Colton Underwood & Cassie Randolph - Bachelor 23 - Discussion

Enchantress wrote:Shoot I guess I'm going to be one of the debbie downers

I still think that they have a weird dynamic. I feel like Cassie basically resigned herself to Colton's love for her, which had quite the amount of TV/public pressure. I have a feeling that down the road, she's going to be overwhelmed by him and is going to want an out. I think her present contentedness comes from finally having made a decision, but IMO that decision was essentially made for her and she went along with it. And if that is the case, it'll probably lead to resentment in the future. Should be interesting to see how things go.

All JMO of course.

I am right there with you. I just don't see it. I still think she was pressured to go on this ride. I think she likes him...but not that much. It just does not feel right to me.

I just took a look at their Instagram and they are adorable. Also discovered that Cassie’s sister Michelle is that popular and dating a celebrity.

GuardianAngel wrote:
During the live interviews they said no one saw everything that happened. Colton knew how she felt and that's why he didn't give up. She said she never felt so sad after she left.

Even more than that. In the People Magazine Interview she said:

Cassie wrote:0:05:27.770,0:05:34.509
After that night I remembered I couldn't sleep that night afterwards
0:05:37.639,0:05:42.049
The next day, I feel like I was just a mess I was just heartbroken
0:05:42.660,0:05:45.410
What was going through my brain was oh my gosh
0:05:45.410,0:05:48.049
I love him so much and I like could see something with him
0:05:48.050,0:05:51.139
But I want him to figure out what is best for him
0:05:51.139,0:05:54.619
I don't want to be standing in your way of you figuring that out
0:05:55.410,0:06:01.100
if it doesn't work out for you like I'll be here we can figure it out then when we have more time, but
0:06:02.580,0:06:08.990
Yeah, I couldn't say that that would just mess with you.  But apparently you were already jumping a fence so

The part in (my) bold was kind of stunning - basically saying that she'd be there even had he picked someone else. I can't see this as a "no means no" situation in the slightest. I can see this as a "if you want something, set it free; if it comes back it's yours forever; if it doesn't come back it was never yours" situation. Cassie set Colton free - to pursue an engagement if that was all he really wanted. Turns out it was Cassie that he really wanted.

I also think that Matt's return and much of what he said to Cassie was producer manipulation - because of production's desire for an engagement at the end. They probably felt that after the lack of parental blessing (on the HTD) coupled with Cassie's resistance to production's manipulation to "be ready" to get engaged, the season would end with no engagement if he picked Cassie. IMO the only way they could be certain he wouldn't pick her was if she left, so they made that happen. It turns out that they really underestimated how Colton felt about Cassie and also how Cassie felt about Colton.

All JMHO as always. And BTW the link I posted to the People Magazine interview has downloadable closed captioning turned on and that's why my quotes have those time stamps.

Lucas15 wrote:

GuardianAngel wrote:
During the live interviews they said no one saw everything that happened. Colton knew how she felt and that's why he didn't give up. She said she never felt so sad after she left.

Even more than that. In the People Magazine Interview she said:

Cassie wrote:0:05:27.770,0:05:34.509
After that night I remembered I couldn't sleep that night afterwards
0:05:37.639,0:05:42.049
The next day, I feel like I was just a mess I was just heartbroken
0:05:42.660,0:05:45.410
What was going through my brain was oh my gosh
0:05:45.410,0:05:48.049
I love him so much and I like could see something with him
0:05:48.050,0:05:51.139
But I want him to figure out what is best for him
0:05:51.139,0:05:54.619
I don't want to be standing in your way of you figuring that out
0:05:55.410,0:06:01.100
if it doesn't work out for you like I'll be here we can figure it out then when we have more time, but
0:06:02.580,0:06:08.990
Yeah, I couldn't say that that would just mess with you.  But apparently you were already jumping a fence so

The part in (my) bold was kind of stunning - basically saying that she'd be there even had he picked someone else. I can't see this as a "no means no" situation in the slightest. I can see this as a "if you want something, set it free; if it comes back it's yours forever; if it doesn't come back it was never yours" situation. Cassie set Colton free - to pursue an engagement if that was all he really wanted. Turns out it was Cassie that he really wanted.

I also think that Matt's return and much of what he said to Cassie was producer manipulation - because of production's desire for an engagement at the end. They probably felt that after the lack of parental blessing (on the HTD) coupled with Cassie's resistance to production's manipulation to "be ready" to get engaged, the season would end with no engagement if he picked Cassie. IMO the only way they could be certain he wouldn't pick her was if she left, so they made that happen. It turns out that they really underestimated how Colton felt about Cassie and also how Cassie felt about Colton.

All JMHO as always. And BTW the link I posted to the People Magazine interview has downloadable closed captioning turned on and that's why my quotes have those time stamps.

Agree. From what I'm seeing I think you hit the nail on the head 

@Lucas15 Nice recap. It was all edited to appear she didn't want to be with him, where in fact, she didn't want an engagement so soon as expected by the show and what she thought Colton wanted. I give her credit for standing by her gut feelings and know what she wanted and didn't want. More importantly she didn't let TPTB or the show expectations get to her.

GuardianAngel wrote:snip
It was all edited to appear she didn't want to be with him, where in fact, she didn't want an engagement so soon as expected by the show and what she thought Colton wanted.

