BACHELORETTE 14 - Becca Kufrin - General Discussion - **NO SPOILERS** - *SLEUTHING*

@Bet2Win, lady, we are on the same page--I LOVE CLAY. Talk about a good-hearted guy (maybe spoiled sleuthers unearthed a pile of unseemly things, but I'll wallow in my ignorance of them.). He works so hard and seems so respectful and downright genuine.

Honestly, I'm a little unsure about what's going on this season, but here are some observations:
1. Fashion Guy, he is hilariously absurd, intended to be the "clown" or "comic relief" of this season with his flair for the dramatic and hyperbolic, and I LOVE IT. The whole scene with them arguing at the afterparty with their nails painted--GOLD!
2. Becca and Harrison struggled-S.T.R.U.G.G.L.E.D-not to laugh during the "David Hurt His Face" scene. Poor David though! I hope he's ok now.
3. The Colton-Becca-Tia love triangle is pulled from Ashley R.'s season's storyboard (Ash-Em-Bentley) and indicates to me that Colton is a no-go for sure. From a psychological standpoint, the show probably threw him in there to duplicate the dynamic of Lauren-Arie-Becca. The way for Becca to grow is to break the dynamic and choose what she wants. She's keeping him around for awhile to ceremoniously dump him later as a demonstration that a.) trust once broken is hard to regain b.) friends before boys. I really, really don't like nor trust him.
4. The 2nd Date Guy (I don't know his name): I fast forwarded through it because I don't think he's a contender at this point. I could see him in her top 6 though.

The contenders, IMO:
1. Blake: Like @Bet2Win, I think he seemed very affected this week. This show at its darkest is unhealthy for the contestants because of the psychological manipulation, so what are they saying to him to push his buttons?

In Week 2, there was that camera pan to him about "pushing through," so I'm wondering if he's able to make it to the end or if he snaps and pulls himself out at some point. Usually when cast members leave during a season, it's a foreshadowing of another departure later. With Clay's exit (even if due to injury), I'm getting the sense that someone may leave à la Jillian and Ashley H. (I can't remember recent seasons where this has happened.)

2. Garrett: So, his edit, IMO, took a weird turn this week. Usually, the first 3 episodes are edited while the Bette is still filming. He didn't come off perfect, and I still know very little about him. The SQT with Becca emphasized their physical chemistry. Their relationship is still puttering in neutral for viewers despite the words he said in episode 2 that indicate emotional connection and support.   . Garrett, though, is saying that their relationship will likely be significant (paraphrase).

So, my guess: Garrett may be getting the Josh and Jordan treatment: I'm guessing he gets an episode 5 and then 7 date because she was sold early on him. Once they get together, it's likely game over, so they need her to invest in the other guys first in order to create the illusion of a "horse race" to the finish line...

3. Jason: As @grace8136 mentioned, he's the dark horse, and boy, did he gallop onto the scene at full speed. It felt like Jason was the main male lead of this episode. For me, his characterization flipped between episode 2 and this episode. He seemed articulate, sensitive, empathetic, joyful, patient, easygoing, and composed. I enjoyed their chemistry, and am excited to watch their relationship develop.

If I had to guess today, I'd say that her top 3 are those guys. I could also see any of those three being her F1, but I'm getting the feeling that one of them bails on her...just a weird feeling based on the excessive splicing and excessive PI background changes on Becca's part.

P.S. Did anyone get the sense that the spa date was actually a test run for Bachelor in Paradise? Like a chemistry test for potential couples. That was SUCH an awkward date.

Source

^Thanks, @ladybug82! So Garett gets an episode 4 date. Becca seems shy around him, so I think she likes him! Excited to see more this week :-)

Color me stumped. Already at episode 4, Becca seems over this experiment, which signals to me that something is off.

My trick to figuring out a season has usually been to look at narrative structure, namely conflicts. In a story, everything builds to a conflict, or an obstacle, to be overcome with the conclusion tying up the ends nicely (classically). Since this episode introduced a few unexpected surprises, it'll help me make some sense of things if I examine potential conflicts.

Becca's conflict obviously is "Who can I trust?" It's literally being screamed in every episode, IMO. TPTB are triggering her left and right with some of these guys and some of these situations. The situation with Jean-Luc or Jean-Marc (I can't remember his name) underlines that words matter to her, and that some of these guys are playing the old, "tell-her-what-she-wants-to-hear" game for whatever reason, most likely to stay longer. Does this scenario keep replaying itself this season? That another person left makes me think that I'm probably correct that someone in her F4 or F3 leaves her.

Based on tonight's episode, the amount of screentime, and the building of a relationship, I'd guess that her F4 are Colton, Garett, Blake, and Jason (order insignificant). I can't see Colton making it to the end, and I'm surprised a bit that she seemed very cozy with him.

Conflicts with these projected F4: Watch someone whose name I don't know emerge as this season's Lauren!
Colton & Becca: "Can I trust that he's here for me?" I think he might have ulterior motives.

