Hal Horowitz/Getty ImagesOriginal Bachelorette Trista Sutter is putting her reality-TV experience to use for us here at Watch With Kristin, blogging about Jillian Harris' quest for the perfect guy. Take it away, Trista...
Before we get into last night's episode, let me address some of my Twitter followers out there who commented on last week's blog about Wes' departure. I continue to believe that Wes is not the most sincere, the most intelligent or even the most talented of all bachelors. I do take back that he is "filth of the earth," though, and offer my apologies for going too far with a phrase that should be reserved for (as one of my tweeters said) rapists and child molesters. I also want it known that there is absolutely no excuse for threatening his family or going after his supposed girlfriend, Laurel. This show was put on TV for entertainment purposes. Wes may not be the most stand-up book on the shelf, but that doesn't mean he and his family deserve to feel unsafe in their own home.
Enough about that, moving on to last night's episode in Hawaii with the final four guys...
Controversy and drama were the name of the game last week, so I am thankful we are starting fresh (Spain to Hawaii? Jillian is a lucky girl!).
Jillian's boy time starts with Kiptyn, and on the menu is a rope course as a starter. Not much to comment on other than the cute wink he sent her during the leap-of-faith jump and the genuine support and calmness he offered her to combat her fears. The main course, however, takes them to dinner on a beautiful balcony, and Jillian immediately (well, of what we are shown) puts on a journalistic hat. I love Jillian, and I know that we only see a small percentage of their date, but does anyone else feel like she is more concerned about asking questions than living in the moment?
Don't get me wrong. Questions, answers and deep conversation are important, especially because of this incredibly unusual dating scenario. For some reason though, it just seems like a job to her, and it makes it less fun to watch (not that I'm changing the channel anytime soon!) Everyone wants to see love happen naturally, not because the guy she ends up with answered all her questions "correctly."
The day ends with dessert, and I'm not talking chocolate cake. A card from Chris magically appears under her napkin, and this time Jillian thinks candles and closed doors without cameras are a good idea. True that. There's nothing sweeter than ending the night with a bed covered with rose petals (well, maybe before you have kids!).
Reid is next up and looking cute. As I've said in the past, Reid's humor is a huge plus. While they are waiting for their date to start she asks what he wants to do and his answer was "make out." Love it! Their ride arrives, and I guess the helicopter hiatus has been lifted. I was just happy that my helicopter ride with Alex in Hawaii wasn't recreated and the barf bag stayed tucked away in the seat pocket. That's a good thing for everybody, believe me!
They stop off for a picnic on an ocean-side cliff, have a walk along the picturesque black rocks and then head to dinner on the beach. Jillian once again jumps into Barbara Walters mode with questions, questions and more questions. It's getting to be more like I'm watching a job interview than a love story unfolding before my eyes. I think Reid feels my pain when he's grilled about whether he would be ready to propose at the end. Talk about pressure!
Whether she is feeling insecure that her fairy tale won't come true or just wanting to lay everything out on the line, my feeling is that was a bit too direct and a bit too early. Yes, it's a valid question for someone on that path, but it seemed that the only answer that would make her happy would be him saying, "yes, I'm ready." If he's not, that shouldn't be a point against him, especially if her feelings for Reid are stronger than they are with Kiptyn and/or Ed.
This show is about finding love, and love shouldn't have to include a ring. I'm all for a bright, shiny diamond if both people are 100 percent ready and love has bloomed, but it doesn't have to be right away, and it certainly doesn't have to happen because it's being recorded for the world to see. If someone gets down on one knee in a couple of weeks and says the magic words, fabulous! But if the wrong guy proposes, it won't matter if a proposal happened because it'll be with the wrong guy.
One last comment on this date: no clothes in the bathtub? Seriously?! Yes, she could be wearing a bandeau-top bathing suit, but impressions are definitely that there are no fabric barriers under those bubbles. Still rated PG, of course, but would I want my parents watching if I were her? Heck no!
Ed arrives to literally sweep Jillian off her feet. Other than worrying about her skirt, she's gotta love that! They proceed to a catamaran for a scenic boat ride and later jump in the water for a playful swim. So far, so good, all except for Ed's choice in swimwear. Does he think he's on a '70s basketball court? Either that or he's trying to be the next (and first) spokesman for Nair: "Ed wears short shorts!" I could've gotten over them had they just been used as swim trunks, but he decides to forego his much more appropriate cargo shorts and keep them on when they go to meet his parents. Paying homage to the old-school Celtics? I hope that's the excuse, because there isn't any other.
He does get points though for flying in his parents (even if that just meant he asked the producers if they could make that happen). They skip dinner to spend time bonding with his sensitive dad and his kind mom and then meet up for what turns out to be the most dramatic overnight date yet. In addition to the drama of Ed plastering his hair to his head (think he was going for the 2-year-old-after-a-bath look?), we get to sit through the awkwardness of watching Jillian change into something more comfortable, rubbing body oil all over each others legs and then mashing on yet another rose-petal-covered bed. Even worse is the fact that they end up dishing about the fact that Ed should maybe be looking to work with Cialis instead of Nair. [That's an erectile dysfunction drug, for those of you who don't know.] Isn't this show still on ABC?
Chris is back and looking very dapper. Also making a return are the video messages. They are a cute little way for the guys to profess their love. But in my mind, they should still leave something to the imagination. My onetime favorite, Ed, goes slightly over the edge by saying that he'd love the opportunity to propose to her. Cool to imply, but not so romantic to prematurely spill the beans. That could just be me, but I don't think I know any girls who want to know when they are going to see their guy on bended knee...just a guess.
Two roses are handed out and shock sets in. Wow! I would never have guessed that Reid was going home. I thought for sure it was going to be Ed and that Reid would be the last man standing. As I know from being in her shoes, you make decisions that may not make sense to those watching at home. This one surely doesn't make sense to me. Whatever the reason, I do hope she listened to her gut and didn't purely base letting Reid go on the absence of her preconceived "right" answers. Until next week...
_______________
Check back here, same time, same place, for a recap of next week's The Bachelorette. And follow Trista on Twitter at tristasutter or on her family website at http://www.ryansutter.com.