S10.E02: 19 Bachelors Peacock

[Tara Ariano]

Nineteen bachelors move into the mansion. Andi takes a contender on a one-on-one date that involves an afternoon at the beach and a helicopter ride to a mountain; and another solo date involves an excursion to Santa Anita Park. On the group date, 14 of the men are asked to strip for charity. Sixteen bachelors remain after the rose ceremony.

[Rhondinella]

Am I supposed to understand the title and I'm just dense?

[Bugs Meany]

Peacock as in "to show off to attract a mate."

[Rhondinella]

Ah.  Never heard that used as a verb before.  Thanks.

[ramble]

Peacocking. In the Bachelor world I'd take that as "whip 'em out & compare". Wait, maybe that's more Bachelor in Paradise. This show is about finding true love, your soul mate, the one. I take it back. Forget dick rulers & bring on the roses!

[Armchair Critic]

All I see is Grumpy Cat when I look at Andi with her downturned mouth.

[FlyingEgret]

Did I mis-hear the enthusiasm level or were the guys more excited about the house than Andi when Chris welcomed them the first morning. I felt it was a percusor for the rest of the show.

[TiredMe]

Craig was way too interested in Josh's awesomeness. Good move Andi. I think Nick was guilt by association.

Seriously though, that stripping was so embarrassing. Cringe worthy. Wish we could have heard from the other girls too.

Chris was laying it on think about falling for Andi on his first date. And how difficult it was to watch Eric talk about his future.

Edited May 27, 2014 by TiredMe

[Alapaki]

Andi, y'all realize that we saw y'all on Juan Pablo's season and never heard y'all utter the word "y'all".  Don't y'all?

[sidekickgirl]

Y'all, I can't believe she gave Mackle-much-more a rose. He just stickers out like a sore thumb amongst the other guys.

Also, Eric is breaking my heart with his niceness.

[Armchair Critic]

Andrew looks like Campbell Scott (he was in the movie Dying Young with Julia Roberts)

Edited May 27, 2014 by Armchair Critic

[JudyObscure]

Stop!  No, really, Andi, stop.  I don't mind the "y'alls" because I know that's how southern people say you plural and Andi's just letting the guys know she's talking to all of them, but I really wish she would stop telling them to stop because I keep thinking she really means it.

 

Craig needed to go just for initiating those hugs.  I think men should let the women do that.

 

Andi is growing on me.  I like having such an articulate Bachelorette, plus I thought she looked gorgeous on her horse racing date.

[Adeejay]

Chris, the farmer seems like a decent guy.  I found the scenes with Eric heartbreaking. 

[PetuniaP]

I will admit that Andi is growing on me as The Bachelorette. She's not quite as beautiful as I would have preferred and the only reason that matters is that when the men tell her she is beautiful/gorgeous, it takes me out of the show a bit wondering if they mean it. But she's coming off as someone with a brain which has been sorely lacking on this show. I loved her conversation with Eric, she listened, seemed genuinely interested, and asked the kind of follow-up questions that are designed to get to know these men. Very refreshing. She also comes across as very open to discovering feelings with many of these guys which is also refreshing. It has to be difficult not to just gravitate to the ones you feel immediate attraction to but I do feel like Andi is giving everyone a chance. My qualms with her are that she:

 

a)says "stop it" waaaay too much. It's an extremely annoying verbal tic and I already want to slap her for saying it and we are 2 eps into the season

b) is prone to the dramatic. How many times can she say "What is going on?" when she realizes Craig is drunk and causing a ruckus. That's what's going on, Andi...some dude had too much to drink. There's no mystery there.

c)makes very unattractive faces. She seriously needs to stop turning down the corners of her mouth. It does her no favors

 

Josh M and Chris the farmer seems way too in love too early. I think they are brainwashing themselves into thinking they are in love with Andi and I hope she can see through that rather than getting swept up into it and making a major mistake. My frontrunners are Marcus (so hot!) and Nick V.....I'm already seeing sparks. Looking forward to seeing who else emerges from the pack.

 

I couldn't help annotating Eric's conversation in my mind during his date. When he said he would never outgrow making sand castles on the beach, I thought...no, you never will. When he said that he wrote to his parents while in Syria telling them goodbye, I thought, good, I'm glad you had a chance to do that. When he said there are so many things that he wants to do now that he will stop doing when he has kids, I thought...I'm glad you lived your life to the fullest. He seemed to be a great guy and I'm glad they are choosing to air his scenes but tough to watch knowing that they were some of his last moments. I guess we are all very alive until we aren't.

