Brooks Discussion Group

I'm not pooh-poohing any of the relationships this season. Yes, Des and Brooks had a great thing going and I'm sure she did, as spoken on screen, sometimes question if he could be The One. Yet the fact that they were discussing heartbreak under the Hollywood sign and her willingness to experience it should make anybody question: Is this just a bizarre coincidence of foreshadowing that was miraculously captured on screen? Or was there some pre-planning involved?

Things get even more creepy as Jason and Molly continue to spill stuff on their podcast. Go past the 8 minute mark here as Jason discusses how they are all “cast for a reason”... and "we don't even know it".

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Did Brooks know he would be The Heartbreaker? Like Bryden, he rode in a "Bentley", shout-out to a former heartbreaker of a past season. No doubt he realizes it NOW... if he watches Ali's season and Frank's storyline, he will feel déjà vu as a cluster of us viewers did. How much Des knew ahead of time can be also debated, although my vibe is that she did.

Apparently, she never had doubts about Chris even if... she may have doubted herself as being ready for commitment. Like Ali, she may not have felt ready to leave California and saw Brooks/Frank as an escape route... OK if it doesn't last long post-show (a.k.a. "living in the moment") as long as I can continue my career here, but Chris/Roberto may be too settled for me. (Note: Roberto did move for Ali, contrasting to Des moving for Chris, but re-watch Daddy Roberto Senior talking to Sonny Boy at the 9 minute mark here: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ).

She told Chris in Madeira that she would love for him to meet her family (despite acting "hesitant" later on the last chance date) as if it was a foregone conclusion. She told Becky on screen "He really has all of the qualities… and the lasting qualities, I think… that I really want in a husband and a father of my children". Did she say the same with Janice? No clue... Janice told Brooks that Des looked at him as "potential marriage material" and asked "what kind of a father and husband you would be". On the plus side, Brooks felt "closer to the union of marriage" on that hometown, as if all of this was therapy of sorts and as the one brother comments "thanks for not being a huge waste of time".

Yet this, again, brings us back to questioning Des: Did she (like Brooks) have her own "ups and downs" regarding marriage/longterm commitment? Finding love in The Bubble of Reality TV? I guess there is a reason they never shoot exotic dates in Sweden since the "Stockholm syndrome" runs rampant (except with those, like Brooks, who don't fall completely into it). With this speculation, the whole Brooks vs. Chris saga takes on new coloration and the "blindside" makes more sense as less about love-confusion (yes, she did "love" both) but more of Desiree deciding what kind of end result she wanted. Brooks and Des had "like" or "parallel" minds while Chris was the opposite partner, completely ready for "the long haul".

Boy! Did I get deep here!

JBF wrote:I'm not pooh-poohing any of the relationships this season. Yes, Des and Brooks had a great thing going and I'm sure she did, as spoken on screen, sometimes question if he could be The One. Yet the fact that they were discussing heartbreak under the Hollywood sign and her willingness to experience it should make anybody question: Is this just a bizarre coincidence of foreshadowing that was miraculously captured on screen? Or was there some pre-planning involved?

Things get even more creepy as Jason and Molly continue to spill stuff on their podcast. Go past the 8 minute mark here as Jason discusses how they are all “cast for a reason”... and "we don't even know it".

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Did Brooks know he would be The Heartbreaker? Like Bryden, he rode in a "Bentley", shout-out to a former heartbreaker of a past season. No doubt he realizes it NOW... if he watches Ali's season and Frank's storyline, he will feel déjà vu as a cluster of us viewers did. How much Des knew ahead of time can be also debated, although my vibe is that she did.

Apparently, she never had doubts about Chris even if... she may have doubted herself as being ready for commitment. Like Ali, she may not have felt ready to leave California and saw Brooks/Frank as an escape route... OK if it doesn't last long post-show (a.k.a. "living in the moment") as long as I can continue my career here, but Chris/Roberto may be too settled for me. (Note: Roberto did move for Ali, contrasting to Des moving for Chris, but re-watch Daddy Roberto Senior talking to Sonny Boy at the 9 minute mark here: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ).

