S11.E17: The Grand Finale/Reunion

[Mean Jeanne]

Finally watched this, was I seeing things, or did Amelia shave her pits? Looked like it towards the end of the show

[Elizzikra]

2 minutes ago, Mean Jeanne said:

Finally watched this, was I seeing things, or did Amelia shave her pits? Looked like it towards the end of the show

If she did, it was probably some sort of performance art piece - maybe making her more aerodynanic as she flies the coop from NO to Virginia???

 

 

[topanga]

13 hours ago, OnTime said:

There wasn't any marriage between Henry and Christina to kill. 

I'm glad Henry said what he learned about her at the reception. He was never interested in her which she didn't like because she expects all men to chase her. So she made up the gay text.

 

9 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I'll sit there with you.  In the beginning I was on Henry's side, but when he said he found out AT THE RECEPTION about Christina's relationship and that turned him off, I realized he was a nasty piece of work, stringing her along like that.  He wasn't into her, and he just sat there like a lump on a log and said nothing and THEN he decides to say she had a five year affair with a married man.  What an asshole.  Sure Christina was wrong about the gay story (which I think she made up), but that never would have happened had he unloaded her in the beginning.  

I think Brett was an asshole from the beginning, but at least he said, "this ain't working" and bounced.  Henry should have done the same.

Immediately after the wedding, Christina tried to initiate a conversation with Henry. Maybe he was nervous and/or not attracted to her, but he wouldn’t make eye contact and answered all of her questions with one word answers. I emphasize “her” questions because Henry never asked Christina a thing about herself. That’s not a great way to treat your new spouse. And this was before he’d spoken to any of his friends at the reception, so he can’t use Christina’s past relationship as the reason he treated her like an enemy from the moment they met.

Christina was wrong, way wrong, about the gay rumor, and she displayed a lot of other dishonest behavior. But people are making Henry out to be the perfect husband when clearly he was not. IMO, he was the male Karen, but his match was way worse than hers  

 

[Leazy1]

My gut instinct is that Henry’s friend Kristin sent the text to Christina. Just to mess with Christina and create more problems in the marriage. Kristin made it clear from the very beginning that she did not approve of Henry marrying Christina, even making catty comments on camera about Christina at the wedding and saying she didn’t actually consider them married. That was one of the most mean scenes of the entire season, and I’m surprised the host didn’t mention it at all during the reunion.

Although Henry is mild-mannered, he said and did nothing that made him come across as a nice person in my opinion. Being quiet/even-tempered and nice/kind/good are completely different. 

I can’t make sense of Olivia’s anger level toward Brett. If he had done something offensive directly to her (like cheating, stealing, pressuring her for sex, etc.) I could understand the intensity of her resentment. But her only complaints seem to be that he was sarcastic and checked himself out in the mirror frequently. They weren’t a good match, but there wasn’t any wrong-doing. Also, it’s not her place to criticize Brett for returning to Tinder. I think he is looking for a serious relationship (he’s been engaged and also married). Olivia was also upset that he had messaged a Tinder match something like, “I’m sad; tell me some good news.” Olivia acted like that was a terrible thing for him to say. I just don’t get it. 

Everyone seems to love Amani and Woody. I must be the only one who can’t stand them. I fast forward through all of their scenes. Amani has one of the most annoying voices (and cadence) I’ve ever heard.

[Ilovepie]

13 hours ago, Fallacy said:

I’m still mostly on Team Brett. I don’t think he was hitting on Henry’s friends during the bachelor party. He seemed more interested in whether or not she and Henry really were just friends, but not because he was interested in her, but because his drunken brain was trying to get the real scoop on that relationship. I also think Brett was being his usual sarcastic self. Of course, I also thought that woman was a self righteous bitch, so there’s that. So I don’t see his behavior at the bachelor party as some evidence of what a jerk he is. I also think the entire cast only heard Olivia’s side of the story because Brett isn’t the type to go whine and cry about Olivia to them.  

I think Brett would have been thrilled to meet a woman who shared his interests and his life goals. Olivia was not that person. The fact that she still holds such a grudge against him tells me he was more realistic in the marriage. He knew they weren’t compatible so he ended it. Sure, he could have been less sarcastic and condescending during the process, but Olivia was no peach either, and she absolutely refuses to accept any responsibility for her own bad behavior during the marriage. According to Olivia, she did nothing wrong, which is hilarious. I just wish Olivia could accept that she’s not a victim of Brett. She was a victim of the producers who matched her with someone so incompatible. I’m sure she’s a lovely woman to people she likes, but she hates Brett and treated him accordingly.