Edited May 27, 2014 by PetuniaP

[ramble]

Initial impressions: (1) it's hard to watch Eric be so sweet & awesome. (2) Andi needs to stop it with the stops. I say y'all but not every 20 seconds so stop it with that too. (3) Andi has a fascination with showing off her boobular area & it isn't working. Her wardrobe sucks. (4) Stupid drunk guy isn't even a fun drunk guy. How disappointing.

Kiss count: 2 (Chris & Josh)

ETA: Andi's perma-frown in beginning to make me twitchy. I may need medication by the end of the season. It's especially apparent when she's got her special, deep-thought listening ears on.

Edited May 27, 2014 by ramble

[leighdear]

I didn't notice Andi's lack of y'alls in last season because I don't remember her verbally interacting with anybody but Juan Pablo. No reason for her to say y'all to him.  But I live in the South, so I don't notice when anybody says y'all.....*LOL*

 

Chris is a real sweetheart, but I can't keep my eyes off Josh & Marcus. 

 

I also think Andi has a very natural conversational style with the guys.  I'm enjoying the talks she's having with them so far.

 

Craig is definitely the cautionary tale for all contestants.  You WILL be remembered for being an out-of-control goofball.  He at least seemed like a nice guy.

[Madding crowd]

I'm liking Andi more than I thought I would but her y'alls and stops have to stop. Chris seems really cute and nice and Josh is handsome but his blinding white teeth are putting me off just a little. Hate to say it because I know he died, but Eric just leaves me cold. He seems way more interested in adventuring than getting to know Andi.

 

Thought it was funny that drunk Craig (is that his name?) seemed more into Josh than Andi. 

[GuiltyPleasures]

Y'all, I think she's girl-next-door gorgeous and her rose ceremony dress tonight, the black dripping with crystals, is smoking hot.  Course I'm part pack rat so anything sparkly draws my attention and make me want to stealth-snatch it and hide it under my bed.   She has great hair and I like her smile.  She's both intelligent and articulate, y'alls notwithstanding.  I hate this show.  I hate all references to "...here for the right reasons" and "I'm falling for...".  Why I watch this bullshit with such hatred in my heart makes me feel like I should get into therapy but having to admit that I'm watching The Bachelorette would be way too embarrassing.

[WhyDidIWatchThat]

Gotta love how easily Andi glossed over her breakdown at being asked to do something much tamer on The Bachelor.

[Superpole2000]

Andi has a fascination with showing off her boobular area & it isn't working.

 

So true! As a guy who loves breasts, even I was turned off by that. It was just an uncomfortable amount of exposure. Andi looked infinitely better when she showed up for the horse racing date. That style really works for her!

 

I was also uncomfortable watching Eric doing and talking about his outdoors/exploration activities...the same activities that killed him. I just wanted to yell out, "Don't do it! No more extreme sports!"

 

The stripping group date was awful. If I had been appointed that date, I would have just said, "No thanks...have a good life." Apparently these guys are much more narcissistic than I am.

[Jodio]

Okay, I brought my all my snark with me from TWoP, so here goes: Eric really pissed me off. I know I shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but I've been on the train to hell for a long time. First of all, nothing is more boring than being spoke at by a world traveller who will never let you forget that he's a world traveller. He really was pretty humorless and not a great conversationalist. And then when he told his story about Syria, I went from annoyed to enraged. There's healthy risk-taking and then there's just plain stupid. Going into a country ravaged by civil war so that you can check a country off your list is absolutely ridiculous. Even worse was posing as a journalist to get out of a quagmire of your own making. That's an insult to all the fine war correspondents who risk their lives for an actual purpose other than to feed their own egos. Jackass. RIP.

 

Note to all contestants: you're not a hero for "not settling" when you're in your twenties and thirties and all shiny and unjaded. Nobody plans to settle, but when you get tired of drama and you want to have children, regular worry-free sex, etc. sometimes you're stuck with whoever's left standing. Not everyone in this world finds their perfect soulmate [/sarcasm], but people still want to partner up for other reasons. And I can't believe this 42-year-old singleton non-settler is now defending the settlers. This show is not good for my mental health, obviously.

 

So far, I'm really liking Andi. She's a good conversationalist and I can overlook all the y'alls and stops for now. Good call on ditching the drunk, too. As a seasoned dater, I can tell you that anyone who gets that drunk early on when they're trying to impress you probably has a drinking problem and is testing the boundaries to see what you'll put up with.  

