Sorry for the delay in this blog…crazy week. Let’s get to it!
We start this week heading to beautiful Puerto Rico…the place Courtney was sure to remind us last epi that she was at just a short two months ago. I wonder if that was while on vacation with John Tucker…
Alien lady apparently has a crazy sense of humor this week as she strolls in wearing a shirt that should’ve burst into flames the second she touched it:
Oh the irony. Nicki gets the first one-on-one date and is over-the-top excited. I really like Nicki, we just haven’t had a chance to really get to know her. Kinda like last season with Lisa and I. You all liked us, you just didn’t know it 
. I’m pretty excited to see Nicki and Ben together. The girls on the otherhand…well at first glance you’d think they were ticked off about Nicki getting the date but I’m pretty sure those looks are looks of confusion since the date card is in Spanish.
Nicki and Ben jet off on their date and I’m left with really only a few memories:
1- Nicki has horrible taste when it comes to nail polish
2- Nicki is one of those chicks that looks flawless without make-up and drenched. Hate her. But love her.
3- Ben should never wear a fedora.
At the end of the date I’m convinced Nicki should be amongst the few at the end. Ben was very interested in conversation with her and they open-mouthed kiss…something only reserved for special girls…and aliens.
On to the group date! This week everyone gets a date so whoever isn’t on the group date card gets the final one-on-one. Congrats Elyse. Not only was your reaction awesome (see below) but you did the annoying sorority-girl-run-into-old-friends-at-a-bar scream. If that’s not a recipe to be sent home I don’t know what is.
The girls head off to the group date and I realize the producers drastically got confused with date planning. This was supposed to happen last season and I was supposed to be on it. This date was MADE for me. As an avid baseball fan and former college softball player I.would.have.dominated. On second thought, it’s a good thing I wasn’t on a date like this. I would have verbally attacked every girl on my team that threw like this,
pitched a fit at every girl who swung like this,
and been highly disappointed if my bachelor wore pants like this.
Points for wearing stirrup pants (the way baseball pants are SUPPOSED to be worn) but massive negative points on the baggy pants. These girls get all dressed up for you, Ben, the LEAST you could do is wear some tight baseball pants to thank them. Trust me…that would’ve worked wonders in the feelings department for ya.
I love how competitive Blakeley was. Clearly she plays on the beer league team for the bar, I mean, classy club she’s a VIP cocktail waitress at. For those of you who were paying attention to the game, you may have noticed something that appears to be a little producer intervention. Ben tells us that the game was supposed to only be 2 innings long but they were tied so they went into extra innings. At one point we get this shot of the scoreboard:
If they played two innings and went into extra innings (which in the game of baseball means you play until one team is winning at the end of an inning) the game should’ve ended after the third inning with the blue team as the victors. And even if they played one more inning the blue team STILL should’ve won. I call shenanigans. Poor blue team. You better believe that if I was on the receiving end of some game manipulation I would have gone all Brian Wilson on them.
Here’s what I’m talkin’ about for those of you not up to speed on baseball happenings:
And by the way, Courtney saying “there’s no crying in baseball,” “rub some dirt on it,” and “walk it off” were lines that I bet were fed to her. She is so not a chick that would know sports lingo. And that smirk on her face tells me something fishy is goin on…
The end of the group date doesn’t really surprise me. Courtney is still doing her poor little look at me routine (although she is now admitting that Kacie B worries her) and Kacie B is still awesome…and gets the rose! Take that alien! Definitely fist pumped when that happened.
Final one-on-one of the week and Elyse “Who is She!” Personal Trainer is off with Ben on a yacht. Judging by two key things I’m saying this date goes downhill:
1- Britt from my season had this date and she was sent packing
2- ya see that little boat behind the yacht? I’m guessing that’s so Elyse can float on home when Ben gets tired of her.
Sure enough this date tanks. We don’t really see the date go wrong in any way but I’m guessing Ben had a pretty good idea that there wasn’t anything between them and just needed to give it the good ol college try to make for sure.