I also think Henry is a passive aggressive jerk who should have just told Christina the truth on day 2 of their honeymoon. He was never physically attracted to her, and based on what he heard about her last relationship, he very quickly judged and dismissed her. Then he sat there like a lump on the log and made her do all the talking during filming, giving her nothing to work with. So yes, she got pissed. I get that. He was there to collect his check, and he never looked at her without anything but total contempt, so yes, she eventually lashed out because she was probably sick and tired of him sitting there like a freaking empty shell, making her look like an asshole when she asked producers what the heck she was supposed to do. Basically, I think they were also horribly suited for each other, and they both would have been far better off walking away after the honeymoon. It’s got to be incredibly difficult to maintain the farce for four freaking months. 

To be clear, I’m not suggesting that Christina is a lovely woman with no flaws, but I am saying that Henry is not the perfect gentleman he thinks he is. My guess is he’s just as much of a judgmental, stuck up prig as his so called best friend. Christina, on the other hand, is a deeply insecure and needy wreck of a woman who does all kinds of stupid shit for attention. 

Yes to all of this. 100%. I think Brett came off a lot more mature than Olivia. She glares, complains and calls him names; he says nothing. She is blaming the wrong person. He clearly sees where the blame lies, but she, with the help of the producers and editors, have chosen him as the problem. It was very frustrating seeing her get an almost total pass and him being made the scapegoat.

And of course nobody in this group likes him!  Of course the girls are going to take Olivia’s side, and look at the remaining guys - do any of them look like the would have anything in common with him? 

The people that have been vilified in the past seasons have done some really shady shit. What has Brett done? He was sarcastic? He left when the marriage was over? He was (maybe) disingenuous on camera (but nice off camera!)? For this he has been called an asshole and fuck boi on camera multiple times and by various people. And then they trash talk him for not showing up? The bigger question is why on earth would he after this?

[Linarina]

No one has mentioned yet that now we see that Brett said "no thanks" in response to Pastor Cal during their video chat (in response to "is there any chance you would continue with her"), NOT during the couch chat with Olivia!!!!  Those dirty rat bastard editors.  That is so not cool.

[Empress1]

17 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

But isn't the hallmark of a kept woman having a place to live, paid for by the married man?  I'm sure she wasn't staying with him and his wife.  😀

Maybe it's because I don't have a house or apartment myself, and instead live in an RV traveling around, but Christina having her stuff in storage and in her car and possibly not owning or paying rent on a house or apartment doesn't sound that crazy to me, especially because she's a flight attendant.  I don't know how their schedules work, but I'd be super happy to just stay extra days wherever I was flying instead of going back home to the same place all the time.  It would eventually get old, I'm sure, but if I were young and unencumbered, I think it would be a gas.

The difference is that I assume you tell people up front that you live in an RV. Christina told Henry at the wedding that she lived in a particular neighborhood and then when he wanted to go to her place to get stuff for their new place, she said her stuff was in storage, in her car, etc. I wondered if she lived with her mother but then why wouldn’t she just take him to her mother’s place?

[Zero260]

12 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

13 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

The difference is that I assume you tell people up front that you live in an RV. Christina told Henry at the wedding that she lived in a particular neighborhood and then when he wanted to go to her place to get stuff for their new place, she said her stuff was in storage, in her car, etc. I wondered if she lived with her mother but then why wouldn’t she just take him to her mother’s place?

I had gypsy vibes about her since the beginning. 

 

[Lindz]

Clothing might be a touchy subject, but how do these husbands let their wives walk out in public, much less be on tv, looking so bad?!?!! Poor Woodrow, sweating through his clothes. I can't believe he just sat there, soaking. It's crazy! Did Amani have lipstick on her teeth? Did he really not say anything about that or her nipples showing through her top & that there's a light spot on her top & her upper thighs look terrible in her wrinkled pants. I mean, COME ON!! HELP HER LOOK BETTER!! 😂😂

[cinsays]

17 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I meant she didn't have a place to live when she was on the show, remember she said some of her things were in storage, in her car and in California, hence she didn't have a place to live.  

 

Why bring it up on the finale?  He's kept silent about it for that long.   Some might say he did it for revenge (see, a weenie) because of the gay rumor.  But here's the thing, she didn't bring up the email on camera, so why bring up her dirt, on camera?

 

Well, we don't know that she wouldn't have brought up the email but Henry beat her to it.  Or maybe, since she couldn't produce the email when Henry asked her she realized her game would have been shown to be the sham it was.

And her affair has been all over social media, so him mentioning didn't make much difference.

[Lindz]

I don't get the appeal of Henry. He's a passive, "see what happens" type, so the woman has to lead. EW!! He's found his courage to dump on Christina. Wow. Finally has some kind of personality & it's not a good look. He wouldn't have the balls to talk that smack to Brett's FACE! He's still a punk azz. End of story. Christina was judgey?? SO WAS HE!! WORSE because he used it to not even try at the marriage. We all know that! That's what makes it disgusting, not anything to have sympathy for. In that case, poor Christina! She actually took being married seriously (not enough to not sabotage it by acting so repulsively) & tried with the few crumbs she barely got. She was reading the situation right & should've left. Henry LIED & LIED & LIED some more. AGAIN, his complaint is what he's guilty of!!

