Tag: Bachelor Power Rankings

Bachelor Power Rankings: Recapping Fantasy Suites week

Peter’s choice is clear after Fantasy Suites week.

Bachelor Peter Weber is down to his final three Bachelorettes – but his actions during Fantasy Suite week in Australia may have narrowed his field even further. Madison told Peter that she couldn’t move forward if he slept with any other women, but will she return for the next Rose Ceremony?

With just two episodes left in the season, we’re getting close to a proposal. Who is in the lead entering the Tell All episode, and who should be going home? We’ll be recapping each episode and ranking all the contestants weekly on FTW.

1. Hannah Ann

Last week’s rank: 1

Peter and Hannah Ann had the first Fantasy Suite date in Australia, and spent the day jet skiing and making out on a beach. Peter reaffirmed his feelings for Hannah Ann, telling her that “when i say i’m falling in love with you, i mean that.” From Peter’s confessionals, it certainly seems like he’s ready to get down on one knee in front of Hannah Ann.

“I see exactly what I have in front of me, and it’s the most perfect woman I’ve ever dreamt of.”

The pair spent an eventful night together in the fantasy suite, but Hannah Ann was vague about their date the next day to Madison, who was clearly struggling with the reality that Peter was sleeping with other women.

At this stage, Peter’s choice should be fairly easy – Hannah Ann is without a doubt his best match of the season – which means he’s probably going to mess it up.

2. Madison

Last week’s rank: 2

Last week’s episode ended with Madison asking Peter to have a conversation immediately after the Rose Ceremony, where it was expected that Madison would reveal to Peter that she’s saving herself for marriage.

Madison didn’t do that, however, and instead simply told him that if he were to sleep with any other woman, it would be “difficult” for her to move forward. Peter tried to get her to clarify what she was proposing – which is that he effectively had to choose a future with Madison or a future with the other women on the spot.
Madison exited the conversation feeling that she got to share what she “needed to share,” but the entire episode could have played out differently if Madison was more forthcoming about her stance.

Once the show moved to Australia, producers conspired to put Madison in the worst possible situation. All three women were forced to live together in the same suite, and Madison’s date was scheduled last.

After seeing both Hannah Ann and Victoria F. arrive the morning after their date, Madison likely knew that Peter had been intimate with both – but that didn’t stop them from having a fairly excellent date climbing a massive tower. In a confessional, Madison said that when they reached the top, she could see Peter as the father of her children.

At the dinner portion, Peter addressed Madison’s comments about intimacy in the hangar, and Madison explained that she’s saving herself for marriage. Madison said that she didn’t want Peter to feel like she was giving him an ultimatum – but later said that if he had been intimate with other women, that she wouldn’t be able to accept a proposal. Peter admitted what had happened earlier in the week, and Madison excused herself from the table.

Peter went after Madison and implored her not to give up on their relationship, but she eventually walked out of the date. The preview footage showed that Madison may not show up to the next Rose Ceremony, which could be the big revelation Chris Harrison had to deliver to Peter.

Neither person is in the wrong here and is simply acting in accordance with their beliefs, but this situation was handled about as poorly as possible. Madison waited until hometown week to reveal to Peter how important her faith was to her, and then waited until after he had been in two fantasy suites to reveal that she’s saving herself for marriage. If pre-marital sex is a dealbreaker, though, why is Madison interested in Peter “Windmill” Weber in the first place? He clearly has a different set of values, and the reality of the show is that he’s going to have time to be intimate with other women.

Madison told Peter that she doesn’t want to “feel like a bad person” for the standards that she has, and she’s completely right to feel that way. But is Peter supposed to feel bad for the standards he has? Madison said that she “can’t change who I am,” but should Peter change who he is?

If Madison does return to the show, I’d expect Peter to offer her a rose before he gives one to Victoria F. – but it may be best for both sides if Madison moves on.

3. Victoria F.

Last week’s rank: 4

Peter entered Victoria F.’s fantasy suite date knowing that they’ve never had a day together that didn’t end with an incident, but according to Peter, he’s “attracted” to that kind of chaos. For whatever reason, Peter has opted to celebrate all the red flags in his relationship with Victoria, and use them as evidence that they can overcome any odds. Victoria’s comment during their date summed up the entire relationship:

“We haven’t even fought…. yet!”

At the dinner date, Victoria and Peter struggled through a conversation about their communication issues that could have very easily gone sideways, but it ended with Peter offering her a spot in the fantasy suite so they could continue to have serious conversations. She accepted – but it doesn’t seem likely that they spent the night working on their communication issues.

Look, it’s great that Peter is willing to fight for a relationship that he believes in, but there have been so many issues between these two that he has to realize it could never last. When every serious conversation feels like it could end with one person storming out for good, it’s time to move on.

[jwplayer vC4rGMiL-q2aasYxh]

Bachelor Power Rankings: All the ways Peter can screw this up

Peter is down to his Final Four – but is he going to mess this up?

Peter Weber is entering hometown dates with only four women remaining after a trip to Peru, but will his relationships be able to survive the final few weeks of the season? We’ll be recapping each episode and ranking all the contestants weekly on FTW. 

1. Madison

Last week’s rank: 1

How can Peter screw this up? Having sex before marriage.

Madison earned the first one-on-one date of the episode in Peru, and she went fishing with Peter off a boat. It was revealed by Kelsey during a conversation with the rest of the cast that Madison had yet to talk about Peter about the importance of her faith, or her “dealbreakers.” More on that later.
During their dinner date, Madison opened up to Peter about her faith, and told him that she’s looking to start a family with someone who has a strong “relationship with the Lord.” Peter’s response was classic Peter:

Peter: “I totally hear that.”

Peter admitted to Madison that while he believes his faith could be stronger, it is something that is important to him in life. He then dropped the L-word for the first time all season long.

Peter: “I know that I’m falling in love with you.”

Peter wisely used his relationship Madison as a benchmark to judge all his other relationships – but seemed to abandon that strategy following his date with Natasha and offered roses to women he’s nowhere near as close to as Madison. In any event, Madison is the clear favorite heading into hometowns – but there could be one major issue as we go to fantasy suites.

It was revealed in the episode preview that Madison is saving herself for marriage, and she makes it clear in a confessional that if Peter were to sleep with any other woman in the cast, she would have difficulty going forward with their relationship. That’s going to be a very tricky hurdle to clear for Mr. Windmill.

2. Hannah Ann

Last week’s rank: 5

How can Peter screw this up? Manufacturing uncertainty about how “ready” she is.

It seemed that Peter had made his mind up that Hannah Ann was simply too young to realistically be ready for marriage, but she won him over by preparing an adorable list of “things I love about you” that she read during their 3-on-1 meeting.

There are 20 items on this list! This is even cuter than the time that guy created a scavenger hunt for a sick Hannah B.

If Peter can refrain from second-guessing their relationship, which has been absolutely solid throughout the season, Hannah Ann should be a finalist.

3. Kelsey

Last week’s rank: 2

How can Peter screw this up? Ignoring red flags.

Peter and Kelsey rode ATVs on their 1-on-1 date in Peru, and spent some time lounging on a hillside enjoying a spectacular view. At the start of the dinner date, Peter awkwardly joked that Kelsey didn’t get “emotional” yet, a nod to her constant crying.

Kelsey opened up about her relationship with her parents, who are divorced. Kelsey told Peter that she’s tried to reconnect with her father, but that her mother isn’t yet aware that she’s in contact. (Kelsey also noted that Peter would not be meeting her dad, so I’m not entirely sure why this conversation made it into the episode, unless this is going to become a THING during Kelsey’s hometown. Stay tuned.)

4. Victoria F.

Last week’s rank: 6

How can Peter screw this up? Pretending this is still a viable relationship.

Victoria F. was relegated to the 3-on-1 in Peru, and she started crying before even talking to Peter on the date.

Victoria F.: “It’s annoying to be around me.”

When she finally did get some 1-on-1 time with Peter, their conversation went about as poorly as it possibly could. When Peter asked Victoria about how she felt about their relationship, Victoria F. accused him of being in “a mood.” Peter responded by telling Victoria F. that she was attacking him – yet somehow she emerged from the date with a rose, against all odds.

Victoria F.’s time is running short, however, if the episode preview is to be believed. The two have some kind of dispute that may result in Peter not meeting Victoria F.’s family.

5. Natasha (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: 4

Natasha finally got the 1-on-1 she had been waiting for all season long, but it seemed like Peter had already made his mind up about their relationship before the date began. The two had an enjoyable time exploring the streets of Lima, but Peter remarked in a confessional that he felt Natasha was more of a friend than a romantic partner. Their dinner conversation felt more like a negotiation, with both parties trying not to say anything that might offend the other, but Peter eventually admitted that he couldn’t offer Natasha a rose, given how strong his other relationships were.

