Bachelorette 13 - Rachel Lindsay - Episodes - Discussion - **NO SPOILERS** - *SLEUTHING* DISCUSSION

Yes, Blueblues, it looks like our sleuthing was off in that regard. One of my favorite things about the show is the international travel, and Oslo has not disappointed!

Here's my take:

Jack Stone -- Something is off about Jack. He smiles too much. And let's say, he's lacking in what might be called social intelligence. This doesn't make him a bad guy. It just makes him awkward. For anyone who thinks Rachel is a good actress, all they have to do is watch her date with Jack. She is scrupulously polite, sure. But she simply can't hide her disengagement, boredom, and disinterest in him. Sending him home was an act of mercy. Did this feel like a waste of a date to anyone else?

Bryan -- It's obvious at this point that Bryan along with Peter are Rachel's frontrunners, by a very long way. All along I've had a feeling of caution about Bryan. He is just a little too interested, a little too slick. For a while during their one-on-one, I fell under his spell. I went up to about 90% acceptance, as in, okay, I'm buying his interest in her. Maybe this is legit. And the funny thing, once the date was over, I went back into suspicion mode. All I can say is, if she picks him, I hope he's everything that he's presenting himself to be. But I'm not buying it just yet.

When he went in for the kiss while they were rappelling -- I thought, oh that is so shrewd. Kiss her while her heartbeat is elevated and the adrenaline is spiking. Voila, love! He's not stupid, that Bryan.

Peter -- Peter proved that he can bring the heat last night just as much as Bryan can. Peter in the hot tub is now seared into my memory. I feel that he spoke well and made a good case for being selected as Bachelor if Rachel gives Bryan the final rose. I found it interesting that the producers and editors let the comment stand that she spent three and a half hours with Peter on that particular evening. I remember cast members on previous series saying that they knew early on where the lead's interests were heading. Rachel isn't even trying to hide it. Peter or Bryan. Bryan or Peter. Everyone else is an also-ran.

Will -- I liked Will before, but the counsel that he gave to Lee solidified that. I was thinking, "I want to see more of him" when his convo with Rachel was included. He stands out to me.

Dean -- What's with the cup being worn outside of his athletic wear? Was the uniform so tight that he couldn't wear it underneath? I have to say that the handball game was pure eye candy.

The Lee/Kenny drama -- *Sigh*. I'm so sorry that Kenny got himself sucked into that mess. He seems like a genuinely nice man. Rachel needs to send them both home, but I would be content with Lee going first. She doesn't seem all that interested in Kenny (he's coming across as a middle-of-the-pack type,) but it gets muddied due to all the drama.

Painful but real -- The discussion the African American men had about Rachel's seeming preferences. Why is she eliminating the African American men at a faster pace? Does she have a preference for Caucasian guys, or is she just evaluating every man equally based on background, personality, character, etc.? To me this discussion felt a lot more authentic than the Lee/Kenny drama. Race was inevitably going to be a topic of discussion in this cycle, and IMO this is the way to do it.

Matt - The mystery man. Throw us a bone, producers. I have a feel for every other remaining guy, but not Matt.

Tuesday night --

I continue to revel in all the Scandinavian scenery. I love it when this show heads overseas!

I really admired how Rachel handled the Lee/Kenny situation. She quite correctly sent Lee packing and gave Kenny another chance. Was it very bad of me to enjoy the helicopter leaving Lee behind in the Norwegian wilderness? I know that the chopper goes back to get him (and the producer, sound person, camera man, etc.) but the visual did satisfy.

Eric's 1-on-1: Eric seems to have calmed down a lot from an early episode where he struck me as being whiny. I thought that his date with Rachel was just okay -- not terrible, not wonderful. I think it's lovely that she got him out and about in the city given that he's never been outside the country before. I know that she wanted to get to know him better, but kindness was also a part of it.

