S27.E07: Week 7

[phlebas]

I may be in the minority here, but there's only one thing I want from hometowns: CRAZY DADS

I don't care about brothers being snotty about the lead not knowing a girl's birthday -- they spend so little time together, they should focus on IMPORTANT stuff like favorite colors and how mentalists work. Plenty of time to add an entry into his iPhone calendar later.

But I want someone to be talking to Zach about his precious little girl while slowly putting on gloves and wiping fingerprints off a tire iron. Thought I would get that from Rachel's dad, but he turned out to be a softy.

Spare me the "where are you with the other women" questions. I want Ariel's father threatening to push Zach's face into a pot of hot polenta.

[tennisgurl]

If your going to get dumped right after getting COVID, getting a free trip to Budapest is at least a pretty big silver lining. Poor Greer, she was never going to go much further than this but I'm impressed that she handled being cut gracefully, I expected a LOT more weeping. 

Of course, Zach is probably going to end up proposing to any woman who can go a whole date without sobbing over their six absentee fathers and dozen shitty boyfriends, he's looking increasingly uncomfortable with the constant sob stories and I don't blame him. This late in the game when they've already known each other for awhile it comes off as a grab for attention instead of trying to share your story. Kaity, he already likes you, you don't have to turn the waterworks to get the rose. 

The date with Zach and Kaity was really nice, just enjoying the city while having fun together and they seemed to really spark. I think they probably have the best chemistry out of everyone.

See, those one on ones aren't all they're cracked up to be. You might grow closer than ever, or he might decide he's just not that into you after he gets to know you better. Its high risk, high reward. 

Zach is really the grim reaper of Bachelor Nation, he takes the ladies out real fast when he decides he isn't interested. This is a pretty good final four, no obvious duds or villains, I think he will end up going with Kaity or Gabby, both are cute, bubbly, and seem like a good match to his laid back energy, but Ariel is my favorite. She's so sulty in a way women in this franchise rarely are, and she has a really sharp sense of humor. I'm glad she made it to hometowns, her family sounds like they're going to be a lot of fun.

It really does seem weird how little these people actually know each other, most of their talks are either surface level or sob stories, its hardly anything practical. Where do they want to live? What are their religious or social beliefs? How many kids do they want? I guess people talk about that in fantasy suites when the cameras are gone? 

[MissPriss]

Ariel for the win! Just kidding. I don’t think she’s the ONE but she deserves a dozen roses for being stoic. Has she shed one tear? 
She really is a rare breed for this franchise. 

[DEL901]

I wonder if previous Bachelors are annoyed they didn’t think of dumping the ones they weren’t interested in (without waiting for the Rose Ceremony) on the slightest pretext so they could concentrate on the ones they think are actual possible F1s?

[Soobs]

Brooklyn and Greer seem very young to me. I can still see the teenagers they recently were. Charity and Gabi are too but I think Zak is more attracted to them and hasn't talked to them as much as some of the others.

Ariel is giving my Aubrey Plaza vibes and would make a great Bachelorette.

I'm glad he let Kat go. I think she isn't emotionally ready for a life partner (or this show's version).

Zak might be my favorite Bachelor. He really is here for the right reasons!

[dleighg]

3 minutes ago, Soobs said:

Zak might be my favorite Bachelor. He really is here for the right reasons!

Meh. I don't like that deep kissing *EVERYONE* is his way of "getting to know them."

[tennisgurl]

24 minutes ago, dleighg said:

Meh. I don't like that deep kissing *EVERYONE* is his way of "getting to know them."

To be fair to Zach, has there been a Bachelor/ette who hasn't considered sticking their tongue down someone's throat to be the best way to get to know a person in ages? 

[DEL901]

40 minutes ago, tennisgurl said:

To be fair to Zach, has there been a Bachelor/ette who hasn't considered sticking their tongue down someone's throat to be the best way to get to know a person in ages? 

It is also an excellent way to avoid small talk. 

[Kiss my mutt]

I’m ready to see him test his resolve about not having sex in the fantasy suites. 
Ariel needs a show or podcast or something if she’s sick of this franchise. I would love to see more of her. She’s the anti-bachelorette. 

[Alexander Pope]

54 minutes ago, Kiss my mutt said:

I’m ready to see him test his resolve about not having sex in the fantasy suites. 
Ariel needs a show or podcast or something if she’s sick of this franchise. I would love to see more of her. She’s the anti-bachelorette. 