Natasha simply never got the opportunity she needed to forge a connection with Peter before it was too late, and it would have been interesting to see what may have happened if Peter picked her for a date in Cleveland or Chile. Still, Natasha should be a Paradise cast member at least, and would be a good option to become the next Bachelorette.

6. Kelley (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: 3

Kelley earned plenty of fans on Twitter for her no-nonsense attitude and her “maturity,” but I came away from this episode wondering why, exactly, was Kelley interested in Peter? She spent the entire week in Peru dunking on the other women that she felt weren’t in the “right stage” of their lives, while lazily going through the motions of making an attempt with Peter, just as she has all season long.

“Peter has kind of an easy decision. I mean, look at me, I’m an attorney. The other girls? What are they?”

Kelley has never shared a real connection with Peter, and likely only made it this far because of a chance encounter before the show that Peter misunderstood as “fate,” or something. Her entire justification for why Peter should choose her is simply that she…. has a more serious job than everyone else? According to Kelley, Hannah Ann and Victoria are “children” – but if she’s so superior to everyone else on the cast, why would she be interested in Peter, a guy who “rewards drama” and has much stronger connections with the type of women Kelley seems to despise. If anything, it almost seems like Kelley just wants to settle for Peter.

[jwplayer UuWS1Fkp-q2aasYxh]

Bachelor Power Rankings: Can anyone stop Madison?

The Bachelor is down to his final six, but there’s one runaway favorite.

Peter Weber sent home four women in Chile, and we’re quickly approaching home-towns and fantasy suites. We’ll be recapping each episode and ranking all the contestants weekly on FTW. 

1. Madison

Last week’s rank: 1

Madison continued her flawless run through the show in episode six, and scored a group date rose after performing in the telenovela. At the cocktail party afterward, Peter surprised Madison by revealing that he had written his own personal telenovela script for them to perform together, which inevitably led to a make out session.

At this point, Madison is so far ahead of the rest of the pack that Peter’s choice should be obvious, even to him. There are a few potential roadblocks, however, that were revealed in the season preview months ago.

We know that Peter will be rocked by a revelation very late in the process, potentially in the finale. We also know that one woman objects to Peter sleeping with other women (1:12 mark in the video).

“Today I realized I was in love with Peter. But if he sleeps with anybody else, it’s going to be hard for me to continue to move forward.”

Is that Madison’s voice? If I had to guess, I’d say it was Hannah Ann, but it’s a tough call.

2. Kelsey

Last week’s rank: 4

Bachelor producers tricked us with Monday’s episode preview, as Kelsey’s declaration of love was only a part of the telenovela script (thankfully). She continues to thrive after her early-season drama, though, and Peter assured her that he’s feeling “extremely strongly” for her.

There could be trouble on the horizon, however. In the end-of-episode preview, Kelsey appeared to call out Peter for a “coward excuse” during a conversation, but the producers could be trying to deceive us once again.

3. Kelley

Last week’s rank: 2

Kelly did make some effort to deliver a solid performance as Peter’s grandmother in the telenovela date, to her credit, but was missing from the rest of the episode. It was fairly obvious during their one-on-one date in Costa Rica that this relationship is heading nowhere, but it seems like Peter is still hanging on to whatever connection they forged in their pre-show hotel meeting. He may need to endure an awkward fantasy suite night to realize that this isn’t working.

4. Natasha

Last week’s rank: 13

Natasha has somehow cruised all the way into the final six despite never receiving a one-on-one date and barely revealing anything about herself to Peter (that we’ve seen).

Natasha is a fantastic narrator and commentator in confessionals, so I’m glad she’s still around, but she’s made the least progress in her relationship of anyone remaining on the show. That could work to her benefit, however, if she finally scores a one-on-one in Peru and makes a strong impression. 5.

5. Hannah Ann

Last week’s rank: 6

Hannah Ann and Peter shared a wonderful day together in Santiago on a 1-on-1 date, but none of that matters, because Peter seems to have decided that Hannah Ann – who is only 22 – isn’t ready for marriage. In a confessional during the date, Peter admitted that he was worried about her age, and he was rocked by her admission that she’s never been in love before.

During the night portion of the date, Peter immediately began interrogating her about her past relationships and her certainty that she’s ready, because The Bachelor is “so big and so serious.” Hannah Ann assured him that she’s here for the right reasons, but Peter was so perturbed that he excused himself from the table.

Hannah Ann approached Peter outside and got emotional, admitting that she’s starting to fall in love with Peter (even after he turned their date into a job interview). Peter was happy that Hannah Ann opened up, at least, and gave her a date rose.

Still, this relationship feels a bit doomed, as it seems unlikely that Peter is going to change his mind about Hannah Ann’s age. She’s also shown in the episode preview sobbing in Peru, which isn’t a good sign. Of all the people left in Peter’s cast, Hannah Ann was one of only two (along with Madison) to have made serious progress with Peter with zero red flags, and probably should have been a finalist. Hopefully she’ll get a second chance in Paradise.

6. Victoria F.

Last week’s rank: 7

In a shocking twist, Victoria F. earned a second 1-on-1 date in Chile, and it went about as smoothly as her first, where her ex-boyfriend performed a concert for her new boyfriend.

Peter and Victoria F. went to a farm, where a local showed them how to walk underneath a horse. In a confessional, Peter admits that he could see Victoria F. as a “future Mrs. Weber.” During the date, though, Victoria F. breaks down to Peter, and explained that it’s been difficult to deal with the situation and the other girls on the show.

That night, Peter questioned if Victoria F. was sabotaging their relationship. Victoria F. floated the idea that Peter may be better off with someone else who is willing to open up emotionally, and later walked out.

Despite all this, Peter still offered Victoria F. a rose, albeit through gritted teeth.

“No one has given me this much grief, or put me through this much at this point. That being said, will you accept this rose?”

What a love story this is shaping up to be!

7. Sydney (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: 9

Sydney’s elimination needed to happen eventually, but it was somewhat shocking that it came just one week after their very solid 1-on-1 date in Costa Rica. It’s possible that Peter was aware of Sydney’s blowout fight with Tammy in the previous episode, but none of that particular drama carried over to Chile.

Sydney didn’t even seem to be too peeved about being sent home. I suspect that both Peter and Sydney knew this result was coming after a conversation or interaction, and producers simply didn’t show us that in order to keep the Rose Ceremony suspenseful.

8. Mykenna (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: 12

Mykenna was the victim of an all-out attack from Tammy in Chile, but shut down Tammy admirably after being called immature. Their shouting match was heard by Peter during the group date cocktail party, and he made a move to squash the beef by confronting both parties during a pre-Rose Ceremony 2-on-1.

Peter met with Tammy first, and Tammy accused Mykenna of only being on the show to “create hashtags for her brand.”

In her meeting with Peter, Mykenna assured him that she’s on the show for the right reasons, and that Tammy was misrepresenting her. Before Peter asked Tammy to leave, Mykenna delivered one brutal parting blow .

“You’re not even worth my words anymore. You’re nothing.”

Mykenna got to laugh over Tammy’s exit – but didn’t receive a rose herself a few hours later. Peter tried to let her down with the “you’re going to make someone happy someday” speech, which should be illegal on this show.

Mykenna delivered an emotional farewell speech in a confessional, clearly trying to channel Hannah B.’s legendary “I will not allow myself to not feel chosen” line, but it came off like an audition. The moment isn’t going to vault Mykenna into Bachelorette consideration, but she does feel like a Paradise lock at this point.

9. Victoria P. (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: 5

Peter stunned Victoria P. with an abrupt elimination in Chile, after admitting that he wasn’t as confident about their relationship as she was.

“I think my biggest concern for you right now is maybe you are more secure and confident in us than I am.”

(To be fair, Peter, why wouldn’t she be more secure than you? She’s not the one dating multiple people.)

Victoria P. asked Peter to clarify, repeating that she didn’t know what he meant by that, and he dropped the hammer blow.

“I don’t know if I see you as my wife, and I’m so sorry. I’m sorry about that.”

Victoria P. asked for a cab to leave immediately, and begrudgingly allowed Peter to walk her out.

Victoria P.’s biggest issue may have been that her 1-on-1 date occurred too early in the season, which allowed Peter to forget about her as he went on to focus on other relationships – though that hasn’t been a problem for Madison.

10. Tammy (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: 10

Tammy completed her swift transition from “feisty competitor” to “full-on WWE heel” in Chile, and goaded Mykenna into a fight in front of the group. Why Tammy is so concerned over each cast member’s eligibility for Peter’s heart is unclear, but her gatekeeping proved to be her downfall.

Tammy: “I’m wearing black today because it’s her funeral.”

