S01.E04: My "Brother" William

[Tara Ariano]

Nine women remain, and one of them uncovers an intriguing photo in Sir's room, which leads to speculation about his identity. Among the dates undertaken are a yacht cruise down the Thames, a horseback ride and badminton on the estate. Meanwhile, one of the ladies questions her desire to remain in the manor.

[Toaster Strudel]

Badminton?  Count me in!

[Rhondinella]

Well, so much for my theory that they were intentionally using the wrong title for Prince Harry as a way to avoid charges of impersonating a royal:  the preview for next week clearly shows Kingsley saying that he is "Prince Harry of Wales" which, if I'm not mistaken, is the correct title (or style?--always mix up those two).

 

I've only done some quick Googling, but I can't turn up anything that tells me whether impersonating a royal in order to deceive people (not like, on a TV show or movie where people know you're not royalty) is illegal in Great Britain or not.  Does anyone have any insight into this? Any Brits out there who can shed light on the topic?

 

I did find one interview that Matt gave in which he said something about how impersonating a royal is a treasonable offense, but I guess he must have been joking, right?  I mean . . . right? 

[Toaster Strudel]

Number 1 in the list of questions no one will ever ask me: "do you play polo?"

 

That was the worst badminton ever.  The net was not regulation.  There was no court.  FakeHarry was playing in flip flops and he didn't know how to handle a racket.  In fact, no one did.  The rackets looked like they came from a cheap garden set.  It's an outrage!!!

 

Square Face Kelley feels like a genius because she was the first to be fooled by Fake Harry?  Not only did she bang her head on the boat, but she was diving under the net for the shuttlecock (or whatever that substandard widget was), and shoveling more horse manure than all the other girls!  I quite like her, I hope he boots her off soon to lessen the duration of her public humiliation.

 

I felt sorry for Chelsea.  She was being bullied by a moron and an alcoholic.

 

FakeHarry seems like prefer the brainless ones, even Ana Lisa, who is no rocket scientist, seemed to be overtaxing his brain cells, so back off to 'Merica she went.

[Sarah D. Bunting]

My thoughts on the episode!

[diva2themax]

Every time the square faced girl is on screen I cringe & shut my eyes. I'm so embarrassed for her oh em gee. It gets even worse next week wow. This is my favorite summer show by far. Full of cringe worthy moments, bitchy girls & some white eyebrowed guy macking on them all. Genius.

[LakeGal]

Yes, Matt's white eyebrows were really standing out to me this week.  I was wondering if the girls thought it was odd they were not red like his hair.  HD is not kind to Karina.  The close-ups of her chin really showed her acne. 

[backformore]

Such an odd show, I'm still trying to figure out the intent of the producers.  

Such a close parallel to The Bachelor, where women convince themselves that the B is providing a mansion, romantic gestures, fun dates, exotic trips,  private concerts, etc.  And the more they hear each other say how romantic and hot and sexy the B is, the more each woman convinces herself that he is worth competing for.  There's a weird sort of mass hypnotism going on. THey allow themselves to deny realilty they KNOW that the romantic gestures are all set up by producers, they KNOW that the B is not capable of arranging all these things, yet they allow themselves to be swept away with the fantasy.  

 

"Harry"  is an attempt to take this one step further, by having the "B" look like royalty.  So along with the mass hypnosis that he is handsome, rich, and romantic, he's also a royal celebrity -  one who might actually be able to provide a woman with a lifestyle of servants, horses, helicopter rides and fame.  Same as the Bachelor, only instead of "Handsome prince"  in quotes, the fantasy is of an ACTUAL PRINCE. 

 

And the women are made to look like fools.  On the Bachelor, they look like fools because they believe that he loves them, believe that they will be chosen above all others, believe the happy-ever-after ending.  On "Harry", they look like fools because, in addition to that,  they've also been duped into thinking that they are not just average-cute, regular women who might someday find love and get married, but that they are, in Meghan's words 'Princess material." 

 

weird and sad that in this day and age, women are still buying into the cinderella story of "Someday my Prince will come." 

