Much like Jason Mesnick did with Molly, Frank took a huge risk, knowing full well that most of America would be angry with him, but he did it anyway. As you could tell, Ali had absolutely no idea about any of this when she arrived that day for what she thought was going to be a romantic date. She was floored. Looking back at their relationship, though, was this really a huge surprise? Ali and Frank always seemed to have something hanging over their relationship. How many times do people try to change the bad boy, fix the problem, or become the caretaker in a relationship, and how many times does that actually work out? We’ve all done it, and we can all relate to exactly what Ali went through with Frank. I do have to give Ali major props for the line she delivered to Frank when he said that he, too, gave up everything to be here. She quickly replied “apparently not everything.” Well played, girl.
When I walked out to sit by Ali on the beach, she was crushed. I felt so bad for her. I know it’s hard for viewers to understand, but even on a good day, this process will make you question everything about yourself. For this surprise to happen this late in the process made Ali so vulnerable and feel so weak and helpless, and I hated that. This situation was completely different than Justin leaving earlier. Her relationship with Frank was very real, and she could already see a life together with him. To have the rug pulled out from under you at this point can be devastating. I was really proud to see that after a good night’s sleep and time to reflect, she showed up to deliberation with a really good perspective on life again.
I really look forward to reading your comments on Frank this week. How do you think he handled the situation with his ex Nicole? How do think he handled the situation with Ali? Does is make any difference to you if he ends up living happily ever after with Nicole? Again, the guys don’t see each other before the rose ceremonies, so they had no idea Frank was gone. You couldn’t really tell on the show, but once Roberto got there, I walked off as if I was going to get Frank. I was really just waiting for Ali to get ready. I walked back up the stairs alone, and Chris and Roberto were completely confused. Ali did a super job explaining the situation.
Some of you might ask: Would Frank have gotten a rose if he had stayed? The answer is maybe, but we’ll never know. As you saw at this point, Ali is in love or falling in love with all three of these guys. There is very little separating them at this point. That’s what makes this season so compelling. In seasons past, it’s been more cut and dry, and the choice seemed obvious. That’s just not the case this year."
I hope you enjoyed Monday night’s show, which I’ve entitled “The Long Limp Home.” There is much to discuss from this episode, but first I want to answer a question I got via Twitter that I’ve actually never been asked before. Someone wanted to know when I compose my weekly blogs for EW.com. The answer is I write them the week before the episode airs, and yes, they’re written by me and me alone. I do take notes along the way to keep the stories fresh in my mind, but I really need to see the finished product to know exactly what we’re going to see and hear. By the way, I would like to congratulate all of you for becoming members of the mile-high blog club. I’m writing this at 30,000 feet while flying out to D.C to host the National Spelling Bee. I’d like to take a quick moment to thank those that watched the Spelling Bee last Friday. I loved hosting it and was blown away by the brilliance and poise of those young kids. It gave me a little hope for the future and it also made me feel pretty dumb.
I want to interrupt this blog to give you a rather ironic real-life moment. I’m sitting here blogging, listening to my tunes, and who else but the Barenaked Ladies comes on. The song that came on was “Off the Hook,” not “You Runaway,” but come on, that’s pretty bizarre right? Some of you asked last week about a theme song…well you’ve got one now, “You Runaway” by the Barenaked Ladies.
Okay. Sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself (oxygen deprivation and airplane food will do that). Let’s begin with Ali’s first one-on-one date this week with Roberto. A couple of things jumped out at me. One, I don’t care how many times I see it, getting picked up in a helicopter is just cool. Having your first kiss 20 stories above L.A. is even cooler. But, I’m a little worried about something Ali said on an otherwise perfect date. In her interview, Ali wondered if she is pretty enough for Roberto. This is the insecurity I spoke of in week one coming out in her. When faced with something that’s too good to be true, Ali questions it instead of embracing it. In other words, at times she can be her own worst enemy and it’s something that will continue throughout the season.
