Monday, June 25, 2012

The Bachelorette: Emily's Season-- Let the Games Begin

Emily and the guys spent this week in the picturesque country of Croatia.

The first one on one date of the week went to Travis who revealed to Emily that he was engaged before. She sees Travis as really sweet and a good guy. They spent the day walking around and dancing in the street, yet despite that, Emily doesn't see romance and decides she cannot give Travis a rose.

Ari, Chris, Doug, Jef, John, and Sean go to a screening of Brave with Emily and then learn that they're going to have their own "Highland Games". Emily says that brave is doing your best and being your own man. She chooses Chris as the bravest, even though he lost every challenge because he tried.

After the games:
Sean tells Emily he has strong feelings for her; she tells him to keep his confidence.

Emily tells Ari, she loves being around him. He kisses her in the streets.

Jef gives Emily his jacket. He tells Emily that he feels that things could be really good between them. He says that before he kissed her, he was afraid to kiss her. They kiss and he says, I have a secret, I'm crazy about you. He even reveals to the camera that he is falling in love with Emily.

Emily ends up giving Chris the group date rose and tells him he is one of the kindest, sweetest, most handsome men that she has ever met.

Ryan, much to my chagrin, receives the last one on one date. He keeps referring to Emily as a trophy wife, this is annoying. He is being far too confident and when he gives his list of what he wants in a woman, he sounds totally wrong. Emily says the list makes her feel like she has to be perfect and she doesn't want to feel that way. She says that a family would be the most important thing on her list, and she is surprised with what is important to him. She sees so much in him, but she cannot give him a rose. As he drives off in the limo, he says he hopes that they don't portray him as arrogant (too late for that), but he is.

Ari shows up after Emily's date with Ryan. He reassures her that she made the right decision by sending Ryan home. He said he could marry Emily tomorrow.

Surprise of the night: John carries his grandparents funeral cards. Emily thinks there's more than meets the eye and saves him.

Before the rose ceremony ends, Emily, in a twist, leaves the rose ceremony to ask Chris Harrison if she can send no one home and give out an extra rose. Alas, she gets her wish, and the remaining men (Chris, Sean, Jef, Arie, John, and Doug) head to Prague with Emily.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Bachelorette Emily Goes Off West Virginia Style in London

Emily goes on her long awaited one on one date with Sean, and this week's dates are in London so they spend the day walking around the city. There is a lot of chemistry between Emily and Sean, and it's quite obvious that they like each others company. Sean tells Emily that good girls are hard to come by, and Emily says that Sean is the whole package, marriage material. Emily likes how passionate he is and how confidently he talks about love. Sean is already confident in what he and Emily have. Emily happily gives him a rose.

The group date takes place at Stratford Upon Avon where the guys perform scenes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet for an audience. Emily found Kalon unromantic (this is obviously some good foreshadowing)! She found herself more attracted to Arie. She says Ryan is the perfect Romeo which really surprises me. Is she crazy?

Following the performance, they go to a pub to grab some beers. Arie says that his time with Emily is always amazing. Arie and Chris discussed some comments that Kalon made about Emily and her daughter. Kalon basically referred to Ricki as baggage, and when some of the guys found out for the first time, you could literally see their stomachs drop. Kalon was then confronted by the guys and he refused to apologize for what he said or retract it.

Doug decides to tell Emily after conferring with the other guys, and when she finds out what Kalon said she says she just wants to go crazy. She decides she wants to confront Kalon. Upon confronting him, she told him to get the f*** out and that she most disappointing part in all this is that he was raised by a single mother himself.

Jef receives the second one on one date and he and Emily go to a tea room together. The two of them decide to ditch the etiquette coach at the tea room. They grab a couple of pints and some fresh fish and chips. Jef reveals to Emily that he did stick up for her and Ricki when Kalon said the things that he said. He and Emily toast Ricki and he says, if Ricki is baggage, she is like a Chloe handbag that I want to keep forever. Emily says Jef is probably the most difficult guy to read that she has ever met in her life. She says she is physically attracted to him but she needs him to show her that he is interested.

Jef and Emily go in the London Eye, and with a beautiful backdrop, they have a serious conversation. I think I'm in love with Jef; he says things in such a sincere way. He says he likes the girl she is, the mom she is, and the person she is. He says that he wants his love to also be his best friend. He kisses her and tells her it's the most anticipated kiss of his life. He tells Emily that he feels comfort when he looks in her eyes. She gives him a rose.

At the cocktail party, Emily says Ryan thinks he can get any girl and here she is falling for him. Then she spends some time with Sean and says he makes her feel taken care of and she loves being around him.

Alejandro is eliminated and Sean, Jef, Doug, Ryan, Chris, John, Travis, and Arie move on.

