This is the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast with on our radio.
Hello, Ben, Welcome to our recap episode of Grand Season. I'm kind of happy it's over. I felt nothing then. I've never felt so little during a season, during a finale, during a proposal. I want all your thoughts about it.
Okay, I don't disagree with you completely on the season itself. I don't want to completely poop poo the season. However, it's hard not to. There's a few things that maybe we'll talk about as we recap the finale that stood out to us this season, just some moments. I think you're in the majority. A lot of people on social media are talking about kind of how this season felt like it fell short at every angle except for the finale.
It gave us a little entertainment. There were some highlight standout moments that, yes, maybe weren't the love story that we all celebrated him. We're celebrating the love story, But the moments that stand out from the finale are more of the confrontations.
Yeah, maybe I felt something I felt proud of.
Yeah, fair enough. We'll talk about the finale here. It did feel like from our listeners and also from social media that people did enjoy the finale. If anything, they were glad they watched it. However, the consensus is, let's not do these what was this? Four hours long? Three hours long?
Three hours long? We're so over the three hour long finale, especially when it's actually not as dramatic as they tease. A lot of the times it lives up to the te's this season, I don't think that like the whole what's he gonna do in the last thirty minutes before having to head to the car.
He's gonna break up with somebody? Guess all that, guys.
He didn't even show that much turmoil. He didn't even cry.
I think, Ashley, we've talked about it before. It is one of one of our critiques that's been consistent for the last few seasons. They've got to be very careful teasing things and saying things to the audience, especially when it comes from the host that end up not being true because they lose the viewers trust. This is not a historic ending. This was nothing. If you break it down past all the stuff, it wasn't that different than any other season we've had when it comes to how
a season ends. I think they have to be very careful when Jesse says this is the most historic ending or this is a historic moment in the franchise for it not being now, we just go, well, what was it? What happened?
Well, what happened is he made a decision and he said thanks to Letia that did not allow with the decision that he made. That is something we'll get into a second. But I do want to talk about how they invited you to be part of this live three hour Finally. You were supposed to be on the panel. You were supposed to be in the place of either Gary Charity or Clayton because all of them basically said I love you to multiple people. You were apparently the og of this, that's what they wanted to do on
the panel. You decided not to go.
Yeah, it's not they asked, And I'm always thankful when the show asks for us to return. It's fun for us to return a lot of time.
Oh yeah, yeah. I don't know if I'll ever return again, though it makes me feel sad. I can't figure out a place where I would fit return. Yeah.
Yeah, I'm kind of in the same spot. It's fun to return. It's fun to see familiar faces. Is it's exciting to be in that environment. It'd been great to meet Grant in person, and you know, hopefully his choice that we'll get to in just a bit. But talking about saying I love you to two people, it just doesn't feel like it's a part of my life anymore.
And it's also a moment that I feel like, why am I going to talk about it if the show's never owned up to that it happens all the time, and they just showed it for my season and made it a big deal, and it was. It was a huge deal. It was accurate to my story. I'm not mad about the editing part of it, but the way the show just kind of threw me out there and said, Okay, now go deal with this. This is so weird and unexpected and they've never really like talked about it and
since then when it happens every season now. But I'm not going to go on a panel and talk about how I fell in love with two people because I am married with a child. I am so happy with that. Lauren is married with a child, Jojo is married and thriving. Like nobody wants to see me revisit this moment and to see a clip played and to have me have to explain it. I don't even remember really why I said what I said.
Mm hmm, totally. Now do you believe I don't even believe that possibly Grant was in love with two people because the way that he hurt Letia. I don't know.
That's long. I mean, that's a big question. Actually are you asking me to answer that? I don't know.
I don't know, because okay, this is a difference. Sorry to bring you into this, but.
You can bring No. Here's the deal. You can bring me into it. You and I talk every week about the show and our experiences. You can bring me into it.
I am not going to get a phone call for the first time in like years, and the phone call is like, hey, instead of like bringing you back to talk about, you know, your time on the show and what maybe you meant to the show and all the you know stuff that happens with the show, We're going to bring you back to talk about the one moment that was the most controversial for your season, and then just like send you away. It's gonna be a great
five minute panel. You're gonna get out there. Everybody's going to be sick of seeing you again, and then you're gonna leave, and that's what we're gonna do.