Edited November 2, 2020 by Lindz

[gonecrackers]

Henry mentioned having a little "bubbly" after the wedding & was shown asking ChristinA where she lived. He was also trying to talk to her at the reception when she cut him off to whine about forgetting her earrings. He probably spoke more than we saw, but even if it wasn't much when a quieter person is met with a dismissive personality, cut off when speaking, etc., we tend to just not bother anymore.

Henry needs to get his passive aggressive, catty-gurl behavior in check before attempting another relationship. And maybe he should update his expectations for someone with more than just good hair & nice shoes 🙄. But he's no where near equal to ChristinA, a self-described "flamboyant liar" who had a long term affair, was rude & condescending, continued lying through the marriage, & then attempted blackmail.

[Crashcourse]

6 minutes ago, gonecrackers said:

Henry mentioned having a little "bubbly" after the wedding & was shown asking ChristinA where she lived. He was also trying to talk to her at the reception when she cut him off to whine about forgetting her earrings. He probably spoke more than we saw, but even if it wasn't much when a quieter person is met with a dismissive personality, cut off when speaking, etc., we tend to just not bother anymore.

Henry needs to get his passive aggressive, catty-gurl behavior in check before attempting another relationship. And maybe he should update his expectations for someone with more than just good hair & nice shoes 🙄. But he's no where near equal to ChristinA, a self-described "flamboyant liar" who had a long term affair, was rude & condescending, continued lying through the marriage, & then attempted blackmail.

I agree about Henry, especially the bolded.  I just wish that Brett had walked in on the "reunion" while Henry was badmouthing him.  I would have loved to see the expression on Henry's face.  😨

[gonecrackers]

Just now, Crashcourse said:

I agree about Henry, especially the bolded.  I just wish that Brett had walked in on the "reunion" while Henry was badmouthing him.  I would have loved to see the expression on Henry's face.  😨

I can't stand the shit talking w/o the person present - they started this with Brandon & I didn't like it then either, & he didn't get a choice in being there or not. Brett had a choice & shouldn't have left. No matter what someone's behavior during the season they should at least get to have a voice.

[Crashcourse]

I'd like to know what the safety practices for COVID were because I was confused about all of them gathering together for the reunion show, maskless and not social distancing.  

[Lindz]

Woodrow stepped right into that husband role from the 1st moment & we all applaud him for it!! He's said stupid stuff and stuff I couldn't understand, but he did a great job, which helped Amani be a good wife. They're so lucky it worked! We've seen how wrong it could go. Too many times. It's nice to see how right it can go. Henry & Christina & Brett & Olivia were the throwaway couples. They didn't take marriage seriously and tried from a different starting point & got nowhere.

[princelina]

On 10/30/2020 at 10:07 AM, Neurochick said:

I think Brett needs some kind of therapy because he seems to use sarcasm and snark to hide his feelings.  An interesting exchange between Brett and Kevin Frazier was when Kevin said, "that's how it looks" and Brett said, "that's not how I felt."  His feelings and his actions don't match.  I wonder if he was shamed for sharing his feelings and uses sarcasm to hide it.

With those older brothers?  I think you can pretty much guarantee it!  I was raised in a family like that (which is why I found Brett more amusing than offensive) and I don't think he needs therapy as much as to look at how people saw him, decide if that't the impression he wants to give, and if not then he can adjust the snark factor.  In my own case I have learned to keep my mouth shut when I want to make a (hilarious) comment that might not be well received.  

On 10/30/2020 at 11:43 AM, Crashcourse said:

Yes, those would be some great cities to film in and see the sceneries.   I'm just tired of MAFS seasons in basically the same areas.

Would it matter though?  Other than the background scenery they rarely DO anything  to show us their cities.  They can sit in any room and endlessly discuss their "communication"

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, Crashcourse said:

I'd like to know what the safety practices for COVID were because I was confused about all of them gathering together for the reunion show, maskless and not social distancing.  

You and me both. I assumed they would talk to each couple individually - like, only one couple in a room at a time or they would talk to the couples via teleconference. Hell, do it over Zoom like everything else. I would not have been trying to be in that small room with six other maskless people, particularly one (Olivia) who likely has exposure to COVID through her work.

And not only does Olivia likely have exposure to COVID at work, she is potentially exposing patients to COVID. What if she brings it into whatever facility she works in?

