Arie's back and so am I!

After an 18 month hiatus, I am officially back in Midtown.  In the past year and a half, I have experienced the most dramatic life season yet after welcoming my very own baby bachelor in April.  Several months have passed and I can finally stay up until 10pm (sometimes...).  This means I'm fully renewing my Bachelor Nation membership.

I won't lie to you.  I was less than excited to hear that Arie was this season's Bachelor.  Emily's season, in 2012, was one of my favorites but I was #teamJef all the way.  Arie and Emily would have never worked out although I'm convinced Sean and Emily would still be together if he had won.  But then there would be no Sean and Catherine and therefore no Samuel and no baby-on-the-way and fewer super annoying paid Instagram ads on my feed each day.  I have to assume that viewership is down and producers are trying to get back their uber-loyal Emily-era fans.  You win this round, ABC.

For those of you who didn't see Emily's season, this hilarious recap will tell you everything you need to know.  Wait...  I just found this photo...  was he dating Courtney?  Please say "no".

I will give Arie the benefit of the doubt and assume there will be a (shirtless) montage about how much he has grown and matured in the past five years.  My other prediction is that he's a total ego-maniac playboy and the contestants will collectively shed enough tears throughout the season to hose down a driveway.

There are 29 contestants this year and seemingly the most racial diverse group we've seen on The Bachelor.  I refused to watch Nick's season and missed Rachel's season due to a certain pesky 3 week old taking over my life and home.  From what I now know of her, I hope that Rachel paved the way for more girls who don't fit the historical Bachelor/ette mold. 

But enough with the pleasantries.  Let's get straight to judging a bunch of vulnerable women who are about to get their hearts ripped out on national television.

Here are the gals who made big impressions on me during the premiere:

Chelsea.  *sigh*  Do I have to? 

Will we all really have to deal with another girl like Chelsea?  She's already showing her Mean Girl colors and proving that she's not here to make friends.  She reminds me of Courtney from Ben F's season with a bit of Olivia from Ben H's season.  With Arie, she's playing the mysterious/sexy card but it's coming off as distant and cold.  She needs to be careful as some of the other girls will open up in a much more authentic way.  Girls who are this assertive so early are clearly acting out of fear and insecurity.  I almost punched the TV when Arie gave her that friggin' first impression rose.  She's nasty, everyone will hate her, she'll be around for weeks, she won't win and she'll never be the Bachelorette.  In the mean time, we'll all love to hate her and the casting team will all get raises.  Ew.





Caroline.  My instincts tell me she is too successful and too much of an alpha for Arie.  She also has horrible judgement.  How can you wear a white gown on the first night when you know that it will get dragged across the wet driveway when you get out of the limo?  Rookie move, Caroline.  Rookie move.










Maquel.  She initially reminds me of Lauren Bushnell (the winner of Ben H's season).  They have a bit of a similar vibe.  She made a massive first impression by entering in a race car.  She's only 23 but will go far. 










Nysha.  Although she didn't make much of an impression on me or Ben (she was sent home without a rose), the poor girl never had a chance.  She's a nurse and, everyone knows, girls in health care professions be crazy on this show. 





Tia.  Despite being from a town called Weiner and being the good friend of former contestant. Raven (Nick's season), Tia is one of my Final 3 predictions.  She has a great sense of humour and Arie seems so relaxed during their time together.  She should never wear a color other than emerald green as she was so gorgeous in her gown.


Kendall.  During her "meet the women" video, red flags were going off all over the place.  Her love of taxidermy combined with a song on ukulele about said love of taxidermy made me nervous,  I thought she was too free-spirited and confident for Arie and had serious Crazy potential.  I saw images of Ashley from Chris Soule's season.  Wasn't she convinced that aliens were going to come down and probe her?  By the end of the episode, my opinion of her really changed.  She seems much more down-to-earth than we were led to believe and she has a really authentic charm.  I hope we get to see more of Kendall in weeks to come.  Do I think she's a great fit for Arie?  No.  But I think she will make some great commentary about the crazies in one-on-one interviews. 

