The Bachelor 20 - Ben Higgins - F1 to F4 - *Sleuthing - Spoilers* - #2

veg_out wrote:A few weeks back, I posted about conflict resolution as the key to identifying the final one.

In the past, where the contestants' conflicts intersect with the lead's determines the outcome. The lead and the F1 resolve each other's conflicts.

The show has told us that Ben's conflict is "Am I loved back?" In the past, Ben has given more to relationships than he has received. In episode 1, we also heard Ben say, "I want to find the woman that I can say “I love you” and I know that it’s true and that it’s real." This statement, IMO, might explain the gazillion "I love yous:" Ben's testing.

Jo's conflict has been "Can I let myself fall?" She's been hung up on her ex and holding back most of the season. From the cap that we see of Jo saying that she's completely fallen for Ben, it seems like she has overcome her obstacle.

Lauren's conflict has been "Can I trust Ben with my heart?" She's picky, she's a little guarded, but she's been all in really since Jamaica. I imagine that we will see rising action again with Lauren now that we have the "I love you" fiasco in place. If Ben tells Lauren on her FSD about JoJo, or on her LCD, Lauren's trust could be wobbly going into the FRC.

At this point, now, this season is Ben's story (though Jo's telling it!). If we look at the way that Ben and Lauren and Jo resolve the obstacles in their respective relationships, we might know more about the finale. JoJo and Ben have had several roadblocks all along: her ex, her concern about falling again, her brothers, etc. She and Ben do a good job of talking through their challenges. At the same time, we hear Ben tells us things that indicate that he doesn't feel particularly loved: The ex boyfriend's letter and roses trigger an old memory of feeling unwanted/rejected; the brothers make him feel unwelcome. He's uneasy right now with JoJo and a viable future.

With Lauren, he had doubts after Leah. They talked it out, a talk which he told her he needed to have. Ben comments that he feels "accepted and welcomed" with Lauren's family. When the two sets of brothers are juxtaposed, Lauren's brothers make him smirk. Conversation with her sister makes Ben emotional about his feelings for her. At this point, Lauren, IMO, is in the lead to resolve Ben's conflict. She gives him what he needs to feel loved and accepted.

The "I love yous" and the FSDs could change things immensely.

ForeverLove wrote:Ita. He'll satisfy her bros by showing how much he cares , show them an eyeful of makeout sessions, and use the L word . He just might not choose her in the end. Hope they'll be satisfied .

ForeverLove wrote:Ben mentions not wanting to blindsided . Is it because his ex did it to him?  
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“Ben offered to give up his life and move with me, but I said no,” Shaelin reveals. “I was young, and I wanted to be selfish and not have Ben tied to me. It was pretty cold turkey, and I don’t think there was any closure on his side.”
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Also why making a final decision was hard for him...
“He would still tell me he loved me; it was hard for him to let go.”

I do believe wants a forever love.


http://starmagazine.com/2015/06/30/bachelorette-exclusive-kaitlyn-bristowe-is-contestant-ben-higgins-rebound-romance/

http://www.wetpaint.com/bachelor-ben-higgins-shaelin-adams-breakup-1464673/

agentcurls wrote:Since there was so much LauBen material and footage to work with this season and she was easily the early front runner and continued onwards for much of it, say Ben did have a slight change of heart that tipped the balance in JoJo's favor come FD/LCD-time , this might've been a very easy spoiler to foil. Probably not, but we will see. 
I don't think the distance between Lauren & JoJo's love stories with Ben is quite as big as TPTB want us to believe.

soccermom333 wrote:

ForeverLove wrote:Ita. He'll satisfy her bros by showing how much he cares , show them an eyeful of makeout sessions, and use the L word . He just might not choose her in the end. Hope they'll be satisfied .

Remember they know the outcome and are watching now with "jaded" eyes.  I actually think it will be worse if he says "I love you," and Ben and JoJo have a major make-out session.  Yikes!  

agentcurls wrote:

ForeverLove wrote:Ben mentions not wanting to blindsided . Is it because his ex did it to him?  
**********
“Ben offered to give up his life and move with me, but I said no,” Shaelin reveals. “I was young, and I wanted to be selfish and not have Ben tied to me. It was pretty cold turkey, and I don’t think there was any closure on his side.”
*********
Also why making a final decision was hard for him...
“He would still tell me he loved me; it was hard for him to let go.”

I do believe wants a forever love.


http://starmagazine.com/2015/06/30/bachelorette-exclusive-kaitlyn-bristowe-is-contestant-ben-higgins-rebound-romance/

http://www.wetpaint.com/bachelor-ben-higgins-shaelin-adams-breakup-1464673/

Ben's blindside: Maybe.

I don't see why JoJo, like Lauren, can't provide that "forever love' he seeks.

agentcurls wrote:
This is great, VO. Some valid points, as always. 
It seems BenJo have kind of the same obstacle: not having their level of love reciprocated. Could they be the answer to one another's challenge in love? We shall see. 
But right now, I admit, most signs point to Lauren.