Edited October 31, 2020 by Empress1

[StatisticalOutlier]

4 hours ago, Empress1 said:

The difference is that I assume you tell people up front that you live in an RV. Christina told Henry at the wedding that she lived in a particular neighborhood and then when he wanted to go to her place to get stuff for their new place, she said her stuff was in storage, in her car, etc. I wondered if she lived with her mother but then why wouldn’t she just take him to her mother’s place?

Oh, I wasn't talking about her lying--just the fact that she doesn't have a fixed place to live, in reaction to this comment:  "I think people feel she was a "kept woman" (talk about old fashioned language....am I in the 1950's?) because she didn't have a place to live."

But now that @Elizzikra mentions it, it is odd that they never showed any discussion about her job.  Maybe we don't have to get into how she feels about flying during COVID, but even before that, a flight attendant's schedule isn't M-F 9-5, and would definitely be something that has to be accommodated in any relationship.  So I wonder if she was working. 

[gonecrackers]

20 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Oh, I wasn't talking about her lying--just the fact that she doesn't have a fixed place to live, in reaction to this comment:  "I think people feel she was a "kept woman" (talk about old fashioned language....am I in the 1950's?) because she didn't have a place to live."

I believe I started that one, & I have no idea how to put it otherwise. I'm disgusted by cheating (reg. both, not just her); there's never a good excuse for that crap, so I don't care if it's offensive TBH- she deserves it. Whether or not that was the case, I don't know; it was just pure speculation on a board where we speculate. The affair was never denied on her part, though.

Edited October 31, 2020 by gonecrackers

[Crashcourse]

1 hour ago, princelina said:

Would it matter though?  Other than the background scenery they rarely DO anything  to show us their cities.  They can sit in any room and endlessly discuss their "communication"

They showed streets in New Orleans, last season they showed DC (even though they weren't actually staying in DC) and I remember seeing streets in Philly as well.  They don't show a lot of scenery, but I'd like to see some scenery farther west.  And I really don't need to see Atlanta again since so much filming is done there by other shows.

[Neurochick]

20 hours ago, Crashcourse said:

I think Henry put ChristinA on blast at the reunion because she was threatening to put him on blast for being gay.  If she hadn't done that, then maybe he wouldn't have gone off on her like he did but she stooped too low and that was the last straw for him.  I'm glad he did it. 

My only issue with Henry was leading the dumping on Brett, which I thought was mean spirited and unnecessary.  

It only showed how immature Henry was.  Did Christina tell the story of the text message on camera?  The only person who brought it up on camera was Henry, so when was Christina going to put him on blast, if she didn't do it on camera?

[Empress1]

27 minutes ago, Crashcourse said:

They showed streets in New Orleans, last season they showed DC (even though they weren't actually staying in DC) and I remember seeing streets in Philly as well.  They don't show a lot of scenery, but I'd like to see some scenery farther west.  And I really don't need to see Atlanta again since so much filming is done there by other shows.

I really preferred it when the show didn’t provide housing. For one, it meant that the couples had to talk budgets because they had to pay their housing costs, and it also meant we got to see more of their neighborhoods and whatever neighborhoods they chose to live in.

[Crashcourse]

17 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

It only showed how immature Henry was.  Did Christina tell the story of the text message on camera?  The only person who brought it up on camera was Henry, so when was Christina going to put him on blast, if she didn't do it on camera?

She could have done it on social media.  She probably already had.

She is vile.

Edited October 31, 2020 by Crashcourse

[Leazy]

My gut instinct is that Henry’s friend Kristin sent the text to Christina. Just to mess with Christina and create more problems in the marriage. Kristin made it clear from the very beginning that she did not approve of Henry marrying Christina, even making catty comments on camera about Christina at the wedding and saying she didn’t actually consider them married. That was one of the most mean scenes of the entire season, and I’m surprised the host didn’t mention it at all during the reunion.

Although Henry is mild-mannered, he said and did nothing that made him come across as a nice person in my opinion. Being quiet/even-tempered and nice/kind/good are completely different. 

I can’t make sense of Olivia’s anger level toward Brett. If he had done something offensive directly to her (like cheating, stealing, pressuring her for sex, etc.) I could understand the intensity of her resentment. But her only complaints seem to be that he was sarcastic and checked himself out in the mirror frequently. They weren’t a good match, but there wasn’t any wrong-doing. Also, it’s not her place to criticize Brett for returning to Tinder. I think he is looking for a serious relationship (he’s been engaged and also married). Olivia was also upset that he had messaged a Tinder match something like, “I’m sad; tell me some good news.” Olivia acted like that was a terrible thing for him to say. I just don’t get it. 

Everyone seems to love Amani and Woody. I must be the only one who can’t stand them. I fast forward through all of their scenes. Amani has one of the most annoying voices (and cadence) I’ve ever heard.

ETA: I meant Brett was married to Olivia. He was also engaged to someone else before MAFS.