As I mentioned earlier, we have our theme song this season. The Barenaked Ladies were fantastic. I was happy to see my man, Paul Danner, get more screen time. He was the big man running the video shoot. Speaking of the shoot, how unbelievably awkward was Jonathan? There are nerves, and then there’s that display. I’m no doctor, but after almost 17 years of marriage and 20 seasons of this show, I might as well be. As a self-proclaimed doctor of love, I know a couple things to be true: One, when you get a chance to kiss a beautiful woman, you take it. Secondly, there’s no crying in baseball or on video shoots. That last part is written down somewhere, or maybe I heard Jay-Z say it; either way it’s a fact. The only thing more awkward than Jonathan on the video shoot was him trying to get the kiss from Ali at the wrap party. Despite all this, he did survive the storm (weatherman pun) and received a rose this week. We’ll see if he can settle down and get back on his game. Two other things of note on this date that stood out to Ali were Chris L. opening up a bit about his mom, and Kirk opening up and taking control of the date and getting the rose.
I want to briefly talk about Hunter and his one-on-one date. Hunter is one of those good guys that comes on this show and just never really feels comfortable. Sometimes despite your best efforts, this atmosphere just gets the better of you, and that was the case for Hunter. He and Ali just didn’t have it, and he was out of his comfort zone.
Now let’s talk Justin and his long limp up to Ali’s house and the firestorm he stirred up in the house. Justin took it upon himself to find out where Ali lived and crutch his way up there. Just so you know, Ali’s house is only about a mile away but it’s straight up a canyon road through two tunnels. The guys did wonder where Justin was, but they just assumed he was upstairs asleep. Ali had no idea he was coming. As you saw, she was being interviewed about the guys before her one-on-one date with Hunter. Now here comes the big moral debate that I will pose to you this week: Was this a good, sincere move on Justin’s part? Ali loved it and was incredibly impressed. Isn’t that what’s important here? If you do have a problem with it, was it the act of hiking up there or the attitude he showed to the guys after?
I know this for sure; when Ali accidentally spilled the beans to the guys, the place went nuts. The guys already didn’t trust Justin but now they wanted to drag him out back and drown him in the pool. I find it incredibly ironic that Ali is now facing a situation that is almost identical to last season with her and Vienna. She has grown a lot from that experience and is using that experience to try to wade through this ordeal. As Vienna found out last season, being on the outs from everybody else in the house is very isolating and trying. I promise you this is far from over. This was a wild week but things are about to be kicked up a notch as we begin our journey around the world. Before I leave you this week, I want to wish a very special happy birthday to one of the most amazing women in my life — Happy 94th to Hermine Sallinger! I also want to be clear that despite what you saw in the closing credits, no mice were harmed in the filming of this show! Keep the comments coming, they’ve been great this season and you can always find me on twitter @chrisbharrison and on facebook. One last note, I highly recommend you read this blog while listening to “Levon” by Elton John. I just did and it really makes it pop."
You didn’t get to see this, but I moved the guys into the house before I talked to them about their dates at the beginning of episode two. This is actually one of my favorite times because I get to really see and meet everybody for the first time. Frank got the first one-on-one date, something that seemed simple enough, but it really stirred up some jealousy in the house. Ali and Frank’s experience started out with a cruise down the 101 Highway in a cool old car. The operative word here is old! As you saw, the car broke down on the highway. Our first thought was cut the cameras, get the car fixed, and resume the date. Ali and Frank had other plans. They said to hell with it and started walking down the highway (not a good idea) until they found an exit. They hailed a cab and continued the date on their own, leaving producers to deal with the busted-up old car. The stop at the Hollywood sign was so simple but in my opinion one of the coolest things we’ve done on this show. It’s such an iconic place we’ve all seen on TV and in the movies for decades. So, to actually be sitting right there under the sign was pretty awesome. Frank is a guy Ali pegged on night one as somebody who will go a long way in this journey. After this date, the connection between them is only stronger, and unless he self-destructs, he won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
The second date was a huge group date with 12 guys. Before I get into why this was a special group date and discuss the calendar we’ll be selling for charity, we’ve got to discuss poor Jonathan (AKA “the weatherman”) and the banana hammock he was given to wear for the calendar shoot. He was a bit whiny and complained a little too much, but I have to say… what guy wouldn’t? No guy — and I mean no guy — should wear a bikini bottom. Sorry ladies, I don’t care how hot you think some guy is, he will never look better in that little slingshot. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Jonathan also had to deal with Craig M. Wait, not yet. We’ll dive into that in just a sec… Was it just me, or was Ali’s time with Justin that night just a little awkward? It seemed like Ali was definitely feeling it, but I didn’t get the impression that Justin (“Rated R”) was really into it. Ty got the rose on this group date. Don’t give Ty too hard of a time for being that guy playing his guitar on the beach for his girlfriend. He’s a good person who means well, but I am banning all guitars from now on. So if you’re keeping track this season — we’ve got bans on guitars, and having multiple contestants named Chris.
