The Bachelor 20 - Ben Higgins - General Discussion - *Sleuthing - Spoilers* #3

Continue general discussion here.

Sprite wrote:

jcrbil wrote:^^^ IMO he doesn't feel cheated by it.  He did take his "girls" home this season.  And he got to spare his family and friends the production of meeting someone who he would never have ended up with.

Exactly. I think he was grateful he didn't have to fake things in front of his family because it was mighty clear that Ben was so over Kaitlyn by that point. He was only hanging around because tptb wanted him for the next lead.

Sprite wrote:

jcrbil wrote:^^^ IMO he doesn't feel cheated by it.  He did take his "girls" home this season.  And he got to spare his family and friends the production of meeting someone who he would never have ended up with.

Exactly. I think he was grateful he didn't have to fake things in front of his family because it was mighty clear that Ben was so over Kaitlyn by that point. He was only hanging around because tptb wanted him for the next lead.

I think that Ben is sharper than people sometimes give him credit for. I think by the time that Kaitlyn was canoodling with Shawn in the room that Shawn shared with Ben in Ireland, Ben knew perfectly well which way the wind was blowing. And for whatever reason, he was at peace with it. I think that's a good part of the reason why Kaitlyn and Shawn have been so supportive of him. Ben knew what was going on and kept his own counsel. The FS date with Kaitlyn was for show only, IMO. I remember seeing the photo of Ben and Kaitlyn by the window the morning after, and thinking, "Nicely done. It looks convincing enough." It could have been a photo of two friends who had come to an understanding.

Amethyst wrote:

Sprite wrote:

jcrbil wrote:^^^ IMO he doesn't feel cheated by it.  He did take his "girls" home this season.  And he got to spare his family and friends the production of meeting someone who he would never have ended up with.

Exactly. I think he was grateful he didn't have to fake things in front of his family because it was mighty clear that Ben was so over Kaitlyn by that point. He was only hanging around because tptb wanted him for the next lead.

I think that Ben is sharper than people sometimes give him credit for. I think by the time that Kaitlyn was canoodling with Shawn in the room that Shawn shared with Ben in Ireland, Ben knew perfectly well which way the wind was blowing. And for whatever reason, he was at peace with it. I think that's a good part of the reason why Kaitlyn and Shawn have been so supportive of him. Ben knew what was going on and kept his own counsel. The FS date with Kaitlyn was for show only, IMO. I remember seeing the photo of Ben and Kaitlyn by the window the morning after, and thinking, "Nicely done. It looks convincing enough." It could have been a photo of two friends who had come to an understanding.

I think this happens not infrequently.

Assuming that Ben was not totally sucked into the Bachelor Bubble last year, based on how he has described his "perfect woman" in all the preseason media, it sure ain't Kaitlyn. So I don't doubt that he was, at best, skeptical about the viability of a relationship with her, and was probably relieved to be sent home when he was. And yes, it certainly makes it easier to immediately be good friends with Kaitlyn/Shawn when there are no hard feelings because there were never very strong feelings romantically to begin with.

Episode 1 recap: Benny Boy asks "Am I lovable?"

Key theme of the season. In Kaitlyn's, I suggested he wear teddy bear ears.

Basically I am going into this completely blind, although it is so easy to spoil myself by simply "googling" and checking different threads here. Granted, I watched both Bachelor Nation's "after party" (with yours truly, Mister Harrison... and even Ben popping in) and Jimmy Kimmel and we have a confusing mess of Becca, Caila, Olivia, Lauren B. and Jo-Jo as potential top five candidates, with Lauren as the frontrunner per Kimmel and I-forget-who on the after party. Of course, with so many Laurens, you can't help but wonder what tricks they have up their sleeves (since they select a certain number out of so many and really did not need THIS many Laurens). The end-of-the-show promos vaguely resemble Jillian's back in 2009 with somebody possibly leaving as the one he wanted. If I had to select a "final one" based simply on editing, it would be a tossup between VERY hidden Lauren H (not B, who seems too Bachelorette-ish to me) or Becca (the number 2 veteran from Farmer's season) because a couple times they have mentioned second chances... and NOT regarding HIM. I certainly hope there is a twist of some sort... and not the same Luv Triangle that was used last time (Kaitlyn/Shawn/Nick).

