S10.E17: Season 10 Reunion

[cinsays]

7 minutes ago, Elizzikra said:

I have no trouble believing that at all. I don't think they were "backing her" necessarily. I think it's entirely possible that they all thought she was looking to stir something up by going into that bar AND they thought that Brandon acted badly. That's actually what I think. 

yeah, I think they just did not want to get involved and did not want to say anything against her since she was sitting right there with them

[princelina]

25 minutes ago, retired watcher said:

I think Zach's type is unavailable. When he gets the prize he doesn't want it. That's why he was "friends" with Lindsay and why he had drinks with still married Katie. If Mindy had been unavailable to him I think she would have been his type. 

Hey - I think that's Katie's type too!  They should have stayed married and cheated with each other 😄 

[Stinamaia]

1 hour ago, Lm2162 said:

 

And if some ex I couldn't stand, and only dated for a few weeks, showed up at a bar and tried to make me jealous, I'd maybe make a snarky remark and then leave...or sit there and stand my ground until they did. If he thought Taylor was such an Instagram ho and so horrible and blah blah, why did he care enough to follow her, taking photos and yelling insults? Probably because just about everything makes that dude angry. 

I think the key to the overreaction here is the timing. The incident occurred in December after the show had taped but before it was aired.  Brandon already hated Taylor and production and thought they were fake and possibly that they were out to get him. So he began to taunt Taylor with outing her as a phony and who knows what was said.  Taylor claims Brandon said, “I got you now, bitch.” On the other hand, Taylor, who wanted to be on the show and to look good on the show, probably got agitated because she felt he was trying to ruin her appearance on the show.  Presumably alcohol interfered with good judgment on both sides, and things escalated possibly with Taylor trying to get the phone.  Who knows?

What we do know is shortly thereafter as the show began, Brandon filed for annulment/divorce airing all the “dirt” he could and having his friends talk about Taylor on social media. To me, this was clearly to make viewers and reviewers look at Taylor in a poor light and perhaps even influence the edit. 
 

I have never thought the incident was about jealousy

 

[PamelaMaeSnap]

On 4/23/2020 at 12:50 PM, bichonblitz said:

True, but he had a list of dreams to accomplish so he could start living life but that whore Katie shot all of that down

You know, I don't think I ever posted this, but every time I see that scene, I keep thinking that his list of dreams is awesome AND totally doable, and her reaction was so over the top that that was when I knew she was just awful. 

(I'll add that both my husband AND my daughter have written really good Christmas songs -- and we're Jewish). 

[ReadMeLattice]

Does anyone else wonder if Katie really did have sex with the ex right after the honeymoon? It's very possible because, well, Katie, but part of me thinks she was just sexting him/thinking about it just after the honeymoon and her castmate misinterpreted a bit. Not because I think anything positive about Katie, but because I really, really doubt she would have gone an entire 8+ weeks with Derek without rubbing it in his face when they argued about their sex life.

She went for the jugular in arguments--snarkily telling her mom she probably didn't know what love was because she got married because she was pregnant, for example, and calling Derek a "loser" and a "weirdo" with no game--and I just have my doubts that she would have actually gone through with having sex with her ex and then never showed it off throughout the marriage. 

Katie actually seemed *proud* of the date with Zach and of the cheating imo. She seemed a little sheepish in that she knew people wouldn't exactly approve of it, but she seemed to take secret pleasure in it, as if it was proof that she was extra-hot. Zach seemed a little embarrassed but Katie was chomping at the bit to talk about how he texted her first! Almost seems like an aberration for her to not have told Derek for so long if that story is really true. 

[Kiss my mutt]

Katie, you a ho, girl. 

[gonecrackers]

26 minutes ago, Stinamaia said:

I think the key to the overreaction here is the timing. The incident occurred in December after the show had taped but before it was aired.  Brandon already hated Taylor and production and thought they were fake and possibly that they were out to get him. So he began to taunt Taylor with outing her as a phony and who knows what was said.  Taylor claims Brandon said, “I got you now, bitch.” On the other hand, Taylor, who wanted to be on the show and to look good on the show, probably got agitated because she felt he was trying to ruin her appearance on the show.  Presumably alcohol interfered with good judgment on both sides, and things escalated possibly with Taylor trying to get the phone.  Who knows?

This strengthens my feeling she was at the bar with a production guy or guys.

[bichonblitz]

Hahaha Katies ex hit it and dumped her again!! 

[Truth]

35 minutes ago, Kiss my mutt said:

Katie, you a ho, girl. 

