Ilovepie

I think the problem for very young contestants is that there is a very narrow window of acceptable behavior for most viewers: either they act older than their age and come off as precocious twits, or they actually act their age and are annoying kids. The other problem is a lack of authentic emotion - they just lack life experience to connect honestly to the lyrics they are often singing and it's just not believable.

Bobby's friend's face said it all when Bobby told him he had told Danielle he loved her, but she hadn't reciprocated........

Yes to this a million times! I think it's all pretty shady on his part. Let's see, his business is failing and self-employed medical insurance is probably expensive. I have no doubt she has better insurance than him since she works for a big company. It really puts into perspective why he stayed with her after the arrest, oh excuse me, "detainment". I think it was all for the money because his business is doing so badly and there was absolutely no logical reason to stay after that nonsense. Now there is no financial gain, out she goes.......

Yes to this! It was so awkward when he said I'll miss you, and she said I'll miss you making me coffee. Ack! How hard would it have been to just say "you too", even if the reason you are missing him is because he makes you coffee?!? I mean, she had no problem saying she would miss Henry! I really hope there is more affection between them than we are being shown because poor Bobby deserves it.

Kids might be programmed to love you no matter what, but they definitely test whether you can love them unconditionally. I say this as the mother of a 13 yo girl who is definitely not my mini me in any way. I only hope that when/if Amber has kids she is in a better state emotionally because kids will test your sanity like nothing else. Sadly, I think you are right. I am not one who blames Dave for Amber's emotional state, but what were the experts thinking in picking her in the first place? Shame on them for being so irresponsible! When are they going to learn that emotionally fragile and/or emotionally closed off people do not work well in the circumstances that this show places them?!?

I agree she can do it, I’m just not sure she comprehends how much work kids are, even past the age of five. I honestly don’t understand her obsession with having a kid, she likes to spend a lot of time and money on her appearance - something that would definitely be negatively affected by having a kid. She also seems ambivalent about babies and young children. What is it exactly she is looking for by having a kid I don’t know - maybe she envisions having a little mini me that she can treat like a doll? Or unconditional love that she can’t find in a man? I don’t know, but a woman who throws a tantrum over missing socks and cries because she can’t mince garlic seems ill prepared for what comes with kids. I do feel that while nothing can really prepare you for becoming a parent for the first time (myself included!), she is really emotionally fragile and needs help for herself before bringing another human being into this world.

I think HAVING kids would be a bad idea for Amber......

Indeed! I told my husband it looked like a flop house!

Me either! Yes, he is a little harsh, but that’s it. I am a lot like Dave personality-wise, so what he says doesn’t bother me, or at least I wouldn’t dissolve into a puddle of insecurity because of it. He comes across as reserved and somewhat guarded, but I don’t think he’s cold. He’s very direct and analytical; I think treating him the same would work better with him. He seems open to criticism and admits when he is wrong. Amber, on the other hand, becomes pouty or passive aggressive and says ridiculous things like “this is why I didn’t want to be married because I didn’t want to do anything extra for my husband “. She is emotionally stunted and behaves like a little girl. A lot of people think Amber senses he doesn’t like her and it’s making her more insecure. My question is, why? Why do we keep wondering if Dave likes Amber, but not whether Amber actually likes Dave? Is it because she is just so desperate to have a kid that it doesn’t even matter whether she likes him (which is horribly sad)? On some level, if you’re Amber, wouldn’t you just be like, screw it, I don’t care what you think, especially if this is ending in divorce in a couple weeks.....

Well crud. Was rooting for Steven, but Sophie really earned it. She has been consistently excellent all season so I can’t be too mad. I really loved this season- all the bakers were well cast, and I am loving Noel and Sandi- they bring some of the heart that is missing without Mary Berry. This season was also surprisingly funny- PruePaul’s Drag Race, the Fielding Fondle, and this week “All about the bake” with Paul quipping “no treble”. Ha! My favorite part of the episode was all of the updates on the bakers. The car ride Karaoke was everything. The update with Steven and Sophie was such a sweet and fitting ending- the icing (mirror glaze?) on the “shear perfection”cake that was this season.