[Kromm]

SO fake that the oh-so-unobtrusive cameraman left "alone" in the room with that girl knew EXACTLY when to zoom into her face to catch her expression and her intent to go after that fake photo.  It's not like they were both working from a script, riiiiiiiiiiiight?

 

To be clear I don't mean a literal script.  But she was definitely dropped a hint about what to do and timing ("if he goes to the bathroom, then....blah blah blah... and make sure you signal our cameraman so he can give you a nice close-up.").

Edited June 11, 2014 by Kromm

[PityFree]

That's it. They've stepped over the line for me. The show works best IMHO when they are NOT actively lying to the women. The mystery of who Not Harry is and their uncertainty made it interesting. The Photoshopped pic of Not Harry and William and next week's announcement by Jeeves (can't remember his name) are active lies.  Boooooo!

[Princess Sparkle]

the preview for next week clearly shows Kingsley saying that he is "Prince Harry of Wales" which, if I'm not mistaken, is the correct title (or style?--always mix up those two).

 

It's close to the correct style; the official style for his name is Prince Henry of Wales (since Henry is his given name), so they still aren't using the correct title.  I doubt any of the contestants know the difference, and it's probably technically enough away to skirt any legal issues.  At least they're getting closer, it was driving me batty in the first episode that Kingsley called him "Harry, Prince of Wales", since I'm sure that was a shock to Prince Charles, the actual Prince of Wales, and William, the future Prince of Wales.

Edited June 11, 2014 by Princess Sparkle

[fishcakes]

"I didn't feel Anna Lisa was completely genuine," said the oil spill worker who's pretending to be fourth-in-line to the British throne.

[BeatrixK]

Why do I get the idea that last night's boot was more for her not going along with the ruse than it was because of no compatibility?  I think the producers just told him to dump her to keep their plan in tact.

 

And yeah - calling him 'Prince Harry of Wales' is probaby how they skirt any british laws pertaining to impersonating royalty.  (Earlier poster was right...he's Prince Henry)

Edited June 11, 2014 by BeatrixK

[backformore]

Why do I get the idea that last night's boot was more for her not going along with the ruse than it was because of no compatibility?  I think the producers just told him to dump her to keep their plan in tact.

 

Absolutely!   They record every conversation, and the doubters are being plucked out like weeds. 

It's a trainwreck I can't look away from.

[ShaNaeNae]

Him being Prince Henry, as the given name is something I never knew. I'm no royal trivia buff, but thought I knew enough and was surprised I never knew this. Why the change from Henry to Harry? That's going from bad to worse.

 

Please Karina, knock off the Teen Mom Chelsea way of speaking. "OH MY GAWWWD-UH!"  Also, I'm half Mexican, half Irish like her...why can't I look as good as she does? Very pretty girl.

[ddawn23]

Him being Prince Henry, as the given name is something I never knew. I'm no royal trivia buff, but thought I knew enough and was surprised I never knew this. Why the change from Henry to Harry? That's going from bad to worse.

Harry is the standard nickname for Henry, like Bob for Robert, Jack for John, Dick for Richard, and Bill for William..  No need to be a royal trivia buff to know that.  

[Skittl1321]

You know, the opening credits made me think today- why would Matt think any of these girls would stay with him if he isn't Prince Harry.  I mean- would you want an overseas relationship with someone you don't know? Because none of them know Matt, they know a character.

 

 

(I didn't know Harry was a common nickname for Henry. I've never known a Henry who went by it, or a Harry who was actually a Henry. I just knew Prince Harry was actually Henry.)

 

 

Also, Kelly (? The curly hair southern girl) is WAY too into this guy being Harry.

Edited June 11, 2014 by Skittl1321

[Kromm]

You know, the opening credits made me think today- why would Matt think any of these girls would stay with him if he isn't Prince Harry.  I mean- would you want an overseas relationship with someone you don't know? Because none of them know Matt, they know a character.