[DrewPaul2010]

15 hours ago, Chalby said:

Along with everything else I despise about this guy, it bothers me that he wrote 'intelligence' as being very important in a mate. Did anyone else notice that the man is an idiot? He loves to hear himself talk, but I couldn't keep track of how many times he would misuse vocabulary while doing his doublespeak. He literally was throwing out any phrase he may have read in "I'm Okay You're Okay" (or whatever) and hoping something would stick.

Zack should learn a simple proverb. It is better to remain quite and let others think you're an idiot than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.  Benjamin Franklin

[DrewPaul2010]

15 hours ago, Chalby said:

I really enjoyed Meka, and wonder if editing did her a disservice. (Mind you, being married to Michael must have been a hard-to-look-happy hell). Once we saw Meka interacting with 'normal' people, and castmates, her personality shone through. She's straightforward, is willing to give the benefit of doubt, and is clearly very loyal. Whoever does marry her will gain a solid partner, willing to work through the highs and the lows, so long as you're honest with her.

I liked Meka a lot too and its so disappointing to see an oaf like Michael blow it over and over. Meka was absolutely ready for marriage. She didn't need the handsomest man in the room just and honest open man with a big heart. I could tell Meka is a romantic and nearly at any point he could bring her a gift and then bare his soul. If he told her he worked as maintenance man at a school I don't think that would be a deal breaker. I wonder if MAFS confirms place of employment? Do they dig deep? I think you'd expect more since they are marrying someone they picked.

[Racj82]

8 hours ago, bichonblitz said:

Why? I'm just curious because white people tear down other white people on TV all the time. Is that ok? 

Because black people are not white people. Every situation is different once you move to different races and genders.

But, to be specific, black people have to worry about stereotypes. Perpetuating stereotypes. As a black man, it's natural to resistant to perpetuating the angry black man stereotype that lives and breathes everyday. It's easy to look on the outside and be like, that's ridiculous. People are people. If Brandon is an asshole than call him out, etc. But, when you are black it's often important or necessary to think a step further. It just is. That's why I don't think his concerns, in this case, were ridiculous. You have to look at the context. Even if one thinks him being that way is extra, it's not really ones place to judge him imo. 

And removing race, who wants to be the one person speaking on behalf of someone else over and over when you never asked or agreed to be put in that position? 

It didn't even bother me at first but by the fifth time, I'm like my dude. Enough! 

Honestly, there may even be a little bit of Michael not wanting to be put in a angry black man box. There are some times when people are going at Michael and he looks like he wants to blow. But, as a man, if he did he would be judged harshly because how dare you raise your voice at a woman or yell like that. As a black man, it's amplified.

I honestly felt some type of way when people kept looking at Brandon during the getaway when he was getting into it with Taylor. People scared for her safety and all this when he wasn't the one forcing her into a room. Not moving out her way. Making her feel uncomfortable. But, he was the one seen as the aggressor for just wanting her to go away. As a black man or as a man in general, I see those types of things in a different light. But, that's because my background and experiences. Also just the things I see on TV too often.

8 hours ago, bichonblitz said:

Why? I'm just curious because white people tear down other white people on TV all the time. Is that ok? 

As a black man or as a black person, because of the way the world is, you have to worry about how you look or are portrayed based on stereotypes. You also don't want to be the one to perpetuate that onto others like the angry black man thing or other negative stereotypes.

 

Edit: Sorry for laying the point down twice. It didn't send the first time in error.

Edited April 25, 2020 by Racj82

[Truth]

Just now, Racj82 said:

Because black people are not white people. Every situation is different once you move to different races and genders.

Right, content of character doesn't matter, it's all about skin color.

I think some famous guy once quoted something like that.

 

[sometimesjennifer]

2 hours ago, Booger666 said:

 It makes sense that they both have POs.  It is disturbing that Taylor hasn’t bothered to read it because she couldn’t tell Kevin what she is legally required to do.

That seemed really weird to me, too. If I had one, especially if I thought it was undeserved or unwarranted, I would know the details and text of it backwards and forwards. She was so oddly flippant about it. I don't know why she would lie about that part, but it sounded like she was making it up based on what she read on Wikipedia or something. Kevin seemed to have other court documents - why didn't he have that as well and read it to her? The whole situation was very confusing and shady. I wish the other participants would have said more about their experience in court and what they were asked when they testified. Also, none of them were there when the incident occurred, so what exactly were they contributing? Were they just character references? I doubt there is any kind of gag order on them or anything if the case was settled and done. Once again, it seemed like a whoooooole lot of information was missing there. Maybe Taylor really just wanted to go to court because they had free water there.

[Your Grace]

17 minutes ago, Racj82 said:

Why? I'm just curious because white people tear down other white people on TV all the time. Is that ok? 

