S20.E01: Week 1

[OnceSane]

Season 20 begins with 26-year-old Ben Higgins meeting 28 beautiful bachelorettes vying for his attention and for the first impression rose. Among the ladies are identical twin sisters, a cowgirl and a dentist. But everyone is stunned when two late arrivals--Becca, runner-up on Chris Soules' season, and Amber, another alumna from Chris' season--join the party. Also appearing to give advice to Ben are former Bachelors Sean Lowe, Chris Soules and Jason Mesnick.

[mtlchick]

So...where do I start the petition for the horse to become the new bachelor? 

[bloodstar]

LOLWut?!

 

Laura gone? My faith in the Bachelor is shattered!!!

[leighdear]

The strictly superficial:  Mom Amanda has the voice of a 3 year-old, so I imagine she blends in well at the playground. 

 

Samantha with the ALS dad had a really bad nose job, but her sad story will keep her around for a while.  And she "found out shepassed the bar" in the limo?  On who's cell phone did she get the info?  Bogus!

 

Lace spoke through clenched teeth. Weird. Her edit is deserved. He's already sorry he kept her.

 

The twins are adorable.

 

Olivia's stick-straigh hair looks greasy & is unflattering on an otherwise gorgeous girl.  Wash that hair, Liv!

 

Canadian bartender Jami looks just like American bartender Amber to me.

 

Not a bad first night.  Ben was fine, he'll do all the things he's supposed to do.  Upcoming episodes look interesting.

 

Chris H. and the horse were cute.  But I adore Chris, so anything he does it cute to me. 

[JenE4]

Grand Marshall of Warsaw (Indiana) High School Homecoming? Oh, boy, this is more depressing than Farmer Boring's (I can't even remember his name) town in Iowa. Oh, wait, is this his (or his parents') current house on the water? That's more like it!

"You weren't alive during [Jason's] season." Bwhahaha! Of course I'm sure I'm older than Mesnick, but still funny.

Caila broke up with her boyfriend because she had butterflies over Ben on TV?! Oh, no. The idea of "fate" didn't work out too well for you the last time. I didn't cross reference, but I'm guessing she's one of The Notebook fans.

Mandi, the weird dentist?! Keep on movin'. Calling her as this year's crazypants.

Divorced mom of two with matching bathing suits? Granted, I'm a remarried mom who had two kids when I met my second husband, but Ben seems a bit young to want to take on that responsibility.

Chicken enthusiast?!? **Dead** The framed pictures of the chickens, though! OMG! She went so far over the edge that she's back around to being okay!

First sob story of the season, everyone! The dead dad. ALS is SO last year. (No disrespect! Just making a joke about the ice bucket challenge!)

Wow. ALL of these girls are catty! Yay for good TV, but I'm having trouble finding anyone to root for so far. They're ALL the bitch of the season! Lace might be the HBIC, though.

Yep, fully maintain weird dentist Mandi is the crazy one!

News anchor Olivia is stunning, seemingly normal and intelligent, sweet, and--most importantly--has good background music. She's currently my #1.

Stop trying to make Becca and Amber happen. They're not going to happen!**

Uh, Lace, I did not hear Ben say "People are shady."

Yes! I KNEW Olivia was going to get the first impression rose! This show gives everything away with its background music!

** Ugh. Apparently they're happening.

Aw. I liked that redhead girl. Too bad he sent her home. No clue who the other ones are. Oh, the gluten slammer! I'm gluten-free, too, but food restrictions typically don't make for the first blush of love.

Lace! Oh, wow! She's out-crazying Mandi! Because she tricked Ben into a "first kiss" she thinks she owns him already! If she's this possessive on night 1, this doesn't bode well for you! Ben, stop the redhead's taxi and get her back in there and give Lace the boot!

Wait, which girl is the chicken enthusiast? Did she make it?

Edited January 5, 2016 by JenE4

[Laurie4H]

Is it me or does Ben resemble Peter Brady? Maybe this was already talked about but I didn't watch him on the Bachelorette so....

[Mu Shu]

Ben is a snooze.

Lots of doppelgängers: the girl from six feet under, Heather Graham, (not roller girl .heather, busted flowers in the attic heather), drunk Teri Hatcher, and the girl who looks like Amber. Oh, and the Paris Hilton twins. Actually, maybe Nikki Hilton twins.

