*No Spoilers* The Bachelor 18 Edit Discussions #2

Litta123 wrote:I just finished making screen caps from the preview. One thing that stood out to me was how many close up shots we got of Juan and Nikki kissing. Is that a good indication that she is F1...or is that a distraction for the viewers? That's a serious question, btw. I don't know how to interpret this season...

Here's last BACHELOR to compare to this:



... and two BACHELORs back (Is it necessary to review Ben's?):

^^Well if I counted right, Lindsay got 3 up close kissing scenes from Sean and Catherine 0 (though she got some good hugs).

In our current promo, Clare has 1 up close kissing scene and Nikki has 3. Is that significant?

No kissing at all with Emily. She is an even bigger Ice Princess than Clare. Brad tells us he feels like walking away. He even tells his family earlier that he may walk away again. (This and other scenes are all Red Flags that the resulting relationship was in trouble. Time to round up the Sutters, Mesnicks and Ali/Roberto for ATFR.)

****************

OK... another way of looking at this.

Brad's broken up line by line... after Harrison announces it as "dramatic"

Brad (alone walking to FRC): This is by far one of the biggest days of my life. What a place to end this...
Brad VO: ... journey. Cape Town, South Africa. (Long distance shot of him and Emily walking. Conclusion: the show at least ends with Emily.)
Boat scene.
Emily say ominously (red flag for me that there was trouble in paradise): I don't want it to end.
Brad answers "me neither". (At least they are trying to keep it together.)
Chantal VO: It is so surreal to think that... (Only major kissing shot has F2 here... a "surreal" moment)
Chantal VO: ... this is the last night that I have with Brad (Helicopter shot of F1 Emily with him. Chantal appears to be talking TO Emily, reminding her make good use of her last date.)
Chantal VO: ... before he makes a life changing decision. (silhouette toast)
Chantal corners a hesitant Brad: After all of this, you had better %$#^ing be putting a ring on my finger.
Brad in shark cage with her: OMG! There's a shark right there! (Is this about Chantal scaring him with that last statement and making him question if he is ready? Marriage is like swimming with the sharks. Talk about fearful imagery!)
Emily VO over herself with Brad: As soon as I think there's a possibility, I can get hurt...
Emily VO: ... I completely back away. (Shot of a disappointed Brad. Emily is talking about herself, but this edit suggests that Brad may "completely back away" too.)
Brad to his bros: I'm telling you guys that I am about to walk away again. (Ouch! Repeat of Brad 1.0... just not happening at FRC this season.)
Brad VO: I was very confident of my feelings... (Emily watching him leave)
Brad VO: ... with both of these women (Chantal)
Brad VO: ... and this particular date (Emily)
Brad VO: ... is making me question (Chantal's crying)
Brad VO: ... everything. (With Chantal in her happy "mood", opening wine.)
Chantal to Brad: You seem kind of nervous.
Brad to Chantal: You have to face it.
Brad VO: This whole thing... (Chantal face-shot)
Brad VO: ... can be overwhelming (Brad face-shot)
Chantal VO over herself on date and limo: I have all of these fears inside me and it makes you second guess...
Chantal VO: ... yourself. (Immediate transition to Emily walking down with Chris Harrison. She and Chantal are second guessing themselves.)
Brad VO: My emotions... (Emily still)
Brad VO: ... are all over the place. (Chantal again... F1, F2 and Brad all are a mess.)
Brad VO over himself: It scares the hell out of me because, the way I am feeling, I want to walk away right now. (He didn't at the FRC, but if he is feeling like that, you knew he would at some future time.)

Using Brad's as a template for comparison and contrast... Juan's broken down:

Nikki (early scenes):
St. Lucia is gorgeous and romantic and this is it. (travelogue line)
There's only one of us left after today. (About me as "one of us")
Every little girl dreams of their wedding, dreams of the day they know they found someone. (A generic statement about little girls' dreams... maybe hers too.)
In a few days he's gonna be down on one knee. (narration of the storyline, also matches Chantal's "before he makes a life changing decision" above.)

Clare (early scenes):
I can definitely imagine my future with Juan Pablo. I've fallen in love with him.
It's all been my perfect vision of a fairy tale. I just want that perfect fairy tale ending. (Juan's ring is shown here)
I could have a ring on my finger. (About me. As Nikki explained to her in Miami... "It is not all about you." Well... Andi accused Juan of being all about HIM in the fantasy overnight.)