The answer is that he doesn't (think they're going to stay with him). If he's not directly reading a script, at the very least he's answering some leading question that was asked of him virtually containing the answer they expected to hear within the phrasing of the question.  That's what these shows do.

 

"Matt, do you think about if you'd like the girl you pick to stay with you once she learns you aren't Royal and don't have wealth or influence?  And Matt, please remember our rule of answering in a full sentence--don't just say yes or no!  Thanks, Matt!"

 

Someone would have to have the IQ of a codfish to think the girl would stay with him.  And it doesn't even depend on the question the show is about.  It's because HE LIVES IN A DIFFERENT COUNTRY!  Oh, did we forget that?  I'm sure Matt hasn't.  I'm sure the girls haven't--and only assume that if he's actually some rich guy he could afford to move them to the UK and support them (since it can't be assumed they'd be able to get a job in another country).  Except even if he WAS a rich guy, most of these folks have probably seen reality shows before too--which is part of why they should know they're being tricked but more importantly should know that even if everything is on the level that relationships made on shows like this virtually always fall apart about 5 seconds after the final take of the show, whenever the "winners" look back at their real lives.

[Charlesman]

I am going to give Matt/Harry the benefit of the doubt, and instead blame the editors, who overlaid the audio of him saying "There's London Bridge coming up" during the helicopter ride with video of them flying over the commonly confused Tower Bridge. Going to guess a Brit knows the difference and the editors just assumed Americans are dumb.

[ShaNaeNae]

(I didn't know Harry was a common nickname for Henry. I've never known a Henry who went by it, or a Harry who was actually a Henry. I just knew Prince Harry was actually Henry.)

 

Thank you, me either. Knew John/Jack, Margaret/Peggy, Richard/Dick and a few others that kind of don't make sense (and Robert/Bob that you hear frequently of course), but never knew Henry/Harry.

 

 

Also, Kelly (? The curly hair southern girl) is WAY too into this guy being Harry.

 

I know, it's crazy, huh? She's probably picturing herself at a reunion show where the host tells her, "Kelley, you are the winner because you never doubted, not once, that this man is Prince Harry. You kept the faith and are now rewarded as Harry being your boyfriend! How does it feel?"  Poor thing, just wants to love and be loved. She will do whatever is necessary to make sure she's the perfect girlfriend and wife. She's probably already picturing herself going on double dates with Bill & Katie (Will & Kate), sharing a wardrobe with sis-in-law Kate and babysitting Baby George.  Poor Kelley.

 

And Megan cracks me up to no end, but what is with her calling him "babe"?  I guess she has to call him something since they were never really given a name, but babe?

[Kromm]

And Megan cracks me up to no end, but what is with her calling him "babe"?  I guess she has to call him something since they were never really given a name, but babe?

Like everything she does, it's amusing.  It really seems like she took a Master Class in Reality Shows.  I don't for a moment believe that she actually believes that stuff about how "Sir/Babe/NotHarry" secretly is sending her signals.  She's saying it in the Talking Heads... because she can.  Because she knows she's there to give them material.

[Toaster Strudel]

I think Kelley would make a cool princess.  Please someone get her out of there fast.

[Padma]

And Megan cracks me up to no end, but what is with her calling him "babe"?  I guess she has to call him something since they were never really given a name, but babe?

 

I've been wondering how they could go so long with not having anything to call him--thinking "time for a nickname"--and that wasn't even close to any of my choices. She really made me laugh with "babe". How can they go so long without a name to call him ("sir" would be out from the beginning)?

 

This has been fun mindless entertainment but if the preview is right, I may stop watching. Telling them he really IS Prince Harry--especially after all the weeks building up "Is he/Isn't he"--so they really WILL believe it now--is all kinds of wrong. Granted, these girls don't have the mental equipment to do any kind of independent assessment of this, but I think it stops being fun at that point. (Don't they even know Harry was a soldier in Afghanistan? Kind of stops being so funny when you say this dim bland guy really IS the Prince of England.)