When confronted by Peter, Tammy explained that Mykenna “has shown me no reason that she’s here for the right reasons,” forgetting that she doesn’t have the authority to decide who stays and who is eliminated. Peter thankfully sided with Mykenna and walked Tammy out – but will their feud be rekindled in Sayulita?

Bachelor Power Rankings: Tammy takes on Kelsey and everyone loses

Peter Weber’s Bachelor cast members are turning on each other.

Peter Weber’s Bachelor cast joined him in Costa Rica during Week 5, where a blowout feud between three women caused major drama just before a fateful Rose Ceremony. We’ll be recapping each episode and ranking all the contestants weekly on FTW.

At a certain point during each Bachelor or Bachelorette season, a percentage of cast members will have made it incredibly difficult for themselves to be able to watch a replay of each show with their new partner should they go on to become the season’s winner. We’ll call it “The Luke P. Dilemma.” Last year on Hannah Brown’s season, Luke P. repeatedly lied to and deceived everyone on the show, and was generally unbecoming, making it so that even if he won, his relationship would be futile as soon as Hannah saw the footage. Through just 5 weeks of Peter’s season, an alarming amount of women have already crossed this line, including a few current front-runners.

1. Madison

Last week’s rank: 1

Madison is using the same game plan that Hannah G. used in Colton’s season, and it’s working out perfectly for her. Madison is almost invisible for the majority of episodes, remaining far removed from any drama going on, and instead only pops up whenever she has a pleasant moment with Peter. During their conversation this week, Peter told Madison that “I love the way you make me feel,” which is about as close as he’s come to telling someone that he’s falling in love with them. The rest of the cast is imploding, but Madison is a lock to reach the final three.

2. Hannah Ann

Last week’s rank: 6

Hannah Ann, who is officially “the cutest thing ever,” according to Peter, thought that she would have an edge in the Cosmopolitan modeling contest given her experience, but lost out on the cover. Early in the episode, Peter snapped a selfie while kissing Hannah Ann, so now both she and Madison have awkward mementos if they don’t go on to win.

3. Victoria P.

Last week’s rank: 5

Victoria P. was furious with Peter in the last episode, but they managed to move on in Week 5, and spent most of their meetings together kissing. Victoria P. somehow sidestepped a bombshell accusation during the Tammy-Kelsey fight, as Tammy alleged that Victoria P. spread the rumor that Kelsey was “popping pills.” Victoria P. told the group that she was being unfairly dragged into the feud, and because seemingly everyone was blinded by anti-Tammy rage at the moment, Victoria P. escaped unscathed (for the moment).

4. Sydney

Last week’s rank: 9

At the start of the episode, Sydney questioned whether she’s the type of woman Peter was looking for, and managed to roast both Peter and Alayah with one savage line.

“I don’t know if Peter is ready for a Sydney. Maybe he needs an Alayah.”

Her feelings quickly changed after Alayah was sent home, and she received the first 1-on-1 date in Costa Rica. She went for a helicopter ride with Peter, and later opened up to him about her difficult upbringing. Sydney was raised by her mother in Alabama, and said that she was the victim of racism and bullying in high school, which she described as the worst years of her life. Sydney told Peter that during her senior year, she ate lunch every day in the bathroom. (While it’s hard to imagine that anyone would lie about something so serious, Twitter users are questioning elements of Sydney’s story, and have found interesting photos from Sydney’s yearbook.)

Sydney and Peter spent most of the rest of their night making out, and Peter admitted that Sydney is “the best kisser” in the cast. That certainly won’t be awkward for Peter to watch back with whoever he proposes to at the end of the show, assuming it’s not Sydney.

Prior to the episode’s second Rose Ceremony, Sydney gets involved in a blowout fight with Tammy after trying to rewrite history to show that she didn’t go to Peter to expose Alayah as “fake.” As many of the women ganged up on Tammy, Sydney claimed that she hasn’t been the same type of relationship cop that Tammy became in this episode.

“When I’m with Peter, I literally say zip, nada. The last thing on my mind is to tell him… ‘Tammy! Kelsey!'”

Tammy then reminded Sydney that she started the Alayah drama just a few weeks ago, and Sydney exploded.

“He brought up Alayah, so don’t you ever try me one more time, Tammy. I’m so [expletive] sick of that. If you say that to me one more time I’m going to lose my [expletive] on you. I never brought up Alayah. No, shut the [expletive] up.”

(For the record, Sydney did bring up Alayah. In a private conversation, Sydney told Peter that some women were “so artificial,” which led Peter to ask Sydney who she was referring to later in a group session. Sydney then called out Alayah specifically in front of the rest of the cast.)

At the end of the fight, Sydney and her “posse” (Lexi and Natasha) laughed in Tammy’s face, and Sydney repeatedly called Tammy “crazy” and “psycho.”

5. Kelsey

Last week’s rank: 4

Kelsey just received a one-on-one date in Week 4, but after arriving in Costa Rica, she was distraught over not receiving a second consecutive date and having to watch Peter give attention to other women. Kelsey was very emotional throughout the day, and was consoled by Tammy. During their conversation, Kelsey delivered another classic line this season.

“I like Sydney a lot. I think she’s cool. But she’s a dramatic [expletive].”

Kelsey was a part of the modeling group date, but was visibly annoyed throughout that Peter was being affectionate with Victoria F., among others. At the cocktail party, Kelsey explained to Peter why she wasn’t “herself” during the day, and became the first cast member to drop an “I am falling in love with you” Peter did not reciprocate, but kissed her and assured her that he’s thought about her “so much.”

Later on, at the same cocktail party, Tammy told Peter that Kelsey had a “mental breakdown” after not getting the solo date, and note that Kelsey frequently drinks.

Peter then pulled Kelsey aside to address the claims, and Kelsey admitted that while she was emotional, “it wasn’t a breakdown,” and that “it’s not like every day it’s been like that.”

Kelsey returned to the group of women to ask who had just told Peter she was “emotionally unstable,” and Tammy did not reveal that she had raised the concerns. Interestingly, at this point in the episode, the cast seems to be on the side of whoever talked to Peter about Kelsey. Natasha reminds Kelsey that she just had a date and shouldn’t have reacted that way, while Lexi reveals that Kelsey said Sydney “wasn’t right” for Peter.

During Kelley’s 1-on-1, Kelsey and Tammy have a private conversation, and Kelsey asks if Tammy has a problem with her. Tammy eventually walks out on the conversation, and advises Kelsey to drink some more bottles of wine.
Kelsey then made a fateful decision. On the day of the Rose Ceremony, Kelsey showed up at Peter’s place uninvited to “explain a few things. Kelsey tells Peter that “Tammy’s telling people I have a drinking problem, and then it turned into I’m popping pills.” Peter consoles her, and reasons that Tammy might be jealous of Kelsey’s standing. Peter then pulls a rose out of nowhere and gives it to Kelsey, and praised her for showing how much she cares.

In a shocking twist, Chris Harrison showed up at what should have been the pre-Rose Ceremony cocktail party and informed the cast that they would be going straight to the Rose Ceremony, as Peter had a moment of clarity and was sure of his decisions. Naturally, the women blamed Kelsey for influencing Peter.

6. Victoria F.

Last week’s rank: 7

Victoria F. aced the group date modeling challenge and was booed by the rest of the cast for repeatedly kissing Peter during the photo session. Her actions made an impression on the Cosmo editor in chief, however, who awarded Victoria F. with the March cover of Cosmopolitan.

Victoria F. will not be appearing on the magazine this year, however, after it was revealed that she had previously modeled in apparel that featured the phrase “White Lives Matter.” Cosmopolitan announced the decision on its website.

(Each cast member’s ranking is a reflection of their current standing with Peter assumes that Peter has no knowledge of any problematic or conflicting backstories.)

7. Mykenna

Last week’s rank: 12

Mykenna has spent the last few weeks in constant turmoil, as she never has enough time with Peter to advance her relationship, but keeps repeating to herself that she can see herself falling in love with him.

“I don’t want to leave without him knowing my heart.”

Can we just stop with the “knowing my heart” thing? I blame Hannah B. for this.

Mykenna finally took the initiative during the Rose Ceremony, and interrupted Tammy’s time to tell Peter that the drama had “broken” her. Somewhat surprisingly, she still earned a rose that night – but Wednesday’s episode could be a do-or-die situation. Mykenna desperately needs a one-on-one date.

8. Natasha

Last week’s rank: 13

Peter is fully aware that Natasha may be his toughest critic, so he pulled her aside and joked that he’s ‘surprised you’re still here giving me a chance” after he sent home Alayah.

Later on in the show, Natasha made it clear how she feels about Tammy.

“Tammy? I could never see her again in my whole life and I won’t give a [expletive].”

