S25.E09: Week 9

[ByTor]

Quote

 

Fifteen women return to relive the romance and rehash the rivalries from their journeys to find love. Some may seek forgiveness while others take a stand, but everyone will have the opportunity to speak their piece, including the Bachelor himself, Matt James.

Among other reunions, Serena P. and Matt will face each other for the first time since her emotional hometown date exit. This pre-taped special takes all the emotion and sprinkles in hilarious bloopers as well as an exclusive sneak peek at the remainder of the season, to create “The Bachelor: Women Tell All”!

 

Airs Monday March 1 @ 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM EST

As always, this is a spoiler-free thread. If it didn't happen yet, please do not discuss.

[saber5055]

Seven minutes in and it's too much for me. Blah blah blah blah nasal voices so much ugh. Heading to Andy Griffith reruns then 911. See ya'll next week.

[DEL901]

I guess Katie doesn’t want to be the Bachelorette.  She stirred shit in the house and she isn’t coming off well here.  

[JenE4]

There’s a whole lot of audacity over being held accountable for one’s own words. So, basically this can all be boiled down to “I was bullied by someone pointing out my bullying ways.”

[LakeGal]

The mean girls don't like being called out for it.

[TheFinalRose]

MJ's look is taking monotone to a whole new level. 

[Stats Queen]

Now they are showing many scenes and parts of group dates that were cut. Why didn’t they actually show these during of the show? Oh that right, so we could spend 85% of the season on the drama.

Edited March 2, 2021 by Stats Queen

[Dottie D]

This is actually quite dull.  I missed the very beginning, Are there only 15 women there?

[DEL901]

So far, Abigail would be my personal front runner as next Bachelorette.   Attractive, articulate, nice, and to check production’s boxes, mixed race and deaf.  A 2 for 1, so to speak.  

[sauce62]

Wait. I thought Chris wasn't supposed to be hosting? Maybe I missed something, just tuned in.

[TheFinalRose]

Wow this make Katie the Bachelorette interview segment was hardly convincing. Although a 30 year old Bachelorette is a nice change from the 25-26 year olds.  

[TiredMe]

1 minute ago, sauce62 said:

Wait. I thought Chris wasn't supposed to be hosting? Maybe I missed something, just tuned in.

He’s not hosting the after the final rose. This was taped before he stepped aside. 

[JenE4]

1 minute ago, sauce62 said:

Wait. I thought Chris wasn't supposed to be hosting? Maybe I missed something, just tuned in.

This was pre-recorded before his controversial comments. It’s the After the Final Rose show that he’s not hosting.

[Thumper]

Liking Pieper’s comments. Open, self- aware.

[sauce62]

5 minutes ago, TiredMe said:

He’s not hosting the after the final rose. This was taped before he stepped aside. 

Ah, thanks!!

[LakeGal]

Maybe they should bring Chris Harrison out to sit in the hot seat on After the Final Rose.  He could then do his explaining.  It is just strange watching him host this tonight knowing what has happened.

[JenE4]

Serena is pretending to cry. I guess being heartbroken (over the guy YOU chose to leave) is the way to get the Bachelorette gig.

[Jeanne222]

It's turned into a real shit show!  Who's on first?  Lol

The new bachelorette will most certainly be a WOC for sure.

[DEL901]

Matt may be charming and maybe even charismatic in person, but it doesn’t come through on television.  

[LakeGal]

The women seem to be giggling at Matt's beard.  I think some of them might be happy they didn't end up with him.

[Twiz44]

Oh, that beard. I’m seeing a lot of men wearing those big, full beards. Not a fan and it reminds me of a toy from my childhood.

[DEL901]

Oh, Chris.   Everyone may be back with audiences, but not you.  

[JenE4]

Whelp, if the fact that a two hour show spurred less than a full page of comments isn’t clue enough that this was a terribly boring episode, the 5-minute bug-swatting montage really brought it home. Harrison definitely didn’t save his job with this one.

