S11.E12: The Final Rose / S11.E13: After The Final Rose

[BZILL]

I don't feel sorry for Kaitlyn, she knew what she was signing up for. She is definitely the worst Bachelorette in my opinion.

The show made Shawn look like a jerk - on purpose and they purposefully gave Kaitlyn the slut edit. That is both their fault for giving them material to use so easily.

I did not think Nick got a bad edit at all and I feel sorry for him.

I sure hope we don't see Kaitlyn on DWTS. Bleck.

I bet Britt is sitting back laughing at how everything turned out and I can't say I blame her.....!

[truthaboutluv]

He has an easy, riveting charm that pulled the women in, but I can only think they eventually saw through it or found something in some way unsubstantial or unserious about him.

 

 

I've said this before, but I actually think in both cases, Nick just wasn't either of these women's type. Yes he clearly has something - call it charm or whatever that gets their attention for a bit and it's clearly enough to get them to give up the goodies. But at the end of the day, he's not conventionally their type and both times there was another guy who was and both women went with what they were most comfortable with. Andi admitted her weakness for the athlete/jock types and if you've seen pictures of some of Kaitlyn's exes, Shawn falls right in line with that.

 

Nick let's be honest is not conventionally attractive. I mean I personally would go for the Nick types any day over the buff, too oily and shiny guys but I know I have an unconventional taste in guys. When Andi gave him the first impression rose, she herself said that it wasn't because she went for someone she was instantly physically attracted to but instead their conversation was just so easy and felt so real that he stood out to her because of it. So I think there is something about him that makes these women who likely would not look twice at him in a bar, become really attracted to him. However, it's just not enough to distract from what they're used to and usually go for. YMMV of course. 

[atlanticslide]

Heh. Yeah, you're really going against the flow here. :)  I'll get in the canoe and paddle in your direction too. I thought Kaitlyn and Shawn were really sweet together and her sister was right - Kaitlyn is different when she's around Shawn. She glows, and so does he. They look very happy and I'm a sap who believes in love at first sight so I hope they build and grow their relationship and are very happy together.

I'll join your team. During the family meetings, she seemed happy to see and Nick and to have him there, but when Shawn walked up she genuinely seemed to light up, and she really did seem relieved to finally be able to tell him her feelings and be done with it all in the end. I also liked her "waking up today was like Christmas morning!" Will they break up in 6 months? Maybe - this is a crazy way to meet someone and start a relationship and I wouldn't be surprised at all if it doesn't last. But I do think they have genuine feelings for one another. Chris/Whitney, for example, just never seemed to really be that into one another - it felt like going through the motions, like he picked her because there was no one else he liked better out of the group. Whether they last or not, Kaitlyn/Shawn seem much more genuinely into one another, and all of the issues with her telling him early on that he was the one suggest that even if they do eventually break up, they're not just going through the motions right now.

[leighdear]

Nick Viall is not the joke, he's the punchline.  To a million jokes about famwhores and wannabes

[Neerbeena]

Kaitlyn is an attractive woman but she gets this ugly face when she is pissed, which she was a few times while Nick was pontificating on ATFR.

 

To me she was trying too hard to look happy with Shaun (it feels like Christmas morning!!).  I was not convinced.  He might be a little more into her than she is with him.  But both of them are as dumb as a box of rocks, so maybe it will work out.

 

Some of these bachelors/bachelorettes do their seasons and then go back to the real world and some are clearly in it for chance at bigger and better things in the entertainment biz.  Kaitlyn is clearly the latter.  Of course she didn't burn any bridges with the producers because.....Dancing with the Stars baby!

[jb0495]

This ATFR reminded me of Ashley & JP's. Except of course, Ashley & JP had their actual story shown on TV after the Bentley drama. Ashley defended JP's jealously and they just both couldn't get enough of each other.

 

I feel like both Kaitlyn and Shawn kinda of got shafted. They didn't get the "pretty people in pretty places do pretty things season", even though they brought drama, both Nick and Shawn admitted it was not what it seemed at all. They even got a bad ATFR. No pics or talk of the rendevouz during the months where they were in hiding, not much wedding, happy, happy talk. Throughout the season you barely even heard conversations between Kaitlyn & anyone. Even though, CH spun it to be happy, happy, joy, joy in the end. That could be Kaitlyn but production screwed her too. In the end, the stupid sex wasn't even a big damn deal lol.  

[truthaboutluv]

This ATFR reminded me of Ashley & JP's. Except of course, Ashley & JP had their actual story shown on TV after the Bentley drama. Ashley defended JP's jealously and they just both couldn't get enough of each other.