Jason & Becca: Each week, I grow to like him, but I sometimes wonder if he is very smooth. Jason seems like a charismatic guy who enjoys life--he reminds me of a young Andy Garcia or like he was ripped from The Scent of A Woman. Either way, dashing and suave. That hand kiss At the moment, there is no conflict between these two: it's just easy, which is so very good.

Blake & Becca: Hmm, Blake took a back seat this week with only camera pans, no Becca interaction that I saw (I watched the group date on FF except for the SQTs). Normally, the F1 is around and seen interacting with the lead. So far, I see a mounting conflict for Blake, "Can I make it through this for her?" but his story was sidelined this week while Jason and Garett's were developed.

Garett & Becca: I don't know, but something here feels off. Once Garett revealed his past, I think that, like Arie with Bekah, Becca snapped out of the spell. Watching that date was reminiscent of the older seasons of the show when the episode 3 adrenaline date was typically reserved for the favored F1: the rush bonded the couple. Good idea to put Becca and him on an adrenaline date and then drop the story about his previous-and-dissolved marriage built on adrenaline highs. Anyway, Becca's conflict with him will be, "Is he ready?" à la Peter Kraus. Her past will likely steer her away from Garett in the end. Plus, he had the Josh Murray storyline of only saying "I love you" to the person he was going to marry...not a good sign. 

Her F1: Really hard to say. The final couple always resolves each other's conflict. For Becca, she is going to pick the guy who she trusts beyond a shadow of a doubt, the one who is going to be in her corner as her teammate. She's going to need to find her Chris Siegfried amid the Brooks. Whatever guy mimics the dynamic of the Wills date should be her guy in the end. We'll see if she chooses well.

veg_out wrote:

Blake & Becca: Hmm, Blake took a back seat this week with only camera pans, no Becca interaction that I saw (I watched the group date on FF except for the SQTs). Normally, the F1 is around and seen interacting with the lead.

They had a cute conversation about kids at the beginning of the episode.

Wow, where to start, not that I'm going to say a lot.

I am so irritated with the references to her and Arie's "relationship", like it was a long term, real relationship...it was a bubble plus 2 weeks. BUT, when Garret spoke of his 3 year relationship that culminated in marriage and divorce, and Becca likened his situation to hers and Arie's, the 2 are just not comparable and basically dismissed Garret's entirely inserting her own shallow version of a relationship.

What is even more ridiculous is for her to get so pissed because someone admitted that they said what they thought she wanted to hear. Isn't that what they all do to keep in the game? I would have giggled at the honesty and thought can't blame a guy for trying, instead she labeled it as dishonesty. It appears she actually doesn't care for honesty, otherwise she would have appreciated his "confession".

The theme is uninteresting to me, and continues to paint Becca as a downer, maybe she is, maybe she isn't ...again MF's hand at painting singular dimensioned personas.

Ayana wrote:
They had a cute conversation about kids at the beginning of the episode.

@Ayana, thank you so much for pointing that out! I also skimmed the cocktail party clearly.

Future-planning convos are usually a good sign. There's something about Blake that's very grounding. Eager to watch more of these two.

@Bet2Win, I can see your points, pal. Maybe the script for that episode read, "You need to send two people home before the RC." She may have overreacted with both cologne guy and Garett to maintain the storyboard. Or it could be her. She reminds me so much of Jillian.

Maybe because I'm not spoiled sleuthing anymore so I don't have the insight into everything BTS with Arie/Lauren/Becca, but I do think he hurt her, and I can understand if she's still skittish with trust even if she chose this gig immediately following her breakup. The harping on Arie reminds me SOOOOO much of Ashley and Bentley. Maybe it will improve once she zeroes in on someone--that's my problem with this season: she's not following the trend of most Bettes, IMO, where they pick early and everything else is a sham.

I haven't forgotten about y'all when it comes to blogs, but it appears CH is not doing one this season.  At least no one on the spoiled side has found one. If one of you has please post a link! And we never saw one the last 2 epies for Becca.  If and when they return, I will post them in the blog thread.

Ladybug82 wrote:I haven't forgotten about y'all when it comes to blogs, but it appears CH is not doing one this season.  At least no one on the spoiled side has found one.  If one of you has please post a link!  And we never saw one the last 2 epies for Becca.  If and when they return, I will post them in the blog thread.

Bug, we're kinda a quiet forum this season. I sorta feel like I'm calling into the void

Thank you very much for your posts. In an effort to stay unspoiled until the end, I pretty much avoid searching for anything Bachelorette related and am avoiding the gossip magazines. That's what did me in during Arie's season.

This would be the first season in forever that Chris is not writing a blog. That's an interesting piece of information. It could be nothing or it could be that my instinct that something goes off the rails later is correct.

I'm excited to see the next episode!

Has grace moved to the spoiled side? She was sleuthing screencaps in the first week or two...who is still here?

Veggie, not that I know of.  Her last post was made here in the no spoilers, unless she's just lurking on the dark side, which would be unusual for her, she normally jumps in and sleuths.

Paging @grace8136!