[Thumper]

I half followed tonight’s show.  Matt seems like he is following the beard trend.  As a mom of two sons, I can say “boys are dumb,” until they are not.  Sigh.

[Arkay]

Why are so many of the women crying and saying that this is the first time they've seen their exits? We know they've watched them back, because they allude to how they hadn't realized how much stronger Matt's relationships were with the other women. 

What a truly boring snooze fest. The mean girls didn't learn anything, except maybe Anna. Bloopers that weren't amusing. Matt's beard does him no favors. 

Abigail, I ❤️ Thee. I do hope her appearance is an encouragement to others with disabilities.

[dizzyd]

Wow, where is everyone! I avoided because I didn’t want to hear them going at each other. But from the comments it appears nothing happened worth commenting about. Was it really dull af? It has been a boring season though. Oh well, it’s almost over. Hope you’re all having a good night and see y’all next week. 💕

[tinkerbell]

2 minutes ago, Thumper said:

I half followed tonight’s show.  Matt seems like he is following the beard trend.  As a mom of two sons, I can say “boys are dumb,” until they are not.  Sigh.

Yep. My son had a nice trim beard. I hadn't  seen him in a while, and he grew it long and scraggly. I kept my mouth shut until he asked me, then I told him how much I hated it. His girlfriend was relieved that someone agreed with her. (All his friends told him it looked great) . He has since shaved it.  I have not met anyone who looks good with a long full beard.

[Back Atcha]

17 minutes ago, JenE4 said:

Harrison definitely didn’t save his job with this one.

Best line of the night!

1 hour ago, TiredMe said:

This was taped before he stepped aside. 

drove off the cliff.

[nittany cougar]

I've finally stopped giving a fuck about this show.  I thought Abigail was interesting with respect to the discussion of her hearing loss.  Otherwise, I still can't tell most of these women apart and I don't care.

Matt looks like a madman with that bushy beard.  He seemed off to me.  The whole thing seemed off, especially knowing what has happened with Chris. 

Edited March 2, 2021 by nittany cougar

[Katie111]

I was really surprised that the “queen” never got in the hot seat.  They spent so much time on her this season I figured she would be the first one up (unless I fell asleep for that part).  Pieper had almost no screen time on the actual show (and no connection with Matt) but made it to the hot seat.  

I really couldn’t tell if the blonde girl was sincere in her apology or not.   Almost felt like she was “sorry” mainly because she’s getting a lot of backlash for how she acted.  I think Chris could have done a better job with the “escort” girl.  Like maybe ask her what it is she does do for a living.  And why is her ex so resentful that he would spread that type of rumor.  I think she ws being truthful, I just think Chris could have dug a little deeper, which ultimately could have made her look better. 

Kit seemed very quiet.  Wonder if she’s embarrassed now to be attached to this train wreck.  Not sure what she was wearing, looked like a bad suit from the 80’s and she usually had great style on the show. 
 

Just curious, what is Abigail’s mixed race? 
 

I thought Serena P came off as well spoken and sincere.  And since she is mixed race, she would fit the role for the next bachelorette.   Not sure if Michelle makes it to the FS as I didn’t see her in the previews except when she was sitting on a couch saying she was in love. 

[sauce62]

Why is Matt's beard sparkling? He looks like a pioneer. Hate it.

[tinkerbell]

Serena C wears a LOW cut strapless dress with sleeves that looked like she was an inch away  from flashing her tits on tv.

[tinkerbell]

Anna says "chicago is a small town."  WHAT?  No, not even close. 

[leocadia]

1 hour ago, Thumper said:

Liking Pieper’s comments. Open, self- aware.

Agreed, she came across very well...and I didn't particularly like her on the show.

They did such a great job with not giving Queen V much attention ( I was sure she would be on the "hot seat") and then they had to ruin it with the closing credit segment.

This may be the first season where the lead isn't really into anyone and the contestants aren't really into the lead.  There didn't seem to be much true regret on either side.