 

 

Admittedly it's been awhile and I watched the season mostly in passing but I don't remember JP being some crazed, jealous and possessive freak, unless I've just wiped that out of my mind. Shawn was plain exhausting at points this season. It wasn't just his borderline insane and weird hatred for Nick and his childish, high school nonsense of not saying his name ever and the freaking out over Kaitlyn giving one stupid group date rose to Jared.

 

But the constant need for validation from Kaitlyn was pathetic. He just seemed so whiny and weirdly territorial. Like I said, some episodes ago, it was obvious Kaitlyn was going to pick Shawn when she didn't eliminate him during those episodes because unless she was crazy about him, there was no way that constant whinging would not have annoyed her and made her send him packing. 

 

Of course she didn't burn any bridges with the producers because.....Dancing with the Stars baby!

 

 

Yeah sure, good luck with that. The last Bachelorette they had was Melissa, many seasons ago and she wasn't even the Bachelorette. She was the winner who seemingly got dumped on the ATFR. Kaitlyn may not have burned her bridges with the producers but the producers of this franchise have nothing to do with DWTS. That's a whole different bunch of producers. I guess the ABC heads can push for it as cross promotion but again, while she may not have fully burned her bridges with the produces, Kaitlyn will hardly go down as a favorite in terms of Bachelorette leads. In fact, a quick look around online today shows that many people are none too fond of her. I mean I don't doubt for a second she'd jump if DWTS asked but I won't be surprised if they don't. 

 

Speaking of Kaitlyn and Shawn, so per their GMA appearance, "no clue where they will live because they're still deciding and Kaitlyn doesn't care if it's Vancouver or Nashville, as long as it's with him." Okay, so that's patent Bachelor/ette couple talk. Interesting that in all the months since the show has wrapped, this has not been discussed. They could have discussed it instead of making Snapchat videos of themselves in bed, that she "accidentally" leaked. But the ultimate kiss of death, "no immediate plans" for the wedding just yet and just enjoying being together. 

 

Now listen, I agree with all the other contestants who have wisely said afterwards that the real relationship starts after the show wraps and I have long advocated for the franchise getting rid of the proposal nonsense which only adds to pressure on the couples with this idea that they're engaged and must get married. That said, when couples are declaring their forever love but are vague on where they're even going to be living, what they'll be doing and then actually getting married, it starts to resemble all the many, many couples that have come and gone on this show. But again, maybe they'll make liars out of all us naysayers. 

[Padma]

For all I have sympathy with Nick's request to be cut loose if she wasn't going to choose him, that's not the show he signed up for and he knows it. 

 

No, I don't think so. She could have easily cut him loose, either by choosing Ben H and/or Jared for F3/F2 or by letting him go before the FRC as Ali did when she chose Roberto.

 

I managed to miss most of it, but I saw a little of the "meet the parents".  Obviously they had already heard a lot about each of them, but Kaitlyn's mother's reaction when she met Shawn really stood out to me. Her eyes lit up when she said, "He's a (real) man." I could see that chemistry there. While Nick is definitely -my- type (wiry, smart, upbeat, sensitive), I think Kaitlyn and her mom (like Andi) prefer the "jock" types--in Josh's case athletic-handsome and in Shawn's ruggedly so. (Not that K's father was that way, probably all the more reason Mom lit up over "manly" Shawn).

 

 They always say you know most about people by the way they treat those whom they don't want or need anything from. Kaitlyn, like Andi, will go into my "heartless self-centered biatch" category but at least Andi was an interesting b-ette who tried to enjoy the process and draw out the men. Kaitlyn, in addition to being incredibly shallow, was also stupid and boring. She's actually replaced Jen Scheft to me as the worst b-ette ever.

 

And as for the producers (inc. CH), they brought Nick on because they were worried Kaitlyn was too into Shawn from the very first and it would "ruin the show".  I can't help wondering if they even got Kaitlyn to agree to lead him on. Because you don't treat someone you "love" like she treated Nick. Any decent person wouldn't even treat a friend that way.

[TVGlow]

If Nick is the fameseeker I/we think he is, it was  in his best interest to be the F2 and go through the "hurt" of almost proposing.  As F3 or F4, he would have not been the focus of the ATFR.  Gotta grab those minutes of fame while you can.

 

On The Bachelorette, has it always been the case that the F1 and F2 do the talking in the final rose ceremony?  It should be similar to the Bachelor, and Kaitlyn should do the talking.  No awkward reach for the ring.  The F1 can do the actual proposal, but why does she suddenly lose the mic because it's proposal time?

Edited July 28, 2015 by TVGlow

[slowpoked]

For all I have sympathy with Nick's request to be cut loose if she wasn't going to choose him, that's not the show he signed up for and he knows it. 