You know what you say here also makes me wonder--has there ever been a Bachelorette quite as HOT as Ariel?  She is "sultry" as one person said, and she is what in the old days we would have called a vamp.  I don't think Bachelorettes in the past have had that kind of sex appeal.  They're more athletic, more girl next door (and of course YMMV and some in the past have been sexier than others).

Edited March 8, 2023 by Alexander Pope

[Sweet-tea]

On 3/6/2023 at 9:08 PM, kazza said:

FF’ed through most of the episode. Saw a bunch of crying and exits.

Great group of girls for hometowns. Zach did very well. 

Kaity - kind, pretty, warm. Closest in wavelength with Zach. I can see them together for real. 

Gaby - down to earth, funny, easy rapport with Zach. Another great match for Zach. 

Ariel - confident, cool, articulate, witty, worldly. Possibly a touch out of Zach’s league, and he likes it. Her family is going to be amazing.

Charity - most striking of the 4 but a bit guarded. I’ll need to go back to watch the mentalist date to see what she revealed. Not sure she’s even that into Zach. 

PS: I’m intrigued by Brooklyn’s thick silver glitter eyeshadow. Can someone with more experience with makeup share how it’s able to stick to her eyelids?

 

 

 

I think Ariel is the prettiest, followed by Kaity. I agree about Ariel’s sex appeal. She has it in spades. Ariel and Kaity are my favorites. I love Ariel’s poise and maturity. Kaity is sweet and relatable. I like Charity but I don’t think he has as much chemistry with her, although he likes her. I’m so-so on Gabi. Nice woman but she’s not my favorite. 

I knew Kat was out when she expressed ambivalence to the mentalist. Plus last week Zach mentioned one of their exchanges felt “off.” Kiss of death.

Not surprised Brooklyn got the boot. I could tell he wasn’t feeling it with her. I’ve had to watch his body language, because he claims to like just about everyone. 

I’ve given up expecting good grammar from people on this show. It must be a generational thing. They grew up texting, so they don’t know how to speak properly. They probably can’t write either. 

Zach looked genuinely stressed in a few scenes. 

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by Sweet-tea

[Soobs]

2 hours ago, tennisgurl said:

To be fair to Zach, has there been a Bachelor/ette who hasn't considered sticking their tongue down someone's throat to be the best way to get to know a person in ages? 

The bar for being a dignified Bachelor/ Bachelorette is basically so low it's in hell, lol!

[bravofan27]

13 hours ago, dleighg said:

That may well be, but what normal father says "yes, I see you're a good man, and I see that you love my daughter along with three other women you are considering asking to marry you, so it's all good. Be well my son."

That's the casting magic. They need the right girls and the right families who are easily influenced and believe in and want the romantic Hollywood romance. I think of Bachelor as Playboy lite. It's surprising, how many fathers are actually PROUD of their daughters being in Playboy. Didn't Hugh Hefner meet all of his gf's fathers? Some people just want surface.

Ariel is out of George Clooney's league. Zach could never get her-- but I hope he tries. There is no way she could actually like him. He's best for Katy or Gabby- who are goofy and kind of dumb, but look pretty and talk like babies.

[Starlight925]

Ariel is well educated and has an extensive professional resume.

She also speaks Russian and French.

Whoever first pointed out the Lilith association was spot on!  Including the fact that Lilith was actually also Jewish.  (both her character and Bebe Neuwirth, the actress).

Ariel is too cool for Zach, but she's too cool for most.  Which, I suspect, leaves her in a lonely place.  Guys who send bathroom selfies/send one-word texts/ghost, or the most vanilla of all types, Zach, who is about as deep as a bathroom sink.

If she isn't Zach's final pick (I don't know any spoilers, but I don't have a feeling she is), then I hope she finds an amazing guy.  I really like her.

 

[chocolatine]

13 minutes ago, Starlight925 said:

Ariel is well educated and has an extensive professional resume.

She also speaks Russian and French.

Russian is most likely the language her family speaks at home. Almost all former Soviet Jews spoke/speak Russian as their primary language, my own family included. Russian was the primary language in all Soviet republics until the early 90s, and most Jews emigrated around that time. 