Don't horses tend to just poop where they stand, or are the little ones toilet trained?

[JenE4]

Is it me or does Ben resemble Peter Brady? Maybe this was already talked about but I didn't watch him on the Bachelorette so....

Yes, this was fully covered last season. Everyone was labeled a "busted" version of some celebrity, with the exception of Ben who was a straight-up Peter Brady doppelgänger, just as cute as the original.

[kelnic86]

Lace has to be some kind of producer plant, right? Someone put on the show to just cause drama. I mean, to pull Ben aside because he didn't make eye contact with her? That's crazy.

[SandyToes]

I was hoping dentist Mandi would be shown the door before the ceremony. And I agree about the redhead. Maybe she'll get brought back somehow. Over Lacy. The show needs "drama" sure, but yuck.

[lids]

The only woman that is stunning this season is Olivia so I predict that she wins. Most of these women are kinda blah. I mean Becca was one of the less attractive women from Chris' season, but here she's top 10.

More and more I realize that Chris H's job is just ridiculous. When he was standing in front of the mansion, he told the audience, "It's hard to believe that in just a few minutes 25 women will be entering here." Why would that be hard to believe? Hasn't the show been on for fifty eleven years?

I'm gonna need to know why Lace gave that lady a black eye. So I'll at least hold out until that episode.

Also is that one woman gonna speak Russian the whole time? Cause I don't get it.

Edited January 5, 2016 by lids

[TiredMe]

Olivia quit a full time job as a tv anchor for this show. Fame ho. But she is gorgeous.

Lace, didn't anyone tell you that wearing desperation as a cologne is never good? She reminds me of Sarah Silverman in looks. Sarah is way more confident thought.

I know someone that is so into her chickens that I completely related to that girl. She put in hard wood floors so her chickens could roam around in the house and poop is easier to clean. Ben should sent her home, do not get involved with that. Sorry

Amber and Becca...whatevs.

That's all I got.

Ps- I guess they are all into the fame, in defense of Olivia.

Edited January 5, 2016 by TiredMe

[leighdear]

Lucy was crazy, Ashley Onion was crazy, Ryan McDill was crazy, so Lace is just the requisite crazy for this season.  No biggie, they never make it beyond 8-10.  Most are gone before that.  Ashley was absolutely beautiful and her crazy wasn't mean, so she made it further. 

 

JoJo is really pretty and I like her.  

Edited January 5, 2016 by leighdear

[Ohwell]

I liked the redhead but I figured she was a goner.  Too bad.

[Laurie4H]

I just don't get how these women always talk about what a great guy the said Bachelor is before they even meet him. The girl that said watching Ben on TV made her break up with her boyfriend? I just had to laugh at how ridiculous that was regardless if it was true or scripted.

Edited January 5, 2016 by Laurie4H

[kelnic86]

 

Olivia quit a full time job as a tv anchor for this show. Fame ho. But she is gorgeous.

 

I couldn't get over that. She quit her job to be on the show and said it as if it was something to be admired for. Maybe her job couldn't honor a leave of absence and she had no choice but to quit? But if she wants to use this show to try and launch a famous tv career, good luck. She isn't the first one to do it, at least.

Edited January 5, 2016 by kelnic86

[betha]

Olivia is awful! She's pretty but obviously very into herself. "I'm humble." No, people who are humble don't brag about it, nor do they humblebrag about "giving back." (Give back what exactly?) People who go into broadcast journalism often do it as a way to be on tv; of course she quit her job to do this. It wasn't a risk, it's her career path!

I like chicken girl. Am pretty sure the show put her chicken pictures in frames for the bit. What was her name again? Lauren flight attendant will go far.

Lace, Mandi, twins, Becca and amber obviously all had to stay per producers. And yes, lace looks just like Sarah Silverman. There was one girl who looked like a brunette Amanda seyfried who went home.

Um, great that you are a dentist, but maybe save the teeth cleaning for the second date.

So happy this show is back!!!

Edited January 5, 2016 by betha

[Blakeston]

Did the nutritionist who thinks gluten is the devil get a rose? I'm hoping she didn't.

 

Lots of doppelgängers: the girl from six feet under, Heather Graham, (not roller girl .heather, busted flowers in the attic heather),]

 

...and now I'll only be able to think of her as Busted Flowers in the Attic Heather Graham. That's perfect.