Now let me explain why Ali took 12 guys out on the largest group date in Bachelorette history. It was all for a good cause! Celebrity photographer Michael Grecco took pics that will be featured in a calendar we’re selling for charity as part of the “Bachelor Gives Back” program. To learn more about the charities the calendar will benefit, and how to get your own calendar, go to the Bachelorette page at ABC.com.
I want to briefly talk about Jesse and Ali’s insane date to Vegas. It seemed like they had a good time but it also felt like Ali was trying to convince herself the entire time that she was into him. When you describe a guy as solid or genuine, that doesn’t exactly scream love and romance to me, but we’ll see.
Okay you’ve waited long enough; let’s talk about Craig M. Yes, he’s that guy in every John Hughes movie (look them up, kids) that stirs the pot. He’s the slick guy that drives the nice car, uses too much hair product and seems like he’s going to get the girl, but after a tough life lesson, he ends up empty handed. I have to admit I was sad to see Craig go so soon. He is such a character he’s almost too good to be true. It was probably for the best because one more night in that house and someone was going to knock him out. As tough of a time as Jonathan had with him, it was actually Jesse who almost kicked his butt. Craig made fun of Jesse’s tattoos, which happen to mean a lot to Jesse. Craig then stalked Jesse around the house and wouldn’t leave him alone. Jesse didn’t want to, but he was extremely close to dropping Craig like third-period French. Luckily for Craig, some of the other guys jumped in and calmed the situation down. Still, it was Jonathan who really got the brunt of Craig M. Craig singled Jonathan out and rode him all week, but it really came to a head when Craig went upstairs and put on Jonathan’s clothes and came back down and did a Weatherman impersonation that all the guys laughed at… all the guys except the Weatherman. He was pissed and told Craig to get the hell away from him. Tensions were higher than normal heading into the second rose ceremony. These guys realize early on that this isn’t going to be as easy as they thought.
Okay, that’s it for episode two. I’m looking forward to doing a little moonlighting for ABC this week. I’m very proud to be hosting the National Spelling Bee this Friday night (June 4) in Washington D.C. Before I sign off, I want to thank Jimmy Kimmel for having me on last week; I don’t think I’ll ever forget how to spell Fedotowsky! Oops, sorry Ali. As always, leave your lighthearted, fun, entertaining comments below. My apologies to Matt Damon for running out of room and not being able to mention him in this blog!"
We begin this week with some of your comments. In my vast experience as a blogger (about a year now), I have found it’s always around this time in the season where the natives get restless. For example, Tyler (Tue 2/9/10 1:14 AM) writes “Great Blog Chris!” Pretty simple and a very nice note — not extremely controversial, right? Then this follows from “Nobody” (Tue 2/9/10 9:18 AM): “There’s no need to swell the guy’s ego any larger than it already is. The man is nothing more than an ABC pawn. It must be painful to have to write this crap every week. But then most people will do almost anything for a buck. Whether CH actually believes the crap he writes is debatable, but he certainly likes how ABC and EW line his pockets for doing it.” I did some research and found out who “Nobody” really is. It’s actually John Mayer. Right after he gave that extremely ignorant interview to Playboy he posted that comment on the site. (Kidding, of course.) But at least “Nobody” gave me credit for writing this blog. “Viewer less and less” (Tue 2/9/10 12:59 PM) writes, “I am 100% sure Chris doesn’t write this, it’s written by staff and he edits and puts his final touches on it.” If I have a staff then why the heck am I sitting here on a Friday night watching this episode again and blogging? I need to hire a staff so I can fire them for making me do this by myself. The truth is, I do get some help each week. I want to thank my friend and producer Elan. I talk to him each week so I can get more details and the little anecdotes you guys love so much. My goal is to give you not only my take on this show but also some behind-the-scenes stories to make you feel more a part of the journey. But I assure you I write every word of every blog every week. Who else would write this poorly? As for you fans that come here for the fun and watch the show for the love story and the entertainment, please don’t worry about the negative posts — I don’t. In fact, I get a big kick out of them. Before I move on I want to give major props to “Craig” (Tue 2/9/10 1:38 AM). His comment was way, way too long to put in here but I love that so many guys are out there watching. Way to stand proud!
