2/02 Show Discussion **spoilers**

[pj&otto]

He was not leaving Ty alone, so where was the aunt or grandmother who would have been watching him? Also, doesn't Jason live with his brother? So if nobody was there to watch Ty, wouldn't he just have said "OK, Uncle _____ is going to take care of you tonight. See you tomorrow." And I'm not sure of the timeline as far as the evening went, but Ty is 4, so his bedtime must be pretty early, therefore he'd have been asleep most of the time Jason would have been out. He was asleep while Melissa was there, so what would have been the difference if he were gone?

Don't forget that he's been away from Ty for a while.

I think the guy is nuts for trying to "find love" this way - but he signed up, and when Ty didn't want him to leave again - it broke his heart.

I'd have done the same, and who doesn't want a "real life" situation? That DOES happen when you're a parent.

[pj&otto]

This whole season is an error in judgement, IMO - the little boy doesn't need cameras filming his rare private moments with his dad (I'm assuming they must be rare since Jason has been on TV so often as of late) and I'm also annoyed with Jason's ex for permitting this circus to be filmed around her son.

I somewhat agree with this, too

Poor Ty.

[graycat11]

Watching Melissa last night, I can't for the life of me understand why an attractive, single, childless woman in her early/mid-20's would want to be cleaning up after another woman's toddler. Blended families are a different story, but I must say that I think these younger women with no baggage are completely out of their minds. It's one thing to be Stephanie, who is in her 30's and already has a child, and quite another to be Melissa, who's barely past college-age and probably doesn't even have a cat to look after.

I think he really did like Stephanie as a person and was probably honestly upset at the thought of hurting her feelings, but he doesn't seem romantically into any of them. I know he is not that much older than the 20-somethings, but his demeanor is far more mature - most of the women seem like giggling schoolgirls compared to him. I'm sure they are very nice girls for the most part, but woefully misguided in their pursuit of this man.

Agree, these women are 24 to 34 years old. I can see Jillian who is 29 and Stephanie dating a man who has a child but the younger woman, no. It's a lot of responsibility to look after someone's child.

[spikesgrl]

Perfectly stated! Who ever told her that she should always swoop her bangs back like that. It just makes her scary-looking.
And the way she talks... iiiiitsss allllwaaaayyysss sooooo draaaawwwnnn ooooouuuttt.

I don't believe that Stephanie was in any way "right" for Jason so I am not upset that she is gone; but, regarding the way she talks, like Stephanie, I am from Alabama and that is just the way some people down here talk. To me Stephanie was very "pageanty"

[theboies]

I think that Melissa's family has probably read, or heard what has happened to some of the families in the past. They are torn apart by bits and pieces of their every move, how they look, what they say. I think I remember reading way back in Andy's season that Tessa's mom was even contacted at work. This is where ABC needs to draw the line. Getting the families this involved on television. It explains why so many couples have trouble making it work outside of the experience. Because the couples not only open up themselves to everything, but their immediate families and extended families. I remember an interview with Jesse and DeAnna where they said that their families had been getting (hate mail, something to that effect). And that they (DeAnna and Jesse) signed up for this not their families. This could be the very same reason why Melissa's family doesn't want to be on tv. It could also be that they do not approve of her at her age, going after a man with a child. We will all know the answers in do time.

[jlccaz]

This is a great thread, so many fresh voices and opinions. YAY.

Did anyone notice that when Melissa was at the houseboat it occasionally appeared to be daylight? Can't really explain.

That set up with the blackberry phone was so awkward. Just can't figure out the sequence.

They made it appear that the date was to have started at 7 or 8, but he was late, then she got in the fancy car in her fancy dress.

Then I thought I saw sunshine. I can't bear to watch again, so ping me if you have any idea what I'm babbling about.

[aramcobrat]

This is a great thread, so many fresh voices and opinions. YAY.

Did anyone notice that when Melissa was at the houseboat it occasionally appeared to be daylight? Can't really explain.

That set up with the blackberry phone was so awkward. Just can't figure out the sequence.

They made it appear that the date was to have started at 7 or 8, but he was late, then she got in the fancy car in her fancy dress.

Then I thought I saw sunshine. I can't bear to watch again, so ping me if you have any idea what I'm babbling about.

Yeah, something seemed off to me, also.

And, when they were talking later (I think when they were still at his house, although I was coming in and out of the room, so it may have been later), he said to Melissa something about "when you called..." but the editors wanted it to seem like he called her.
Did anyone else catch him say that?

[aramcobrat]

I don't believe that Stephanie was in any way "right" for Jason so I am not upset that she is gone; but, regarding the way she talks, like Stephanie, I am from Alabama and that is just the way some people down here talk. To me Stephanie was very "pageanty"

Yep, it was very pageanty.
And, Iit's not the southern drawl that bothers me - I'm from Texas, we have it here, too. It just never seemed like it was a natural way of speaking. It just seemed like she drew out her words and purposely tried to talk in a breath-y kind of way. Even when she was talking on the phone to Sophia, she talked that way.
I really do think she has a kind heart and was/is way too good for Jason (plus there was zero chemistry), but I just wanted to shake her and say "loosen up and stop trying to be so put-together all the time."

[steppemaster]

I don't believe that Stephanie was in any way "right" for Jason so I am not upset that she is gone; but, regarding the way she talks, like Stephanie, I am from Alabama and that is just the way some people down here talk. To me Stephanie was very "pageanty"

I had a very good friend who grew up in the south and she was very much that way--"pageanty."

We met at an event for a cause we both were very involved in so I first saw her as passionate and deeply caring--

but I noticed when she was in more "public" situations with people she didn 't know she was very "pageanty" as you said.

I also noticed it put some people off--someone said to me behind her back that she "seemed "cold" and "acted like a princess"--but for those of us who knew her--she was not that way at all.

It had to do with her very proper bearing and mode of speech--IE--the way she was taught to behave when she was growing up.

[moflan]

Is that really Jason's place in Seattle? Seems kind of an expensive location for an insurance guy who keeps taking months and months off of work.

That cracked me up because it's so true. It seems improbable even for an insurance guy who shows up for work every day.

Also, what kind of guy has this many candles in his house?

My husband would only put candles out if he thought that's what I needed in order for him to get lucky. Given my unnatural fear of fire in the house, it would not happen in my home, particularly if there were extra bodies with large A/V equipment standing near lit candles.