 

I swear, anyone who watches this show and still lets her mess around with their teeth deserves whatever they get.

[leighdear]

Did the nutritionist who thinks gluten is the devil get a rose? I'm hoping she didn't.

Nope, she was booted. But I loved her dress with the sparkly back straps.  

[WhoAmIReally]

I read recently that the miniature horses can be housetrained.  Did that girl stay?  Did chickengirl stay?  I think Cailyn is cute (I couldn't stand her perkiness in person, but she's cute on the show), Olivia is already getting the evil edit, and Lace is just crazy.  I noticed that none of the girls had visible tattoos except the veteran (some words on her chest), so I'm guessing Peter (I'm sorry, he'll always be Peter Brady to me) doesn't like them and she's a producer plant.  Plus she had the worst panty lines I've ever seen on the show when she got out of the limo.  I felt bad for redhead girl, but at least she was able to rationalize it by saying he may not like redheads.  The twins are also obviously producer plants.  He looked sick that he had to choose Lace (final producer plant) instead of some girl he might actually like.  No wonder he wouldn't look her in the eye. 

 

The others blend together in a mishmash of Farrah Fawcett hair.

[SandyToes]

Who was the girl whose name he never got? We cracked up at that. Did she stay? And he chose Shushanna? Does she speak English?!

[Mu Shu]

Oh I forgot the Fergie lookalike. Sort of busted Fergie, because real Fergie is really busted.

Ben is making farmer Chris look exotic and engaging in comparison. What a doofus. After Cupcake pulled that cliff top Mesnick and all. Should have been Cupcake.

[reggiejax]

Lace is gorgeous, but definitely a piece of work. I was yelling at the TV for Ben to tell her to go home when she confronted him after the Rose Ceremony and basically dared him to send her packing. Ben, trust me, tell her to hit the road. You're only getting the tip of the Lace iceberg right now, you don't want to wait too long and have to go hard a starboard. It didn't do the Titanic any good, and it was made of much hardier stuff than you. 

 

Still, as gorgeous as Lace is, my pick this year for most attractive is Olivia. 

[Superpole2000]

Redheaded Laura from Kentucky...wow! I hate that she's gone already. If she was The Bachelorette, I would be working on my application already. If anyone knows Laura, send her on by to Canada. We have a redhead appreciation society up here...with huge bonus points for being able to deal with crazy Lace.

 

If flaws and quirks make a person interesting then Ben is the dullest person I've seen. He is Sean Lowe 2.0...perfectly inoffensive but ultimately not the charismatic personality that can carry a season. He'll be the cardboard cutout the producers want him to be...the backdrop against which they can place a slightly more interesting cast of famewhoring women.

[threebluestars]

I hope dentist Mandi fixes Lace's teeth one day.

 

Ben is dullsville, but hopefully the girls bring the crazy.

 

I liked Jubilee a lot, and no one else stood out. Although mini horse girl was fun.

[Lemons]

I guess I'm the only one who thinks Olivia looks like a man in drag.

I didn't see The Bachorlette but I'm wondering why they keep picking pasty guys from the Midwest who have boring jobs and keep talking about "small town values." Are small town values superior to big city values?

Ben is probably a nice enough guy but not someone that would make a room full of women instantly fall in love with him.

Lace reminded me of the character "drunk girl" on Saturday Night Live's news skit.

[truthaboutluv]

Well I'm sure the producers forced Ben to keep Lace and not take back the rose after she came at him with that nonsense about not looking at her (and I loved how clearly annoyed and not here for it he was in his talking head) but I honestly don't blame them if that's the case because honestly, these women were BORING. Ben was predictably nice and kind of bland but I expected that. However I watch this show for the crazy and the desperation and there wasn't nearly enough of that. Naturally it's too early for me to remember most of these people's names so I'll just go with the ones I remember. 

 

First impression rose girl, Olivia I believe, I didn't really like or trust her. Something about her whole spiel to Ben felt very rehearsed. Like she just looked up things he was interested in, which was probably not too hard with social media and all and basically just word vomited some stuff she figured would impress him and clearly it worked.

 

I was actually surprised Ben didn't give the FIR to Lauren B. He seemed REALLY into her during their one on one and had quite a few TH's about her. That said, two of them together was kind of a snooze-fest. Don't get me wrong, there was some decent chemistry but neither seems to have a big personality so if she ends up being a favorite or even F1, this may make for a LONG and boring season. 