She told Chris in Madeira that she would love for him to meet her family (despite acting "hesitant" later on the last chance date) as if it was a foregone conclusion. She told Becky on screen "He really has all of the qualities… and the lasting qualities, I think… that I really want in a husband and a father of my children". Did she say the same with Janice? No clue... Janice told Brooks that Des looked at him as "potential marriage material" and asked "what kind of a father and husband you would be". On the plus side, Brooks felt "closer to the union of marriage" on that hometown, as if all of this was therapy of sorts and as the one brother comments "thanks for not being a huge waste of time".

Yet this, again, brings us back to questioning Des: Did she (like Brooks) have her own "ups and downs" regarding marriage/longterm commitment? Finding love in The Bubble of Reality TV? I guess there is a reason they never shoot exotic dates in Sweden since the "Stockholm syndrome" runs rampant (except with those, like Brooks, who don't fall completely into it). With this speculation, the whole Brooks vs. Chris saga takes on new coloration and the "blindside" makes more sense as less about love-confusion (yes, she did "love" both) but more of Desiree deciding what kind of end result she wanted. Brooks and Des had "like" or "parallel" minds while Chris was the opposite partner, completely ready for "the long haul".

Boy! Did I get deep here!

LOL..i just wish you will come up with your own analytical memoir, JBF!...it will be my ultimate handbook for enjoying this silly show...

I need to go back and watch the show again I guess...

Let's see, could someone tell me when am I supposed to believe that Des was "acting" when speaking directly to the camera? And when do I believe she was "telling the truth" when speaking to the camera?  Oh wait... I know!  This is like a creative writing course where we are given a few facts and then we make the story fit the facts...

So... when Des looks directly at the camera and says she is falling in love with Brooks, that she is in love with Brooks, that she is wanting Brooks to propose that is all "acting" now?  And when Chris Harrison says to her on numerous sessions before rose ceremonies... but what about the other guys, does that mean you aren't falling for them? and she answers, yes she is... that is the absolute truth that they were on a level playing field with Brooks?

I guess I'll get my notebook out and take notes... I can't believe what a wonderful actress Desiree was... Oscar caliber I believe.  I wonder what movie or show she will be in next?

It's important to consider the effects of the "bachelor bubble". A contestant or lead often thinks they are in love while immersed in the bubble only to discover very quickly it was merely an illusion. Wasn't it Chris L. who said he was over Ali by the time he flew home? That's why I have no problem accepting that Des might have thought she was in love with Brooks but once he rejected her, which burst the bubble for her, she was able to recognize her feelings for Chris. Not saying this is how it happened but it's possible. The bubble is a phenomenon that has been confirmed by many many contestants and leads.

Bridget Jones ends up with Colin Firth, not Hugh Grant. She was not acting in either case. But her feelings for Colin Firth lasted not Hugh Grant. That's a fictionalized version of a reality that is not uncommon. Failing to see the "right person" because the wrong person (in terms of fit) is blocking the view, closing off part of your heart.

Des should be allowed her "AHA" moment. Brooks got their first, but eventually she was on the same page as him -- they were not a long term match. For one, because he didn't love her back! That's sort of a requriement.

hillie wrote:I need to go back and watch the show again I guess...

Let's see, could someone tell me when am I supposed to believe that Des was "acting" when speaking directly to the camera? And when do I believe she was "telling the truth" when speaking to the camera?  Oh wait... I know!  This is like a creative writing course where we are given a few facts and then we make the story fit the facts...

So... when Des looks directly at the camera and says she is falling in love with Brooks, that she is in love with Brooks, that she is wanting Brooks to propose that is all "acting" now?  And when Chris Harrison says to her on numerous sessions before rose ceremonies... but what about the other guys, does that mean you aren't falling for them? and she answers, yes she is... that is the absolute truth that they were on a level playing field with Brooks?