Like Mykenna, though, Natasha really needs to make an impression quickly, or I fear she won’t survive another Rose Ceremony.

9. Kelley

Last week’s rank: 2

I’m honestly not sure how Kelley made it through Costa Rica with a rose.

Kelley received the second one-on-one date of the trip, and Peter made it clear in confessionals that he wasn’t sure about their relationship. Peter’s pre-show meeting with Kelley gave her an early edge, but since then there’s been zero development of their relationship, and Kelley hasn’t really made any effort to separate herself from the pack. She didn’t even sound particularly happy about landing a one-on-one.

“Who doesn’t have fun when they’re doing cool activities? Yeah, we’ll have fun…..”

Very convincing, Kelley.

Kelley and Peter went through a pretty standard Bachelor in Paradise date, visiting a shaman to undergo a cleansing ritual and some relationship-building exercises. There’s an entirely different vibe to Peter’s relationship with Kelley when compared to his connection with the likes of Sydney, Kelsey or Victoria P., however. Peter and Kelley almost seem like long-time co-workers straining themselves to enjoy a first date they know they probably shouldn’t be on.

That night, Peter immediately addresses the fact that their relationship obviously isn’t going anywhere, and Kelley turns the tables and bluntly states that she’s had “zero chance” to progress their relationship because Peter’s been too busy “rewarding drama.” Peter still offers Kelley a rose at the end of their conversation, and she, for some reason, accepts.

Kelley earned plenty of fans on Twitter for her no-nonsense approach, but it’s fairly obvious that both she and Peter are wasting their time here.

10. Tammy

Last week’s rank: 10

We’ve already gone over the Tammy-Kelsey feud, which is almost certainly going to doom Tammy in the long run. This was a bad week for Tammy, and the episode preview hints that she’s going to be cast as a full-on villain moving forward – but not only was what she did pretty standard Bachelor behavior, but it was the type of thing Peter had rewarded Sydney for earlier in the show.

In this very same episode, Peter thanked Sydney for “all she’s done,” alluding to her work in exposing the Alayah drama. Could Tammy have explained herself more clearly, or selected her words more carefully when talking to Peter about Kelsey? Absolutely! But she was hardly the only person who was critical of Kelsey midway through the episode.

11. Shiann (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: 11

Shiann never got a chance to make an impact on Peter during her stay, but her final words after being eliminated may have opened Peter’s eyes. After telling Peter he’s “amazing,” Shiann warned Peter that some of the women in the house are not the type of people they may seem to be.

“I want you to be aware of some of the girls in this house, sometimes what they’re saying is not who they are.”

Who is Shiann talking about, exactly? The entire cast has turned on Tammy, but I don’t think anyone could accuse her of being fake. My guess is Shiann may have been referring to Sydney, Victoria P. and/or Kelsey.

12. Lexi (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: 3

Early in the episode, Lexi and Peter made out in a red car in a callback to her opening night entrance. Later on, Lexi inserted herself in the argument between Kelsey, Tammy and Sydney, and was harshly critical of Tammy. During the Rose Ceremony that was interrupted, Lexi called out Mykenna for going to see Peter and turning the ceremony into a “mini cocktail party,” moments before she watched Mykenna receive a rose. The moment was made even more hilarious considering it came not long after Lexi delivered this line to Tammy:

“It’s kind of like, blaming us for your relationship not moving forward, and that’s ridiculous.”

Every single cast member is guilty of this, Lexi, including you!

Lexi has plenty of fans on social media who are shocked by her departure, but I don’t think she came off particularly well in this episode.

T-13. Kiarra (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: 8

T-13. Savannah (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: 14

Savannah and Kiarra played virtually no role in Week 5, or for the rest of the season, for that matter. Kudos to them for making it this far.

T-13. Deandra (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: 15

Deandra’s last-ditch effort to keep herself on the show was to inform Peter that she’s “wifey material.” It didn’t pay off.

16. Alayah (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: 16

Alayah’s second run on the show didn’t last very long. At the start of the episode, Peter pulled Alayah aside and essentially kicked her off the show for her own good, telling her that he doesn’t want to put her through what had become “too much” drama. Peter assured Alayah that he believes she’s a good person, and that the connection they shared was real. I’d be shocked if we don’t see her in Paradise in a few months.

[jwplayer UO045H78-q2aasYxh]

Bachelor Power Rankings: Everybody hates Peter

Peter’s alienated the entire cast with his questionable decisions in Week 4.

Peter Weber may have screwed everything up in Week 4 of The Bachelor, and he’s worrying that his cast may walk out on the show after his puzzling decisions sparked a furor. We’ll be recapping each episode and ranking all the contestants weekly on FTW. 

1. Madison

Last week’s rank: 2

In an episode where Peter may have destroyed his relationships with a majority of the cast, Madison seemed to be least affected, and she stayed clear of all the drama surrounding Alayah’s return. Despite barely interacting with Peter, that’s more than enough reason to jump to No. 1 in the Power Rankings.

2. Kelley

Last week’s rank: 3

Like Madison, Kelley kept herself out of the squabbles that dominated the episode. Kelley also revealed herself to be a decent quarterback in the pickup game, throwing a game-tying touchdown pass just before time expired to send all 13 women to the cocktail party.

3. Lexi

Last week’s rank: 7

Lexi and Peter took zero steps forward in their relationship in Week 4, but she’s one of the very few women who doesn’t seem to be actively anti-Peter at this stage. Lexi did align herself against Alayah, and accused Alayah of only coming back to The Bachelor simply to keep herself on television.

4. Kelsey

Last week’s rank: 18

#ChampagneGate seems so far away for Kelsey, who surprisingly earned a one-on-one date in Cleveland, Ohio. Peter informed Kelsey immediately that Alayah had returned to the show, and Kelsey impressed Peter with her reaction, saying that she didn’t want him to have any regrets and to explore his relationship with everyone.

Kelsey and Peter spent the day exploring the city, and competed in a soapbox race against kids. That night, Kelsey opened up to Peter about her parents’ divorce, and said the experience left her with a “tough exterior.” Peter was so moved by the discussion that he began crying, and later rewarded Kelsey with a rose.

5. Victoria P.

Last week’s rank: 1

Where do we even begin with Victoria P.?

Victoria P. was a part of the football group date, but due to back issues, she sat out of the game and instead spent time cuddling with Peter on the sideline, which was a total pro move. Victoria P. would presumably have been left out of the cocktail party, but fortunately for her, the game ended in a tie, meaning all 13 women got to spend the evening fighting for time.

Victoria P. was the first person to steal people away, which enraged the rest of the cast, especially game MVP Shiann. Peter and Victoria had a pleasant conversation about cheering on their kids one day, and at that moment, Victoria P. seemed poised to end the episode as the favorite to win once again. Then Alayah showed up.

Alayah, seeking to clear her name, revealed to Peter that she and Victoria P. were actually close friends who talked every day, and had even gone on a trip to Las Vegas together. Alayah said she was in “physical shock” upon hearing from Peter that Victoria P. said she only knew Alayah for a few hours, and was nothing more than an acquaintance.

When confronted by Peter, Victoria P. admitted that she did go to Vegas with Alayah – and therefore misrepresented her relationship – but upheld that her truth is the truth, and what she originally told Peter that led him to eliminate Alayah was valid. She broke down defending herself to Peter, to the point where it was difficult to understand what she was saying.

(Normally, I would predict that being caught in a lie like this one would doom any given contestant, but because Peter has screwed up this situation so catastrophically, I think he’s more likely to either forget or forgive and simply try to move forward with whichever women will have him.)

Later on, Victoria P. turned the tables on Peter, and said in a confessional that his “mistake” of allowing Alayah back on the show is making her “question everything.”

Prior to the Rose Ceremony, several women confronted Peter about the way he handled the football group date and Alayah’s return, and he offered an apology to the group. Peter then asked Victoria P. if she wanted to go talk, and she accepted while loudly announcing to the group that she didn’t really want to talk to him at the moment. Victoria P. was furious with Peter for dropping her name to the group when discussing why Alayah was sent home, and felt that Peter made her a target. (This is the second time this season that Peter has outed a whistleblower, and we’re only in Week 4.)

6. Hannah Ann

Last week’s rank: 5

It was another quiet week for Hannah Ann, who was one of the many women who didn’t get any time with Peter after playing in the Bachelor Bowl.

7. Victoria F.

Last week’s rank: 14

Bachelor producers took their devious plotting to an entirely new level for Victoria F.’s one-on-one date in Cleveland. Victoria F. is deathly afraid of heights, so Peter took her for a plane ride above the city, and then to a completely empty Cedar Point, where they rode several roller coasters by themselves.

