling. Bryan had the better one on one dates (rappelling in Norway vs Barkfest in Palm Springs, luxury date with $9000 watches vs sledding in the Swiss Alps, meeting close friends before meeting the parents for Bryan, but not Peter, horse back riding vs grape stomping, hot air balloon ride vs visiting a priest). There is no evidence that she favored Peter more than Bryan. Personally, I believe that she was afraid of what she was feeling with Bryan because "he was too good to be true" and Peter was a safer choice earlier in the season. Her final conversation with him was not about him not proposing, but why she wasn't good enough for him to take that blind leep of faith. Her emotions were raw due to her insecurities, not because she loved Peter more. Yes, part of it was ego, because she wanted Peter to want her more, but she certainly didn't want him more than Bryan. So I don't buy that she settled on Bryan.