 

I agree. Would it have been better if Kaitlyn brought Ben H. instead and done the same thing? The premise of this show includes a certain leading on by the lead. Maybe Kaitlyn's "mistake" was that she slept with a man who was not her final choice, but she's not the first one to do it and she won't be the last. I don't get the "courtesy" thing that the F2 feels he is owed by the B'ette. This season has been going on for forever and everyone already knows it comes down to two people. One is going to be winner and one is going home the loser. If you're not up for the potential rejection at the end, then don't do this goddamn show, for crying out loud. And don't do it TWICE.

 

Heck, even Ali, who was the pioneer of this "courtesy" thing, admitted years later that her letting go of her F2 before FRC was fake and producer-driven. Her F2 wanted to go home before the FRC but wasn't allowed to do so, so they made it up that Ali lets him go gently instead.

 

And for the record, no Bachelor lead has ever done this courtesy thing, not even golden boy Sean. Maybe there are "easy" ways to let a person go, maybe there's none. Either way, it sucks. 

 

As Andi let go of Nick before FRC last season, I won't be surprised if TPTB did NOT want that to happen again, and wanted him to go do the last dance, so to speak, despite Kaitlyn's potential objections. As much as Chris Harrison always touts "there are no rules here", yes there are rules - TPTB rules and at the end, those should be followed, whether they're hurting people or not.

Edited July 28, 2015 by slowpoked

[leighdear]

The guy always does the proposing, regardless of the show.  It's always been that way.  

[Rainsong]

IHRATPY (I Haven’t Read All The Posts Yet) so apologies for any redundancy.

 

Unless you were privy to the spoiler (and I was), you could be excused for thinking Nick would ride his luck all the way to the Kaitlyn Trophy (?) with a big assist to one Mike Fleiss.  Nick’s sand-in-a-swimsuit personality put everyone off him except the Bachelorette with only Shawn’s fear of prosecution for beating his rival into a pulp keeping Nick safe.

 

Views on the finale in somewhat chronological order:  credit where it’s due to Kaitlyn’s dishy mother, who outdid her daughter in the Eyelash Stakes and flirted shamelessly with both Bachelors.  Her ‘can we talk privately?’ request of Nick or Shawn sounded like dialogue from a certain genre in adult-interest videos.  She may want to rethink the lilac lipstick but the hair was top drawer.  Her ex-husband was the classic low-key Canadian who was probably glad to turn Leslie over to the bloke with the Wild N Crazy Guy shirt and its psychedelic collar and cuffs and select a more demure model i.e. Kaitlyn’s stepmother who remained mute throughout.  Ladies, you need to be honest with yourselves and ask if bare arms are right for you.

 

Rhetorical questions abound even at this late stage, for instance, ‘Why is Kaitlyn worried about the F2 clashing?’  They don’t like each other.  Simple enough.  Most attractive girls wouldn’t be surprised by this and many of them would fully expect it.

 

Nick remains squarely in the Fashion Disaster Zone with his denim-on-denim and misshapen V-neck shirt.  With his unkempt hair, scraggly beard and those damn ubiquitous Chuck Taylors he looks like a refugee from a Gap ad from 10 years ago.  It must have taken discipline to actually put on dress shoes with his suit.  The brown abacus beads are still wrapped around his wrist.  In keeping with his cringeworthy persona, he offered some historically awkward man hugs to Kaitlyn’s father and stepfather.

 

The Mom Talk followed and Nick then turned on the waterworks.  He really is a SNAG (Sensitive New Age Guy) right out of central casting.  If this is his best sales pitch, I fear for his future employment.

 

Kaitlyn’s sister offered a completely sincere Right Reasons statement, so I hope everyone had a drink handy.  Kaitlyn’s family are apparently no strangers to an afternoon tipple or two!

 

Memo to Shawn:  you’re 6-2 or 6-3 with a 34 inch waist.  Tuck the shirt in!  No man hugs for Shawn, thankfully.  The beach house has some odd-looking yellow Formica or tile columns – the 70s vibe is exceeded only by Kaitlyn’s dress which appears to be from the Jan Brady Collection.  The parental blessings flow again – blessings are cheap and easy these days!

 

Now it’s Nick’s turn again and the Bachelor music cues are getting loud, obvious and shopworn.  A strummed acoustic guitar?  A giggle at the carnival or some horseback riding.  A plucked acoustic guitar?  It’s LUUUURVE baby!  Or at least Nick thinks it is.  Nick, incredibly, has a NEW string of abacus beads – black ones this time.

 

The reports that Kaitlyn had annoyed the producers more than once appear to be accurate, because we are back to The Budget Bachelorette.  The big day out is on a modestly-sized catamaran that never leaves the harbor and Nick is transported on a shabby little outboard.  Not exactly James Bond!  The evening session is spent in a stock-standard hotel lounge until Nick offers a surprise ‘in his room.’  It all sounds like a John Hughes film.  Kaitlyn looks as interested as someone waiting for a bus.