 

Also, I cringe every time he takes off his shirt. All of the women are more tanned than he is. I usually don't notice those things so he must be really really pasty white for me to say "ick" in spite of a nice physique. Even one of those "tanning creams" would have helped him look better on camera...something! I liked that they included one of the girls comments about it.

 

But it stops being fun when he's going to just start lying to them.  Who would "want him for himself" after knowing he'd do that?.

[Eolivet]

The show works best IMHO when they are NOT actively lying to the women. The mystery of who Not Harry is and their uncertainty made it interesting. The Photoshopped pic of Not Harry and William and next week's announcement by Jeeves (can't remember his name) are active lies.

 

It wasn't photoshopped, right? It was just a picture of Harry and William. The guy in the picture looked beefier and more...ginger than Matt is.

 

I understand this view, but on the other hand, I think stepping up the charade actually may make the contestants look better. It's one thing to believe the guy is Prince Harry just based on putting together clues and convincing yourself it's the truth, but if you're flat-out told he is, then you can't be faulted when it turns out he was lying. I'm of two minds about it now. The show is less "Let's point and laugh at the stupid women" when they are being actively deceived (instead of the show giving them just enough clues for the women to talk themselves into believing the ruse). It puts the onus on the show for outright lying to them vs. the onus on the contestants for believing what they wanted to hear.

 

But I agree with those that say the show could not have tipped their hand more when the most gullible got the Crown Suite and the skeptic got the boot out the door. Especially as the show was escalating into these more obvious lies. They couldn't take the chance that any of the contestants wouldn't buy what they were selling.

[ShaNaeNae]

It wasn't photoshopped, right? It was just a picture of Harry and William. The guy in the picture looked beefier and more...ginger than Matt is.

 

 

No, he said it was photoshopped. It was him photoshopped next to William.  It makes me just giggle thinking about it. How she just looks over and sees it, walks over, then DING! Lightbulb!

[Skittl1321]

I didn't see the "next time on..."

 

 

really IS the Prince of England

 

Do they actually call him the Prince of England? Because if that's the case, this show really is stupid. There is no title of "Prince of England" (or Queen of England, for that matter). That's just as incorrect as Prince of Wales, and shows misunderstanding of the title. Fine for casual viewers, but another mistake for the show that shows no understanding of how the monarchy works.  He's a Prince of the United Kingdom.

 

 

IF the show didn't call him that, and just the poster- I'm not picking on you. Afterall, I wouldn't expect you to research a post, the way I'd expect producers to research a show.

[PityFree]

I understand this view, but on the other hand, I think stepping up the charade actually may make the contestants look better. It's one thing to believe the guy is Prince Harry just based on putting together clues and convincing yourself it's the truth, but if you're flat-out told he is, then you can't be faulted when it turns out he was lying. I'm of two minds about it now. The show is less "Let's point and laugh at the stupid women" when they are being actively deceived (instead of the show giving them just enough clues for the women to talk themselves into believing the ruse). It puts the onus on the show for outright lying to them vs. the onus on the contestants for believing what they wanted to hear.

That's a good point - and a far kinder thing for the producers to be doing to the women. 

Edited June 11, 2014 by PityFree

[JenE4]

I assume they took and photoshopped that picture when they first dyed it. I think the issue is that the hair dye is already fading. He was a much darker ginger when they first gave him his makeover. Now it's washing out to his strawberry blonde. I'm surprised the girls haven't noticed, as it's changed since episode 1 to now.

 

