S12.E08: Week 7

[kingshearte]

Chase's date seemed kind of weird to me. Meaning no disrespect to people whose parents are divorced, and having no intention of minimizing the pain that causes, the way it was presented in this episode seemed a bit.. extreme. To hear them talk about it, you'd think they were the only set of parents to ever divorce. And all the talk about their feelings about it, and asking Dad why it happened? That was super weird and awkward, almost like this was actually the first time in eons that Chase had had the chance to speak to his dad? But if that were the case, I would think you'd just forego including him in the hometown date. Maybe someone upthread was right, that the inherent weirdness of this situation made it easier to actually come right out and ask those questions, where you might normally kind of hedge around the issues?

And am I the only one who looked at Chase's mom and sister (I think it was them — could have been Robby's family. I don't entirely remember) and thought that Lauren B from last season could be secretly related?

Jordan... yikes. For starters, I'm not going to judge them or call them famewhorey for agreeing to appear on the show any more than I've ever thought that about anyone else's family. Would anyone here honestly refuse if their kid or sibling asked? And as for the estrangement, I'm not prepared to judge either them or Aaron without knowing the other side of the story. The empty chairs at the table, though? Please. What an unspeakably ridiculous producer setup. And JoJo, seriously, get a clue. They don't want to talk about it. Stop asking. If you and Jordan actually make a go of a real relationship, and if it lasts and becomes legitimately serious, I'm sure they'll share some real details about this very personal, very emotionally charged situation. Until then, you are not entitled to insist that they all tell you all about their innermost feelings. Even if they agreed to appear on this show and knew you would ask about it.

I didn't get the appeal of Robby before, and I certainly don't get it with all these girlfriend issues. I will say, though, that JoJo freaking out about the recentness of Robby's breakup is pretty hilarious coming from someone who just got out of her "relationship" with Ben mere months ago, and the relationship with ex-bf Chad extremely recently before that.

My introverted self can't quite decide what she thinks of Luke's meet-everyone-in-my-hometown date. One on hand, all those people can definitely be overwhelming, but on the other, having them all there does ramp down the intensity of spending several hours with just this guy's family. I do think it's a little ridiculous, though, that a man can tell you he's falling for you and that you have his heart, and he can present you with a giant heart made of flowers, but unless he actually specifically utters the words "I am in love with you," it doesn't count. Bleah. I know she's all "word of affirmation!!!" but I feel like Luke is the kind of guy who will tell you a zillion times a day that he loves you by handing you a coffee the moment you emerge from the bedroom in the morning, making sure there's gas in your car, picking up your favourite candy when he happens to be somewhere that sells it, doing your least favourite chore even though he hates doing it too, presenting you with a bowl of carefully separated out orange gummy bears (OK, that one may be from my own life, but everyone has some sort of equivalent), etc. And if you can't hear the "I love you" in those things and need to constantly demand that he verbally reassure you about his feelings all the time for you to believe them, then this is probably not the right relationship. I don't know. I guess it just seems to me like if JoJo doesn't hear the exact wording she expects, she just doesn't hear the sentiment at all.

[leighdear]

The divorce backstory for Chase was the only thing they had.  He's in medical sales and is about as interesting as an index card. 

Robby got the "Drama from the crazy ex-girlfriend against the Florida sunshine" story.

Jordan got the "Never measures up to his famous brother on a Football field" story. 

Luke got the "Small-town, reticent war vet is beloved by all at a picnic" story. 

So Chase got stuck with the "Damaged by divorce against some snow" story.  

[MakeMeLaugh]

2 hours ago, Soobs said:

I think Jojo is ambitious and wants a partner who can improve her brand. The guy with the famous brother is the guy who can do that even if he only sticks around til After the Final Rose. She definitely does not want to live in the sticks with (imo) hot Luke or the other ones.

Among everything else on his resume, Hot Luke is a musician who actually lives in Nashville--these are "hometown" dates, not necessarily "where I live now" dates. Personally I would rather see "where I live now" dates.

