BACHELOR 22 - Arie Luyendyk Jr - Blogs - **NO SPOILERS** - *SLEUTHING* DISCUSSION

Ladybug82 wrote:

Bachelor Arie Luyendyk Explains Why He Didn't Kiss Annaliese: 'I Couldn't Lead Her On'



One of the most memorable conversations of the night was with Bekah M. At the cocktail party (on the infamous daybed) she really cut to my core. I was astonished how someone could know me so well so fast — and would be bold enough to call me out. As I said in the moment, she’s really… kinda nailin’ the… nailin’ the… nailed it. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! All I can say is that when you push past my lack of verbal expression is that Bekah M. clearly blows me away.

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The Bachelor: Arie Luyendyk Jr. Says 22-Year-Old Bekah M. Is 'Worth the Risk'

ARIE LUYENDYK JR. January 23, 2018 03:52 PM

Arie Luyendyk Jr. vied for Emily Maynard‘s heart on season 8 of  The Bachelorette. Now, he’s on his own journey to find love on the latest season of  The Bachelor — and he’s blogging about it exclusively for PEOPLE! Follow Arie on Twitter at @ariejr.

Hey guys, we’re back, and this week we’re talking about South Lake Tahoe! I’d never been to Tahoe before, but it was a place I’d always wanted to visit. The beautiful crisp water, mountains of trees and endless outdoor activities available at your fingertips. Having this be the first week outside of Los Angeles was exactly what I needed, and I was excited to share this new experience with the women.

I hopped into my open red Chevy Blazer truck for the week and made my way through the winding mountain roads to the women’s house. I chose Seinne for this one-on-one because, leading up to this point, she was one of the most intriguing women. I was impressed with her travels, a little intimidated by her ivy league education, and totally mesmerized by her beauty. Seinne’s date card read, “let our love soar” and I was hoping to make a good impression.

Not going to the lake on my first day in Tahoe would be a crime, so that was a must. Not only was I excited to take Seinne with me, but I’ve never parasailed before. For those of you who haven’t been, I highly recommend it – it is wild! I’m pretty active in my personal life; other than racing, I love to cliff-jump, off-road, and rarely say no to an adventure. Having Seinne by my side made this first experience parasailing really special. And can I share a secret with you guys: I was slightly terrified (our secret, don’t tell anyone, okay? Thanks), but Seinne was fearless; she was present in the moment, which helped me let go. Seinne and I were floating hundreds of feet high above Lake Tahoe and we could see for miles. We were so small in this huge landscape, but my feelings for her felt like they were starting to match the moment.

Once our boat reeled us back in, we hopped out onto a remote beach for a picnic. Conversation is always easy with Seinne. I’ve found that in this world, that isn’t always the case … sometimes we can put too much pressure on ourselves or maybe nerves take over. The last one-on-one I went on was with Lauren S., and I ended up saying goodbye that evening. I had a small fear that could happen again, but it was clear from the start of our date that it wouldn’t be the case with Seinne.

Going into dinner that night I wanted to know more about her past and what she wanted for her future. When she told me about growing up not seeing happy endings with women like herself, it broke my heart a little. Seinne is a woman who has seen a lot of heartbreak and disappointment, but she is a person who deserves an amazing love story, the kind you see in big colorful Disney movies where the local wildlife help you with your dress. In that moment sitting together, I knew the future was uncertain – but I felt really strongly that we were building a foundation to lead us to that happy ending, maybe I’d be that prince holding the glass slipper at the end of this. Ending the night dancing to the band Lanco was so awesome. We fed off the energy of the crowd as we danced together – but none of that matched the excitement I had for Seinne.

Something that really broke my heart was having to say goodbye to Maquel under the terrible circumstances of the passing of her grandfather. Something you didn’t see in the episode was a talk we had before she left. She came to me privately to tell me about what had happened. We talked for a while about how much he had meant to her, and I shared my own experience of losing my grandfather, who had been so influential in my life. I’m grateful that Maquel shared what she shared with me in that private moment. It was brave. She was brave. I told Maquel that if she wanted to give us a shot, she could come back into this journey whenever she wanted, if and when she was ready.

What good is spending a week in the woods if you don’t get your hands dirty! The group date I planned was one of my favorites: a survival date! Not surprisingly, some of the girls were more excited by this date than others. Look, I love a good fancy date with white table clothes, high heels and tuxedos, but sometimes you’ve just got to get in the mud and see what you’re made of.

I invited Mykel Hawke and his wife Ruth on this date to help us navigate not only the wilderness but also how to do it with your partner. If this couple could stay strong in the elements for 13 years, I was sure the women and I could make it through the day. Something that wasn’t lost on this survivalist was humor: Mykel helped me pull a little prank on the women with the pee-drinking thing. When I noticed Jacqueline lifting her canteen to her mouth, I had to abort the prank. I couldn’t make her actually drink her own pee! But I was impressed, it takes a lot of guts (and an exceptionally strong stomach) to even consider doing that. That’s when I knew for sure that I was not the toughest person on this date.

