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Monday Night TV: New Bachelor Thoughts From Jesse Csincsak

Ratings for ABC's The Bachelor are the highest in years. On tonight's show, single dad Jason Mesnick goes from the final three -- Jillian, Melissa and Molly -- to the final two. The reality tv sites (see here, here and here, although they may have too much traffic during the show to get through) are burning up with speculation, not so much about what happens tonight as everything points to Jillian leaving -- but what happens next when he's scheduled to pick between the final two.

Bachelor producer and head honcho Mike Fleiss is fueling the speculation, talking about unusual twists that have never before happened on the show.

I just got off the phone with last season's bachelorette winner Jesse Csincsak, who I interviewed a few weeks ago here. Here's what he said today: [More...]

  • Are you on the Women Tell All episode or either of the After the Final Rose episodes?
    Jesse, his new girlfriend (and former Bachelorette contestant Holly Durst) and some of the other contestants from last season's Bachelorette will be on the Women Tell All Episode next week (2/23). ABC came to Breckenridge a few weeks ago and filmed while Jesse was hosting a reunion of some of the guys.
  • Who does he think Jason picks?
    He doesn't know for sure. He thinks it will be down to Melissa and Molly and his best guess is Melissa. He said all three are great girls and he thinks whichever two who aren't chosen would make great Bachelorette stars next season.

  • Has he spoken to Jason?
    He has spoken to Jason a few times and while Jason didn't say (and can't say) who he chose, he sounds really happy.

  • Is Fleiss exaggerating now to drum up ratings?
    No, while Fleiss is all about ratings, Jesse thinks there really is something big and unprecedented that happens during the ATFR (After the Final Rose) show. He says don't miss it.
  • Is it that Molly throws a fit at being rejected?
    He scoffs at this and says Molly wouldn't do something like that, she has too much class. Again, he's not agreeing Molly is rejected, just answering my question.

Note from me: The ATFR airs immediately following the Bachelor finale on March 2. Apparently, it's so shocking ABC ended up scheduling another ATFR show the next night to explain it.

  • In his last interview with me, Jesse mentioned he had traveled to New Zealand. Did that have anything to do with the Bachelor?
    No, that was a snowboarding trip.

I'll give the last word to Mike Fleiss on next week's finale:

"[If] I'm the boy that cried wolf [before], well this time it's a wolf," Fleiss told Reality TV World on Friday.

"It's five wolves, it's a pack of wolves! I'm telling you, money back guarantee. If anyone thinks this isn't the most shocking The Bachelor ever, you have them call me, because I'll want to know why, because it is, it most definitely is. I don't even think there is anything close."

As for my predictions:

  • Jillian goes home tonight
  • Jason refuses to choose between Molly and Melissa at the Final Rose Ceremony (FRC)next week or he chooses Melissa as his final choice but does not propose.
  • The proposal happens at a later point in time and they show it at the beginning of the ATFR episode (which is live and immediately follows the taped FRC show.) Someone blows up during it causing the shocking twist. Is it really shocking? Probably not to those who have been sleuthing clues all season from screencaps, interviews and timelines, but to the vast majority of the show's 10 million viewers, yes.

My final thoughts: I really don't care who Jason picks, it's all in trying to figure out the puzzle, kind of like a rubik's cube. Jesse, the Colorado snowboarder, is still my favorite -- Deanna gave up a really good guy. You can make friends with him at his MySpace or Facebook pages. He answers his mail.

Update: Show's over. Jillian went home, as expected. Now, Molly and Melissa will meet Ty and Jason's family in New Zealand and then Jason is supposed to choose one of them. But it won't air until March 2, as next week is the WTA episode (see above.)

The previews I saw were of the WTA, but here are screencaps of the next episode in New Zealand (scroll down for the video.)

Update: Having now seen the preview for the family scenes in NZ, I still say it's Melissa. As to the first ATFR show that's being touted, the host says it was so personal and dramatic, they closed the set. That signals to me they knew what was going to happen, which perhaps means Melissa's publicity-adverse parents show up to meet Jason. What could make them so publicity adverse? Someone elsewhere ventured that maybe they are in the witness protection program and came out to meet Jason. That's a joke, but ABC is beginning to get a little too melodramatic about this.

Update 2/17: I may have it all wrong. Reality Steve says he has the shocking details of the finale. If he's right, it's a real humdinger.

If you aren't interested in the Bachelor (and there's no reason why you would be, it's certainly off topic for TalkLeft) there's no need to say so in comments or go off-topic. Please just scroll on by. Here's a new open thread where you can discuss other things.