Cousin with Juan: "That woman is in love. She's all in..." Juan replies: "We've got to see the..." Interruption: "No, dude, all in."
(Going by Juan's shirt and Mom's outfit in previous scene, I would guess he is talking about Nikki, not Clare, as I previously thought. Much depends on the "when" each lady visits and whether the cousin is talking about the visitor that day or another day. Intriguingly, this scene follows the Clare scenes above involving "love" and The Ring. Also note that Juan and the cousin previously discussed Sharleen in Miami, who "bolted".)

Nikki to Mom: Do you think he's ready for this? (about The Process)
Mom's response: I'm pretty sure.

Clare to Mom: He made me cry. (about The Emotions)
Mom's response: Me too.

Parental warnings of Juan just before Clare's scene: "He's not an easy guy." "Sometimes he's very rude."

Nikki/Juan conversation...
her: What's gonna happen when you don't have private islands any more?
him: I will have a bed by myself, probably.
her: Not all the time by yourself.
him: I know.
Problem???: Pronouns "I", "you", "myself", yourself"... and The Bed. Also reminds me of Juan's need for privacy and fear that Camilla would see OceanGate.

Clare/Juan conversation...
her:  Do you think you know me well enough to make your decision?
him: That's a good question.
Problem???: Echoes of Andi's overnight when Juan spent too much time talking about himself and didn't learn about HER. (cf. New Zealand: "Do I ‘know’ Clare? Yeah, I ‘know’ her, but do I need to ‘know’ her more? Yeah, I need to ‘know’ more about her.")

Nikki closes our dialogue like Chantal did in Brad's: I can pick out all of the negative things and dwell on them, but I don't want to lose this.

Closing scenes:
Clare crying... on a bed. (Cue discussion with Nikki about The Bed above... and Clare's discussion. Something goes wrong on the LCD.)
Nikki crying... on a couch. (No clue what this is all about. Is she crying about Juan or something else?)
Juan simply walking. (No dialogue like Brad expressing mixed emotions. In fact, everybody ELSE is talking for Juan.)

albean99 wrote:To me Clare has received a f2 edit all season. She was the early date and far from hidden, the chemistry girl, and very pushy about being beside JP in all group situations. That's a prime f2 edit imo. I know the edit has changed over the years but not really that part. Vienna & Courtney had different edits because they were drama queens and very unlikable. I believe TPTB thought that the viewers would assume they weren't the f1 only because nobody wanted them to be. Clare has been annoying but a lot of people feel the same way about Nikki so don't believe this points to Clare getting the same edit as V/C.

Even though we will disagree here, we might as well present much of the material as objectively as possible here.

This season differs from most others in that F1 and F2 (regardless of who is who) never had a date together. Each is clueless about Juan's relationship with the other. The closet match in past seasons for this may be Ashley's season when F2 Ben Flajnik's only date with F1 JP was at the Phuket orphanage (episode #4) and the Eagle Eyes analyzing that footage frame-by-frame could see Ben was not part of the group observing JP carrying Ashley in from the rain. Either he was having a PI session or Blake (also missing) was with him in another part of the resort.

Since some of us have used a lot of space here explaining why we think Clare is final one, it is high time to dig deep and analyze some conversation snippets with the other...

I was going to break this down into smaller posts, but just "copy & past" any quotes or sections needed.

Intro key line:

"I do not want to settle ever. I don't settle my professional life. I don't want to settle my love life, that's for sure. I want that head over heels in love, can't enough of each other, feeling and I don't want that feeling for, like, two weeks in the beginning. I want that feeling forever."
"Juan Pablo is very sexy." (smirks as she looks to the side) "Very sexy." (giggles)
"I don't know what's gonna happen and I'm excited about that. I could leave totally in love. I could leave totally heartbroken, but I think this will be an experience of a lifetime."

Flashforward: The words "I am not going to settle for someone who is not... " are the last spoken by Clare to Juan when Nikki interrupts them here in Korea: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Nikki’s commentary on the Victoria situation

The Victoria drama in the episode #2 group date took a HUGE chunk of time and, yeah, it was presented for what it was... drama.

Intriguingly, Clare was MIA during all of this business. She, of course, was not on the group date, but if any of this related to her, the editors would have still shown a "back at the mansion" shot of her saying something. Intriguingly, there is one Victoria/Clare connection here: she had a "like" cry scene with Renee consoling behind a closed door in episode #3. Victoria even tells Juan in the hotel room that she didn't want him to see her cry.

