The Bachelorette 3: Episode 7
In the End the Answer is "NO" - No Kidding?
Recap and Commentary By Eleanor Meilinger
March 1, 2005
In the end there could have only been one answer. We all knew it. That certainty made the two-hour finale of The Bachelorette play out like a farce. Despite enormous efforts to sew some seed of doubt through creative editing and scripted reassurances on everyone's part, very little was left to the imagination. I was so certain that I risked both my job and my favorite indulgence on a bet that the romance wouldn't survive the contract, I was reluctant to go as far as betting they wouldn't make it to the finale because I knew of the contractual obligation to maintain the premise of being together until 30 days after the final show aired. Weeks ago I wrote, "I am going on record that if whoever Jenn ends up with is still with her one year from now (I was going to say six months but they might get lucky and sign some endorsement deals or work the talk-show circuit for a while!) I will swear off reality TV forever. That's right. I'll give up my single guilty pleasure. That's how confident I am that this whole thing has been a sham from start to finish. I'll lay my job on the line for it."
I wager it took a lot of haggling to get ABC to allow the events to play out as they did. They must have recognized the fact that the jig was up. Next season they ought to hire a good plumber to fix all the leaks. No other reality TV show has had as many that I can recollect. Finding information about this season was like checking my horoscope everyday. Just as readily available and as accurate as you want to read into it. What we see is largely based on what we look for. AT first I found evidence to support the "chosen one" being Ryan, because that was who I wanted it to be. Looking back, there was every indication it was Jerry from day one - I wanted to think that it couldn't be that easy. Then, from the moment I recognized where this show was heading I'll admit I had the tendency to look for the worst - and I never failed to find it. I wonder what comfort those who were hoping for the best found in tonight's broadcast? The backlash from this will be swift and merciless. No wonder Jenn did all of her appearances last week. She is nobody's media darling this morning. I just hope Jerry doesn't miss out on his 15 minutes because of Jenn's ruthless rejection. He earned it through sheer tenacity.
First we have two hours of trivial nonsense to wade through in order to get to the real excitement of the evening. I'll be brief since the outcome was moot. Besides, it all boiled down to a manageable hour and fifteen minutes of new material, most of that awkward and stilted. There was one truly intimate and genuine scene that tool place in the kitchen of the Schefft home after the second bachelor's departure. That scene reminded us how good the series could have been if they allowed it to play out for real. Would anyone have found fault with Jenn if she admitted early on that none of the candidates met her expectations and she just wanted to call it quits? They could have sent Jenn out on a mission to find the guys dates or just let all of the bachelors loose in the City and watched the events unfold. Anything would have been more satisfying than hearing Jenn whine, "I am falling in love with both of them" "I just want to be certain this time around" and "He's everything I could possibly want in a husband". Or how about hearing her reiterate how completely committed she was? I have a feeling that there are a lot of single American women waking up today thinking she should be COMMITTED!
Since I decided to watch American Idol and tape the first half I was able to fast-forward through all the redundancy. In the meantime, my terrific source, Rachel, sent me a link to Jenn's video diary which was meant to be put up tomorrow on the ABC site. Someone screwed up and it was posted on the ABC message board before the show began this evening. They removed it pretty quickly, but not before a lot of people saw it. It not only gave the game away but it reflected Jenn's discomfort about the entire situation. There is a psychologist who analyzes the motives and body language of the reality stars online. I wonder what he made of Jenn's inability to maintain eye contact with ANYBODY except during a few forced wide-eyed, eyelash-batting shots? Even in this "confessional" her eyes roamed everywhere. I watch "Fake Out" on Court TV. I know what the propensity to shift your gaze and blink profusely indicates. As I have said before - a guilty conscience needs no accuser. Throughout the visits to Jenn's home and the intimate dates that are meant to assist in her final decision we will she Jenn focus her gaze more often on inanimate objects than actual people in the room. Let's begin with the first visit.
After four minutes of lead-in, John Paul arrives to be introduced to Jenn's family. She appears to be happy to see him but the cheek proffers as he leans in to kiss her "hello" speaks volumes. Coupled with the fact that she continues to refer to him as a "gentleman" - a term that usually means the death knell for a guy's hopes of scoring - it's abundantly clear that the tabloid predictions will once again prove true. All efforts to make us believe the contrary are wasted. The attempt to misdirect our attention is belied by Jenn's actions and body language. They share cocktails beforehand as Jenn prepares JP for what to expect. Her drink becomes a focal point since the majority of her end of the conversation is directed towards it, though sometimes her gaze lands on the table. Occasionally you can see her remind herself to make eye contact with JP. He surrenders to these moments and seems oblivious to the others. He sounds completely sincere when he declares his desire to spend the rest of his life with her and his willingness to toss aside his foundation in order to begin a new life with her. The other significant event was the gift JP gave Jenn. She actually bubbles when she discusses the earrings in a later interview - the first real excitement she has displayed in a while. "The minute I saw them I thought 'Oh my gosh, if we were together at the end of this he would treat me like a princess till the day I die.' What girl doesn't want that?" Still, her kiss remains a friendly peck, as they will be whenever these two "lock lips". John Paul must have felt encouraged by the warm reception he received from Jenn's parents. Her brother is not very articulate and comes across as distrustful of JP's motives but overall the visit was a success. Upon arrival John Paul makes it clear that he will be a good provider, presenting Jenn's mom with an expensive vase rather than traditional flowers. As she gushes over the present it is easy to see where Jenn gets her materialism. The vase becomes continues to make appearances throughout this visit and plays a large, though awkward, role in the following one. As a matter of fact, it gets more screen time than Chris Harrison in the first two hours.
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