Other famous Ukrainian Jews, like Mila Kunis and Maks Chmerkovskiy, also speak Russian but not Ukrainian.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

2 hours ago, Soobs said:

The bar for being a dignified Bachelor/ Bachelorette is basically so low it's in hell, lol!

Lol,  Dr. Savage used to refer to it as "Dumbing Down" . Kids nowadays really seem to struggle when they actually have to converse with someone   one on one. 

[adhoc]

Quote

You know what you say here also makes me wonder--has there ever been a Bachelorette quite as HOT as Ariel?

I haven't watched much of this season so far, so I can't speak to Ariel's hotness, but the bachelors were all pretty gobsmacked by Emily Maynard.

Edited March 9, 2023 by adhoc

[deSchenke]

43 minutes ago, adhoc said:

I haven't watched much of this season so far, so I can't speak to Ariel's hotness, but the bachelors were all pretty gobsmacked by Emily Maynard.

And I couldn't for the life of me see why. There wasn't much of her appearance that was natural.

[phlebas]

13 hours ago, Starlight925 said:

Ariel is too cool for Zach, but she's too cool for most.  Which, I suspect, leaves her in a lonely place.

Exactly. I can't believe she doesn't get a lot of attention from guys in her normal day-to-day, but but combining her poise and intelligence with what seems to be a bone-dry sense of humor necessitates a level of pickiness on her part. 

If she ends up in Paradise, I'm sure she'd be a big hit with the loser dudebros who often come to the beach.

[Crashcourse]

I think Ariel is attractive and intelligent, but I don't think she's all that, and she's not as cool as she seems to think she is.  Just my opinion. 

[call me ishmael]

1 hour ago, Crashcourse said:

I think Ariel is attractive and intelligent, but I don't think she's all that, and she's not as cool as she seems to think she is.  Just my opinion. 

Tbh, I don’t think that she thinks that she is that cool—which is one of the differences between her and Emily.  I think she was brought up to be reserved and think before she speaks.  I know a lot of people like that.  It’s just unusual for this show.  Plus she is very attractive.  🙄

[Crashcourse]

1 hour ago, call me ishmael said:

Tbh, I don’t think that she thinks that she is that cool—which is one of the differences between her and Emily.  I think she was brought up to be reserved and think before she speaks.  I know a lot of people like that.  It’s just unusual for this show.  Plus she is very attractive.  🙄

I kind of liked her at first, but now she comes off to me as "too cool for school."  As I posted, that's just my opinion.

And yes, she's attractive but no more than most of the other women on the show. 

[phlebas]

1 hour ago, Crashcourse said:

And yes, she's attractive but no more than most of the other women on the show. 

I'm always fascinated by the differences people have about beauty. I guess that damned aesthetics class I took in college stuck with me. (But it got me a minor in Philosophy which has been exactly as super useful as you'd expect.)

There's nothing about Ariel that makes her more physically attractive than, say, Christina Mandrell or Kat or Anastasia or Davia. But her physical appearance is, to me, augmented by an incredibly sexy voice and an unflappable demeanor -- remember her "but that's what you did" comment when Kat was circling the wagons about kissing Zach before Charity's date? And she's quietly funny AF.

Zach: "Should we eat some conch?"
Ariel: "I'm a virgin." 

So maybe she doesn't grab your attention in a cast photo (this is an unusually gorgeous cast), but of the women we've actually heard from, she's the one I think I'd most want to meet.

(ETA: Of course, I would hip-check Ariel into oncoming traffic if she got between me and Jess. But I admit that's a "me" thing.)

Edited March 9, 2023 by phlebas

[Melonie77]

On 3/8/2023 at 9:22 PM, Starlight925 said:

Whoever first pointed out the Lilith association was spot on!  Including the fact that Lilith was actually also Jewish.  (both her character and Bebe Neuwirth, the actress).

That was me, and I haven't been able to unsee it ever since!🙃

They are similar in appearance, both are highly intelligent and scholarly. I realize now that Ariel is not as cold as Lilith was portrayed to be, she just seems like she can be a bit aloof at times or at least on the quiet side.
I also see a similarity in that Lilith controlled Frasier. Although I would imagine they would practice their control differently, I can envision Ariel using her sexy persona and sharp humor to keep men on their toes willing to grant her every wish!
Ariel would make a fabulous and unique Bachelorette!

