Episode 6
"These Group Dates involve two things: dressing up and being physical." —Alex, dishing truth
THAT 2-ON-1 CONT'D... UGH
I really can't bear to go into too much detail with this date. It was painful to watch Lee's perma-smirk, and even more painful to watch Kenny allow himself to get worked up by him. The only thing I'm capturing from this date is how calmly and confidently Lee lies...
I went back to Episode 5 to capture the lie about which he lied...
I don't want to waste my time or energy talking too much about Lee. Regardless of whether or not you agree with my opinions on him (from Flare two weeks ago—and for the record, I never mentioned his being a Republican anywhere), there's no question he's both a vindictive liar and the type of person who relishes stirring up shit and getting under people's skin. (For God's sake, he came out said in multiple ITMs that he enjoys just that.) I'm just very glad he's gone.
I do wish Kenny had had the self control to not go and confront Lee one last time while Rachel waited in the helicopter, whether or not this was a producer push (I personally don't think it was). Thankfully it didn't end up hurting him and in the evening, and while I didn't see much chemistry, he and Rachel seemed to have a great heart-to-heart.
Remember in Episode 2 when I pointed out a ribbed sweater Rachel wore in an ITM to talk about what a good father she can tell Kenny is? Looks like we've found where that came from, despite the fact that we were never even shown Kenny talking about his daughter here...
Again, this doesn't change the tone, but it's a reminder of how mix-and-matchy editing can be and how you can view someone differently. (eg: how incredulous we'd be about a contestant saying they're "falling in love" in week 3, when in fact the clip of those words is taken from, say, week 7.)
The scene closes with Kenny on the phone with his daughter....
I think I may have mentioned this before, but I am completely fascinated with the multiple sides of men. Just to see shots of Kenny in a wrestling ring, then among the guys in a fairly bro-y environment, then with Rachel, a romantic interest, then FaceTiming his daughter. Obviously women have many sides, too, but it just doesn't seem as varied since it's more socially acceptable to be publicly "soft".
ROSE CEREMONY
At the beginning of this Rose Ceremony I was 100% POSITIVE Matt and Adam were going home, and thus completely floored by the outcome. It's not that I necessarily saw some deep connection between either Anthony or Josiah with Rachel, but seeing as how one got a 1-on-1 and the other had an intro video revealing his brother's suicide, I just saw them lasting longer based on our—the viewers'—connections to them. So, I was first shocked, then I felt totally duped, because obviously there's more there with each Matt and Adam, and we've never seen a second of it. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DISSECT THIS SHOW UNDER THESE CONDITIONS?!!
DENMARK
The clan makes its way to Denmark. As a contestant you're told to make toasts all the time, so in classic B-roll form, Rachel's men are told to do just that. More than once, evidently, based on the changing levels of beer in those glasses...
ERIC'S 1-ON-1
I am the first to admit that I underestimated Eric in terms of his connection with Rachel. In the beginning I just saw a guy who seemed like a bit of a class clown (not in a bad way) and who defaulted to dancing with Rachel in serious situations. But it turns out that class clown really, truly makes Rachel laugh, which I think all women can agree is pretty close to the top of the priority list. Theirs was a very cute and fun 1-on-1, and in light of her later date with Will, I loved how effusive and affectionate Eric was with Rachel, especially despite having so little experience with relationships.
I also dug how frankly Eric said the following. He straight-up says it'd be a cop-out to just profess any sort of love for her when he simply isn't sure...
Sure, you could argue his feelings are "on schedule" for this show, but the fact that he doesn't just blurt out what's expected of him is a major plus for me. Eric's proven to be very introspective and sensitive and—based on the Man Chats we've seen him have with the other guys—also a good listener and conversationalist. I've become a big Eric fan.
GROUP DATE
Rachel takes the guys on a Viking-themed Group Date which is downright entertaining and reminded me of the "Highland Games" Group Date (never mind that the date took place in Croatia) from Emily Maynard's season. I particularly enjoyed when Tom, the Viking Fighting Instructor, described the "grease stick" to Rachel and watching her reaction to the challenge's terms...