Nikki is everywhere this episode as both a commentator and an observer (while sitting with Juan as bombed and bikini Victoria is stumbling about). There is a key scene here when Kelly suggests that "she owes him an apology". Note who the camera is focused on: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Conversation snippet on the soccer date...

Nikki: Tonight I am hoping for something a little more intimate, a little more 1 on 1. I want some time to explain who I am and kinda why I’ve been a little shy, a little reserved so far.
Nikki to Juan: So what was your biggest fear coming into this.
Juan: Hurting people. (Yeah?) Yeah. That’s the biggest one. What was your biggest fear?
Nikki: I think my biggest fear, honestly WAS me getting hurt. You know, when you open up to someone, you open that door wide open to get hurt and that’s probably what my biggest fear WAS coming into this.
Juan tapping her forehead: That’s why you have…. Up there.
Nikki: Yeah. It is.
Juan: So what are we gonna do about that? (I don’t know.) What about you?
Nikki: No. I know, like, I really want to be here and I really like you. It is just, sometimes, I know, honestly, the whole pressure of such a short time and decision for me is just… I like… it’s nerve wrecking.
Juan: I want you to be here. You have something that I like. You have a psyche…  don’t know what. You know, like your vibe. You know, you’re sexy. I did the (gestering to his shoulder as she laughs) …. So tell whatever you want. (OK) That I’m all ears and want to know more and I like you.
Nikki: Good. / Tonight, sitting with Juan Pablo was easy… and this whole time I’ve been stressed out about ‘what am I gonna say to him’ because I don’t know how long I have. Someone might interrupt me and, tonight, I was like… forget it. It was so much better.
Juan: This is my life.
Nikki: You are so much in your element, like…
Juan: It feels like a home.
Nikki: Exactly.

The lines I underlined above are interesting for me. She does discuss her fear as a past one "coming into this". The pro-Nikki camp could say that she will not leave heartbroken (that is, she's F1).

Korea

Although Korea did not show Nikki at her shining best, she opens her group date on a favorable note:

“I really want a 1 on 1 because I feel like that is gonna be the turning point for me, where I am… like… this is IT, y’know. Because, right now, all I do is see him in a group setting and I don’t thrive in a group setting. I want to get to know him better. Yes, he’s very attractive and smart and funny, but I want to go deeper than that and see if we are actually really compatible on a relationship level.”
(During all of this we see him drinking his coffee… oooooh… winning a heart at a game stand. “Boom… pink!”… this being the color of his shorts in a later comic conversation with Nkki in New Zealand.)
“So… for me… getting a 1 on 1, it will make this whole experience turn a corner for me.”

This comment humorously compares and contrasts her with Clare since Nikki has just brothers:

“I don’t want to go on a group date right now. I would like to go on a date with no other people besides the person I’m dating. It is weird for me. I don’t have sisters at home and I don’t have to share a lot of things at home… like my boyfriend. I don’t know how to handle myself.”

Korea also gave us a foreshadowing of Miami…

Juan: How to you feel about Camilla?
Nikki: I’d love to meet her. I love kids. I work around kids every day and I have such a strong relationship with my mom and family means so much to me that it’s been engrained in me to pass that on, y’know, to my family… um… whether it is my biological family or, y’know, kinda like a blended family. Like, I definitely think I can do it because I thought about it a lot before I came here and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think it was something I couldn’t take on. And I’m a great diaper changer.
Juan: Really?
Nikki: Oh yeah. So fast.
Juan: Very good. (Yeah!) Now we’re talking!

(Note: Term “blended family” gets repeated in hometown.)

Two other lines that could potentially suggest F1 status… or not:
-This isn’t a game for me. This is something real and I want a real relationship with him.
-I would love the rose tonight because I feel I deserve the rose. Not because I’m the best dancer but because I was a real person. Because I was ME.

Speaking of ME… (and Clare also says she doesn’t care what others think, she will remain Clare. That’s what she brings to the table)

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

Nikki: OK... Did you know that for guys when, like, a guy likes a girl, they look her in the eye but when a girl likes a guy, she looks away. It is a proven fact.
Juan: Who said that?
Nikki: Science.
Juan: Hmmmmm. OK.
Nikki: I know. You can't deny it then.
Juan: Good, I learned something today.
Nikki: Well here's the thing. I think when I, like, look you in the eyes...
Juan: And I look somewhere else so you look at me
Nikki: Yeah
Juan: OK tell me. (No) Tell me.
Nikki: I feel you can see all my secrets.