 

Caila was sweet but maybe a little too excited. Hopefully as the weeks progress she calms the hell down. Although she did make me laugh at her very accurate summation of Lace as "50 shades of crazy..." Mandi was annoying, not because of her stupid rose tiara, but that whole, "I am like weird, I like weird..." Yeah if you need to say it so much and actually mention it then you're not weird, you're just a try-hard wanting to seem "oh so different..."

[Madding crowd]

Ben has a nice voice, and is tall but that is all he has going for him right now. He is OK looking but not really handsome (then again matched against Ben F and Jason M, he is a prince). I couldn't believe he kept the crazy dentist woman, she looks ten years older than him and is nuts. Lace seemed clearly drunk, and after the third or fourth conversation she had with him, he should have sent her packing. I can't believe he has any real interest in her.

 

Olivia does look a little mannish, and also looks like my friends crazy Ex, so I can't really root for her. I liked the redhead too and will never understand the odd hatred of "gingers" most people have. I also liked the flight attendant and noticed Ben seemed to like her a lot but not enough to give her the first impression rose, so who knows. Also liked Jubilee but I can't see Ben with a military type. There were a few other girls who were quite pretty but I didn't see much of them since they showed either the dentist of Lace every five seconds. 

[yorklee2]

Oh I forgot the Fergie lookalike. Sort of busted Fergie, because real Fergie is really busted.

Ben is making farmer Chris look exotic and engaging in comparison. What a doofus. After Cupcake pulled that cliff top Mesnick and all. Should have been Cupcake.

Mu Shu your a riot! I like Ben but last year I secretly was kinda rooting for Cupcake too. Wouldn't been interesting to see how that would have played out.

[TomGirl]

I was liking Ben just fine until he said, "All these women have came here to meet me." Then my blood ran cold.

Lace is this season's Kelsey Poe.

[Lamb18]

I think Ben should have given the horse the first impression rose since he seemed to like the horse the best. The horse would probably eat it. Olivia seemed like a blonde Andi. Lace reminded me of Ashley Onion in her facial features although not her coloring or personality. Now Mandi reminded me of that "free spirit" Lucy from a while back, Juan Pablo's season? Most of these women are probably auditioning to be the next Bachelorette. (Now I'd like to see Jubilee as a Bachelorette.) Lace will fit right in on Bachelor in Paradise.

[Artsda]

They really brought out Iowa Chris with the 2 married Bachelor's to give advice? Why would Ben want advice for the guy whose relationship only lasted a few months?

 

Liked seeing Becca.

 

Seems like a lot of crazy this episode.

[bantering]

I really don't get why the tv anchor quit her job to be on this show if she's already on tv. WTF.  The journalism career probably would have taken her further to eventual "stardom", if that's her aspiration.

 

The commercial pointed to him falling in love with two women. Is that why they brought Jason M to give him advice? Is that why he's on a cliff? Is he going to pick the wrong woman, dump her, and then get engaged to the other lady on the after-show?

Edited January 5, 2016 by bantering

[Rainsong]

I have, deliberately or accidentally, avoided news in the run-up to this season except, of course, to know that Ben was TB.

 

We seem to be stuck in repetitive/similar name hell here with four Laurens and a Laura, although Laura (redhead) was sent packing.

 

The producers, bless their hearts, just can't resist deceptive and out-of-sequence editing from the off.  Ben gets a tight haircut for his big night.  Ben has the tight haircut when he meets with previous Bachelors.  But Ben is seen in an interview segment with longer hair, especially on the sides, talking about how excited he will be to meet the Bachelors.  This would mean, of course, that Ben's hair would be as short or shorter than his poolside confab shows but the opposite is true.

 

Ben's parents might just be within shouting distance of normal, contrasted with many previous families with all manner of divorces, step-parents, etc.  His mom seems a bit domineering, however, and that might tip off Ben's choices moving forward.  Hilarious to hear those Indiana accents:  'UnderSTEANDing....'

 

Getting Bachelor advice from Chris Soules is like getting air traffic control advisories from Wrong Way Corrigan.  He was literally and figuratively the odd man out given that the other two are married and fathers now.  Chris had no one to blame but himself for his damp squib of a season.  Memo to Ben:  whatever Chris suggests, do the opposite.