In the evening it becomes EVEN MORE clear that this race is between Bryan and Peter only. I mean, it seemed like Dean was near the front of the pack for a bit, but when his 1-on-1 time isn't even shown (as it wasn't here), it's hard to say he's anywhere close to Bryan or Peter (both of whose 1-on-1 times are ALWAYS shown). I got a lot of interesting feedback for my mention of Peter not leaning in for his kiss so I thought I'd make a .GIF of the moment...
I confess I did miss that Peter whispered what he did about leaning in, but for me it goes beyond the (lack of) lean in. First of all, there was a pause after his nod that, to me, didn't scream "I'm coming over." Second, the timing is just overall reminiscent of their first kiss on his 1-on-1 in Episode 2, like it was on her to be proactive. Third, I don't love that she even had to SAY, "Can you kiss me?" A moment like that should unfold based on mutual understanding and just being on the same romantic wavelength. I'm not saying it's BAD that she asked that (I certainly tell Andy to kiss me all the time), but rather that this early on, he should've already been halfway to her mouth based on the Nala eyes she was giving him.
It's interesting to me how passionately Peter VERSUS Bryan everyone is. And not even in a good-for-Rachel kind of way, but in a "Peter is perfect, Bryan is slimy", or "Peter is calculated, Bryan is sincere" kind of way. (Can't they both be calculated, or both be sincere??) In light of this, I've got to say that while I see better chemistry and reciprocity between Bryan and Rachel, I still think Peter is fantastic. I really respect and enjoy his reservedness (I maintain that if the gender roles were reversed we'd love female-Peter for this) and happen to think he's the studliest guy to ever grace this franchise. (I mean, him in that Viking cape was just ridiculous.) So, even though I don't think he's physically as proactive with Rachel as I'd like, I still love watching him.
WILL'S 1-ON-1
Just when I thought no 1-on-1 could get more awkward than Jack's, Will gave him a run for his money. At least with Jack it was obviously funny how awkward it was. With Will it was a less placeable discomfort. The following moment had me cringing...
As an aside, I always wonder how the local-elderly-couple-married-for-35-plus-years gets chosen to crash a 1-on-1. Do they put out a casting notice? Do they just pick them up in the cafe?
And with the following moment, I actually would've assumed they were told this was a B-roll and to be quiet (which as far as I know never happens with a pair on dates) if it weren't for Rachel's visible discomfort...
The thing is, I don't necessarily think Will wasn't attracted to Rachel or that he's not handsome or intelligent. It's that he didn't come off either attentive or affectionate enough (or at all—and it is supposed to be a date), and on the whole almost seemed almost standoffish. In case you missed it, I discussed Will more over in my Flare recap.
ROSE CEREMONY
Not much happened in this Rose Ceremony except OMG I DID NOT EXPECT ALEX TO GO HOME BEFORE MATT OR ADAM. It was basically the same shock as the Oslo Rose Ceremony, but heightened. I will miss Alex and his funky style but something tells me he'll do just fine with the single ladies of this franchise. Other than that shocker, the only other notable thing here was the rare shot of camera folks on Rachel's tail...
As always, my Top 4 prediction based on this episode are over at Flare.
BEST AND WORST DRESSED
The only looks that stood out to me were repeats, and nothing offended me this week, so no Best or Worst Dressed!
REQUESTS
The following sweater was last week's Worst Dressed item, but Chiara's boyfriend liked it and she enquired about it on his behalf...
Dean's sweater is from Forever 21 and sells HERE.
Jae asked about the tee I wore in my The Morning After video for Episode 5...
The exact brand is "Nameless" and I picked it up at M for Mendocino on Queen Street West in Toronto. I couldn't find it online but there's a super similar one selling HERE. PS - I tie it in a knot in the front so the cut out isn't so loose.
RACHEL'S LOOKS
This episode moved really quickly so there was a ton of fashion to cover. As always I'll start with requests... A number of you asked about Rachel's dress she wore on her 1-on-1 with Jack back in Episode 5...
Rachel's dress is by Cinq à Sept and it's selling (super on sale!) HERE.
Tash asked about Rachel's pale grey coat she wore for her Denmark B-rolls...