Bekah.  I'm confused by my own feelings for Bekah.  She's certainly buzz-worthy and stands out from all of the other girls.  The girl is playing with a wide open heart and it's inevitable that she will be completely crushed at the end of her "journey" with Arie.  Despite being a long lost Hepburn and an incredibly old soul, Bekah's age and vulnerability will be the nail in her Bachelor coffin.  She will probably also drive the other women crazy and, at some point, sneak out to find Arie and make out in the ocean.  The next day, she will see Arie making out with someone else and be found crying in the bathroom.  You heard it here first...



Marikh.  This girl is going to be trouble!  Despite being strikingly beautiful and a real go-getter, Marikh will prove to be too much for Arie (and the other girls).  I predict she will be group date material with some one-on-one time thrown in here and there but won't be in the top 10.







Krystal.  She certainly makes a strong impression.  My concern is for her heart.  This girl is as open and willing as they come.  She will fall fast and hard and leave completely heartbroken.  The other contestants will be intimidated by her confidence and she will struggle to fit in. 








Jenna.  "That" drunk girl of the season.  She will drink too much during group dates and completely botch her time with Arie.  There will be sloppy kissing followed by giggling and smeared eye makeup.  To be fair, it did look like her one-on-one time with Arie on night one was at about 4am.  She was all over the place.








Ali. I am still completely flabbergasted that Ali was sent packing without a rose on night one.  I actually had to go online and double check that she was, in fact, passed by at the rose ceremony.  I would have pegged her as a shoe-in for at least top 5.  Her time with Arie was minimal during the cocktail hour but she is a textbook "give her a rose anyway" type of girl.





Annaliese.  Not many girls could pull off the whole kissing bandit costume idea and a) not get completely ripped apart by the other contestants and b) prove to be seemingly normal and lovely after removing the mask.  Do you remember Ashley's season when Jeff didn't remove his mask for several days?  I'm already putting money on Annaliese being in the Final 3 and/or being the next Bachelorette.

At least half of the reason I watch The Bachelor/ette is to spend time with Chris Harrison.  He's the best.  I've said it before and I'll say it many many more times.  He. is. the. best.

Look guys, Arie is 36 so let's just get in there and send the early-20-somethings home to their social media management jobs.  Don't talk about Emily's season, don't make anymore wiener jokes and no more references to "closing the deal" (real estate" or "getting to the finish line" (racing).  Just stop.

I'm looking forward to seeing where this season takes us.  Please follow along and leave your comments/predictions below.  

(the morning) After the Final Rose

Do you ever wake up in the morning with a sense that all is right and just in this world?  Today, I did.  Despite sitting here in front of my computer screen for a good ten minutes, I cannot come up with one mean thing to say about last night's finale of The Bachelor.  All of the things I wished would happen did and everyone went on to live their lives happily ever after.  The end.

Now hindsight is 20/20 and, believe you me, I was faaaaa-reaking out during the entire finale episode.  I was so sure how all of this would end but watching Ben and the girls live through the decision making process was so stressful.  At one point, two of my girlfriends and I were just sending each other selfies of our scared faces.  One of us may or may not have been crying through the whole episode... I blame hormones.

Ben's opening monologue was the ultimate "What have I done?!" realization.  Now he's worried he'll make a mistake and propose to the wrong girl?!  ...  uhhhhh...  You know you told both of them you're in love and there's an entire camera crew with you and both girls will see this right!?  There's no undoing that.  It is literally archived for the rest of time.  At that point, he was in for a world of hurt regardless of who he ended up with.



How much do we love Ben's parents?!  They are so wonderful.  They have a gentle nature but aren't shy about expressing concerns while respecting that this is Ben's decision.  And check out Ben's dad's full head of hair!  That's a great sign of things to come for future generations.

Mom was not buying this "in love with two girls" thing.  That being said, both parents seemed very open to getting to know the ladies and gave Lauren and JoJo each a really fair shot.


