Lindzi's hometown is in Florida. I'm suprised because she's a bit of a country girl...and she currently lives in Seattle. Does she really have that many horses? Good lord, how much money does her family have? She looks good at home in her "regular clothes." Too many times the girls end up wearing just ridiculous outfits trying to outdress the competition. It's refreshing to see her in her own element, and I don't think she's ever looked better. I'm still trying to fathom how the only other guy to meet Lindzi's family dumped her via text message. How is it possible to misread a situation so badly that you feel you love a guy who can't even break up with you in person, much less the most classless text message ever?
Lindzi is talking about her past relationships, and Ben is acting like she just told him the location of the Holy Grail. In Bachelor-land, the way to "open up" to someone is to tell them you got dumped by someone you really cared about. To me, opening up would be saying "I'm scared that you're going to dump me," or "I think I like you about half as much as you like me." You know, THINGS THAT ARE HARD TO HEAR. Kacie telling Ben she had an eating disorder - that'd qualify as opening up. Revealing that you dated someone else in the past is something everyone's done. Now is she was physically or verbally abused, or he cheated on her with her sister....now that's opening up.
Seriously though...where does she live? I feel like I'm watching the sequel to The Patriot. I keep waiting for Mel Gibson's daughter to break her silence and yell "Papa don't go!". It's like a late 18th century plantation! I also love that Lindzi had no clue her parents got married at San Francisco's City Hall, where she and Ben had their first date. How could this not be common knowledge? She never saw a picture and asked "hey, where's that?" Blows my mind. Her dad doesn't do anything to quash the 18th century idea when he announces that the tradition around the house is to have "carriage races." This carriage race is about as ridiculous as you'd expect. Some families play H-O-R-S-E in the driveway, these people race horses in the South Field. Unbelievable. Lindzi's dad says that trash talking is encouraged, and then tells Ben to "lay it on him." How do you trash talk a carriage race? Not well apparently: Her dad's version of trash talking is to say "and the winner is...the old people." I get the feeling that Lindzi led a very sheltered life growing up. Maybe this explains the move all the way across the country to Seattle.
Lindzi's mom sits down with Ben and all but confirms the sheltered life theory when she says "we kept her away from boys and kept her focused on the horses." I'm beginning to see how she could misread the text message dumper. Ben talks to Lindzi's dad and starts it by saying "I'm not ready to propose to anyone yet." As a father, I don't know how I'd react to a guy telling me he doesn't want to propose to my daughter YET, but if he gets to that point, could he marry her? Such a chicken-crap move. Takes all the pressure off asking if you make it into a hypothetical. I can't fathom looking a man in the eye and saying "I'm not asking to marry your daughter, but if I was, what would you say?" I'll bet ABC mandates that you ask the dad this question without tipping your hand for television purposes, but I'd phrase it something like "would you have a problem with me pursuing a long term relationship with your daughter?" All in all, it seems like everyone was pretty happy with how that meeting went. I'd say Lindzi is safe.
Off to Tennessee for Kacie's date! I love that Kacie meets him at a high school football field named for Buster Boguskie. Who was Buster Boguskie? Well a quick Google search lets me know that he was a minor league baseball player. Kacie's got a marching band and her baton...which would be impressive if she hadn't already done the baton twirling thing back in Sonoma. We already know you can twirl the stick Kacie. Turns out that Buster was Kacie's grandfather! I don't know why, but this is kind of cool to me. We find out that Kacie's grandparents had a love that rivalled that of Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling in the Notebook or something. Also, Kacie's dad doesn't drink and is a probation officer. I love that Ben is nervous because Papa B. doesn't drink. Makes me hope that Jocelyn's future suitors are nervous of me for the same reason - mostly because they'll have absolutely no other reason to fear me. Ben seems to think that because he makes wine and Papa B. doesn't drink, they'll have nothing in common. Seems a bit narrow minded on his part.