Re the girls liking the real Matt once they find out: I wonder what Matt's personality is really like. Is he truly such a bore, or is he just extremely quiet because he's trying to be prim and proper? Real Harry is known to be wild--and the girls should know this about him. Moreover, so should Matt--and the producers. (I suppose they producers' answer to that was the twerking pool party, yet the limbo was more like a 6-year-old's birthday party.) Other than his rehearsed misleading speech at the end when they cut back and forth between the Crown Suite girl and the booted girl, I don't think I've heard him say more than 3 words together. If he was gregarious and engaging and could manage to show some of his REAL personality, I think it COULD be possible for one of these girls to fall in love with the real him and would want to be with him despite the premise (AKA lie). Maybe it's just editing, but so far we've only seen him give short answers about himself as Henry and then ask the girls about themselves. Granted, they all seem to be pretty self-absorbed so maybe somone who wants to just talk about me is a good thing. (shrug) I mean, I know he said to Katrina when sitting on the bed, "This is the real me"--I suppose as a clue like, when you find out that I'm not Harry, remember this moment that I'm being genuine with you. But he still didn't SAY anything to her. Ok. The real him is making out with her, but she's only making out with him because she thinks he's someone else. Katrina seemed pretty gung ho about out of all of the women in the world, a PRINCE would choose ME, but yet I doubt this professional-European-soccer-player-dater is going to be like, and out of all of the natural gas ditch diggers in the world, I choose YOU, Matt! Pffft.

 

I think Kelly might be the only one who might still want to date Matt. Surely there HAS to be a romance book out there a la The Notebook about falling in love despite mistaken identity. Although I'm sure the converse of "regular guy"  turns out to be a secret prince would be more likely. Yet, I bet if he was the slightest bit into Kelly, he could spin it as it's a REAL fairy tale because we found True Love in this romantic farce. She's eat up whatever fairy tale he could serve on a platter.

 

Maggie would be all, "Dude, you just blew my mind! Let's head down to the pub and laugh about this over some pints!"

 

Megan's dramatic face contortions would just cause her face to fall right off, and Matt would be left asking her skull, "So, is that a maybe?"

[backformore]

And Megan cracks me up to no end, but what is with her calling him "babe"?  I guess she has to call him something since they were never really given a name, but babe?

Meghan is the one who dated Jake Pavelka (Bachelor) in the past.  I think she's onto the whole thing and is just having fun with the concept.  If any of the women know he's not really Harry, it would be her.  I just get the impression that everythign she says, she's saying for TV and isn't taking this seriously.

[CorgiNarnia]

I died laughing that the "brothers" photo was reported by Karina to the others as "evidence," as though there is no technology whatsoever to doctor a photograph.

 

This show is really bringing out the air quotes.

[Luciano]

I didn't see the "next time on..."

I did and I could have sworn there was a shot of him crying and saying he just wanted to talk to his mother. If so, that's gross on a whole other level.

[PityFree]

I think it is kind of funny how Meghan hasn't been invited to the Clown Suite - especially since she deep kissed him and was playing footsie. Meghan is so aggressive that I think Matt is afraid of being assaulted and left weeping in the Royal Shower. 

[Kromm]

I think Kelly might be the only one who might still want to date Matt. Surely there HAS to be a romance book out there a la The Notebook about falling in love despite mistaken identity. Although I'm sure the converse of "regular guy"  turns out to be a secret prince would be more likely. Yet, I bet if he was the slightest bit into Kelly, he could spin it as it's a REAL fairy tale because we found True Love in this romantic farce. She's eat up whatever fairy tale he could serve on a platter.

To me Kelly seems the most likely to dump him of all of them. She's literally in love with the fantasy, and if we put ANY stock in the admittedly manipulated Talking Heads, is one of the few we've never heard say the approximate of "I don't care who he really is" (not that they have to be telling the truth when they say that, I mean--at the very least they're assuming he's still RICH no matter what his name really is).

 

And that's the key element.  For anyone without the brains of an eggplant, "Sir" being rich and being able to support them is the ONLY way this show works.  None of them can just up and move to England.  Even on shows like The Bachelor it's already a big (not often practical) move that one has to move across the US for the other--and it virtually never happens even when the show isn't faking the whole romance.  But here?  It's ALL fake.  They all know it except maybe Kelly, and Kelly simply assumes/hopes the guy will fall on love with her and actually pay for a new life for her in a new country.  

Meghan is the one who dated Jake Pavelka (Bachelor) in the past.  I think she's onto the whole thing and is just having fun with the concept.  If any of the women know he's not really Harry, it would be her.  I just get the impression that everythign she says, she's saying for TV and isn't taking this seriously.