We then cut to Sharleen killing our romantic mood here by asking Allison and Lauren "Do you think he notices... that?" i.e. her secrets.

This brings us to…

How THE OTHERS view Nikki vs. Clare

Nikki about her Korean group date: “This blows. I’m half way around the world and I’m going to be spending the day tomorrow with five other girls who are quite annoying.”

I am skipping any comments by Clare this episode and starting with the “five other girls”:

Starting with Nikki’s attack on Kat first: Everyone’s afraid to hurt someone’s feelings. Everyone’s afraid to step on someone’s toes. In reality, there are things that I think about people that that person probably might not want to hear it. / I do think there are some people who might be here for more fun than something real. / I’ll say it. I think Kat acts one way with us and the cameras come around and she’s like “who wants some guacamole? / You can’t get what you want by being fake. It doesn’t happen. It doesn’t work that way… and Kat is so “on” all the time, so over the top, that there is no way that is real.

Cassandra: The cattiness is starting already and it is mostly Nikki who’s doing the talking and I was just not wanting to participate.

Danielle: Nikki is a negative person. In this setting, it’s easy to become catty and talk behind the others’ backs and Nikki has done that and I don’t feel that’s sincerely a good role model for Camilla.

(“cattiness” = “who is killing the cat?” in the WTA blooper reel)

Elise (the one who “rats” on Nikki even though she thought it as Clare): Nikki’s the most negative person in the house and I hope he is not getting the wool pulled over his eyes... but I don’t think he’s getting the full picture. (after she gts the rose) [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] Yuck. There’s no way ever that I would have Nikki around my child because of her negativity.

Kat: Seeing Nikki get the rose was not fun. (She then just focuses on herself feeling frustrated… no more on Nikki despite how much the other had to say about her.)

Sharleen: It is just so easy to be a shinier version of yourself.

Allison: I feel you can only hide that for so long. True colors are bound to come out.

Chelsie also calls Nikki “negative” in Miami.

For comparison and contrast, Clare’s comments in Vietnam:

Kelly: Here's the thing about Clare. She doesn't have many friends in the house, so whenever he says "pair up", everyone has a friend and Clare doesn't. For the first time in everyone's life, having no friends is an advantage.
Andi: I was frustrated just coming here this morning to this date and seeing another 1 on 1 date in front of my eyes basically. Annoying... I'm pissed, frustrated... yeah.
Sharleen: Basically the eight of us and a 1 on 1 date.
Chelsie: I've had a really good date today, but... thanks to Clare... it has been with Alli. Juan Pablo has been, like, "around" my date, but me and Alli have had a really romantic morning.
Back to Kelly: Clare got a lot of 1 on 1 time today because she took opportunities to be with Juan Pablo. Clare knows what she wants and she is here to get it. (cue shot of Juan eating his meal) Can we hate her for that? (eye roll) I mean, we can... but...
Kat to Clare and Juan looking embarrassed: We could really see you from the bushes. We saw it from the scenic route.
Alli: Today's date... it was wonderful, even if, at times, it felt like I was interrupting Clare's 1 on 1 date.
Chelsie: He had a TON of time with Clare this morning. A TON of time, so for him to grab Clare first, it seemed like... well, we're still sitting here on Clare's 1 on 1 date with Juan Pablo.
Kat to the others: I don't think he had to take her first.
Andi: I definitely think Juan Pablo gravitates towards Clare. It doesn't feel good to say that, but it's the truth!
Chelsie: We all want him to notice us and it is rough to see him notice someone else the whole day. (later) You can't blame her, but coming from our perspective, we're just discouraged.
Kelly: Should we just take the rose down there and give it to her? (later) You think they've made it to second base yet?
Danielle: Was anyone on the last date with Clare? Was it the same? (Kelly says she made it about "her" differently. and Kat asks "Are we seeing a theme?") / I'm really confused what is going on with Clare. She has a rose so I am thinking it has nothing to do with Juan Pablo. (later) I don't know what's going on with Clare and Juan Pablo. You can tell she's been crying when coming back to the group, so... I don't know what's going on.
Cassandra asking Kat: Is she really crying or does she really have bad allergies?
Andi: Juan Pablo spent more time with Clare than anybody else and she already has a rose... and let's not forget that three people are going home. This is the biggest cut that we've had since the very first night and, for Clare's sake, what is there to possibly be dramatic about?
Chris Harrison to Juan in deliberation room (EW outtake): What in the world just happened between you and Clare?