Edited October 31, 2020 by Leazy
Clarity

[Empress1]

10 minutes ago, Leazy said:

I think he is looking for a serious relationship (he’s been engaged and also married).

Brett was married before?

[Crashcourse]

27 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

Brett was married before?

Yeah, I'm curious about that too.  I'm pretty sure that would have come up.

 

 

[Rae Spellman]

15 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

Brett was married before?

To Olivia. The women he meets on Tinder are getting a guy who asked the cheating fiancee to marry him a few years back and who married Olivia on MAFS.

As far as Olivia's anger goes, the show paired her with someone who was dating two weeks before match day. He flirted, joked about Bennett's sister, and/or whatever on film at the bachelor party. He dumped Olivia publicly. Apparently Olivia is familiar with viewer's negative opinions of her, too.  

All of this has unfolded over the past eight months or so. Most of those months were during a global pandemic. Olivia is a nurse, possibly with more regular exposure to the virus than many of us. Her travel and entertainment options are limited. She may be spending less in person time with her friends and family. 

Henry, Christina, and Amani publicly claim Brett was terrible and/or that Brett did Olivia dirty. Her insensitive friends forward her information about their interactions with Brett on the apps. 

Olivia absolutely contributed to her situation. Still, I'm not shocked that she appears angry with Brett on a show that asks her to talk about her failed relationship with Brett. She's likely angry with MAFS, and may be quietly upset with herself, too.

While the marriage was brief and she didn't really want Brett, the split was about three months before the reunion. We are in a time when managing and processing ones emotions can be quite challenging. Doing it on television might be even more difficult. Hopefully, with a little distance from the experience, she'll figure out how to positively move past the experience.  

 

 

 

[Mollypup]

I think that Olivia misled the experts about her strong desire to not have children (as she professed in the reunion episode).  She must have known that that would limit her chances of getting chosen to be on the show.  It was a huge mistake to pair her with someone who does want children, and I do not think the experts would have been blind to the fact.

I also think that Karen and Miles reached a point in their relationship when he gave her an ultimatum.  That made him attractive to her.  (Very strange).

 

[Mollypup]

I really like Henry.  He has some endearing qualities.  But was he really a good fit for this show?  It would have been hard for a lot of women to build a relationship at the pace he needed.  Karen is a good example of this as well.  People who sign up for this experience need to dive in and not hold back.  Neither Henry nor Karen were quite prepared for this.  

[Hangin Out]

10 hours ago, Lindz said:

Clothing might be a touchy subject, but how do these husbands let their wives walk out in public, much less be on tv, looking so bad?!?!! Poor Woodrow, sweating through his clothes. I can't believe he just sat there, soaking. It's crazy! Did Amani have lipstick on her teeth? Did he really not say anything about that or her nipples showing through her top & that there's a light spot on her top & her upper thighs look terrible in her wrinkled pants. I mean, COME ON!! HELP HER LOOK BETTER!! 😂😂

Christina needs a better bra that fits, and clothes that don’t have the boobs hanging out.  Plus, you are right about Amani.  Instead of classy, they looked trashy at times.  Also, what’s with the dresses up to The Who/ ha?   I’m talking to you Jamie Otis.  Too bad Kevin Frazier can’t do Unfiltered.

[Retired at last]

3 hours ago, Rhiannon Hunter said:

As far as Olivia's anger goes, the show paired her with someone who was dating two weeks before match day.

Of course he was dating. He hadn't been told he was selected for the show yet, so why wouldn't he be?

[Lindz]

Good thing they didn't have a "Michael" to defend Brett... not from a lack of trying, looking for who still talks to him! 😂

[Elizzikra]

Quote

how do these husbands let their wives walk out in public, much less be on tv, looking so bad?!?!!

I'm married and my husband doesn't let me wear anything. I, like the spouses on MAFS, am a grown ass adult and I choose my own clothes.

[Kira53]

52 minutes ago, Retired at last said:

Of course he was dating. He hadn't been told he was selected for the show yet, so why wouldn't he be?

I never understood why serial dater became such a terrible terrible idea. You need to seriously date until you find "the one". Wasting time in relationships that have no value or hope that's a waste of time.  You should date until you find a match. Brett isn't that easy to make a match with. With the sarcasm and stuff.

[Linarina]

I'm not sure which thread to put this in, but... did we ever see/meet the infamous Mary, through whom Amelia and Bennet had previously met a couple times?  With all their friends who managed to get screen time, I wonder why their one mutual friend was never shown.

[gingerandcloves]

11 hours ago, princelina said:

 

Would it matter though?  Other than the background scenery they rarely DO anything  to show us their cities.  They can sit in any room and endlessly discuss their "communication"

I would've loved to see more of New Orleans. I know it probably wasn't possible due to the lockdown, but I sure got sick of seeing ninety thousand shots of the Gotham and practically zero of anywhere else.