 

Next, Shawn tries his luck at a winery and the set dressers have pressed the button marked ‘Prop Overkill’ as grapes, baskets, casks, etc. abound.  These two are about to get engaged and they can’t muster some small talk?  Shawn’s maddening habit of talking to his hands and the floor persists despite his stated infatuation with the person opposite.  Later, during the night date, Shawn’s school-jock monotone is still going strong.  His vocabulary could be printed out on one-sided paper and stapled and it would still slide under a door.  Kaitlyn has continued the 70s revival with some capital-G Green eyeshadow and has mysteriously acquired long fingernails after a full season of stubs.  Shawn offers the gift of the Memory Jar, because a golf ball rattling around inside a glass container is the sincerest expression of devotion.

 

The rest of the episode was as rigidly structured as a Bollywood film.  We had the usual morning routines (Kaitlyn sleeps in full makeup, hair done and in a robe, it seems) and meaningful stares at the horizon.  The, er, well-preserved Neil Lane arrives with his black briefcase and makes an honest but futile effort to understand a single thing Nick says.

 

Nick commits more fashion sin by wearing brown shoes with a blue suit and he’s STILL wearing his abacus.  Neither of the Bachelors can be bothered to shave.  Both Bachelors and CH have bought into the tight suit trend but tight suits pucker and ride up constantly thus defeating their purpose.

 

The Badly Behaved Budget Bachelorette is not taken to a mountain peak, a tropical garden, or a canyon vista for her finale, but merely to…the deck of the Bachelor House pool i.e. the spot where drinks and bodily fluids have been spilled.  How romantic!  Britt must have been punching the air with relief when she saw that the ending of this season would have been a busman’s holiday for an LA girl.

 

Kaitlyn tips off the result from the moment Nick appears.  He is cut off mid-sentence and in the silence hears the sound of the guillotine being raised.  Let the poor sod finish his speech at least!  What happened to proposal-first-then-rejection?  The gain on the microphones is cranked to 11 as we hear every footfall and sigh in glorious surround sound.  Out goes Nick, who finally exhibits some authenticity as he flings away the Lane ring and his Irish one in a fit of anger.  Why is it raining during interior limo shots of Nick and not during aerial shots or back at the Bachelor House?  And will someone please give Kaitlyn a single tissue during her many teary-eyed moments?

 

Shawn gets the girl and fully deserves it, although perhaps not in the way he might think.

 

ATFR is the usual exaltation and confrontation with Nick’s mom looking unimpressed.  The producers seem to think that stringing out the Shawn-Nick animosity constitutes entertainment.  Kaitlyn and Shawn are overjoyed they get to appear in public together but didn’t she already get in trouble for spoiling the ending on social media?

 

In no time flat we’ll be back at the cheap Mexican beach huts for Bachelor In Paradise (in name only) with the Desperate Old Maid, er, Clare back at it along with some of the more annoying Bachelors from this season including JJ the Jawbone.  Jared looks to be fully recovered from his Kaitlyn letdown as he locks lips with vigor and has another good cry.  I’d say I don’t plan to watch it but would anyone believe me?

Edited July 28, 2015 by Rainsong

[saber5055]

My take away: Kaitlyn must have veneers because she was doing a lot of tooth licking and tongue/cheek pressing, both on ATFR and Kimmel. Keep your tongue still when on camera, Kaitlyn, even though it went wild all this season.

 

Duck lips. And more duck lips. Shawn won't have a problem telling when his dearly beloved is mad, her duck lips say it all.

 

I like Nick again, just as I did after he confronted Andi in her season. That was a 360 move for me!

 

Kaitlyn's sister can be easily bought by giving her some cheap gift from Target or Walmart. Shawn hands her a gift bag and she's all "You're IN!"

 

And yeah, that's just about all I got from those three hours.

[leighdear]

 

As Andi let go of Nick before FRC last season, I won't be surprised if TPTB did NOT want that to happen again, and wanted him to go do the last dance, so to speak, despite Kaitlyn's potential objections.

Agreed.  Because then the producers can actually say that this particular situation has never happened before.  

 

And it hasn't.  This is the first time a contestant has been there twice, and shot down twice.  AND wasn't cut loose early.  It had to be different from Andi's season, and it was in 2 ways.    

 

 

Nick’s sand-in-a-swimsuit personality

I absolutely adore this description!

Edited July 28, 2015 by leighdear

[saber5055]

I just heard on the news that with the show being over, the Bachelor Mansion is now available for rental, starting at a mere $3,700 per night (and up).

[Palomar]

He slams her for doing fiance-type stuff with him if she didn't really love him! Ladies, do NOT have sex with Nick Vial unless you're planning on putting a ring on it!

