*No Spoilers* The Bachelor 18 Edit Discussions #2

I want to be honest and say that despite all the negativity towards JP and his choice of sticking to it to tptb, I honestly have come away this morning feeling much more realistic than Des' season.

During her finale and ATFR I was cringing all the way to cringeville. And I definitely wasn't a Brooks fan. But I felt sorry for Chris and got the feeling that she was acting up a storm. Happy to say that even if they do not make it to the alter - they are the real thing because they gave it an honest shot and seem happy (same for all the other leads that at least tried dating in the real world).
But yes to me Des' finale made me feel like a fraud watching (I also cringed watching all her post-season interviews which also came up defensive and awkward to me) whereas with JP I am proud of how he and Nikki have chosen to end their stint and was actually celebrating last night.
JMO.

richmondrose wrote:JBF, please don't feel bad. I honestly believe that JP was going to pick Clare at the end but he quickly changed his mind on their LCD when she confronted him about his vulgar comments. His cousin even said that JP runs away from confrontation and Nikki, with her rose coloured glasses, was easy pickings.

IMO, Clare was the one with the rose colored glasses.  Nikki was much more realistic about the process.

Litta123 wrote:

nd4reality wrote:

JBF wrote:I guess I would have felt "warmer" for Andi had her edit not been so quirky and hypercritical. Also her intro felt like an infomercial for her firm. I was experiencing déjà vu of Ben promoting Evolve Wine (although he didn't get much promo ON the show... just on twitter while it aired).

In any case, I need a break from this silly franchise. Spent too much time posting about this one.

I agree with your thoughts on Andi.

Not sure if I will be on the boards as much either but do pop in from time to time just to lend a hand.

Gosh, the both of you were some of the heart and soul of this side. Without you guys, there is going to be a great void. Hmmm...it's too early for me to make the call about whether I'll stay unspoiled. I'm looking forward to a break from this over the next couple of months and then I'll take stock.

Just a silly wrap up question...would it be fair to say the TPTB did everything they could to cast doubt on the spoilers this season (because they were right), but last season, TPTB did very little to discredit them? (Sorry, I was traveling so much last summer that I don't have a good feel for Des's season.) Should that be one of the biggest tip-offs to whether to believe the spoilers or not?...or is that too simplistic?

You and I both know who hard it was to stay on this side and be actively questioning and sleuthing. I was spoiled by some careless posts which IMO came across here because we were active and folks just wouldn't keep the spoilers and their strong opinions over on the spoiler side.
So since it is so hard I cannot make up my mind whether to even bother.

I would like to read the pre-season chatter but am sure that the very second RS gets a wind of something I will be spoiled if I read over there.

Not sure what to do.   

And to your other point, the premise of the show is to keep the ending under wraps. The participants sign huge $$$ clauses so with so much on the line it is still strange that someone sings each season.
TPTB don't really have a hand in preventing the leaks or not. If they did - they would prevent them in all the seasons. BUT they are completely unable to consistently block RS and Co.
JMO.

nd4reality wrote:I want to be honest and say that despite all the negativity towards JP and his choice of sticking to it to tptb, I honestly have come away this morning feeling much more realistic than Des' season.

During her finale and ATFR I was cringing all the way to cringeville. And I definitely wasn't a Brooks fan. But I felt sorry for Chris and got the feeling that she was acting up a storm. Happy to say that even if they do not make it to the alter - they are the real thing because they gave it an honest shot and seem happy (same for all the other leads that at least tried dating in the real world).
But yes to me Des' finale made me feel like a fraud watching (I also cringed watching  all her post-season interviews which also came up defensive and awkward to me) whereas with JP I am proud of how he and Nikki have chosen to end their stint and was actually celebrating last night.
JMO.

I am in full agreement nd. I too was celebrating.

Mirzam wrote:

nd4reality wrote:I want to be honest and say that despite all the negativity towards JP and his choice of sticking to it to tptb, I honestly have come away this morning feeling much more realistic than Des' season.

During her finale and ATFR I was cringing all the way to cringeville. And I definitely wasn't a Brooks fan. But I felt sorry for Chris and got the feeling that she was acting up a storm. Happy to say that even if they do not make it to the alter - they are the real thing because they gave it an honest shot and seem happy (same for all the other leads that at least tried dating in the real world).
But yes to me Des' finale made me feel like a fraud watching (I also cringed watching  all her post-season interviews which also came up defensive and awkward to me) whereas with JP I am proud of how he and Nikki have chosen to end their stint and was actually celebrating last night.
JMO.

I am in full agreement nd. I too was celebrating.

I think I posted this before but I really did cheer when Nikki pipped up her support. For a few minutes I thought she was just going to sit there.

nd4reality wrote:

Mirzam wrote:

nd4reality wrote:I want to be honest and say that despite all the negativity towards JP and his choice of sticking to it to tptb, I honestly have come away this morning feeling much more realistic than Des' season.

During her finale and ATFR I was cringing all the way to cringeville. And I definitely wasn't a Brooks fan. But I felt sorry for Chris and got the feeling that she was acting up a storm. Happy to say that even if they do not make it to the alter - they are the real thing because they gave it an honest shot and seem happy (same for all the other leads that at least tried dating in the real world).
But yes to me Des' finale made me feel like a fraud watching (I also cringed watching  all her post-season interviews which also came up defensive and awkward to me) whereas with JP I am proud of how he and Nikki have chosen to end their stint and was actually celebrating last night.
JMO.

