The Bachelor 20 - Ben Higgins - Episode 9 - Discussion - #3 *Sleuthing - Spoilers*

Like I said, that's how Jojo comes across to me. I don't know her from Eve in real life. I just noticed the little snide things she has done when the focus is not on her.

NCGalBecca wrote:The editing is still the biggest mystery to me. I am missing why it was done in the manner presented. I get the hook but it was also like wait for it. With the laser focus on Lauren and how cute and agreeable everything was, I feel like they created a bit of tunnel vision with the general audience up until last week. While JoJo did get screen time and many reaction shots throughout the season, her relationship with Ben had a more subtle, low key presentation with lots of "counseling" moments addressing his and her issues along with making out.

They could have spread the wealth around earlier and still had their 2 ILYs ending. However, it might have been more understandable or palatable if why he was torn had been presented better and sooner. Leaving Ben to look a little less like a schmuck.JMO

Could it have been because there just wasn't much material to use before Jamaica? I mean....if it was that obvious to the girls who Ben liked, they may have had no other choice than to give us Lauren on a platter? I am guessing that they had intentions for JoJo to be F3 and therefore the next 'ette from the beginning.  I think that Ben's insecurities of being unlovable and Lauren being "too good for him" fed his growing feelings for JoJo.  It seems like JoJo was very physically expressive (ie:  always running and jumping up on him when they greeted) and she was fun and exciting. She told him that she wanted to spend her life with him and that he made her happy. She made Ben feel GOOD about himself and desired and wanted....and for someone that has insecurities, that can often be mistaken for love. After the horrible FD with Caila and a great FD with JoJo, there was no stopping him from sending Caila home.  Unfortunately for JoJo, I am thinking that his FD with Lauren and her finally telling him that she loved him, sealed the deal for him.  In his ITM the next morning he said that,  "he was able to really get confidence in her feelings" and then in their conversation by the pool, he said, " I do love you. And last night really did help me know that more."  IMO, that time with Lauren made him realize the difference between love and lust.

If that is the case, then why does he continue the charade next week with another heartfelt ILY? Is he THAT much of a jerk to lead JoJo on knowing that he has already made his decision after his FD with Lauren? He isn't pulling back with JoJo. Not that I am seeing anyway.

It's tv show .. He has a contract to fulfill .. He has a boss that tells him what he has to do ..,and a director to make sure that happens .. And then there is the pesky editor .. So........YES .. The bachelor and/or ette must do the leading on .. Til the fat lady sings!!!!!

^well according to CH and paraphrasing she made it easy for him. And in the beginning Ben told Lauren she was making it hard for him or something like that

This ^. And regardless if JoJo is in the bubble or not, she is aware of this as well as her family.

Very good point Ava. I was trying to get what Ben told Lauren after the I do love you by the pool. I remember Ali F writing about how the contestants leave this show in lust not love no matter how they feel at that time of filming. Maybe some foundation is layed but love is built later. With Ben and Lauren I don't see the lust and thus no heavy make out sessions that seem like soft porn imo. Who knows if Ben could eventually distinguish what the eventual outcome ending with one or the other . The fact that he's still in love and confident in it, shows he made the right decision for himself. Mooc

Thanks for the response! I can see how his insecurities and perhaps, immaturity, probably played a role in how things evolved.

avacaroline wrote:

NCGalBecca wrote:The editing is still the biggest mystery to me. I am missing why it was done in the manner presented. I get the hook but it was also like wait for it. With the laser focus on Lauren and how cute and agreeable everything was, I feel like they created a bit of tunnel vision with the general audience up until last week. While JoJo did get screen time and many reaction shots throughout the season, her relationship with Ben had a more subtle, low key presentation with lots of "counseling" moments addressing his and her issues along with making out.

They could have spread the wealth around earlier and still had their 2 ILYs ending. However, it might have been more understandable or palatable if why he was torn had been presented better and sooner. Leaving Ben to look a little less like a schmuck.JMO

Could it have been because there just wasn't much material to use before Jamaica? I mean....if it was that obvious to the girls who Ben liked, they may have had no other choice than to give us Lauren on a platter?

I think this is true to an extent. IMO it would have been pretty hard to hide what was going on between Ben and Lauren especially since the other girls were seeing it and commenting on it. But I think we need to remember some things about TPTB. If they don't want us to see something, they edit it out (as they could have edited out the girls' comments - but they chose to show them). What they give us is what they want us to see, and if they want something that doesn't happen naturally, they will manufacture it so they can show it. They gave us Lauren on a silver platter, IMO, to make the ILY to JoJo all the more shocking and by the number of posts in this thread on the issue, they did a really good job of it.

After the horrible FD with Caila and a great FD with JoJo, there was no stopping him from sending Caila home.  Unfortunately for JoJo, I am thinking that his FD with Lauren and her finally telling him that she loved him, sealed the deal for him.  In his ITM the next morning he said, "that he was able to really get confidence in her feelings" and then in their conversation by the pool, he said, " I do love you. And last night really did help me know that more."  IMO, that time with Lauren made him realize the difference between love and lust.

I think this is a great way of explaining why Lauren's FD was filmed last and aired before JoJo's. I do agree that what happened on Lauren's FD put the show ending in the Gucci bag for Lauren but they want viewers to believe that he told JoJo he loved her after he told Lauren - thus appearing to trump what he said to Lauren; in fact the opposite was true.
JMHO

Until this show wraps, I will keep saying that both girls were led on and one's feelings is no better than the other. Ben told both he loves them and maybe he does in obviously different ways. How he choses to demonstrate that "love/lust" is on him.

Jeepers wrote:It's tv show .. He has a contract to fulfill  .. He has a boss that tells him what he has to do ..,and a director to make sure that happens .. And then there is the pesky editor .. So........YES .. The bachelor and/or ette must do the leading on .. Til the fat lady sings!!!!!

A simple click of the Like button isn't enough for this post.

Yeah, I don't doubt there were strong feelings between BenJo, but they had to edit the order of the dates to make it appear near to equal with BenLo. BenLo had tge strongest connection from the start, and I have no doubt Ben was encouraged by TPBP to pursue more with JoJo and created doubt with Lauren to try to even it out a bit.