 

 

Not to mention, Nick.....how about trying to find a woman in the usual way instead of competing with 25 other guy on The Bachelorette.  By now you should realize the odds just aren't that great and obviously whatever tactics you are using just aren't working.  You have no one to blame but yourself for your "heart break" and putting your family through this again.

 

The worst thing about this season is that we never got to know some of great guys because it was all about Nick and Sean.  PLEASE producers move forward with one of the Bens or someone else and do not subject us to any more Nick.

[Alapaki]

Having some time to think about it, I still find Nick to be utterly repugnant (Sorry Chris Harrison, is that cyber-bullying?)

 

He has a few phone conversations with Kaitlyn and decides that he can't bear the though of her becoming The Bachelorette and getting engaged (where the track record for successful engagements is abysmal) and losing her forever?  

 

That, combined with the implicit idea that having sex with a woman is akin to a dog marking his territory, makes Nick super creepy to me.  

 

He tries to mask with the stammering, stuttering, faux-shy/sensitive routine.  But he's no different in many respects from Shawn in terms of possessiveness, jealousy and sense of entitlement.  

 

Nick is the highschool loser who, when a girl just politely smiles in his direction during World History, thinks they're going steady.  He's a caricature of a John Hughes character!

 

And I have no sympathy for Nick's "aww, you know how I feel about it, if you don't want me you should've cut me".  Bullshit.  In the Real World there's usually no guarantee that when you propose to someone they'll accept.  And in the Real World you're not entitled to certainty about that before you propose.  If you think you are, you'll be single for a long time.

 

There's even less guarantee when you're on a game show in which the very premise is for the Lead to consider entertaining proposals from 19 or so other suitors.  

 

It's like a card game.  If you're not sure who the sucker is, there's a good chance it's you.

 

So if you really want marry the Lean (yeah, right) then you stick it out and propose, accepting that you might get rejected.  If you get rejected, you accept that whatever the person had with you, they had something they felt stronger about with someone else.  And you aren't entitled to an explanation about that!  Or, like Shawn, you tell yourself that "if xyz is really so attracted to so-and-so, then they're not the one for me.

 

Finally, what-the-fuck with Kaitlyn's hair during the family meet-ups?  It looked like straw.  She really is a mess.

[leighdear]

At least Ick's mom didn't have to clean the house and fake "cook" dinner for the home visit. 

[FireFoxy]

I couldn't believe they had the proposal at the MANSION! Has that ever been done before?

 

During the first seasons of both shows, the final dates and proposals were always at the mansion. I think it changed when Charlie O'Conell picked his finale during a live ATFR and then they started traveling abroad.

 

Here are Trista's FD and proposal. Beware of the baby voice.

 

FD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5ppKb1xY_g

 

Proposal

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr8OSyrxPAA

[TVGlow]

The guy always does the proposing, regardless of the show.  It's always been that way.  

 

Yes, you're right. I do think in previous seasons though, the Bachelorette would let the F1 know he was, in fact, the F1 before proposing.

 

Because I am having a hard time focusing on work (lunch time, anybody?), I found Trista's proposal on YouTube, and she did tell Ryan he was the one before he proposed.

[Alapaki]

And one more thing:

 

NICK'S CREEPING OPEN-EYE, OPEN-MOUTH KISSING!!!!!!!I

 

can't un-see that shit

[Rainsong]

Andi looked really happy 

 

I don't believe it!  I didn't watch her season but Grumpy Cat seems incapable of smiling.

[fetching]

These people use Snapchat? What are they, 12? 

[KenyaJ]

Admittedly it's been awhile and I watched the season mostly in passing but I don't remember JP being some crazed, jealous and possessive freak, unless I've just wiped that out of my mind. 

 

He wasn't LOL, but he admitted he had a really rough week dealing with jealousy in Taiwan, and it showed on the group date. At the time (and even moreso now), I thought it was kind of endearing and showed how crazy he was about Ashley. I suppose Shawn was crazy about Kaitlyn too, but the producers portrayed his jealousy in a completely different light and turned it into a season-long theme, unlike with JP. And I'll cop to watching Ashley's season more than once. JP was my favorite Bachelorette contestant ever, and that season was the first time I ever felt 100% sure the relationship would end up in marriage. 

 

 

Now listen, I agree with all the other contestants who have wisely said afterwards that the real relationship starts after the show wraps and I have long advocated for the franchise getting rid of the proposal nonsense which only adds to pressure on the couples with this idea that they're engaged and must get married. That said, when couples are declaring their forever love but are vague on where they're even going to be living, what they'll be doing and then actually getting married, it starts to resemble all the many, many couples that have come and gone on this show. But again, maybe they'll make liars out of all us naysayers.

 

Agreed. Surely they had time to discuss this in between snapchatting their bedroom adventures, no? 