I guess I'll get my notebook out and take notes... I can't believe what a wonderful actress Desiree was... Oscar caliber I believe.  I wonder what movie or show she will be in next?

Yes I always enjoy the selective, after the fact, reinterpretations of the show...depending on who you were rooting for.

For a woman who could barely register any emotion or enthusiasm through much of the show, she really becomes an Academy Award worthy actress with Brooks. That, of course is the Bachelor bubble which burst quickly after his own award worthy performance where he dumps her, but once that bubble bursts within days she comes to her senses and the realization that of course, it was Chris right along. That, of course, is not the Bachelor bubble!

I wish them the best. Hope they are happy and she did in fact, post show figure things out, but, I just can't buy these she/he acting theories, she was paid extra threories, it was scripted all along theories. The theories become more and more elaborate. These people are not good enough actors and the producers wouldn't trust them anyway.  Seems it is not enough that producers cast malleable people who they can manipulate into doing a lot of very stupid things...along with a good bit of alcohol...and this was just a situation of "He's just not that into you". She liked several of the guys to different degrees. The one she foolishly thought she was in love with dumps her after he figures his feelings out and she has to regroup. The next guy on the list is a nice guy who she also likes and being vulnerable, feeling stupid and embarrased, she gives him a chance. Post show anything is possible.

So many were fooled by the acting job Emily and Jef did. Some even gave Jef money.  I'd go so far as to say Jef may have been there in case she chose no one and that he knew that too.

I've never said it was all fake. Her hand was shaking when she started crying during the rose ceremony with Chris and Drew. That is not acting and that is the sort of thing I look for. Some of that may have been the embarrassment of another guy leaving. It's hard to say if that moment was just about Brooks. I think the show is highly manipulated and it is interesting to discuss how so. In some cases, like with Trista, Ali and Ashley they have admitted it was acting to some degree, so I will never criticize another poster on where those lines are. They are there, to what extent each season is the question. Chris is sure fine with everything. She said he is telling secrets. What secrets? Chris says in the proposal they shared their feelings in Madeira. We didn't hear hers? Chris whispers after receiving the rose in Munich, "I'll pretend that didn't happen. That's unmentionable. Thank you Thank you." It's fair to think there may be a bit more to the story.

If you follow the discussion, mostly we are just pointing out some oddities and coincidences with this season.. like them knowing when to insert Matt White, putting Brooks on that first date, having the Jim Halpert proposal then making him wait patiently like Jim, them laughing about the scene about moving to Seattle, but no audio on the words.. read his lips.. "That was tough! shit" (tough to ask or tough to act out?).. then cracking up. They spend loads of time chatting in between scenes. The cameras have to be moved, lighting, testing. They know each other better than it appears.

Imagine the ratings if they didn't have some big drama. I think storyboarding makes sense for that reason. Seems like the true story trickles out sooner or later. Maybe she is MF's favorite bachelorette because she fell for Brooks and/or maybe she was the easiest to manipulate.

All these little things don't add up to any kind of a final answer for me, they just make me wonder and it seems wondering aloud is not so welcome sometimes.  You'd think this many seasons in we'd all be a bit skeptical of it.

hillie wrote:I need to go back and watch the show again I guess...

Let's see, could someone tell me when am I supposed to believe that Des was "acting" when speaking directly to the camera? And when do I believe she was "telling the truth" when speaking to the camera?  Oh wait... I know!  This is like a creative writing course where we are given a few facts and then we make the story fit the facts...

So... when Des looks directly at the camera and says she is falling in love with Brooks, that she is in love with Brooks, that she is wanting Brooks to propose that is all "acting" now?  And when Chris Harrison says to her on numerous sessions before rose ceremonies... but what about the other guys, does that mean you aren't falling for them? and she answers, yes she is... that is the absolute truth that they were on a level playing field with Brooks?