 

14 minutes ago, Truth said:

17 minutes ago, Racj82 said:

Because black people are not white people. Every situation is different once you move to different races and genders.

Right, content of character doesn't matter, it's all about skin color.

I think some famous guy once quoted something like that.

More simply put, in the American consciousness white people can be individuals and black people are representatives of their race.  While people may make jokes, nobody seriously looks at Joe Exotic and thinks that his behavior is emblematic of how white people act.  Joe Exotic's behavior is only about Joe Exotic.  

In general, that is not true about black people or other minorities in this country no matter how much we want it to be.  We all know bigots are going to bigot and racists are going to racist and there is no amount of good behavior that will change that.  But this country and, to bring it back to the show, the media has not been kind in how it depicts black people, historically (and I would argue presently.)  

Michael, like a lot of black people, seems to be conscious of this history and more mindful of how he speaks about other black people (including Meka and Taylor) because he likely does not want to give fodder to those that do believe that the color of our skin is more important than our character.  Michael may have felt compelled to speak on Brandon's behalf not just because of their friendship, but to add nuance to the conversation and allow that there is more complexity to the situation and the players involved. 

Regarding Katie:  I am definitely not thinking deeply about why Katie seems to be using male attention for validation.  But the show did not bring another turtle on the show and ask that turtle to speak on her behalf; and too my knowledge, turtles have a history of being depicted as slow, not fast.  

[PamelaMaeSnap]

I have read this thread and watched this show but also have some memory retention issues (medical) so apologize in advance here for obviously missing a few things and hoping someone can clarify:

So, Brandon disliked/hated/wasn’t into Taylor at first sight? I missed that at the time and would love to know if it was ever clarified why/how immediate it was/how it affected the development or lack thereof of the relationship?

Because I can totally see why down the road they would not click as he got to know her, or could see why there might have been “failure to bond” issues with some of the couples since  some were not that attractive (unless you were into turtles, for example) but IMHO personality later revealed notwithstanding, Taylor is one of the most gorgeous women I’ve ever seen. I can understand wanting to wait to find out how personalities would mesh, but would be surprised by hate at first sight. 

[qtpye]

2 minutes ago, PamelaMaeSnap said:

I have read this thread and watched this show but also have some memory retention issues (medical) so apologize in advance here for obviously missing a few things and hoping someone can clarify:

So, Brandon disliked/hated/wasn’t into Taylor at first sight? I missed that at the time and would love to know if it was ever clarified why/how immediate it was/how it affected the development or lack thereof of the relationship?

Because I can totally see why down the road they would not click as he got to know her, or could see why there might have been “failure to bond” issues with some of the couples since  some were not that attractive (unless you were into turtles, for example) but IMHO personality later revealed notwithstanding, Taylor is one of the most gorgeous women I’ve ever seen. I can understand wanting to wait to find out how personalities would mesh, but would be surprised by hate at first sight. 

Most of us where very surprised at his reaction. He was immediately unhappy and probably only Brandon will be the only one to know why.

[OnTime]

22 hours ago, Chalby said:

What bothered me the most is Katie's parents are the ones to suffer from divorce fallout. They appear to be decent people who loved Derek and saw his good qualities (and hated Katie's loser ex). It's not fair to them that Katie picked at anything just to get out of the marriage, while they watched her destroy the closest thing she'll ever get to a functional marriage.

Katie's decision doesn't have to be fair to her parents. Her decisions to get divorced and have a fling with her x are owed by her.

Edited April 25, 2020 by OnTime

[Little]

On 4/23/2020 at 11:44 AM, Blissfool said:

 

He had that same look of delight when they aired the clip of Mindy gushing about his good looks at the wedding.

 

YES! I was going to say the same thing. He was watching the monitor, and when they showed the clip of Mindy squealing over how handsome her husband was while in the bathroom with Jess, he got the biggest smile and turned to look at her. What a TOOL! 
I can’t be sure, but it seemed like Katie did something to her face. She didn’t look quite the same. 

[Elizzikra]

Quote

I can’t be sure, but it seemed like Katie did something to her face. She didn’t look quite the same. 

You know - I thought the same thing and I also can't quite put my finger on what's different. Her face maybe looked sort of... puffy?

Quote

Most of us where very surprised at his reaction. He was immediately unhappy and probably only Brandon will be the only one to know why.

I thought that he liked her at first, or minimally, he found her attractive. There was that clip of him saying at the reception that he thought she was pretty and he was happy. On the wedding night he said he was eager for production to leave so that he could get to know his wife. So did people read somewhere that he was immediately unhappy or does immediately mean "soon after the wedding but not that night?"

