Американский Холостяк #21 Nick Viall

Cheerio

костюм акулы вообще похож на подставу со стороны оргов. В частности, мне интересно - она ведь в нём купалась, как он успел высохнуть? Или её в запасной переодели?

Хотя с другой стороны, акцент на том что она - тренер дельфинов, был довольно мягким. Я ожидал что они на этой теме оттянутся по полной. Как, например, в БиПе помните девушку "chiken enthusiast" и как она куриные ножки поедала? Может задним числом решили притормозить.

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- I thought I knew what to do. I failed.
- Good. Now go fail again.

barish

Ник был во многих передачах после премьеры. В одной из них с ним была Ашли I, ее спрашивали как это все происходит в первую ночь. Их интересовало чья идея была притащить верблюда. Она сказала, что за несколько дней до начала съемок девушек поселяют в гостиницу и продюсеры начинают их спрашивать о том как бы они хотели представиться ГГ. Ашли сказала, что она не хотела никаких приколов, просто хотела выйти и представиться, так им и сказала, так и сделала.
В случае с Алексис мы уже видели, что девушка любит костюмы, например, она сказала, что могла бы выйти в каком то костюме, ее спросили в каком, она сказала, что она любит дельфинов, это может быть костюм дельфина. Они поискали, поискали, нашли тока костюм акулы, принесли ей показать, она сказала - годится, буду все равно прикидываться дельфином, она же приколистка! И было смешно как Ник прокомментировал: у меня тут одна акула прикидывается дельфином, подозрительно! В общем, мне кажется, шутка удалась, она просто молодчина, классно справилась и поднимала всем настроение!

<!--QuoteBegin-Cheerio@Янв 5 2017, 18:09
В частности, мне интересно - она ведь в нём купалась, как он успел высохнуть? Или её в запасной переодели? [/quote]Ночь очень длинная, может и успел высохнуть, а может она заранее решила, что будет в роли и будет купаться и поэтому был запасной, может когда нибудь узнаем подробности, после того как она вылетит из шоу... :meeting:

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

Sharleen Joynt on The Bachelor Premiere!

Happy Tuesday, dear readers! It’s nice to be back here at FLARE voicing my ever-important opinions about the ever-important television show, The Bachelor. This being a new year full of new possibilities, it seems apt to kick things off right out of the gate with a season UNLIKE ANY OTHER. Chris Harrison himself described this episode as “unprecedented,” you guys!
Truthfully, though, I’m scratching my head trying to figure out exactly which grounds this episode broke. Yes, there’s the obvious fact that, for The First Time In Bachelor History, a black girl received the First Impression Rose. Of course, that’s undeniably fantastic considering this show’s history of under-representing folks of colour. However, to sell Rachel’s FIR as something revolutionary—and yes, calling the premiere “unprecedented” is indeed selling it as revolutionary—is a mistake. Remember with Bachelorette Canada, when I marveled at how Mikhel, an Indian man, made it to the final 2—yet there was not one mention anywhere of it being groundbreaking? That fact alone shows how advanced Canada is in the race department; the country pretty much collectively shrugged, “An Indian guy made Final 2? NBD.”

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

The bigger a deal is made out of Rachel being the first black girl to get the First Impression Rose, the more shocking it’s made to sound, as though every black contestant from seasons past were solely there to fill some quota rather than as legitimate contenders. My point is, OF COURSE Rachel got that rose. She’s gorgeous, very bright, accomplished and elegant. We didn’t hear Rachel herself refer to this moment as revolutionary; she accepted the rose with grace and, frankly, not nearly the surprise people seemed to express on Twitter. To bring so much attention to the fact that Rachel is black makes this about something other than the fact that there’s a real connection between her and Nick, and also the fact that she’s every bit as lovely and accomplished and deserving as—if not more than—the next girl.

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

So let’s assume the adjective “unprecedented” did not refer to Rachel’s FIR but rather to the episode as a whole. I mean, I found the episode pleasant. I liked most, if not all of the ladies. I thoroughly enjoyed Nick’s near-chronic stoicism and how the fact that he’s seemingly impossible to surprise adds a new dimension of analysis. We were conspicuously missing the token drunk, which spoke to the girls’ smarts and self control. We had Alexis’ “dolphin” costume, but as I said in my Facebook Live video even that didn’t feel dramatic; if anything, she was fully clued into the role she was playing and in no way made a fool of herself. (In fact, girls said they wanted to be her friend!)

The whole shebang felt, well, amicable. There were no ladies-as-butts-of-jokes, no deep-rooted insecurities on full display, no horrifically cringe-worthy and/or regret-worthy cries for attention. So, in a sense, yes, this premiere was quietly revolutionary, just not in the way I think Chris Harrison meant.

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

My predictions for Top 4? Drumroll, please…

1. Rachel, 31: Shocking, I know. What else is there to say about Rachel that I haven’t already said? She’s the total package—confident beauty, career woman, girl you’d want to be friends with—and that was not lost on Nick (I’ve always respected this man’s taste in women). And from an analysis standpoint, she had a Hometown Package, plenty of airtime, and already has the coveted FIR on her resume; Rachel goes very far.