[ljenkins782]

On July 20, 2016 at 7:11 PM, lavenderpenguin said:

This is such a boring season. I just can't see it working out with any of the remaining men (although I do like Chase, and wish he could be the next Bachelor -- I think he has a very Ben H. quality about him) and JoJo. Perhaps that's why it's so boring? The only real emotions here are JoJo's feelings for Jordan, but whenever I see them together, it doesn't feel like a couple in love -- it feels like a girl who has an enormous crush on a guy that's just not that into her. And I think JoJo, on some level, can feel it too, which is why she keeps seeking validation from Jordan that his feelings are real. I'm not saying that Jordan doesn't like JoJo, but I think he's still in a place of "this girl is hot, I'd date her for a bit" but definitely not smitten or "in love" the way he claims to be -- and the way JoJo clearly feels with him.

Ha, should we just call him Jordan Catalano from now on? 

Quote

 

If I was meeting the family of a guy I liked, I would actually appreciate not having mom, dad, the siblings and spouses all eyeballing me for 4 solid hours across a dining room table, with no opportunity to take a break from the interrogation.  Not enough wine in the world for that!!

A casual, outdoor gathering with other shirt-tail relatives & friends would afford a few opportunities for the couple to take a beat without being rude to anybody.  I was a fan of it, as it seemed less pressure on everybody.  And the sisters/female friends could subtly compare notes on JoJo's sleaze-wear and stringy hair without being so obvious.  

 

Agreed. I would take a large picnic where I could dip in and out of conversations over a small dinner table with a family staring at me any day. 

[kingshearte]

17 hours ago, MakeMeLaugh said:

Among everything else on his resume, Hot Luke is a musician who actually lives in Nashville--these are "hometown" dates, not necessarily "where I live now" dates. Personally I would rather see "where I live now" dates.

I agree. Learning about where someone came from is nice, and is certainly worth exploring at some point in a relationship, but if the idea is to try and get a sense of how you might fit into each other's lives, it makes no sense to ignore where they live now. I'd much rather have the opportunity to see a prospective partner's current home, how he's decorated, what kinds of books he has, if he has pets, than to see how his parents live. And I'd love to see more people bring their friends into this mix, rather than just family. The people someone chooses to spend time with can also be revealing, and friends often pull fewer punches about what they really think than families who often just really want to see their kid happy. That's why I think the ones where they do still live in the same town they grew up in are often more interesting, because they have not only roots to show off, but actual current connections, and friends do sometimes make an appearance. I realize the logistics of all this are more challenging when you have someone who does not live in their hometown, and you have to sacrifice one or the other, but I too would rather they sacrifice the grew-up-in town in favour of the live-in-now town.

[OnceSane]

52 minutes ago, ljenkins782 said:

Ha, should we just call him Jordan Catalano from now on?

Noooo!  That is an insult to both Jordan Catalano and my 15 year-old, My So-Called Life-loving past self.  

[saber5055]

Okay, kingshearte, you just made me fall in love with Luke. Lucky woman who has the man you described in her life. (Hint: It ain't me.) And speaking of Luke, he was my fav from the start since I'm all about horses and ranches, and I'd love to have a man who shared my passion for that life. But he's so wooden, he finally smiled this episode (and has shockingly white teeth). But he'll never be next Bach with those bow legs. Ha ha! He did say this ep that he lived in Nashville, so there's that, but I haven't heard on tv yet that he's a musician, I just know that from here. I'm also disappointed we never got to see the parents' house. It sorta looked like that picnic was in some park somewhere that had a log cabin on it.

Of the four guys left, I guess Chase is the best for next Bach, if we gotta pick from this group. The "I don't know if I can fall in love because of ... yada yada" is a good set up for next season. Still, how hilarious would it be for Chad as next Bach? And I mean TB Chad, not JoJo's Chad.

[Soobs]

19 hours ago, MakeMeLaugh said:

Among everything else on his resume, Hot Luke is a musician who actually lives in Nashville--these are "hometown" dates, not necessarily "where I live now" dates. Personally I would rather see "where I live now" dates.

I didn't realize that as I watch this show while I'm working out, I tend to miss some details. And actually Burnet is not terribly far from Austin. Still though, Jojo has her eye on DWTS or an infotainment reporting gig. Maybe Luke could move to LA, although country music isn't that big out here. I wish we could see these discussions and also Luke's apartment. Does he pick up his socks? Does he change his sheets regularly? Does he have a house full of weird pets? The type of things could make or break relationships are interesting to viewers.