Edited to add:

😂Ariel's look-alike, the tightly-wound Lilith from Cheers sure had a sexy side once she let her hair down.

Edited March 10, 2023 by Melonie77

[phlebas]

2 minutes ago, Melonie77 said:

Ariel would make a fabulous and unique Bachelorette!

I hope we discover Ariel can sing like Bebe Neuwirth.

[Melonie77]

On 3/7/2023 at 11:53 AM, DEL901 said:

It is like no one was ever taught grammar.  Are you coming with Joe and me? Or Are you coming with Joe and I?   Just remove Joe from the sentence.  Are you coming with me?  Are you coming with I?   The correct option is clear.  

And that is how I always mentally check to make sure I'm using I or me properly if unsure but it seems for ten years or longer a lot of people have stopped doing this and are using "Joe and I" no matter what. It's even moved into TV scripts and is used by people that are otherwise intelligent!

Now the "I's" is the latest form of mangling the English language! That one sounds so so so very wrong I really don't get how anyone can let it fall out of their mouths. Why can't people realize they have to reword that part of the sentence?

"Joe and I's relationship is progressing" - How about just saying "My relationship with Joe is progressing"?
Or "OUR" relationship........

[MissPriss]

Some of these women are more photogenic than they are “in action”. Then there’s Ariel who is more beautiful the longer you’re around her. 

Zack was picked on in the beginning for not being traditionally handsome. As the season has progressed there’s less focus on his physical attributes and more attention to the entire package. 

Personality is everything and beauty is subjective as we are witnessing. It takes all kinds to make this world go ‘round. This franchise is a small sampling. 

[bravofan27]

How it goes on 1:1s with Zach.

Zach: So, how are you doing? How was your day today? Did you enjoy London (already setting it up like she should have no issues because she was in LONDON-- single girls should never be sad if they can be in London).

Girl: Well, I loved it. But, well, it's been a hard week.

Zach: (Frowning, clenches his jaw. Closes his eyes and does his tic thing while stuttering) Yes, yes. It's hard. But I'm on a journey to find love. (Completely ignoring any chance to provide comfort or offer support).

Girl: Oh! Of course! It's all part of this process! I know that. And I'm happy for the other girls who spend more time with you, but I wish I could also have that time with you.

Zach: (Eyes now glistening, stone cold face): IT's not about the others. It's about you and I. I would think you would focus on US. I thought that you would do that if you really cared about me.

Girl: (Now totally freaking out and scared): But I do care! That's why I want more time with you, so I can show you! (Tears welling)

Zach: (Long sigh. Long disappointed look, shakes head in disgust). I think I should walk you out.

Girl: (Panic attack happening, can't speak) Nods and follows him obediently to the car. Descends into tears. Zach tells the camera that something has been off with her and now he realizes it's because she isn't that into him. He's happy she's gone. 

[Melonie77]

deleted to consolidate posts

Edited March 10, 2023 by Melonie77

[Melonie77]

nm

Edited March 10, 2023 by Melonie77

[Jax7917]

10 hours ago, bravofan27 said:

How it goes on 1:1s with Zach.

Zach: So, how are you doing? How was your day today? Did you enjoy London (already setting it up like she should have no issues because she was in LONDON-- single girls should never be sad if they can be in London).

Girl: Well, I loved it. But, well, it's been a hard week.

Zach: (Frowning, clenches his jaw. Closes his eyes and does his tic thing while stuttering) Yes, yes. It's hard. But I'm on a journey to find love. (Completely ignoring any chance to provide comfort or offer support).

Girl: Oh! Of course! It's all part of this process! I know that. And I'm happy for the other girls who spend more time with you, but I wish I could also have that time with you.

Zach: (Eyes now glistening, stone cold face): IT's not about the others. It's about you and I. I would think you would focus on US. I thought that you would do that if you really cared about me.

Girl: (Now totally freaking out and scared): But I do care! That's why I want more time with you, so I can show you! (Tears welling)

Zach: (Long sigh. Long disappointed look, shakes head in disgust). I think I should walk you out.

Girl: (Panic attack happening, can't speak) Nods and follows him obediently to the car. Descends into tears. Zach tells the camera that something has been off with her and now he realizes it's because she isn't that into him. He's happy she's gone. 