The nine women who start the episode are:
Ali, 25, an advertising account manager from Williamstown, MA
via: here
Alright everybody, take a deep breath. Now again. Okay, lets move on shall we. Hope you got the chance to watch Carrie Ann Inaba and me Sunday on TV Guide Network covering the red carpet for the Golden Globes. A big thanks to all the stars who stopped by to chat with us. Now lets talk Bachelor! The girls were not at all happy that Vienna got the first one-on-one date this week. But it was when she came home with a rose that the trouble really began. I’ll get to that in just a bit. The first stop they made was Jake’s house. If it looked a little familiar that’s because that was Jason’s house as well. I know it’s not his and I know it only happens on TV but when a helicopter picks you up for a date, that’s just awesome. It was clear on the show that Jake and Vienna didn’t want to bungee jump but that didn’t really do justice to just how freakin’ terrified they really were. They were hyperventilating and it took about 20 minutes for them to decide to jump. We really thought they weren’t going to do it but in the end they gutted up and took the plunge....
Chris Harrison's blog via EW
It’s been a wild week in Bachelor-ville and we have a lot to discuss, but first let me thank you for making our premiere episode such a huge success. I would love to talk to you about other stuff this week like Ali’s cool ”Chicago” date or the games Elizabeth’s starting to play but the whole time all you’re doing is staring at the ten-ton pink elephant standing in the middle of the room so let’s just deal with it shall we? I hope you all had a chance to see for yourself just what happened involving… Rozlyn. The great thing about this blog is now I can take you even deeper into what exactly happened, give you more details, and tell you how it all went down.
You heard me say in the episode that Rozlyn and one of our staffers entered into an inappropriate relationship. I realize this is somewhat vague and open to interpretation, so let me be more specific. It was an inappropriate relationship that got physical. This was not just about one person’s ”feelings” for another. We would never go to such extremes because of a schoolyard crush. After extensive research and doing our homework we came to the conclusion without a shadow of a doubt that an inappropriate relationship had occurred. Now the million dollar question: How do we know this? First of all, several girls in the house independently witnessed the inappropriate behavior firsthand, and they came forward and told producers what was taking place. Second, the staffer came forward and confessed everything himself. He told executive producers everything about his inappropriate physical relationship with Rozlyn.
Visit here for Chris' full blog.
years. Your first inside scoop about Jake is that he loves to fly but doesn’t love motorcycles all that much, but I think we’ll all agree he looks damn cool on one. I have to say this is a pretty impressive group of women and I’m anxious to read what you all have to say. As is always the case, the limo arrivals gave us many cringe-worthy “bless her heart” moments. Ali with the peacock feather, still have no idea what that was about."
I knew everything was going to be alright when the bird crapped on my shoulder the day before the proposal. But let's back up a bit. We flew from Maui to Kona for the final leg of this journey. Jillian had narrowed it down to her final two, Ed and Kiptyn. Despite the emotional breakup with Reid, Jillian was feeling pretty good about the situation. Now I don't want to bore you by going back over all the details of this episode, so I'm going to give you my opinion of what went down and why. I know it might sound weird but Jillian had love for each of these guys. If life and love was purely about a physical attraction Kiptyn would've easily been the one. That's not to say they didn't have an emotional connection too, but Jillian didn't see growing old with him and that was big for her. While Ed was dancing around Hawaii in shorts that wouldn't fit my 7-year-old and Kiptyn was flexing his abs, Reid was desperately trying to get a hold of producers. As you heard him say on the Final Rose special, he felt there was something still there between he and Jillian, and he was willing to go all the way to prove it. I have to give the guy credit — this was a bold, brave move. As you could clearly see by the look on her face, Jill had absolutely no idea Reid was coming back.