If she comes out after the show is done and wiggles around any NDAs and manages to let us know that's the case, I will love her even more.  If these were normal people in a normal real situation where they live together or have an honest competition, she'd be despicable for much of her behavior.   But it's NOT those things, and she knows it, and WE know it, so it's kind of glorious.  At least until (I hope not) we get some indication that on-screen her is taking this too seriously (if it doesn't still seem to be an act, or goes over some line to ACTUALLY being cruel instead of mock-cartoon-cruel).

[legaleagle53]

Him being Prince Henry, as the given name is something I never knew. I'm no royal trivia buff, but thought I knew enough and was surprised I never knew this. Why the change from Henry to Harry? That's going from bad to worse.

 

That's historically been the nickname for Henrys throughout English history.  Henry IV was known as "Harry Hotspur" in his youth, if I remember correctly, and Henry VIII was also known as "Prince Harry" before he succeeded to the throne and married Catherine of Aragon.  Thus, if the real Prince Harry were ever to succeed to the throne, he'd be "Harry" no longer, but "His Majesty, King Henry IX."

[Eolivet]

To me Kelly seems the most likely to dump him of all of them. She's literally in love with the fantasy

 

Absolutely agree. She's a star...how can I put this politely...canoodler.

[Spencer Hastings]

Are we allowed to talk about the girls' Twitter discussions?  I know it wasn't allowed on that other board but Meghan, Chelsea, Maggie, Kelley, Analissa, and Andrea's twitter discussions could be an entire show.  Meghan doesn't particularly like Kelley and she's said pretty much everything said here.  It made me like her a little more and it shows me that she isn't taking this seriously at all!

[Kromm]

Are we allowed to talk about the girls' Twitter discussions?  I know it wasn't allowed on that other board but Meghan, Chelsea, Maggie, Kelley, Analissa, and Andrea's twitter discussions could be an entire show.  Meghan doesn't particularly like Kelley and she's said pretty much everything said here.  It made me like her a little more and it shows me that she isn't taking this seriously at all!

I have literally never said this about a Reality TV person of this type (the over the top putting on an act ones).  Meghan DESERVES to be a star.

[Padma]

Do they actually call him the Prince of England? Because if that's the case, this show really is stupid. There is no title of "Prince of England" (or Queen of England, for that matter). That's just as incorrect as Prince of Wales, and shows misunderstanding of the title.

 

Ouch, yikes and oops! Because that was my post and of course you're right (and I would have been more careful had I even read more carefully the preceding posts! --But...TWOPer here! I -did- read them, just not closely enough.) Fortunately, I'm now remembering how nice it is not to have one's gaffes televised.....

 

These women must have had to pass a test showing they know nothing much about the Royal Family. Maybe Matt, being British, could answer (or lie credibly) about any of their questions, but it would be kind of fun to see -them- try to trip -him- up. Because I don't get the feeling he knows much about the real Prince Harry at all (and having seen him row so embarrassingly--and dance so badly--should have been tip-offs for them, too.) Then again, buying into the idea that they are really twerking with Prince Harry--and its a great idea to do so--that was in itself pretty funny.

 

I guess they told Matt that they'd actually SAY he was Prince Harry but he's already so uncomfortable with it that it's hard to imagine him being natural when they all start calling him "Harry" (you know they will).

 

I'm not sure what the overall goal of this show is. To embarrass and disappoint the "winner"? To make Matt seem like a jerk? There's no way anyone is actually supposed to be "finding love" with a dull pasty Non Prince (who even knows himself, "they're way out of my league".) I don't see how it ends. (And yes, I did see Joe Millionaire --one season with the really, really angry contestant--I think the "winner" but I can't really remember).

[Skittl1321]

 

Thus, if the real Prince Harry were ever to succeed to the throne, he'd be "Harry" no longer, but "His Majesty, King Henry IX."

Well, assuming he doesn't pick another name altogether.