I loooooved this dress. I happen to be a sequin fan (there may or may not be sequins involved in my wedding) and this dress was covered up (save that badass slit) while being a total showstopper. She looked like an Oscar statuette, in a good way. Rachel's dress is by—no surprise here—Randi Rahm, making it frustratingly unavailable. I found a similar one by Diane von Furstenberg but it's from a few seasons ago and the only one available sells HERE. Since it's still pricey and only in one size, the best looks-for-less I could find are HERE and HERE. Her amaaaazing shoes which I'm more than a little in love with sell (on sale!) HERE.
For her 1-on-1 with Eric...
I loved the monochromatic feel of this look. Sure, this look isn't pushing any fashion boundaries, but it's wearable and lovely. Plus, I happen to already love grey on grey, so this was an easy win for me. Rachel's grey wool coat is by Mackage and sells HERE, but I found a great look-for-less HERE. Her necklaces are by fine jewelry designer Nan Fusco and sadly not very affordable/available, and the closest thing I could find to her long necklace is HERE. I did find two decent alternatives to her Maltese cross necklace, HERE and HERE.
In the evening...
This look was functional but I wasn't wild about the berry-colored knit accessories with the otherwise sleek black and white outfit. I would have preferred either sticking with black or white for those pieces, or going for a textural difference (like metallic), or going full throttle with that color pop with something like a bright red. Obviously I'm being picky, but hey, it's The Bachelorette. The highlights of this look were her FABULOUS coat, necklace, and boots, so those are what I chose to ID. Rachel's Mackage coat is sadly sold out (HERE). Her exact necklace is still available for a pretty penny HERE, but if you want the look for less and are a rose gold fan, there's a great option HERE. The Stuart Weitzman boots she wore (not pictured) sell HERE, and there's a super similar look-for-less HERE.
For this week's Group Date...
This was one of my two favorite looks of the week. I loved the mild old-timey feel of pairing a green cape with brown leather (very Robin Hood), and it was so perfect for a Viking-themed date. Capes have been making a comeback for awhile but something about the green was so fabulous and I'm pretty sure every woman (myself included) wanted it. Hers is by Blessed Are The Meek but since I wasn't able to dig it up anywhere, I found a similar one (and a look-for-less) HERE. In my search I also found a gorgeous (and incredibly well-priced) black one, HERE. Her leather pants are by Frame and sell HERE (and if you want a look-for-less, you know I can't talk about leather pants without raving about my all time favorite—which comes in brown—HERE). Her necklace is by The Woods but I found two looks-for-less HERE and HERE.
In the evening...
This was my other favorite look of the week. Again, monochromatic chic, and personally I love it when a slick suit is taken in an unexpectedly sexy direction. There was a subtle sexpot vibe to this look that I was wild about. I sadly couldn't find Rachel's Theyskens' Theory suit anywhere. Her Wolford tank is sold out (HERE) but I was able to find a super similar bodysuit version (which I would actually prefer) HERE. Rachel's Stuart Weitzman sandals sell HERE and there's a look-for-less pair HERE. Her The Woods diamond pavé earrings aren't available online but there's an alternative (also with real diamonds) HERE, as well as a crystal look-for-less HERE.
For her date with Will...
Although we didn't see much of it, I really liked this dress (it's so something I would wear and I certainly have my share of cold shoulder knit pieces), and that cardigan is basically an excuse to wear a cozy blanket and I'm in love with it. Rachel's 360 Cashmere cold shoulder dress sells (on sale!) HERE. Her Alisa Michelle necklaces are affordable (for once!) but I couldn't find either on their website (HERE). Her rings are all by Robyn Rhodes and sell (from top to bottom) HERE, HERE, and HERE (as with last week, use code PANDA20 for 20% off). Her fuzzy cardigan is from Zara but, as with so many long lost Zara pieces, I couldn't dig it up anywhere; I found two similar options, HERE and HERE. She wore this outfit with the same Stuart Weitzman over-the-knee boots as above (HERE). Again, my look-for-less option for those is HERE.
For the Denmark Rose Ceremony...
Another beautiful gown, and I appreciated the muted feel of this one versus the many bedazzled ones we always see. It has a tuxedo feel to that I like. I would have loved to see her hair up or back with this, considering the high neckline and open back, but she still looked gorgeous. If you want this gown I'm afraid it's by—you guessed it—Randi Rahm. However, I managed to find a solid look-for-less HERE, where it also comes in white and red.
Until next week, fellow pandas!