[CrazyDog]

4 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Seven minutes in and it's too much for me. Blah blah blah blah nasal voices so much ugh. Heading to Andy Griffith reruns then 911. See ya'll next week.

I made it half an hour, but this is one sad, disappointing group of women (minus a few like Katie, Serena P, Michelle and Abigail, etc.)

Victoria is infuriating, as usual. A total gaslighter, who cannot accept any responsibility for her own awfulness.

Chelsea seriously disappointed. Ugh. "The house wasn't toxic until we got called out", basically.

Anna tries to apologize but I doubt she would have without the backlash.

I don't know, this show is rapidly making itself irrelevant.

I don't mind some fun drama, but if this whole franchise and the producers are going to keep bringing in horrible people, sparking bullying and awful behavior, then trying to show themselves with the vapors at such behavior occurring...I don't know. They chose to air the rumor around Brittany.

I'm sure this show could reinvent itself in a better way if it truly wanted, but I think it's just aging poorly. 

Edited March 2, 2021 by CrazyDog

[coconutcookie]

I heard one of the women say Matt was a good kisser, but I wasn't impressed by the kissing clip we saw and it wasn't just the open eyes. Maybe it's just me.

[chocolatine]

There was a woman there, with long, straight, platinum blonde hair, sitting behind and to the right of Katie, whose face was never shown. She was only shown from behind in the coming-back-from-commercial wide shots, plus a bit of her hair when the camera was on Katie. Was that Heather? I can't remember any other women with the same hair color and style who stayed long enough or had any screen time. What was the point of having her there if they never showed her face?

4 hours ago, Stats Queen said:

Now they are showing many scenes and parts of group dates that were cut. Why didn’t they actually show these during of the show? Oh that right, so we could spend 85% of the season on the drama.

I know! Not that those dates looked fun, but they would have been better than the constant drama. There even seems to have been a segment with Tayshia and JoJo that was cut completely - they must be pissed to have come to Nemacolin and quarantined only to be "demoted" to the blooper reel.

[LBS]

9 hours ago, tinkerbell said:

 

Anna says "chicago is a small town."  WHAT?  No, not even close. 

 

I’m a lifelong Chicagoan (city not burbs) and I will say confidently that Anna has never gone further north than Wrigleyville, further west than the West Loop restaurant row area and has never gone further south past Jackson.  I can bet she has never set foot in Pilsen, Bronzeville, Bridgeport, South Loop, or Rogers Park.  Her entire scope of Chicago is a mini- area of privileged, mainly white, young adult transplants from Big Ten colleges  who can’t wait to move out to Naperville in a few years and tell all their mommy friends that they used to live in ‘the city’.  In way, she is correct.  Her Chicago is small town.  

i tried to watch the show.  I had wine.  I was in a mood.  I was asleep before the 2nd half and I don’t think I missed anything.  
 

ETA: I do think Anna had the best apology and seemed sincere.   The rest of them (even Chelsea who I really liked) seemed more concerned about Katie telling Matt about their actions instead of how their actions affected others.  I’ve never seen a group of women from a season who collectively brought out the toxicity in each other.  What a crappy season.

Edited March 2, 2021 by LBS
To actually talk about Anna on the WTA

[seacliffsal]

I think that everyone was on their best behavior (even though Victoria failed at it) which made a boring show.  Since the season emphasized that any comment can be turned into a Public Service Annoucement about bullying, it seemed that the women did not want to chance becoming the new Public Enemy #1.

And, as bad as I thought many of the dates were, according to the "lost scenes" segment it appears that many dates were much worse than we were initially led to believe.  Yet people continue to sign up to be contestants-they must think that the humiliation and potential backlash must be worth it.

Generally it seems like they bring up people to the "hot seat" who are either notorious or in the running to be the lead of the next season.  The women seemed to REALLY not like Katie and to REALLY like Abigail, so I wonder if that will factor in.  Katie also went home well before the traditional next lead (the only person close to being sent home early who became the lead was Juan Pablo [as far as I can recall]).  I was surprised that Pieper received a one on one with Chris as I didn't think she was close to being considered for the Bachelorette.