[Lamb18]

I managed to miss most of it, but I saw a little of the "meet the parents".  Obviously they had already heard a lot about each of them, but Kaitlyn's mother's reaction when she met Shawn really stood out to me. Her eyes lit up when she said, "He's a (real) man." I could see that chemistry there. While Nick is definitely -my- type (wiry, smart, upbeat, sensitive), I think Kaitlyn and her mom (like Andi) prefer the "jock" types--in Josh's case athletic-handsome and in Shawn's ruggedly so. (Not that K's father was that way, probably all the more reason Mom lit up over "manly" Shawn).

 

Funny comment on Kaitlyn's and mother's liking "jock" types - Kaitlyn's skinny dad is the ex-husband and her stepfather is much more the "jock" type, but the jock who's stopped exercising.

[JudyObscure]

From Rainsong's great recap:

 

the deck of the Bachelor House pool i.e. the spot where drinks and bodily fluids have been spilled.  How romantic! 

I was so hoping that Drunk Guy, from the first night, would pop up after the proposal and say that now he was really horned up.

 

In keeping with his cringeworthy persona, he [Nick] offered some historically awkward man hugs to Kaitlyn’s father and stepfather.

Don't forget his hug for Neal Lane. I doubt if  Mr. Lane had ever been hugged by a man before.  I thought for a minute he was going to take his briefcase of $200  dinner rings and go home.

[reggiejax]

Nick is the highschool loser who, when a girl just politely smiles in his direction during World History, thinks they're going steady.  He's a caricature of a John Hughes character!

 

As a high school loser (never made it with the ladies) who has often fallen head over heels based on polite smiles, I resent the comparison to Nick Vile. ;)

 

Still, I thought Nick was going to be Kaitlyn's choice. I guess she got all she needed from him and decided to go with cro-magnon Shawn. Seriously, that guy looks like if you mashed up Scott Caan and The Situation, then dropped the newly created blob down the ugly tree a few times. I seriously do not see the Ryan Gosling comparisons he has been tagged with.  But I guess beauty, such as it is, truly is in the eye of the beholder.

 

I give Kaitlyn and Shawn until Labor Day.

 

Seriously, Kaitlyn could not be more obvious with her attempts to feign interest in her final choice. The woman has so many tells, she should be banned from ever getting within 100 yards of a poker table for her own financial safety.

[Artsda]

 

Andi looked really happy

I don't think she did, she always appeared happier with Nick. I think she chose Josh for different reasons (money, fame, something else). Same with Emily/Jef, she always seemed happier with Arie but I think chose Jef for different reasons. 

 

Kaitlyn legit looks happy, not like she's faking it with Shawn. They've had it from early on.

[Kbilly]

The funniest part was maybe Nick's exchange with Neil Lane when he was explaining he had been on the show before and Neil had to fake interest/recognition, which can't be easy with his plastic face. (cyber bully alert!)

 

It was pretty telling when Kaitlyn's dad said Shawn spoke genuinely---as someone mentioned upthread Nick is very rehearsed.

 

When Nick started to propose and she halted his hands and he said "No?" Ouch. That whole scene was just brutal. Something tells me that a guy who posts so many selfies and photos of himself on social media...he's fine. When he said "Hi I'm Nick," I swear he was going to add "your eskimo bro"

 

I agree with Shawn that the show didn't really portray their love story, just the drama. Even their last day together before the proposal seemed awful. I liked when they used to do a clip on ATFR of the love story from beginning to end and theirs would've been nice b/c he was sooo into her that first night, she said she knew when he got out of the limo, he got first impression rose--why not show us some of the drama-free highlights? I actually thought his proposal was very sweet.

 

[nexxie]

All I can say is I'm glad Nick called Kaitlyn on her bullshit.

[Bugs Meany]

I seriously do not see the Ryan Gosling comparisons he has been tagged with.  But I guess beauty, such as it is, truly is in the eye of the beholder.

 

Not even kidding here, I'm sure Shawn saw Crazy Stupid Love and decided that he would BE Ryan Gosling's character. Hence the comparisons.

[saber5055]

For those who think Kaitlyn and Shawn are "the real deal" based on how lovey and kissy and huggy they were at ATFR and on Kimmel, may I remind everyone these guys have been all about PDA, including "doing it" on national tv, all season. So what's changed now that the show has ended? No big deal to just keep doing what they've been doing all along. Kaitlyn just has to tone it down to making out with/having sex with ONE guy. Which, now that I think about it, might be a problem.

[truthaboutluv]

I don't think she did, she always appeared happier with Nick. I think she chose Josh for different reasons (money, fame, something else). Same with Emily/Jef, she always seemed happier with Arie but I think chose Jef for different reasons.