I'm sad, too, that one of the nicer gestures I've seen on this show was made by Brandon. It was cheesy, maybe, but the Tiffany heart necklace engraved with Mrs. Reid and their wedding date was a lovely gift, I thought (if they had stayed together or at least not ended up at each other's throats). Maybe I'll choose to believe that production dreamed that up so it's not wasted on Brandon and Taylor.

[Little]

6 minutes ago, Elizzikra said:

You know - I thought the same thing and I also can't quite put my finger on what's different. Her face maybe looked sort of... puffy?

Yes, you’re right about that, it did look puffy. Maybe a hangover? 
She just looked different to me. 

[HZAnita]

Okay.  I am going to say it.   I don't believe Zach is a psychopath, manipulator, or evil player. After watching the Reunion (and then Couples Couch - LOVE that show! lol), I am convinced that, for Zach, there is simply no "there" there.

He seems to have zero self-awareness (blank, misplaced smiling when he's being trashed), no ability to coherently string more than three words together, blissfully laughing when recalling his "drinks" with Yertle.

Watching Zach was like watching a hologram powered by some sort of naive learning algorithm. I am pretty sure that Zach would end up like the doomed Microsoft Chatbot if left to his own devices on Twitter.

Meka, Derek, Mindy, and JAustin?  I wish you all the best.

The rest I wish I could erase from my memory. Maybe I should call the person who programmed Zach.

[sasha206]

27 minutes ago, Elizzikra said:

You know - I thought the same thing and I also can't quite put my finger on what's different. Her face maybe looked sort of... puffy?

 

I thought she just picked up a little weight.  

[gingerandcloves]

9 minutes ago, HZAnita said:

Okay.  I am going to say it.   I don't believe Zach is a psychopath, manipulator, or evil player. After watching the Reunion (and then Couples Couch - LOVE that show! lol), I am convinced that, for Zach, there is simply no "there" there.

He seems to have zero self-awareness (blank, misplaced smiling when he's being trashed), no ability to coherently string more than three words together, blissfully laughing when recalling his "drinks" with Yertle.

Watching Zach was like watching a hologram powered by some sort of naive learning algorithm. I am pretty sure that Zach would end up like the doomed Microsoft Chatbot if left to his own devices on Twitter.

Meka, Derek, Mindy, and JAustin?  I wish you all the best.

The rest I wish I could erase from my memory. Maybe I should call the person who programmed Zach.

I have to agree with you. All season, he's reminded me of a guy that I've known for 30+ years. Superficially, he is very attractive and charming, but once you get to know him past the first meeting, he is very shallow, focused on looks, and has no self-awareness, and is painfully stupid. He is also a very nice guy, but there's just not much there beyond his looks. Back when I was single, I met him through some mutual friends at a bar and he asked me on a date, and I was like, "Sure!" Then I met him again, and I was like "oh, heck, no, this is going to be torture." I invited him over to my apartment for our date along with several other friends so I wouldn't have to be alone with him, haha. He did find a woman to marry, but it ended disastrously after a few years. He's never been able to hold a job more than a couple of years either. He and Zach are brothers from another mother.

Two tidbits I picked up from MAFS Fan, wish I had screenshot them. Derek said that Katie went off her birth control immediately after the wedding 😳. And Brandon apparently has several DUIs and no driver's license, which is why Taylor had to drive him everywhere.

[Your Grace]

29 minutes ago, Little said:

3 hours ago, Your Grace said:

More simply put, in the American consciousness white people can be individuals and black people are representatives of their race.  

Please don’t lump together, or try to speak for anyone but yourself. 

There is a lot of excellent, peer reviewed scholarship that talks about black depiction and representation in the media.  There is scholarship that talks about the impact of that representation on actual black people both within our communities and how we we our viewed outside of our communities. 

That may not be how you feel, but it is also not an idea that lacks evidence.

The original poster asked why Michael may be concerned about trashing a black man on TV when white people do it all the time.  This idea, the evidence of this idea, and his own lived experience of this may be why.

 

[DrewPaul2010]

If color didn't make a difference to each other Derek would have been a far better match for Meka. And Meka for Derek.

 

[Truth]

43 minutes ago, HZAnita said:

Okay.  I am going to say it.   I don't believe Zach is a psychopath, manipulator, or evil player.

I'll go one step further.  I think he should be commended for telling Mindy on Day 1 (or Day 2, whichever) that he wasn't attracted to her.  I get that it seems kinda heartless, but if my MAFS spouse had ZERO attraction to me, I'd definitely prefer to know up front.