Edited July 22, 2016 by Soobs

[lavenderpenguin]

22 hours ago, saber5055 said:

Of the four guys left, I guess Chase is the best for next Bach, if we gotta pick from this group. The "I don't know if I can fall in love because of ... yada yada" is a good set up for next season. Still, how hilarious would it be for Chad as next Bach? And I mean TB Chad, not JoJo's Chad.

Pretty much. Chase is the only one left of the four that I'd personally tune in for. Robby is just... off. I don't find Luke particularly attractive and Jordan is obviously her F1. So that really leaves Chase as the only option, unless they're willing to reach further that F4 for their choice. I liked Wells a lot, but I know that TPTB would not be into that, no matter how popular he might be, since he doesn't fit the stereotypical Bachelor image.

Edited July 23, 2016 by lavenderpenguin

[Nowhere]

I'm going to be honest and say that I'll tune in no matter who they choose for The Bachelor. There's something oddly satisfying about hate-watching. 

[tvaddict247]

On 21/07/2016 at 3:32 PM, kingshearte said:

I know she's all "word of affirmation!!!" but I feel like Luke is the kind of guy who will tell you a zillion times a day that he loves you by handing you a coffee the moment you emerge from the bedroom in the morning, making sure there's gas in your car, picking up your favourite candy when he happens to be somewhere that sells it, doing your least favourite chore even though he hates doing it too, presenting you with a bowl of carefully separated out orange gummy bears (OK, that one may be from my own life, but everyone has some sort of equivalent), etc. And if you can't hear the "I love you" in those things and need to constantly demand that he verbally reassure you about his feelings all the time for you to believe them, then this is probably not the right relationship. I don't know. I guess it just seems to me like if JoJo doesn't hear the exact wording she expects, she just doesn't hear the sentiment at all.

By golly this post is the best thing I've seen and read from this season!

[Nowhere]

I guess Mojo JoJo thought it was cool when she watched Ben cry and say he sent home a woman he loved at the final rose ceremony so now she wants to do the same thing. Do we really need an exact repeat of Ben's season? Maybe since Ben admitted falling in love with two contestants, we can look forward to every bachelor/bachelorette doing the same damn thing. Or maybe they can one-up and fall in love with three or four. And then eventually somebody can fall in love with everyone who steps out of the limo. JoJo is just trying to outdo Ben on the dramatics scale. 

And btw she better have a damn good reason for playing Chase in the fantasy suite. 

Edited July 24, 2016 by Nowhere

[leighdear]

2 hours ago, Nowhere said:

And btw she better have a damn good reason for playing Chase in the fantasy suite. 

The only reason she has for everything she does: Jordan

[MakeMeLaugh]

Don't they always play someone (usually two people) in the fantasy suites? Is Jo supposed to demand the show end halfway through if she has feelings for only one person by then? I really don't think this season is much different than any other, and after all it's just a dumb reality show (that I love watching)--Chase (and everyone else) knew exactly what happens on this show (many baches show up, hearts are broken for most, dramatic rose ceremonies and ea h is the hardest thing the Bach(ette) has ever done, etc., etc.) when he signed up for it. There are no surprises this season.

Edited July 25, 2016 by MakeMeLaugh

[jumper sage]

Ok this is how I am going to do the last episodes of this horrible season:  Skip Monday and come her for your posts, which is much more entertaining.  I will watch Tuesday for I love the cast-offs tell all.  Then I am out.  I could really care less.

[alexa]

I am in the camp of Luke's date was a bit overwhelming.  I think it is a bit much to throw someone into a situation where they are meeting so many people at once without much warning.  That is just not for everyone, and you could tell how much more comfortable Jojo was when it was just the smaller family together.  I guess on the other hand if Luke wants to know if a woman is right for him, he should continue to have this as a sort of first date type thing--he can quickly weed out those that don't really care for his day to day lifestyle.

[Lamb18]

I finally saw this yesterday and I felt the Rodgers family acted in very poor taste by airing their family conflict on national TV like that. I can't explain it, but it was just nasty to me, as if his being successful and famous makes it OK to stab him in the back publicly. It's not really about Aaron; it's about them feeling like losers compared to him.  The empty chairs was really a cheap shot. The only thing that would have made it worse is if Luke and Jordan wore Vikings jerseys and there was a picture of Bud Grant on the wall.