People aren't sick of seeing you, Ben, they don't see you enough. They are sick of seeing Gary. There, I said it, that's fair. They're they're honestly probably sick of seeing Susan two. And Susan's gonna be on the new Hulu show and then Susan's probably also gonna be on a Bachelor in Paradise. Will around that in a second. Maybe people just love seeing them though maybe I'm wrong. Okay, So the difference between you and Grant is that, like you seemed like, oh shit, oh you have in love
with two people? Oh god, what am I gonna do? How am I gonna navigate this to you? How Like you were in a panic and you felt guilt and you felt so much heaviness, and he was kind of like, I love you, I love you. Oh okay, this.
I pick you. I pick you.
You know, it wasn't what I thought I was gonna do all season long, but I pick you, like it was weird. And then like you know, he went into a robot take mode when he dumbs Letia. He was in like, Okay, well I lied to her a lot, and now I'm going to press this button. I'm going to get through this breakup and then I'm going to continue with life.
Is there a question there for me?
I guess the question was like, don't you feel the difference? Didn't you feel the difference? Like? I really feel like he was just he did he was so detached.
Okay, I can only yeah, I don't know Grant. I mean, we watched Grant's moment. Does it feel more detached? Yes, it does. It feels more detached than all these other panelists who you know, fell in love with Muscile. People are said they did, and I think two and I want to give credit to Lauren and Jojo here. I'm going to try with what I'm saying. I don't know if it's gonna make sense. I think Grant's final two is great too. Well, don't know them that well because I don't think.
This seems like I know Latia pretty darn well, Letia, you do.
I do think that's fair. I will say this. I think most people watching the season of show that I was on as the lead, even if they didn't want to believe it, it made sense to them on how I got there. I think the season itself showed how we got to that moment where all of a sudden, I was going, I don't know what to do, Like this is the weirdest thing I've ever experienced. Yeah, yeah, Yeah, I think people thought it was outrageous that I said that to two people. I get that. I understand that.
I'm not mad at people for feeling that way, but I think deep down, when they thought about it, they're like, it makes sense because then Jojo became so celebrated as the Bachelor and people fell in love with her. People loved Lauren coming off the show, Like people were like, I get why these two people have this big of an impact and you have this kind of feelings for
them in your life. I don't think we had that kind of journey with Grant to this point where we're like, I get how he got here, Like, yeah, these two women he definitely has a connection with. I think really we thought he has a connection with one of them and that was the one he didn't choose, and now we're surprised. So is it different?
I would say yes, I think he had a connection with Juliana for sure. I know he had a connection with Juliana, but like, I think Latia was always shown as being his front runner, And that's.
What I'm saying. But yeah, let me be clear. My point was not that he doesn't have a connection with the woman that he's now engaged to. We're happy for them, like, we don't want to take that moment away from them.
I'm just saying the show, the story of the show didn't show that connection like they showed Latia's, and so as a result, the viewers feel like we're playing catch up at the very end instead of almost seeing this story play out like like this season I was on where they're like, I don't know what he's gonna do because he's into both these people.
Yeah, it was almost as if they created the storyline for TV so that there would be a twist at the end.
Yes, that's the That's a good better way to say it than me. It's like they almost created this twist so that we were surprised by who he chose and we're like, wait, that now doesn't make any sense right totally.
But I will say that the way Letia handled herself with some like fun but yet some fun sass but also lots of intelligence at the end between the you know, the Ulter moment and then also when she confronts him on the couch, like she was the bachelorette that I feel like they've been searching for.
Yeah, and this is the season that they're not going to have one, But it makes no sense to me because she is the bachelorette they've been wanting for for so long. This was her bachelorette moment, even though she knew, especially during the live show, that there is no bachelor happening.
Yeah.
And here's an interesting thing. The viewer response typically when somebody confronts another person on this show, or they get angry or they get sassy, the viewer response is usually mixed like oh, I'm so proud of them, or that was unnecessary. Everybody was on her team here, Like everybody was like, that was perfect, you did great. Let's go girl. Like also, her accent came out, which was amazing.
Yeah, we heard a voice that we had never heard of before, and I was here for it. You know how we've been complaining for a couple of seasons that we like felt like we didn't know the lead going into their season. Well, we know her and I feel attached to her.
I want to see her win. And you know what's great, Ashley h I just I wish you were having a Bachelor at season so bad because I think it would bring a whole new life to the franchise. And it feels like such an easy win for the show just to be like, Okay, it's your story, now, let's go. Let's like start next week and let's start filming like they usually do the because what we know about her right now is she is passionate, she smart, was ready, she knows what she wants, and she wants a family.