Speaking of tough, how about Kendall! I feel like she was built for this kind of thing. Without flinching she was eating bugs and worms, totally owning this experience. Kendall is the kind of woman you want to be stuck with in a zombie movie with: sweet, charming and a low-key badass. When it started snowing, she grabbed me and took me into the woods to steal a kiss. That’s my move! Like I said, low-key badass. The wilderness trek to our oasis is so funny to watch back. In the moment it was cold, rugged, and we were all a little lost no matter how hard we studied the map. But eventually we made it to our champagne and hot tub, which made it all worth it.

Heading into the afterparty that night, I was excited to spend time with everyone in a setting a little more traditional. I felt like my conversation with Lauren was one of the best of the evening because while she said she was still taking time to get comfortable in this setting, I felt like with me she was already there. And while we still had so much to learn about one another, the spark was undeniable. My time spent with Tia that night was also really special. Over the weeks I felt like we had been building something really great, and even though we come from such different worlds, I felt like we understand one another on a level that I’m looking for in a partner. Giving Tia the rose was an easy decision, and I was excited to see where our relationship was going to go.

Now, lets take a second and talk about Krystal. It’s already unusual to date multiple women at once, so it’s not totally crazy to think there will be disagreements and have certain women just not get along. I knew since our one-on-one it was hard for Krystal to be back on group dates. I could sense tension between her and Caroline and Tia but really didn’t feel like it would be appropriate for me to involve myself in. Watching it back, I see so much more than I did in person, and it’s hard to say now if I’d have done anything differently. It isn’t easy seeing these amazing women struggle with one another, but knowing what I know now – I’m happy that I was patient to make sure I was making the right choices. Things don’t always play out the way you expect, and I think next week you’ll understand a little more.

Watching this back, I could see that Bekah M.’s age was becoming the topic of conversation in the house. I have to admit, I knew she was probably one of the younger women, but you wouldn’t think so by speaking with her. At this point in this journey, some of my most interesting, challenging and thoughtful conversations had been had with her.  As I stood at the horse stables waiting to see Bekah for the last date of the week, I knew I needed this one-on-one to figure out if we had a future … or really if she felt ready for the future I was envisioning for myself.

I’m not much of an equestrian guy, so I have to give a big shout-out to my horse General for making me look good for my date. As we road through the trails and arrived to our sexy hot tub in the woods, I just wanted to live in the moment with her. Bekah has way of making our time together feel easy and effortless, but in the back of my mind I knew that by the end of our date I’d need answers to some of my questions. Heading into that evening, I was ready to go deeper with Bekah and see if our lives match up for what we are looking for. After finding out that Bekah was 22 years old, I have to say it was shocking. I appreciate what she said about not wanting me to see her through the lens of her age — and up to this point I truly hadn’t. So far everything about Bekah that I had gotten to know led me to believe she was wise beyond her years. I felt like it would have been wrong and I’d regret it if I didn’t give her the rose only based on age. Bekah is an incredible woman and I could see myself one day falling in love with her. I was afraid and I was hesitant but went for it because I knew she was worth the risk.

I decided to cancel the cocktail party that week in Tahoe because by that evening, I felt strongly in who I was ready to say goodbye to. I didn’t want to waste Caroline and Brittany’s time when I knew that I didn’t see a future with them.  They are two incredible women who both deserve so much happiness and love, but I knew in my heart it wouldn’t be with me. This week must have really rattled Krystal’s confidence for her to pull me before the rose ceremony. I wish I could say that we find our rhythm again next week, but our rocky pattern continues in a pretty shocking way. Next week reveals new truths, tensions and love … I can’t wait to share it with you guys. Thanks for reading!

Best, Arie

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Chris Harrison blogs 'The Bachelor' Episode 4

Welcome back, Bachelor Nation! Our exciting trip around the world with Arie has just begun, and there’s no better place than South Lake Tahoe to get back into the wilderness. As you can see, this week is really when things started to become more serious, and more dramatic. At this point, everyone has spent some quality time with Arie, and as a result, the competition for his time, energy, and attention is becoming more fierce.

The first date of the week went to Seinne. She’s kind of been a frontrunner so far, with a group date rose in the second week, and Arie has really talked her up in several of their conversations, noting in particular how smart and together she seems. In some ways, I think Seinne brings up some of Arie’s insecurities. Going into this whole thing after five years, Arie had some legitimate concerns that the women he liked might not like him back. He’s actually quite humble, and his humility is one of the things I think people find surprising about him. It was only fitting that at dinner, Seinne brought up some of her own fears and insecurities, and Arie was able to help put some of those to rest. Seinne was a little more skeptical than some of the other women and honestly, I really think that made Arie feel more comfortable. Being the Bachelor is difficult, and feeling like someone else is going through all the tough parts with you is something that can really bring people together. At this point, Seinne has really cemented her place at the front of the pack.

The group date this week was hilarious. First and foremost, the pee gag (pun intended) was one of the funniest things I’ve seen on this show. I have to give major props to Jacqueline and Jenna for being willing to go the extra mile for Arie. First of all, the location for this date was really deep in the woods, maybe two hours away from the Hard Rock, where Arie was staying. On top of that, the forecast for the day was partly sunny with a low in the 50s, but as soon as Arie, our wilderness experts, and the women got off into the woods, it started snowing. To say that no one was really prepared to spend the entire day wet and in the snow would be an understatement. Feet were frozen and noses went numb. Thankfully, this is The Bachelor, so there was a giant hot tub as the light at the end of the tunnel — and that is exactly where you could really see that as the ladies were defrosting, their claws were coming out.