Lauren is certainly the more polished and composed of the two women.  Her chat with Ben's Mom impressed me.  It is not easy for most to go to their future mother-in-law for relationship advice.  She earned some serious points with me when she asked Mom about how she could help Ben through hard times.  If I had a family member going as The Bachelor/ette or a contestant, I would be so concerned that the couple only gets to see the best in each other.  Their relationships have been so short and the experience is intensified by outlandish dates, a production crew and the nature of competition.  Being in a marriage or any kind of long term relationship is really hard work and learning how to get through the tough stuff is the most challenging, although rewarding, part.

When JoJo arrived at the Higgins' little vacation home, she handed Ben's mom an awkward little bouquet in a conch shell.  "Let me just put these flowers next to the massive bouquet Lauren brought for us..."  JoJo is a really nice girl and undoubtedly head over heels for Ben.  The main factor for me swaying toward Lauren is that JoJo seems to be more wrapped up in the glamour of love.  She talks about being with Ben like it's a fairy tale and this is her perfect love story.  Lauren comes across as more of a giver and JoJo is all about how Ben makes her feel and what he gives to her.

After JoJo's visit, I really felt for Ben's poor poor mom.  It took everything in her not to reach across the couch and shake him.  She was trying so hard to keep it together and let Ben be a big boy and make his own decisions but I mean... she burst out laughing when Lauren said that Ben seems perfect...  She knows Ben better than anyone and she remained so open and positive.  You could just tell in her interview after the visits that she was really hurting for Ben.

I'm never mad at Chris Harrison but it was really annoying that, right before every commercial break, he tried to make it seem like Ben was going to get married right then and there on After the Final Rose.  Ben's hometown pastor was really into that Bible...



Has anyone noticed that JoJo's parents could play Dr. Phil and his wife Robin on SNL?  Twitter was going crazy with speculation when Lauren's entire family was shown but only JoJo's parents- no brothers.  Personally, I assumed that it was really meaningful for Ben to have them as groomsmen since they hit it off so well at hometowns...  not.  Ben never wants to see those dudes again





As Ben tried to make up his mind as to who to propose to, one of his arguments for JoJo was that they had gone through really hard things together and withstood true relationship tests.  Ummm...  no- you really haven't.  The most serious hardship they had to face was knowing what to do after a table fell over when a helicopter, which was there to fly them around Vegas, landed too close to them on a rooftop.  That is not a hardship...

If I was Lauren during her last one-on-one date, I'd be panicking BIG time.  Ben was so off and giving her nothing.  He kissed her on the forehead about twenty times which is sweet if you're sitting around watching TV but not when you're a day away from getting either proposed to or dumped.  When a guy starts a sentence by saying "No matter what happens...", it's a terrible terrible sign.

At this point in the episode, I was stress eating popcorn by the handful.  I literally had more than ten pieces of it sitting in my tank top when I went to change for bed.

Didn't Ben and JoJo have that exact date already?  Waterfall, smooching, sitting on a grimy rock without a towel...  Both of them likely came down with bacterial infections after that chat.  At least JoJo picked a much more practical bathing suit this time.  Ben had such a heavy heart through both of those dates and wasn't able to relax at all.  JoJo must have had horrible thoughts running through her mind as to what Ben was thinking.  When she asked Ben to open up to her, he told her "It's exactly what you probably think".  Imagine if something is as bad and horrific as you have in your head?!

Ben was obviously putting his foot in his mouth BIG time.  Now he's keeping quiet and not saying anything?!  Last week he was confessing his love to any pretty girl that walked by and now he wants to worry about breaking hearts?!

Ben ended up completely friendzoning JoJo.  I feel bad for her because there is no way I would want any guy to see me crying on a bathroom floor unless I was going to marry them.  Some things are sacred and only for your girlfriends to see.  If a man can make you feel better when you're blubbering with your forehead on a public toilet seat and then speak to you again, marry him.  Trust me.