Like one of the biggest conversations this episode was about how she's ready for kids. How cool is it for you know, two parents here to be watching a full season being like she's gonna get her love story, like she's gonna get her family. We're cheering for her to find that person that fills that role in her life and so that she can start this thing that she dreams of, as she said from her heart, she's desiring kids. I would be so all in on this. I would
be her biggest fan. I am her biggest fan. It I don't want to take away and we're gonna get to you know, Grant Juliana here and what we hope for them, what we feel for them. But let's be honest. Latia is the star of this episode of the show, of this season. Yeah, and I am upset, and I hope this makes a headline. I am upset that she is not our bachelorette.
Now, how much do we pay her to go to Paradise?
None?
Wait, what do you mean you don't want her in Paradise.
I don't want to in Paradise.
I think she's got to go to Paradise because we want to see that right and we find it in Paradise in front of our eyes. We want to see it one way or the other. I think she I think they're gonna I think they're gonna get her there. I think she's going to She needs we need a couple of stars there, so you'll be a big star there. There's you know, there's what's his name, Jonathan from gen Zeason will be another star there. We have to just pile Paradise. We have to pile up Paradise.
That's my thought.
But then we also have the Goldens and Paradise, which is another thing. We'll talk about in a little bit, but I do want to talk about the families for a second. Just the family meet and greets really quick. Grandsister said that she liked Latia since day one, and you could tell that the mom preferred Latia over Juliana, which to me was a sign. It was like, oh,
this is what Ben always says. They always show the parents preferring one over the other there, and it's usually the one that doesn't win.
Yeah. I mean, I think, you know, from my personal experience, I don't know how much i'd read into that, because there's questions that they can set up to make it seem that way. There's suns they can get out typically parents, and it feels like what his you know, mom would do. They pretty much they try their best to walk a very middle line here because they know that the show is going to try to push them in one direction
or the other. And they're like, I'm not giving you that the show can get anything out of anything they want it. It is weird. I mean, I think we have to look at the storytelling piece here. It did feel like they really pushed Latia on us this episode, and it's weird to me that they did that. Without a Bachelorette season coming, because what is the benefit of the show to not just make this a beautiful love story between Juliana and Grant.
Good good point, because my biggest takeaway from this episode was like, maybe we should do the finale in two parts. If you guys are really into the whole three hour thing, then maybe we do two hours on a Monday, and then we do one hour on a Tuesday, and then the two hour is you know, the finishing up of the season and the dumping. Because when we got to
the proposal, I was checked out. I didn't care. I just cared about Letia and I was so angry for her that I couldn't switch over to happiness for the two of them that quickly. So I say, separate them if you're gonna create stories like you just did.
We talked about this with Andy and Charlene. Feel like, to me, the story path was missing here. It didn't give Grant and I want to be like as clear as I possibly can be on this show because we're wrapping up this season and we probably won't talk about
it too much again. We'll hopefully talk to Latia, maybe Juliana and Grant, but it felt like they did Grant and Juliana a disservice this episode by focusing so much on Latia and not allowing us the space to celebrate this new relationship, because what we were doing as viewers were like, I'm on Latia's team here, like I'm mad at Grant right now, something obviously happened that changed his mind.
Latia's telling us that he said all these things to her to give her a clear like confidence that she was going to be the one chosen at the end, his mind switched. We don't know why, where, how, what happened?
We're lost here and now we're just meant to celebrate this new relationship when we're still mad at Grant, And it felt like they they gave him a disservice by not allowing the space or the clarity for how they like, how we got to where we got to, Uh, even if it was messy, even if it was ugly, even if he made mistakes, even if Ashley he did the coin flip.
That wasn't shown, I would have felt more if we had a coin flip. I feel like I needed the coin flip.
At least we know how he got to this decision.
I believe the coin flip happened, even more so now because you always said it. They wouldn't show it. But there felt like there was a big chunk of his decision making process that was missing because he was like, oh, I don't know what to do. My dad came in. He told me to follow my heart, as if it's like the most groundbreaking advice ever. Sorry, his dad is so sweet. I love the moments with his dad.
Yeah, but that's like revolutionary advice. His dad was probably like, I don't know to do. Man, Like I don't go follow your heart? Like this is weird, I know.
And then all of a sudden he saw the light. I'm like, uh, I think you've recued. But we should mention that the whole having a family thing seemed to throw him off a lot more in this episode than it ever had, and Latilla brought that up. She was like, wait a second, now, this is something we talked about this weeks ago and that didn't seem to be a thing. But he really seems to want a couple years of chill before kids.