I guess I'll get my notebook out and take notes... I can't believe what a wonderful actress Desiree was... Oscar caliber I believe.  I wonder what movie or show she will be in next?

I'm not saying it was acting. I don't know, but you bring up a good point. Why was Des looking directly into the camera proclaiming her love for Brooks? They've never done that before. Des seems like a very sensitive, kind person. Wouldn't she have realized this would be hurtful to the guys still there when it aired? She is telling them that she is taking each relationship individually, yet telling Chris H. she's at the finish line with Brooks? It seems out of character for her to be that insensitive, doesn't it?

grace8136 wrote:So many were fooled by the acting job Emily and Jef did. Some even gave Jef money.  I'd go so far as to say Jef may have been there in case she chose no one and that he knew that too.

I've never said it was all fake. Her hand was shaking when she started crying during the rose ceremony with Chris and Drew. That is not acting and that is the sort of thing I look for. Some of that may have been the embarrassment of another guy leaving. It's hard to say if that moment was just about Brooks. I think the show is highly manipulated and it is interesting to discuss how so. In some cases, like with Trista, Ali and Ashley they have admitted it was acting to some degree, so I will never criticize another poster on where those lines are. They are there, to what extent each season is the question. Chris is sure fine with everything. She said he is telling secrets. What secrets? Chris says in the proposal they shared their feelings in Madeira. We didn't hear hers? Chris whispers after receiving the rose in Munich, "I'll pretend that didn't happen. That's unmentionable. Thank you Thank you." It's fair to think there may be a bit more to the story.

If you follow the discussion, mostly we are just pointing out some oddities and coincidences with this season.. like them knowing when to insert Matt White, putting Brooks on that first date, having the Jim Halpert proposal then making him wait patiently like Jim, them laughing about the scene about moving to Seattle, but no audio on the words.. read his lips.. "That was tough! shit" (tough to ask or tough to act out?).. then cracking up. They spend loads of time chatting in between scenes. The cameras have to be moved, lighting, testing. They know each other better than it appears.

Imagine the ratings if they didn't have some big drama. I think storyboarding makes sense for that reason. Seems like the true story trickles out sooner or later. Maybe she is MF's favorite bachelorette because she fell for Brooks and/or maybe she was the easiest to manipulate.

All these little things don't add up to any kind of a final answer for me, they just make me wonder and it seems wondering aloud is not so welcome sometimes.  You'd think this many seasons in we'd all be a bit skeptical of it.

True. Many were fooled by Jeff and Emily and many others were not. It was not pleasant attempting to put in a healthy dose of reality into that season. I can't remember how many times I was called a hater and told that I was just jealous. I don't hate any of these contestants...I just dislike some more than others...particularly when someone is attempting to sell me a load of bull that just does not match up with the real facts that are clearly out there.

The drama is there every season...usually manufactured with manipulations and booze. The story board is not written as such. It kind of develops during the course of the season and is edited to present a reasonably romantic story for our consumption. Remember these people are cast for a reason. Producers are able to manipulate them and know them inside out before the show even starts filming. They pretty much know how they will react in different situations, who the lead will probably be most attracted to, who will naturally say stupid things because of their ego that can later be edited appropiately for drama. Let's face it...there is a reason there are a ton of model types on these shows. These are people who want air time because they think or have been told/suggested to...it can further their careers. And as for Des being his favourite bette...MF says that about whatever Bachelor /Bette is airing at the time. I will be curious to see who he really feels that way about when the show finally is cancelled.

jlccaz wrote:Bridget Jones ends up with Colin Firth, not Hugh Grant.  She was not acting in either case.  But her feelings for Colin Firth lasted not Hugh Grant.  That's a fictionalized version of a reality that is not uncommon.  Failing to see the "right person" because the wrong person (in terms of fit) is blocking the view, closing off part of your heart.  

