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Wow, what an episode. This recap might be less play-by-play and more my thoughts on some of the guys and what I feel are some of the bigger issues with this season.
But lets start with Erich, because that's where we pick things up. We're at the bridge where Erich fucked up with Gabby and he tells us, unequivocally, that "he fucked up". And he's culprit numero uno of guys left on this show that seem to have no idea what this show is and what being on it entails. He still has an issue with Gabby possibly sleeping with other guys and we end up in a situation which is sadly familiar to us all, where _Gabby_ ends up comforting _Erich_. The whole scene is pathetic and sad and didn't sit well with me.
Next was Jason, and boy was this where shit really started to go sideways. They go on this tennis date, and we get goofy, lovable Gabby again, even after all the shit she went through with Erich. And it should be noted that _again_ we cut to a mopey Erich peering out over a balcony while Jason's on his date. Anyway, the editors had a field day with Jason as they just cut back and forth between Jason saying he can't get engaged and Gabby saying she knows Jason's ready to get engaged, set to the b-roll of them frolicking and making-out on a sunny Mexican resort.
So, this is where I want to really break down my problem with this season's guys. At the evening portion of the date, Jason tells Gabby he's not ready to get engaged. He says he doesn't think he really knows her or her him in this bubble with the cameras and microphones, etc. And I get it. This show is absurd, and it's impossible to expect to know someone that well under these circumstances. But here's the thing, Jason: YOU SIGNED UP FOR THIS! You can't expect to make it to the end and hope to break a 20+ year bachelor tradition of just leaving as boyfriend and girlfriend and not get down on one knee.
Gabby says something key here when she walks away and vents with a producer. She says "I was hoping that eventually he'd just play along," and that's the crux of the entire problem with the guys on this show. They are taking the engagement to be a _real engagement_ while twenty years of bachelor history has taught us it really isn't.
Jason is an extremely emotionally intelligent, sweet, normal guy, and in the outside world would have been great for Gabby. But this is the Bachelor. Have none of these guys watched the show at all? It's truly mind-boggling how often this issue of clueless dudes has come up on this season, and it's really disappointing honestly. This is practically a game show, so know what the hell you're getting into before walking on stage my guy!
Anyway, Jason's overnight goes poorly and he leaves as Gabby explains that they talked without cameras and Jason just couldn't see himself falling in love with her in a week and proposing within that time as well. Gabby chews him out nice and good the next morning before cutting from a devastated Gabby to a cheery, giddy Rachel.
Rachel's date with Zach was cute, and they have great chemistry. And I think Zach is a great contrast to Jason in this season. Zach is fully bought in on the premise of this show. He says he loves Rachel during hometowns and again on this date, and is fully ready to get down on one knee. He understands the conceit of this show and has fully bought in, which is to be expected for a grown man signing up to _be on the show_ and to have made it to damn fantasy suites!
But then things go off the rails again when we cut to a very awkward morning after the overnight. Zach looks very uncomfortable and when he leaves in the morning we find out Rachel spent the entire night doubting his readiness to propose because he's only 25 years old. It should be noted that Rachel is 26.
Zach is devastated and goes to 'Papa Jessie' to talk it out, and he explains that he felt like the Rachel without the cameras was a different person and that he was completely blindsided. This whole situation was shocking and came out of nowhere, and Zach concludes that he needs to talk to Rachel... at the rose ceremony. Why he couldn't do it before the ceremony is beyond me, but whatever.
Now lets take a second and do a quick summary of the guys. For Gabby, we are left with one guy who fucked up so badly Gabby doubted she could see herself with him. For Rachel, we're left with three guys, one of which doubts they can continue on after the disastrous fantasy suite date.
We're then introduced to the first separate rose ceremony of the season, and since Gabby has only one person, we start with Rachel. All the guys get to the ceremony, and in very dramatic bachelor fashion, as Rachel is about to pick up the first rose, Zach asks to talk to her separately for a moment, which pisses-off both Aven and Toni as they sweat their balls off in standing in suits in hot and muggy Mexico. And that's where we leave Rachel's ceremony.
Since Gabby has no ceremony, we just get a bunch of shots of her strutting around in a bikini, peering out over the ocean, and just contemplating all her life's decisions. All that walking and contemplation somehow leads her to the conclusion that Erich is her guy and that she wants to be with him. Colour me shocked. They do more of their weird pecking kisses and the two of them seem overjoyed.
And then, the show takes a hard right turn. We get a soaring shot of the Warner Bros. Studio lot, and we land on a suit-clad Jessie standing in the middle of studio. He tells us that the ending of this season is so shocking, that they felt they needed to dedicate an entire live show to it so the guys could explain themselves. What the actual fuck?? This was a season of firsts in all the wrong ways, and now we have to watch a messy season's messy conclusion with the subjects of this mess watching along with us?
This all seems like it's destined for disaster and I will absolutely be tuning in next week to watch it all.