Okay, so here to clear all this up, a few things that happened this episode. Here's the bat that happened this episode. It was confusing. Yet again, I don't feel like we got even a half of the real story that occurred throughout this season. And it did feel like Grant, as we talked about last week, had things brought up to him this season that were big deals and he
either chose not to listen to them. Hey Grant, I want a family, Hey Grant, I want kids soon, and he said that sounds awesome, like so good, let's do it, like so happy with it. He either wasn't listening, or he wasn't realizing the seriousness of these desires being communicated, or he did have a revolutionary moment at some point to go, I actually don't want that right now. And there's one person here that hasn't asked that of me,
and so that's where I'm leaning. Because the other person seems really confident in what they want for the future and really passionate about what they want for the future. But we don't get any of that as viewers. We see none of it. And all I want, Ashley for any season of The Bachelor is clarity, because I want to sit with Grant if he made some mistakes along
the way, because we all get it. I also want to celebrate Grant's great decisions like choosing somebody he loves at the end, and they seem happy and ready to make this thing work. But instead I just felt like a viewer who has watched all season and then watched three hours of an episode and still felt confused and upset. And I don't like that.
All Right, there's something we really have to dive into, and this is Letia's points at the end of the show. The fact that the night before he said I love you, I love you, I love you. You can't wait to get engaged tomorrow. That's lot. And then the FaceTime with her mom earlier in the season where he goes, I want to stop that. Of course they didn't air this, but this was a moment that didn't make air. Says
we can stop the show right now. I'm so certain that Latia is going to be the one in the end. Then there was things that she was respectful enough to not bring up that were said in the fantasy suite, which I am assuming was like you've been it, you are it, ala Ala, And that's why she says at the end, when did it switch within the past twelve hours, Like how did this happen? And then he was like, what do you mean?
Switch? Like I think he thought he was going to get away with it, and he was like, crap, this girl is coming after, Like she's calling me out and I didn't realize she I didn't think she would.
Well, dude, what, Yeah, I don't know you or you are different than I thought you were. As she said, what do you think of this behavior?
I mean, I don't want to crush any lead girl or guy on this show that is conflicted. I get it. It's hard. There's a lot to process emotions and feelings do change on a dime because you're allowing them to You're staying open to the very end until the moment that you say, I know what I want to do.
The interesting part about this season is it felt like Grant was so conflicted that he really didn't know what he wanted to do, But yet he was telling Letia these He was giving her the reassurances and promises as she mentioned, which makes me think that, you know what, maybe the better path here Grant was to be honest with these women and tell them I actually am like
having a really hard time. You don't have to go into details like, I'm having a real hard time because I like you the same, It's just I'm having a really hard time, Like this is this is messy, this is confusing to me. But it felt like he was kind of giving the sales pitch to the Latia during Fantasy Sweet Week, during the facetimes and saying like, no, it's you, you have nothing to worry about, and then blindsiding her at the end. And I don't know how
he goes from being so confident. That's what I mean. That was my point earlier. What happened and why aren't we seeing it? What happened Grant, that you were so confident all season for weeks now and then all of a sudden you switch on us, like we have no clue.
It could have been the greatest content ever to see him like really having meltdowns over this, because the normal person would have meltdowns over this, being like, oh my god, I told her this. I can't believe I told her mom that she was going to be the one that we could stop the show. I can't believe I told her these things. They've finished, and now I have to
tell her it's not her. He didn't even back back off that last night by saying like, okay, that was his opening window to show some doubt, even though he probably had just felt like he was so far in that he couldn't back out then, but that had set him up for even more of a of course, backlash from her at the altar.
Okay, let's switch gears complete left turn here, because I think the consensus from you and I here is this season else not to hate on Grant, but this season felt like we were playing catch up and reading through the lines most of the time. There was the storytelling piece of this felt like there were things missing, and we feel that even more now than ever when it comes to the breakup at the very end and we're sitting here going what just happened? Yet, there is a
new couple coming out of Bachelor Nation. It is Juliana and Grant, and they do seem really happy together. Grant is moving to Boston to be with her. We want them to work, like, let's make that clear. The problem is, unlike a lot of seasons, we it does feel hard to like celebrate it because I in my mind, I'm
still like he hasn't really chosen like I haven't. It was hard for me to make sense of what was happening during this episode and then get it summarized, yeah with this like you know proposal at the end.
Yeah. I was shocked to see them so happy on the couch. I thought that this was bound to be one of those couples that you were going to be like, Yeah, we've had a hard time since the show wrapped. We did, you know, we We've had conversations and happy a couple of weekends that you know, had some tension, but we're really trying to work through it. They seem all the
way happy. So maybe she's just a very understanding woman, or as they would like to say, well well woman, yes, how many times do we use the damn word woman?