I hesitate to say that any massive diamond ring is ugly but Ben picked the worrrrrst one.  I'm a bit of a purist when it comes to jewelry.  I love my princess cut solitaire and wouldn't trade it for another piece of bling.  The one he chose reminded me of a big college football ring.  Both Lauren and JoJo are so girly that I wish he had something more dainty and pretty than big and in your face.  All of that being said, Neil Lane seems like a really stand up guy!





The moments leading up to the first helicopter are excruciatingly thrilling to watch.  I worry about Chris Harrison's hearing as he doesn't appear to have any protection for his ears and those helicopters come close!  I could not look away from the television and, although I was so positive Lauren would be "the one", there was a moment when I believed that JoJo could pull through.






As JoJo approached, I knew from the look in his eye that he was about to let her go.  After he gave his speech, I honestly wish, on JoJo's behalf, that a trap door opened up below her and just made her disappear.  #devastation  I can't imagine standing there across from the man you are in love with and hear the dreaded "...but...".  She really kept it together and, although clearly devastated, she made an incredibly graceful, though tearful, exit.  Look at her though- she looked stun-ning!




I LOVE BEN FOR CALLING LAUREN'S DAD!  *squealllllllll* I can't quit him.  I really don't have the capacity to think of him in a negative light.  Do I agree with every decision he's made?  No.  Do I love him and think he's the least douchey Bachelor yet?  Absolutely!    Lauren is the best match for Ben and I happen to have high hopes for their relationship.  They are more on the same page as far as career, lifestyle and family than most Bachelor/ette couples we've seen.  They both seem pretty normal other than the spotlight that will follow them around for a bit.  As long as they agree to a few Instagram sponsorships and have a cute dog, they will live happily ever after just like Sean and Catherine.




So that's it!  Season is over,  Lauren and Ben will get married and stay that way forever and JoJo is The Bachelorette!  Everyone wins.  Will you be watching JoJo find love in the Fall?  What are your thoughts on Ben's final pick?  Thanks for following along and keep your eye out for non-Bachelor posts between now and JoJo's season!

Fraying Lace- Week 3 Bachelor recap

It's that point in the season where you watch the Bachelor and, within the first three minutes, you find yourself wondering, "Wait...  who's that?" at least three times.  The producers have been spending 80% of their time on 20% of the girls and now, since numbers are dwindling already, one starts to notice people like Jennifer, Shushana and Rachel.  Who?  Exactly.

Jennifer

Shushanna

Rachel

Lauren B. is adorbs and it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that she scored the episode's first 1-on-1 date.  Despite being a flight attendant, she seemed out of her element flying in a propeller plane. She probably felt insecure without her drink cart and an emergency escape plan.  How do you get out of one of those planes if it's going down?

Although Lauren was nervous, it was refreshing to see a date that involved flying and heights where the girl doesn't happen to be deathly afraid of both of those things. The pilot conveniently flew directly over the Bachelor mansion while all of the girls happened to be outside.  That's just cruel.

Finally the plane landed in an incredibly remote location that, conveniently enough, had a working hot tub. Where is the plug and water source for said hot tub?  Who was the poor bloke that had to lug that thing out, fill it up, then come back out to empty it and cart it away?!

Ben and Lauren were really comfortable and sweet together.  The main issue I had was trying to figure out how her hair was so gorgeous while being in the hot tub?  I would look way worse than this coming out of more than 10 mins in a hot tub:

A quiet dinner allowed Ben to get to know about Lauren's family and values.  He was so sweaty during their chat. Give this dude a t-shirt!  Chris Harrison- where were you on that one?  Lauren told Ben that she's really picky when it comes to guys because she's looking for someone as kind and caring as her dad.  If Lauren gets a home town, I bet her father will be the one cleaning his gun in the garage when they arrive.  Luckily, if things don't work out for Lauren B, she could join the band that was serenading them at the end of the night (Lucy Angel) since they all looked exactly like she will in 30 years.