[Ilovepie]

2 hours ago, Kira53 said:

Brett isn't that easy to make a match with. With the sarcasm and stuff.

I think he can control it. The smartass comments and sarcasm didn’t really kick in until things started going sideways on the honeymoon. He initially seemed very happy with her, and they started out having serious conversations where he was talking to her in a serious tone. Then came the dreaded seven rating and it went downhill from there. That’s also when she started talking AT him and not WITH him, I might add. I think he uses it when he’s hurt, but he seems fully capable of expressing himself appropriately when he wants to. I just don’t think he cared enough to try when he realized the show had paired him with the wrong woman.

[Yeah No]

On 10/29/2020 at 8:33 PM, TheMediumBopper said:

Watching Olivia's neck and upper chest turn redder and redder was pretty fascinating. I was waiting for her to burst into flames on the couch. Apparently she's been paying attention to what people say about her on social media and forums. Hi, Olivia!

She even made mention of the fact that she's not the most popular person online these days.  So she knows how people are feeling about her and it bugs her, you can tell.  Well, too bad....

On 10/29/2020 at 8:33 PM, gonecrackers said:

Olivia isn't jealous, because she doesn't want Brett. Not all women who are upset are jealous. She's angry she wasn't matched well. She really needs to get pissed at the 'experts' though.

She did act somewhat "sour grapes"/jealous of Brett for being out there dating.  Why else would she have to put it down like that?  She wants him to look bad so that she can feel justified in how she feels about him.  If he succeeds she feels a kind of jealousy - the kind they call "I don't want you but I don't want anyone else to want you either".  She feels that if he found someone he'd look good and she would look bad.  Well, if the shoe fits....

So she has to try to make him look like someone that doesn't want to settle down and is just looking for a good time.  But I don't see that with Brett.  Yeah, he dates a LOT and he may be defeating himself doing too much dating, but it doesn't necessarily mean he's not sincere about finding someone to settle down with.

On 10/29/2020 at 8:34 PM, LennieBriscoe said:

What did Brett do or say that gave Olivia the idea that he didn't want to "settle down"? He's already got the job, the house, and the cat! Oh, wait; to Olivia "settle down" means "travel and see the world and do what I want to do."

She just wants him to look bad (and her good) so she's trying to smear his image in other people's eyes.  Only it doesn't make her look good, I hate to tell her.  It makes her look bitter and vengeful.  If all she is is mad that she got matched poorly then why take it out that much on HIM?  I agree with @gonecrackers on the point that she should direct that anger at the experts or the show, not so much at him.  But she does blame him, which shows me she did feel rejected and hurt by the fact that he wasn't crazy about her - meanwhile she can't even see her own part in making that happen.  Nothing was her responsibility in her eyes.  I don't think she would be trying to make Brett look so bad if she were able to take some of the responsibility.  

[Yeah No]

On 10/29/2020 at 8:41 PM, Crashcourse said:

So Bennett is a "solar consultant."  That suits him.

Of course, I had to look it up.

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Jobs/Solar-Consultant

 

Newsflash Bennett:  a "Solar Consultant", no matter how you spin it as some sort of do-gooding way to help humanity, is still just a SALESPERSON.  🤣

[Yeah No]

On 10/29/2020 at 10:17 PM, Crashcourse said:

Perhaps, but what about Seattle, for example?  I know they filmed the first few seasons in NY, NJ and PA but they seem to just go farther down the East coast.  I just think a different location would be more interesting. 

They never filmed a season in NJ, it's just that some of the NY people lived there.

Yes, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Las Vegas or even Denver.  Or how about Pittsburgh or Indianapolis?  They keep going down South - nothing wrong with that, but we need a change of scenery (and culture) on this show after so many seasons.

Edited November 1, 2020 by Yeah No

[Yeah No]

On 10/30/2020 at 2:38 AM, Ilovepie said:

Man alive, Olivia is one bitter bitch. I have no problem calling her that since she had no problem calling Brett an asshole repeatedly. And for what? Recognizing that they were mismatched and incompatible? She knew it too, yet it’s his fault? I think she’s mad because he’s not upset it didn’t work out, and he refused to play the MAFS game. Who she should really be mad at is the producers and experts who matched them both with the absolute wrong person ON PURPOSE.

 Christina might be a piece of work, but this woman bugs me more because of her self righteous attitude. I don’t blame Brett for leaving - what was left for him but more crap from Olivia and the rest of them? It’s not a good look for any of them to sit there trash talking Brett. 

 

I hear you.  And we don't know how much of the sarcastic attitude from Brett was in response to her bad attitude toward HIM from the get-go.  Olivia made herself look like the victim who got stuck with some smart-ass douche when he could have been reacting to her being so down and negative toward him and for being mismatched with someone very different from him.  Context is everything.