Des should be allowed her "AHA" moment.  Brooks got their first, but eventually she was on the same page as him -- they were not a long term match.  For one, because he didn't love her back!  That's sort of a requriement.  

Bridgette Jones is a character in a movie and a book...not a real person, therefore how she acted doesn't really have any more to do with reality than does this show.  

Sprite wrote:

jlccaz wrote:Bridget Jones ends up with Colin Firth, not Hugh Grant.  She was not acting in either case.  But her feelings for Colin Firth lasted not Hugh Grant.  That's a fictionalized version of a reality that is not uncommon.  Failing to see the "right person" because the wrong person (in terms of fit) is blocking the view, closing off part of your heart.  

Des should be allowed her "AHA" moment.  Brooks got their first, but eventually she was on the same page as him -- they were not a long term match.  For one, because he didn't love her back!  That's sort of a requriement.  

Bridgette Jones is a character in a movie and a book...not a real person, therefore how she acted doesn't really have any more to do with reality than does this show.  

That's the point (highlighted).

Sprite wrote:

hillie wrote:I need to go back and watch the show again I guess...

Let's see, could someone tell me when am I supposed to believe that Des was "acting" when speaking directly to the camera? And when do I believe she was "telling the truth" when speaking to the camera?  Oh wait... I know!  This is like a creative writing course where we are given a few facts and then we make the story fit the facts...

So... when Des looks directly at the camera and says she is falling in love with Brooks, that she is in love with Brooks, that she is wanting Brooks to propose that is all "acting" now?  And when Chris Harrison says to her on numerous sessions before rose ceremonies... but what about the other guys, does that mean you aren't falling for them? and she answers, yes she is... that is the absolute truth that they were on a level playing field with Brooks?

I guess I'll get my notebook out and take notes... I can't believe what a wonderful actress Desiree was... Oscar caliber I believe.  I wonder what movie or show she will be in next?

Yes I always enjoy the selective, after the fact, reinterpretations of the show...depending on who you were rooting for.

For a woman who could barely register any emotion or enthusiasm through much of the show, she really becomes an Academy Award worthy actress with Brooks. That, of course is the Bachelor bubble which burst quickly after his own award worthy performance where he dumps her, but once that bubble bursts within days she comes to her senses and the realization that of course, it was Chris right along. That, of course, is not the Bachelor bubble!

I wish them the best. Hope they are happy and she did in fact, post show figure things out, but, I just can't buy these she/he acting theories, she was paid extra threories, it was scripted all along theories. The theories become more and more elaborate. These people are not good enough actors and the producers wouldn't trust them anyway.  Seems it is not enough that producers cast malleable people who they can manipulate into doing a lot of very stupid things...along with a good bit of alcohol...and this was just a situation of "He's just not that into you". She liked several of the guys to different degrees. The one she foolishly thought she was in love with dumps her after he figures his feelings out and she has to regroup. The next guy on the list is a nice guy who she also likes and being vulnerable, feeling stupid and embarrased, she gives him a chance. Post show anything is possible.

I'm confused with your posts. On the one hand you acknowledge that the show is often fake and Jef and Emily were acting. Yay! But if people question anything this season, we are reinterpreting the show depending on who we were rooting for? How do you know there aren't storyboards? It's a lot of money to risk, going into a season, flying by the seat of your pants. I just don't believe they take that risk to any great extent, especially after Brad 1. Just like Jason said, people are casts for different reasons and they may not even realize it. If they are cast for a reason, there is a plan. This season we have a "fairytale." All fairytales have a problem to overcome. How did they know when to insert the Prince if they didn't know who the prince was fairly early on? They knew before Des that Chris was the "Prince"? Why is Bryden forced to leave during their date, then the palace, theme music, etc. I don't know the answer, but feel like it's a valid question. Are you assuming they just made a lucky guess on Chris?