BACHELOR 22 - Arie Luyendyk Jr General Discussion - **NO SPOILERS** - *SLEUTHING* DISCUSSION

Hmmmm, but this is a lot so soon with Arie's professions of falling in love.....there has to be another conflict with Arie and Lauren on the horizon if she is to be F1, imo. TP usually make the lead wait until at least FDs to profess they are falling in love so this seems off to be happening before HTDs.
I don't think I have seen a lead this vulnerable before a FD.

So Baby B is cut lose. I think he REALLY liked her, but knew it wouldn't work IRL so he set her free. Tia seems like a default pick and maybe she is a contender for the next Bachelorette. There is something raw and organic about him and Kendall but I'm not sure they have progressed far enough. So far she hasn't had a single 1:1. Not looking good for her, imo.
She would be my pick for next lead.

Good points, @agentcurls! It seems like we're on the same page.

In considering this season vs. past season's edits, we could be following a few tracts:
1. Jason Mesnick: Like Jason, Arie chooses the "wrong" person at the end of this season, realizes it once they're back in real life, as the edit keeps reinforcing, and then switches his F1.
Questions about this edit: Who is his F1? Does he pick Becca and she's wrong or does he pick Lauren and she's wrong?  Chris Harrison's blog (thanks, bug!) deviated this week into a territory that seemed unfamiliar: instead of discussing each date, he spent the blog talking about Arie questioning his decision making; he adds that Arie's in a battle between his head and his heart. So, if that's an overarching theme of this season, is Arie's choosing with his head if he picks Becca and his heart if he picks Lauren? His "falling deeply in love" with Lauren feels very much out of the blue, which leads me to think that she's his "heart" choice.
If I had to overanalyze this season, I'd say that we keep hearing Arie talk about life after the show because he uses that to pick his final woman...I'd say that if I buy the Mesnick edit.

2. Brad Womack 1.0/Charlie O'Connell/JPG edit: We're super confused because Arie picks no one or he picked someone to date or he picked someone, it didn't work out, and he's now alone.

3. Brad Womack 2.0 edit: I vividly remember Brad's second season and the discussions on FORT. Emily, like Lauren, had this very "boring" dynamic with Brad, but, boy!, was he a smitten grizzly bear. She could have asked him to lick paint off a wall and he'd a done it...until real life set in. But during the season, they made it seem like a horse race, and he did like Chantal, but he was all in with Emily. Very similar at this point to Arie and Lauren.

4. The Des Hartsock edit: I'm a bit nervous about this returning ex and his timing. He could have been anyone's to this point, but then last night, both Becca and Lauren's exes were mentioned, and I got the feeling that it's one of theirs, and he saunters onto the scene very late in the game (Peru per caps). If Arie's in love right now with Lauren but Mr. Wonderful returns, then it would send him into a tailspin, IMO, i.e., the "heartbroken" quote that he says in his FRC suite, and he'd pick Becca. BUT, Becca could be his Chris S., the woman who's in the shadows all along, supporting and affirming him.
Questions about this edit: Right now, this scenario doesn't feel very believable to me, esp. given the date this week with Becca.

I'm trying to figure out the point of the rest of the season after last night's episode. Even if Arie proclaimed to Becca that he cared about her, it is clear to the viewer that he wants Lauren. So now I'm the rest of the season. It seems unbelievable to me that he'd dump Lauren.

If something weird happens, which I'm starting to think doesn't, then I think Kendall's the wild card not Becca.

HTDs change things for couples, so maybe Becca gains on Lauren there. That's what happened with Des & Chris--he pulled ahead while Brooks melted down.

Arie confuses me!

Thank you for laying out all of those scenarios, @veg_out!

Something is awry with this OTT expression of feelings to Lauren from Arie. It's all so random and sudden. It's like he was just going through the motions with most of the girls (defaults) until he heard Lauren's side of things then Pandora's box was opened and contents came gushing out. This makes me believe that it has to be her boyfriend that returns (TPTB-driven) as an added drama or shake-up because otherwise it's a game-over boring rest of the season.

agentcurls wrote:

Something is awry with this OTT expression of feelings to Lauren from Arie. ...This makes me believe that it has to be her boyfriend that returns (TPTB-driven) as an added drama or shake-up because otherwise it's a game-over boring rest of the season.

We're on the same page, @agentcurls, based purely on process of elimination. I can't see Kendall or Becca, two of our sleuthed F3, having a boyfriend with a southern accent (I'd be happily proven wrong.). I'd rather not dig into Lauren's college alma mater at risk of spoiledom, so I'm just going to a) assume that, since she's in Virginia, which is sorta close to other southern states, she's the one with the interloper boyfriend b) let things come at me through the episodes. BlondieGal a long time ago suggested that the edit always reveals the story, including the "real" love story, and all the things that might undo a couple. I also think that the edit can sometimes point to the couple that the show thinks would have been more successful.