For the last few weeks, tension has been bubbling mainly between Krystal and the other women. I think they really all have very different perspectives on what is going on. Krystal feels like the other women don’t treat her fairly, and the other women seem to feel that Krystal is not being real with them. Oftentimes, this is where things start going downhill. It’s a bit of a nonstarter when the majority of women feel like someone isn’t being real. That woman will often become even more closed off, and then the cycle just perpetuates. At the end of the day, some people just won’t ever get along, and to be honest, when people are all competing for the same person, it’s OK for everyone to not end up as friends. But I can tell you this, things are going to get worse before they get better.

Since the first night, Arie has had pretty strong chemistry with Bekah. M, but from the moment she got out of her vintage car, they had both obviously been avoiding the issue of her age. And once you don’t address something immediately, it gets harder and harder to talk about it — especially if that thing could negatively affect your relationship. Arie is 14 years older than Bekah, and there was some concern he felt about how ready a 22-year-old woman can be for the kind of commitment he wants. Age definitely doesn’t always dictate maturity levels or what one wants out of life, but it’s not exactly useless information either. Anyway, Arie was, I think, avoiding the topic, but once it came out, there was just no way to avoid it anymore. You can tell by how conflicted he was that this is something that is really going to weigh heavily on him as he makes his decisions moving forward. Needless to say, I don’t think Bekah is in danger of going home anytime soon.

After a rough and very long week, Arie knew what decisions he wanted to make, and while this is often really difficult for the women, in the end, most people are happier to know when things are over in the mind of the other person as soon as possible. Obviously Krystal had some things she needed to address, and I commend her for following her instincts, but of course she also had to know this would only increase tensions between her and the other women. And next week, all of this is really going to come to a head, in a big way. We will see you on Monday!

The Bachelor: Chris Harrison blogs week 5

CHRIS HARRISON January 29, 2018 AT 10:01 PM EST

Welcome back, Bachelor Nation! We are right in the middle of the season and as you can see we are taking big steps forward, both in terms of romance and in terms of drama. It feels like Arie is on a rollercoaster and has just reached the top. He’s about to go straight down and feel the thrill, but I’m pretty confident there are quite a few loops and twists before he even gets to hometowns in a few weeks. Let’s dive right in and talk about what happened in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Finally, after many weeks of waiting, Chelsea finally got her one-on-one date. She got the first impression rose and immediately got a bit of a target on her back. In addition, Chelsea has a really dry sense of humor and I think she may have started off on the wrong foot with some of the women. However, over the last few weeks, it seems like the other women started to be able to sense when Chelsea was joking and, perhaps as a result of the group focusing their energy on Krystal, Chelsea was no longer the divisive figure she was in the house at first. That doesn’t mean that the women were rooting for her to get a rose, not by a long shot, but after Chelsea finally got the opportunity to really relax, open up about her life, and be herself, and she got the rose easily.

As we know, Arie has a very soft spot for single moms. Chelsea, in my opinion, has a really good heart and is a devoted and loving mother, and Arie is 36 and has been anxious for a long time now to get going on a family. He would be ready to take on that responsibility, and I think Chelsea knows that. It was a great date to start out the week and it ended with a beautiful concert by Tenille Arts. As far as things in Fort Lauderdale go, this really was the calm before the storm.

Ah, yes, the group date. What started off as a fun day at the bowling alley quickly descended into total chaos. There’s always one date that just goes completely off the rails, but I don’t think any of us expected it to be the bowling date. And I don’t think anyone expected it to happen the way it happened. This feels like one of the most dramatic turns I can remember. Without simply recapping it, let’s talk about what may have caused all of this. Krystal has been a polarizing force in the house since her second week disagreement with Bibiana. Last week things started to boil over with Caroline and Tia, but with Caroline gone and Tia on a one-on-one date, I think everyone thought this would all just blow over.

Something about Arie’s inability to give Krystal the affirmation she felt she deserved really threw her over the edge. I can’t say I fully blame her. When you get an early one-on-one and have to wait around it can be very emotionally taxing. Becca K admittedly was having a hard week as well, but the ways that she and Krystal handled it were basically polar opposites. Krystal seemed to feel like Arie didn’t care about her, but perhaps the most perplexing thing about the whole week was that she chose to not spend more time with Arie because she didn’t feel like she wasn’t going to have enough time with Arie? I’m confused. And so was Arie.

From Arie’s perspective, it was a mixed night. On the one hand, he had a great deal of important conversations with many of the women. At the same time, the nagging doubts left by his interactions with Krystal weren’t just making him question Krystal — he was left to question his own judgment. After all, Krystal was one of the women that he felt the most confident about in the early weeks and now he’s not even sure she’s going to get a hometown date. What other decisions has he made along the way that maybe weren’t the best? These questions will continue to haunt him. Meanwhile, Krystal will live to see another day and next week there will be a reckoning and a decision to be made by both of them, one way or the other.