The group date was a soccer competition where the girls were put on two teams and coached by players from Team USA.  Can I just go back to something for one second...  Who is Rachel??  Other than her "23, Unemployed" description, we know nothing about this girl.  She may not have played soccer before but she's sure watched enough. She faked a hamstring injury like a real pro!  Emily (the twin) was really impressive with her goal tending.  She comes across as really dainty but she was taking some serious hits!  At the end of the date, the losing team had to hobble back to the mansion while the winners rinsed off and got to enjoy an after party with Ben.

Jami was a real weiney this week.  I've been uncomfortable with her since the beginning when, during her first encounter with Ben, she revealed she knows Kaitlin and she's told her all about him.  Then, this week, she pulled Olivia aside and ratted out the girls for talking about how hideous Olivia's toes are.  By the way- why are the girls talking about how hideous Olivia's toes are?

Amber finally decided that tonight was the night to make her move and try to establish a connection with Ben.  They were having a completely boring surface conversation then they just started kissing. It was surprising because I don't sense a spark but she snatched up the group date rose so she must have left some sort of positive impression.

The second 1-on-1 date went to Jubilee.  As time goes on, I really feel for the girl.  She's really stepped out of her comfort zone.  Although Jubilee comes across as a total bad@$$, she is actually fragile, sensitive and has a tragic past.  She uses the tough girl to cover up her awkwardness and insecurities. Once she got away from the other girls, she was much more herself.

"This date shows me what just a normal day would be like". A day taking a helicopter to an exclusive spa?  Oh yeah- get used to that.  It's sad that Jubilee hasn't found someone that she can completely be herself around.  She has one of the most gut-wrenching stories I've heard on The Bachelor.  She was adopted from Haiti after her entire family died in an accident.  Ben was so genuinely kind to her.  He pushed Jubilee to open up more but, by that point, he had developed her trust.  I know that Jubilee won't be top three and I worry about her heart being even more broken.  I literally got butterflies when he kissed her hand before asking her to accept the rose.

At the end of the night, Ben entered the cocktail party and let the ladies know that two close family friends had died in a plane crash.  He told them he was down and just needed their care and support throughout the night.  Olivia immediately pulled him aside and cried about how she hates her legs...  No guy on Earth wants to hear a girl complain about her appearance on the best of days.  She's the worst.

Good on Lace for leaving the show - for real. That girl was in way over her head and knew that she and Ben weren't establishing a close connection.  I agree that she needs to work on herself but disagree with her quoting her own tattoo.  "You can't love someone else until you truly love yourself."  That must be a really long tattoo...  I bet production passed her a clipboard on her way out with her contract for Bachelor in Paradise.

Who is Rachel??

Thaaaaaaaank you, Ben, for not giving Jami a rose.  She ended the rose ceremony saying she's learned to never trust humans and that she was off to adopt a bunch of cats.

Broken vows- The Bachelor is back

The first Monday in January always brings out a special je-ne-sais-quoi in me.  If you don't know me very well, you may think things like "Wow- look at that girl and her 'New Year, New You' attitude.  Check out the pep in her step.  She's so revitalized from the holiday break!"  Those who do know me will understand that I am just counting down the hours until Chris Harrison starts hosing down the Bachelor mansion driveway and dreaming of eating handfuls of Smartfood on my couch for two hours while judging every woman I see on my TV screen.

After Chris' season, I took a solemn vow that I would never watch The Bachelor/ette again.  I absolutely hated when Kaitlyn and Britt "competed" to be The Bachelorette and, in response, I put my foot down.  I was done.  Finito.  I didn't watch The Bachelorette, I didn't talk about The Bachelorette and I certainly didn't write about The Bachelorette.  As the new year approached, I could feel a pull...  I tried to deny it.  "Don't feed the hunger!", I told myself.  "You're stronger than this!", I told myself in the mirror.

I cracked.  Monday night, at 8pm, with the remote control clasped in my shaking hands, raw instincts took over.  Before I knew it, I was being lulled by Chris Harrison's voice and I couldn't take my eyes off of the television.  You guys know I can't resist Chris Harrison...  I mean...  did you see his pic in GQ??