[legaleagle53]

I couldn't help annotating Eric's conversation in my mind during his date. When he said he would never outgrow making sand castles in the beach, I thought...no, you never will. When he said that he wrote to his parents while in Syria telling them goodbye, I thought, good, I'm glad you had a chance to do that. When he said there are so many things that he wants to do now that he will stop doing when he has kids, I thought...I'm glad you are living your life to the fullest now. He seems to be a great guy and I'm glad they are choosing to air his scenes but tough to watch knowing that it was some of his last moments. I guess we are all very alive until we aren't.

 

This.  It is so tragic to watch this guy who was so clearly full of life and love and had so much to offer and to live for, all the while knowing what ultimately happened.  I wonder what went through Andi's mind when she learned about his tragic death and what she felt while watching the 1-on-1 date unfold.

So true! As a guy who loves breasts, even I was turned off by that. It was just an uncomfortable amount of exposure. Andi looked infinitely better when she showed up for the horse racing date. That style really works for her!

 

I know what you mean.  I'm a gay guy (thanks for the group date, by the way, Andi!), but I kept thinking, "Put the girls away, Andi -- you're really not impressing anybody!"

[FireFoxy]

Andi has the hugest bitchface ever. She makes DeAnna's look like a permanent smile. I don't like her at all.

 

Eric is so, so sweet. 

 

Seeing Sharleen reminded me how much I wanted her to be The Bachelorette. 

[maryshelley]

 

I couldn't help annotating Eric's conversation in my mind during his date. When he said he would never outgrow making sand castles in the beach, I thought...no, you never will. When he said that he wrote to his parents while in Syria telling them goodbye, I thought, good, I'm glad you had a chance to do that. When he said there are so many things that he wants to do now that he will stop doing when he has kids, I thought...I'm glad you are living your life to the fullest now. He seems to be a great guy and I'm glad they are choosing to air his scenes but tough to watch knowing that it was some of his last moments. I guess we are all very alive until we aren't.

 

My husband and I had a very similar conversation while watching the show. He seems like he was a nice and interesting person, and it is very sad to watch, knowing what we know but he doesn't.

 

I am liking Andi much more than I expected. She really does seem to do a good job putting the Bachelors at ease, and has made a few funny comments. I'm also liking her clothes and make-up. (The lowcut dress not so much, but I thought her gowns and the racetrack outfit were gorgeous. She wears clothes well). And I'm from Texas, so I didn't even notice that she said y'all. If I was in her shoes I would be saying y'all constantly because that's just how you address a group of people.

 

Good job on cutting the drunk guy loose. He actually looked surprised! No, really, dude, you were charming when you were drunk and being escorted off the property by the production crew.

 

That Chippendales-type group date. Yuk. I was trying to imagine it if it was a date on the Bachelor with the sexes reversed. We would all cry foul if the women were being asked to pole dance and have a bunch of strangers put money in their G-strings while the Bachelor and his friends from past seasons whispered "Check out her rack!" I don't think the men should have to do this either. I really don't like the "get naked or you're not a good sport" dates. Just because it's for charity doesn't mean it's not objectifying and embarrassing people.

 

Nice to see some familiar usernames on this forum!

Edited May 27, 2014 by maryshelley

[legaleagle53]

That Chippendales-type group date. Yuk. I was trying to imagine it if it was a date on the Bachelor with the sexes reversed. We would all cry foul if the women were being asked to pole dance and have a bunch of strangers put money in their G-strings while the Bachelor and his friends from past seasons whispered "Check out her rack!" I don't think the men should have to do this either. I really don't like the "get naked or you're not a good sport" dates. Just because it's for charity doesn't mean it's not objectifying and embarrassing people.

Yeah, that to me just points up one of the biggest differences between men and women.  it's true that a stunt like that on The Bachelor would raise all kinds of hell with the viewers, but it won't raise so much as an eyebrow here because men don't generally mind being considered sex objects -- hell, most of us think it's a compliment, which is why we have a hard time understanding why women get so pissed off when we make sexually charged comments to them that sound perfectly innocent to us.

[threebluestars]

That group date was all kinds of awkward, but the guy grinding on Chris until he slapped his ass had me rolling so hard it was worth all the cringe.

 

I'm glad she cut Craig despite his propensity for drunken drama - I'm shocked the producers didn't make her keep him, but you could tell the minute she saw him acting a fool that he was gone. He seemed wired even after the rose ceremony - very spastic facial expressions.