[seacliffsal]

I agree that they are booting the ones who aren't buying into this (good bye Anna Lisa...).  However, the most amazing transformation has been that of Megan.  She started out all skeptical but now is firmly on the 'he is a prince..' bandwagon.  I think it's because she's smart and by dating Jake (the Bachelor) she understands reality t.v.  And, if she wants to become famous, she needs to stay on the show as long as possible.  Therefore, she is now keeping the illusion going.

 

As for Matt, there is just something so slimy about him to me.  The show promotes the 'I'm hoping one of them will love me' aspect as that what legitimizes the deception (see?  all he really wanted was love....), and wow, do audiences fall for the love story.  He seems to just stare at the women-kind of giving off a stalker vibe.  He doesn't really engage them in conversations (always the superficial 'how are you feeling....').  Even if he really was Harry, I don't see any of these women wanting him.

 

Long term?  My prediction is that none of them would stay with him after the reveal.  And Kelley?  The mostest in love EVER....she would drop him in a hot minute.  She wants a prince, not an impersonator.

 

I actually have more respect for the real Harry in that this show doesn't even seem to be a blimp on his radar...

[Cramps]

I'm obsessed with this show, because I love the premise, but it could be so much better done. The butler and body guards look so cheesy. It's like they came from a seventies children's television show casting call. And Not Prince Harry is either too terrified that he's going to screw up to speak, or the most boring non-royal on the planet.

My favorite part of the show is the women trying to convince themselves he is Harry since he won't admit it--but they blow that next week.

I just so want the real Prince Harry to be watching this!

[backformore]

I'm obsessed with this show, because I love the premise, but it could be so much better done. The butler and body guards look so cheesy. It's like they came from a seventies children's television show casting call. And Not Prince Harry is either too terrified that he's going to screw up to speak, or the most boring non-royal on the planet.

 

RIGHT!  A better premise would be if they had Matt pretending he was someone else  - an ordinary guy, on a dating show, who couldn't reveal too much about his background beccause of "family concerns".  BUT CALL HIM MATT.  Then the producers  leave fake "hints"  that he might be Harry, letting the women gradually discover the clues and then the women put it together and come up with that conclusion.  Not outright LYING, actually telling the women the truth, but letting them convince themselves that he is royalty.   

things like - he's called away, but accidentally leaves a cell phone where they find it.  Do they snoop?   If so, they see pix of the royal family.  Stuff left in a desk drawer, documents, or in a room they can stumble across - so that the women would be snooping in order to find fake clues, and thinking they were discovering something he was hiding. 

 

Sort of Matt pretending to be Harry pretending to be Matt.   The "winner" is the girl who falls for the "ordinary guy", expecting him to reveal himself to be "Prince Harry", but no, he's just ordinary guy Matt, as he had said all along.  

[CeeBeeGee]

I am going to give Matt/Harry the benefit of the doubt, and instead blame the editors, who overlaid the audio of him saying "There's London Bridge coming up" during the helicopter ride with video of them flying over the commonly confused Tower Bridge. Going to guess a Brit knows the difference and the editors just assumed Americans are dumb.

 

I literally yelled that at my TV.  THAT IS NOT LONDON BRIDGE.  LB IS FURTHER UPSTREAM.  AND IS NOT MEDIEVAL AT ALL OR PARTICULARLY PICTURESQUE. THAT IS TOWER BRIDGE WHICH WAS BUILT IN THE VICTORIAN AGE.

 

 

That's historically been the nickname for Henrys throughout English history.  Henry IV was known as "Harry Hotspur" in his youth, if I remember correctly, and Henry VIII was also known as "Prince Harry" before he succeeded to the throne and married Catherine of Aragon.  Thus, if the real Prince Harry were ever to succeed to the throne, he'd be "Harry" no longer, but "His Majesty, King Henry IX."

 

HVIII (another Duke of York who succeeded to the throne, BTW!) was also known as Hal (Hal is another nickname for Henry).  Henry is a pretty common English name so lots of nicknames.  Fun fact--Diana wanted to name Harry John, after her father and a traditional Spencer name, but "they" wouldn't let her, as John is considered a bad luck name for the British royals.

