The Bachelorette: Week 1 & 2 Recap

Last season, on the Bachelor, Sean Lowe dumped Desiree (Des) Hartsock in one of the most heart wrenching exits the show has ever seen. Des literally begged Sean not to let her go because she was "100% certain that [he] was making a mistake." Despite Des' plea, Sean let her go and went on to propose to Catherine Giudici. (They are still together and planned to have a TV wedding in the near future, yay!) Perhaps the biggest reason why Sean let Des go was her crazy, overprotective, judgmental brother who called Sean a "playboy" on national television. Although Sean tried his very best to hide his anger and frustration with Des' brother, it was evident that the two of them did not see eye-to-eye and that sent Des packing.

Week 1

Des was a fan favorite from the very beginning of the show, so it was no surprise when she was announced as the next Bachelorette. Last week, twenty-five men arrived in limos and did their very best to impress Des in what proved to be probably the most entertaining and definitely the most embarrassing entrances of any season. From Diogo, who arrived as a literal version of Des' "knight in shining armor" to Zak W. who arrived shirtless with the opening line of, "Do you accept these abs?", the entrances were one for the books. In my years watching the show, I have always found the first night to be incredibly awkward. The Bachelorette has to stand and smile at the arriving limos that she can't see into, give out an unnecessary amount of half-hugs, and say "Thank you" to countless genuine, but obligatory "You look beautiful" from her suitors. A few standouts were Kasey the "hashtag guy" who greeted Des with a few hashtags that described her including #marriagematerial and #letthejourney begin. I'm still a tad #onthefence about Kasey, but will give him a fair shot. Magic Nick made Des "disappear" in the cheesiest magic act of all time. Hint: He gets sent home. Ben greeted Des with his son and eventually got the first rose of the night. Or should I say his son did?

Among the attempts to impress Des, we watched the most memorable (and sleazy) bachelor on night one, Jonathan, invite Des not once, but three times, to a "fantasy suite" that he had created somewhere in house. After turning him down politely twice, Desiree said no once again and asked him to leave because he was making her feel very uncomfortable. Go Des! It was clear that Jonathan was not here for the "right reasons." Stay tuned as this becomes a mantra for this season. In an unnecessarily long rose ceremony (as always), Des sends her first handful of guys packing and prepares for her first week of dates. Although I was not particularly blown away by any of the men, my top 5 picks thus far are:

1. Drew. He's gorgeous, rocks a Gatsby hair-do, and completely owns it. Also, but less important, he seems like a genuine guy with a good sense of humor. 
2. Brooks. Despite his lack of air time on the season premiere, he was shown heavily on the "This season on The Bachelorette..." previews which included a one-on-one date that looked like a "destination date", hinting towards him making it pretty far in the season.
3. Bryden. A military vet, Bryden immediately stole my heart. He is a tad more reserved than most of the other guys, but seems to be very respectful and a good listener. Two great qualities in a man. 
4. Zak W. Even after appearing shirtless and coming off as an egocentric guy, Des chose to keep him around for another week. I think they must have had a good conversation or two off camera that led Des to her decision. Let's be honest, Des (along with America) was impressed by his abs and accepted them with open arms. 
5. Juan Pablo. A former Venezuelan pro soccer player, Juan Pablo swept Des off her feet with his soccer skills and indecipherable accent. I predict Des will only keep him around for a few more weeks to serve as eye candy before sending him home. Adios! 

Week 2

It's the first week of dates! Which means, it is also the first week of drama. Buckle up everyone, this season is going to have an unusual amount of man tears. At the beginning of the show, Chris Harrison walks in with his ever-so-perfect timing and sets down the first 1-on-1 date card of the season. It's for Brooks.