I am in full agreement nd. I too was celebrating.

I think I posted this before but I really did cheer when Nikki pipped up her support. For a few minutes I thought she was just going to sit there.

  I agree nd!

nd4reality wrote:

Mirzam wrote:

nd4reality wrote:I want to be honest and say that despite all the negativity towards JP and his choice of sticking to it to tptb, I honestly have come away this morning feeling much more realistic than Des' season.

During her finale and ATFR I was cringing all the way to cringeville. And I definitely wasn't a Brooks fan. But I felt sorry for Chris and got the feeling that she was acting up a storm. Happy to say that even if they do not make it to the alter - they are the real thing because they gave it an honest shot and seem happy (same for all the other leads that at least tried dating in the real world).
But yes to me Des' finale made me feel like a fraud watching (I also cringed watching  all her post-season interviews which also came up defensive and awkward to me) whereas with JP I am proud of how he and Nikki have chosen to end their stint and was actually celebrating last night.
JMO.

I am in full agreement nd. I too was celebrating.

I think I posted this before but I really did cheer when Nikki pipped up her support. For a few minutes I thought she was just going to sit there.

I am not so sure tptb wanted her to say a whole lot. I felt like she had to restrain herself because she might have said a few things they really didn't want her to say. Like her saying about some of the couples saying they were in love but weren't.

nd4reality wrote:

Mirzam wrote:

nd4reality wrote:I want to be honest and say that despite all the negativity towards JP and his choice of sticking to it to tptb, I honestly have come away this morning feeling much more realistic than Des' season.

During her finale and ATFR I was cringing all the way to cringeville. And I definitely wasn't a Brooks fan. But I felt sorry for Chris and got the feeling that she was acting up a storm. Happy to say that even if they do not make it to the alter - they are the real thing because they gave it an honest shot and seem happy (same for all the other leads that at least tried dating in the real world).
But yes to me Des' finale made me feel like a fraud watching (I also cringed watching  all her post-season interviews which also came up defensive and awkward to me) whereas with JP I am proud of how he and Nikki have chosen to end their stint and was actually celebrating last night.
JMO.

I am in full agreement nd. I too was celebrating.

I think I posted this before but I really did cheer when Nikki pipped up her support. For a few minutes I thought she was just going to sit there.

I think these two have a lot of challenges ahead with their relationship. TPTB have certainly played their part in giving them a shaky start. They have logistics to work out, a child in the mix, cultural and language differences, and a great deal of negativity in the public arena to overcome. I hope they get lots of support from friends and family, it does seem JP's family are supporting them,and I hope the same can be said for Nikki's. I wish them all the very best.

#TeamKeepingItReal

2observe wrote:

richmondrose wrote:JBF, please don't feel bad. I honestly believe that JP was going to pick Clare at the end but he quickly changed his mind on their LCD when she confronted him about his vulgar comments. His cousin even said that JP runs away from confrontation and Nikki, with her rose coloured glasses, was easy pickings.

IMO, Clare was the one with the rose colored glasses.  Nikki was much more realistic about the process.

Fair enough. I only watched from htd on and know very little of the back story. I thought that Clare also had them on but fortunately, she took hers  off when push came to shove.

richmondrose wrote:

2observe wrote:

richmondrose wrote:JBF, please don't feel bad. I honestly believe that JP was going to pick Clare at the end but he quickly changed his mind on their LCD when she confronted him about his vulgar comments. His cousin even said that JP runs away from confrontation and Nikki, with her rose coloured glasses, was easy pickings.

IMO, Clare was the one with the rose colored glasses.  Nikki was much more realistic about the process.

Fair enough. I only watched from htd on and know very little of the back story. I thought that Clare also had them on but fortunately, she took hers  off when push came to shove.

RR - there was another cringeworthy incident that happened with Clare in Vietnam. She was extremely upset. I thought she should have walked at that point. But during their second 1on1 date he spoke to her and bingo - she was all in again. He never even apologized to her but she took it to full steam ahead in the blink of an eye.
I don't know what the correct term is for people like her but pushover does come to mind. I don't feel sorry for her at all. She had more than one chance to smell the roses - no pun intended.

I'm sure Clare had opportunity to walk at times, but I also know how producers manipulate the contestants by whispering in their ears. I think Clare, like Nikki chose not to focus on the negative things, and the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back for her was JP's demeaning comment. I do think that Nikki has a long fuse and maybe hasn't had much experience with men, so she hasn't become tired of his hoof and mouth disease. But that day will eventually come and I'm willing to bet my last dollar on that.

This season has been a prime example of what we call the physical F2 vs the Emotion+physical F1 minus the ILY and proposal at the end which in most of the preceeding seasons has been fake anyway.

Many have posted that JP and Nikki will be dunzo soon. Perhaps they will but no better than the track record of this show and without the fakeness of getting engaged in a hurry after dating multiple people just days prior.

I liked that Nikki pointed it out at the ATFR. Finally a realistic F1.

CH saying that he has been doing this for 12 years and has never experienced an ATFR like this - most leads were fake as can be. Well except for Travis S (who was done prior to the FRC  who also refused to play ball and go over their decisions with tptb. Travis was fine without an ATFR and so will JP with a different one.