I, too, wondered why they never showed the face of the woman with long blonde hair sitting behind Katie.  

No Bachelorette announcement (that was shown) and kind of a boring end to a boring season.

[Jax7917]

This really wasn’t a good look for the  producers in that they CHOSE to air what went on with Brittany so in essence , were they that sad to see her be bullied ? Chris is interviewing her about Anna and what she did to cause this , but they took part in “ ruining “ her life too . 
 

This was such a boring episode for having had so much drama this season . Why was Victoria the main star of the season but hardly got any air time ? 
There was so much fluff this episode . I fast forwarded most of it . 

[Dottie D]

I definitely became aware of the women overusing "my person" last night.

[phlebas]

This episode was awful, but after the last few weeks of some heavy racism, I was ready for some good old-fashioned Shaming Bullies. For the first and last time in my life, I was ready for Victoria.

She really wanted us to notice the bra, I guess.

[atlanticslide]

Katie, Serena, and Abigail all looked like they were being given Bachelorette auditions (which I'm here for - I liked all three of them so any one of them or Michelle as Bachelorette would be great).

Matt being backed into apologizing to Victoria was kind of wild to watch. She has a bizarrely manipulative personality, in that she's clearly a toxic mess of a human, but somehow seems to get people on her side and create a very divisive atmosphere. I'd already lost respect for Chelsea when she shrugged off Victoria's behavior in the house because Victoria was never mean to her, but her anger at Katie last night was over the top and came across like fighting Victoria's battle for her, and for no discernible reason. Is Victoria really that fun to be around?? Several of the woman were more pissed off at Katie for trying to shut down the drama than they were at anyone who was actually causing the drama, which made them all look like assholes. 

I'm probably in the minority but I really liked Matt's beard. It gives his face some more character. 

Other Serena was really going for that "my dress is one stiff wind away from falling down" look. Also, I'm begging the Bachelor producers to never, ever, ever show that "yum, daddy" clip ever again, ever. 

...I can't even think of anything else that happened. Kind of a nothing of a WTA.

[Jax7917]

37 minutes ago, Dottie D said:

I definitely became aware of the women overusing "my person" last night.

That is the most overused , basic expression I’ve heard in the last few years . Why can’t anyone be original ? 
I think I first noticed it on Ben Higgins season . His fiancé Lauren said it a lot and then every season it just got used more and more . 

[Rainsong]

A step-by-step recount of the discussions and events of TWTA would be surplus to requirements.  Instead, some general observations:

 

1) What you are seeing – and possibly even experiencing– is clinical depression.  Individual, collective and now chronic.  Whatever you think of covid as a disease and/or a threat isn’t really the issue – and is off-topic anyway.  The response to covid is slightly off-topic except the relevant effect on these women and on the audience.

Man is a gregarious animal.  Even a herd animal.  Any nonconformity is met with suspicion, then alarm, then anger, then a concerted attempt to squelch the nonconformity.  Maslow’s hierarchy of needs still reigns.  Any confrontations, standoffs or outright fights are met first with avoidance ie giving them room and avoiding collateral damage, then with wariness until it’s over or until a victor becomes evident at which point the vanquished will be isolated, ostracized, stigmatized.

‘Drama in the house’ follows this pattern.  But drama is usually the product of being removed from the normal ebb and flow of everyday life and placed in an isolated – physically and mentally – environment.  Unfortunately, this year’s crop of Bachelorettes were already showing the strain of isolation and ennui along with most of the rest of us.  They did their level best to appear chirpy and keen when meeting Matt but couldn’t even manage to get through the first night without being irritable and resentful.

These women were already below the equilibrium point on the emotional scale and any peaks in excitement or positive emotion barely reached this baseline – which meant the troughs were much lower and darker than usual.