The final date of the week was one I think we’ve all been waiting to see: his date with Tia. Tia has been a fan favorite since the beginning and every week her relationship with Arie has been growing, but we haven’t yet gotten to see how these two people will connect when they have a long period of comfortable and uninterrupted time. I think we were all as surprised as Arie was to hear Tia tell Arie she was falling in love with him, but for some reason, it just felt right. Tia is honest and authentic and I think you could see in Arie’s face how he lit up when she said those words to him. After the disaster that was the group date, Arie really needed to reinvigorate his hope in romance, and this date did exactly that.

Things are going well, but as the group dwindles, the decisions that Arie makes are going to get harder and harder. And no decision so far has been as hard as the decision Arie will have to make next week on what may well be one of the most dramatic two-on-one dates in Bachelor history. I promise you: You will not want to miss this one! See you Monday!

Ladybug82 wrote:

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From Arie’s perspective, it was a mixed night. On the one hand, he had a great deal of important conversations with many of the women. At the same time, the nagging doubts left by his interactions with Krystal weren’t just making him question Krystal — he was left to question his own judgment. After all, Krystal was one of the women that he felt the most confident about in the early weeks and now he’s not even sure she’s going to get a hometown date. What other decisions has he made along the way that maybe weren’t the best? These questions will continue to haunt him. Meanwhile, Krystal will live to see another day and next week there will be a reckoning and a decision to be made by both of them, one way or the other.

Snipped...

Things are going well, but as the group dwindles, the decisions that Arie makes are going to get harder and harder. And no decision so far has been as hard as the decision Arie will have to make next week on what may well be one of the most dramatic two-on-one dates in Bachelor history. I promise you: You will not want to miss this one! See you Monday!

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The Bachelor: Why Arie Luyendyk Jr. Gave Krystal a Rose Despite Her 'Irrational Blow-Up'

ARIE LUYENDYK JR. January 30, 2018 05:31 PM

Arie Luyendyk Jr. vied for Emily Maynard‘s heart on season 8 of  The Bachelorette. Now, he’s on his own journey to find love on the latest season of  The Bachelor — and he’s blogging about it exclusively for PEOPLE! Follow Arie on Twitter at @ariejr.

Welcome back, everyone!  After a crazy week in Tahoe, it was time to pack our bags and head to Fort Lauderdale. Though the surprise snow on the survival date was surreally romantic, I think the women and I were happy to spend a week somewhere known for picturesque beaches and beautiful weather.

​As I rode around town in my black convertible, I reflected upon how far we’ve already come and how, in just a short while, I was able to build such strong relationships. More than ever, I was hopeful that I would find my wife among the remaining women. I popped over to the women’s suite to announce the first date of the week. Usually announcing the dates is Chris’ duty, but I missed the women after a full day of travel. Sorry, Chris, I’m not trying to steal your job.

​Fort Lauderdale is known as the “yachting capital of the world,” so it would be wrong not to spend a date on one of these extravagant boats. I chose Chelsea for this one-on-one for so many reasons. From the first moment I met her, I knew Chelsea was sexy and mysterious. Even though I now knew she was a mom, Chelsea was still an enigmatic force. I still needed to get to know her as her, not just the mother of Sammy. I’ve always had such respect for single mothers, and I’ve dated a few in the past. That was something I loved about Emily when I was on The Bachelorette. With this date, I really wanted to give Chelsea a much-deserved day of luxury and see if we connected on a deeper level than just our mutual love for kids.

​Man, that yacht was cool. It felt like we were in a music video. The beautiful, clear skies and crisp ocean water made for a perfect day. It also didn’t hurt that the yacht had everything from Jacuzzis to jet skis. The fun toys and amenities were nice, but the real fun of the day was getting to see another side of Chelsea. This day she wasn’t just the mother of Sammy or the woman who aggressively pulled me on group dates — she was the woman who would reenact scenes from Titanic and the woman who would get adventurous on jet skis.

By the way, both of us jumping on the one jet ski was really sexy and so fun. At the time, though, I had no idea that the other women could see me and Chelsea making out. When I became the Bachelor, I promised myself that I’d never flaunt any relationship in front of the other women. I know from Emily’s season just how hard it is to all be dating the same person. The relationships naturally develop at different speeds, and at this point in the journey many people are beginning to have real feelings. As difficult as it is for me to compartmentalize all my different relationships, it’s just as hard for the women to focus on their one relationship with me and remain unfazed by my relationship with their friends. As much fun as it was, I wish it hadn’t made the others feel bad.

Going into that night, there was still so much I needed to know about Chelsea. To give Chelsea a rose, I always needed to be 100 percent sure that I felt we could have a future together. Every woman made a sacrifice to come meet me, but, with Chelsea, each week with me was a week away from Sammy. During dinner, Chelsea opened up so much about her relationship with her ex and how that shaped her life. It broke my heart to hear her story of heartache and loss, but it made my appreciation for the strong, beautiful woman who sat before me grow even more. Her story and perspective on life and material things was inspiring, and it was heartening to know we share so many similar values. Chelsea is a woman who asks for so little and deserves so much. Ending the night dancing to Tenille Arts was the perfect end to an incredible date. Just like the day, our final moment was all about us and our relationship, not about all the fancy stuff surrounding it.