During a lunch, Peter and Victoria F. discussed the ideal number of children they hope to have, which is completely normal for a Bachelor first date. Peter wants to have an even number of children, so that in the event the family goes on a roller coaster, the kids will be able to sit next to each other in pairs.

Peter then surprised Victoria F. by leading her to a concert, and we got a fantastic extended close-up of Victoria F.’s face as she slowly realizes that the performer is Chase Rice, someone she describes as an ex-boyfriend. In a confessional, Victoria says that she and Chase dated before she came on the show, but doesn’t provide a clear timeline.

Chase Rice spoke about the incident in a radio interview, and said that he had no idea that he’d be seeing Victoria F. during the performance. Rice also refuted Victoria’s claims that they were in a relationship.

Via Yahoo!:

“To be clear, he said, he had no ill will toward Victoria, but he certainly didn’t categorize their relationship as “dating,” the way she did when she referred to him as her “ex-boyfriend” and claimed he asked her not to do the show. “We spent a night together in Charlotte, she’s a cool chick, from what I know of her,” he commented. “I got no problem with her. I got no problem with him.”

According to Victoria F., she broke things off because their lifestyles didn’t match.

Victoria was incredibly nervous to reveal to Peter that she had a history with Rice, and her confession turned into one of the most needlessly dramatic moments of the season so far. In reality, this was a funny coincidence and nothing more, and Victoria F. and Peter should have been able to laugh about it. Instead, Victoria F. walked away from the table while sobbing after revealing the connection to Peter (who also didn’t handle the situation very well).

Peter chased after Victoria F. and told her that he “respects the hell” out of her for telling him about Rice, and assured her that he’s not holding the past relationship against her.

Victoria F. should have made some serious progress in Week 4, but as long as every meaningful moment is potentially the end of the world, I can’t see her lasting long.

8. Kiarra

Last week’s rank: T-9

Kiarra has received less airtime than any other remaining woman by Week 4, but keeping yourself out of petty drama is always a good strategy in The Bachelor. If Kiarra can survive the next Rose Ceremony, she should finally be in a position to get some quality time with Peter.

9. Sydney

Last week’s rank: 4

Sydney commented in a confessional that she’s looking at Peter differently after he brought Alayah back on the show, and she made it clear to him how she felt about the situation in an eye-opening conversation.

“You don’t know anything about me! And we can’t even get there, because we’re dealing with Alayah 24/7.”

Could we be heading toward a rose rejection in next week’s Rose Ceremony?

10. Tammy

Last week’s rank: 6

Tammy was overjoyed at the prospect of tackling the rest of the cast in the football game, but surprisingly didn’t show up in many of the highlights in the show edit. Later on, in a confessional, Tammy referred to Peter as her “boyfriend,” which is just hilarious.

Sadly, the episode previews do not bode well for Tammy. She appears to get into a blowout argument with Sydney, and is shown in another shot sobbing in a confessional. While the previews are certainly edited deceptively to make you expect things that won’t necessarily happen, it doesn’t look good for Tammy.

11. Shiann

Last week’s rank: T-9

Shiann dominated the football game, and was completely unstoppable on the ground, rushing for four touchdowns to carry her team. She likely felt that her performance on the field was enough to entice Peter to make time for her at the cocktail party, but was taken aback when Victoria P. immediately stole him for a conversation. Shiann was still visibly affected when she finally got to speak with Peter, and told him she was “not OK” and felt “pushed to the side.”

It’s understandable that Shiann isn’t happy with the amount of time she’s had with Peter, but she presumably knows how this game works. No contestant is entitled to any time whatsoever, and you have to battle for every second. If you’re not first, you’re last, Shiann.

12. Mykenna

Last week’s rank: 8

Mykenna, who described Cleveland as “stunning” during the episode, cried in a confessional after not receiving the first one-on-one date in Ohio. She was unable to spend any meaningful time with Peter during the week, and is constantly concerned that he’s not going to get the opportunity to appreciate her heart, or whatever. She’s going to be a terrific cast member in Paradise.

13. Natasha

Last week’s rank: T-9

Natasha had one of the best lines of the week after the football game:

“Shiann, you should grab Peter first, and I will block for your [expletive] until you’re done.”

Shiann unfortunately did not follow Natasha’s advice. Later on in the episode, Natasha called out Peter for giving the group date rose to Alayah, who wasn’t even officially on the date.

14. Savannah

Last week’s rank: T-9

Savannah is potentially the only member of the cast who is pro-Alayah, which could become a problem for her later. She openly accused Victoria P. of lying about Alayah to the group, and revealed that she had witnessed Alayah and Victoria P. acting very friendly in certain situations.

15. Deandra

Last week’s rank: T-9

Deandra rightfully slammed Peter prior to the Rose Ceremony, telling him that she’s never felt “more underrecognized by someone,” and that she could barely stand to look at him. It’s possible Peter tries to make amends by giving her an apology rose, but this relationship seems to be toast.

16. Alayah

Last week’s rank: 19

Alayah crashed the post-football game cocktail party, stunning the rest of the cast and triggering a potential cataclysmic event. Alayah told Peter she wanted to clear up what was said about her, and made the case to Peter that it wasn’t fair that he made an informed decision after hearing every other woman’s “opinion” Alayah.

Peter probably shouldn’t have been swayed by this argument, but was blindsided by the revelation of Victoria P.’s friendship, and didn’t realize that accepting Alayah back into the fold was tantamount to signaling that he doesn’t trust the long line of women who raised red flags over Alayah. According to Peter, he’s “loved” everything he’s seen from Alayah so far, and invited her to come back.

Peter then compounded his error by offering Alayah the group date rose, and excused himself from the date without having talked to the majority of women who actually played in the game.

Naturally, it doesn’t take long for Alayah to get involved in more drama. Contestants on The Bachelor are completely cut off from the outside world during filming, and are not allowed to use their phones or access the Internet while they’re on the show. After being eliminated, Alayah was able to read all of the spoilers and speculation over things that reportedly happened, so she knew about Victoria F.’s awkward encounter with Chase Rice and the story circulated within the cast. Victoria F. was outraged by this, and promised vengeance on Alayah.

In an emotional conversation with Peter, Alayah says she’s being “torn to shreds” by the other girls, but isn’t sure why almost everyone in the house seems to despise her. She’s now a Paradise lock, which may have been her goal all along in returning.

[jwplayer GdgiPZiB-q2aasYxh]

Bachelor Power Rankings: Peter has no idea what he’s doing

Recapping Week 3 of The Bachelor.

Peter Weber is losing hope after being informed that some of his cast members might not be here for the right reasons, and his Rose Ceremony in Week 3 ended with a shocking twist. We’ll be recapping each episode and ranking all the contestants weekly on FTW. 

Last week, I wrote that Peter seemed to be doing a great job at making each woman in his cast feel special during their one-on-one interactions. After episode 3, I’m worried that Peter may be going too far and getting carried away with the things he’s saying so early in the process – which could make for some devastating moments later in the season. On Monday, for example, Peter told one woman that she’s the most inspiring person in his entire life after their first date. The late-season breakups in Peter’s season are going to make for epic television.

1. Victoria P.

Last week’s rank: 3

Victoria P. earned the only one-on-one date of the show, and Peter drove her to his hometown to buy some cowboy gear for a night at one of his favorite hangouts. From the start, it’s clear that Victoria P. is absolutely smitten with Peter, and her feelings have already advanced to an alarming level after just two episodes.

“I want nothing more than for Peter and I to fall in love.”

They spent a romantic evening in a hangar, where Victoria P. revealed her remarkable life story to Peter in an emotional conversation. Victoria P.’s father died when she was young, and she said her mother became an addict after his death. Peter was moved by Victoria P,’s willingness to open up, and her story that showed him “what kind of person you are.” Victoria P., who seemed like she would say yes to a proposal if Peter were to get down on one knee, wondered if the stars were aligning for them.

Then things got a little crazy. Peter told Victoria P. a story that feels like it’s something Luke P. would say. According to Peter, he witnessed a shooting star during a conversation with God just before filming began.

“I couple days before all this started, I had a really special moment where I felt like I just knew this was going to work. I just started, like, talking to God, and I just was like, ‘I don’t know where she is, but watch over her. And the second that I said that, a shooting star went across the sky.”

Peter then gave Victoria P. the highest compliment imaginable after spending his very first day with her.

“I have never been inspired by someone so much in my entire life, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.”

If Peter doesn’t close the season by proposing to Victoria P. after saying that, it’s going to be even more awkward than Madison’s framed Weber family photo.

Later on in the show, Victoria P. says in a confessional that she’s already falling in love.

“I just had to tell the truth to the person that I’m falling in love with.”