He's got his issues, he's narcissistic, disingenuous, and definitely lacks self-awareness, but he's really not an evil person.

Oh, and he was a really terrible selection for this particular tv show.

[Elizzikra]

10 minutes ago, Truth said:

I'll go one step further.  I think he should be commended for telling Mindy on Day 1 (or Day 2, whichever) that he wasn't attracted to her.  I get that it seems kinda heartless, but if my MAFS spouse had ZERO attraction to me, I'd definitely prefer to know up front.

He's got his issues, he's narcissistic, disingenuous, and definitely lacks self-awareness, but he's really not an evil person.

Oh, and he was a really terrible selection for this particular tv show.

That is the whole point of this show - that left to your own devices, choosing based on attraction who you hit on in a bar or swipe whichever direction is "yes" in an app is a subpar way to find a mate. Instead the "experts" purport to match couples on much deeper, long lasting, and important criteria. What every person on this show agrees to do is to make a good faith effort to build a successful enough foundation for marriage in 8 weeks that they choose to stay together and continue to build a strong relationship. Zach knew full well going into this show that he was expected to try to build a relationship with Mindy regardless of what his initial level of physical attraction was to her.

I don't fault him for not initially finding Mindy attractive. I don't even fault him for telling her that upfront. I probably would want to know too if that was a challenge we faced as a couple. But I DO fault Zach for so many things. A partial list: 1) never once even remotely considering the possibility that Mindy might not find him attractive either; 2) refusing to wear his wedding ring or be referred to as "married" or a "husband" on the honeymoon when he was at a minimum, technically and legally those very things; 3) trying to gaslight Mindy into believing that there was some huge lie she told that jeopardized their relationship; 4) flirting (at a minimum) with Mindy's friend Lindsay behind Mindy's back and while he was still married to her; 5) refusing to move into the apartment with Mindy; 6) never answering a direct, yes or no question with a yes or no answer, or even a simple subject/predicate sentence.

I don't think Zach is evil. I don't think he's a psychopath. I think he is arrogant, lacks self awareness and it not terribly intelligent. I also don't think that he is a particularly nice guy. I think he's selfish and self-absorbed with a healthy dose of shallow thrown in. I definitely think that he went on this show for fame and exposure and I might have a little respect for him if he just admitted that. In sum - I think he's an ass and he is no one that I'd want to know in any capacity.

But that's just me...

Quote

I had the most scorn for Brandon a toss up between Zach and Michael.  

Probably goes without saying at this point but I have plenty of scorn for all three of them, as well as Taylor. I have some for Katie but mostly I can't take her seriously enough to feel score; I think she is desperately immature and badly needs to grow up.

But that's also just me.

Edited April 25, 2020 by Elizzikra

[bichonblitz]

48 minutes ago, Your Grace said:

The original poster asked why Michael may be concerned about trashing a black man on TV when white people do it all the time. 

Original poster here. Acually what I said was white people trash white people on TV all the time. 

Kevin told Michael this was not a race thing and not to make it one. I tend to agree with that. Michael was way off base going there. That said, putting Michael on the spot asking him questions about Brandon was wrong. 

Edited April 25, 2020 by bichonblitz

[Kira53]

21 hours ago, Chalby said:

Yes, I believe filming got him down more than he realized, but I wonder if his problem is alcohol? I think he happens to be a very nasty drunk, and I have known people just like this. Charming when sober, but mean as a snake when drinking. However, I am not sure what his issue was when he locked himself in the vehicle saying he didn't even trust Michael? If he had been drinking that morning, it would make sense. If not, then I don't know what to think.

Having anxiety does not mean you have an Anxiety Disorder. Anxiety is a symptom.  Anxiety disorders have very specific parameters that Brandon does not appear to meet.  Brandon clearly has a personality disorder, a probable substance abuse disorder, and his degree of paranoia creates a question as to there possibly being another type of disorder.

[Elizzikra]

16 minutes ago, bichonblitz said:

Original poster here. Acually what I said was white people trash white people on TV all the time. 

Kevin told Michael this was not a race thing and not to make it one. I tend to agree with that. Michael was way off base going there. That said, putting Michael on the spot asking him questions about Brandon was wrong. 

Maybe there's no objective answer to whether or not it was a race thing. For Michael, race was clearly playing a significant role in his thinking about how to handle and represent the situation. Michael doesn't express himself well to start with and Frazier cut him off as soon as he started saying "As a black man..." so we never heard the end of that sentence. I think where Michael might have been going with it was "as a black man, I'm conscious that we live in a racist society, no matter how much we might wish it were otherwise. I don't want to contribute to the stereotype of the angry black man so I don't want to talk about Brandon's incident in the bar that resulted in an arrest.