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

2. Vanessa, 29: I really like Vanessa. Vanessa oozes class, wordliness and effortlessness. I love that she’s trilingual yet didn’t even need to lead with that; it sort of came out just because she mentioned her family’s Italian. Her Hometown Package, many of which often seem hokey, was instead moving and inspiring thanks to her commendable career. She seemed to breeze through Night One, an evening that often has many in a state of insecurity and stress. I also noticed how natural she was—she wasn’t caked with makeup—which also speaks to her elegance. Have I mentioned I like Vanessa? Oh, and don’t forget the fact that her full limo exit and 1-on-1 conversation were also shown, and that upon meeting her, Nick called her “a keeper.”

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

3: Danielle M, 31: There’s a quiet confidence and gentleness to Danielle M that makes her very intriguing. I still need to do more research on her, but I truly believe one’s choice of dress says a lot about a person and I LOVED hers; it was sophisticated simplicity. Her at-work segment was adorable and I loved how much her work clearly means to her. On the scoreboard, Danielle M’s full limo exit and 1-on-1 time were shown, and she too had a Hometown Package. Danielle M’s a bit of a dark horse next to the above two but I suspect she’ll stick around for awhile.

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

4. Danielle L, 27: Danielle L is beautiful and I can see her being very much Nick’s type. In fact, he seemed almost speechless upon meeting her. But, when I said above that one’s choice of dress says a lot about a person… Don’t get me wrong, Danielle L’s dress looked fabulous on her, but it was not subtle. In fact, it was so unsubtle that it made me sort of furrow my brow every time she was onscreen. Nonetheless, Danielle L is plenty likable and accomplished and has “frontrunner material” written all over her. Analysis-wise, while Danielle L didn’t get quite the airtime as the above ladies (her full 1-on-1 time wasn’t shown), she did have a Hometown Package and got the coveted first-out-of-the-limo spot—last season, that girl was eventual winner Lauren B.

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

Sharleen Joynt
Episode 1

Welcome back, dear Pretty Panda readers!

As you can see, I've revamped the site with the help of lovely Angela from Gurl Gone Social. We hope you find the new layout more organized and engaging. You know by now that I love feedback, so do not be afraid to comment below if you think something's amiss!
Second, in addition to my regular Flare Magazine recaps, I'll be doing Facebook Live videos with Flare in a series we're calling "The Morning After". They'll be me rambling about my quick takeaways with the latest episode before I delve in with the written word. You can watch them both on the Flare Facebook page and above each Flare recap!
Third, those of you who've been coming here for awhile know I sometimes struggle to get through a season doing these recaps (they can be soul-sucking at times). BUT, Nick being a dear friend, a longtime reader, and the contestant who helped shape the tone and direction of these recaps (the first season I ever recapped was Andi's where I had strongly favorable opinions on him despite him being that season's villain), I couldn't resist following along on his "journey" here and am pumped you're following along with me. Also, for what it's worth, Nick has given me his express permission to be as honest and unbiased as I damn well please.
Lastly, two things of note: 1) Terms marked with an asterix[*] are defined in the Glossary, and 2) Despite my well-documented appreciation for Reality Steve, this remains a spoiler-free zone. (And yes, I really don't know them; Nick was frustratingly tight-lipped!)

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

COUNTDOWN

We kick off with a "countdown" outlining the ins and outs of Nick's history with the Bachelor franchise, because God knows those tuning in don't know who he is and needed a refresher. Thankfully, right off the bat he shows that while he continues to subject himself to this unique form of torture, he's still as ultra-realistic as ever...

One interesting thing I will say about Nick is, despite the fact that he is really pragmatic about these things, he's very much a believer at the same time. Like, not only does he believe in love, but he really believes THIS can work to find it. (He's felt this way for as long as I can remember.) Thus, I feel like someone who's had the, ahem, "experience", he has has a better shot than anyone at wielding his powers as lead and legitimately finding what he's looking for.

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

We're subject to some Hometown Packages* which include B-rolls* aplenty of pretend hair flips...

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

... a town which, despite my never having heard of it before, has quickly become my worst nightmare...


Color me terrified.

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

... and recycled footage from Jade and Tanner's wedding which bring back unfortunate memories of being approached from behind at high school dances...


Ah, the chemistry we all dream of.

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

I was legitimately touched by Nick's chat with his youngest sister, Bella (who, holy cow, has grown up so much since Andi's season) and who, as Nick put it, really is wise beyond her years...

YES. There is a difference between letting out your thoughts and being open. I do think Nick excels at the former but not the latter, making Bella's observation ever so astute.

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

Perhaps my favorite scene, though, was Nick's reunion with Bachelors of seasons past. While Nick held court and broke the world record for longest run-on sentence, the guys' faces while they obediently took it in were GOLD...

3rd place goes to Ben for his careful poker face. 2nd place goes to Sean for his amusing restlessness. 1st place OBVIOUSLY goes to Chris, because Chris Soules.

