adhoc

The Bachelor franchise wants to boast about how gay friendly it is. "Look at us! We're hip and happening! We stan all love relationships--gay, straight, whatever!" Plus, it's all slotted into a quick little summer story line. No super amount of effort expended on scoring points with TB's gay viewership. Does Demi "have something" on someone in production, also? I have no idea, but you all make me wonder now...

1. I'd be more interested in a Derek season of TB than I would a Peter season. Because i could actually envision Derek finding someone he actually clicked with (even if it's much to his surprise). Peter is mid-20s and already an established Player, as outed by Reality Steve. No chance (IMHO) he would be looking for actual love and commitment. 2. Even though Kristina's manner when talking with Caitlin was not pleasant (it seemed a bit belligerent to me), I actually agreed with the words coming out of her mouth. She made her intentions clear--she wants a "friendship" rose, and if Blake wants to give his rose to her instead of, say, Caitlin, that's up to Blake, and Caitlin should focus on her own relationship with Blake and not on Kristina or Kristina's motives. Caitlin wanted Kristina to bow out so Caitlin could (possibly) have a chance with Blake. Does Caitlin not understand how BIP works?

That's why they don't cast older contestants for this show. Not as manipulate-able, and rather less likely to bring the drama or make hare-brained decisions.

...And I came here to catch up on posts....

Haha, Demi does not know who Nelson Mandela was. EVEN AFTER IT WAS EXPLAINED TO HER, she clearly did not understand what "fought against apartheid" even meant. So happy that some producer who balked at this whole contrived Demi storyline found a way to get a dig in at her. Yes, that is what I choose to believe happened and yes, I know I'm being pretty juvenile about BIP and that it's just a show and does not really impact my life in any way.

Wait, shouldn't Demi be asking the rest of the contestants whether THEY are comfortable with this change in the rules that allows the girlfriend to stay? No, she's just asking her girlfriend if the girlfriend is comfortable. No need to clear it further with the cast or Production. Now that I think on it, the appropriate thing to do would have been for Demi and the GF to ride off into the sunset as a now-happy couple.... ETA: Everyone's applauding, Demi's so brave, etc. They're all in on this pre-planned story.

I think Dylan and Hannah, both 24 years old, are acting pretty age appropriate for having known and interacted with each other for a matter of, what, 5-6 days, and inside the weird bubble of Paradise. Perhaps Dylan is a little geekier and less experienced with women than some other guys his age, but if that were the case, I don't think he's abnormally so. Heck, a guy's brain is still maturing until age 25-26. I just wish we could see some sort of substantive conversations between Dylan and Hannah. (And Katie and Chris, for that matter.) Also, do people actually say "I'm falling in love with you"? I've heard "I'm really falling for you," and "I love you," but honestly, Dylan saying "I'm falling in love with you" sounded like a line that some producer coached him to say (if he wanted to "win" Hannah, that is).

Ah, lovely Jonathan Crombie, may he rest in peace. Ironically--given that some posters have been insisting Dylan pings their gaydar--Crombie actually was gay. Hannah G. sounds like she could be a smoker. Whatever, she and Dylan served up a heaping helping of Vocal Fry tonight during their date. But I was glad she picked him. And regarding Demi:

Thank you, Preeya. Sounds like an episode I don't mind missing.

I missed it tonite. Can someone summarize? ETA: Well, if I can stay up till 11 pm I guess I can catch it. But I'd rather just have the recap--thanks!

This challenge confused me, not gonna lie. The Grant/Gordon collaboration was artfully interesting, though I would like to see how a party in a restaurant would eat it. But the cheftestants' creations, for me, just mostly looked like crude attempts to put "regular" food in a different setting from the usual plate. Jamie's dish, for me, was an example of this. I didn't feel like the food itself was creative. Not a Bri fan, but at least I get what she was trying to do. But Nick's blender mess? Minus the blender, is that really something one would serve in a restaurant? In a mixing bowl? I liked Dorian's, and if the globe had been edible and embellished slightly, and the opening wider, it would have been amazing to have that served to me. Sarah's was a mess, but you know what? If she had worked it so nothing ran together--say, by propping up the low end of the paint tray when she realized what was happening--I kind of think she was on to something. I would have wanted a much smaller paint tray (and a Swiss cake roll of some sort for a paint roller), but it could have worked in a whimsical way. Subha's presentation, to my untrained eye, wasn't worse than some of the others. No need for the insults. I'd really like to taste some of Subha's food now.

So, um, "Blake and I were talking prior to the show...and then he flew to Birmingham to see me...and we met and talked....and we kissed..." I think another poster already alluded to this, but "we kissed", in this situation, is a euphemism for "we had sex", right?