 

It's hard watching Eric talk about his future knowing he died so soon afterward.

 

Marquel ... that was a lot of pattern, dude.

[chocolatine]

That Chippendales-type group date. Yuk. I was trying to imagine it if it was a date on the Bachelor with the sexes reversed. We would all cry foul if the women were being asked to pole dance and have a bunch of strangers put money in their G-strings while the Bachelor and his friends from past seasons whispered "Check out her rack!" I don't think the men should have to do this either. I really don't like the "get naked or you're not a good sport" dates. Just because it's for charity doesn't mean it's not objectifying and embarrassing people.

 

 

I was thinking the same thing watching it. Since when is getting naked the only thing that can be done for charity? Since TPTB already went to the trouble of bringing in Sharleen and Kelli, it would have been a lot more entertaining to have them talk to the guys and report their impressions to Andi.

 

I think Andi is gorgeous (speaking as a straight woman), but I agree that she would look better if she covered up a bit. Her group date dress was both short and plunging, and the rose ceremony dress had both front and side cleavage - too much.

 

So far, none of the guys have wowed me. Even Eric - I also hate to speak ill of the dead (hi, Jodio!), but his demeanor is too humble-braggy for me. All of the adventures/travel he brought up didn't seem organic to the conversation.

 

Andi has the hugest bitchface ever. She makes DeAnna's look like a permanent smile.

 

 

Did you see the shampoo commercial tie-in with DeAnna? I find her smile very fake and her speech so affected. At least Andi seems sincere.  

[Padma]

Okay, I brought my all my snark with me from TWoP, so here goes: Eric really pissed me off. I know I shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but I've been on the train to hell for a long time. First of all, nothing is more boring than being spoke at by a world traveller who will never let you forget that he's a world traveller. He really was pretty humorless and not a great conversationalist. And then when he told his story about Syria, I went from annoyed to enraged. There's healthy risk-taking and then there's just plain stupid. Going into a country ravaged by civil war so that you can check a country off your list is absolutely ridiculous. Even worse was posing as a journalist to get out of a quagmire of your own making. That's an insult to all the fine war correspondents who risk their lives for an actual purpose other than to feed their own egos.

 

I had to log in to give some support to this, bad as I felt about feeling this exact way, too. Did I miss how Eric's journey around the world was for a good cause? Originally, I thought it had a significant charitable aspect but (granted my attention waned) tonight the part I heard just sounded like an annoying self-aggrandizing vanity project.

 

I admit a location can add interest to an otherwise mundane activity (but I was impressed Martha Stewart "learned to play bridge in prison" so no wonder "roasting marshmallows over a volcano" would also momentarily impress.) However, overall, I found him really annoying. "Then I did this here... then I did that there....I'm so well travelled and so awesome...aren't you impressed that I've seen so much you hadn't?  For all his adventures, his story telling ability (ex: Syria) was just self-centered and annoying as could be.

 

I'm sorry he died (while parasailing--or something--somewhere abroad), but it doesn't keep me from finding him surprisingly boring on this show.

 

As for Andi, I didn't like her with Juan Pablo, but she's doing quite well here, I think. I've been astonished how she asks interesting questions and seems to get better conversations going than anyone else I can remember. She has an unusually handsome and seemingly quite nice and generally un-toolish group of guys, too. I'm surprised she said (elsewhere) that she would have only given her phone number to four of them.

 

I think that "I don't want to settle" speech over and over could backfire (remember Dez's season--that bachelor she wanted didn't want to "settle" for her). I was glad she dumped the drunk guy. (That song alone should have done it.) It's hard to imagine where the preview gets all the negative drama because so far the ones left all seem so pleasant and level-headed (frankly, the way I like it. No more Ashley-Bentley interactions, please!)

[backformore]

Since when is getting naked the only thing that can be done for charity?

 

No kidding!   That bugged me about last season, and it bugged me tonight.  I'm a charitable type of person.  I volunteer, I donate, I do walk-a-thons to raise money.  All with my clothes on.

 

Stripping for charity is nonsense. 

[Bugs Meany]

Another of Andi's verbal tics: saying "Whaaaaaaaaat?" to express disbelief.

Kelly looked much hotter last night than she did on TB.