Plus I tend to recoil seeing a room full of people trash Brett like that.  Like they had to keep pushing how they felt he was insincere and not in it for the "right reasons" in case the rest of the world didn't see it.  In previous seasons there wasn't nearly as much trashing of people ten times worse than Brett.  Or if there was it was only from one or two very vocal people who had more than enough factual ammunition to make whatever trashing they put out feel like an understatement.  But this whole room trashing him just felt very OTT and unfair to me for some reason.  And I usually trust my gut instinct when I feel that way.

Plus Christina with her "I just knew he wasn't in it for the right reasons" - like I would trust anything out of HER mouth, LOL.  Her assessments couldn't be that accurate given her poor track record for picking guys - I consider the source there.

Edited November 1, 2020 by Yeah No

[Blissfool]

On 10/30/2020 at 3:52 PM, Neurochick said:

Why bring it up on the finale?  He's kept silent about it for that long.   Some might say he did it for revenge (see, a weenie) because of the gay rumor.  But here's the thing, she didn't bring up the email on camera, so why bring up her dirt, on camera?

 

Exactly this. I didn't like him bringing up her dirt. Christina has many faults, but kicking her while she's down...what a gentleman.

17 hours ago, Lindz said:

Did Amani have lipstick on her teeth? 

Clearly, Woody hasn't taken notes from Bennett, who sees food in his wife's teeth and starts picking at them on national tv.

16 hours ago, gonecrackers said:

 

Henry needs to get his passive aggressive, catty-gurl behavior in check before attempting another relationship. And maybe he should update his expectations for someone with more than just good hair & nice shoes 🙄. But he's no where near equal to ChristinA, a self-described "flamboyant liar" who had a long term affair, was rude & condescending, continued lying through the marriage, & then attempted blackmail.

Catty...that's exactly how I saw it.

14 hours ago, princelina said:

In my own case I have learned to keep my mouth shut when I want to make a (hilarious) comment that might not be 

Lol...same! The debate that goes on in my head being being funny or remaining pleasant! Sometimes, I've made the wrong choice 😂.

[Empress1]

8 hours ago, Yeah No said:

So she has to try to make him look like someone that doesn't want to settle down and is just looking for a good time.  But I don't see that with Brett.  Yeah, he dates a LOT and he may be defeating himself doing too much dating, but it doesn't necessarily mean he's not sincere about finding someone to settle down with.

Not only was Brett engaged before, he tried to make it work with his fiancée after she cheated on him. I think the idea that he doesn’t want to settle down or that he just cuts and runs has been disproven. Actually, knowing that about his ex, it seems like the “serial dating” thing is likely in service of him finding a woman to settle down with, not because he’s a player. 

Edited November 1, 2020 by Empress1

[LennieBriscoe]

ChristinA was wrong to behave in an underhanded  manner re: alleged "gay affair" text.

But in pursuit of excruciating accuracy (since we have had posts on what everybody this season did or did not actually truthfully state, as opposed to imply, deny, or lie), I feel compelled  to point out the possibilities  as I see them that:

---The text might not exist because it never existed;

---The text might not exist because ChristinA deleted it;

---The text might yet be on ChristinA's phone;

---The texter might be truthful;

---The texter might be mendacious;

---Henry might be truthful;

---Henry might be gay.

I don't recall any of the above being definitively ascertained as objective fact.

Edited November 1, 2020 by LennieBriscoe

[Yeah No]

On 10/30/2020 at 8:25 AM, psychoticstate said:

I can't answer as to why they haven't branched more out west pre-COVID but I'm going to guess they returned to Atlanta because there is a lot of filming and production there and, perhaps most importantly, Georgia was one of the first states to reopen during the pandemic.  

Yeah, but in July it later rolled back from phase 2 to phase 1, then opened again to phase 2 and 3, then went back to phase 1 again in September, plus there was a power struggle about this happening all throughout.  So I wonder how all that's going to impact the show.

[Yeah No]

On 10/30/2020 at 10:07 AM, Neurochick said:

I think Brett needs some kind of therapy because he seems to use sarcasm and snark to hide his feelings.  An interesting exchange between Brett and Kevin Frazier was when Kevin said, "that's how it looks" and Brett said, "that's not how I felt."  His feelings and his actions don't match.  I wonder if he was shamed for sharing his feelings and uses sarcasm to hide it.

I actually think Brett was doing that to hide his feelings from appearing on the show - but it's probably not how he would be IRL.  I felt like he was doing that or else he might explode at her in a fit of anger and then really look like the villain they were trying to make him appear to be.  I think he realized that if he did that he would be double screwed in terms of how he would look to the public.  So he just engaged in this passive-aggressive side-swiping behavior instead.  Of course he should have found a way to be more open with her without either exploding or engaging in sarcasm and snark, but I think her constant disapproval of him insulted and angered him, and I really can't blame him for that.  It was a tough situation to be in, I'm sure.