 

Sean fibbed a bit:  'Catherine wasn't even a contender until halfway through.'  I can't be fussed to research it but it seems to me they were into each other rather quickly and the biggest challenge in that season was pretending they weren't.

 

Same story every year:  can't recall the girls' names (and if they call themselves girls I will follow suit) but within an episode or two we know them by rote.  In the meantime, we're left to depend on occupations, features and, yes, their horrific chat-up lines and horrific-er props and pantomimes.

 

I've had to wait many years for female fads like odd piercings and tattoos to wane and apparently I'll have to wait a few more for this center-parted hair nonsense to go away.  It does nothing for most girls' appearance and for those with wide/broad/round faces or wide/broad noses it only accentuates these features/dimensions.

 

Lace - obviously a focal point for this episode and others although the unavoidably spoiler-ish season preview segment doesn't seem to feature her.  I'm glad that others here agree she is a classic beauty.  I was impressed by her regal bearing in the introduction and wish more Bachelorettes would realize that mystery is 1000x more enticing than the in-your-face approach.  Is Lace an ugly ducking-turned-swan?  Her behavior suggests some serious insecurity but it would seem unjustified based on her looks.  Still, the behind-the-scenes stories of long, boring stretches for the participants with nothing to do but drink to excess seem to be true for Lace.

 

Onesie girl - just no.  You think it looks cute and cuddly.  He thinks you're a child.

 

Bar Exam Sam - we've been there before with grieving daughters.  Sad situations to be sure but they are an emotional handful.  Bad skin, too, I'm afraid, and that scratchy voice is too high in pitch to be Demi Moore-type sexy.

 

Chicken Lady - well, at least they aren't cats.  Points for creativity.  If you've been nuzzling filthy poultry for long stretches please keep your lips in a different ZIP code to mine.

 

Dentist Mandi - bizarre looking and the usual forced quirkiness that is a poor disguise for needy/pushy behavior.

 

Caila - Capital D Desperate.  Sales girl is unaware of the concept of overselling, apparently.  Unfortunately she may go far based on the preview clip and psycho-possessiveness is guaranteed.

 

Shushanna - Russian or Slavic language intro could have been cute...for a sentence or two.  Refusing to speak any English on camera for the first night is boring and futile.

 

Football chick - nothing says Zero Dignity like bending over to show your ample backside within 10 seconds of meeting someone.

 

Pony girl...just no.

 

The twins aren't half as ditzy as they let on.  Their voice registers dropped about an octave when the claws came out...as they quickly did.  Can't completely dislike or dismiss them though.

 

Jessica looked a bit like Lynda Carter and I thought she would go far.  As it turned out she went far into the night with no rose.

 

Blonde Lauren B had the flirt game firing on all cylinders.  Fair play to her.  Their body language was as readable as a book.

 

Jennifer is a strong candidate...she played Ben like a fiddle in drawing compliments out of him as he cast about 500 quick glances at her low-cut dress' bustline.

 

Lauren H - not my cup of tea but elementary teachers seem to thrive on this show, maybe because they can consciously or unconsciously manipulate men who still have little-boy insecurities.

 

Glad to see Amber get another bite of the apple but Becca?  ZZZZZZZZ.  I keep hearing from male and female alike how gorgeous she is but I don't see it.  And if virginity is the most interesting thing about you then you are dull indeed.

 

Nutritionist Breanne broke not one but two rules:  1) Don't bang on and on about your occupation, whatever it might be.  2) Don't nag, scold, or otherwise offer restrictions, especially when the Bachelor is about to launch his season of bacchanalia.  Men react exactly as Ben did and he rightly sent you packing.

 

Don't remember much about Rachel but I peeked at the ABC site and she's a looker.

 

Jubilee - The less said about the unfastened-drapes dress the better and I can't believe she made the first cut.  Surely a military vet would know to use ear protection on a shooting range?  From the preview clips it seems she has at least one hot n heavy dalliance with Ben which is surprising.

 

Olivia - already has Ben eating out of her hand.  When you're in TV news you're going to move frequently anyway so why not boost your image tenfold and skip the little towns on the way to a big town?  Ben's eyes were spinning like slot machine reels when he watched her approach.  She apparently becomes another in a long line of 'the other girls hate me' and it looks like Ben will be caught up in another stultifying round of Bachelorette drama.