​Not all dates can be on luxury yachts, though, so that’s why I was really excited to take the women on a group date that was more grounded. Trust me, I love wrestling and demo derbies and dog shows as much as the next guy, but sometimes it’s nice to do an activity without all the frills. Plus, I got to do my badass reenactment of The Big Lebowski and get some fantastically hilarious advice for the local women’s bowling team. I didn’t expect them to have so many questions about the fantasy suites. One of them even promised to set me up with her granddaughter if things didn’t work out of the show. Thanks, ladies!

​I was truly shocked that the bowling date caused so much drama. I thought the idea of a friendly competition for time at the cocktail party was fun, but after reflecting I decided that it would be nice to invite all of the women. At the end of the day, finding love and finding my future wife is one of the most important decisions of my entire life and maybe a bowling competition shouldn’t dictate who I spend time with. It was an honest change of heart!  There are a lot of qualities I want in my future wife, and believe it or not, winning at bowling is not at the top of that list. That all said, huge shout-out to Jenna for being so good at bowling. She’s hilarious and fun and always full of surprises. Another missed part of the bowling date was Jacqueline pulling me aside and sneaking a kiss. I know you haven’t seen much of her on the show, but Jacqueline is so beautiful, intelligent and interesting.

​The fallout after the bowling date was one of the most disappointing and stressful parts of my time as the Bachelor. Krystal’s actions were confusing and misguided. There are two sides to every coin, though. For all the obvious disappointment I felt about Krystal, I felt equal parts pride and connection to the women who came to my defense. Bekah and Kendall really put themselves out there to defend me and my actions, and it says so much about their character that they were willing to speak out on behalf of me. That was also the night where Lauren B. and I really deepened our relationship. We finally got past some of the basics and started connecting on a deeper level.

I know after all that happened this week many people will question keeping Krystal. The thing about love is it’s not always easy. It’s not all exotic dates and romantic one-on-ones and sunsets. She told me she was stressed and made a mistake and got angry. I’ve made mistakes and been upset about things I shouldn’t have been upset about. We all do that, it’s human. Was it a red flag for me personally? Yes, totally. I still, to this day, see the events very differently from her. The choice to not join the cocktail party was pretty immature and irrational. But the connection Krystal and I had that first week in Scottsdale was real and I wasn’t ready to throw it away just because she was having a hard week. That didn’t seem fair because we’ve all had irrational blow-ups before.

​After such a stressful day, I was so excited to get to spend a full date with Tia. She always, no matter what, made me feel happy and comfortable. From the moment I met her, Tia kept me on my heels. Our very first interaction was her being hilarious and brash. I’m not sure if you remember me missing her “I hope you don’t already have a small wiener” joke on the first night, but I sure do. We already had so many fun memories together, and I couldn’t wait to make more. One moment that wasn’t in the show: one night at the mansion Tia set up champagne glasses for us to shoot like a carnival game. And that’s who Tia is: the type of person to shoot Nerf guns in a cocktail dress. Sitting next to Tia on the airboat, swampland as far as the eye could see, I couldn’t help but keep laughing. The everglades are beautiful and bug-filled and absolutely spectacular.

Meeting Gerald and seeing his house was really a trip. He built the entire house in the middle of the everglades himself! As a guy who builds things and fixes cars and is also in real estate, I really appreciate the artistry and craftsmanship it took to build such a home. If you ever find yourself in the middle of the glades, you have to try his fried gator and corn. I never knew corn could taste so good.

It’s easy to laud Tia for her foul-mouthed hilariousness and her ability to call me out (and I do love that about her), but that night at dinner really showed Tia’s other side. She’s smart and accomplished and has the ability to be vulnerable. I know she’s dated some jerks in the past, but she’s so much better than that. When she told me she was falling in love with me, I was humbled and my heart was totally full. This beautiful, fantastic woman sitting in front of me was falling in love and I was falling for her too. In this moment I had so much hope for the journey working, and knew now, more than even, that I could find my fiancé and future wife.

My strong connection with Tia helped put so much into focus heading into the cocktail party. It was wild watching all the women confront Krystal. I am attracted to people who are strong and can stand up for themselves, and though I had no idea these confrontations were happening, I am proud of everyone for speaking their mind. For me, this night was very different. I had tough decisions to make and needed to focus on the relationships that I felt could end in love and an engagement. Jacqueline and I really connected this night, with great conversation and her showcasing her psychology skills by making me a chocolate Rorschach test. Becca K. and I also ate chocolate (Nutella, my favorite) together and discussed her continued difficulty on group dates after having the early one-on-one.

I was so thankful that Maquel was able to return this week after spending time with her family, but our conversations this week left me realizing that the connection just wasn’t there. She has so much to offer, but our relationship was just too far behind and our chemistry too lacking to give her a rose. At the end of the night, I knew I also had to say goodbye to Marihk and Ashley. They’re both great, beautiful women, but in my heart of hearts I knew they weren’t my wife. These goodbyes are difficult, but if my gut tells me we aren’t meant to be together, that’s sometimes all I need to know.