We finally meet the family....I love the awkward hug Ben had with Kacie's sister. He didn't even look at her! It's almost like he didn't even want to be tempted. Kacie tells her sis that Ben is her "future husband." Kacie's dad asks why he's kept Kacie around to this point, and Ben vaguely answers "she's surprised me....the way she communicates." Not exactly a ringing endorsement. Ben then says the words every dad wants to hear: "I have strong feelings for your daughter, as well as some of these other women." I think Kacie's dad has heard enough: He essentially says "send my daughter home now if you're not going to propose to her." Ben nods and moves on to parent #2. Mom says she has a "big issue" with them potentially moving in together. Kacie's parents aren't doing her any favors here. But good for them though...I have to respect the fact that they're voicing their opinions and not just beating around the bush a little. They're just saying "if you get picked, don't say yes to a proposal until you've had time to date him a little more." It's probably along the lines of something that I'd say if someone wanted to marry my daughter after six weeks of polyamorous dating. Strangest part of the date was the end, when Kacie's dad, instead of waving goodbye, gives more of a Nazi salute. What was that? I'd say Kacie's chances of winning took a huge hit right there. Lindzi's family may still churn butter and
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| Kacie's Dad gave one of these before sending the couple out the door. Ooof. |
Ben loves Texas. Texas horses, Texas steer, and Texas Nicki. Not Texas flowers, or rivers, or anything...Nicki is like livestock to Ben. Yipes. I get what Ben is saying though...I spent a weekend in Texas a few years ago and I loved it. It's almost like a different country. Nicki takes Ben to a western outfitter shop where they buy some country gear. Ben says he's always wanted cowboy boots. Why he didn't buy the white boots with the snakes on them is beyond me, because those were awesome. Instead he buys one of the nerdiest cowboy outfits every known to man. He looks incredibly uncomfortable. I get the feeling Nicki is trying to make Ben fit into her life a little bit. Ben keeps saying that things keep getting better with Nicki. They sure like to kiss. Has he kissed anyone like that all season? Get a room guys! I think I'm a little surprised, because I haven't seen anything close to this physical attraction between the two of them all season. I'm starting to rethink my "Nicki goes home" prediction just a little bit.
I love the conversation with her mom where they're sitting on the bed giggling like a couple school girls, until they showed Nicki's mom rubbing Nicki's leg while they're talking. Is this something moms do with their daughters? Seemed kind of odd, especially given the poncho that Mama is wearing. The conversation with her dad is more of a parent/child conversation. He seems like a good guy, and my heart went out to him since he feels it's his fault that she got divorced inasmuch that he never should've given his blessing. Seems like a fantastic guy. Add Nicki's dad to things to like about Texas....along with livestock. In the end, he gives his blessing. Nicki's brother doesn't get much screen time, but does say that he "actually likes the guy."
Nicki steals Ben to say that she loves him and wants the San Francisco life. Ben doesn't respond and looks a little scared. They then make out, holding hands in much the same way that Nicki was holding hands with her mom on the same bed a little earlier in the night. CREEPY. Nicki then says that "if it's this good now, why can't it be this good forever?" Umm...isn't this the same girl that said back in the first episode that "four years into my (first) marriage, things changed and the passion wasn't there anymore." So there's your answer Nicki. That's how things could not be as good as the first two months of travelling the world and taking helicopter rides and chocolate baths together.
Now it's time for the main event...meeting Courtney's family. Courtney tries to explain that she feels badly about how she's treated the other girls. Reading between the lines, I think what she's trying to say is that the combination of constant alcohol and competition has made her mean. I guess I can get that. She definitely seems happier and less icy at her house with her family. So maybe I'll give her the benefit of the doubt....for now. Courtney also says that she's never been with a guy who didn't hurt her or let her down in some way. That makes sense, since she'd probably still be dating a guy if things were good.
