Arie Luyendyk Jr - Lauren Burnham - Bachelor 22 - Discussion #2

@littlereddress thanks for the Sienne info!

mprssdbyu wrote:Did he come looking for a Lauren type? Quiet and demure? His journey and his interactions with others until Ep 6 tells me no. I'm not sure why she didn't stand out enough initially for him to want an early 1/1.

JMHO but I think she did stand out to Arie long before episode 6 - probably right from the first meeting. IMO while the show gets edited to make it appear that the lead makes decisions on who gets what date and when, that's "just for the show". I believe the reality is that production makes those decisions for their own reasons and to follow the story lines they want followed.

While we never saw at the M&G when Lauren showed Arie the picture of them taken in Dallas, it actually did happen as shown in this early preview at :48. Believing early on that Lauren was actually there to meet him was more than enough to make her stand out and IMO when asked the first night who his top 4 girls were, Lauren would have been on that list (IMO probably at the top of that list). Also IIRC (on Episode 4 1-1 time in Ft Lauderdale maybe?) Arie actually told Lauren that he wanted a 1-1 date with her - he just wasn't given one until episode 6.

I happen to believe that Lauren and Arie are a great match for each other on a number of levels and it would have been pretty obvious to the producers that there could be an intense attraction - and they didn't want that to build too soon because that would have made it more difficult to make it seem as though it was a neck to neck horse race later on.

IMO it's very difficult for a male lead to navigate what happens when you put a large number of women together and create a competitive situation with them all chasing the same guy with producers whispering in their ears how great the guy is and how he is the perfect match for them - the guy of their dreams. Suddenly they want him and the claws come out and they will get cutthroat with each other to win him even if they would never have done that in a real life situation. To the guy they all stand out in some way and he has to figure out which ones are really interested in him and which ones only want to win (with little real interest in the prize) - or only want 500,000 - 1,000,000 IG followers. Mistakes get made but IMO that's exactly what the producers want.
JMHO

Yeah, IMO not getting an early 1-on-1 doesn’t necessarily = not standing out. She seemed to stand out plenty to him during their IMO sweet “I really want to kiss you” interaction at Bibiana’s set-up.

TheWrongReasons wrote:@Aria Thanks for the confirmation I respect your opinion/perception of that - mine differs but different strokes etc.
I just wasn’t sure if I had somehow forgotten an entire scene

I agree with the bolded. Sometimes when someone has been bullied in life, perception is where it is at.

TheWrongReasons wrote:Yeah, IMO not getting an early 1-on-1 doesn’t necessarily = not standing out. She seemed to stand out plenty to him during their IMO sweet “I really want to kiss you” interaction at Bibiana’s set-up.

IMO in addition to the one you mention, she stood out in just about every interaction we got to see.

TheWrongReasons wrote:Yeah, IMO not getting an early 1-on-1 doesn’t necessarily = not standing out. She seemed to stand out plenty to him during their IMO sweet “I really want to kiss you” interaction at Bibiana’s set-up.

Prime example is that Catherine never got her 1 on 1 till epi 6 yet Sean and Catherine kissed at the mansion in epi 4 before they left for the road. Since Arie stated in epi 3,4,5 how he noticed Lauren very early on....had feelings for her from the start, imo, they didn't necessarily need an early 1 on 1 to get things moving......just like with Sean / Catherine.

Lucas15 wrote:

mprssdbyu wrote:Did he come looking for a Lauren type? Quiet and demure? His journey and his interactions with others until Ep 6 tells me no. I'm not sure why she didn't stand out enough initially for him to want an early 1/1.

JMHO but I think she did stand out to Arie long before episode 6 - probably right from the first meeting. IMO while the show gets edited to make it appear that the lead makes decisions on who gets what date and when, that's "just for the show". I believe the reality is that production makes those decisions for their own reasons and to follow the story lines they want followed.