Considering I had boycotted Kaitlyn's season, I knew absolutely nothing about this Ben character.  First impression?  Ah-dorbs!!  He is sooooooo cuuuuuuute.  He comes across as a pretty normal dude.  His energy reminds me a bit of Sean but less virgin-y.  He has a confidence about him but in a way that will likely put the girls at ease.  My only complaint (so far) is that he was only shown with his shirt off once and it was for less than 15 seconds.  

The girls' intro videos are always pretty entertaining but only really show you a glimpse at the total nutbars and the ones with sad stories.  So far, this season has fewer tragedies than usual and seemingly more nutbars.  I'm sure the waterworks and drunken confessions will come out soon.

When it comes to any reality TV show, I loathe "twin twists".  Twins?!?  That's just cruel. First of all, no one (but mostly not Ben) will be able to tell them apart and keep them straight.  They'll have to come up with some sort of "I wear blue" or "My braid is always on the left" gimic.  One will always be crying and the other will always be telling her to get over it.  The crying one will try to be all noble and walk off the show because her sister "deserves" to win only to find out that Ben liked the crying one better and he won't give the mean one a rose.  I bet the producers sit around drinking and think of ways they can mess with everyone's emotions. I would.

You know what I dislike as much, if not more, than twin twists?!  I'll tell you.  I haaaaaate when past contestants are brought back. (who's Amber?!) I loved Becca and think she's a total sweetheart but it causes so much tension in the house.  The only good thing that can come from bringing back past contestants is me using the "who is she" pic of Elyse which I do at least 6 times a season and occasionally in my personal life.

I actually have that picture on the desktop of my computer so I can break it out at any and every opportunity.  If you didn't watch Ben Flajnik's season if The Bachelor, here is all you need to know:

Although we viewers didn't get to see all of the girls in action last night, here are some of my (judgey) first impressions:

Caila made a great first impression in her intro video. She has a fun and easygoing energy.  She seems a bit goofy but it could be nerves.  I wish she wouldn't have run out of the limo and leaped into his arms but he'll probably remember her for it.



Samantha reminds me of Becca in her gentle nature.  I worry that, sometimes, the more introverted nice girls don't get the attention they should in the beginning.  I couldn't even find a picture of Sam by googling "Samantha bachelor Ben".  Hopefully Ben will forget about her (along with the rest of the viewers) for a while but then have an amazing date and everyone will be like "Who the heck is Sam?" and you'll know...  you'll know.



Jubilee = terrifying. She is one bad ass lady!  She's a military vet and could kick my a$$ is about 10 seconds flat.  She certainly has her eye on the prize and said "There may be some casualties but all is fair in love and war" during her intro.  Assertive and tough girls don't tend to go far on The Bachelor.  I hope she is able to show him a bit of a softer side and let her guard down a bit.  I admire her strength and drive but it would be great to see her in a relaxed or playful setting so that Ben can get to know her better.


The Bachelor loves giving dentists a bad name.  Since Ashley Hebert, there are always crazy dentists or dental hygienists. Mandi is no exception. A friend once told me that you can never trust a girl with close-set eyes.  Case and point.








Amanda was my absolute front-runner for the first impression rose.  She is cute cute cute cute and her little daughters are cuter cuter cuter.  Being divorced with two kids at age 25 has got to be rough.  I find that the mom's on The Bachelor are typically a bit more mature and ready for a serious relationship than others their age.  They've put up with a ton of crap from past relationships and have so much at stake throughout the process.  Amanda's helium voice does make me twitch a tiny bit but I predict that Ben will be drawn to her quickly.


Have we learned nothing from casting Tierra/Tiara's?  If you didn't watch Sean's season of The Bachelor, you really should.  Even if it's just Episode 5 where the ladies pack their bags and head to Jasper/Banff, Alberta,  I won't ruin the whole season but Tierra turns out to be a crazy crazy person and looks like this after spending about 5 minutes in the cold:   ....  I digress.  This season's Tiara is a self-proclaimed chicken enthusiast and, although she seems quite
sweet and normal, we'll never know if there is a crazy bird lady in there just
waiting to fly the coop.