In other words, it was clearly a race thing for Michael. Race was a major factor driving how he handled the questions he was getting. There's nothing wrong with that - he sees things through his life and his experiences. He's a black man and I'm a white woman. I'm not going to second guess his feelings about what the event in the bar might look like viewed from MIchael's perspective as a black man.

Quote

Brandon clearly has a personality disorder, a probable substance abuse disorder, and his degree of paranoia creates a question as to there possibly being another type of disorder.

The paranoia could be part of the alcoholism and/or the personality disorder. Alcoholism could also be self-medicating for anxiety. Whatever it is, Brandon has a whole lot of comorbid symptoms to sort out and hopefully get treated.

Edited April 25, 2020 by Elizzikra

[Kira53]

3 hours ago, PamelaMaeSnap said:

I have read this thread and watched this show but also have some memory retention issues (medical) so apologize in advance here for obviously missing a few things and hoping someone can clarify:

So, Brandon disliked/hated/wasn’t into Taylor at first sight? I missed that at the time and would love to know if it was ever clarified why/how immediate it was/how it affected the development or lack thereof of the relationship?

Because I can totally see why down the road they would not click as he got to know her, or could see why there might have been “failure to bond” issues with some of the couples since  some were not that attractive (unless you were into turtles, for example) but IMHO personality later revealed notwithstanding, Taylor is one of the most gorgeous women I’ve ever seen. I can understand wanting to wait to find out how personalities would mesh, but would be surprised by hate at first sight. 

Check out the forum for the wedding episode for Taylor and Brandon and see how many people picked up that Brandon didn't seem attracted at all to Taylor. Also, at the reception, he did that strange thing about smashing the cake in her face which given that he had just met her about an hour ago, seemed to be an aggressive behavior. Some will claim that people have done that at other receptions, people that just got married that have known each other and have had a relationship,but smashing cake in a stranger's face doesn't seem like a nice way of getting to know somebody that you want to get along with for 8 weeks.

Edited April 25, 2020 by Kira53

[SideofSlaw]

7 hours ago, DrewPaul2010 said:

Zack should learn a simple proverb. It is better to remain quite and let others think you're an idiot than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.  Benjamin Franklin

“To a sense” was my fav. Not in a sense. TO a sense. Like it’s a destination.

[qtpye]

1 hour ago, Kira53 said:

Check out the forum for the wedding episode for Taylor and Brandon and see how many people picked up that Brandon didn't seem attracted at all to Taylor. Also, at the reception, he did that strange thing about smashing the cake in her face which given that he had just met her about an hour ago, seemed to be an aggressive behavior. Some will claim that people have done that at other receptions, people that just got married that have known each other and have had a relationship,but smashing cake in a stranger's face doesn't seem like a nice way of getting to know somebody that you want to get along with for 8 weeks.

Brandon was like Dr. Jekyll before he met Taylor with production and then turned into Mr. Hyde afterwards. I remember thinking about how charming and handsome I found him before the wedding. I was excited that he was matched with Taylor and thought they would make a beautiful couple.

When he saw her, he acted like a man who has been mislead or duped in some way. He was angry.

I would not put any value on him saying she was attractive during the interviews. I think no groom in MAFS history has ever admitted to being disappointed in their bride on their wedding day even though some of them clearly were. 

[talktoomuch]

9 hours ago, Kiss my mutt said:

Katie, you a ho, girl. 

Zach sought out his wife's best friend for a secret relationship during his 8-week marriage and sought a date with another of her friends whom he met through the show that married them. A woman he knew to be married and whose husband he also knows. All before his divorce was final.

Where are the posts calling Zach a ho?

[Liberty]

3 hours ago, talktoomuch said:

Zach sought out his wife's best friend for a secret relationship during his 8-week marriage and sought a date with another of her friends whom he met through the show that married them. A woman he knew to be married and whose husband he also knows. All before his divorce was final.

Where are the posts calling Zach a ho?

Zach is a ho.

[HZAnita]

10 hours ago, Truth said:

I'll go one step further.  I think he should be commended for telling Mindy on Day 1 (or Day 2, whichever) that he wasn't attracted to her.  I get that it seems kinda heartless, but if my MAFS spouse had ZERO attraction to me, I'd definitely prefer to know up front.

He's got his issues, he's narcissistic, disingenuous, and definitely lacks self-awareness, but he's really not an evil person.

Oh, and he was a really terrible selection for this particular tv show.