Last night? Holy mother of God, it must have been a thing. The Uh, we're so happy for them, Like I want to see them, I don't. I'm not putting this on Grant and I'm definitely not putting this on Juliana.
Uh.
It felt like it wasn't their fault, that the messiness or the confliction or the back and forth wasn't clearly shown. It's not their fault at all. It didn't feel like they get a fair shot. But now that they're together, as we do with any couple, especially while other than like Jen and Devin were like, gen, run as fast as you possibly can, kid, we really want to see them work. It's an amazing thing when this show works. Love happens from the show it has worked before. And
so to Juliana and Grant, congratulations you did it. And Juliana, you are going to have to be understanding in this moment. It doesn't mean that it's gonna be forever. It doesn't mean that this season of you getting compared to or getting talked about in the same breath as Latia is gonna happen forever. You guys are gonna have the opportunity to just like have a healthy, happy relationship, especially if the two of you communicate with each other about what
happened at the end. And I'm sure you have. But let's celebrate the two of them now, if anything, on this podcast, because it didn't feel like we got the chance to in a proper way last night.
Also, Letillo was like, girl, run, I know she did say that, and I understand, like Juliana must have some worries watching this back about his honesty or the fact that she might be blindsided one day. I think there's one thing to point out out more is towards the end, he said, there's one relationship that's very serious, and then there's one relationship that's very fun. And I think that what Grant was thinking of at the end was who can I now date, not who can I marry?
Well, they did talk about they're going to take things slow, they're really happy. Let's let's hope that they work. Really the star of last night, Letia said all the things that everybody loved, they would love to see as the bachelor. Att's it's unfortunate that she she's not going to get that opportunity. Juliana and Grant, we hope you guys move on in engagement bliss and you date really well.
We're sorry if we sound off. We're not hostile to do your relationship goodness. No, we're a little weary of Grant's decision making, but.
Ultimately we want to see them succeed. I mean, I think I think what we're saying is I know what we're saying is it didn't feel like they got a fair shot, and it doesn't feel like this season at times got a fair shot, and it didn't feel like we got the full story and I don't know why. I don't know what they were protecting us from. And it could have been that Grant did to do a coin flip at the end, and they're like, hey, we
can't show that because that just doesn't look good. And so none of this is going to make sense because we really don't know, Like, we can't show how he actually decided who he was going to propose to at the end. That could be two and that's probably going to be my theory until we talked him about it.
My bad, though, I didn't mean decision making as far as picking Juliana, Like I think that he actually did make the best decision for himself picking Juliana. I just mean, like his decision making and telling this litia and such things along the way. Okay, now let's move on to the big announcement that there will be the Golden Bachelor's in Bachelor and Paradise. Ben, what do you think? And Jared was hot about it? He didn't I'm not like this idea when it was announced.
Yeah, I mean, I think it's gonna get messy. I hope this show doesn't try to cultivate relationships between the two, Like I just if one happens, I guess like cool, But like I hope this show doesn't produce their way into a relationship here. I don't think that's gonna be good for the viewership. I don't think it's what the viewership is asking for. I don't think they've ever asked for this kind of for Susan to date, Jonathan, I don't think that's been a thing that anybody's ever desired.
We'll see. I can see where it'll be entertaining, and I can see where it could work with the wisdom being shared and the advice and kind of having that like wise counsel and a place to like, you know, obviously, like Susan has always been to when we go on these trips. She's just a fun person to be around, and she's always very like loving and caring and towards me.
So I could see where I'd be on the beach, I'd be like, season, can we just like chill and talk, or like, can you just help me figure this out? I just hope there's not like relationships being formed or forced between the two groups.
Do you see it being separate like them? I hear there's some rumors out there that they'll be happening at different parts of a resort, or two different resorts, so that it's more of like a flash to the young kids flash to the older people. I think I'm more
down for that. I do worry that we'll again be missing a lot of storyline from both camps if that's how they do it, unless they do, like you know what, I be down for them doing two hours a week of the younger people and then an hour a week with the goldens, Like let's separate it like that.
That'd be fun.
And then like there could be some joint dates, not like mixing of the ages, but like you know, the prom, like they all show up to the prom together.
Yeah. I think there's a lot of ideas. We don't know a lot, but we do know they're going to be there. It's official together on the beach. We'll be excited for it. We'll be watching, We'll be breaking it down here at the Almost Famous podcast as we always do.
Yes, we will be all right. Well, guys, Ben has got to go, but I will be doing e further breakdown of this finale with a panel of some of your favorites, So stay tuned for that, but until that time, I've been Ashley.
And I've been Ben. We'll talk to you soon.
Bye.
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