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Can’t Fight This Feeling
Another Bachelorette season come and gone…and do you know what this means? This is the last time I willfully choose am forced to stare at Ashley’s face…that is until I pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly bearing her face on the cover with the inevitable headline - “Why J.P. left me for my sister.” I want my eleven weeks of life back. And my liver.
We are still in Fiji this week, and Ashley’s family has flown in to join the fun and meet the potential son-in-laws. Ashley greets them with an overdose of squeals and shrieks which immediately caused my left temporal lobe to shut down. The only thing/person I really took notice of was Ashley’s colorful sister Chrystie, whom I slightly remember from Ashley’s hometown date last season with Brad, but something was different this time…a new tattoo? A bigger ego? Or did she just take the whole bitter divorcee thing up a notch? Ashley wastes no time filling her family in on the two final “guys” with the excitement of a pre-teen with her first crush: should she go for passionate J.P. or funny boy Ben? Her sister, who clearly is taking in Ashley’s excitement with minimal interest, chimes in and sets the tone for the rest of the show: “I do hope I like them,” she says. Or what? You’ll ink yourself again with another angry koi fish?
The first lucky guy to meet Team Hebert is J.P., who greets Ashley with progressing crow’s feet and a fresh head shave. They arrive at the temporary Fijian residence where Ashley’s family is residing. Before they can finish a meal together, Sister Chrystie starts her interrogation. ”Does J.P. make you laugh?” This is a tough question for Ashley, and she can’t answer it. Instead, she redirects the question back to him. ”Do you make me laugh?” Hmmm, I’m pretty sure you just answered that question. Chrystie takes note of this and proceeds to sum up their entire relationship: “I don’t think he’s the one for you…I don’t see it.” This sends Ash into hysterics, crying out “But you haven’t even talked to him yet!” Yes she did, for about 7 whole minutes.
Sis decides to be fair and take J.P. aside and break the harsh news: as far as she sees it, he’s not the one. He refrains from hurling a right jab into her jaw and instead shoots her a cynical smile. “I was totally not expecting that,” he says. But wait, there’s more. ”I told [Ashley] I felt like I saw more of you when you brought Brad home,” says Chrystie. Why don’t you just cut his balls off and throw them in the Pacific? I appreciate an honest woman, but this chick is nothing but a pissed off man-hater which begs the question: what exactly did her ex-husband do to her? Drink her stash of Pabst Blue Ribbon? J.P. is now doubting Ashley’s feelings toward him and she doesn’t do much - actually nothing at all - to reassure him. ”I think I just need to figure it out.” What you mean is, you need to let your sister figure it out.
The next day before Ben gets his turn to take a few hits in the battlefield, Ashley decides to enter the war zone once again with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Chrystie continues to slash Ashley open with her heartless judgement, but Ashley won’t be defeated this time: “You’re being such a bitch!” It’s at this point I realize I’m watching the most thrilling moment of the entire season. I’m mentally egging them on, praying for a girl fight…and once again, like every other impending yet unfulfilled climax this season, I’m left hot, sweaty, and unsatisfied.
After Ash has a chance to cool off, she suits up for round two with man candy Ben. In an attempt to make up for the lack of humor yesterday with J.P. and prove something to her sister, she overcompensates and makes an asshole out of herself. ”What do you think, was this what you expected?” she spats at her sister as she waves her hands around in the air sarcastically. ”Party! C’mon, let’s have a party!” Ben is wondering the same thing I am - is this girl off her meds? Ashley is not ready just yet to deboard the fun bus and insists that Ben join her in a live performance of dog-speak. Ben basically impersonated Gollum from Lord of the Rings while Ashley screeched out a high-pitched noise that sounded like a baby choking on a whistle. Sister Tattoo smiles joyfully at this embarrassing display and nods her head in approval. Yes, this is love.
The next day Ben gets his final date with Ashley and last chance to lay his love on the table before the big day. Ash surprises him with the most original mode of transportation ever featured on the show…a helicopter! I doubt he saw that one coming. They are dropped off by a filthy puddle to take a “healing mud bath.” Understandably, Ashley jumps on the chance to slather that hot piece of meat in goop and then reciprocates the same erotica to herself. I’m pretty sure her own hands were on her body more than Ben’s were, which isn’t a good sign. Remember his rejection to give her a sunscreen rubdown? Same situation, different substance. Later that evening, cleaned up and mud free, Ben finally musters up the courage to drop the L word to Ashley but looked clearly uncomfortable saying it. Is it a lie? Or are you sitting on a hemorrhoid? Guess we’ll never know…
J.P. gets his time with Ashley which surely he’s been eagerly waiting for after her sister destroyed his confidence. He vents his frustrations while Ashley defended the ink queen and failed to reassure him, but I can’t remember if there was a resolution because I was too distracted by J.P.’s loud yellow shirt. He dropped the L word and that seemed to patch things up for the time being. Later in the hotel room, J.P. presents Ashley with an unfilled photo album and tender love note professing his desire to fill the book with memories. I temporarily melted to a puddle on the floor with Ashley but quickly snapped out of it and drowned my shame with a glass of wine.
Finally…the big day has arrived. Let’s get this over with, shall we? The plane arrives, someone steps out…we see shoes, the shoes of a man about to become the next Bachelor. It’s….Ben. He’s smiling, she’s not - we all know what’s about to go down except him, and I feel guilty about it. She half-attempts to speak first but he won’t have it…he’s too excited to propose. And…she let’s him. He’s down on one knee, and all she can do is pull him back up and say “I’m sorry…” He storms off while she waddles after him looking like a pink sequined ostrich losing it’s feathers. “Ben…” she whines, and then comes my favorite: “You are one of the most interesting, smart, funny”… Interesting? At this point, that is not a compliment sweetheart. You would have done better to compliment him on his shoes. You screwed up - big time. I hope that every time you buy a bottle of wine you curse yourself for being such an idiot.
So J.P. it is. Ashley is first compelled to share her love with him: ”I’ve been wanting to tell you how much I loved you for so long now… I don’t want to be with anyone else but you forever.” Forever meaning…38 days? She gets her second proposal of the day, gleefully accepts and we are sent away from this three-month torture festival with a classic hit from REO Speedwagon. Thank you, producers, for summing up the hell you’ve put us through with an irrelevant 80’s love song. That was like a pickle on top of an ice cream sundae, confusing and unnecessary.
Judging from After The Final Rose, I’m going to say that these two kids are going to be one of the lucky couples to make it. And when I say they’re going to make it, I mean they are going to make it difficult for me to keep watching this ridiculous show. But…of course I will.
It all starts again with Bachelor Pad next week! See u back here to talk about it!~