Ben... the Perfect Ten.

Ooof! He may be a little TOO perfect. I am sure he is the nicest guy in all the galaxy, but he does come off to me as... I dunno... a trifle vanilla. Also he seems ssssssoooooo young. He looks like one of those out-of-high-school-ers at Wal-Mart who are asking you how much you are paying for your cable network. Not that there is anything wrong with those hard-working folks, but you know they favor the ALWAYS smiling types with dimples... and "Adam's apples" like Richard Thomas in antique re-runs of The Waltons.

This hoosier, now in Colorado, is ready to meet his wife. They always are. Yet is SHE ready to meet her husband?

Things we learn about Benny...
-He comes from smalltown Indiana, but not as small as Farmer Soules'.
-Dated does... apparently. We see two white-tailed deer while he talks about the women he dated. No clue what they are suggesting here... those silly editors!
-He suffered heartbreak... and my guess is that she was the one who "took it away" from him in case Kaitlyn REALLY needs to know. Remember she asked him if he was a virgin and he said "no"?
-Mom & Pop cry... which means this will be a loooooong season. Looks like rain.
-He always sounds stuffy. Needs nasal drip.
-His official LA set of wheels is a Mustang that is almost as old as his parents.
-Oh yes, he needs Farmer Soules, King Jason and Prince Sean to tell him what to do.

Did my little astro check-up... 3-23-88, probably Warsaw, Indiana or whereabouts... and behaves a bit more Libra-ish than Aries-ish (possible 7th house emphasis?). Nonetheless, he's a sun sign Aries, moon sign Gemini with four planets (Mars, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus) in very disciplined "must be in control at all times" Capricorn, Venus and Jupiter in lusty Taurus and Mercury in "bohemian" Pisces. Also part of the Scorpio-in-Pluto generation. He sports a little of all the "elements" but he is more "earthy" than anything else, maybe too down-to-earthy. With his north node in Pisces, he definitely WANTS to be less "earthy" and detailed oriented. It amuses me how often he tells himself that he wants to "let go" and let nature take its course. This guy is quite the Felix Unger, so he is going to need a woman who can pry every cell-phone, laptop and ipad away from his hands... if such a thing is possible.

After being introduced to Mister "Am I lovable?", we get our lady "introductions"

1.) Lauren Beeee (one of the blonde ones) is an airline employee and calls herself "hashtag Mrs.Higgins". Oh that is just cute. This means either...
   a.) she will marry Professor Higgins... "the rain in Spain falls mainly on the air-plane"
   b.) she is some sort of "smokescreen" to fool the masses
2.) Caila... talks, talks, talks, talks... paint flowers and walks in the rain
3.) Jubilee the Military Gal... "You really don't want to mess with me" (Yeah, but she's a marshmallow at Meet & Greet, if frisky in the promos)
4.) Mandy... "Keep Portland Weird"... oh, and she's a dentist
5.) The Twins Haily & Emily... "We are a whole lotta double trouble"
6.) Amanda... the mother (need one or two each season)... of two kiddies this time
7.) Tiara... "I am a chicken enthusiast". Love the line of never being away from her feathered babies for more than ten days
8.) Samantha... the Daddy Tragedy Story Gal

Plenty of Florida and Texas gals in case it snows this winter

All of the ladies in limo order and how they "performed"...

