Bachelor 22 - Arie Luyendyk Jr - Episodes - Mar 5th FRC ATFR - #2 - *Sleuthing Spoilers*

I'm thinking Airy may ask TPTB to provide cue cards for him to keep his lies, um, I mean "explanations" consistent and coherent tonight on live part of ATFR.

His "go to" move last night, for both break up with Lauren and Becca seemed to be either closing his eyes or looking at the ground when pressed to explain. I don't think CH will let him get away with that for live part of ATFR.

JMO

I think this show messes with your mind so much. I think Arie chose Becca because she was the safe option and thought it was lust with Lauren. At the end of the day, he just couldn't stop thinking about Lauren. IMO, he made that phone call to Lauren to see if he could get closure but realized the feelings were still there and then he broke up with Becca and pursued Lauren again. IMO, what Lauren and Arie have is real. Yes, he got engaged to Becca thinking he was in love and she was the best fit but out of the bubble, it was Lauren he still had a pull for. I give him props for ending it with Becca and pursuing Lauren if that's where his heart was. All these Bach people saying he could have done things differently or whatever are full of it. They know he is the lead and I'm sure doesn't get as much say as how it will go down. It's just easier being on the Arie is a cheater or whatever band wagon because that's what the majority of the viewers think. They are going to go with what most viewers feel. These are the people that follow them after all. Anyway, I think Arie and Lauren understand now how this show can mess with you. I hope for the best for them. Becca on the other hand, has seen what The Bachelor will pull to get their dramatic ending and I'm sure she will still agree to be their Bachelorette. In fact, I'm sure she is totally excited and with her PR experience, she will know how to make her self look great tonight. All IMO.

I must humble brag that I was never an Arie fan. (I loved Jef, yah, that turned out well). In fact, I'm not much of a "Bachelor" fan. I've always preferred the 'Ette because the female leads are typically high quality and take the show at least somewhat seriously. Seems like all the Bachelors just want their egos stroked and a quick piece of a**.

This isn't even fun to watch anymore, and I barely even watch half the Bach seasons (all of 'Ettes though). Contrived drama, recycled storylines and storyboards all for media fodder. It has gotten old and it is time to retire the show IMO.

I mean what is the plot for next year? Find a divorced Bach whose ex goes on the show and he picks her? Some bachelor coming out as homosexual (though nothing wrong with that) after going on his "journey" with the women? The exploitation of this show anymore makes it unbearable to watch to me.

Kashathediva wrote:@Sprite
But--if they filmed the first SHV it shows me that a) TPTB sanctioned that date--wasn't that the 4wheeling date? And that date has been referenced as unsanctioned b) TPTB had to have known something was very amiss at that point in time. 
Does anyone remember what they said was the time frame last night between the filming of that first filmed SHV and the breakup SHV? 
Also, were they in the same SH? Or was that the 4 wheeling one? 
Thanks in advance.

I wondered if they were at the house in Peru where they stayed for a few days after the proposal. I remember pics of Des and Chris coming out from their time at a house after the proposal... the 2 of them diving into the pool and some with producers in the house. Maybe it wasn't footage they necessarily intended to ever use for TV, just for fun. Also, there was a housekeeper there which I thought seemed more likely for Peru than a SHV for just the 2 of them. Did they have mics on?

Is it required now that the lead propose? I thought I heard it was added to the contract somewhere.

Diana wrote:i am still so creeped out about how Arie went about that breakup. He couldn’t even respect her enough to leave when she asked him multiple times. It’s like he was waiting and pushing for her to say “it’s okay” hint dude it’s not. 


Jmo

This is exactly what I thought.  I was such a fan of Arie when this season began.  I cannot believe how badly he disappointed.  IMO, he is someone who cannot be alone.  Therefore all the back up women, the meet up with Lauren before breaking it off with Becca.  Would he have still ended things with Becca if Lauren said get lost?  He is uncomfortable when women are hurting.  He doesn't like seeing himself as the bad guy, but no one is going to say es okay, Arie.  My advice is grow a spine, spend some time alone working on yourself, don't rush into an engagement or if you did so, a marriage with Lauren.  Show her the courtesy you did not show Becca. If it's real, it will keep. Be sure. Give it time.  Grow up.  All is JMO.

I get that in the pressure situation of the last few days of filming, with all the outside influences such as producers and their own family in their ear about who to choose, the lead can (and has) made a mistake, and certainly that's what happened to Arie.  Here's what I don't excuse him for-

1.  Proposing to anyone when he was so conflicted, especially with the knowledge of Bachelor history at his disposal.  It never works out well.  And yeah, I know the producers would have pressured him, but at 36 years old you'd think he'd be less of a wimp.

2.  I've not seen this mentioned before, but if the lead does have a change of heart post filming, WHY do they have to immediately confide in the producers about this, thus ceding all power to "the evil"?  Why couldn't Arie have just told Becca privately on their next SHV, in bed if necessary, out of earshot of their handlers, that he was having second thoughts? Then just the two of them could have hashed it out and come to a resolution, or in this case a breakup, without any producer involvement at all.  By this point every participant should be well aware that the producers are not your friends. Now he may have felt he needed the producers' help regarding interceding with Lauren, which IMO is squirrelly behavior to begin with.  If he wasn't totally committed to marrying Becca (which obviously he wasn't), he should have ended his engagement, regardless of whether or not Lauren would still have him.

I've never been a fan of Arie, but didn't dislike him either.  But his behavior here does lend credence to all the criticism of him as being, to put it kindly, bad at relationships.  In retrospect, it doesn't surprise me that he would be attracted to a demure and seemingly malleable young woman who will probably defer to him at every turn, over someone more his equal.  I give it six months max.

Just wanted to say that Arie was in a damned if you damned if you don’t situation whenBecca asked him to leave ..
He’s being criticized for not leaving right away, but if he’d have left right away ... he’d be criticized for being a coward and running away from a messy situation ..... it’s a breakup... it’s always messy and awkward ...

@ironcat My thought was that Arie contacted his handler, or producers to get contact information for Lauren. He obviously was sending a message to her, by 'liking' a post of hers on SM in early December. I could be way off base, but that is my assumption.

You don't even need to get contact info anymore. They are all on social media easily accessible to the masses.

If I remember correctly from past seasons, you are forbidden from contacting the F2 under penalty of a huge fine. I think it may have been Jason who said it was a 5 million fine if you contact the F2. If the only way he could contact Lauren was with the approval of the show, THAT may have been the reason he went along with the on-camera breakup. A deal with the producers to not fine him if he broke up with Becca first and let them film it.

Yes, I know Arie went to see Emily after he was not chosen, however, he was not the lead and not bound by the contract of the lead at that time. All JMO.