​This week was really stressful — I wish I could say that the hard part of this ended now.  The two-on-one is next week, which I knew would be difficult but is even more insane and dramatic than I anticipated. Also, we finally go international. So come back and watch all the drama and the tears as the feelings of love kick into high gear.

Thanks for reading!

Best, Arie

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

The Bachelor: Chris Harrison blogs week 6

CHRIS HARRISON February 05, 2018 AT 10:00 PM EST

Every week, Bachelor host and executive producer Chris Harrison is giving EW his behind-the-scenes take on the latest episode.

Welcome back, Bachelor Nation! Well, the moment you’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived. Yes, the day of reckoning for Krystal is something everyone has been ready to see. Would she continue to charm Arie while confounding the women, or would Kendall be able to come from behind and restore order to the house? It was a long and strenuous day for Arie, but he made a tough decision, and while it may seem like an end of an era, it is only the first in a series of increasingly difficult choices as he moves forward toward hometown dates.

But before we project forward too much, let’s talk about Paris. It’s been a long time since we have been able to make our way to Paris and I don’t think we’ve ever had more fascinating living quarters than the U by Uniworld ship that was floating on the Seine (not to be confused with Seinne, who was also on the ship). I stayed at the fantastic Hotel de Crillon, and Arie was at the Molitor MGallery. Between the three places to stay, we had a pretty great sense of the city and all got a taste of what it had to offer.

Lauren B., the last remaining Lauren, finally got her one-on-one date after weeks of waiting. At this point, time is of the essence and that is, of course, why Arie needed an extra one-on-one this week. Unfortunately, no matter how much time you get, you can always use more. I think that was pretty clear this week, as while Arie’s sightseeing date with Lauren — which took them down the Seine and all the way to Notre Dame — was pretty epic, it served as only the beginning for the two of them. I was really appreciative of the way Arie opened up about some of the harder things he has been through in his life. It’s easy to ask other people to open up and to judge them if they don’t, but it’s always difficult to lead by example. Arie really made himself vulnerable, and I think that helped Lauren finally start to bring her walls down. At the moment though, you can tell she is still a bit behind some of the other women, and with hometowns right around the corner, next week is going to be really crucial for her.

The group date this week was one for the record books. No, literally, put it in the record books, because it was the first time in history that non-Moulin Rouge performers took part in the actual show at Moulin Rouge. The women on the date figured they were going to get to watch the show, but they didn’t think there was a snowball’s chance in hell that they were going to actually get to perform in it. Well, at least one of them was going to. This was one of those dates we get really excited about. It was a bucket list item for everyone involved, and for Bekah, who got the rose, it was one of the most surreal and exciting moments of her life. The other women sadly had to watch from the stands, but even for them, and for Arie, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Speaking of once-in-a-lifetime events, the two-on-one date was also one for the Bachelor history books. Kendall wasn’t exactly sure why she was on the two-on-one date, but Krystal was confident she would be on it, and doubly confident that she would be coming home with the rose. The day started off well for her, which is actually very similar to how this whole experience started with her. I think in some ways this may be emblematic of Krystal, where the first impressions are really great, but somewhere along the line there ends up being a disconnect of some kind. Even the conversations between Krystal and Kendall showed that there is a pretty strong disconnect between how Krystal and other people view the world around them. I’m not sure there’s necessarily a “correct” way of looking at things, but at least on this two-on-one date, the people who seemed to see the world the same way were Kendall and Arie. As a result, they left together and made their way over to the Eiffel Tower for a magical moment unlike any we’ve ever seen. But Krystal showed a softer side toward the end of the night, and I look forward to talking with her at the Women Tell All and really getting to hear her side of the story.

The final date of the week with Jacqueline, a woman who has really flown under the radar so far. I think more than any other one-on-one date this season, this one really felt like it was do-or-die. While admitting that they have very different backgrounds and are coming from different worlds, these two have a kind of strange magnetic chemistry that was really exciting to see finally come to life. With that said, though, these kind of late-stage connections can only serve to make things harder as we head into next week and Arie has to say goodbye to three more women before he makes his way back to the states two weeks from now.

This week, we said goodbye to Chelsea, who went from polarizing force to fan favorite, and to Jenna, a woman we all really loved and wished you got more of a chance to get to know. But who knows where the future might take us with those two! Next week we are heading to Tuscany and an exciting three-on-one date that is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in Bachelor history! Don’t miss it!

hy Bachelor Arie Luyendyk Sent Krystal Home: 'I Was Here to Find a Wife, Not a Drama Queen'

ARIE LUYENDYK JR. February 07, 2018 11:37 AM

Arie Luyendyk Jr. vied for Emily Maynard‘s heart on season 8 of  The Bachelorette. Now, he’s on his own journey to find love on the latest season of The Bachelor — and he’s blogging about it exclusively for PEOPLE! Follow Arie on Twitter at @ariejr.