Might as well throw in Nikki’s take on Clare too…

Nikki: Clare comes back from her 1 on 1 time from Juan Pablo and they are not, like, hand and hand, arm and arm. I feel, like, there's a little bit of tension between them. I have no idea what's going on. (later) We got a very sombre vibe from him. Something bad is happening.

Nikki is talking, but discussing "we" as the group of ladies making the observation.
The subject is Juan. "We got a very sombre vibe from him."
Clare's face is shown, although Nikki is talking about Juan, not Clare. "Something bad is happening."

So what is bad about this situation to Nikki? Obviously she is not thinking about Clare with that statement, despite Clare being shown.

Nikki’s 1 on 1 dates in Vietnam, Miami, hometown and Fantasy Date: What HE says:

Last night I had a great night with Clare. She’s sexy. She’s got something that I like and I’ll be thinking a LOT about her… but today’s a new day. I can’t wait to see Nikki.

She is just gorgeous and she’s smart and sexy too. I have very good feelings for both of them and so it is hard.

(avoiding the cave climb discussion) I’m proud of her. She was very scared, but she did well.

(after reviewing date) She overcame her fears and, you know, I am glad to be part of it. Y’know, and I’m proud of her. Tonight we are having dinner and this cave is better. I like thi one a lot.

Her heart is just fantastic. She cares a lot about other people and that too is attractive to me. She makes a lot of people smile and she makes me smile, so… it’s… I like Nikki.

Nikki has been absolutely fantastic today. I’m liking how she thinks. I’m liking her heart a lot. I’m seeing good potential with her and, I’m like, hmmm… this is a potential wife right here.

Today is my second 1 on 1 date with Nikki and I have a little surprise for her. I feel great about this date. It is gonna be very good.

Camilla’s my everything and it just feels good to be able to share her dance recital with Nikki.

Camilla gets along very well with people and she did very well with Nikki. The little time we talked and she talked to her was perfect. Nikki was great. I cannot say a bad thing about today. Having Nikki there was perfect. She felt great. I felt great and I think my family feels very good about Nikki.

(After reviewing date) Now it is time for the night. The surprises keep coming and I like that. We’re going tonight to Marlin’s Park which is my office.

Nikki is thinking ‘How do I fit in here?’ And it is great that it is a thoughtful question. She is thinking and I like that. And she took a little step today. She went to the recital. That’s how you fit. Just be your self. Hanging out and doing things with family and that’s it.

Today was a great day with Nikki. It was great. We went to the recital and saw Camilla and met my parents. I feel happy because she tied everything today. Just makes me happy. If she’s enjoying, I’m enjoying. I feel comfortable. I feel easy. I feel that I can talk, I can hang out an hold her hand. I just feel it.

My relationship with Nikki has been progressing a lot since our 1 on 1 date. She is very special. Every time I am with her, I feel great, happy and we just get along so well that I love it.

She takes me to Oklahoma Joe's Barbecue. I didn't even know what that was. The spicy barbecue sauce... Uh! (followed by an onscreen "Uh".) Barbecue ribs and chicken barbecue, fries with spicy barbecue sauce. It was amazing. I had a blast eating with Nikki. Ah man. I will get fat eating that barbecue every day. Oh yes.

I've never done bull riding before obviously. It's something she likes to do and why not? I was a little scared. Honestly, I was  uuuuhh... I was toughing it up. But I did my best to hold on to that bull and not fall.

Today is my overnight with Nikki. My first overnights were great. I have no complaints with the other two girls at all. I got to see Clare in a bikini all day. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrllll. And every time I get t hang out with Andi, it is just gets better and better. I saved my last overnight with Nikki because I like what I am going to be doing today a lot. / Today is very important spending the whole day with Nikki. If she wants to spend the whole night? Perfect.

Nikki is very pretty. She’s sexy. She’s a very good kisser too. Hmmm… que rico, ay que rico. (Maybe not the same as “on fire” with Clare, but it will do. The next line comes from Nikki: “This is like something you see in a movie. This isn’t real life.”)