TBH, the season JUST got good. I'm at episode, what, 7, and I'm thinking, "He's picking Lauren." Well, then why are there 3 or 4 episodes left?!!! The last time that I saw a lead admit "love" for a contestant was back with Womack when he could barely hold it together around Maynard (my sweet little loves ) and that was during the FSD so the show let us have it. Why are they giving us a lead telling us he's in love with a contestant with 3 episodes left?!!!! Insanity! and eerily familiar to Des' season when the proverbial horse manure hit the fan: she ended up with a different guy. THIS SHOW!

Hi guys! Can I join you? I usually lurk but feel compelled to talk about what's going on. I LOVE this season so far, partly because I am still unspoiled. In the last couple of seasons I've been accidentally spoiled and it wasn't as much fun. Also, I wasn't expecting to like Arie, but he surprised me. I'm a fan now and really want him to find his forever love.

Did anyone see Bekah M. on Jimmy Kimmel? She said she was hoping that it was going to be Peter. That didn't surprise me. I thought she was cute at first but as the weeks went by she came across more performer-y. Her comments started to be more about the process ("make it another week" or "there's only # of roses") than about Arie. This last episode where she was crying didn't seem genuine. Maybe he sensed that and, along with his doubts about her readiness, sealed the nail in the coffin. They showed Tia talking about Bekah's readiness but I really doubt she was to blame. It felt like he had been leaning toward sending her home for a while.

I really like Becca - she seems so down to earth and easy to be with - but on the last date it looked like (agentcurls took the words right out of my mouth) Arie was just going through the motions.

Kendall is refreshing, and she seems to make Arie laugh a lot. I hope we see more of her (Bachelorette?) but if she's made it this far without a 1-on-1, I don't see her as F1.

I also like Tia, and I think Arie does too, but I don't see their chemistry being as strong. I hope she returns on another show. He's got a great final 4!!

I have been suspecting Lauren as the dark horse ever since the episode where they were shown on Bibiana's set up, and now that they are showing us their connection front and center, I couldn't be happier!

As for the scene where Lauren confesses her feelings and he abruptly walks away, I saw Ashley I. say in an interview that she thinks he was taken aback by her profession and went to talk to a producer to get permission to reveal his feelings to her. Ashley also said that it was probably not a short break like it appeared to us, because they film ITMs etc in the meantime. It might have been a long time before he returned, which is probably why Lauren was freaking out.

Because their love story seems so obvious, I am scratching my head as to what the drama will be. There's gotta be some kind of second guessing with Lauren. Do we know for sure it's a boyfriend returning? Could it be an overprotective brother?

Or maybe it's Becca's ex and Arie has to look conflicted, but it paves the way for him to commit to Lauren?

Apologies for my rambling!

@rosepetals, and of course you can hang out here! We would love it!

It's really refreshing to read your perspective on Arie. It seems like we're all lining up somewhat on the season.

I agree with you: What is the upcoming drama because basically the season was over last episode? The last time that happened Des ended up with Chris not Brooks for whom she was OVER THE MOON!

Hi @rosepetals! Welcome aboard and hope you stick around! I really like your prospective on things. I think Lauren has gotten him since episode 4 but her edit during ep 1-3 had me thinking otherwise. Her edit has really ramped up as of late.

*snipped*
Do we know for sure it's a boyfriend returning? Could it be an overprotective brother?

To answer this- The returning fellow says "I'm here to get her back. I'm here to get my girl" I'm not sure an overprotective brother would say that, although it's not impossible.

Thank you for the warm welcome @veg_out & @agentcurls!

Thanks for posting the quote from the "boyfriend," agentcurls - I was going to hunt for it, but you saved me the time. It does sound like a boyfriend, doesn't it? Although sometimes I wonder if it might be a fake teaser and it turns out to be nothing but a thing.

Another possible outcome (that I HOPE doesn't happen) - could Lauren's fears cause her to self-sabotage and pull out of the race early?

Are there any previews for this episode?

@veg_out I don't know what's been posted because I can't view outside of the USA. I found this one on youtube



Link is for source only - do not go to directly to link as there may be spoilers

@LadyBug82 has posted all the s/caps here.

https://www.bachandbachettefans.net/t4617p12-bachelor-22-arie-luyendyk-jr-screencaps-no-discussion-no-spoilers-sleuthing-spoilers#1284198

@veg_out nope, Disney/ABCPress didn't release any.  I think they're using The Winter Games as a reason to be extra stingy.

Just found this one Twitter, it just appears to be a really short teaser.

Hometowns are here! Are the parents going to skin Arie alive?   #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/Q1AArtLNYd

— The Bachelor (@BachelorABC) February 17, 2018

ETA:  here's one more:

Dead.        #TheBachelor pic.twitter.com/yt8bdBApe0

— The Bachelor (@BachelorABC) February 18, 2018