“I’m The Bachelor, this is absolutely nuts.” The Bachelor Season 17 Episode 1 Recap

First off, it feels good to be back.

Second, I just finished watching the premier and I can’t help but be filled with a little bit of giddy joy. Somewhat similar to the first day of school. You know, if school was full of slutty, insecure, crazy girls. Oh wait, it was! Hooray school is back in session.

No but really, I think I’ve been away so long that I rather than being consumed with constant secondary embarrassment, I genuinely embraced it every time it showed its awkward face on my television set.

Gah I missed this. (Admit it, you did too.)

So this season marks our boy Sean’s second chance at big boobie grabbing true love. After a quick preview of one girl’s pursuit of madness (I’m watching you Tierra), it’s time to get down to business. And by business, I mean video footage of Sean with his shirt off. It appears that since the last time we saw Sean, he’s been working on his pecks, improving his babysitting skills and hoarding v-neck tees. You know, standard post break-up stuff.

Side note: There needs to be an addition to this season’s drinking game: take a drink every time Sean takes his shirt off. Take a shot every time he is shown working on his fitness, shirtless obviously.

I’m BAAACCK! Image: Buddy TV

While Sean’s been crying puppy dog tears and trying to deal with his new found fame, we discover his dad has been picking up Brad’s plaid me downs at Goodwill. I mean,  if anyone knows about Brad’s sloppy seconds it’s the Lowe family.

Side note part deux: When is Emily going to come back (again) as The Bachelorette? #runitback
Hey Robert Mills – make it happen. 

We end with one of the more ridiculous camera shots this show has ever filmed: Sean sulking on a beach while a couple celebrates their beach wedding in the distance. Brilliant. Bloody brilliant.

Enough of beach bum Sean, it’s time to move on with things. And who better to help Sean move on but Arie. Nothing like having a former reality show nemesis bro over for some brewskis before heading out on the hunt for love.

p.s. – did you all see Sean cutting up some strawberries to feed to his favorite man candy Arie? So sweet.

These guys can totally relate to one another because of course, “we both fell in love with the same girl and we both got our hearts broken by the same girl” and we both love v-necks. Brother from another mother. Totes.

The bros move from the kitchen to the patio where it’s time for some words of wisdom from good ‘ol Arie. So at first, I thought this sit down was one of the biggest man love moments on the show, then it turned kind of funny and then it got kind of brotastic. Especially when Sean asked Arie from kissing tips.

Now I know there are TONS more secondary embarrassing moments ahead but I may have to say this was the worst for me. It’s well documented around here how much I HATE HATE HATED watching Arie kiss Emily. The slurping noises, the aggressive face grabbing, the visible tongue fighting to figure out what she ate at her last meal. It. was. too. much.

So having to hear Arie give his pointers was one of the more horrid moments in my viewing history. I definitely yelled out “NO NO NO!” at the TV multiple times. When Arie demonstrated his hand technique, a little piece of my soul died. And I”ll never forget that I heard this line, “You’re kissing her with your whole body.” ENOUGH.

Just when I thought I couldn’t take it anymore, my man Chris Harrison steps in and save us. Happy New Year to you too CH! How I’ve missed your face! Seriously ABC, don’t keep this guy hidden up in a house on a hill. There’s got to be some parade or pageant or game show that CH can host during hiatus.

While I’m hoping aloud for some more one-on-one time with Chris, the producers have a different idea. Apparently we have to meet the ladies or something. Lame.

“Look at this stuff, isn’t it neat. Wouldn’t you say my collection’s complete?” Image: Buddy TV

* Desiree, 26: Ray (as her friends call her) or Desi (as I will call her) is a bridal stylist. This has all the making of a downward spiral but Desi doesn’t seem so bad. A little desperate but nothing too alarming… well that was until I heard her laugh. You can’t hide a crazy laugh.

* Tierra, 24: This gal has trouble written all over her. And not just drawn on like her eyebrows. Little lady couldn’t be more excited about Sean as The Bachelor. So excited that she’s filmed jumping up and down, yelling his name, all over her hometown. “He’s family oriented and that’s what I love about him.” Yikes a million.

Robyn, 26: Nerdy Engineer that loves gymnastics. ‘Nuff said.

Diana, 30: This momma of two is a hairstylist in Salt Lake City. She’s got to be friends with Michelle Money right? Kids + SLC + Bachelor = Besties. Here’s hoping.

Sarah, 26: Blondie advertising designer with one arm. Serious question from me – How do you send the girl with one arm home? Serious question from Drew – When he proposes, does the ring go on the right hand? Okay, we are the worst. Sorry about that. No but really, I like Sarah. She seems normal. That’s what it takes to be normal on this show, one arm.