 

 

I think these things can be subjective though which is why, maybe Kaitlyn and Shawn will prove the naysayers wrong after all (not holding my breath though). Because to my recollection of Andi's season, while she was clearly attracted to and into Nick, it was clear to many viewers very early on that Josh was going to be her pick. And even me, who was Team Nick, I knew Andi would pick Josh and I don't think it was just about those other things, though I'm sure they helped. I thought she was clearly very, very attracted and into Josh. 

 

And as for Emily's season, I don't know a season that was debated more than that and I personally had the unpopular opinion that Emily was into Jef and it was clear fairly early on then too that she would pick him. Was she attracted to Arie and wanted to do him, sure. But that didn't mean she wanted to be fake engaged to him. 

 

That said, I was actually talking about the ATFR, because someone said Kaitlyn and Shawn looked really happy and into each other and I stand by the fact that so did Andi. She was beaming next to Josh at the ATFR and she looked VERY happy during the proposal and well we all saw how that went. 

Edited July 28, 2015 by truthaboutluv

[OldWiseOne]

Shawn you are 28 years old, "telling it like it is" no longer works as an excuse for rudeness. And that feeling you got from Nick, the one that you said made you not like him? That's jealousy. You didn't like him because you knew Kaitlyn DID like him. You didn't have a problem with any of the other men because you didn't see them as competition.

[NikSac]

I used to work for a small TV station - and, inexplicably, wetting the pavement is something done to make things look 'fresh' on camera.  I swear, they did it for every car commercial we filmed...something about how it makes the pavement look less dull. 

 

No sympathy for Nick - he knew what he was getting into. 

 

And I agree with how weird this season felt:  Pretty much San Antonio and Ireland.  And more Ireland.  And, hey -- still more Ireland.  Then back to square 1.  That was seriously off. 

 

Interesting on the pavement thing. I've probably thought about it too much but every time I see my dead lawn, the wet pavement bugs me.

 

San Antonio, Ireland, and you left out UTAH!  Where the families apparently moved temporarily for the meet the family dates.

[pitchy]

No, I don't think so. She could have easily cut him loose, either by choosing Ben H and/or Jared for F3/F2 or by letting him go before the FRC as Ali did when she chose Roberto.

 . . . 

And as for the producers (inc. CH), they brought Nick on because they were worried Kaitlyn was too into Shawn from the very first and it would "ruin the show".  I can't help wondering if they even got Kaitlyn to agree to lead him on. Because you don't treat someone you "love" like she treated Nick. Any decent person wouldn't even treat a friend that way.

 

I read a story online the other day that Kaitlyn has told people that she wanted Ben H. as F2 but that the producers pressured her to keep Nick because the  (one-way) 'feud' with Shawn would be better TV.  

 

  But whether she treated Nick badly at the ATFR because she didn't like that he wouldn't accept her proposal-time claim that she'd needed 'every second' because she felt some kind of love for him and/or because she couldn't be seen looking too friendly with him, with Shawn and the world watching, it reflects badly on her.

  If it was the 2nd reason, human-up and show some heart to someone who was obviously a supportive friend who was led on during the show.  

[NikSac]

Not much to add. I do think Kaitlyn and Shawn looked gleeful together. I prefer the darker hair on her but she really needs to ditch those ratty extensions and embrace a shoulder-length bob. I also noticed they did not announce a new Bachelor or even discuss that at all?

 

Except for the fact that they talked about Ben H. constantly!  Did they even mention any of the other potential bachelors? 

 

I must be alone in thinking that Kaitlyn and Shawn looked really awkward together. Hey if they're happy, great, but I guess I'm just not seeing it.

[wovenloaf]

Shawn you are 28 years old, "telling it like it is" no longer works as an excuse for rudeness. And that feeling you got from Nick, the one that you said made you not like him? That's jealousy. You didn't like him because you knew Kaitlyn DID like him. You didn't have a problem with any of the other men because you didn't see them as competition.

Seriously. I have always hated when people proclaim their dedication to "honesty" as an excuse for their rudeness. 

 

And what was Shawn saying about Nick said something "he [shawn] doesn't want to repeat" in the house or something? Did I just miss that storyline? I thought Shawn was the one saying gross things about eskimo bros, but now Nick is allegedly offending Shawn's sensibilities as well? Whatever. These people are clowns.

[pitchy]

 . . . 

The Mom Talk followed and Nick then turned on the waterworks.  He really is a SNAG (Sensitive New Age Guy) right out of central casting.  If this is his best sales pitch, I fear for his future employment.

 

Nick is the only one out of the 3 who has a job.  Shawn and Kaitlyn don't.  I'm sure the unempathetic twosome is depending on show-related appearances to make up for that.

 

[Alapaki]

The funniest part was maybe Nick's exchange with Neil Lane when he was explaining he had been on the show before and Neil had to fake interest/recognition, which can't be easy with his plastic face. (cyber bully alert!)