1.) Lauren B, "Hashtag Mrs.Higgins"... is first out of the limos (same as both Ben and Chris Soules) and first to get a rose at the ceremony (after First Impression Olivia). She gives him tiny wings so he can fly the friendly skies. She has the coveted Bachelorette spot if she wants it. When she enters the house, he comments "It's a great start"... whatever that means. In their sitdown, he tells her that she took his breath away and "you are giving me a hard time". After having this... um... hard time... with her, the crafty editors inserted a shot of Jennifer (?) *tisk tisk* instructing him on the importance of "moral values". Oh...
2.) Caila hops on him. "Thank you for catching me". She is a saleslady... and he's also in sales. Both like to sell used cars to each other. Since she is the third called at the ceremony (number 4 if you count Olivia), sports an impressive intro and has plenty of scenes in the promos... you can tell she goes pretty far.
3.) Jennifer says "thank you" too many times and he promises "I will remember your name".
4.) Jami from Canada knows Kaitlyn, who told her that Ben has a BIG... moment of pause here... heart.
5.) After that "gotcha" moment with Jami aimed at those whose minds are "below the belt", Samantha then asks him "boxers or legal briefs"?
6.) Jubilee has her bosom exposed and he comments "Love that dress!" The editors are desperate to make Benny Boy a Wild Boy.
7.) Amanda is really excited it is him. Lot of good "chemistry" here. Of course, she's the mommy so she stays for a little while.
8.) Lace plants a big wet one on him. She is the forward one... and later the slushpuppy enjoying the cocktails... and complaining that he won't look at her enough... and she is the last one called at the rose ceremony because he needs a Drama Queen for ratings
9.) Lauren R. (brunette) is  a stalker, but he isn't since he totally forgets her name. Too many Laurens, I guess.
10.) Shushanna... the best language is body language even when he has no clue what she is saying
11.) Leah brings The Football, so he knows she won't interrupt Super Bowl,. She bends down to show off her rump when she gives him a pass.
12.) JoJo is the Unicorn Lady. We learn what this means on Harrison's "after party"... as if we actually believe the silly definition we are given. What is particularly amusing... now that we have a "definition"... is that this show has had LOTS of unicorns in the past. Brooks thought Desiree was a "mystical" unicorn in one PI session... suggesting she was NOT one in reality. Andi carried a unicorn balloon around in Venice, but no cue what that meant. Anyway... JoJo tells Ben that she is quite "normal" in her sitdown that is shown during the after party show. Supposedly he wore the unicorn head in a promo shot I saw, but not on the main show despite saying he wanted to.
13.) Lauren H. is the kindergarten teacher we hardly saw at all tonight, making me wonder if she is some sort of "hidden final 1". We saw everybody else gab all night.
14.) Laura calls herself Red Velvet. She has low self esteem on this show, calling all of the other ladies prettier than her and feeling so-so rejected when she got dumped.
15.) Big Rose Mandi is the dentist who later steals him away for an "oral exam". Fittingly, she is the second to the last lady called for a rose, just before Looney Lace.
16 & 17.) The Twins... "Hi there" is heard in echo.  Of course they are called as 14 & 15 at the rose ceremony.
18.) A Shetland pony... and I don't understand what the "symbolism" is there, now that we have a unicorn as well. Oh... Maegan of Fort Worth is the pony's pet. Both are eliminated at the rose ceremony and we don't see either of their reactions. Chris Harrison bonded well with HIM.
19.) Breanne is the nutritian therapist who "breaks bread"... but doesn't get a rose in this episode.
20.) Izzy sports a spacey outfit, complete with Saturn's rings. Oh... she is a goner this night, despite being a sweet lady. Yet Ben wants to stay on Earth as long as possible.
21.) Rachel rides a toy that neither she nor Ben plan to use in the fantasy suite
22.) Jessica gets lots of hugging a.k.a. Britt-style. Curious why he didn't keep her since there looked like some "heat" there.
23.) Tiara was not allowed to bring her chickens even though Meagan had her pony. Since he didn't keep her, she must have made it back in her coop in her ten day time frame.
24.) Lauren "LB" sports the loudest purply-pink dress I have ever seen on this show.
25.) Jackie is in sizzling red and promises a March 14th wedding in 2016 with... Ben?
26.) Olivia looks for his dimples. Comments in PI that he's quite a "specimen". Previously, she was a news anchor lady. Although he gives her the First Impression rose, I saw  complete lack of "IT" between them. The first red flag was he telling her "thank you for coming". Yet he brags about her as much as Soules did of Britt in his PI sessions! Since she creates plenty of drama in the promos, we all know the REAL reason she is kept.
27 & 28.) Crashing the party and both continuing at least until episode 2 are Becca the "virgin" (and we are reminded of this in case we forgot) and Amber.