__________________
“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

NIGHT ONE

The main event finally arrives and the ladies exit their limos one by one. Some stood out to me...
*
Danielle L: First out of the limos! (If you've been reading these for awhile you know I put stock in things like this.) Very pretty. I can almost forgive the pretend hair flips.

Rachel: Beautiful, smart, just overall very together.
*
Taylor: I enjoyed the dichotomy of how sweet she comes off and what a potty mouth she has. Love her. Hope she stays awhile.

Angela: SO beautiful. Wow.

Lauren: I found the "disgusting slut" joke pretty funny. Ballsy!

Ida Marie: I liked her. She looks like a mix between Izzy Goodkind and Kendall Jenner. I thought her dress was refreshingly different and she was in the running for the Best Dressed section but I couldn't get over the length issue...

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

Sarah: LOVED her. Cute entrance, and she cares about the right things...

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

Hailey: Despite the "no panties" joke, I found her pretty entertaining. She had a similar comedienne vibe as fellow Vancouverite Kaitlyn Bristowe to me, but a little more off-color in her commentary. I feel like she could either be really popular or really despised depending on how carefully she watches what she says.

Liz: Oh, Liz. I'm torn between wanting to criticize her and defending her, so I'll do both.*I mean, she had to know much of this episode (and, judging by the previews, at least one more episode to come) would revolve around her "history" with Nick, and she seemed to play the role willingly. But I would rather, if indeed she had feelings for him and had wanted to see where it could go, just OWNED that and not pretended she "liked" that he didn't remember her (which, for the record, I think he did). Like, I just don't buy this...*

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

If she really didn't care, she wouldn't care enough to be there (assuming she's there for the "Right Reasons"). If she did care, she would have to be at least a bit wounded that he didn't remember her. So either way it's disingenuous. That's my criticism of Liz. My defense comes later.
And on the topic of whether or not Nick remembered her, to me it's clear he did. He gave her every bit of recognition that SHE GAVE HIM. He never said, "good to meet you" or anything that would give away not knowing her. Think about how many people you see out and about in your daily lives that you think you might know, but where so much of how you behave depends on how they behave towards you. (I can really attest to this; it happens to me all the time. Also, let me just say, when you go on national television and both complete strangers and distant acquaintances approach and speak to you with disproportionate familiarity, it really can mess with you.)*In that sense, I found Nick's measured reaction to her to be very realistic. And let's be honest here; Liz was (whether producer-encouraged or not)*obviously testing Nick. She didn't deserve a warm, familiar response.
You guys knew I'd have to make a .GIF of Nick's epic wheels-turning moment that followed. (And though the skeptic in me wondered if this clip was taken from a different moment, I have confirmation that it was indeed then.) What I love about this is you can see his mind working AND he gives three (three!) Direct-Looks-Into-Camera in one go!*

The Sesame Streetof Direct-Looks-Into-Camera

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

Corinne: Beautiful girl, got full limo exit with the cymbals-heavy music and everything. Despite (or because of?) previews showing she might be something of a villain this season, she must stay for awhile.

Vanessa: Her full limo exit was also shown. Really elegant.*Anyone else think she looks like Emmy Rossum?

Danielle M: Classy and chill. Loved her dress.

Alexis: She is just delightful. Perhaps my favorite thing about her entrance was Rachel and Jasmine B's reactions to first seeing her costume...

__________________
“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

I went into more detail in my The Morning After video, but something about Alexis' costume and its response, to me represented this show coming a long way. I think this has 60% to do with how SHE handled herself—she was fully in on that joke...

... and was really popular among the other ladies. I credit 20% to how Nick embraced it (he referenced it making him really happy numerous times, and even refused to let her take it off), effectively making it kosher for the other girls to (fair or not, you know by now the lead sets the tone of what's acceptable and what isn't). Another 20% goes to people just watching this show differently. There was once a time when limo exit gimmicks were something we mocked, like these women were desperate, attention-seeking idiots,*but now it's almost par for the course to the point where a premiere void of gimmicks would be disappointing. Alexis entertained us, we recognized that, and we appreciated it.

__________________
“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

During Jasmine G's meltdown, there's a montage which pretty much sums up the entire Bachelor experience for contestants...

__________________
“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

During his 1-on-1 time with Sarah, much like his toast to all the ladies (which was all about being "as normal as possible in a very abnormal world"),*he again broke that 4th wall...

This might seem unremarkable but it really has never been done before. Never has a lead referenced their environment, especially as early as Night One, as "abnormal" or a place where you can't be yourself. This is really consistent with the Nick we met on Andi's season (where on his first date he said, "Any practical person would be skeptical about this") and, in my humble opinion, sets the tone for a different sort of season.

__________________
“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)

barish

I noticed a Pick-up* with Whitney where she had on a different dress (also notice the hair change), so I speculate she did the Pick-up after traveling began and she'd sent her Night One dress home. This makes me think Whitney sticks around at least for a little while (at least into the first leg of travel).

Good news! (me)

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“The only thing that was ever wrong with me was my belief that something was wrong with me.” (c)