2. Madison

Last week’s rank: 2

Madison only appeared once in the episode and had a short chat with Peter at the pool party, but after going on such an early one-on-one, it’s to be expected that she’s going to fly under the radar for a while. Most importantly, she’s been completely removed from drama this season, which bodes well for her in the long run.

3. Kelley

Last week’s rank: 1

Peter’s conversation with Kelley, the woman he met prior to filming, had a decidedly different tone than the conversations he had with everyone else. After being told to shave his beard, Peter asked Kelley if she could realistically see the Bachelor process working out for her as a way to find a partner. Kelley said that she’s very out of her comfort zone, but that she would have left already if she didn’t feel it was worth it to stick around.

4. Sydney

Last week’s rank: 7

If you’ve watched previous seasons of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, you know that it’s generally a terrible strategy to serve as a “cop” of the season. Ratting out fellow cast members to the person you’re trying to date, or questioning whether people are here for the right reasons, only serves to get the cop caught up in entirely avoidable drama, and also wastes time that they could be spending forging a solid relationship with the star of the season. As noted by FTW alum Greg Presto, Sydney may be the first cop in Bachelor history who was actually rewarded for causing a massive feud.

Sydney is convinced that Alayah, who she cannot stand, is putting on a front while on camera, and isn’t letting Peter see who she truly is. Sydney is also alarmed that the women who seem to be connecting with Peter are the “opposite” of who she is, so she decides to tell Peter that inside the mansion, some of the women are “so artificial.”

Sydney’s plan backfires somewhat when Peter outs her as a whistleblower during a group date cocktail party, but she somehow emerged with a group date rose from the chaos.

Honestly, I was firmly on #TeamSydney until Alayah’s conversation with her at the pool party, where Sydney took her policing of the show to the next level, and straight-up asked if Alayah had feelings.

“Do you have feelings? Do you have emotions other than… perfect? You can’t be happy all the time.”

There’s zero chance that her conflicts with the rest of the cast don’t doom Sydney eventually.

5. Hannah Ann

Last week’s rank: 5

The episode opened with Hannah Ann and Kelsey dealing with the fallout from #ChampagneGate. In a somewhat surprising move given how vicious the dispute was, both women sat down together to hash out their differences – and Hannah Ann discovered that she will never be winning an argument with Kelsey. In what has to be one of the funniest conversations in Bachelor history, Kelsey admitted to “using unkind words” against Hannah Ann, but vehemently denied bullying her. Kelsey then asked why Hannah Ann didn’t just approach her instead of going to Peter, which led to this glorious exchange.

Usually in this situation, I’d predict that Hannah Ann wouldn’t be able to recover from this incident – but the feud between Sydney and Alayah took the spotlight off Hannah Ann and Kelsey, which may allow them to bury this beef and move on.

6. Tammy

Last week’s rank: 9

Tammy, who was on the varsity boys’ wrestling team in high school, was disqualified from Demi’s pillow fight championship for repeatedly taking Kelley down to the mat. Peter complimented her at the cocktail party afterward fro being “so much fun,” and they capped the conversation with a kiss.

7. Lexi

Last week’s rank: 6

It was another slow night for Lexi, who only really appeared to warn Peter about some of the women who “turn it on for the camera” and may have a different personality away from the show. Interestingly, Lexi didn’t name Alayah specifically and kept it general, so there may be other women that are still getting away with faking it around Peter.

8. Mykenna

Last week’s rank: 4

Mykenna was distraught after the cancelled pool party, as she was among the eight women who didn’t get any time with Peter ahead of the Rose Ceremony. Fortunately, Mykenna scored the very last rose of the week.

The “here for the right reasons, but still not here on my TV” division

We’ve seen a total of seven hours of Peter’s season so far, but with episodes 2 and 3 being dominated by two-person feuds, we’re still waiting to learn more about several women who are struggling to earn camera time. With the cast already cut down to 15, Week 4 will be pivotal for these contestants.

T-9. Natasha

Last week’s rank: 8

T-9. Deandra

Last week’s rank: T-10

T-9. Kiarra

Last week’s rank: T-10

T-9. Shiann

Last week’s rank: T-10

T-9. Savannah

Last week’s rank: T-10

14. Victoria F.

Last week’s rank: 18

It was a quiet week for Victoria F., but we saw in the preview for next week that she appears to go on a one-on-one date with Peter to a Chase Rice concert. The only problem? Victoria dated Chase prior to the show. Get your popcorn ready.

The “women Peter may regret not giving a chance to” division

I’m sure Peter had his reasons for not giving a rose to any of these three, but we never saw those reasons play out on television. Alexa, Jasmine and Sarah were essentially invisible after their first night in the mansion, so we’ll never know what kind of chemistry they had with Peter.

T-15. Alexa (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: T-10

T-15. Jasmine (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: T-10

T-15. Sarah (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: T-10

18. Kelsey

Last week’s rank: 19

According to Kelsey, Hannah Ann made a “serious accusation” that she was bullied, but being called expletives and pejoratives does not constitute bullying… or something.

Kelsey also made the shocking revelation that she doesn’t “even like champagne,” despite exploding in Week 2 over a bottle that she had been saving for more than 12 months. It’s possible that Kelsey is telling the truth here, and that she’s really just upset about the possibility that someone interfered with her plans.

In any event, the Sydney-Alayah feud was a lifesaver for Kelsey, who we know will be sticking around long enough to tell Peter that she’s falling in love with him. I’d peg the over/under on that occurring within 1.5 episodes.

19. Alayah (eliminated?)

Last week’s rank: T-10

Alayah didn’t receive a rose at the end of a wild third episode, but she may not be out of the game just yet.

The episode opened with a fantastic supercut of Alayah potentially annoying everyone else in the mansion, expertly framed in a way by Bachelor producers to establish her as a villain. We know that Sydney hates Alayah and wants her gone, but we aren’t entirely sure if anyone else agrees.

Alayah is a part of the group date pillow fight, and somehow emerges victorious thanks to Demi’s nebulous rules and ridiculous tournament structure. (Instead of just advancing the winners from each round, Demi elects the two women she felt showed the most effort to fight in the final, and then randomly declared Alayah to be the winner. I’m surprised Tammy didn’t lodge a formal protest with the California State Athletic Commission.)

At the cocktail party after the date, Sydney launched her full frontal assault against Alayah, delivering another legendary quote in an episode full of them.

Sydney: “Do you work at all?”
Alayah: “I have three jobs.”

In a private conversation with Peter, Sydney outs Alayah as “fake,” but likely wasn’t expecting what came next. In an incredibly poorly planned speech, Peter told all of the women on the date that he was afraid of falling for someone who wasn’t genuine – and then revealed that Sydney told him that a person on the cast wasn’t being authentic. By outing Sydney as a whistleblower, Peter immediately made her an enemy of the house – but Sydney picked up the baton and continued running at full speed, calling Alayah out in front of the group for being fake.

At the pool party, nearly every woman Peter talked to corroborated Sydney’s claims about Alayah, and Victoria P. – who knew Alayah personally from the pageant circuit – revealed that Alayah had asked her not to tell producers that they were acquaintances. When asked about this by Peter, Alayah makes up a ridiculous excuse that she thought both she and Victoria P. would be disqualified from the show for… knowing one another (???).

Despite all these red flags, Peter is torn over his Rose Ceremony decision. He apparently meant to give his final two roses to Alayah and Mykenna, but changed his mind mid-Rose Ceremony, and had Chris Harrison remove one of his roses. The episode closed with Peter second-guessing his decision, and wondering if he should let Alayah leave the house. In the episode preview, we see that Alayah comes back in Week 4, so it’s possible that she may re-join the cast.

[jwplayer Jw3HjI5K-q2aasYxh]

Bachelor Power Rankings: Breaking down the champagne incident

Week 2 of The Bachelor delivered an all-time great meltdown.

Peter Weber hit some major turbulence on his journey to love in Week 2 of The Bachelor, as bitter rivalries are already forming between members of his cast. We’ll be recapping each episode and ranking all the contestants weekly on FTW. 

1. Kelley

Last week’s rank: 1

We didn’t see Kelley at all in Week 2, but fortunately for her, that means she completely sidestepped all the ridiculous drama that developed in this episode.

2. Madison

Last week’s rank: 3

Madison didn’t get much time with Peter in Week 2, but he told her that it feels like they’ve been dating for years, and that his parents love her already after their first one-on-one date. Peter surprised Madison by handing her a wrapped gift, which happened to be a framed family photo from his parents’ vow renewal ceremony.

If Madison doesn’t win, this is going to be so, so awkward.

3. Victoria P.

Last week’s rank: 2

Victoria P. also had a quiet week, but was fairly prominent in the season teaser at the end of the episode and is poised to make a deep run.

Unranked: Hannah B.