Nah.  I can't give him credit for that.  He knew going in what the process was, that there was a chance the person they picked was not going to be what he might have picked for himself. 

I think the problem is his AI wasn't programmed to deal with complex situations, so he defaulted.

If (not instagramModel) {

   attracted = false;

  randomPhrases = {"I am not attracted to you", "I am not feeling attraction", "I hope attraction will build over time", "Help me feel attraction"}

  info randomPhrases(randomNumber)

}

 

[Racj82]

10 hours ago, bichonblitz said:

Original poster here. Acually what I said was white people trash white people on TV all the time. 

Kevin told Michael this was not a race thing and not to make it one. I tend to agree with that. Michael was way off base going there. That said, putting Michael on the spot asking him questions about Brandon was wrong. 

Kevin told Michael it was not a race thing because Brandon had already showed himself to be a whole ass. So, in reality, Brandon already fed into whatever stereotype or behavior Michael doesn't want to perpetuate. 

This isn't a either/or situation like a bunch of different topics on this show. Michael has plenty of reasons to feel some type of way about dragging down a black mans character on TV. Kevin is also correct in that Brandon did that all on his own. Brandon should be viewed as a flawed individual and not a product of his race. You are also fooling yourself if you think people don't do this everyday. 

And I'll keep the same energy I always do. Even if production, at points manipulated Brandon into certain behavior or edited him a certain way, he gave them the reactions they wanted. Brandon had zero chill all season. 

[KateHearts]

On 4/23/2020 at 9:53 PM, Truth said:

Perhaps "upset" would have been a better word choice.  As Meka criticized him, he was fidgeting in his chair, rapidly changing facial expressions, then shaking his head with his eyes closed.  I perceived it as anger, but maybe it was a different set of emotions.

This was Michael to me every single minute on this show. He never looked relaxed; never seemed to have a conversation that flowed naturally- it was as if he was trying to come up with a "right" answer as if each question, no matter how benign, was an accusation. Stiff and stilted.  Always looking to the side. A lot of the time totally checked out with his earbuds in. He's another one who seems to have a lot of anxiety (not excusing his lies) and maybe realized, too late, he was not meant to be filmed.  Very strange affect. 

[KateHearts]

19 hours ago, Lm2162 said:

While the host may have done it a little pushily or clumsily, for whatever reason the production crew didn't want Brandon there. Maybe they thought he'd intentionally try to break the protective order (my personal opinion) or goad Taylor into doing so, thus potentially getting the crew in trouble for being part of that.

Well, legally- Brandon couldn't attend the reunion if Taylor was there. So I am sure that the Powers That Be didn't want to touch that with a ten-foot pole.  Besides, Brandon basically said at decision day that he was over and done with all of it.

[KateHearts]

19 hours ago, Booger666 said:

Taylor was closest to the door and could have left and ended it, but she turned around and approached Brandon and that’s when things got physical between the two of them.

What I found suspect about Taylor's description of the events (after the "umm, so like, we were at a bar next door, and then I said, hey; let's go to this other bar! And so we did, and um... there's a rooftop at this bar- Brandon had done some work there before, but he said he wasn't going to go there anymore- and I got water, because they have free water there! and I was turning to get a napkin because I spilled my water...") included that she was going down the stairs (presumably to leave) and Brandon approached somehow and she (paraphrasing) went back up towards him "to try and see if I could calm him down."  

totally unnecessary. She knows the nature of the beast; they have a very spotty history; and by her accounts she wanted to get on with her life. She could have just kept on descending the stairs and left.  They both are very dramatic and both deserved to be arrested, IMO.

[KateHearts]

8 hours ago, qtpye said:

Brandon was like Dr. Jekyll before he met Taylor with production and then turned into Mr. Hyde afterwards. I remember thinking about how charming and handsome I found him before the wedding. I was excited that he was matched with Taylor and thought they would make a beautiful couple.

Brandon's title was "Life of the Party." He described how much fun he was. 

[PamelaMaeSnap]

While I guess this would have been revealed at some point, then or later, is it remotely possible that Brandon actually knew Taylor somehow and that might have been why he had such an immediate negative reaction? 

It does appear based on very momentary soundbites like that may be an issue in the New Orleans season (being matched with someone they know, not that they hate their mate). (If this is a spoiler I apologize ... I have no idea if I heard it right or assumed something incorrectly). 

(Also, didn't that turn out to be the case with couple from last season whose names I've already forgotten ... sweet blonde girl and asshole guy with overly manicured facial hair?) Katie, maybe? They somehow knew each other?)

 

[spunky]

14 hours ago, qtpye said:

Most of us where very surprised at his reaction. He was immediately unhappy and probably only Brandon will be the only one to know why.