JoJo is one of the most beautiful girls in the house.  Unfortunately, she was wearing a totally weird unicorn head when she came out of the limo.  I predict JoJo will go far.  Is it too early to call a Final 3??  If I looked like that, I would never wear a unicorn head.



 

I had incredibly high hopes for Laura.  She was definitely out of her element and may have lacked the confidence to really stand out against all of the other girls.  I thought she would get a rose for sure.  T even picked her as the winner (amateur...).








Lace, Lace, Lace.  I was going to use her headshot but you probably wouldn't recognize her when she's smiling.  Her face looked like this most of the night.  I've heard horror stories of how late these tapings go and how the girls are provided with minimal food and unlimited booze.  That is a recipe for disaster for most women.  The vino may be bringing out Lace's true colors but I do look forward to seeing her manipulate Ben into liking her and have all the other girls warn him behind her back.


I was so surprised to see Jessica leave without a rose.  She immediately put Ben at ease and he seemed so into her.









Jackie is so sweet!  If she can stand out against all of the crazies and establish a close relationship with Ben quickly, I can see her as a Top 5 gal.










Olivia is stunnnnnning. She makes Ben so nervous but in a good way. He couldn't take his eyes off of her and, gave her the first impression rose.  Wouldn't she look amazing with a Cameron Diaz-esque short bob?  (yes she would).  Also- I hope she wears her hair curly in the coming weeks.


Overall, I'm excited about this season.  I love being judgey and rolling my eyes at everything ever but let's be real- I wouldn't last 30 seconds in that house.  I'd be completely drunk napping in the corner by myself.  These ladies obviously have guts and tons of confidence and I look forward to witnessing their social and romantic demise as the weeks go by.  Comments?  Predictions?  Leave me a note below or tweet me @midtowndiaries.

Chris' Final Rose- the least dramatic finale yet!

Well... it's over.  Finito.  Fini.  Chris has handed out his final rose. After that who's-the-next-Bachelorette announcement, it might be the final time I ever watch this stupid show.

I digress...

No one wasted any time getting right in to the action last night.  From the very first scene in the show, Chris was absolutely gushing over Whitney's qualities and how amazing she he.  He then went on to say how slowly things were progressing with Becca and how unsure he was about her feelings for him.

The finale is usually tense and filled with questions and emotion.  The girls get to spend time with the Bachelor's family and this never goes smoothly.  There is always an over-protective mom, a crazy big sister or a brother who wants to show off his gun collection.  Chris brought the girls back to Iowa which provided a major home court advantage for the Soules.  They are friggin' awesome.  Everyone not only adores, but completely trusts, Chris.  They are protective but open and truly want what's best for Chris.

Whitney showed up for her visit with the Soules in the shortest shirt-dress I have every seen.  It was snowing out and the girl had the nerve to come running out of that SUV in sheer tights!  Not even leggings!  She was very  out going and a bit too in-your-face for initially meeting a group of people but, that being said, her ability to be open and sincere is what drew everyone to her.  Watching Whitney interact with Chris' mom and sisters proved that she's a total girl's girl and can really roll with all of the Soules ladies.  She was able to express how much she, not only loves Chris, but longs to be a part of a family again since losing her parents.  Blending in was easy and natural for her.

Becca was at a huge disadvantage since Whitney had already won over the entire Soules family.  They all knew that Chris was in a really different place with Becca and, if those Soule sistas had a few seconds with Chris Harrison, they probably would have arranged the proposal with Whitney themselves.  You really can't compare Becca and Whitney.  Becca brings completely different things to the table.  She has a much calmer presence and puts people at ease by using humour.  She had Chris' mom cracking up.  She's light but also serious.  She's more "simple" than Whitney but I think that's what Chris really liked about her.  She has different sides to her where Whitney is peppy and "on" all the time.  I don't think Whitney is at all fake but Chris saw more range in Becca's personality and got to experience a bit more with her.