 

 

That whole visit was cringe-worthy.

 

I especially loved the look on Neil Lane's plastic face while Nick was stammering through his discussion of the Claddagh Ring.

 

The thought bubble over Lane's head said "Yeahyeahyeah kid.  Enough about your Cracker-Jack trinket.  I got schwag here to product-place!"

[nexxie]

Wow, it was even worse than we saw...

http://www.eonline.com/news/680843/the-bachelorette-s-kaitlyn-reveals-why-she-dumped-nick-mid-proposal-i-didn-t-really-want-to

[leighdear]

 

So what's changed now that the show has ended?

Now they can do it ON the counter in Starbucks, instead of behind closed doors.  Then, he can defend her publicly from the critics who'd rather not have her ass-prints on their muffins.  

[MasalaCurry]

Just watched the AFTR. Katelyn's rolling her eyes and expression when Nick says that she told him she loved him a few times was cringe-worthy. Ugh. She has come off so badly overall, and he cackling is so annoying. Shawn could have been gracious given that he "won" and Nick "lost", instead he talks about how Nick talked about intimacy in front of the guys. Clearly Nick had a very hard time trying to find the right words so that he doesn't come off badly like the last time with Andi. Katelyn told Shawn he is the one, then had sex with Nick which made Shawn crazy insecure, kept telling Nick she loved him over and over and had sex with him multiple times, it seems she had sex with Shawn as well. She led both guys on without any consideration for their feelings. Basically she wanted Nick to go away and not question her at all. It was just too much. I was Team Nick during Andi's season because I don't think his questioning her was wrong at all. He clearly shared his feelings with Katelyn, she was also rejected by Chris, and he thought she would never do that to him. And she did - lead him on and dump him. I am sure the producers played a role, but given that Katelyn has done whatever she wanted, I don't blame the producers. I am so glad this season is over, now bring the fun on with BIP.

[jb0495]

He wasn't LOL, but he admitted he had a really rough week dealing with jealousy in Taiwan, and it showed on the group date. At the time (and even moreso now), I thought it was kind of endearing and showed how crazy he was about Ashley. I suppose Shawn was crazy about Kaitlyn too, but the producers portrayed his jealousy in a completely different light and turned it into a season-long theme, unlike with JP. And I'll cop to watching Ashley's season more than once. JP was my favorite Bachelorette contestant ever, and that season was the first time I ever felt 100% sure the relationship would end up in marriage. 

 

I've watched Ashley's season more than once as well. We were both at UPenn when she was shooting the season and I kept hoping I'd catch a glimpse of her! She was a great Bachelorette and she was great on Brad 1.0 as well. JP is my second favorite after Ames. LOVED HIM. She had a lot of great guys on her season & JP was adorable. I still follow them and even keep Twitter up during the show because JP live tweets about each season are hilarious. 

[Kbilly]

but every time I see my dead lawn, the wet pavement bugs me.

 

Maybe they use reclaimed water for their pavement glossing? I've got California drought on the brain too.

 

Speaking of glossing over, they just forgot Britt ever happened eh?

[nexxie]

Apparently, Kaitlyn has sex AND tells people she loves them pretty easily - imo Nick was rightfully confused.

[jb0495]

Honestly, I fell asleep about halfway through ATFR. I didn't even remember Britt. I'm surprised they didn't bring her out. 

[the eskimo]

 

And for the record, no Bachelor lead has ever done this courtesy thing, not even golden boy Sean. Maybe there are "easy" ways to let a person go, maybe there's none. Either way, it sucks.

Definitely true. However, I think it seems less harsh when the Bachelor "breaks-up" with the woman because it's up to them to propose or not. I was definitely cringing as Nick's speech went on, waiting for him to get down on one knee before Kaitlyn finally stopped him. That part certainly amps up the cruelty factor.

 

All I can think of when Kaitlyn licks her teeth when they load her up with all of that lip gloss is a dog eating peanut butter.

[panthergirl13]

And here I thought we'd get through a whole season without someone saying "Kaitlyn and I's relationship".  Bachelor/ette, you never disappoint.

[scenicbyway]

I'm so glad this season is over!  Kaitlyn was awful.  She was inarticulate and she shamed herself.  How many times did she say she'd made a mistake with Nick after that first sleepover?  If she was actually going to pick him, it wouldn't have been a mistake.  She was worried she'd end up alone, which should've been a huge clue that after that night she was in no way going to choose Nick at the end.

 

I think Kaitlyn and Shawn deserve each other, he's crazy jealous and she's a big flirt, neither have jobs and she can't stay forever without one.  I give them a week.

 

I would like to see Nick's eventual happy ending but not as a contestant on the show...