“This is why you need to make dessert, Dad”, says My Daughter Diandra (MDD). “I need to eat my feelings.”
Seriously. Lots of feelings tonight. Who expected in the course of merely one episode that My Girl – Our Girl – Sarah would become the real villain? And that Vacuous Victoria would become the voice of reason[1] “using her powers for good” per MDD.
Oh, yeah. Of course. The Evil Genius Producers (EVPs).
And at the end they make Sarah into a sympathetic figure? Nicely done, EVPs.
Warning – this blog will be less recap and a little more Op-Ed.
We knew something was up when Queen Victoria got the Rose Ceremony’s final flower over an unjustly treated Marylynn. It was all a false flag bait-and-switch over to Emo Queen Sarah who was unmasked as this season’s why-did-you-come-on-the-show girl, you know the overly insecure one who can’t handle the thought of the guy she likes liking somebody else (quite reasonable) but goes on a nationally televised show where the guy she likes is going to like lots of somebody elses[2] (quite unreasonable).
As a result, she behaves badly: a feint faint; interrupting a group date she wasn’t on; isolating herself from the other girls; and refusing to own the impact of her behavior on the other relationships. I don’t believe she was acting out of malevolence nor was she being manipulative. But she did act out of a lack of self-awareness and her decision to even come on the show was additional evidence of that.
Much respect for Katie who stood her ground in an assertive but non-offensive way during her interrupted time with Matt. And then going to talk with Sarah privately with great compassion and understanding, even imploring Sarah to stay because if she and Matt had feelings for each other, Katie didn’t want to think she was Matt’s backup plan if Sarah left. Then Sarah would forever be the one that got away. I also loved Katie confronting the Girls of Nemacolin about the way they piled on Sarah. I don’t think she’ll be The One for Matt but she’s showing great leadership skills!
By the way, Matt didn’t help this problem by rewarding Sarah for acting out during the group date and also prior to his one-on-one with Serena. But the EVPs win because now they have us wondering who and how he’ll move on from the loss of Sarah who tearfully (and finally) makes the right decision to go home.
And can I say that I had that?? Like in last week’s post when I wrote that a viable option is that “she’s going to decide to make a dramatic early exit, perhaps to return home to her father.”
Enough on that.
Uh, was anybody else as uncomfortable as our house with the reading of the sex stories? We all be like . . .
And it sounds like FIVE new girls are coming next week? And mention of one who [cue Adele Rumor Has It] works for an escort service?
All of this screams of Bachelor in COVID. In the absence of fantasy dates in exotic locations, the EVPs have to get creative to maintain drama and interest which seems to mean pushing boundaries and fake narratives. It also means casting people to push those boundaries and fulfill those narratives and that feels manipulative. Queen Victoria is a bad person – even if they made her good tonight. Yes, Sarah chose to come on the show knowing the situation with her father but perhaps she shouldn’t have been given that choice. Why are these people allowed to “entertain” us?
And here I said I’d said enough on that. Urgh. Tonight made me feel dirty rather than entertained.
MDD is right – some dessert may have assuaged my feelings.[3]
I’m hoping for better next week. See you then.
P.S. Tonight’s viewing wine: Kaleidscope Red Blend California, 2017. This was an experiment. I think MDD liked it more than me. A little too fruit-forward (I got cherries) without something else (earthiness, tartness, chewiness) balancing it out for me. Still, a bargain for the under $15 price.
[1] A strident voice to be sure. Holy cognitive dissonance, Batman!
[2] I think this should be “somebodys else”. Kinda like Attorneys General.
[3] It clearly was of interest to The Women of The House. When I said, “You guys know I’m not much of a dessert person”, She Who Must be Obeyed replied, “You know how to cook, right? Nobody asked how much YOU like dessert.” MDD took her side. My legendary objectivity had to admit I’d just been outplayed like the men in The Queen’s Gambit.
Ray's Musings 
Leave a Reply