Honestly, I'm not getting the attraction she has for him. Without any firm evidence, other than his mom ignoring him as he grew up in urban Baltimore, he strikes me as coming from a hardscrabble background. I could be wrong about that. But regardless, he's certainly made something of himself. I see that he graduated from Hampton University in Virginia Magna Cum Laude. That speaks very well of his work ethic and ambition. Is it enough to fully connect with the privileged daughter of a judge? Time will tell.

http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/eric-bigger----8-things-know-about-rachel-lindsay-the-bachelorette-bachelor-22254.php

Will's 1-on-1: I really like Will and would have loved it if this date worked out for them both. I was a little bit frustrated with Rachel for not grabbing the proverbial bull by the horns. It's 2017, Rachel! If you want the man to kiss you, dive in and get one. Some men need encouragement to get started. But having said that, perhaps there was not enough spark to get even her started on that.

Rachel's date with Will did do one thing for me, however. It made me realize how badly Rachel needs wooing and physical contact. I mean, we all do, but I think Rachel's needs in this regard are particularly strong. She seems to really crave an aggressive approach. So while Peter's balanced approach is more in line with my own tastes, IMO Rachel is looking for Bryan's more intensely sexy/romantic style. At this point, he is the frontrunner in my mind (and not being a fan of his, it gives me no pleasure to say that.) It will be interesting to see if this changes with hometowns and the fantasy suites.

So at this point, here is my thinking -- F1: Bryan, F2: Peter, F3: Dean, F4: Eric, or ? depending on how the forthcoming 1-on-1s go. While I like that Rachel is all about giving guys chances (which may bode well for a possible 1-on-1 with Adam, Matt, or both,) a part of me also feels that since Bryan and Peter are the clear frontrunners, she may need more time with them instead.

If her pick is Bryan, then for the Bachelor Peter seems the obvious choice with Dean as a backup. I could also see Will as being a part of that conversation.

One thing that bothers me at this stage of the game is to not clearly understand why she is keeping some guys and sending some guys home. I get her rationale for sending home guys like Kenny and Will. But why did she keep Adam and Matt over some other choices? It would be nice to see more clearly her reasoning in this regard.

Epi 8 Preview SCs are up

Having made my best guesses, I'll be heading over to the spoiled side of things. To everyone who shared the unspoiled journey, even if it was just for an episode or two, I enjoyed your company. To Ladybug82 and the other mods, thanks for having our backs. I appreciate it!

@Amethyst  See you on the dark side!

Is there anyone else left in here?  So I'll know whether to bring stuff over. Thanks!

@Amethyst

Sorry... I haven't been watching this season, but that may be a good thing. Everybody needed a rest from me.

Today... finally... FINALLY... I watched Switzerland extracts on YouTube, figured out the last four still standing and then looked for their solo dates online for viewing. No... I don't know which guy everybody here is gunning for, so please don't be mad at me if I choose the wrong one. Also I have been wrong before, so everybody can do cartwheels if I am wrong again based on barely a half hour's worth of footage I have watched online

I dunno... is this season the easiest to figure out of them all... or is this a gotcha season for me that only appears that way?

Bryan

Even with just the Geneva date as the first one I watched, poor Bryan already seems to me doomed to heartbreak. This is based on what Rachel's lawyers are coaching her to say on screen. "When I am with Bryan, I am 100% lost in the moment." Yeah, that is a good line for Bryan to hear on screen in case he is not the one. Regarding his previous date's "I wuv you", a yuge moment, she says she initially thought she would run away if she heard that. Huh? Oooohhhh Rachel, you are a coy one. Bryan also says "I am blessed. I am blessed to meet you. I am blessed to be here. I am just so happy." I hope he can say the same at Men Tell All or After the Final Rose if he is not the one.

Rachel croons that "never have I treated a man like the way I will treat a man today" Oh really? Bryan gets a rather F2-ish stunt. He gets to drive a car... like Chuck back in Trista's season and a couple other dumpees as I recall. Then again, I just watched Peter's FIRST date online and he is driving too, only they don't make a big deal about it like they do here. Rachel: "Oh you look good behind the wheel!" Bryan: "Do I?"