Edited January 5, 2016 by Rainsong

[yorklee2]

None of these women to me stood out enough to say, "wow she's gonna go far". Kind of of a so-so first night in my opinion. Of course we had our token villain Lace and the nutcase Mandi. Other observations:

 

Really liked Jubilee. She looked like she was trying to lay low for now but could really bring the spunk later on. Plus she seemed to really like Ben. Thought it was cute the way she seemed so thrilled and shocked to get a rose.

 

Olivia I thought was the most attractive though as some say she did seem a little to rehearsed and polished. Looks like there's going to be a lot of jealousy directed at her deserved or not. We'll see.

 

Caila seemed very bubbly and sweet.

 

Samantha seemed sweet but just doesn't seem like a lawyer with the tiny mousy voice. As did...

 

Amanda. Can't stand those little tiny, squeaky voices. And two children? Really I just couldn't put my kid through my absence to go on a dating show much less two children.

 

Laura seemed very intelligent and attractive. Just as many attractive/unattractive redheads as in the other hair shades. Don't understand the bad rap redheads get.

 

Thought Lauren B seemed sweet but honestly don't think she's that attractive. Thought there were quite a few more so than her but it's just the first episode and she could grow on me. Seems Ben was really liking her.

[TheFinalRose]

I dunno. Finding out that Ben was from a farm town in Indiana felt like some kind of bait and switch.  Then when they went to Colorado, I felt better, but they are going to beat this "I am unlovable" theme to death this season, that's obvious.  

 

And can Chris Soules just go away right now? By sticking with Whitney for less than two minutes he just disqualified himself to appear on future shows for any reason whatsoever. What, was Brad Womack unavailable to give Ben advice?  Dude needs to go back to the farm right about now.  I am sure Whitney is relieved that she has finally come to her senses.

 

Otherwise, Lace (one of the dumbest names ever) brought the drama. 

[ElectricCityy]

Ben is a cute guy but he is so not camera ready. Hopefully he becomes more comfortable throughout the season.

 

The girls are blah. Not one blew me away. Olivia's big forced smile was had me straining.

[Mu Shu]

"Damp squib of a season" just doesn't get bandied about as much as it should. And what a damp squib Chris is. Ben is more of a dry milquetoast.

Is Ben a secret farmer?

[backformore]

Ok, anyone else catch this? Mandi' s intro. She's talking as though giving a dental exam to the cameraman. She says. "Open wide" And then leans forward, essentially pushing her boob into the camera lens. It's only a second or so, and I had to rewind to make sure that was what I saw.. Yep, open wide! Then the boob.

[Andromeda]

I saw Mandi's boob in the camera, too.

 

By the time Ben got to calling Mandi's name, it seemed pretty clear he was in the "production choices" section, having already made his own picks. He didn't look happy at all calling her name. I put Becca, the twins, and Lace in that category, too.

 

I wish he'd picked the redhead, she looked so much like Lauren Ambrose from Six Feet Under. (Another Lauren, hah.) Very pretty girl.

 

Lace is just as cuckoo as Mandi, just in a different way. She actually thought Ben was going to kiss her after he verbalized that he wanted to get to know them before just being physical. Then he had to go tell her again, because she was being a brat.

 

I like Jubilee, too, and I'm glad he kept her. Not sure about Olivia. The girl in the blue dress (Lauren B?) seemed really genuine, and more his speed looks wise. Very pretty but not model material, and I think he's more comfortable with that. I agree about Samantha's voice -- she doesn't sound at all like a lawyer. Maybe she'll end up gravitating toward contract or corporate law.

 

I don't think the twins are that pretty -- at least not their mouths. They're oddly shaped. The twin thing would get tired very fast for me.

 

Mandi has a real "man face" going. I'm embarrassed she's from Portland. Most Portlandians are not nutso weirdo, that's an excuse -- she'd be craycray wherever she was from.

 

Did horse girl get in? I loved the pony, but it was a silly stunt to bring it to a cocktail party. Not as weird as the head-rose, though.

 

I doubt that was his parents' home. He said to them "back home" at one point, or something similar that made it cleat that house is nowhere near his dinky home town. If they still live there, it's a rental somewhere else. If not, they also ditched small town Warsaw for somewhere more interesting.

Edited January 5, 2016 by Andromeda

[Ivana Tinkle]

Lace reminded me of Allison from season 10 of ANTM.  And she's just as bitchy.  *crickets*  Anyone? 