Ashley: Oh Lord. Another hairstylist. What’s the deal with hairstylists on this show? Maybe they’re just planted to make sure the girls all have the perfect beach waves on every date. Oh wowser, while I was thinking about beach waves, Ashley’s been busy showing us her cats and revealing her 50 Shades of Gray obsession. Question: “Why am I single?” Answer: “I totally hope Seans rips my clothes off and spanks me.” Where do they find these people?

Leslee, 26: This gal means business. Political consultant from down south, living in DC. Doesn’t want any stinking nerds or politicians. Next best option, The Bachelor, obviously.

Kristy: Oh no. Another model. Kill us all now. model.

AshLee: A professional organizer with a penchant for getting teary eyed. Side note, can we talk about the way her name is spelled? Change that. Change it now.

But enough of that nonsense. We’ve all watched this enough times that we don’t need to watch a ton of footage of girls {working out, dancing in their time square, acting weird & quirky for the camera, telling their sob story, playing with their kiddos} to know what this group is made up. Time to meet these gals face to face.

I’m throwing in a twist/challenge for the intros. Rather than wax on about how crazy or ridiculous each girl is, I am going to try and some each of them up in three words (maybe four at times but definitely under five). Let the madness begin…

Limo Reveals

As sounds of “he’s SO cute!” “ahhhhh!!!!” “he’s so handsome” “I love him!” dance in our heads, we all settle down for our winter recap. (Sorry that was corny, cue your own secondary embarrassment for me. I couldn’t help it.)

Limo #1

“Here let me do that for you.” Image: Buddy TV

* AshLee F: Really that spelling?

* Jackeie, 25: Little Mermaid puckers up. (I’m counting Little Mermaid as one word.)

* Selma: Hottie wipes it off. (p.s. – doesn’t she look like a latin Ashley Greene?)

* Leslie H.: Ready for prom OR big mouth & busty.

* Daniella: Is that lingerie?

Limo # 2

* Kelly: Please don’t sing.

* Katie: Curly Sue, Sun-Saluting Yogi

* Ashley: I definitely won’t be the first or last person to say this about Ashley but it’s pretty dead on: 50 Shades of Crazy.

Oh You. Image: ABC

* Taryn: Doesn’t watch The Bachelor(ette/Pad)?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

* Catherine: Seems pretty normal. (BORING!)

Limo # 3

* Robyn: Yikes. Failed Flip.

* Lacey:  Emily’s lacy twin.

* Paige:  Ran it back from BP3.

* Tierra:  Drama for days. OR Gets the Rose.

Love how Sean says that he “hopes it doesn’t create any tension.” Hey bud, are you as crazy as Tierra? No wonder you “clicked” immediately. These girls are gonna hate Tierra hardcore. Just wait for it.

Gotta pop in and give a prediction on Paige. If you didn’t watch Bachelor Pad 3, here’s the low down on little Paigey-Poo. Last season they invited 4 fans to compete on BP. It seemed like a fun idea except those fools got run out of the building real quick. Quickest of all? Our girl Paige. She seemed nice, sweet and mid-to-mildly normal but don’t be confused. This gal is NUTS and BEYOND desperate to make it on the show. She won’t get all drunk and stupid and she won’t come off as a conniving bia but don’t be fooled – Paige is crazy motivated to get on the show.

Limo # 4

* Amanda: Fit Model. Boo.

Side note: It has become insanely clear that the #1 requirement on Sean’s list was big boobs. All of these girls have yittums for days. Not hating, just appreciating.  Get it how you live Sean.

“I brought this as a gift. So you will remember that even when I’m crazy, I still love football. And that makes me a winner.” Image: Buddy TV

* Didn’t catch this girl’s name: Rest of dress?

* Desiree:  Pennies from heaven.

* Sarah:  Don’t look at her arm.

* Brooke:  Cute short hair.

* Diana: Michelle Money’s BFF

Three word break-in: So much boobage.

Lesley M.: Down. Set. Spike.

Limo # 5

* Kristy: No. More. Models. OR “Best from the Midwest.” BARF.

* Leslie: Nicki Minaj? (Take away the hair and they look EXACTLY alike.)

* Italian Leslie: Threats ≠ Love

* Lindsay: WHY WHY WHY? Or as you may remember her: Crazy Bride to Be.

Really? That’s it?