Hated that Andi seemed to implicate all the guys in the Craig fiasco. She spoke to them and to us as if they too were guilty. And she made such a big deal out of nothing. A guy got happy-drunk, then annoying-drunk. He didn't take a swing at anyone and he didn't try to grope Andi.

I still liked Craig. He's immature and not ready to be anyone's husband but still an innocent, good-natured guy. His man-crush on Josh was kind of endearing. It's interesting: Craig was kind of in love with Josh, and yet I have no doubt that he's straight. There's a hero-worship thing that goes on between alpha and beta males. Unfortunately that usually happens in middle school, when some guys are still squirrely little boys and their peers are becoming men.

[JudyObscure]

A guy got happy-drunk, then annoying-drunk. He didn't take a swing at anyone and he didn't try to grope Andi.

Do what Craig did on Bachelor Pad and he'd be the star of the show. I didn't really dislike him until he seemed so stunned that Andi cut him -- I thought that indicated a guy who was used to messing up and then being instantly forgiven as soon as he acted cute and contrite.

I think Andi's going to be an interesting Ette. Partly because she does draw out interesting conversation from the men and partly because, as Bugs noticed, she can get mad all out of proportion to the offence. I hope the guys have been warned abut saying, "Okay."

[msburg]

I'll cut Eric a little slack on his conversation skills, because Andi kept asking him questions about his travels.  I would've liked to see him reciprocate just a bit and ask her to talk about her job or travels.  And as we finally got a chance to see some genuine interaction because the producers wanted to give Eric his moment, I was wondering how many wonderful conversations end up on the cutting room floor.  Why do we get stuck with the boring banalities and tired Bachelor clichés?   We may wonder why certain people are being kept, and it's probably because we never hear a lot of the good getting-to-know-you stuff.

 

And yes, the strip-for-charity was cringe-worthy, and I'm sure the producers are happy that Eric was not a part of that.  How could they make that date soulful and meaningful?

[leighdear]

I also absolutely adored the Chris Harrison lapdance.  But I adore CH, so.....*LOL*

 

I also wish we had more of Charlene and Kelly, in an advisory capacity.  

 

The stripping didn't bother me, since it didn't bother the guys much at all.  I'm sure they made them aware well before filming that something like that may be a part of the show.  Even the reluctant ones ended up getting into it once the women started cheering & throwing cash at them.  

[backformore]

Hated that Andi seemed to implicate all the guys in the Craig fiasco. She spoke to them and to us as if they too were guilty

 

Who was the other guy hanging out in the pool with Craig?   I wonder if he was egging him on to some extent, or was he trying to look out for him?   It was hard to tell.

I did not like that they had two Kelly and Sharlene on JUST to watch the strip show.  They were going to advise Andi on what?  How to pick your husband by his stripping performance?

 

ADDED -  I usually FF through the commercials, but one slipped in that looked like part of the show.  A Clorox ad.  Hilarious.  A woman wearing white shirt and white pants, walkingoutdoors  with one guy, and a group of other guys look one.   They see grass stains on the back of her clothes, and one guy says "Oh, he's so going to get a rose!" 

Edited May 27, 2014 by backformore

[waving feather]

I liked Andi on Juan Pablo's season but I find her really unattractive here. I think it's her clothes. I thought Desiree's styling while she was the Bachelorette was the best. Her dresses are often sexy but pretty and classy at the same time, while Andi's rose ceremony dress looked like she stole it from a show girl. Stop, Andi. No, really, STOP wearing all those ugly dresses.

[Lamb18]

Andi's black date dress: it reminded me of Stacy and Clinton's advice on showing skin - if you want to show chest, cover up below, and if you want to show a lot of leg, then cover up above.  That dress showed too much.  The green dress at the race track was beautiful.  I liked Chris, too.  I missed the part with Eric because my satellite goes out if a cloud looks at it, well, we had a thunderstorm, so I didn't get to see the show until the guys were rehearsing for the Chippendales dance.  I think, in general, the guys are a pretty good group this season, except for drunk guy.  I'm glad Andi cut him.  I was hoping she would cut Mr. Opera Singer - he's definitely on to show off, while I definitely think Sharleen wasn't.  (Opera guy: if you are serious about your career, being on The Bachelorette will not do one thing for it, not even singing on the TB will do anything for it.  Getting out there and working and adding experience to your resume is what does something for your opera career.)

[Etta Place]

Craig's singing "apology" just seemed like the kind of things guys like him do to avoid having to give a sincere apology. If I were Andi, I might have forgiven him if he'd put the guitar down after that and said "Okay, now a real apology," and given one. Although, no, the hug-wanting and facial expressions were off-putting enough on their own. But in theory, an actual apology would have made some sort of difference at least.