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  • Display: Sort:
    Mmm (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by NJDem on Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 07:17:02 PM EST
    intriguing...

    Could someone be pregnant?

    But wouldn't that... (none / 0) (#4)
    by atdleft on Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 08:25:34 PM EST
    Force ABC to drop that hot potatoe so it can become an extra trashy MTV or Bravo show? I'm so bad! I just can't wait for my double helping of "Real Housewives" tomorrow with the OC wives' Season 4 finale & the NY wives' Season 2 premiere.

    I can hardly wait to see how the "Jill vs. Alex" feud starts... :-D

    Parent

    I love (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by indy in sc on Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 07:37:01 PM EST
    that you cover this.  There's plenty of time to focus on the fate of the free world...sometimes you need something silly to take your mind off of that.

    I like Melissa.  That he didn't meet her family was disappointing, but not disqualifying imo.  It was a little odd though that none of her best friends really know her family either.

    This is definitely (5.00 / 9) (#5)
    by Steve M on Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 08:44:44 PM EST
    the top reality TV college football law blog on the entire Internet.

    This show made the front page of (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by oculus on Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 08:57:35 PM EST
    today's NYT arts section.  However, I await baseball season.  

    Parent
    Hmmm... (none / 0) (#3)
    by atdleft on Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 08:22:45 PM EST
    So ABC is taking a page out of Madonna's playbook in stirring up controversy to spike up ratings? But will I take the bait? ;-)

    You got me hooked (none / 0) (#7)
    by ruffian on Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 09:05:45 PM EST
    Haven't watched it it years...but I'll tune in next week and for the finale.

    ABC should give you a finders fee!

    DeAnna reenters the picture? (none / 0) (#8)
    by Angel on Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 09:24:51 PM EST


    yes, but just to give him advice (none / 0) (#11)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 10:17:42 PM EST
    she doesn't try to get back with him. Or him with her. Just a ratings gimmick.

    Parent
    Off topic comments deleted (none / 0) (#12)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 10:36:05 PM EST
    This is a thread about the bachelor, sorry. Use the other open thread for other shows please.

    Jeralyn, I've never watched the show before (none / 0) (#13)
    by DeborahNC on Mon Feb 16, 2009 at 11:12:32 PM EST
    tonight, but I was glancing through the news sites and blogs when I saw your post. From reading this site for quite a while now, I knew that you enjoyed your TV shows, yet I've never felt compelled (not exactly the word I want) to check one of them out.

    But, for some reason, tonight I did. When I turned on the TV, the show was about midway through the first woman's date with Jason. I knew right away that he did not reciprocate her stated feelings for him.

    You predicted that Jillian would be eliminated tonight, and you were correct. When I started watching, she was telling him about her strong feelings for him, and I felt badly for her right away. It was clear that he didn't share her feelings.

    It was really hard for me to continue watching, because I felt that I was peering in on someone's personal life. When the second woman appeared, it wasn't as difficult to watch, because it was evident that he felt a greater level of comfort with her.

    I know that all of these folks know what's in store for them, but I was wondering if anyone experienced feelings similar to mine when they first watched a show like this.

    Now, I am a bit curious about his final choice. I do have other questions, but I'll figure it out. Don't want to bore anybody.

    Deborah, you are exactly right (none / 0) (#14)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Feb 17, 2009 at 12:00:59 AM EST
    it's why they call it reality tv. The first time you see it you wonder what on earth possesses these people to put their private lives out there like that. Sometimes you feel embarrassed just watching.

    But as the show progresses, each has a personality and their own story, and you start to like some and distrust others.

    You also have to remember they are not really alone, there's a camera crew at every moment, so even these private conversations are overheard. How private are those hot tub scenes and romantic dinners with a camera man and sound guy with a boom box is standing over them?

    For the most part, these are young people in their 20's. I think it takes some real self-confidence for them to open themselves up like this.

    They volunteer for this and  try out for it. They want to be there and they know what they are in for from having seen prior seasons of the show. You aren't intruding on them. But I agree with you, it's a bit disconcerting to watch the first time.


    Parent

    You're right about feeling embarrassed for them. (none / 0) (#15)
    by DeborahNC on Tue Feb 17, 2009 at 01:28:34 AM EST
    I was for Jillian. She really put herself on the line and with a camera rolling, no less.

    The women must not have a true fear of rejection, or they wouldn't be able to put themselves in that position. Not only are they vulnerable to becoming deeply hurt, but they open themselves up to the exposure of their emotions.
    Personally, I would never do it.

    Thanks for the feedback.  

    Parent