While we never saw at the M&G when Lauren showed Arie the picture of them taken in Dallas, it actually did happen as shown in this early preview at :48. Believing early on that Lauren was actually there to meet him was more than enough to make her stand out and IMO when asked the first night who his top 4 girls were, Lauren would have been on that list (IMO probably at the top of that list). Also IIRC (on Episode 4 1-1 time in Ft Lauderdale maybe?) Arie actually told Lauren that he wanted a 1-1 date with her - he just wasn't given one until episode 6.

I happen to believe that Lauren and Arie are a great match for each other on a number of levels and it would have been pretty obvious to the producers that there could be an intense attraction - and they didn't want that to build too soon because that would have made it more difficult to make it seem as though it was a neck to neck horse race later on.

IMO it's very difficult for a male lead to navigate what happens when you put a large number of women together and create a competitive situation with them all chasing the same guy with producers whispering in their ears how great the guy is and how he is the perfect match for them - the guy of their dreams. Suddenly they want him and the claws come out and they will get cutthroat with each other to win him even if they would never have done that in a real life situation. To the guy they all stand out in some way and he has to figure out which ones are really interested in him and which ones only want to win (with little real interest in the prize) - or only want 500,000 - 1,000,000 IG followers. Mistakes get made but IMO that's exactly what the producers want.
JMHO

I agree with everything you said.  I believe Arie had his eye on Lauren very early, but they really didn't start to form a strong connection until later on, at least on screen. He seemed to be always seeking her out for SQT.  I keep wondering what we missed, especially when Arie seems frustrated that we didn't get to see their important interactions during the show.  Oh, how I would love to view the footage that never made it on screen.  I would actually pay money to see it!    jmo

Aunties_Love wrote:

TheWrongReasons wrote:Yeah, IMO not getting an early 1-on-1 doesn’t necessarily = not standing out. She seemed to stand out plenty to him during their IMO sweet “I really want to kiss you” interaction at Bibiana’s set-up.

Prime example is that Catherine never got her 1 on 1 till epi 6 yet Sean and Catherine kissed at the mansion in epi 4 before they left for the road.  Since Arie stated in epi 3,4,5 how he noticed Lauren very early on....had feelings for her from the start, imo, they didn't necessarily need an early 1 on 1 to get things moving......just like with Sean / Catherine.

Outside of the late ep 6 date, I don’t think there are many comparisons with Sean and Catherine. I recently rewatched that season (which was actually much better than I remembered it during initial airing), and I believe Sean... she just wasn’t on his radar at first. I don’t think producers or Sean had her anywhere near his top 4. On paper, they aren’t extremely compatible, even though IRL and in person, the intangibles that are difficult to measure, they are incredibly compatible. I think she was cast as MOT, and because of diversity, and literally became a very pleasant surprise to everyone. Probably one of the only times one of the producer pick people didn’t become a winner. Catherine got a late date cause no one saw her coming and Sean and Catherine were possible onlybecause Sean kept his options open. IMO. 

Back to Arie and Lauren. Different situation, as I agree, I don’t see how this Emily lookalike, fan of his couldn’t have been on both the producers and Aries radar early on. IMO. I’m also disappointed and wondering why they didn’t show her limo entrance. I bet she was one of the few of these youngins who even watched Arie on Emily’s season 6 years ago and/or remembered or cared. I feel like that’s important. Maybe I would have liked her/them more if it had been incorporated into her storyline (or maybe not, I just don’t find Arie appealing regardless.) But it would have been more compelling to me anyway. I imagine TPTB kind of wanted to make her edit “ambiguous” and not have fans latch on, cause you know, other woman and they always sacrifice the final couple or F1 at the alter of the next lead, in this case Becca, the woman betrayed. 

JMO.

*** Snipped ***

mprssdbyu wrote:Did he come looking for a Lauren type? Quiet and demure? His journey and his interactions with others until Ep 6 tells me no. I'm not sure why she didn't stand out enough initially for him to want an early 1/1.