@Yeah No I agree with a lot of what you are saying about Dave, but I also think that you are making a lot of assumptions about him, his motivations and prior relationships. I don’t think Amber is getting criticized for having emotions, it is the absurd amount of fretting she is doing by making mountains out of molehills. These are not assumptions- it’s being caught on camera every single episode. Even Dr. Jessica (ugh) called her out on it. For instance, this episode when she freaked because he was talking to her brunette friend. What exactly would have been the correct response for him in that situation? Should he avert his eyes when speaking to her friends who happen to be brunette? Or just avoid them altogether? If he had done that, I fear she would then think he was embarrassed to be seen with her and then she would be upset by that. Amber is a hot mess. Dave knows it, and despite his efforts to get through this, it shows. These two just need to split.

Ha! I guess some of your reply came across serious, wasn’t sure of the tone on the rest. No need to apologize- I joined this forum bc I love all the comments and seeing how everyone else feels about what we are watching. Of course, personal experience colors how each individual sees each participant and interprets their words and actions. This particular topic pushes my buttons. I live in a very conservative town and have many SAHM friends. Like Danielle I never had any desire to stay home and I love my job and co-workers. I got judged hard bc I chose to go to back to work after a 3 month maternity leave. I don’t judge anyone for their choice, whether to work or stay home, but I do judge self righteous women who feel only their choice is correct, which is the sense I got from Mama Dodd and her clone daughter. I agree it’s only Bobby and Danielle’s choice - it’s really not any of the Dodd ladies business. Keep the snark coming - this show absolutely deserves it!

I think saying that you don't want someone else raising your child is definitely a subtle slam against working moms. The Dodds might be supportive when the time comes, but I definitely think they are pro-stay at home. I don't think Danielle is actually suicidal, it's obviously an exaggeration of her feeling about being around other people's kids, meaning, she doesn't enjoy it. That is not going to endear her to them for sure, but it might have just been a passive aggressive comment after being grilled about staying home when she and Bobby have kids, which she does not want to do.

Or maybe it was one of those times where you get really annoyed and say something even more shocking because you're pissed. I would have been if I had been having that conversation with those ladies! I can't believe how judgemental they were being about working moms! "I don't want someone else raising my child." On behalf of all working moms, FU Bobby's sister! Just because you work (by choice or necessity) does not mean you don't love your child or raise them! Oh hey, I have an idea - maybe Grammy Dodd will watch the Bobster and Danielle's baby when the time comes - take a page out of the Hehner/Otis playbook......

I think it's a chicken or the egg situation - which came first? I think her insecurity turned him off and she sensed it, so it's making her more insecure, which just annoys him further. It's a vicious circle at this point and they are just a terrible match because they bring out the worst in each other. Dave seems happy, funny and relaxed when he is with literally anybody else besides Amber. She on the other hand, seems neurotic with everyone she interacts with. I think there is a reason she has only dated "Dallas Douches" - any sane, reasonable, well adjusted man would not be willing to put up with her brand of crazy for long. I'm not sure telling two SAHM apologists that you want to kill yourself around other people's kids is a winning strategy.......

This season has become painful to watch. Were these seriously the best women they saw in Dallas? Nightmares, all three. I think they finally found three guys ready for marriage and they saddled them with a criminal, a neurotic, and an ice queen. Great job “experts”! It is the same thing every single week: Amber is insecure and Dave is uptight, Bobby is great and Danielle is closed off, Tristan and Mia lay under a blanket. What a snooze. I think at this point I would prefer a show just focusing on the pets....

I was so happy Stephen made it! Despite his performance this week, it just wouldn't have been right for him to not make the finals when he has been one of the best from week to week. I have actually loved this season, mostly because the bakers were well cast. Sandi and Noel have grown on me to the point I don't even miss Mel and Sue. I haven't watched the final yet, but the only thing that would have made the season better is if Liam was in the final instead of Kate, who I feel has been hovering in the bottom for a long time and has only survived by beating just one other person from week to week. It will be a travesty if she wins. I was happy Stacy was sent home - her stuff was so tacky and garish. Was there a week where she didn't have something hot pink? It's like she has the aesthetic of a six year old girl! I know they called Kate's show stopper juvenile, but I found Stacy's equally so.

Bust them out! I am only in my 40's but I love old movies, the older the better. TCM is my favorite channel! Perhaps people don't realize they are actually referencing a classic every time they say someone is "gaslighting" their partner ;-p

Wow. This show morphed from a black comedy into.......something else. I’m not even sure what - it’s so tonaly all over the map. I think it crossed a line when Patty brutally murdered Christian. I liked it better when the Bobs were feuding. Not sure if I’m going to stick with it.