Last week’s rank: Unranked

The episode began with Peter and Hannah B. continuing their conversation backstage at the group date, where Hannah had presented a challenge to the rest of the women by recapping, in great detail, her sexual escapades with Peter inside of a windmill.

Neither Peter nor Hannah B. seem to know what to do about their relationship, and after some very long hugs goodbye, you get the feeling that Hannah B. will be back later in the season, even if she isn’t joining Peter’s cast as a full time member. Peter admitted in a confessional that he wanted to kiss Hannah B., and it certainly seemed like Hannah B. wanted to kiss him. This is setting up perfectly for Hannah B. to waltz back onto the set right before Peter proposes to someone else.

The group date, at this point, had been entirely derailed. Peter apologized to the women he had invited but canceled the performance portion of the date, leaving them with just a cocktail party to look forward to. More on that later.

4. Mykenna

Last week’s rank: 19

Mykenna came to the mansion with a strategy to be aggressive, and it’s paying off. At the cocktail party after the failed group date, Mykenna got Peter to show off some dance moves, leading Peter to stop her mid-sentence with a head pull into a kiss. As we saw on Hannah’s season, physical affection is going to be a big deal for Peter, and Mykenna is making the right moves.

Mykenna was also involved in a ridiculous early fight with Kelsey, who accused her of ruining her champagne moment by stealing Peter away. Upon a rewatch, Mykenna appeared to have no idea Kelsey had “claimed” Peter at the time, as Kelsey was off on her own setting up her champagne spread by the fireplace, while Mykenna, in a different part of the mansion, found Peter and whisked him away for a quick moment.

5. Hannah Ann

Last week’s rank: 4

Hannah Ann had an excellent showing in Week 2, winning the fashion show challenge on a group date to earn herself a brand new wardrobe – but her new beef with Kelsey threatens to ruin her run on the show.

To recap, Kelsey had saved a bottle of champagne for more than a year, and intended to open it with Peter on opening night. She didn’t get the opportunity, but decided to share the bottle with Peter at the post-date cocktail party.

Kelsey prepared the champagne on a tray and left it sitting next to a fireplace, and then simply walked away and left it unguarded. She had told a small group of four women about her plans on camera, but that group did not include Hannah Ann. Naturally, later in the episode, Kelsey was stunned to hear the pop of a champagne bottle from another room as she was talking about her plans with the other contestants.

Kelsey alleges that Hannah Ann knowingly stole her champagne bottle, while Hannah Ann said she had no idea the bottle belonged to Kelsey. We only get to see a small portion of the footage, but from the show edit, Hannah Ann was never in a room with Kelsey as she talked about her champagne. Interestingly, and perhaps nefariously, Bachelor producers had set up a second bottle of champagne in a different room, perhaps leading Hannah Ann to believe they were a natural cocktail party prop free for the taking.

Kelsey attacked Hannah Ann for the rest of the night, leading Hannah Ann to tell Peter that she felt bullied by Kelsey. Peter then confronted Kelsey, who defended herself by telling Peter that she’s been bullied in the past, and that Hannah was misusing the term “bullying.” Not knowing who to trust, Peter gave both women roses – but this beef has the potential to explode in the coming weeks.

6. Lexi

Last week’s rank: T-6

Peter, to his credit, is proving himself to be adept at creating small moments to make contestants feel special. In his meeting with Lexi, he pretended not to remember her mansion entrance on night 1, and asked her to refresh his memory. He then pulled a small toy convertible out of his pocket as a present. What a guy.

7. Sydney

Last week’s rank: T-6

Sydney earned a surprise group date rose from Peter after telling him about her difficult upbringing in the south. Peter replied by telling her how strong she is, and quickly transitioned into kissing her, because that’s what Peter does.

8. Natasha

Last week’s rank: 17

Natasha had absolutely zero patience for the Hannah Brown situation in Week 2, and she didn’t hide her disapproval throughout the episode, telling anyone that would listen that it wasn’t fair for Hannah to be around. At the cocktail party that night, Peter saw that Natasha was obviously annoyed and asked her to “get it out,” and later praised her for being so direct.

We saw in the season preview that Natasha appears to take at least one international trip, so she’ll be around for a while.

9. Tammy

Last week’s rank: 5

We only saw Tammy this week when she was hilariously reacting to Kelsey cursing out Mykenna, but the episode preview revealed that she gets involved in a profane shouting match with another contestant later in the season.

The “no screen-time” division

Week 2 was a weird episode due to the cancelled group date and #ChampagneGate, and a few women stole the show and dominated the screen. We’re grouping together all of the contestants who have yet to make an impact on the show, but have done enough to avoid elimination.

T-10. Alayah

Last week’s rank: T-6

T-10. Kiarra

Last week’s rank: T-6

T-10. Alexa

Last week’s rank: T-6

T-10. Jasmine

Last week’s rank: T-6

T-10. Sarah

Last week’s rank: T-6

T-10. Deandra

Last week’s rank: 18

T-10. Shiann

Last week’s rank: 20

T-10. Savannah

Last week’s rank: 21

18. Victoria F.

Last week’s rank: 29

In Week 2 we discovered that Victoria F. is not comfortable at all in a group setting, which doesn’t bode well for her future on a group dating show. Victoria was extremely nervous prior to the fashion show yet flourished when she actually hit the runway, and even broke out lingerie in order to differentiate herself from the rest of the contestants. Victoria F. advanced to the final walk-off against Hannah Ann, but was crushed when she lost and broke down backstage, saying she wanted to go home.

Peter did his best to console Victoria afterward, but she said that she wasn’t sure if remaining on the show was worth her mental health. Peter later surprised her with the group date rose, which felt like a bit of a sympathy rose.

19. Kelsey

Last week’s rank: T-6

Kelsey got herself involved in two separate disputes with Mykenna and Hannah Ann, and both delivered some excellent TV moments. We’ve gone over the Mykenna fight, but Kelsey’s assessment of Mykenna was legendary.

“Do I think she’s a snake, and snaky? Yeah.

I don’t tolerate snakes, I don’t like them. They’re my least favorite animal.”

Kelsey appears to be playing The Bachelor like someone who has never watched the show. If you aren’t aggressive and constantly taking the initiative, you’re probably going to lose. Kelsey could have avoided both disputes in Week 2 if she simply hadn’t been wasting time by talking to the other contestants, but here we are.

The cut of the show we’ve seen reveals that Hannah Ann has a decent claim that she didn’t know about Kelsey’s champagne plans, as she wasn’t in the room when Kelsey announced them, and she said later that they had barely talked to one another. Kelsey, however, is adamant that Hannah Ann “knows what she did,” and she might hold that grudge for the rest of her life. When Kelsey finally gets the chance to have a special moment with Peter, it literally blows up in her face.

But wait, there’s more! The season preview revealed that Kelsey says “I’m in love with you” at some point in the season, though that could be deceptively edited. We aren’t sure if Kelsey is talking to Peter at the time, and it wouldn’t be beyond the Bachelor producers to tease a moment that never happens. At this stage, though, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if Kelsey pulls a Jean Blanc and drops an L-bomb on Peter as soon as Week 4.

The “women we never met who might pop up in Paradise” division

T-20. Lauren (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: T-6

T-20. Courtney (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: T-6

T-20. Payton (eliminated)

Last week’s rank: T-6

[jwplayer ZEucvvev-q2aasYxh]

[vertical-gallery id=879984]

Bachelor Power Rankings: Hannah B. crashes Peter’s party

Is Hannah B. still in love with Peter? Here’s everything we learned in Week 1 of The Bachelor.

Peter Weber’s season of The Bachelor premiered on Monday night with a three-hour marathon episode, and he narrowed his initial field of 30 Bachelorettes down to 22 after the first Rose Ceremony. Who are the favorites this season, and which women need to make up ground? We’ll be recapping each episode and ranking all the contestants weekly on FTW. 

1. Kelley

It was revealed early on that Kelley previously met Peter in a hotel around a month before each of them arrived at the Bachelor mansion, and while the events of that night are as of yet a mystery, it’s clear that Kelly and Peter forged a very strong connection during their encounter.

Kelly was selected for the first group date, a day at flight school that culminated with an obstacle course race for the right to take a sunset flight with Peter. Kelley navigated the course expertly and the competition came down to a tricycle race against Tammy around a bunch of cones – but Kelly brazenly rode through all the curves and cut the track in order to win.

Tammy protested, yelling that Kelley was obviously cheating, but as we’ve seen before in this series, the rules are really more of a suggestion. Tammy likely would have won had Kelley adhered to the course guideline, but instead Kelley got to spend a romantic evening with Peter.

At the cocktail party that night, things got even weirder. The hotel hosting the party was the very same one where Kelley and Peter met, and they took the time to re-enact their first meeting. Peter made an aggressive move, hoisting Kelley onto a bar so they could kiss, and later rewarded her with the group date rose.