Paris! A city known for romance and French bread, and I was ready for both. There couldn’t be a more iconic location to fall in love, and after all the craziness of Fort Lauderdale, I was ready to put the drama behind us and really focus on my 10 remaining relationships. I got to the city and went for a run to try and reflect, clear my head and see some sights. The city is beautiful. When I sat down in the park to talk with Chris, I realized just how far we’d come. On the first night, I met 29 beautiful women, and now somehow I was already down to 10. This whole thing was flying by, but thankfully Chris has been in this position with so many Bachelors before. Our talks always helped me sort through my feelings, and this one really helped get me in the right headspace heading into a week that had four dates, including the 2-on-1.  Needless to say, this was a big week.

There was so much anticipation going into my first date of the week. Lauren was still a bit of a mystery to me.  I really liked her but had no idea if those feelings were mutual. Being The Bachelor doesn’t necessarily mean that the women are into me, and one of my biggest fears going into this was falling for someone who did not reciprocate those feelings. As we took off on the Seine River by motorboat, Lauren told me how anxious she was, and it eased my nerves to know we were feeling the same thing. Walking thru Paris was a really incredible first date. We snapped Polaroids in front of the Notre-Dame de Paris, tried foie gras in a market and fed pigeons while they landed on us. Another fun moment you missed was a street artist drawing our portrait (I think we definitely overpaid). During the day, I was still unsure of where I stood with Lauren.  All I wanted was for her to open up and connect with me, and it wasn’t happening. Though the date was fun, I wondered if the public nature of a walking tour made it hard for her to open up.

As I arrived at Le Grand Véfour, one of the oldest and most historic restaurants in the city, I realized there was still so much pressure going into the evening. I still had so much interest in Lauren, but if she didn’t have interest in me, I knew I couldn’t give her a rose. At this stage in the game, getting a rose really means that I see potential for you to be my future wife. I saw so much potential with Lauren, but I feared running out of time.  Being vulnerable so quickly is difficult for some people, but one thing we didn’t have the luxury of was lots and lots of time to ease into things.

When I first started on this show, I honestly didn’t know if I was going to talk about one of the darkest periods of my life. But, after wanting Lauren to trust me and be vulnerable for so long, I knew I needed to be the same with her. This journey wasn’t all about the women opening up to me and telling me about their pasts, I had to do the same in order to build a relationship that was strong and real. When Lauren responded by opening up and telling me about her relationship past and her family and why she was so guarded, I finally felt like I was starting to understand her and that our relationship took a giant leap forward.

After such a great first date, I was excited to see what the rest of the week had in store. As much as I loved the giant group dates, it was nice to start having a slightly smaller group so I could spend more individual time with each woman. I had seen the movie Moulin Rouge once, but seeing it 100 times could not have prepared me for the date at the famous French theater. Watching the women’s faces as the Moulin Rouge dancers took the stage was hilarious. They were awestruck. Then, it was their turn. Watching the women grace the stage was equal parts hilarious and inspiring. Special shout-outs to Seinne for killing it, to Jenna for really embracing her crazy costume, and to Tia for … trying.  Seriously, Tia was amazing for doing something so far outside of her comfort zone and for rolling with the direction of Miss Janet, the creative director of the Moulin Rouge. I remember how uncomfortable performing Shakespeare was on Emily’s season, so I totally get being less than thrilled to perform on stage.

Going into that evening’s cocktail party, I was stressed. Not only did I have to lip-sync in French while doing choreography in front of a live audience, but I’d be performing with whomever got that night’s rose. I pulled Tia first because we always have a blast, and whenever the pressure of this experience started to weigh me down, she was always someone who could lighten the mood. As always, Tia made me laugh and forget about all the stresses of the evening for a while. I had a great time with all the women but gave Bekah M. the rose because of our continued strong connection. Not only did it feel like we didn’t take a step back after our 1-on-1, but she also opened up to me about her rough week and how difficult this experience could be at times.  It also didn’t hurt that I knew she’d kill it on stage.

Performing that night with Bekah M. was a once in a lifetime experience. We were the first non-performers to grace that stage in 167 years and, I have to tell you, the stage managers were very serious about us nailing each and every aspect of our roles. There were so many parts of that night you didn’t see. The hustle and bustle of the backstage was insane. So many incredible performers running by in so many costumes; the man who usually plays my role visited me in the green room and ran me through the last of my choreography; I wasn’t allowed to sit down for fear of wrinkling my outfit. As we waited backstage, a group of mini horses trotted by us, cementing this as a truly bizarre and surreal night. I was so happy Bekah and I could share that moment as it was so intense. After our part, we ran off stage then kissed and laughed behind the curtain, proud and relieved we pulled it off.

Every fan of The Bachelor knows that the 2-on-1 can be really difficult and awkward. To be honest, I had been slightly worried about it the whole time. That said, I knew that with the right perspective it could be a really positive experience. The beautiful Chateau De Breteuil in the French countryside had remarkable art, landscapes and even a really awesome hedge maze. Even though the date is inherently kind of awkward, I wanted to make sure everyone was comfortable and still had a great time in a beautiful setting. I really wanted to get to know Kendall more and, at the same time, evaluate if my relationship with Krystal was too broken to fix. After an amazing start, we took a major step back in Fort Lauderdale, and this was our last chance to possibly recover.