Allowing Reid to come back was a very tough decision for us to make. This final day is always an emotional roller coaster for all of us. After a long haul, Jillian had mentally prepared herself to break up with Kiptyn and choose Ed. Throwing Reid back into the equation was very risky. We had no idea how Jillian would react and what this would do to her final decision. We were all really flying by the seat of our pants on this one. We knew that both Kiptyn and Ed had rings and were prepared to get down on one knee, and as far as TV goes that was more than enough to successfully wrap up this season. But just like you saw, we also felt there was just something there between Jill and Reid, and had time not been a factor there's no way she would have let him go in Maui. When I saw Jillian's reaction when Reid walked out on that platform, our suspicions were confirmed. She still had serious feelings for this guy. What followed was about an hour of emotion and confusion. Hard to believe after this many seasons we could possibly run into a situation we've never dealt with before, but that's the beauty of this show: we always do.
If you ask Jillian about that final day and Reid coming back she'll tell you it was always Ed all the way. I understand her position and if I was engaged to somebody else I would probably paint the same picture. I don't doubt for a second that Jillian loves Ed and I know that was what she wanted the moment she woke up that morning. But I also know that there was serious temptation when Reid came back and that temptation did lead to a moment of doubt. Luckily Jillian had the poise to walk away and try and collect her thoughts. That's when I asked the producers if I could go talk to her. Jillian and I have become very good friends over the last year and at that moment she needed a friend to talk to, somebody that wasn't going to manipulate or lead her in a certain direction, just somebody that would listen and let her lead herself back where she always wanted to be and that was with Ed.
I received more than a few Twitters asking why I was in the Ed camp — insinuating that I pushed Jillian in that direction. First of all, let me say I wasn't in anybody's camp. I told Jillian once she narrowed it down to the final three she really couldn't go wrong. All three guys were good men and a good fit for her in their own way. That's what made this one of the toughest decisions I've seen a Bachelorette ever have to make. Obviously my talk with Jillian was much longer and more involved than what we were able to show you on TV. I talked with her for probably ten minutes before she arrived at the decision to let Reid go again. Something you didn't see that made me laugh, and feel old, was when we were done Jillian said I reminded her of her dad. I told her her dad must be a smart man and I would take that as a compliment. Jillian knew in her heart what she wanted to do. She just needed a friend there to help her work through her emotions and figure it out. I was happy to be that friend. If she had sat down and told me that Reid was the man she loved and wanted to be with, that would have been fine by me as well, but that's not what she wanted. If you ask me to be honest about it, I have to admit for a moment there I really thought she was going to take Reid back. I'll be interested to hear your opinion of what Reid pulled.
Because Reid coming back took so long, by the time he left the sun was setting over the ocean and it was getting dark. We really didn't think we were going to be able to make it. Once Ed showed up everything was perfect. The sun was setting and you could tell it was right. When you see them together, and I have several times, they are really perfect together. I had many people say they couldn't believe she dumped Kiptyn or Reid and they actually seemed mad about it. This I truly understand. If you think she was going to pick somebody else that's one thing. If you personally would've picked somebody else, I get that too. But what I don't understand is how you could possibly question what's in Jillian's heart. How you could possibly question a woman who's happily in love with a man? Ultimately, this is her life, her heart, and she's the one that made a decision that will affect her life forever. I think she and Ed are great together and I couldn't be happier for the both of them. In the following days I know I'll be asked if I think this will last. If I could tell you that I'd put a future bet on who's going to win next year's Super Bowl. All I can tell you is what I see and that is two people who love each other very much and really want to make this work. Two people who are willing to put in the time and effort to make this work. That's all you can ask for and expect at this point.
As I said, I knew there was going to be a beautiful ending the day before the proposal. The afternoon before, I was at lunch with some folks from the show. We were talking about how the next day was going to play out when Bam! A bird crapped all over my shirt. The first thing people started telling me was that's great, that's very good luck. Funny how when bad things happen like rain on your wedding day we tell people it's good luck. I gotta be honest. I didn't see the luck in getting pooped on. I just felt like I needed to go shower and change my shirt. But if that's what it took for Jillian to find true love, I was happy to do my part. The bird certainly seemed happy to do its part.