She is very happy. I can see it in her smile. I saw that smile as soon as she saw her family and I saw her smile today. So… I know she’s excited.

My date with Nikki went so good today. Ay ay ay. Can’t wait for tonight, though. Can’t wait for tonight.

I love kissing Nikki. She’s a good kisser. I cannot wait to learn more about Nikki. I cannot wait and my intention is for her to get to see the real me.

Hometown scenes...

This is the contestant's "natural habitat", not the exotic date. Again, underlining just those lines that stand out for ME. Yet they may not be all that significant in the long run.

Nikki to mom: Even though this has been such a short time, it feels so normal and so natural.
Mom Jennifer (who looks rather skeptical through all of this, not unlike Andi's dad Hy): So there is a physical attraction there? (Uh hmmm) There's also a mental... (yeah) attraction. (Yeah) So do you think you are in love with him?
Nikki: I would definitely say I am in love with him.
Jennifer: So you told him.
Nikki: No, I haven't told him.
Jennifer: You haven't told him?
Nikki: I haven't told him yet.
Jennifer: Are you gonna tell him?
Nikki: I want it to be the right moment and I think I am a good judge of what is a right moment and what's not. I dunno know. If it feels right at the end of the night, I'll tell him. I think that's the right time. (She does on the fantasy date instead.) Honestly, the next time you guys see me I could be engaged.
Mom (starting to smile): Do you mean it?
Nikki: Yeah. I do. (Mom looks down.)
Jennifer: So you think that if he got down on one knee and asked you...
Nikki (smiling) Uh huh.
Jennifer: ... you would say yes?
Nikki (smiling): Yeah. I would.
Mom (concerned): I just want you happy. And I'll support you.
Nikki: I feel really good about this.
Jennifer: OK (OK?) OK.
Nikki (giggling): All right. Let's go. (voice-over) I feel like my mom gets it. I feel like I've told her everything but I'm really worried about my dad because she says a lot of things based on emotion and I know my dad says a lot of things based on logic and I really respect my dad's opinion... a lot.
Tom to Juan: It is great to sit down with somebody that has the maturity and understanding of what (camera pans to Tom after Juan) a father going through in this situation.
Juan (shown): Yes
Tom (shown): And I think one of the challenges that I'm faced with is knowing potentially that there can be hurt.
Juan (shown): Yes, of course. (For Nikki) Yes.
Tom (shown): And, um, what have you seen in Nikki that you trust... (Juan shown) ...enough?
Juan (shown): Her honesty.
Tom (shown): Her honesty.
Juan: (Tom shown first) There are these things about Nikki... (Juan shown) that is just that. Easy. Just to me, it is easy. When you have... (Tom shown) the talk, it feels right. (back to Juan) To me, my biggest concern her is, like, will you accept me AND my daughter to your family if it happens to be Nikki.
Tom (changing the subject about "accepting" Juan and Camilla): Uh... I trust my daughter. (Juan shown) I would prefer... (Tom again) if your heart isn't there, NOT ask her to marry you.
Juan: Yeah, of course.
Tom: And if your heart isn't 100% in to this relationship.
Juan: Yeah. Honestly, my proposal will be for Big Picture. (brief glimpse of Tom) You know... figure something out so we can live together. (Tom shown again, looking more skeptical) Create a family and, you know, if Nikki is ready to get married... and that is what I want. (back to Juan) We are on the same page.
Tom: We trust Nikki to make that decision and whatever decision she makes, we will accept wholeheartedly and will welcome you into our family.
Juan (looking down): Thank you. I appreciate it, y'know. Thank you. (hand shake)
Tom: Thank you for your time. (Huh?) (voice-over/PI) I felt he was very upfront and honest with me about his feelings towards Nikki. I know my daughter is ready for marriage and looking for the right person for her and, if he picks her, I think that would have to be something she decides for herself.
Tom to Nikki: So what makes you so compatible with him? What have you seen in him that makes you feel that this is... could be a possible, um, husband for you?
Nikki: I just feel like he makes me feel like comfortable around him... and there's just something about him... and I can't really put my finger on it and I can't explain it but it's just awesome. It is, like, magical... like... I don't know. It's just I feel really really good about it.
Tom: Well tell me about the thought of becoming a mom. (Right) Blended families are not easy.
Nikki: I've thought about that... and I don't think I'm in for any surprises when it comes to stepping into this blended family and, y'know, taking on a role as a stepmom. I feel I've had a great example of parents and I've been shown a lot of love growing up and I also feel like I have a lot of love to give.
Tom: You know, as my daughter, I want you to know that I will always support you in whatever you do. There is no question in my mind that you are an intelligent and talented, extremely bright and capable person... and who ever is lucky enough to have you is gonna be somebody I want that can stand the test of time. So... I love you, sweetheart.
Nikki: I love you too, Dad.
Tom (PI): I think every dad has the challenge of seeing his daughter grow up and take that step.. and it is just a important for Nikki to select him as it is for Juan Pablo to select her.