Waste of an episode. TPTB replaced any signs of actual romance with stupid shit/drama. Yeah, I'm miffed I wasted my time watching. 😒

This completely fake Demi story line is getting on my last nerve. She came on the show to propose to her girlfriend. What a good little actress, though, pretending she can't make up her mind about the girlfriend back home or Derek. She's better than fake Colton, though.

I'm barely hanging in watching these children and their antics. The story editing is sucking. One minute everyone including Caelynn hates Blake the Player, and the next minute Caelynn is talking about how Kristina has been slut-shaming her to everyone...Did I miss a bonus episode where this transition happened? Not to mention, several couples are talking about their amazing connections, yet we've seen zero substantive conversations between any of them. If it's not kissing or giggling or nonsense murmuring, it apparently ends up on the cutting room floor. Instead of spending time showing us developing relationships, the producers treat us to stupid pool antics and we hear about how JPJ's wanker was jostled (or whatever he said, I don't remember) when Derek (or whoever it was) jumped in. I think the story editing is worse this season than in previous seasons. And don't get me started on the Demi story line...

Not sure why, but Dean's new look kind of put me in mind of a male porn star out of the 1980s....

not sure why this double posted...

So.... I think Caelynn is a people pleaser, or else maybe her pageant training has taught her to always appear happy and obliging? Her nervous giggling and body language when Mike asked her out made me think she was totally not interested in him, but how do you gracefully decline a date? And she continued saying all the right things to him, because, again, people pleaser. Just my opinion, I could be wrong. Katie, are you having your period? Also, did I miss an entire scene where you and Chris formed a kind of connection, had some good convos earlier? Because where did that scene with him come from? Have Dylan and Hannah had a substantive convo yet, do you think? Maybe; that's the kind of thing that typically ends up on the cutting room floor. Cam, Cam, you're desperate for your dream wife and family, but apparently this can only happen by your finding that wife in Paradise. Uh-huh. <gives Cam the side eye> Demi - you fake fakey faker, on the show under false pretenses (well, but the show is complicit, to be fair), you're in no position to call out everyone else's manipulative behavior. Dylan is adorable; glad he went down and attempted to interrupt Blake and Hannah, that's a better look than just moping and doing nothing. If Hannah dumps him, he'll have tons of women interested, IMHO.

Here in St. Louis, same thing--they mentioned it's airing tonight, after the news, meaning it starts at 11:30 pm. I'm hoping this episode will be on www.fox.com at some point (maybe next week) for those of us who don't catch it tonight. (I don't have cable/satellite, hopefully it will be available free to OTA viewers.)

Didn't Aaron caution a team at one point, saying something like "you are not the racers--those [people driving the cars] are the racers", and then he immediately followed that up with "Go, go, go!"?

If that's Derek Peth, he was briefly engaged to Taylor Nolan. The one who got into it with Corinne Olympios on whatever season that was.

I find some of Bri's behavior manipulative, and I have known a few women IRL like that (cute/attractive and able to whip out a "damsel in distress/helpless female" persona and manipulate guys with it). I also found her attitude toward Renee, when Bri was team leader, to be dismissive, and that offended me. Clearly you didn't see things the same way. Guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. OT: If you want to see some viciousness, head over to the Bachelorette forums.

Ah, thank you, bluepiano!! I laughed so hard at that and was going to mention it in this forum, but by the time the show was over and I came to post, I could not remember what it was he had said. So hilarious. I agree. My sense is that, sure, she may be a perfectly okay person IRL, but she also has this Barbie persona that she can put on whenever the situation calls for it.

I was glad that the Shari moments in the show were not misdirection. You know how that goes: Someone says "I have this in the bag, I make this dish at home all the time...", and then they end up failing miserably. But Shari put her money where her mouth is. Good job! Funny: When Gordon et al. kept saying "macaroon" and Candace kept replying with "macaron". For example: Gordon: Candace what do you think of this macaroon? Candace: Well, Gordon, I think the macaron is both crispy and chewy. But yeah, I get that both pronunciations are okay. To me, though, the pronunciation "macaroon" is reserved for those little coconut confections served during Passover.

BRI IS GETTING ON MY LAST NERVE. Sorry. I just had to get that off my chest. Bri vs Renee - neither one is proving to be any great shakes. But let's see, so who should we boot? The cute little blonde Barbie-warbie who talks with a baby voice and whose eyes well up with big ol' tears when her work is judged harshly? Or the fat chick who's a little defensive and grumbly? Tough decision for these 3 men, I know...<eyeroll>