 

Caila, JoJo and Lauren B. are adorable.  And seemingly normal.

 

The twins were...pretty cool, actually.  They were more astute than how they appeared in their opening package.  Speaking of, I know these things are staged, but good God.  The poor "patient" for crazy "dentist" Mandi?  First year intern?  Nah, he looked too old.  Lost a bet?

 

Olivia is this year's Britt.  Absolutely gorgeous, but it looks like she's going to be exposed as a fake.

 

I love that most of the girls didn't really give a shit about Amber, it was all "What the HELL is Becca doing here????  Oh, hi...are you an assistant?"

 

Finally, why on earth did the trot out Chris Soules to give Ben advice?  "Uh, just kiss as many as you can, and don't bother to ask pertinent questions or actually get to know the girl.  That's what I did, and now I'm engaged!" *producer whispers in his ear* "Oh, right." 
 

Edited January 5, 2016 by Ivana Tinkle

[MyFangirlLife]

Chris H. and the horse were cute.  But I adore Chris, so anything he does it cute to me. 

 

Preach! <3 Chris Harrison

[Andromeda]

I didn't see The Bachorlette but I'm wondering why they keep picking pasty guys from the Midwest who have boring jobs and keep talking about "small town values." Are small town values superior to big city values?

 

I know, it's so silly. And it's clear Ben is not that enamored of small town values (whatever THAT means) himself, or he wouldn't have hightailed it out of Warsaw, Indiana, for Denver! I know they'll never break the endless chain, but I wish they'd pick as bachelor a guy who is interesting and sophisticated, or at least has an interesting career other than salesman.

Edited January 5, 2016 by Andromeda

[yorklee2]

I saw Mandi's boob in the camera, too.

 

By the time Ben got to calling Mandi's name, it seemed pretty clear he was in the "production choices" section, having already made his on picks. He didn't look happy at all calling her name. I put Becca, the twins, and Lace in that category, too.

 

I wish he'd picked the redhead, she looked so much like Lauren Ambrose from Six Feet Under. (Another Lauren, hah.) Very pretty girl.

 

Lace is just as cuckoo as Mandi, just in a different way. She actually thought Ben was going to kiss her after he verbalized that he wanted to get to know them before just being physical. Then he had to go tell her again, because she was being a brat.

 

I like Jubilee, too, and I'm glad he kept her. Not sure about Olivia. The girl in the blue dress (Lauren B?) seemed really genuine, and more his speed looks wise. Very pretty but not model material, and I think he's more comfortable with that. I agree about Samantha's voice -- she doesn't sound at all like a lawyer. Maybe she'll end up gravitating toward contract or corporate law.

 

I don't think the twins are that pretty -- at least not their mouths. They're oddly shaped. The twin thing would get tired very fast for me.

 

Mandi has a real "man face" going. I'm embarrassed she's from Portland. Most Portlandians are not nutso weirdo, that's an excuse -- she'd be craycray wherever she was from.

 

Did horse girl get in? I loved the pony, but it was a silly stunt to bring it to a cocktail party. Not as weird as the head-rose, though.

 

I doubt that was his parents' home. He said to them "back home" at one point, or something similar that made it cleat that house is nowhere near his dinky home town. If they still live there, it's a rental somewhere else. If not, they also ditched small town Warsaw for somewhere more interesting.

I agree about the twins. I don't think their very attractive either. Then again I don't think anyone had the "wow" factor.

 

Sorry but IMO Mandi was possibly the least attractive. Regardless of the wacky behavior. Maybe that's why she feels she needs to act that way to get attention.

 

No Maegan the pony lady was axed.

[amcfar]

I was liking Ben just fine until he said, "All these women have came here to meet me." Then my blood ran cold.

Lace is this season's Kelsey Poe.

Haha! I cringed when I heard him say that.

[MyFangirlLife]

Does anyone else follow along with past contestants on twitter while they live blog the show? Because if you don't you should seriously check it out! Tanner (@ttolbert05) & JJ (@jjhlane) are freaking hilarious! 

[Jodio]

Okay, the twins look like aliens to me. The dentist looks like Caitlyn Jenner and Olivia looks like a busted Cameron Diaz. Something looks wonky with Jubilee's boobs (not the tattoo), but I'm too lazy to look for a pic.