Gotta expand on Lindsay in that absurd wedding dress. First off, if you’re going to wear a wedding dress, try not to get the ugliest one on the rack at David’s Bridal. That thing was fug to the max. Second, don’t try and play off your crazy as having a “sense of humor.” Um, last time I checked, having a sense of humor meant telling a joke or doing something a little silly NOT dressing up like a bride on a show where you compete to find love. C’mon Lindsay, you broke the Secondary Embarrassment Cardinal Rule on the first episode: Keep Your Crazy Under Control. Amateur.

Oh and yikes a million when she has to go inside. Did she not think about that? First,  that EVERY girl will hate her for being so ridiculous and second, that you actually have to wear that dress for the 12-hour cocktail party.

NO NO NO NO! Image: Buddy TV

But before I can continue ranting on Lindsay (and watch her make an enormous fool of herself in the house), CH is on the scene with a SUPRESA! Lord knows I love a good surprise. One of the former contestants on CH’s speed dial gave him a ring and asked to “meet” Sean. Who can it be?

Before CH can even finish the sentence I am yelling “PLEASE TELL ME IT’S SHAWNTEL!” at the screen. I lunge for the remote control and violently fast-forward (thank god for DVR, I couldn’t deal with this show AND commercials), all the while begging out loud for it to be Shawntel… again.

Oh yay! One More! Image: Buddy TV

Unfortunately for me (and let’s be real, all of you because I get down on talking about the undertaker), it’s Kacie B looking like a smoking hottie in that see-through number. Kacie knew that if she was coming back, she needed to come strong and obviously that meant showing off the girls. It’s amazing that they’ve remained so big (wink, wink) despite the fact that she’s clearly lost about 25 lbs since her season. Why so skinny Kacie B? You were already a grade A cutie and now you just look a little scary skinny. I think you need to head back to Clarksville for some of Momma’s cooking.

Also, I cannot stop staring at her boob mole. Just thought I’d let you all know.

Well, now that the gang’s all here, it’s time to start the shenanigans aka binge drinking like sorority pledges at their first mixer. Just with less guys and “that girl” times 26.

Bottoms Up!
(No not like that, you dirty mind. I meant glasses not, you know.)

This is not some original thought but it must be shared, Sean is a living (well that’s debatable. he could be a ABC created robot… how awesome would that be? okay, sorry that got weird), breathing, anatomically correct Ken doll.  And now he’s standing in a room searching for his Barbie. This is going to be an American love story at its best.

Sean is super pumped to be standing in a room full of easy women all vying for his validation, attention and love. How do I know this? Because he says that word for word in his toast. (Aw I wish!) He washes down his mix of fear and excitement with a Corona in a glass (see that lime?) and he’s off on his “amazing adventure.”

Seriously with the presents? Image: Buddy TV

Another amazing adventure is also underway, Kacie B.’s quest to avoid having her eyes scratched out by Paige and all the other super fans who think it’s “SO UNFAAAAIRRRRRR” that she’s back for a second chance. I think they’re just mad they chose to wear their prom dress while Kacie B. got real (read: slutty) in her Vegas wear.

The cocktail party is always crazypalooza and it’s hard to recap it all so here are the low lights:

* Desiree, in a sea of uncomfortably crazy laughter, manages to win Sean over with her love of wedding dress design and showing off her na-na’s. He rewards this with the SECOND ROSE of the night.

Woah woah woah little buddy. ABC didn’t set up these rules for no reason. You can’t just start giving out roses willy nilly in an attempt to avoid the threat of mob murder at the rose ceremony. This show is based on a carefully crafted set of “rules” and breaking the rules is just “NO FAAAAAIIIIIRRRRRR.”

* Sean says F your rules and starts running around like the Pied Piper, doling out roses to whatever fair maiden crosses his path. He decides to channel his inner-Oprah (don’t we all want to?) and is just skipping through the house yelling “YOU GET A ROSE! AND YOU GET A ROSE AND YOU GET A ROSE!” It’s a twist I both love and hate. Hate because he is robbing us of the mental breakdown of at least 12 women over the course of the night. Love because he is making the five mental breakdowns we do get to see THAT MUCH BETTER.

* This is Paige at the cocktail party:

Always lurking, watching, waiting, look at the baby, look at the baby.

* Every few minutes we check in with Kacie who STILL hasn’t gotten a rose. This baffles her and also takes her back to that insecure place where girls on The Bachelor live for 9 weeks.

* Within minutes, Sierra, Robyn, The Little Mermaid and something like four other girls all have roses. Paige is SO MAD! This also spurs Tierra, Desiree and some other girl who got a rose to debate on who really got the “First Impression” rose. Um, WHO CARES? Apparently Tierra cares because it seems her eyebrows have begun to move independently from her face. This frightens me and I have to take cover behind a massive pillow cushion until it ends. I’m also filled with dread since it seems we’ll be stuck with this little darling for a while.