What happened, exactly, during this initial meeting in a hotel? Peter remarked during the episode that he had not stopped thinking about Kelley since they met, which would imply that they didn’t just have a short, introductory conversation a month earlier. Time will tell, but for now, Kelley has a major advantage on the field.

2. Victoria P.

Victoria P. breezed through the first rose ceremony and went on the flight school group date, where she bravely took a turn inside a human gyroscope despite knowing that she’d deal with motion sickness afterward (or during). She aced the ride and threw up in a nearby bathroom, but Peter rushed to check on her and make sure she was feeling OK.

That night, Peter recalled that Victoria P. had mentioned that she’d never received a rose from a man before, and he excused himself from their conversation to go pick a few flowers outside the hotel. I’m calling it now, Victoria P. is a lock for the final three.

Unranked: Hannah Brown

GUESS WHO’S BACK?

The show opened with Peter saying that he truly did fall in love with Hannah B., and given how strongly he felt for her, he was hopeful that he could fall in love again. Maybe he doesn’t have to! Hannah B. showed up on limo night, stunning the cast, to wish Peter well and give him a pair of wings that Peter had given her last season. It was a touching moment, and seemingly was the end of Hannah B.’s involvement in the season…. until she showed up on the second group date.

The second group date, which will occur next week, will be a performance in front of a live audience. With no previous explanation, Hannah launched into the iconic tale of her night inside a windmill with Peter, making all of Peter’s new love interests extremely uncomfortable, before revealing that each woman would have to tell  a story from their sex life to a crowd.

After the presentation, Peter found Hannah crying backstage, and she revealed that it’s been very difficult to return to the show and be around Peter, as she still apparently has feelings for him. Peter asked if she regrets sending him home on The Bachelorette, and Hannah said she questions it all the time. Peter then floated the idea of asking Hannah to join his cast, to which Hannah said “maybe.”

As I argued last season, it’s entirely possible that Hannah and Peter would be engaged right now if Luke P. hadn’t wrecked her entire season. While it’s highly unlikely she joins the show given how busy she was with Dancing With The Stars at the time of filming, you get the feeling this won’t be the last time we see Hannah.

3. Madison

Madison, a natural Hannah B. rival from Auburn, Alabama, earned the first solo date of the season – and was immediately thrust into an incredibly awkward position. Instead of getting to spend the day alone with Peter, Madison served as Peter’s date to his parents’ vow renewal ceremony. Before ever getting a chance to have a serious conversation with Peter, she was meeting his grandparents and family friends, and to her credit, she seemed to thrive in the environment. Madison got a glowing review from Peter’s mom, and even caught the bouquet.

Madison and Peter then went to dinner, and she told him that she felt at home with his family, and Peter said it was refreshing to hear her talk glowingly about her family. In a classic Bachelor move, the dinner turned into a surprise concert by Tenille Arts, who welcomed Peter’s family to invade Madison’s alone time for the rest of the night.

4. Hannah Ann

Hannah Ann decided to be aggressive on night one, and her decision to interrupt three separate conversations ended up scoring her the coveted First Impression Rose. After Peter had met all the women, Hannah immediately handed him a drink as he walked inside the mansion to give his opening address, which is a total pro move that I hope she plotted months in advance. In her first conversation with Peter, she presented him with a painting that she made with her dad, which will hopefully end up on eBay if she doesn’t win.

She then interrupted Deandra and Shiann, making early enemies in the process, but Peter said later that night that he appreciated how bold she was. The internet, however, was not as impressed, with some members of Bachelor Twitter comparing Hannah Ann to Luke P.

 

5. Tammy

Tammy was robbed. She made a memorable first impression on night one with Peter, screening him with a metal detector and planting a condom on his person to discover during a frisk. She then made a comeback in the flight school challenge and was poised to beat out Kelley and earn a private flight with Peter – but she played by the rules and lost. Tammy became a fan favorite in the first episode, and while I hope she can recover from this injustice, she likely at least secured a spot for herself in Paradise.

—————————-

T-6. The “women we haven’t really met” division

The three-hour Bachelor premiere felt like a marathon, but there still wasn’t enough time to highlight all of the 30 women in the cast. Here are all the women who have yet to make a lasting impression, but did enough to escape the first Rose Ceremony.

Alayah

Alayah was the first woman out of the limo, and she brought Peter a letter from her grandmother to read later in the evening. A smart strategy!

Kelsey

I can’t remember anything Kelsey did aside from telling Peter that Hannah made a mistake by letting him go during her limo exit.

Kiarra

Kiarra HID INSIDE AN AVERAGE-SIZED SUITCASE and was rolled up to the mansion on a cart.

Lauren

Lauren didn’t do much in episode 1, but she gets points for wearing a sparkly bodysuit to stand out from the pack.

Lexi

Lexi arrived in a classic car because she “likes to go fast.” Peter pumped the brakes immediately and left her off both group dates, which isn’t a good sign.

Alexa

Alexa received a video introduction, which is usually an indicator that a contestant will be a major player, but was mostly invisible in the premiere.

Courtney

Courtney had a runway controller wave her in and she pedaled up to the mansion on a child’s plane-shaped bike.

Jasmine

We only saw Jasmine get interrupted by Victoria F. on the first night, and she wasn’t featured alone with Peter during the group date cocktail party.

Payton

The first thing she said to Peter was “FOUR TIMES,” which is maybe a questionable decision, but she made it through the Rose Ceremony and is on the second group date.

Sarah

Sarah is one of my early picks to make a deep run, but she had a very small role in the premiere.

Sydney

Sydney, who is a from Alabama, bawled in a confessional after not winning the flight school challenge. That night at the cocktail party, she was interrupted by Kelley.

———————-

17. Natasha

Natasha made it through night one, but it’s possible that a feud could derail her progress with Peter. When interrupted by Mykenna, Natasha came back immediately with a giant paper airplane, and then awkwardly stood a few feet away as Peter and Mykenna kissed.

18. Deandra

Deandra wore a windmill on her back to make her entrance, and asked Peter if he was ready for a fifth round. A little too on-the-nose.

19. Mykenna

Mykenna has future Bachelor in Paradise star vibes, and she got so much screen time in Week 1 that she’s clearly being set up as a main antagonist in the cast. Mykenna cried in a confessional after not getting the First Impression Rose, a result that made her “question a lot of things,” and also let out a primal roar when Hannah B. arrived to the mansion.

20. Shiann

Shiann gave Peter a barf bag for their first meeting, and spent the rest of the episode being severely emotionally affected by the actions of the other women in the mansion. You have to have Dylan-on-Hannah G. levels of tunnel vision to succeed in this game, and I’m not sure Shiann has the mettle.

21. Savannah

Savannah tried to be bold with her entrance, but went so far over the line that it was a bit creepy. She blindfolded Peter, did some ASMR whispering in one of his ears and then kissed him.

22. Eunice (eliminated)

Eunice should have advanced on the strength of this pun alone.

23. Maurissa (eliminated)

Maurissa received a video intro, and was one of the more surprising cuts in the Rose Ceremony. She made a pinky promise with Peter during their first meeting – and if Peter’s already breaking those, this season is headed for chaos.

24. Megan (eliminated)

Megan was one of three flight attendants in Peter’s cast – and Peter eliminated all three of them. She had one of the better introductions, using an intercom to announce she had “direct service to Peter’s heart.”

25. Jade (eliminated)

Jade may have received the least screen time of any contestant in Week 1. So long, Jade!

26. Avonlea (eliminated)

I’m mostly relieved I don’t have to learn how to pronounce Avonlea’s name.

27. Jenna (eliminated)

Jenna showed up at the mansion with an emotional support cow. Seriously.

28. Kylie (eliminated)

Kyle brought a package of condoms for her first meeting with Peter to rant about his windmill experience. Maybe next time don’t immediately remind Peter about all the sex he had with his ex-girlfriend?

29. Victoria F.

Peter’s decision to give Victoria F. a rose was the most shocking of the night, and given how dramatic she’s proven to be in confessionals, she feels like a contestant the producers want to keep around to spice things up. In her first meeting with Peter, Victoria F. stumbled through a joke about her dry sense of humor and laughed it off, resulting in a hilariously awkward moment. Later that night, Victoria F. brought up the joke again to Peter, who had to ask Victoria F. to repeat it because he couldn’t remember.

This crushed Victoria F., who couldn’t believe that Peter didn’t remember her punchline. Her chat with Peter was interrupted, which seemed to indicate that she only ever talked to him about a lame joke during the entirety of night one, and still somehow received a rose.

30. Katrina (eliminated)

Katrina has a hairless cat at home. That’s really all you need or want to know.

[vertical-gallery id=879984]