After the ladies first arrived (and before Becca and Amber), Harrison asked if he might find love. His response was jumbled jibberish: "No doubt in my mind that it is possible" (to find love).

Rose order: Lauren B., Lauren "LB", Caila, Amber, Jami, Jennifer, Jubilee, Amanda, JoJo, Leah, Rachel, Samantha, Jackie, Hailey & Emily, Shushanna, Lauren H., Becca, Mandi & Lace... and so many ladies fuss about "not getting the rose" in a PI session just SECONDS before they get it! Talk about LAME editing here,

Anyhoo... looks like a more entertaining season than I expected. Guess somebody leaves and comes back... or so it appears. He has to suffer heartbreak AGAIN.

Let the other Higgins give you more advise, Ben:

Do we have an update Location/Episode/Dates/Contestants charts so we can Sleuth the heck out of the promos?

sophienette wrote:Do we have an update Location/Episode/Dates/Contestants charts so we can Sleuth the heck out of the promos?

I don't believe we do.

Moved from another thread.

rc49ers wrote:want to share this with Every one , My daughter has always bee dead set against  knowing spoilers ,
so last night she messaged me and said ,she liked the flight attendant , Jo Jo and Olivia .
and wanted to know if any of the three are going to the end , so I said you have one right , I don't know about the other two .
Then I said if you must know , Bens heart is in the sky .

 

After seeing the preview, I was kind of shocked that TPTB put it out there that this season has a happy ending, just because of all the drama and they so could've had the preview end where Ben was crying and such. Regardless, I think this is going to be a really great season. Kind of like Sean's.

Thought Ben showed a favorable and surprised reaction to Becca walking up to him last night. Very genuine moment on a very cheesy show!.

JBF wrote:Episode 1 recap: Benny Boy asks "Am I lovable?"

Key theme of the season. In Kaitlyn's, I suggested he wear teddy bear ears.

Basically I am going into this completely blind, although it is so easy to spoil myself by simply "googling" and checking different threads here. Granted, I watched both Bachelor Nation's "after party" (with yours truly, Mister Harrison... and even Ben popping in) and Jimmy Kimmel and we have a confusing mess of Becca, Caila, Olivia, Lauren B. and Jo-Jo as potential top five candidates, with Lauren as the frontrunner per Kimmel and I-forget-who on the after party. Of course, with so many Laurens, you can't help but wonder what tricks they have up their sleeves (since they select a certain number out of so many and really did not need THIS many Laurens). The end-of-the-show promos vaguely resemble Jillian's back in 2009 with somebody possibly leaving as the one he wanted. If I had to select a "final one" based simply on editing, it would be a tossup between VERY hidden Lauren H (not B, who seems too Bachelorette-ish to me) or Becca (the number 2 veteran from Farmer's season) because a couple times they have mentioned second chances... and NOT regarding HIM. I certainly hope there is a twist of some sort... and not the same Luv Triangle that was used last time (Kaitlyn/Shawn/Nick).

Ben... the Perfect Ten.

Ooof! He may be a little TOO perfect. I am sure he is the nicest guy in all the galaxy, but he does come off to me as... I dunno... a trifle vanilla. Also he seems ssssssoooooo young. He looks like one of those out-of-high-school-ers at Wal-Mart who are asking you how much you are paying for your cable network. Not that there is anything wrong with those hard-working folks, but you know they favor the ALWAYS smiling types with dimples... and "Adam's apples" like Richard Thomas in antique re-runs of The Waltons.

This hoosier, now in Colorado, is ready to meet his wife. They always are. Yet is SHE ready to meet her husband?

Things we learn about Benny...
-He comes from smalltown Indiana, but not as small as Farmer Soules'.
-Dated does... apparently. We see two white-tailed deer while he talks about the women he dated. No clue what they are suggesting here... those silly editors!
-He suffered heartbreak... and my guess is that she was the one who "took it away" from him in case Kaitlyn REALLY needs to know. Remember she asked him if he was a virgin and he said "no"?
-Mom & Pop cry... which means this will be a loooooong season. Looks like rain.
-He always sounds stuffy. Needs nasal drip.
-His official LA set of wheels is a Mustang that is almost as old as his parents.
-Oh yes, he needs Farmer Soules, King Jason and Prince Sean to tell him what to do.