 

I'm glad that the Ginger Red Velvet is gone. She was trash-talking the flight attendant with Lace. When Lace said that her boobs were bigger so her twinsy dress looked better, Ginger was all smiles. Bitches.

 

I really hate small town values. Boring. I'm all about big city values: having progressive beliefs, going out to restaurants and art galleries, taking public transportation, having a fast-paced career, and carrying pepper spray in case shit goes down. That's my kind of living.

 

Is it just me or are the dresses getting tackier? Whatever happened to sophisticated cocktail dresses? Half of these women were bedazzled within an inch of their lives and the rest of them were in old prom and bridesmaid gowns. And every grown woman should be on a first name basis with a tailor and someone who will alert you to serious panty line issues (I'm looking at you, Jubilee).

[Padma]

Lace reminded me of a thin attractive brunette who became sort of stalkerish on a season past...maybe Jesse Palmer's season? Someone here will know who I'm thinking of. I think Ben really wanted to let her go when she criticized him about not making eye contact, but she surely is a producer's pick.

 

Olivia didn't stand out to me. She's beautiful, but her personality seemed a bit forced, and there are many women who are just as pretty (plus personable). If I hadn't known her occupation, I wouldn't have thought much about her at all.   The dentist seemed super-crazy, but I'm assuming the producers urged her to do that. Anyone who discusses flossing and dental hygiene on a first date needs to go home.  (I think she's still there.)

 

Becca is trying so hard to make an impression on Ben. It really emphasizes how she -wasn't- interested in Chris. (And why bring back two of the worst bachelors? At least Ben seems far more articulate than Chris was. I liked Ben taking Sean's advice about not kissing the women while others were around--and not starting too early. Hope he continues that way, rather than following Chris's idea of "get it while you can".)

 

I wish they hadn't given Ben that ugly haircut.

 

I'm sure it says something that I didn't think anything about the single mother leaving her two children, but after the profile about the chickens, was wondering, "Who's looking after them? Especially Sylvia?"  I didn't find that odd at all to have a pet bird that wasn't a parakeet or parrot but instead was a chicken. That was very sweet and kind of amazing how they had that bond (I've usually just had cats and dogs). I actually was kind of hoping the woman (don't remember her name) wouldn't get a rose because it's hard on an animal to be abandoned when they've developed that kind of attachment. I always like it when people can bring on their dogs (or horses) but maybe the environment would be distressing for a chicken. I hope she's okay with the separation. Unlike the kids--because I assume they have close family, probably live with grandparents--it really bothered me to have left her devoted bird alone for so long. (I guess this is why I liked Ashley Onion so well--she had such a soft spot for animals.)

 

A good first night, with a likable bachelor and the usual assortment of slightly loony women who already, on night one, believe he's "the One". It's always so weird how that happens so quickly--but it always does.

Edited January 5, 2016 by Padma

[chocolatine]

I just can't with Shushanna. Russian is my first language too, but I found what she did so obnoxious. I wish Ben, when he called her out, instead of offering the rose had said "I didn't understand a thing you said, so bye". He didn't even get that her name was Shushanna; he thought it was Shanna.

 

Did Laura say that people call her Red Velvet? Is my mind in the gutter, or does that sound like a porn name? Maybe Ben thought so too and send her home due to a perceived conflict with "small-town values".

 

I thought Lace was the most beautiful woman there, so it's a shame about her personality.

 

Other than the one glaring grammatical error, Ben didn't do anything to make me hate him. I was impressed that he didn't make out with anyone on the first night. I think the classiest thing for a lead would be only to make out on 1-on-1 dates or with group date rose recipients after the others have left - i.e. no making out in view of other women or with multiple women in quick succession.

 

As an Eastern European, I want to pass a law that prohibits little bumfuck-nowhere towns from naming themselves after one of our great cities.

[Padma]

I thought Shushanna was obnoxious, too. A sentence or two is okay, otherwise, you're just being rude. (And I'm glad to know it was Russian. I recognized a little bit, but thought maybe it was a related language, like, I don't know...Bulgarian? Was her pronunciation typical? I thought it sounded Slavic but just not Russian (easily could be wrong though).

 

Once again, the African American women don't seem destined to last very long. I felt a little bad for Amber--whom I think is prettier and seems more interesting than Becca--came back with Becca whom everyone recognized. (I don't think Ben knew her name until Becca told him. Not really surprising, but awkward.)