In all fairness to the leads, they HAVE to pretend to be into all 30 women and as the weeks go on, they have to pretend to like whoever is left or else.. well the show would be over. I think he has a low tolerance for the ones who he already knows he'd never choose in the end but has to keep around for numbers sake. I mean, Clare chose Dale from day 1 and made that very clear (Clare, Clear hehe).. but I guess all seasons can't be like that. 

As far as the contestants go, I'd wager that they are more sad and pissed that they are sitting in a hotel room for hours on end in a beautiful country/ location more than they actually care about being out with the bachelor. I know it's a bubble with only one person to date unlike bachelor in paradise, so I'm sure they do grow feelings for the person as there's no one else to pursue.. but it's not real. I think Zach's doing a good job and certainly better than most former leads. Has ANY lead come out of the Bachelor/ette unscathed besides Sean Lowe?

[ljenkins782]

21 hours ago, call me ishmael said:

Tbh, I don’t think that she thinks that she is that cool—which is one of the differences between her and Emily.  I think she was brought up to be reserved and think before she speaks.  I know a lot of people like that.  It’s just unusual for this show.  Plus she is very attractive.  🙄

This is also why she probably doesn't grab as much as attention as an Emily would. Artificial or not, bubby blondes tend to draw the crowds and a more reserved brunette may get better quality guys, they likely get less attention in quantity.

[Starlight925]

My favorite Ariel-ism was when she imitated her father.  
 

Can't wait to "meet" him.

Edited March 10, 2023 by Starlight925

[LuvMyShows]

On 3/6/2023 at 9:18 PM, DEL901 said:

When I saw her walking, I thought she was joining Brooklyn’s date.   That would have been epic.  

Just realized that we didn't have the dreaded 2-on-1 date this season, and now I'm trying to remember if we had that on Gabby/Rachel's season either.

On 3/6/2023 at 9:36 PM, SallyAlbright said:

Zach and Brooklyn have no chemistry at all, IMO. 

That's how it feels to me with him and Charity.  

On 3/7/2023 at 7:21 PM, bravofan27 said:

And there are rumors that he dumped Rachel because in the fantasy suite she expressed true concerns about his age and readiness for marriage, and he completely turned on her. 

But that rumor makes no sense because Rachel is only 4 1/2 months older than him (him 7/31/96, her 3/8/96)  So if she expressed true concerns about his age, when she is basically the same age, then I don't blame him if he did turn on her!

On 3/7/2023 at 10:45 AM, dleighg said:

So when Greer meets up with Zach, she says "it's been three weeks." Is that them playing with real time vs watching time? I mean people are rarely in quarantine for 3 weeks...

It's not that she was in quarantine 3 weeks, but that 3 weeks had elapsed since they had seen each other.  Remember, he was in quarantine himself, and she was in quarantine herself, and there would have been travel time, etc.  But yeah, in the Bachelor universe, a "week" corresponds more to plot and development purposes than to actual time elapsed.

On 3/10/2023 at 9:09 AM, Jax7917 said:

Has ANY lead come out of the Bachelor/ette unscathed besides Sean Lowe?

I would say Ashley Hebert came out unscathed in terms of how fans perceived her, but she sure got "scathed" in terms of the insecurities brought up from that Bentley douchebag that she fell so hard for.

On 3/8/2023 at 4:15 PM, tennisgurl said:

It really does seem weird how little these people actually know each other, most of their talks are either surface level or sob stories, its hardly anything practical. Where do they want to live? What are their religious or social beliefs? How many kids do they want? I guess people talk about that in fantasy suites when the cameras are gone? 

They have these conversations during their time on the one-on-one dates, but we don't see it.  Occasionally, at the one-on-one dinner we will hear someone reference a previous conversation/topic that we never saw them discuss. TPTB consistently overrate how much they think we want to see drama, especially stupid manufactured drama, at the expense of actually getting to know the contestants.

[tinkerbell]

On 3/12/2023 at 11:19 AM, LuvMyShows said:

TPTB consistently overrate how much they think we want to see drama, especially stupid manufactured drama, at the expense of actually getting to know the contestants.

TPTB consistently overrated how much they think we want to see the lead making out with everyone.

[call me ishmael]

1 hour ago, tinkerbell said:

TPTB consistently overrated how much they think we want to see the lead making out with everyone.

I think we overrate how much TPTB think.