Did my little astro check-up... 3-23-88, probably Warsaw, Indiana or whereabouts... and behaves a bit more Libra-ish than Aries-ish (possible 7th house emphasis?). Nonetheless, he's a sun sign Aries, moon sign Gemini with four planets (Mars, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus) in very disciplined "must be in control at all times" Capricorn, Venus and Jupiter in lusty Taurus and Mercury in "bohemian" Pisces. Also part of the Scorpio-in-Pluto generation. He sports a little of all the "elements" but he is more "earthy" than anything else, maybe too down-to-earthy. With his north node in Pisces, he definitely WANTS to be less "earthy" and detailed oriented. It amuses me how often he tells himself that he wants to "let go" and let nature take its course. This guy is quite the Felix Unger, so he is going to need a woman who can pry every cell-phone, laptop and ipad away from his hands... if such a thing is possible.

After being introduced to Mister "Am I lovable?", we get our lady "introductions"

1.) Lauren Beeee (one of the blonde ones) is an airline employee and calls herself "hashtag Mrs.Higgins". Oh that is just cute. This means either...
   a.) she will marry Professor Higgins... "the rain in Spain falls mainly on the air-plane"
   b.) she is some sort of "smokescreen" to fool the masses
2.) Caila... talks, talks, talks, talks... paint flowers and walks in the rain
3.) Jubilee the Military Gal... "You really don't want to mess with me" (Yeah, but she's a marshmallow at Meet & Greet, if frisky in the promos)
4.) Mandy... "Keep Portland Weird"... oh, and she's a dentist
5.) The Twins Haily & Emily... "We are a whole lotta double trouble"
6.) Amanda... the mother (need one or two each season)... of two kiddies this time
7.) Tiara... "I am a chicken enthusiast". Love the line of never being away from her feathered babies for more than ten days
8.) Samantha... the Daddy Tragedy Story Gal

Plenty of Florida and Texas gals in case it snows this winter

All of the ladies in limo order and how they "performed"...