Lucas15 wrote:
I happen to believe that Lauren and Arie are a great match for each other on a number of levels and it would have been pretty obvious to the producers that there could be an intense attraction - and they didn't want that to build too soon because that would have made it more difficult to make it seem as though it was a neck to neck horse race later on.

@Lucas15 I agree with much of what you said above but not sure about speculating TPTB downplayed Lauren and Arie's "intense attraction." To me, fanning that flame could've potentially resulted in some seriously amazing drama...which is what TPTB love. As it is said over and over on this board, TPTB are NOT in the business of curating a love connection, but rather drama and ratings. And TPTB, don't need to discourage a relationship to edit and present the season as a "neck to neck horse race" -- they do that every season with lighting and music and frankenbites and other tricks.

Lucas15 wrote:IMO it's very difficult for a male lead to navigate what happens when you put a large number of women together and create a competitive situation with them all chasing the same guy with producers whispering in their ears how great the guy is and how he is the perfect match for them - the guy of their dreams. Suddenly they want him and the claws come out and they will get cutthroat with each other to win him even if they would never have done that in a real life situation. To the guy they all stand out in some way and he has to figure out which ones are really interested in him and which ones only want to win (with little real interest in the prize) - or only want 500,000 - 1,000,000 IG followers. Mistakes get made but IMO that's exactly what the producers want.
JMHO

Yup, I think that's why more men struggle as The Bachelor, b/c they are used to the chase, not being chased. Personally, I think Arie likes the chase and Lauren likes to be chased...among other things and to really oversimplify it. And there's nothing wrong with that! I think Robert Mills, in a podcast, said Arie was probably better suited as a contestant than the lead and I can see that from a process perspective as well as charisma (I loved him on Emily's season, found him flat, indecisive, and lacking empathy this season).

Aria wrote:@stuckinsc I definitely think that if the women at AFR hadn't pleaded with viewers and repeatedly said "don't blame Lauren for this, we don't think she did anything wrong", she would be getting the Molly treatment, getting called every variation of "Homewrecker" there is. It is interesting to me to see how much consideration the girls have shown for Lauren and she's seemed to show none of it for them. And that Jacqueline comment was really interesting too, with the hindsight that they were great friends and she was still pissed her friend got a rose. Along with the slippers comment, I just don't really see her as a nice person. She just strikes me as someone who is selfish and thinks she's better than everyone else. IMO.

Throughout this whole fiasco I have been very impressed with the group of women from this season, IMO. Can you imagine if this had happened while Amandah or "the twins" were on?

Minney wrote:

Aria wrote:@stuckinsc I definitely think that if the women at AFR hadn't pleaded with viewers and repeatedly said "don't blame Lauren for this, we don't think she did anything wrong", she would be getting the Molly treatment, getting called every variation of "Homewrecker" there is. It is interesting to me to see how much consideration the girls have shown for Lauren and she's seemed to show none of it for them. And that Jacqueline comment was really interesting too, with the hindsight that they were great friends and she was still pissed her friend got a rose. Along with the slippers comment, I just don't really see her as a nice person. She just strikes me as someone who is selfish and thinks she's better than everyone else. IMO.

Throughout this whole fiasco I have been very impressed with the group of women from this season, IMO.  Can you imagine if this had happened while Amandah or "the twins" were on?

Yeah, those two (don't the twins count as one?!?) make Baby Beks look incredibly mature. But yes, I think most of the women have been verbally supportive of Lauren and her decision to reunite with Arie. Lone hold out, obviously, is Baby Beks.

ReneeM wrote:Lauren & Maquel are best friends eh? Unsurprising imo.

Before this grows wings as fact the quote above was this: 

I listened to a podcast with Jacqueline and she said Maquel was Lauren's closest friend in the house. 

So there is room for a lot of speculation here. Let's not take this as fact unless the 2 people involved come out and verify it. 
THanks.