[SallyAlbright]

I liked Andi all season with Juan Pablo until her overly aggressive and obnoxious exit. I didn't think it was necessary to be so confrontational with him, but I'm sure producers egged her on knowing she would probably be the next lead. Anyway, I like her much better so far here. She is much more relaxed and sweet, letting the guys talk and joke without interrogating them. Her wardrobe needs some help, but I thought she looked amazing on her date with Chris in the green dress and with her hair up and parted to the side. I think it's the middle part she normally wears that is unflattering on her. As for the episode, it was high in terms of the cringe factor, but still funny. I don't see why anyone ever needs to strip for charity, but I guess, as others have mentioned, that Harrison getting a lap dance makes up for it somewhat. 

 

So far, Eric, Josh, Chris, Marquel and Marcus are my favorites. It is really tough to watch Eric, I find him to be really sweet and interesting, though perhaps maybe not quite ready to settle down. Still, it's so tragic to see such a handsome and talented young man who had so much ahead of him. I hope his family got all of the footage of him on the show, as it must be nice (but also sad) to see what he was doing while he was away and spend a little more time with him, so to speak. 

 

Josh is definitely confident, possibly bordering on arrogant, but I can't help but like him. Andi is definitely smitten and seemed very happy that he called her out for stereotyping. Craig's man crush on him was also hilarious. Chris is also adorable, just genuinely sweet and seems like a real gentleman. I also think he looks a lot like Matthew McConaughey, especially when he smiles. If he grew his hair out they could definitely pass for brothers! Marquel is hilarious and has a great smile, but his outfit tonight was distracting. No idea why there are two episodes next week, but I'll take it. I wish we had Carl the hot but silent firefighter for another week though! 

Edited May 27, 2014 by SallyAlbright

[truthaboutluv]

I still liked Craig. He's immature and not ready to be anyone's husband but still an innocent, good-natured guy.

 

 

My problem with Craig is that he came across as somewhat of a functioning alcoholic. I don't think there was a time when Craig was ever not drunk or at least tipsy. Seriously, he's the one that "started the party" in the season premiere and it was clear he was downing a lot then and if you watch the scene when the date card for the group date arrived, dude was clearly tipsy. And that was what, mid-day?

 

Then he apparently started drinking from the strip club (which really ABC - the 8-10 p.m. hour and we have strip shows going on as a path to finding love? I have to say I have never considered going to strip clubs to find my future husband but that's just me) though he claimed that was to calm his nerves for the performance, so he was already loaded before the night portion of the date. And then even at the rose ceremony, when he was giving Andy his apology, dude sounded and looked tipsy and slightly smashed to me. 

 

So personally, for me, it is one thing for someone to party a little too hard and get wasted but when you're intoxicated, no matter how slightly, what seems like every minute of the day, you have a problem. 

 

And she made such a big deal out of nothing. A guy got happy-drunk, then annoying-drunk. He didn't take a swing at anyone and he didn't try to grope Andi.

 

 

What irritated me the most is when she kept saying, "omg what is happening, what is going on" and then in her talking heads, multiple times repeating, "I don't know what's happening, what's going on..." Like seriously, it's not rocket science. One of the guys got drunk and was acting stupid. 

 

Pleasantly surprised to see Sharlene show up as I was always convinced throughout Juan Pablo's season that she accidentally got dropped off at the Bachelor mansion and kept waiting for her ride to come pick her up. But she looked beautiful as did Kelly. I don't imagine we'll see Andi's BFF from Juan's season, Nikki, what with that whole awkward JP/Nikki/ABC & The Bachelor mess. 

 

Who was the other guy hanging out in the pool with Craig?   I wonder if he was egging him on to some extent, or was he trying to look out for him?   It was hard to tell.

 

 

I'm pretty sure that was the Nick who got eliminated as well and I'm pretty sure he was just trying to keep an eye on Craig or calm him down somewhat but maybe Andie saw him in the pool and thought he was drunk too and engaging in the mess too and it didn't seem like they had a lot of one-on-one time. 

 

I have to say, seeing Eric is not as weird as I thought it would be. I guess if I had to pick a word for it, I'd say it's bittersweet. But I don't feel freaked out watching him knowing that he's dead now and I think the show's done a good job so far of handling the whole situation. With his having the first one-on-one date, there was simply no way to completely edit him out. So they just showed him as he was - happy, full of life and hopeful. And in an odd way that's kind of comforting. 