Brooks' 1-on-1: When Brooks hears his named called, he looks as happy as a newly adopted puppy and rushes off to get ready for his date. AKA throw on a different shirt and not brush his insanely long hair. Des arrives in a blue Bentley and the two drive off together as the other guys look on enviously. Their first stop: a bridal store. Des tries on numerous wedding dresses and Brooks does the same with tuxes before they each decide on one they like. All as a joke, of course. The two make their way to the Hollywood sign and climb up the side of the giant hill to sit on one of the huge letters. Des claims that the only reason they are allowed to come up here is because Hollywood is celebrating its 90th Anniversary. Yeah, right. You're up there because ABC paid big bucks for you to be. Following their adventure, Des and Brooks have dinner on a bridge with a private concert. Standard Bachelorette date. Not impressed. Aside from his terrible hair, I really like Brooks. Des did too, because she didn't hesitate to give him the rose and go in for their first kiss. Overall, I would say a very successful date and Brooks remains a front-runner.

Group Date: Des invited fourteen men on the first group date of the season to a giant mansion where they would be filming a rap video with Soulja Boy. What. Going into this date, Des knew that it would be embarrassing for both the guys and herself, but she hoped they would all roll with the punches and let loose. The title of their rap was "All The Right Reasons" and it starred Des and all of her bachelors in rare form. The costumes were absolutely hilarious, particularly Brandons skimpy short shorts, but I must admit it was a step up from all of the v-necks that the guys came in wearing. Some of the guys struggled with their lines, and others proved to be true rap stars waiting to be discovered. Just kidding. This was the absolute whitest bunch of guys I have ever seen and Soulja Boy could not keep a straight face he was laughing so hard at them. The video shoot came to a close, thank goodness, and Des and her herd of men headed to their soiree. All of the men fought for Des' time and attention, but in the end, it was Ben who got the group rose, to many of the guys' dismay. By this point, a few of the guys have been rubbed the wrong way by Ben and it is clear that he will prove to be the source of drama in the house this season.

Bryden's 1-on-1: The lucky winner of Date #2, Bryden and Des drive off together on a road trip around California. I'm sorry, but I don't think I would want to spend most of my first date with someone driving. No thanks. Des and Bryden stop at a beach and Ojai for a romantic dinner. Though Bryden seems nervous for most of the date, (at least on camera) he really opens up to Des and shares some tough things about his past. She is blown away and this earns him the rose, taking the pressure off for the night. Well, not quite. The two end up in a hot tub hanging out, just talking, and it is clear that Des is waiting for Bryden to make his move. But he never does. Personally, I read that as a sign that he respects women. +1 point. However, the impatient and bold (you go girl!) Des says, "Just kiss me already." and the two share a wonderful first kiss together. Blah blah blah.


Cocktail Party and Rose Ceremony: This is when it gets real. Real fast. Despite already having a rose and being "safe" for the next week, Ben finds it necessary to interrupt Michael G. during his heartfelt conversation with Desiree about living with Type I Diabetes. Word spreads through the house like wildfire and the guys quickly become angered with Ben. A few confront him directly and he apologizes, sort of. Many of the guys think that he isn't here for the "right reasons", a phrase said way too many times throughout this episode. At some God-awfully late hour of the night I'm sure, Chris Harrison walks in and *clinkity clinks* his glass and the cocktail party is over. It's time for the rose ceremony. Des returns from her deep deliberation and the guys "ooh" and "ahh" at the sight of her in her stunning dress. Yet again. However, I wasn't a huge fan of her dress tonight and decided that if I were ever to become the Bachelorette, I would make everyone wear normal clothes, all the time. Nike shorts and a t-shirt would become the new staple. Anyways, back to Des. She sent three more men home tonight, but one came as quite the surprise to America: Robert. Robert is absolutely gorgeous and America just couldn't figure out why Des would send him home so soon. She later tweeted out to her fans: "Sorry ladies! Robert aka Liam Hemsworth's brother dated my friend before so I couldn't keep him around. #thebachelorette #friendsfirst." Ahhhh. It all makes sense now. I knew I recognized that flawless face.

My Top 5 After Week 2:

1. Brooks
2. Bryden
3. Drew
4. Zak W
5. Ben (unfortunately) 

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