She ends the date with this line: “It didn't feel right to tell him that I loved him and I came so close to telling him and I didn't. I don't know why.” (Later, in the fantasy date, she does though.)

Clare at the end of her hometown:

I don't want him to leave. Because... amidst all of that, he still, like, made me feel good... and that is what I want in my life... is that man that, when stuff doesn't go right, they're there for you. They're that rock for you... to tell you that "It's gonna be OK". If he can look past my crazy family, I would love to marry him. I would love it. I would absolutely love it.

So I guess my question to albean99 is how do you consider Nikki as the F1 hidden edit. She has 55K tweeter followers and Clare has 26K. In just PI's alone (yes I went and tallied them) here is the break down. (included pre-season preview) Pi's were personal interviews that were not in the moment…where a comment was edited into that time when it was obvious that it was a different time.

Nikki 40+
Clare 42+

So the edit did not hide Nikki what so ever JMO

RC 1:1 time shown
Nikki only one time that wasn't shown and that was Vietnam & one other
Clare - the only time Clare & JP's 1:1 at a RC was shown was Vietnam and Korea

I can go on….but Nikki I believe was not hidden this season

Okay... I never have anything to add because you all are amazing, and please forgive me if this has been addressed already, but I have a question. Is Nikki crying in the finale preview in the "every little girl dreams of the day that they know they've found someone" VO? It sure sounds like it to me. I'm not sure if they could be happy tears, rejection tears, tears from being anxious about what would happen, etc. It just sounds tearful to me. Again, I am so sorry if this has been discussed. I am a long-time lurker but stayed off the boards this time until I couldn't stand it anymore.

Nikki wasn't hidden in the show, she was hidden in the season preview. That is different from Clare getting the F2 chemistry edit.

mbmom wrote:Okay... I never have anything to add because you all are amazing, and please forgive me if this has been addressed already, but I have a question.  Is Nikki crying in the finale preview in the "every little girl dreams of the day that they know they've found someone" VO?  It sure sounds like it to me.  I'm not sure if they could be happy tears, rejection tears, tears from being anxious about what would happen, etc.  It just sounds tearful to me.  Again, I am so sorry if this has been discussed.  I am a long-time lurker but stayed off the boards this time until I couldn't stand it anymore.  

Good catch! She may be crying. I notice there have been times when her voice waivers at the beginning of a statement or question that holds great importance to her. The last example was at the FS dinner when she asked him to clarify what he meant by "are you ready for this" which he had initially asked on the beach.

The main thing that stands out to me is that Juan brought the topic of Camilla up to Nikki on their 1on1 time in South Korea. Yes, I know others have discussed Camilla with Juan, but THEY have been the ones starting the conversation...such as Clare on their FD. The difference is that Juan brought Camilla up when talking with Nikki. She met his family AND Camilla...and Carla.   

Mirzam wrote:Nikki wasn't hidden in the show, she was hidden in the season preview. That is different from Clare getting the F2 chemistry edit.

This.

It is sad, almost every season by the end seeing the edit of Bach or Ettes warts and all on the show and in the media, I am routing for the F2, F3, F4 who get away. They seem lucky and so much better off. This season I even want the F1 if there is one to get away. Not that JP is not deserving of love but he clearly needs more empathy and compassion. He's to much a male Chauvanistic in my opinion.

Mirzam wrote:Nikki wasn't hidden in the show, she was hidden in the season preview. That is different from Clare getting the F2 chemistry edit.

But I don't see her as hidden in the preview…with my tallies Nikki was shown four times and Clare's dates was 8 times….alot of the scenes we didn't know it was Clare until we sleuthed it out. A lot of discussion was about the boat scene and a lot of posters thought it was Nikki….but looking over the preview Nikki was shown four times and Clare was eight….so I really don't think that is hidden. Just like this whole season I don't see Nikki as hidden either. JMO