Courtney's dad gives the marriage is a gamble with only a 50% chance of winning. The whole family is obsessed with winning! Courtney's dad almost exudes more confidence that Courtney does! Ben kind of dances around the gambling question...I would've answered that question with "with all due respect sir, when I decide to get married, it's not going to be a gamble. I'm not going to propose unless I'm sure it's going to be for the long haul." What dad isn't going to want to hear that? I'm a little bored with Courtney's family, which is disappointing. They were perhaps the most normal family out of the four, if you can believe that. Nicki's parents are divorced (which by definition makes them dysfunctional) even if they were pretty nice people. Kacie's parents were closet Nazis who still live by 1950's social standards, and Lindzi's parents have carriage races. To be honest, Ben probably fits in the best with Courtney's family. They seem kind of arrogant and simple too. For the non family portion of the date, Courtney takes Ben to a wedding....theirs. Didn't Ashley spring this gambit on William in Vegas on the last season of the Bachelorette? It's a little corny, but I think everyone would admit that if they hadn't seen any other episode this season, they'd think that Ben and Courtney were a pretty good couple. I'd bet there's more than a few ladies watching tonight who don't want to admit this, but they smiled while Courtney was stumbling over her vows and rocking back and forth out of nervousness. It was actually pretty sweet. She wasn't that happy all season long. If she's acting, she's doing a hell of a good job. I'm convinced she actually loves him. In fact, I think I'd say that the love she is feeling is more real than the love the other women are feeling. It just seems more "real" to me than the puppy love aspect the other girls seem to be feeling.
By the way, what is the deal with that JC Penney commercial with the little kid dressed as Abraham Lincoln rapping while Billie Holiday sings about having her love to keep us warm? Is this a President's Day reference? That commercial almost annoys me as much as the Viagra one I blogged about this morning.
Back in LA, Ben and Chris have their first sit down talk of the season. Ben recaps all the dates and gives a bit of his afterthoughts. Ben doesn't say much that we didn't already know, although I loved that he says he loves that Nicki and him can "hit a few stores and have a couple beers and call it a night." Who can you not do this with? Does this mean that a few of the women give off the impression that they need a helicopter ride and candlelit catered dinner by the ocean every night? I'm confused. We do get the classic scene of Ben in a darkened room looking at a makeshift shrine with framed pictures of the four women. Assuming that he already knows who he's sending home, this seems incredibly mean. "Here stare at the picture of the woman you're about to make cry for a few more minutes and make us believe that you're still considering keeping all of them." If I were rating the dates, I'd say it went Courtney, Nicki, Lindzi and Kacie, although Kacie got no help from her family. You'd hope that Ben would be able to separate his relationship with Kacie, from her relationship with her family....but this is Ben we're talking about.
Chris really whips the girls up into a lather before the rose ceremony. His job is to make them as emotionally unstable as possible. Fantastic. Ben angers all of female America by giving Courtney the first rose. Sorry ladies, she's around for at least another week. You know who's not? Kacie! Done in by her parents. Awful. I loved that the other girls go in for a hug and Courtney gives her trademark "yikes" face and awkwardly twirls her rose. Ben walks Kacie out, one would assume to comfort her. Instead, he says "I'm so sorry, this breaks my heart." At least he didn't give her the "our relationship could never get to the level I have with other women" line. If the guy can't even offer you a reason for breaking up with you, you're better off without him Kacie. High comedy when she blurts out "What the f*ck happened!" twice. Your parents happened Kacie. They set up some serious obstacles that the other women didn't have. Sure would've liked to have a camera on that first conversation she had with her parents after that. Gotta be hard as a parent to to balance what you think is right with what your daughter wants and/or thinks is right. This morning I said to a few coworkers that I couldn't wait for Jocie to grow up a little bit as the "baby" stage isn't my favorite, but after watching this, I'm thinking she can stay a baby as long as she wants. No chance she'll go on a reality show as long as she's in diapers.....I think.
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