Will You Accept This Rose?

Jillian looking gorgeous

Will You Accept This Rose? (yea-huh, I’d be stupid not to)

To be honest, I haven’t been watching  The Bachelorette (or The Bachelor) for that matter ever since Channel 5 stopped airing it after I think Season 2 (and season 5 for Bachelor). I was sorely disappointed because I actually love both franchises. Its just something about the intense way in which the bachelorette/bachelor gets to fall in love.

I mean, in what other alternate universe do you get to have your pick out of 25 members of the opposite sex? (then again if something like that ever happened to me, and I’m saying this cos I know it WON’T (chances of it happening are as remote as if Zachary Quinto became my BFF overnight, and Joe Jonas added 10yrs to his age so I won’t be a paedophile for liking him), I’d probably die of all the attention served up that very first night!)

Well this season’s Bachelorette certainly didn’t buckle under the pressure. (sigh, I have to say, watching the opening sequences of the show was like ‘coming home’ in a way…The Bachelor (and later on Bachelorette) were part of that first batch of reality shows I really enjoyed (before too many flooded the air)…so I was really excited to immerse myself in it again. And I have to say Bachelorette 5 is certainly delivering.

The Bachelorette herself, Jillian (who is Canadian by the way, isn’t it great that American producers and would-be suitors don’t mind this?), is vivacious, funny and knows what she wants. Also, from shots of future eps, we can see she’s pretty sporty and game to try anything, which makes her pretty cool. She’s not drop dead gorgeous, nor does she have a perfect figure (she’s quite skinny). Her teeth are crooked (although very white! Must have had some brightening done before the show right? Right??) and her nose is huge (director take note, profile shots not favourable), but she has moments. I’m sure she’s one of those people whose looks grow on you. Her personality and genuine smile however are totally endearing and will win you over in a heartbeat. She is warm and open from the get-go. I like how she asks the guys about their preferred hotdog toppings to check compatibility 🙂

The original Bachelorette Trista here with husband Ryan whom she met on the show in 2003, still happily married, now with two kids, Max, 2, and Blakesley, almost 2 months.

She was top 3 in the previous season of The Bachelor and then got dumped. Oh well, another man’s poison…Worked out well for Trista Rehn (oops Sutter now), who got dumped by the first Bachelor right at the very end. She then met and married the man of her dreams (and got a free wedding to boot courtesy of ABC) on that very first season Bachelorette. They now have two kids!

The 2-hr premiere did not disappoint, from the get-go, the guys are competitive (read : kiasu). There are some I just CANNOT stand – Julien the restaurateur..anyone know the meaning of ‘khiam pak face?’ (for those who don’t understand hokkien, it’s a face you just wanna slap!), Juan (producers..are you sure he isn’t gay, also this guy comes with Mommy issues – Jill! Watch out girl!) and Wes the country singer – he’s got shifty eyes – gives me the feeling he’s not there for Jill, perhaps to plug his career? (then again, could be the producers messin’ with my mind cos what we see is what they edit – ah heck who cares, I love the show anyway!)

(clockwise from left) Jake, Kiptyn, Juan, Jesse, Julien

My faves are (I tend to rack up faves as the show moves on and you get to know these guys better) – Jake the pilot, Kiptyn the surfer dude, Jesse the winemaker! Jake especially, he is so genuine and earnest, he just melts your heart.

During the limo drop off scenes, where Jill first meets each and every one of the 25 guys, I caught myself smiling like an idiot at the TV as I watched the men fall all over themselves trying to make a good first impression. There’s even one guy, who was literally speechless when he saw her, you could hear the imaginary crickets chirping! Hilarious!

I was also smiling because it’s so nice to watch people meet and fall in love. With each guy that stepped out of the limo, I would catch my breath and think, ‘Oh, will this guy be The One?’ It’s like every girl’s dream scenario, meeting Prince Charming. Plus, the show is given this surreal fairy tale treatment with the lighting and the music, how not to fall in love?

And I was also watching Jill, to see if she’d betray any extra emotion. She didn’t of course (or maybe it was edited out). I was also looking at how dirty the hem of her long white dress was getting. Seriously, it sloshing about in dirty rainwater as she moved about and it was ugh grey. When one guy swept her off her feet I thought oh no, that train is gonna whip him with some dirty rain water if he keeps swinging her around.

Jill getting swept off her feet, unfortunately you can't see the sloshy grey train of her dress!

This is the first time in Bachelorette history (granted I didn’t watch seasons 3 and 4) that I’ve seen the guys pull up in fives. Previously they would come individually (or so it seemed), but this time, you could hear the 5 guys wolf-whisting and wowing as they pull up into the driveway and catch their first breathtaking glimpse of The Bachelorette – just thought that was a nice touch. They still get out of the limo one by one though, of course.

Getting to know Jill

Once all the guys are settled in, its time to mingle and I have to say, these guys are super competitive. Unlike previous seasons of the show where everyone kinda left it to the ‘hostess’ to move around (and then whinge and whine if they didn’t get enough airtime with her), these guys actively sought her out and swept her away (and in some cases literally). And of course there is the typical male banter of my biceps are bigger than yours, what do you do for a living again? So funny.

Right before the first Rose Ceremony, the host, Chris, springs a surprise twist on everyone – I shall not say what that is here or I’ll be named Spoiler Girl. But suffice it to say, awesome move producers, it really upped the stakes! 10 guys are sent packing at the end of the evening, and out of those 10 guys, I really thought she should have kept one of them – very cute and I thought quite suitable for her, but I guess she didn’t think so, perhaps she didn’t get to spend enough time with him for him to make an impression. Ooh, better yet, bring him back later as a twist or a replacement for some guy who can’t continue due to a snake bite (oh wait, that was Joe on Survivor Tocantins!)…just bring him back somehow!

Onward to episode two!

xoxo, S