Shooting on the islands of Hawaii was a privilege, and the resort we stayed at and shot at was the Fairmont Orchid in Kona. This is one of my new favorite places in the world. I would like to thank them for their hospitality. It was funny, the day of the proposal my wife and I walked over to Jillian's suite, which was next door to ours. We walked in to find three people trying to help Jill zip up her dress. My wife quickly jumped in. So now there's four people all around Jillian, who's now laughing, trying to get her in her dress. Kind of sums up Jill and her attitude. She has such a great personality. It made it a real joy to work with her this season.
We have still not picked our next bachelor. Tell me who you think it should be. Is there someone from this show you love or should we pick a new face all together? Overall I thought this was a very good season. I'm proud of Jillian and happy the way it all turned out. In the end, this was a Bilbro lovin', mango mango lookin', bad country croonin' season of the Bachelorette. I'd like to truly thank you for watching and supporting us and once again making this show tops on TV. For everyone who's been a part of this one…I'm Chris Harrison… Good Night!
You'll have to bear with me. As some of my Twitter friends already know, I attempted to type this week's blog on my iPhone while attending an AYSO coaches meeting. There's two hours of my life I'll never get back. But at least I now know not to yell at kids, leave trash, or bring dogs on school property. Contrary to some comments, I still read most if not all of your comments. Some have mentioned that I've gotten away from talking about behind-the-scenes stuff. I'll try to do better about that. I've also noticed a lot of anger in the air. Look, I realize these are tough economic times. I also realize our government is attempting to spend more money than our children's children's children will ever be able to pay back but let's remember what a very famous man once said: "All you need is love." And that's what this show is all about. Take away the guys crying on banisters, oil rubdowns (Wow, I felt a little uncomfortable watching that one myself), rumors and lies...this show comes down to one simple word: LOVE. You can all speculate and talk about Jillian's choices and character but bottom line is next Monday night you will all see firsthand if she found what she was so desperately looking for. I also read that many of you are up in arms over who we have or haven't chosen as our next Bachelor. Relax people, I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that we have not picked our next bachelor. In fact, I'd love to continue to hear your comments on who you would like to see in that role and why. Oh, Amy, sorry that this new blog picture isn't much better. I have to agree, it looks like I'm wearing my dad's suit. Still not sure how those pics get chosen to be on the blog. I'm going to ask my friend Gilles Marini if he'll let me use one of his shirtless photos from now on.
Let's talk about this week's special, "Men Tell All." I will be honest, I didn't expect a whole lot from these guys. First of all, guys rarely hold grudges for very long, and this show is shot eight weeks after the taping has concluded. Secondly, guys are like goldfish. Sure we get mad but two seconds later we're distracted and we forget and move on. This wasn't the case with this group of guys. This show got out of hand in a hurry. I mean, come on. Did anybody ever expect Jake to throw out an "F" bomb? Because the guys were so good, we had to edit the show a bit more than we expected. We planned on showing some other fluff stuff, like a cute piece about former bachelors and bachelorettes who got together for a "reunion" in Vegas. The taping started with about 20 minutes of the guys ganging up on Jake. I'll admit I do understand where the guys are coming from here but what I don't get is how worked up they get about it. Who cares if he comes off as "Mr. Perfect." I don't recall asking any of them to marry him.
He was accused of having a girlfriend and of appearing on "The Bachelorette" to further his singing career and not to fall in love with Jillian Harris -- but Wes Hayden says he's not the villain portrayed on the reality TV show.
"People are saying things and they don't even know me," Hayden tells the New York Daily News. He adds, "It's hurtful that they have a perception that isn't true. They edited and clipped me. They were basically creating a character from the beginning," says the Houston native.
Wes confesses, "I didn't have a girlfriend when I went on, I don't have one now." He does admit his manager suggested being on "The Bachelorette" would be good for his career as a country musician, but his sister was the one who applied for him to be on the show.
Read here for the full article.
