REVIEW: The Bachelor (2011)-Week 2 - The Cultute of Pop, DVD, Movie, TV, Pop Culture Review

REVIEW: The Bachelor (2011)-Week 2

Posted: Sun, 23 Jan 2011 2:20:53 PST

SEASON 15, EPISODE 2

 

Don't know what it is, but many a sophomore episode during every season of The Bachelor leaves me feeling a little underwhelmed. Maybe its because I'm expecting too much or the center of attention picks the wrong girls.

Last night? No exception...but I must admit I was distracted by the Fiesta Bowl a.k.a. The Bowl Championship Series finale (way to go Auburn Tigers), which I kept flipping to between commercials.

So since I didn't take notes on last night's episode, this is gonna be a briefer and perhaps, more compact overview/review (yeah, right)....and things really got off to a fast start with the one on one date with Ashley H., our lovable dental assistant whom I wouldn't want to piss off because that sweet demeanor might turn her into the female equivalent of Lawrence Olivier in Marathon Man with me suffering more than Dustin Hoffman in the dental chair.

Although my second favorite Ashley is nice enough, I just don't know if I could take her energy and voice 24/7, you know? But what saved her date with Brad for me was the really soul searching conversation in which they both discussed the absence of their fathers during their adolescence. For a show that usually lives for gratuitous hot tub shots, this was a nice veer off the straight and narrow, so kudos, Mike Fleiss and company.

Next, it's roll 'em (!) time as Brad and his picks go for a group outing to film some wacky PSA's for the Red Cross....which means vampire girl prolly wet her pants in anticipation...and if this segment had completely blown, it still would've been worth it for the sight of Brad donning the worst fake mustache in the history of television. All that was missing was badly dubbed Spanish over the soundtrack.

Actually, I think there were two PSA's shot...or was it three (I feel like Harry Callahan all of a sudden).But hey, I was flipping back and forth between the game and Bradley's Angels...But I distinctly remember the bit on the bed with Britt and the other girl whose name escapes me at the moment...and I'll tell you guys why...it's because of the longest, greatest kiss in Bachelor history...in other words, you go Miss Britt!

Gee, if I could only set up a kissing booth at the county fair with her in attendance....

Next,, if I remember correctly, it was a 15 girl group date that came our way next in which the claws came out with one of my former faves really started getting on my nerves...Now, it could be in the editing or coaching department, but Michelle has turned into a real pain in the rumpus. Yeah, it's your birthday, yeah, you got a one on one moment with Bradster...and then later you had the gall to ask for another such moment... 

Like I said on my Twitter feed, three words Michelle rarely hears are equal, time...and no.

What a brat.

But she wasn't the only drama queen on display with Raichel and Melissa really going at it...which was a bit of a downer for me because I think Melissa at heart is a good person, but her timing couldn't have been worse as we found out later in the evening.

Next in hour two, it was one-on-one date numero two as Brad singled out Jackie for some quality time under the stars with the legendary Hollywood Bowl as a backdrop...I quote John Lennon: “I'm just a jealous guy”...not because of Jackie...but you guys got to breathe the same air as The Beatles, The Doors, The Monkees and all the other greats that played by the pond back in the days of yore

Oh yeah, I'm prime material to be the next Bachelor, but anyway...

Although Jackie's cute as a button, I don't know why Brad picked two of the least interesting girls in the house (IMHO) to get to know better for one on one sojourns....Maybe he's saving the best for last with Emily and Ashley S. (or are the producers saving the best for last?)... 

But let's fast forward to the final rose ceremony after very special guest stars Ali and Roberto counseled Brad with their thoughts on the 18 rose candidates...and much to my surprise, Melissa and Raichel get the boot...but they really shot themselves in the foot by being argumentative...and who's to say that some of the girls may have told Ali and hubby about this, thus influencing Bradley's picks.

To be honest, there were a couple of other surprises tonight, the biggest one being Brad picking girls that got absolutely NO screen time at all, save for a couple of lines here and there. Out of these second tier picks, only Sarah P. possesses any sort of charm to me...but I would have sent her home instead of the vibrantly adorable Keltie, the Rockette with killer legs and sweet personality, the latter of which a woman must posess to keep me interested a hundred years from now.

But at least Brad was smart enough to pick my top two faves in Emily and Ashley S. to hang around for another week...and speaking of the former, do any of you suspect that her secret past as a mother she's been keeping from him might make her the girl that wants to “go home” as heard in the teaser at the end of the episode?

It would be a departure as stunning as Ed's and Ali's in recent seasons, but that's what The Bachelor/The Bachelorette excels at...and maybe we shouldn't pick on Chris Harrison for using the words dramatic and shocking so much...for this season could very well live up to both of those adjectives in shows ahead.

-J.R.

Jeffrey Rosado is a writer, pop culture historian, performer and all around nice guy...until Brad doesn't give a rose to a Bachelorette he has money on...

Follow Jeff On Twitter: marquee_man