Monday, June 11, 2012

The Bacelorette Emily's Season: Bermuda Triangles

This week Emily's journey takes her to Bermuda. 

The show opens with single dad Doug getting the first one on one date of the week with Emily. He acts really nervous about the date and the guys kind of push his buttons which is really easy for them to do. The date finally arrives and they go shopping in Bermuda; the amazing thing here is that these two both have a child, but the similarities stop there. They have nothing in common other than that, and their chemistry is nonexistent. Emily begins thinking on this date that maybe Doug may be "too perfect" (good inclination Emily, your instincts are right on). Despite the fact that they seem to struggle through the date, Emily does give Doug a rose.

The guys race in sailboats for more time with Emily. The losing team is Chris, Charlie, Travis, and Sean, and the winning team is Ryan, Jef, Arie, and Kalon. Emily and Arie spend their one on one time discussing the flack he caught in the house after he consoled Emily at the last cocktail party. He says he wants to spend more time hanging out with her and they share a kiss.

Emily's one on one time with Jef goes really well because she sees for the first time that he is really interested in her. She had hoped he would kiss her on the beach, but he said he was trying to be respectful of Emily.

Emily begins to question Ryan's motives as well as some of the odd comments that have come out of his mouth. Ultimately, Ryan loses out as Jef receives the group date rose.

Meanwhile, the guys back at the house get into a discussion about how age isn't what makes you mature, it's your experiences and who you are as an individual.

Ahhh yes, the two on one date; how terrible! Nate is sweet, innocent, and perhaps a little bit too much. He sees in his parents what he wants for himself. John is older, has a quiet confidence, and doesn't need to be the center of attention like some of the other guys in the house.

Emily ends up choosing John to move forward and Nate is sent home.

At the cocktail party, Arie makes it clear that he is not a fan of Ryan, and does not feel he is there for Emily. Ryan says he is a "good catch" and is not worried about Arie. He is already petitioning to be the next Bachelor.

Moving forward: Doug, Jef, John, Sean, Arie, Travis, Chris, Ryan, Kalon, and Alejandro.

Going home: Nate, Michael, and Charlie

Monday, June 4, 2012

The Bachelorette Season 8: Emily Reaches to New Heights

Chris receives the first one on one date of Week 3; their mission, should they choose to accept it is to scale a tall building so that they can have dinner at the top. A thunder and lightning storm starts which frightens Emily, but she says she is comforted by Chris's presence. They finally reach the top where they.... high five? I found that weird, he could have hugged her at the very least, but a lot of them find themselves not knowing how to act simply because Emily is a mom.

The two of them discuss the intimidation factor when it comes to approaching someone they're attracted to. Emily tells Chris she wouldn't walk up to him in a bar because she would be too intimidated, whereas he says he would approach Emily because she would catch his eye. Emily is surprised when she realizes that Chris is 25, and I can definitely see how, stereotypically, age would be a factor for her. I think most people have a tendency to automatically assume that because someone is young it makes them immature but I think it is more about how an individual is raised and the experiences that they've been through. Chris seems to be very genuine though and Emily sees that. She gives him a rose and surprises him with a Luke Bryan concert. Chris says he respects Emily so much so he asks permission to kiss her; she says, why don't you try and you'll find out. Ultimately, they do kiss, and it ends with Emily saying it's one of her best dates ever.

The guys who receive the group date card are Alejandro, Alessandro, Charlie, Doug, Jeff, John, Michael, Ryan, Sean, Stevie, Tony, and Travis. This group date was actually a bit much in my opinion; it consisted of Emily's friends grilling each guy individually. Sean and Doug seem to be favorites of her friends. Sean says he wants a woman who is confident and knows who she is. Doug was raised by his father who died at a young age. He and his sister were split up and were in various foster homes. The time away takes a toll on Tony who begins missing his son to the point that Emily sends him home. Sean makes a great impression on Emily and she decides to give him the group date rose.

Arie receives the other one on one date of the week, and they go to Dollywood in Tennessee. Dolly Parton shows up at her date to sing a song that she penned for Emily herself. Emily says she is in love with Arie's personality, and that he reminds her of her fiance Ricky. Arie says that Emily has exceeded his expectations. The end up kissing and she gives him a rose.

At the cocktail party, Kalon is flat out rude to Emily. Alessandro sees having Ricki and Emily as a compromise in his life. What is wrong with these guys? She gives Kalon the benefit of the doubt (big mistake if you ask me Em!), but sends Alessandro packing faster than he can say ciao.

Arie continues to make a good impression immediately comforting Emily after what happened and they kiss again; Ryan sees green (envy) or is it red (anger)? Sean also continues to make a good impression reassuring Emily that he would be a great dad.

Stevie, Tony, and Alessandro are eliminated.