Jul 14, 2009, 01:09 AM | by Chris Harrison, http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/07/chris-harrison-blogs-the-bachelorette-episode-9.html
That's it, I'm now fully corrupted. I hope you're happy with yourselves. As many of you know, it was a big tech leap for me to start blogging last season. Then I took the next step and started tweeting (@chrisbharrison). Now, I have completed the circle…I'm on Facebook. I realize I'm about three years late to this party but hey, at least I arrived. There are a few fake pages but the real one has a bunch of pics and updates. It also has all the blogs from this season so you can go back and catch up, or just read them over and over again. I think my next step will be getting one of these new cordless devices I've been hearing so much about. Apparently you carry it around and you can make phone calls with it, and it's not attached to the wall. Okay, enough of my pathetic technological life. Let's talk business.
I apologize for not being there for you and Jillian last week in Spain. It's good to know that I was missed. Of all the people I really wanted to say “take a moment and say your goodbyes” to, I didn't get the chance. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to do it now. Wes, get your guitar, your hit song (in Chihuahua, Mexico), your Texas sayings (that really give all of us proud Texans a bad name), your girlfriend, and take a moment and say your goodbyes. Not sure about you but I feel better now. I promise I won't leave you hanging again and I'll make sure I get Jillian across the finish line. As I said last week, now that Wes is gone Jillian can get down to the business of finding the man she truly loves and wants to spend the rest of her life with. I met up with Jillian and the boys in Maui, where we spent this week. Kiptyn had the most uneventful date with Jill. I don't mean that in a bad way whatsoever, it's just that the other two dates had a little more content and drama. It always feels very easy between Kip and Jill. They had a blast at the ropes course and then came the fantasy suite card part II. Jillian gave in this time and took him back to the fantasy suite. Let me just say one thing about their relationship that bothers me a little bit. I don't like the fact that Jillian mentions at times that Kiptyn might be out of her league. That's an insecurity Jilli has and it's something she'll have to overcome before this relationship can take that next important step.
After Kiptyn's day, Jillian had her date with Reid. Or, as I like to call it, the great fishing trip. The entire date Jillian found herself fishing for info and confirmation of Reid's true feelings. As great as their relationship was, Jillian was always needing more from Reid and ultimately at this stage that's what Jillian used to make her final decision and send him home. For all the great things this process provides, unlimited time is not one of them. Jillian needed Reid to step up to the plate and he just couldn't do that. And when he left, I think that's something he regretted. My guess is he'll learn from this and never let it happen again. That to me is one of the great aspects of this show that is rarely discussed. I know many men and women who have left this show “unsuccessfully,” but with a much greater sense of who they are and what they want in life and love. Two good friends of mine, Bob Guiney and Andrew Firestone, are great examples of this. I consider both of them great success stories from this show, even though they didn't end up with somebody from their season. One last thing about Reid and Jillian's date: They too ended up in the fantasy suite and in a bubble bath. A huge rookie mistake often made in taking a bubble bath is adding too many bubbles. The perfect amount will give you the romantic bubbles (hiding what you don't want seen) but you can also see the other person on the other side of the tub. Come on! Do I have to teach these people everything? When I write my book someday I'll devote a chapter to proper bubble bath etiquette and technique. I'll talk a little more about Reid's goodbye down below. Up next was the comeback kid, Ed.
As Jillian put it best, Ed gets major points for simply listening to what his girl wants. Flying in his parents meant the world to Jillian. Ed has also been very open with his feelings toward Jillian, not leaving her to wonder or worry. The biggest problem with Ed that I can tell is his choice in wardrobe. I got a call from John McEnroe and Larry Bird and they want their short shorts back. Even though we were in Hawaii, don't get me started on the suit he wore to the rose ceremony. Go back and watch the guys' reactions when Ed walked up -- priceless. Jillian called it his ice cream salesman suit. Jillian decided to take Ed back to the fantasy suite and this is where the wheels came off of what was otherwise a perfect day. Jillian and Ed both put so much pressure on themselves and so wanted that moment to be perfect that it was a disaster. Now, with very little time left, Jillian has to find out if that romantic side of their relationship is there like it is with Kiptyn. With Kip there is no effort; it's just there like it should be. Now Jill has to find that with Ed.
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