 

Andi's black date dress: it reminded me of Stacy and Clinton's advice on showing skin - if you want to show chest, cover up below, and if you want to show a lot of leg, then cover up above.

 

 

That's always been my motto when it came to wearing tight clothing as well. If I'm wearing a tight-fitting shirt, I go for free-flowing pants or skirt. If I'm wearing a tight pair of pants, tight skirt, I go for a loose-fitting shirt. 

Edited May 27, 2014 by truthaboutluv

[Bugs Meany]

My problem with Craig is that he came across as somewhat of a functioning alcoholic. I don't think there was a time when Craig was ever not drunk or at least tipsy.

 

There's some of that, and also some regular ol' insecurity.  He's a spaz (and he knows it), surrounded by a dozen chiseled alpha-male types.  Some guys think (mistakenly) they'll fit in by being the "wild and crazy" one, as if they're all characters in a frat movie.  Despite his profession of love for Andi, clearly his #1 concern while in the house was being accepted by the other guys.

[Adeejay]

I also think he [Chris] looks a lot like Matthew McConaughey, especially when he smiles. If he grew his hair out they could definitely pass for brothers!

 

Chris does bear a striking resemblance to a heavier Matthew McC.  He is so much fun to look at.   I hope he is around for awhile.  Marquel is either color blind or has no sense of style.  Given the timeline of the show, it's not a spoiler that Eric was eliminated fairly early after receiving the first one-on-one. I can't help but wonder what went wrong between them, so quickly.

[Tara Ariano]

Here's Stephanie's post on the episode!

[backformore]

The past few years, we've been seeing on TV - on The Bachelorette and other shows - the short, tight-fitting dresses in bright colors that are SO short and SO tight, women can hardly walk, sit, or do anything other than pose.  I'm happy that andi isn't wearing that style.  Her bright green dress was beautiful, with the fuller skirt, very daytime elegance.  

But the black date dress with the deep and wide necklline was just weird.  I guess since the guys had to show her 95% of their bodies, she owed them a peek at her boobs.

[lightbeam]

when he told his story about Syria, I went from annoyed to enraged. There's healthy risk-taking and then there's just plain stupid. Going into a country ravaged by civil war so that you can check a country off your list is absolutely ridiculous. Even worse was posing as a journalist to get out of a quagmire of your own making. That's an insult to all the fine war correspondents who risk their lives for an actual purpose other than to feed their own egos. Jackass. RIP.

 

I'm not fully comprehending his job and why he does what he does (errr, did what he did), but I was shocked when he said he went into Syria under the guise as a journalist.  It was just appalling!!  He was extremely lucky at that time that nothing happened to him (RIP Eric. My intention is not to mock the dead).

 

I like Andi more than i thought I would, but I find myself waiting for her intelligence to shine through.  Perhaps they are not showing it, but obviously there are some really engaging questions you can ask about Syria (for instance) instead of the concept of one putting oneself in harm's way if they have a family. That's a legitimate question, for sure, but I guess I'm expecting....more from her.  I am looking for her to be articulate and wise and all Im getting is..."ya'll....stooooooooop!!"

 

Plus, she overeacted the the drunk dude. Minor annoyance, but keep on keepin' on. The drama was unnecessary.

[JenE4]

Did I miss how Eric's journey around the world was for a good cause? Originally, I thought it had a significant charitable aspect but (granted my attention waned) tonight the part I heard just sounded like an annoying self-aggrandizing vanity project.

 

 

Yes! Exactly! At the beginning of the date, I was thinking he's a pretty good catch. By midway through he was grating on me, and then by the end of the date, I just hated this pompus jerk who proclaims that he's good at everything. Granted, I suppose this could be the in memorium "good edit" in which they threw in EVERYTHING noteworthy that he mentioned about himself and his travels. There could have been 10 hours of footage in which he genuinely asked Andi about herself and talked about things that aren't "on his resume." But the way it was edited, it just screamed There for the Wrong Reasons* that he's self-promoting his web site/video/or however the hell he's making money from this. I mean, Chris Harrison has even told us his web site, so--hate to say this about someone so tragically lost in the prime of his life--but it worked. [cringing to avoid the lightning bolt]

 

*Right/Wrong Reason counter to date: We got one Wrong Reasons accusation from Andi worrying that Craig--and by association everyone else--was there for the Wrong Reasons. And Chris saying he's here for the Right Reasons.