My theory is that he might have seen Taylor before.  She has a second job as an alcohol spokes person,  so it's possible that they've been in the same location on more than one occasion.  Maybe she rejected him at one time and just did not remember him, or she probably never acknowledged his existence.  Again this is just my theory.  Dr. Pepper also thought that them both representing alcohol brands is why they would be a good  match.

[Aethera]

Folks, sniping at each other is not allowed here. Keep it civil.

[Soup333]

On 4/23/2020 at 12:39 PM, LennieBriscoe said:

Even IF Derek was the "predator," both Lindsay and Katie are grown women, capable of refusal.

But now I don't know that Zach was necessarily the instigator (admitting that earlier I wrote that he was "on the hunt"). I believe Lindsay had her eye on him at the wedding (after all, he had no knowledge of Mindy, either, so Lindsay could easily have figured she herself was just as "good at first sight."). And I can believe that Katie, already a deceiver, went after Zach. 

I’m not suggesting that these two women had no agency or responsibility for their part in it. I’m saying that I don’t believe Zach is some dumb lunkhead bot. He can be direct when he chooses to be. I simply think he recognized that Lindsey and Katie are not quality people (as Shannie would say) and acted upon that. 

[sasha206]

2 hours ago, spunky said:

My theory is that he might have seen Taylor before.  She has a second job as an alcohol spokes person,  so it's possible that they've been in the same location on more than one occasion.  Maybe she rejected him at one time and just did not remember him, or she probably never acknowledged his existence.  Again this is just my theory.  Dr. Pepper also thought that them both representing alcohol brands is why they would be a good  match.

Wasn't she like a bottle service girl?  What I think is so funny are these bullshit reasons for way they couples would be a good match.  I was watching a season I hadn't seen before and one of the reasons was, "They both want to settle down and be married..." or something like that.  Um, isn't that supposed to be the reason these people are getting married at first sight? 

[sasha206]

14 hours ago, Truth said:

I'll go one step further.  I think he should be commended for telling Mindy on Day 1 (or Day 2, whichever) that he wasn't attracted to her.  I get that it seems kinda heartless, but if my MAFS spouse had ZERO attraction to me, I'd definitely prefer to know up front.

He's got his issues, he's narcissistic, disingenuous, and definitely lacks self-awareness, but he's really not an evil person.

Oh, and he was a really terrible selection for this particular tv show.

I don't blame him for his lack of attraction.  It happens.  Maybe he watched Nick Pendergast's season and decided he would rather be absent than do this.  

 

[princelina]

15 hours ago, HZAnita said:

Okay.  I am going to say it.   I don't believe Zach is a psychopath, manipulator, or evil player. After watching the Reunion (and then Couples Couch - LOVE that show! lol), I am convinced that, for Zach, there is simply no "there" there.

He seems to have zero self-awareness (blank, misplaced smiling when he's being trashed), no ability to coherently string more than three words together, blissfully laughing when recalling his "drinks" with Yertle.

Yes this exactly!  And remember when he told his sister that one of the problems with Mindy was that she was not as "emotionally intelligent" as him?  Hahahahahaha!  He said a few other things in a similar vein throughout the season that I can't recall.  But it's just like he knows words that sound good and says them.

13 hours ago, Kira53 said:

Check out the forum for the wedding episode for Taylor and Brandon and see how many people picked up that Brandon didn't seem attracted at all to Taylor. Also, at the reception, he did that strange thing about smashing the cake in her face which given that he had just met her about an hour ago, seemed to be an aggressive behavior. Some will claim that people have done that at other receptions, people that just got married that have known each other and have had a relationship,but smashing cake in a stranger's face doesn't seem like a nice way of getting to know somebody that you want to get along with for 8 weeks.

Also - normal people take the piece of cake off the plate and smash it into the face - Brandon just reached into the whole wedding cake with his hand and yanked a giant chunk out!  No one does that.

2 hours ago, spunky said:

 Dr. Pepper also thought that them both representing alcohol brands is why they would be a good  match.

Oh those experts 😄 

[spunky]

2 hours ago, sasha206 said:

Wasn't she like a bottle service girl?  What I think is so funny are these bullshit reasons for way they couples would be a good match.  I was watching a season I hadn't seen before and one of the reasons was, "They both want to settle down and be married..." or something like that.  Um, isn't that supposed to be the reason these people are getting married at first sight? 

I don't get it either.  Judging from their Instagrams Taylor and Derek, or Meka and Derek would have been better matches.  The all seem to love traveling to different places and Derek loves food and Taylor loves cooking it. The experts need to fo better.