2) Pre-packaged enlightenment and empowerment was about as appetizing as the equivalent pre-packaged airline dinner.  Most of these women clearly fancied themselves skilled log-rollers in expressing their emotions but the practical result was the usual trite passive-aggression.  Toxicity, validation, listening, taking it on board, rejection, etc. etc.  The aim was not explanation or resolution. Instead, it was a poorly-veiled euphemistic exercise in name-calling.  Saying ‘I have a lot of anger’ is a poor substitute for ‘You bitch!’ especially when ‘You bitch!’ would be more accurate and cathartic.  

In worshiping the Golden Calf of Grrrl Power, they were boxed in by their own intentionally-finite, officially-sanctioned vocabulary that was inadequate in describing or expressing their actual emotions…on a show where emotion is the coin of the realm.

The Women Tell All?  Not a bit of it.  This was a load of psychobabble as each attempted to balance a surfeit of emotion on the head of a pin and inevitably failed.  

3) In conjunction with the above, the absence of an audience as Greek chorus meant that the silence was often oppressive and deafening.  Although audience gasps and laughs may have been prompted and occasionally insincere, participants in the past have played to the crowd in the offstage shadows.  As inexperienced performers they might tend to overdo it when the adrenaline of immediate attention and feedback hits but obviously it’s much more interesting to watch.

 

4) Chris Harrison, as many have noted in so many words, has taken what used to be a show about the id and turned it into a show about the ego.  We are now light-years away from randy red-blooded singles eyeing each other up and down and wiping the drool off their chins. Hookups might or might not lead to something more but without sampling the food how the hell does someone know if he will like the meal or the restaurant?

CH-era Bachelor is a stultifying, morose, antiseptic, methodical ‘journey’ to find ‘my person.’  Vulnerability is, strangely, a more desirable quality than compatibility.  Well over half the time spent on a date is occupied by pained expressions and painful confessions involving failed relationships, failed parents, and failure in general.  Downcast looks, tears and hugs of sympathy, not attraction, have replaced smiles, laughter, playfulness and yes, good old lust.  

CH-era Bachelor/ette interviews are just as bad.  CH has stolen the act of the off-camera producers by ‘talking up’ participants ie asking them open-ended, but still obvious, questions meant to evoke more emotion.  Perhaps the hoariest media cliché of all is ‘How does it feel?’ yet that question is incessantly asked of athletes, movie stars, politicians, and the man on the street.  The answer is usually obvious and fails any basic test of exposition but the media ask it anyway because preparation, thought and creativity are beyond them.

5) The Women Tell All?  Where is the ‘All’ part?  Most of the episode is consumed with footage we’ve already seen.  It’s strange to hear the participants say they hadn’t seen their scenes before – why would they need to watch that which they experienced first-hand?  Of course, the aim isn’t to illuminate but to manipulate.  Chris wants an emotional, even a nervous, breakdown on-camera, preferably with a tight zoom-in.

To be fair, some of the women bravely broke ranks and format to point out that what was shown on-screen was only a portion of the day-to-day and that such footage was either edited (shocker!) and was misleading or even contradicted the actual events.  In addition, any resolution was rarely or never shown.  Interestingly, these women were cut off lest they spoil the carefully-spun plot or were never called on directly (again).

 

6) And then there’s Matt.  Bearded, clean-shaven, in-between stubble, whatever.  He provides a very handy illustration of why playing blackjack in a casino for $100 a hand is so exciting while playing blackjack at home for pennies is not even though the cards and the rules may be identical.  Without an incentive, motivation drops substantially.  And he has provided little motivation.

The woman talk incessantly of ‘spending time’ with Matt and mentally map out all the possible activities and things they want to say.  But when their opportunity comes you can almost see the thought balloon over their heads:  ‘Is this all there is?’

In a negative and a positive – or at least a neutral – way, Matt is a good case study in fatherlessness among male children.  He’s made no secret of his regret and resentment regarding his upbringing and, to his credit, acknowledges that he is rather emotionally stunted and untethered now because he’s had no example to follow.  It’s a pattern repeated in staggering numbers across the wider population and for every genteel Matt type there is at least one malignant product of fatherlessness, teeming with idiopathic anger and impulse control problems and taking it out on society.