 

Speaking of Chris... He seemed sweet. I don't think I could picture Andi as a farmer's wife like milking the cows or baling hay or like...um, do we know what kind of farm he has? But he seems sweet, and he's handsome. And I adore that he picked the bowtie. I do believe him that he's there for the Right Reasons, despite that per Bachelorette history those who maintain that they're there for the Right Reasons are statistically** more likely to be there for the Wrong Reasons. **Unscientifically supported

 

Wrong Reasons Craig was, wow, annoying the entire episode. He seemed COMPLETELY smitten with Josh. The guy could not stop gushing about him. I'm surprised Andi didn't send him home on the group date, but perhaps the producers whisked him out of there so quickly that she didn't have a chance. (And who was the producer with the jaunty scarf? What happened to Elan? Was that him singing on the Chris date?) I also don't understand why she started Wrong Reasoning all of the guys. Granted, we did see many a scene of awkward silences on group dates on Juan Pablo's season, so perhaps she has this impression that the suitors should sit in silence until they're summoned for their turn. The guy was drunk and annoying. I think this particular guy may have been more there for Josh than for Andi, but no need to freak out about it.

 

I can't believe that she sent that hot firefighter home. Now, granted, I don't really know anything about his personality, but he looked so hot in those glasses during the rose ceremony. Surely some of those other guys should have been cut first, no?

 

Not sure what I think about Josh. He's handsome, but I think he's working the charm with fake nervousness. I think he could be a frontrunner though. I liked the teacher (forgot his name); he was sweet and cute. Still loving me some Marquel--including his outfits...oh, and lack thereof on the group date.

 

Edited to add: I truly hope someone gives Andi a "Stop with the 'stoooop"!" speech like her "It's NOT 'Okay'!!!" We weren't annoyed by the it's okays until a few weeks in. I'm already annoyed with her stops!

Edited May 27, 2014 by JenE4

[Kbilly]

Who was the other guy hanging out in the pool with Craig?   I wonder if he was egging him on to some extent, or was he trying to look out for him?

 

I thought it was the personal trainer himbo in the pool? I couldn't believe she kept him and the opera singer and axed the firefighter! Maybe she doesn't like tats bc I think the firefighter had a few. He also had hipster glasses but I could overlook that.

 

Tall Patrick and the basketball coach looked great in the strip show. Did it seem like the basketball coach had a black eye or something?

 

Craig loooved Josh! When Andi was talking to the group he even had his hand on his shoulder. When he sang his ill-advised song, he said he drank too much Firefly--isn't it Fireball?

 

The old married couple at the track was shamelessly planted. "How long have you been together?" asks the adorable old man in an adorable hat.

[sidekickgirl]

I feel like the conversation between Andi and Eric was more one sided with him telling stories of his travels because TPTB wanted to show Eric talk about what he loved and show him before he life was cut short.  I would hazard a guess that there was much more to their conversations from Andi's side that they chose to table.

[Bella]

I think TPTB are trying to err on the side of showing Eric in a positive light. It's occurred to me that he could have been very blatant about promoting his documentary and that they were going to run with that storyline until he died, at which point they decided to soften it. Still, I'm glad they left in the Syria story, because it does show that there were cracks in the veneer, so to speak. I suspect that when Andi eliminates him, it will be clear why.

[violetr]

I have to say, seeing Eric is not as weird as I thought it would be. I guess if I had to pick a word for it, I'd say it's bittersweet. But I don't feel freaked out watching him knowing that he's dead now and I think the show's done a good job so far of handling the whole situation. With his having the first one-on-one date, there was simply no way to completely edit him out. So they just showed him as he was - happy, full of life and hopeful. And in an odd way that's kind of comforting.

 

I like this point of view and I wish I could share it. It was just extremely hard for me to watch that whole segment - I thought it would never end. I couldn't quite bring myself to fast forward through it but I did look away from the screen a lot, especially whenever Eric talked about his future. I'm so glad I've never fallen for a risk taker. 

 

What happened to Eric was the fault of nobody associated with the Bachelor franchise, but I admit that if I were Andi, I'd be up all night wondering if Eric would still be alive if I'd kept him on the show. It would be pointless, but survivor's guilt is a weird thing. 

[truthaboutluv]

Speaking of, according to her PEOPLE Magazine blog, Andi said she didn't watch the segment with her date with Eric because it was too hard.