 

[Yeah No]

On 10/30/2020 at 10:07 AM, Neurochick said:

Miles and Karen prove that I know nothing.  I'm like a person standing one inch away from a beautiful painting saying, "it's ugly."  But then someone will pull me back so I can see the whole picture and then say, "oh, I get it." 

Karen is a very reserved person, she wanted to make sure Miles was being genuine, and when he finally told her the way she was acting wasn't okay, it was then that Karen saw, as she put it, the "real" Miles.  It makes sense.  A lot of folks have been taught not to trust simplicity, especially when we see one thing and are then told another, it's easy to learn how to not trust what's in front of you.

I'm not really buying what Karen said because he did let her know how he felt about it before decision day.  I think she mistrusted his intentions before decision day and wanted to see if he would stand by her after the cameras were gone.  Once he did, and still honored her wishes about "no sex", she could trust his intentions more.  So when he admitted how he felt sometime after decision day, she was only then ready to accept his feelings as genuine.  Before decision day he may have communicated them to her, but she wasn't ready to buy them as sincere just yet.

[Yeah No]

On 10/30/2020 at 12:19 PM, gonecrackers said:

ChristinA should've been shown the door after he found out she was involved with a married man for so long. Maybe she was 'kept' & that's why no home addy; did this show because she was dumped. She's very sketchy. Then she has the audacity to belittle Henry & blackmail him. I'm glad he got it all out there but it was done too late IMO. He should've dropped these bombs all along the way, but Henry can't handle confrontation w/o a gang to support him so he just stayed away from her AMAP & was passive aggressive. As much as I feel badly for him I don't respect that behavior either. I'm glad she was outed though, & hope she gets some help for herself, but she seems in strong denial of her issues. Henry will continue to be Henry & take advantage of his new 'status' for as long as possible.

I would be disappointed in Henry for this if I was sure he never discussed his unhappiness with her past relationship with anyone from the show behind the scenes before this, like production or the experts.  But for all we know he may have done so, yet maybe the show was trying to be somewhat kind to Christina by not allowing it to be trotted out for the entire world to see, but only letting it "leak out" at the 11th hour of the final episode.  I think this might explain why Henry was making all these cryptic remarks all season long about her "pattern of dishonesty" without being specific.  The show wouldn't LET him be specific about it, meanwhile he was referring to her past relationship with a married man, which was BASED on dishonesty.  I kind of figured that that's what he was referring to ever since I read about her past in the spoiler thread.  It wasn't just about her being dishonest about where she lived, but that entire former relationship and how dishonest it was in general.  I know that Christina had fights with production and maybe they centered around her not wanting them to make a big deal about this extra-marital affair because of how it might negatively affect her and the other person involved.  She may have actually convinced them to skirt around it, which they did so until the final episode, which is why we never saw Henry address it with anyone until then.

[seacliffsal]

I believe that the cast members took Olivia's side because she is the only one who played victim.  I really disliked how they talked about Brett behind his back, but I think he was smart to not participate in the group discussion.  When asked by Kevin what she learned about herself, Olivia replied that she knows what she wants and she doesn't want children.  So, basically, she did not learn anything about herself but she can certainly tell everyone what is wrong with Brett.  His going on dating sites has nothing to do with her, and, like others, I think he does want to settle down-just not with her.  Judge Judy always states that when someone's neck and chest turn bright red it's because they are lying.  I do believe Olivia is trying to sell her story as the truth while it may be partially true, but not completely true.  I think Olivia hurt herself with her vindictiveness towards Brett as potential partners may not risk her reaction if they break up.

Once again Amelia and Bennett were working really hard to prove that they are the quirkiest quirks to have ever quirked.  As soon as Bennett started signing I started fast-forwarding.  Dr. Pepper mentioned that they were authentically themselves and I still don't buy that.  I find them exhausting.

I hope Miles is now happy, but Karen certainly made him jump through hurdles for the four months.  

Although I thought Henry went a bit too far in exposing Christina, I hope she starts to realize that there may be consequences when one starts their "flamboyant lying" in order to try to control/manipulate others.  For those who want Henry and Olivia together, I think that would be a horrible match.  Once she starts lecturing him, oh, excuse me, telling him what to do, oops, did it again, talking with him, I think he would shut down completely.  Christina did seem like she just wanted to get to know him a bit at first, whereas I think Olivia would just start dictating to him at the beginning.  However, she might fit in better with his mean girl friends.

I still really like Woody and Amani, but do wish she had worn either a different top or a bra.