Chris' mom was tough on Becca but in a really loving way.  She clearly saw what Chris loved about her but needed to push a bit.  I have mad respect for Becca being, perhaps the only girl in Bachelor history, so true to herself and not falling victim to Bachelor Fever.  So many times, we've seen guys and girls get caught up in the glitz and glam and not be completely sure.  Brooks got completely raked over the coals for leaving Des' season but thank goodness for Andi setting a new standard for the ladies when she dumped Juan Pablo (on his season!) but let's be serious...

Becca was so honest despite the pressure she must have been feeling from all directions.  She's one strong chica and I love that she kept it real all season.  She wasn't as open and willing to take a risk as Whitney was but she stayed incredibly strong and kept looking out for #1- herself.

When Chris went to visit Becca in her hotel, they sat down for a real talk and Chris asks "Why don't you feel like you're in love with me?"  Ummm...  Maybe because you've been dating 24 girls on a TV show for only a couple of months...  I'm happy for Whitney that she's all in and will up and move and get married and have babies but, you can't blame Becca for questioning what she would even do in Arlington.  I'm a firm believer that you have to be really solid with yourself before you can be solid in a relationship.  It bothers me that Chris kept alluding to the fact that, if Becca doesn't fall in love with him, he'll have to pick Whitney.  If he wants to be with Becca and is falling for her, he shouldn't have to default to another girl.

Chris brought Whitney to the farm and let her see a real day in the life.  He's obviously an incredibly passionate guy but, as much pride as he has in what he does, there is still a lot of insecurity around his lifestyle.  He seemed really nervous to show Whitney his house even though it's a great pad!  Sure- it needs a bit of a woman's touch but it's a promising starting point.  When I met my husband, his dining room table had one purpose- beer pong.  The more time Whitney spent with Chris, the more sure she was that she wants this.  She admitted she's scared and doesn't know exactly what she's getting herself into but, unlike Becca, she's willing to give it a shot and take the risk with an open heart.

It came time for the big day and Becca and Whitney got summoned to the Soules family barn where Chris "raised his very first pig".  Touching.  The barn was actually unreal gorgeous with chandeliers, stained glass windows and candles (fire hazard much?!).

Becca's outfit was total foreshadowing for how things would turn out for her- horrible.  What was that, velour!?  Who wore it best?!  P-Diddy or Becca?  

I know that pickings are probably slim at the consignment shop in Arlington but come on...  Becca is drop-dead gorgeous (did you see her at after the final rose?!) and that dress did nothing for her.  Anywhoo...  That was probably one of the most shocking break-ups in Bachelor history simply because, although sad, Becca seemed relieved.  She clearly felt very strongly for Chris and things probably would have worked out for them but they just ran out of time.  Becca wasn't willing to "go there" so quickly and I think she was ready for the whole thing to be over one way or the other.  No running make up, no ugly crying, not even a "Why doesn't he love me?!".  All class, Becca.

As Whitney pulled up to the barn, she gasped "Holy cow".  I will stifle my commentary...  She was shaking like a leaf with nerves.  Once she and Chris were together she couldn't shut up and wouldn't let the poor guy get a word in.  She's probably gotten used to him "not being allowed" to tell her his feelings but, what Whitney doesn't know, is he's actually just incredibly inarticulate and out of touch with his feelings.  I didn't foresee a ring box coming out of Chris' pocket.  I thought Whitney would get the rose but he would ask her to give him some more time.  What do I know though?!

Chris really couldn't lose with either one of these girls.  Becca was a bigger risk but perhaps a greater reward as well?  

After the Final Rose was tame and without tears.  I would comment on the upcoming season of The Bachelorette but I can't even go there yet.  Britt!?  What?!  Really?!  Two Bachelorettes and the guys get to pick who they want to date??  Um...  nope.  I may, legit, never watch again.  So brutal.

What are your thoughts on Chris and Whitney as well as on the new Bachelorette spin?  Leave your comments below and don't forget to "Like" Midtown Diaries' Facebook page to stay up to date on all the news!