Despite the intensity of the date, Kendall was cool, confident and relaxed enough for us to grow significantly closer. I know most of you guys may see her as the quirky taxidermy girl, but she is so much more than that.  She’s intelligent, funny and always full of facts. Her ability to articulate her thoughts impressed me so much, and I felt so much potential in our relationship that day. I was still worried about her lack of a previous long-term relationship, but her viewpoint on marriage and “when” a person is ready was really refreshing. Watching it all back, I didn’t realize just how contentious things were with Kendall and Krystal. I am so impressed with Kendall’s ability to stick up for herself and for me and for all the other women on the show.

When it comes down to it, I just knew I’d never be able to really trust Krystal again. There were too many red flags at this point and, though I tried, I could not get over her meltdown in Fort Lauderdale. I wanted to give myself a chance to get over that incident and see if we could recover, but none of her apologies were able to repair what was broken. Though I once had very strong feelings for her, those feelings were now gone. It was time to say goodbye. Ultimately, I had to remember why I came on the show in the first place. I was here to find a wife, not a drama queen.

My decision wasn’t just based on needing to say goodbye to Krystal. I also needed to keep seeing Kendall. My feelings for her were growing more and more every day. Getting to end the night kissing Kendall on top of the Eiffel Tower was pure bliss. We literally ran across town to catch the last elevator up and made it to our platform just in time to be able to kiss while overlooking Paris. What a beautiful end to a really stressful day.

As I drove the streets of Paris in an old Triumph (English-made, for the record), I was really looking forward to the standard 1-on-1 after the stressful day before. I really wanted to have a great day with Jacqueline, someone who I had been hoping to connect with for a while. I know you haven’t seen much of Jacqueline on the show, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t notice her. Jacqueline intrigued me early on, whether it was her feeding me aphrodisiacs by the fire or making me a personalized chocolate Rorschach test. I knew she was smart, classy and beautiful, and I couldn’t wait to build upon our solid foundation.

I arrived and picked up Jacqueline, and about 15 seconds into our date, the car decided it had other plans.  After about an hour of me under the hood, we decided to abandon our car and do Paris via Uber!  Seriously, though, as much as it sucked to have the car break down, it was amazing that Jacqueline rolled with the punches and laughed it off. I was only slightly disappointed that we didn’t get to roll around the Arc de Triomphe with the top down.That would’ve been pretty incredible.

Through the grapevine (the other women told me), I found out that Jacqueline really wanted to go to Maxim’s, so I planned the date around surprising her with that. She told me that it was known for its Art Nouveau collection and it was a place where novelists, artists, playwrights, painters and celebrities would socialize and drink scotch and smoke cigars. Though you didn’t see it, I can’t promise we didn’t partake in such traditions.

My conversations with Jacqueline were real and deep. We spoke of our potential future and how incredibly different our lives were. Going into this, I wanted to find someone with a similar lifestyle, and with Jacqueline I couldn’t have found someone more different. She still wanted to complete six years of school without knowing where that would be, but my life is pretty rooted in Scottsdale. We talked about literature and her romance with the written word and how her world related to it. I almost felt intimidated by her intellect. Even though I knew we were worlds apart and that our lives didn’t mesh well, I just couldn’t let her go. The romantic in me saw something more than just the obstacles we would face, I saw a woman with huge, beautiful brown eyes and so much depth. I needed to spend more time with her. Giving her that rose was such an easy decision. I just wanted her to feel confident, because I felt so much for her in that moment.

The rose ceremony in Paris was at the Musée des Arts Forains, a museum filled with old circus attractions and amusement park rides. Walking through it, I saw so many pieces from old time French carnivals. It was so weird going to a rose ceremony and having so few roses to hand out. That first night, the pile was so large, and now there were just a few. At this point in the journey, the goodbyes were so much harder than before. I’ve spent so much time and had so many amazing moments with all of the remaining women. Jenna was so fun and energetic and beautiful, but I just knew she wasn’t going to be my lifelong partner. I’m so glad to have met her and really hope she finds what she is looking for. Saying goodbye to Chelsea was really hard, but I knew it was the right thing to do. At the beginning of our relationship, I promised her that as soon as I knew that it wasn’t her at the end, I’d let her know and let her go back to Sammy. Chelsea is strong, intelligent and sexy, but my gut told me that it wasn’t us at the end. I have so much respect for her and cannot stress more what a truly wonderful person she is.

After what was one of the most stressful weeks of my life, I didn’t think being The Bachelor could get any crazier. Of course, I was totally wrong. Come join me next week to see some of the most dramatic moments yet.  I say goodbye to someone I potentially saw myself with at the end and have my most heart-wrenching goodbye of the season, which caused me to break down. The excitement and stress mounts because I have just one week left to sort out my feelings and relationships before hometowns. Trust me, the decisions are not easy, and you won’t want to miss it. Thanks for reading.

Best, Arie

veg_out wrote:Reading these again, Arie basically shifts from gushing about Becca to barely mentioning her, particularly after Jan. 9. He talks a lot about baby Beks and then Krystal and then Lauren.