These women wanted to believe in the catalogue photo and description:  tall, imposing, physically fit, emotionally open (apparently), ambitious, committed to charitable causes.  What they got was insecurity, inconsistency, diffidence, inarticulation and avoidance of commitment even if that avoidance came the form of cutting off a conversation to go in for a soul kiss.

In sum, the most frustrating thing for these women was not being away from Matt but having to puzzle over his actions, reactions and statements while in his presence.  They had to supply all the energy.  They couldn’t – or wouldn’t – blame him and instead blamed themselves or, as we saw, blamed others.

The staging and airing of this year’s Bachelor season was a Pyrrhic victory in which ratings and interest were (mostly) retained but the ‘product’ inherently flawed by the lack of variety and freedom in their gilded cage.

Edited March 3, 2021 by Rainsong

[Bobcatkitten]

So after that I thought the mostly handled themselves well, except Victoria who still wanted to blame it on someone being too sensitive. Of all them I would love Serena P as the bachelorette. 

 

Interesting that most of them blame Katie - kind of like shooting the messenger instead of the people doing the mean shit. 

 

That beard is 100 percent awful. And why does it sparkle?

[Captain Asshat]

52 minutes ago, Bobcatkitten said:

So after that I thought the mostly handled themselves well, except Victoria who still wanted to blame it on someone being too sensitive. Of all them I would love Serena P as the bachelorette. 

 

Interesting that most of them blame Katie - kind of like shooting the messenger instead of the people doing the mean shit. 

 

That beard is 100 percent awful. And why does it sparkle?

Totally agree with this. As for the beard sparkle, my guess is a liberal application of beard oil.

[jackjill89]

5 hours ago, LBS said:

I’m a lifelong Chicagoan (city not burbs) and I will say confidently that Anna has never gone further north than Wrigleyville, further west than the West Loop restaurant row area and has never gone further south past Jackson.  I can bet she has never set foot in Pilsen, Bronzeville, Bridgeport, South Loop, or Rogers Park.  Her entire scope of Chicago is a mini- area of privileged, mainly white, young adult transplants from Big Ten colleges  who can’t wait to move out to Naperville in a few years and tell all their mommy friends that they used to live in ‘the city’.  In way, she is correct.  Her Chicago is small town.  

i tried to watch the show.  I had wine.  I was in a mood.  I was asleep before the 2nd half and I don’t think I missed anything.  
 

ETA: I do think Anna had the best apology and seemed sincere.   The rest of them (even Chelsea who I really liked) seemed more concerned about Katie telling Matt about their actions instead of how their actions affected others.  I’ve never seen a group of women from a season who collectively brought out the toxicity in each other.  What a crappy season.

Your "small town" explanation is spot on. Anna's Chicago is very small.

Real Chicago is a very big city. 

[MoonMountain]

Well, this episode was boring as sh*t, BUT, it was kind of nice that they weren't all shouting over each other and actually seemed to let each other finish their sentences. I've turned it off in previous seasons when they all start yelling at the same time, it's just too much. 

I'm not sure how I feel about Victoria, but when she was talking about the memes about her, and people making fun of her online, and how she doesn't let it get to her...she definitely scored a point or two in my book. It surprises me sometimes what people take to heart and consider bullying these days, although I do agree people should try and be kinder to each other in general.

These ladies did seem to bring out the worst in one another. Although, this was filmed during the pandemic, which seemed to bring out the worst in a lot of people anyway.

[Sweet-tea]

17 hours ago, LakeGal said:

The women seem to be giggling at Matt's beard.  I think some of them might be happy they didn't end up with him.

I don’t like it. The super-short hair makes it look even more odd IMO.

This is the lowest number of women I’ve ever seen on WTA. 

Not impressed with Katie’s Bachelorette audition. It seemed insincere and robotic to me. 

Edited March 2, 2021 by Sweet-tea