Wow. There's a LOT of making out on the two solo dates I watched online. Heavy making out! I guess that could make him F1. Yet she has all these "fears when it comes to Bryan". A couple times she uses "too good to be true". Yet that should not hurt his chances because Ben I said the same with Courtney and Ali of Roberto. Kinda bad sign: Rachel wears way too much make-up, glitter and Eartha Kitt falsies when she dates Bryan. I am reminded she is still The Bachelorette when she is with him.

Dean

He might be the dark horse winner nobody expects. Going through the abc.com extras, he and Peter appear to be bro-buddies competing with "smooth" Bryan. That makes me think one will not be competing with the other in the big finale.

Dean brings out her maternal instinct. She hovers over him like a mother hen on their blimp ride since he is afraid of heights. Maybe because he lost his own mommy.

Their body language is off. He has trouble looking directly at her. I don't know if he is smitten and doesn't know how to express it well or... they just aren't connecting. Since he comes from a conservative family, I doubt anything disturbing will happen in the fantasy suite if he makes it that far. She does cast a lot of doubt that he can't get past his "jokey side".

Eric

Again, her lawyers are coaching her well. "For him to say he's never been ready for love and now he's ready, I am bringing something out of him that he's never had before and he feels that everything is right with me... and I am not sure what is gonna happen at the end of all of this, but I really like the place that I am in right now". Whew! Eric sure brings out the windy side of her.

Apparently there is less material on YouTube and abc.com on Eric than the other three. Does this mean I can't keep my hopes up for this dude? Of the four guys here, I think Bryan and Peter make better Bachelor candidates than Dean and Eric.

Peter

Rachel definitely likes scruff on her man even if it feels like sandpaper when making out. Personality wise, Peter is kinda dull. So many lines are culled from the cue cards: "I haven't felt this way for someone in a very long time".

He does have an "obstacle", although not as pronounced as Bryan prompting "fear" in her. Will he propose? Yeah, it is lame, but definitely done before. However, his toast "to tonight and to OUR future" indicates that he at least is thinking of wedding her as well as bedding her, so I am not sure what Rachel is overly concerned about.

Rachel's cutest moment is when she asks of his family "but are they going to love me?" This line, in turn, leads to "have you ever brought home a black girl before" question. Fortunately Peter's mom is Kate Hepburn and daddy is Spencer Tracy, so there's nothing to worry about. As long as there is enough Boysenberry ice cream on hand so daddy doesn't have a meltdown.

I went back to his first date at the doggie park. I love how they discuss their matching teeth. Yeah, they could pass as brother and sister. (Um... well...) She also seems overly eager for him to move to Dallas. We are only on date ONE!!!

While most of their first date is a snoozefest, I did stay awake long enough to notice their use of that music again here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv7DK7l9OOM Now... they need to stop using that music to keep picking my brain, being the same used before here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FZ4WiKdERM and at the 12:54 spot here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x130xb4 and at the 7:10 spot here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWMfbzPEBCg and at the 11:15 spot here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH1fEhK9wuU and so many other seasons, although not necessarily confined JUST to the F1 guys in Bachelorette seasons. Also they do skip it on some seasons. Only a trifle extract was used with Kaitlyn and Sean and Jillie Bean and Eddie.

Unspoiled lurker popping out -

Who is your pick for F1?

@JBF @CanGirl just a heads up, your the only two left over here in these threads.  If you want to stay here and me bring stuff over I will.  But if you get board and cross over to the spoiled side, I understand.  Just let me know if you want blogs or SCs.

Oh... I have the feeling there are others floating around. As long as "bringing stuff" doesn't exhaust you. Lol!

In response to CanGal, I would tentatively choose Peter. Now... is he the "spoiled" winner this season? If he is, I am not the outcast in this little community this season. If he isn't, uh-oh. Better stay put here. I am not stubborn though and will be perfectly fine with anybody Madame Rachel chooses. (Usually whatever guy or gal everybody wants to win who doesn't win either winds up as the next lead anyway or outstays his/her welcome in Paradise.)

To be spoiled or not to be spoiled... Zat iz zee question!