1.) Lauren B, "Hashtag Mrs.Higgins"... is first out of the limos (same as both Ben and Chris Soules) and first to get a rose at the ceremony (after First Impression Olivia). She gives him tiny wings so he can fly the friendly skies. She has the coveted Bachelorette spot if she wants it. When she enters the house, he comments "It's a great start"... whatever that means. In their sitdown, he tells her that she took his breath away and "you are giving me a hard time". After having this... um... hard time... with her, the crafty editors inserted a shot of Jennifer (?) *tisk tisk* instructing him on the importance of "moral values". Oh...
2.) Caila hops on him. "Thank you for catching me". She is a saleslady... and he's also in sales. Both like to sell used cars to each other. Since she is the third called at the ceremony (number 4 if you count Olivia), sports an impressive intro and has plenty of scenes in the promos... you can tell she goes pretty far.
3.) Jennifer says "thank you" too many times and he promises "I will remember your name".
4.) Jami from Canada knows Kaitlyn, who told her that Ben has a BIG... moment of pause here... heart.
5.) After that "gotcha" moment with Jami aimed at those whose minds are "below the belt", Samantha then asks him "boxers or legal briefs"?
6.) Jubilee has her bosom exposed and he comments "Love that dress!" The editors are desperate to make Benny Boy a Wild Boy.
7.) Amanda is really excited it is him. Lot of good "chemistry" here. Of course, she's the mommy so she stays for a little while.
8.) Lace plants a big wet one on him. She is the forward one... and later the slushpuppy enjoying the cocktails... and complaining that he won't look at her enough... and she is the last one called at the rose ceremony because he needs a Drama Queen for ratings
9.) Lauren R. (brunette) is  a stalker, but he isn't since he totally forgets her name. Too many Laurens, I guess.
10.) Shushanna... the best language is body language even when he has no clue what she is saying
11.) Leah brings The Football, so he knows she won't interrupt Super Bowl,. She bends down to show off her rump when she gives him a pass.
12.) JoJo is the Unicorn Lady. We learn what this means on Harrison's "after party"... as if we actually believe the silly definition we are given. What is particularly amusing... now that we have a "definition"... is that this show has had LOTS of unicorns in the past. Brooks thought Desiree was a "mystical" unicorn in one PI session... suggesting she was NOT one in reality. Andi carried a unicorn balloon around in Venice, but no cue what that meant. Anyway... JoJo tells Ben that she is quite "normal" in her sitdown that is shown during the after party show. Supposedly he wore the unicorn head in a promo shot I saw, but not on the main show despite saying he wanted to.
13.) Lauren H. is the kindergarten teacher we hardly saw at all tonight, making me wonder if she is some sort of "hidden final 1". We saw everybody else gab all night.
14.) Laura calls herself Red Velvet. She has low self esteem on this show, calling all of the other ladies prettier than her and feeling so-so rejected when she got dumped.
15.) Big Rose Mandi is the dentist who later steals him away for an "oral exam". Fittingly, she is the second to the last lady called for a rose, just before Looney Lace.
16 & 17.) The Twins... "Hi there" is heard in echo.  Of course they are called as 14 & 15 at the rose ceremony.
18.) A Shetland pony... and I don't understand what the "symbolism" is there, now that we have a unicorn as well. Oh... Maegan of Fort Worth is the pony's pet. Both are eliminated at the rose ceremony and we don't see either of their reactions. Chris Harrison bonded well with HIM.
19.) Breanne is the nutritian therapist who "breaks bread"... but doesn't get a rose in this episode.
20.) Izzy sports a spacey outfit, complete with Saturn's rings. Oh... she is a goner this night, despite being a sweet lady. Yet Ben wants to stay on Earth as long as possible.
21.) Rachel rides a toy that neither she nor Ben plan to use in the fantasy suite
22.) Jessica gets lots of hugging a.k.a. Britt-style. Curious why he didn't keep her since there looked like some "heat" there.
23.) Tiara was not allowed to bring her chickens even though Meagan had her pony. Since he didn't keep her, she must have made it back in her coop in her ten day time frame.
24.) Lauren "LB" sports the loudest purply-pink dress I have ever seen on this show.
25.) Jackie is in sizzling red and promises a March 14th wedding in 2016 with... Ben?
26.) Olivia looks for his dimples. Comments in PI that he's quite a "specimen". Previously, she was a news anchor lady. Although he gives her the First Impression rose, I saw  complete lack of "IT" between them. The first red flag was he telling her "thank you for coming". Yet he brags about her as much as Soules did of Britt in his PI sessions! Since she creates plenty of drama in the promos, we all know the REAL reason she is kept.
27 & 28.) Crashing the party and both continuing at least until episode 2 are Becca the "virgin" (and we are reminded of this in case we forgot) and Amber.

After the ladies first arrived (and before Becca and Amber), Harrison asked if he might find love. His response was jumbled jibberish: "No doubt in my mind that it is possible" (to find love).

Rose order: Lauren B., Lauren "LB", Caila, Amber, Jami, Jennifer, Jubilee, Amanda, JoJo, Leah, Rachel, Samantha, Jackie, Hailey & Emily, Shushanna, Lauren H., Becca, Mandi & Lace... and so many ladies fuss about "not getting the rose" in a PI session just SECONDS before they get it! Talk about LAME editing here,

Anyhoo... looks like a more entertaining season than I expected. Guess somebody leaves and comes back... or so it appears. He has to suffer heartbreak AGAIN.

Let the other Higgins give you more advise, Ben:

Ben was born 1989, not 1988. He will be 27 on March 23rd.

Fleiss said this was his favorite season since Jason...and Ben asked Jason about his switcharoo in the premiere last night.. Is this a hidden something something??

Trueloveforever wrote:After seeing the preview, I was kind of shocked that TPTB put it out there that this season has a happy ending, just because of all the drama and they so could've had the preview end where Ben was crying and such. Regardless, I think this is going to be a really great season. Kind of like Sean's.  

The preview in general was very lackluster. It was only 3 minutes and 40 seconds. It didn't show enough drama, wasn't edited to flow all that great, jumped around everywhere, etc. It was a really bad preview, which is weird considering how great the promos for the season were.