But the drama doesn’t stop there! We get Courtney “making good on her promise” and sneaking in to see Ben and go skinny dipping. Did you all notice how many times she “readjusted” her robe just so? Ben sure did.
My thoughts on this whole skinny dipping situation: I think it was pretty inconsiderate for him to do this. His instincts were that it was a bad idea. His reasoning was that he wanted more time with her. There are a billion things he could’ve done with her that didn’t involve THAT. At epi 3 when he sent Shawntel home his excuse was because it wasn’t fair to the other girls to bring her in. Yet he thinks doing THIS with Courtney is fair to them? Hmmmm. For his sake I hope the girl he ends up with (if he ends up with someone) is VERY forgiving.
Cocktail party rolls around and we see Emily get her second chance to chat with Ben. I was applauding her as she openly realized that she shouldn’t talk about other girls with Ben and told him that she learned her lesson. And then I facepalmed as she continued to rattle on and do EXACTLY WHAT SHE SAID SHE WASN’T GOING TO DO. I hate to say it because I love Emily but she is starting to drop down the ladder of top picks. This must be her Dook side coming out. Her Chapel Hill side would never let her do this.
Rose time and I am SHOCKED. I never thought Jennifer would be going home tonight, especially over Rachel and Blakeley. At the same time I do understand this move. I knew she wouldn’t make it far because she was too nice for this (that’s the only way I can explain it) and Ben realized how fragile she was. He did the right thing in sending her home before she became too invested.
Sitting back and analyzing the girls left I’m feeling like there aren’t any true, strong connections. I really want to see something stick out with Kacie B, Lindzi or Nicki but I don’t see this huge spark. I see the lust between Ben and Courtney but not seeing the substance needed to sustain a relationship. Granted, we don’t see everything and a lot is cut out…but I’m waiting for the sparks to fly for both parties involved!
Here’s hoping people start to fall in loooooooove 
I have asked this question to no avail many times, but I agree with you. A 2 inning game that is tied and then goes extra inning should have been won by Blue team. Why from 2 inning to 6 innings, no logic other than that is the first time Red had the lead. Does anyone hear “production”.
I heard an interesting subject matter from Jesse C and Richard M about the first night “final 4″. I also realize they have been out of contract with ABC long enough to discuss things the rest of you cant. However, with Ben’s “4″ it had to be production that is keeping Emily. So they kept Samantha an extra week, rigged a ballgame and kept Emily two weeks in a row.
And like so many of the castmates who are blogging and discussing(with the exception of Natalie who still thinks he is a good bachelor) I have also lost all remaining respect for Ben at this point. And as far as Courtney, keeping in the back of my mind how production can slant the viewers perception of a castmate(i.e. Michelle, who turned out to be a very nice person) Courtney does not stop with the ITM’s in her nastiness. She is non stop which was not the case with Michelle.
On The Ellen Show when pressured by Ellen, Ben said he wishes a mole would have told him what was going on in the house. WTH does he think Emily was attempting to tell him? And with that declaration from Ben it would seem he has seen the light and wishes he had sooner. Sorta sounds like they are no longer together.
You have experienced a WTA, so what do you think this one will be like. I’m thinking it will probably be the most watched episode of the season. Bring the body armor out. It will be interesting to see if Casey S has changed her perception. I think Vienna can now breathe easier that someone has dethroned her from her fomerly held status of Queen of the Vixen.
Marissa, thanks for taking your time to write these blogs. It is always interesting to have the input from someone “who has been there”.
The problem with this show and the Bachelorette is that it isn’t about finding love like it may have been in the earlier seasons but viewers continue to watch like it is. With Bachelor Pad and a chance at becoming the next bachelor or bachelorette, plus the small percentage of couples that are still together, there is a much better chance at fame than love.
This is a game and everyone knows what to do to keep playing. The Bachelor isn’t so much a show to find love, but a series of auditions for people looking to make money off of it.
Something needs to be changed before all the integrity of the show is gone.