[seacliffsal]

Backformore, I think your ideas are pretty brilliant.  It gets around a lot of the concerns that many have expressed and is really clever to boot!

 

I have also given more thought to what will happen at the final reveal (yes, I do have a life and other things to do....) and thought that maybe the young lady will stay with Matt for a while in order to take advantage of media and any other opportunities that may present themselves.  But after that?  It's all over....  After all, didn't Joe Millionaire's choice stay with him for a bit so that they could share $1,000,000?

[Eolivet]

RIGHT!  A better premise would be if they had Matt pretending he was someone else  - an ordinary guy, on a dating show, who couldn't reveal too much about his background beccause of "family concerns".  BUT CALL HIM MATT.  Then the producers  leave fake "hints"  that he might be Harry, letting the women gradually discover the clues and then the women put it together and come up with that conclusion.  Not outright LYING, actually telling the women the truth, but letting them convince themselves that he is royalty.  

things like - he's called away, but accidentally leaves a cell phone where they find it.  Do they snoop?   If so, they see pix of the royal family.  Stuff left in a desk drawer, documents, or in a room they can stumble across - so that the women would be snooping in order to find fake clues, and thinking they were discovering something he was hiding.

 

That's still too much "Let's point and laugh at the stupid women!" for my taste. Bold-faced lies are actually kinder than letting people's delusions take over. For example: "Joe Millionaire:" they told the contestants he was rich. So, it was more difficult to judge the contestants thinking they were dating a wealthy guy, since that was what they had been told by the show.

 

I also feel like a flat-out lie allows Matt to let more of his personality show through. I think he's so concerned with the "mystery" and playing up his "possible" identity that it's made him reluctant to talk much. If the show just went "Yeah, he's Prince Harry," then there's no guessing game -- and he can pretty much be himself (since his "identity" has been revealed). Then they can do the whole Joe Millionaire-esque "do they like him for his personality or his money/title?" I actually think the contestants' questions about his family/job/life of a royal would go away if it his identity was "confirmed." It would allow them to treat Matt like a suitor as opposed to a riddle.

 

(I do wonder if they originally wanted to do the reveal immediately, but quickly saw there were several contestants who weren't convinced and probably couldn't be convinced-- and those contestants had to go before the big lie was unveiled.)

[Kromm]

Wow, with the show canceled and playing out the rest online, I hope Meghan moves on to bigger and better (er... cheaper made but with less expectations, I mean) reality shows.  Where we can see her magic rubber face and over the topness preserved.

[FlyingEgret]

Meghan is the one who dated Jake Pavelka (Bachelor) in the past.  I think she's onto the whole thing and is just having fun with the concept.  If any of the women know he's not really Harry, it would be her.  I just get the impression that everythign she says, she's saying for TV and isn't taking this seriously.

If anyone can spot a fake it would be someone who dated Jake

Wow, with the show canceled and playing out the rest online, I hope Meghan moves on to bigger and better (er... cheaper made but with less expectations, I mean) reality shows.  Where we can see her magic rubber face and over the topness preserved.

Nooooooooooo!

[Rhondinella]

(I didn't know Harry was a common nickname for Henry. I've never known a Henry who went by it, or a Harry who was actually a Henry. I just knew Prince Harry was actually Henry.)

 

 

I think it's actually much more common in England than in America.  In the US I've never known a Henry to go by Harry either.

[Kromm]

I think it's actually much more common in England than in America.  In the US I've never known a Henry to go by Harry either.

The US has "Harolds" more than "Henrys" in recent generations, I think.  Maybe even some "Harrisons".  Both of those other names seem to lead to "Harry" in the US, and I suppose Henry, being more unique in the US, doesn't lend itself as easily to the nickname.

Edited June 13, 2014 by Kromm

[Rhondinella]

Yes, plus in the last couple decades in particular "Harry" by itself, as a non-nickname, has become very popular.

 

So, my question for the British contingent:  Does that mean Harry Potter was really "Henry" Potter?  Don't think that's anywhere in the canon, unless I missed it.