I think there are many examples that point to her being overly sensitive, all of which have been discussed ad naseum on this forum. Dave is critical but I think if she would have told him in a mature manner that his criticism was hurtful and not helpful and not made a big deal out of every.little.thing. they might be in a better place. He is never going to coddle anyone. Of course, ymmv, but I relate better to Dave because I am more like him personality-wise. She would drive me crazy. I don’t either, but they have both have said that he is shouldering more of the household workload because she is spending 3 hours a day commuting. I would think this is because of the show and if they stay together long term things will change, but that is true in all relationships. There are times in life where one person takes care of more than the other depending on circumstances, and then things change and it shifts again. A good relationship is where people can be flexible and compromise and work together for the betterment of the household, and sometimes you have to be the one carrying the heavier weight. I think this is what Bobby is trying to do.

I agree that there are times this show has absolutely been edited to fit whatever story the producers want played out, but in Amber’s case I don’t see how that can be chalked up to producer manipulation when she has admitted to being insecure. I do think “the experts” were waaaaay off when they matched Dave and Amber- they cite things like being older and wanting to start a family, but it’s like they didn’t even take basic personalities into consideration when putting them together. i think Bobby is arguably the nicest most well adjusted person ever to be on this show. When he’s talking on Unfiltered and when he was talking to Dr Pepper he just comes across as knowing his own mind and being confident about what he is saying. Does he like cleaning up dog crap? No, of course not, but he has decided to do it, and he is not complaining because he wants to help Danielle out. Danielle does seem somewhat emotionally closed off, but she has been very positive and complimentary about Bobby in the THs, and maybe she just doesn’t like the cameras. She has said repeatedly that their relationship is private in reference to sharing with the other couples, so maybe that also goes for the production crew as well.

Yes he is - I laughed when he asked Liam if he would like a Fielding Fondle in lieu of a Hollywood Handshake...Sandi is growing on me too and I think they are working nicely together. Another American here who thinks of something approximating a very thick jiggly mousse when I hear pudding, no cake involved. Those school puddings reminded me texturally of something like a bundt cake. Maybe I’m way off - I don’t know what we have that would compare? i am really loving this cast - all very likable.

I don't think she was joking either. She is absolutely delusional if she thinks kids are a piece of cake after turning five - news flash Amber: kids are work at ALL ages. School age kids are a major pain because of school and extra-curricular activities - your time is really not your own at that point. Talk about being extra! This woman should NOT have children, she has no idea what she is asking for. The freak out over the garlic was very telling to me. It was the way a young child would act. She needed everyone to turn around and reassure her. I mean, Mia set a freaking towel on fire and didn't even freak out this bad. I think Dave is just over it at this point. Can you imagine having to coddle someone like that every day for the rest of your life? Especially when you are used to having your own shit together and are not especially nurturing to begin with. What a nightmare. Extreme mismatch here, and Amber needs major therapeutic help, and I'm not talking any of the "experts" either. I really wish Danielle and Bobby had told Dr. Pepper where she could stick her "check in" and tantric session. I really hope Danielle actually reciprocated on the I love you when the camera was not rolling, because if not, ouch! It reminded me of Star Wars when Princess Leia tells Han Solo "I love you" and he says "I know"....... I don't care about Tristan and Mia. That is all.

I bet Joe M is kicking himself for wiping out on Stage One this year when he has been last man standing multiple times.....I am glad it was Drew though, he deserves it. "Papal Ninja" seems like a nice guy, but the nickname drives me nuts considering he is an IT guy and not a priest. I did like how supportive he was being of Drew considering he was so close to earning $100,00. It was heartbreaking to see Najee time out so close to the end. I couldn't tell if it was his asthma or just being gassed out. It almost looked like a panic attack - maybe the underwater stuff stressed him out? I can't believe so many wiped out on the wingnuts - I thought all the ninja gym people would have spent the last year practicing on them. ANW should just hire the kid who designed them - he seems to have a gift for designing diabolical obstacles..... I'm sad the season is over, it kind of signals the end of summer for me. Oh well, there's always next year.......

I agree - I actually think Dave would rather that Amber did the laundry like she said she would rather than cooking him dinner which seemed pretty painful for him watching her floundering around. I think all couples have to figure out what works specifically for them regardless of preconceived men's vs. women's chores.