“Is this a bomb?” Image: Buddy TV

* Nicki Minaj does not get a rose.

* The girls catch on fast to Sean’s game and have formed a single-file line that moves and follows him to each section of the patio. So whenever a boob-evaluating session conversation ends, the first girl in line physically throws herself on top of Sean forcing him into a sit down.

* About this time is when we reach the drunk as a skunk portion of the show aka the good part. Yeah, Taryn is crying but why focus on the sad crazy when you can focus on the party crazy.

* Ashley is like a gift from up above sent down to The Bachelor to entertain us with her “that girl” antics, awesomely inappropriate dance moves and obsession with S&M. Not sure where the producers found this one but if there are more, please bring them out for Bachelor Pad (OMG, I just had a revelation. Please, please, please let this gal make it to the Pad. She would be a simple slice of perfection.)
Her one-on-one should have been one of those epic SE moments where I crawl under my couch and look for lost cheerios but instead I embraced it. I think that we’ve been on hiatus for so long that I couldn’t help but soak up and enjoy every stinking second of the train wreck happening before our eyes. It was poetry in motion. And by poetry, I mean the kind scrawled on the bathroom door at a skeazy college bar. “Bless her heart,” Yoga Jane says as the rest of the country nods in agreement.

Oh and you’re welcome for that video.

* Next stop on the crazy train is Lindsay aka the Blushing (from all the booze) Bride. Can’t help but love Sean a little when he calls her out: “We may have the same morals,” Lindsay says filled with hope and desperation (which are actually the same thing on this show). “But not the same drinking tolerance,” replies Sean with calm wit of someone who’s been there before and lived to remember tell the story.

* Last but not least, we’re filled with hope (the real kind) for Sarah. It would be like The Bachelor to make one of the most normal contestants the girl with one-arm. I even don’t mind her annoying Kourtney Kardashian voice. Sarah’s all down in the dumps, sad because she hasn’t gotten a rose yet. Don’t fret little Sarah, your Ken doll is here to sweep you off your feet and present a challenge never before seen in Bachelor history: What to hold? Your drink or the rose?

(Oh and don’t get all judgy here. Likely this is not the first time you’ve read secondary embarrassment and if it is, you’ve made it this far so don’t get offended now.)

* It’s time to close down this party and get ready for the real rose ceremony but not before some helpless sap says this classic, “These are the most perfect roses ever… and they came from Sean.” WOOF.

Rose Time

In one of the least dramatic rose ceremonies of all time (gah, i missed that bachelor franchise hyperbole), Sean has already shot most of his load and now only has seven more roses to give. The girls are sharply divided and it’s hard to imagine there wasn’t some sort of pushing, shoving and name calling as they arranged into their quest for love pyramids.

And the roses go to…

* Amanda: Pretty girl. Big mouth. Woah woah woah, make that HUGE mouth. (“I see you Sean,” says Drew in one of his rare but meaningful and gross comments.)

* Leslee M: Political Football Junkie for the win.

* Kacie B.: Well that’s a relief.

* Kristy: Boo the Midwest model.

* Daniella

OMG Paige is FUMING right now.

* Taryn: You can quit crying now honey.

Final rose and it goes to…..

Fingers crossed for crazy Paige!

* Lindsay: WHAT the WHAT? Wedding dress girl? No Way! There is only one word for this: Ridonkulous. Okay maybe two: Staged.

How in the WORLD did this girl get a rose? Image: Buddy TV

The walk of shame commences, one that Paige is all too familiar with. Bummer.

But enough of those sad sacks, it’s time to toast to {love, adventures, the possibility of motor boating!} Let the adventure begin!

And no premiere episode is complete without a look ahead/cheat sheet at the season. Here’s what it looks like it will be full of: Beach, boobs, beautiful babes, more boobs, bungees, boats, bitches, {neck} braces, bitterness, being bummed and bliss.

Side note: Did anyone see that wedding dress gal gets a HELICOPTER DATE!?! I’m happy that helicopters will be making a prominent return but really, with wedding dress girl. Consider me disappointed.

Last but not least, Ashley’s exit interview may be the best five minutes of footage ever captured by an ABC camera. Give that girl her own show. Now.

Okay, so what did you all think? Are you excited for this season? I must say that I’m pretty hype. It already is better than Ben’s season (he was the WORST!) and obviously the crazy force is way stronger in these gals than the men. I’m thinking we’re in store for some fun.

Who’s your favorite? Who did you wish got kicked off? Let’s talk!