IMO the idea of getting engaged after what - like 6 or so dates? - is preposterous. That so many leads and their F1s have said they really fell in love (if they actually did) AFTER the FRC - during happy couple weekends or real life after the finale airs - just adds fuel to that fire. IMO the seasons that do end in an engagement get there because both the lead and their F1 view a show engagement more like dating with a ring than a real commitment to marry. But IIRC the show has justified the engagement at the end because they believe that viewers will feel "let down" without something that makes them believe in the reality of what they've spent 13 weeks watching. I've watched a discussion thread evolve elsewhere where posts seem to support how the show is probably right even though in their next breath they admit it's preposterous. But I can totally see why the show would edit (to the extent they have material to use in that edit) it to seem as though Cassie didn't want to be with Colton even though her real feelings were not that at all - she just wasn't ready for an engagement when she realized how little time she really had. IMO production would prefer not to highlight the absurdity of an engagement in so short a time but rather make it seem otherwise.

IMO Cassie is somewhat of an anomaly:

Cassie wrote:0:02:07.700,0:02:14.679
There's an engagement in two weeks and to me an engagement almost means marriage and I want to be a hundred percent
0:02:14.680,0:02:21.820
Sure, that that's and have the time to be sure that that's something that I'm ready to do.

Source: People Magazine

GuardianAngel wrote:I give her credit for standing by her gut feelings and know what she wanted and didn't want. More importantly she didn't let TPTB or the show expectations get to her.

Cassie has, IMO, been very honest and consistent in what she's said, which is one of the reasons why I'm inclined to believe her. I do think that the show expectations got to her but more in the sense that TPTB was trying to control her (are you ready? You HAVE to be ready) and that's something she does NOT want. And more a discussion for another post.

I've mentioned this before, I think the reason why Cassie was able to stay so level headed and didn't succumb to the effects of being in the Bach Bubble was because of her reality TV experience on the other show. IMO this is why she was able to rationalize that getting engaged at the end of this just wasn't feasible for her. Add that to her getting such a late 1/1 ... her decision was very wise in a real life kinda way. I'm loving them as a post show couple and can really see them staying together.

I have been reading a lot of bachelor nation and fans do not think they will last more or less when the honeymoon phase is over they will be over some giving it six months some a year I think they have a good chance especially not having the pressure of being engaged and being asked when they are getting married jmo

Hopefully they go off and do their own thing. Grow their relationship offline. Their odds are as good or bad as any other couple from this franchise.

As perspective, a few recent leads got Bachelor nation completely starry eyed and they were dunno ultimately. And other couples that most gave no chance for lasting did.
Bachelor nation is not an expert at their predictions imo.

northernviewer wrote:I've mentioned this before,  I think the reason why Cassie was able to stay so level headed and didn't succumb to the effects of being in the Bach Bubble was because of her reality TV experience on the other show.  IMO this is why she was able to rationalize that getting engaged at the end of this just wasn't feasible for her.  Add that to her getting such a late 1/1 ... her decision was very wise in a real life kinda way.  I'm loving them as a post show couple and can really see them staying together.  

I also think that her experience filming Young Once formed how she felt and thought on The Bachelor - but IMO it was more than just the filming experience - it was her life experience of what she went through at the time in her life when Young Once was filmed. The IMDB database for Young Once describes the show this way:

A documentary series that follows a group of young Christians from Southern California on their quest to live counter culturally. Season one documented this eclectic group as they attended one of America's most conservative private schools, where alcohol, drugs and sex are off-limits.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5665962/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

Season 1 covered Cassie's relationship with Caelan (her boyfriend when she attended Biola) and Cassie had this to say about that relationship:

Cassie wrote:Um ... it's not being in a relationship with YOU ... I'm not concerned about that ... it's being in one in general. It's like a commitment
and that scares me because I was in one in college and he had it planned out like when he was going to propose to me and then it got pretty
controlling. And that's why I'm so hesitant to being in a committed relationship because I sometimes feel like these plans I've had in a
relationship can be pretty controlling and stifling and like you don't have your freedom - you can't be YOU anymore. And you have to change
everything to be with this person. And like I know that's not true - I know it's not true, but it's just like something that's so ingrained in me
that that's why I'm SO careful.
(source - my transcription of the date in Spain by the rocks:)

To Cassie I think being "told" when she would get a "show" proposal and how she should respond to it (a "yes") could have felt just as controlling to her as how Caelan had her life planned. IMO Cassie doesn't want to be told - she wants to be asked and have her feelings as part of the plan. IMO intuitively Colton had the right answer for her and it made a big difference in how she felt - what they would do going forward had her as an equal partner in her own (and Colton's) future and that was precisely what she needed. IMO her emotions and her recognition of what they were (and are) real.

I think many times the couples that get a fawning response post show many times don't make it. Whereas the couples that get the "they're not real, they won't last" have no expectations from anywhere, no fans to please. Imho Cassie has a healthy attitude with social media. She already took a week off, because the hate was getting to her. Imho she doesn't seem that attached to it all.

interestingly, I just watched a clip on YouTube about that newest couple from UK bachelor. One of the most top voted comments was comparing them to Cassie and Colton. Cassie and Colton didn't seem as suitable, wouldn't last etc. But as far as I know, that couple is already broken up, whereas Colton and Cassie seem on a good place, same page. I only mentioned that other couple, because of the fan comment, and how wrong they can be. Jmo.

So it seems this weekend is the Randolph x Underwood vegas trip, as per Leigh Underwood's IG.
YAY! We're going to be seeing interactions from both families.