Sweet (but sexy) love-sick puppies. Is there any other way to refer to the four remaining men — Arie, Jef, Chris, and Sean — who are competing for Emily Maynard’s heart on The Bachelorette? The stakes are getting higher with Arie and Jef both confessing their love on Monday night’s episode — and Sean is not running (literally) that far behind.
But will Chris’ whine win the race? And did Arie’s secret ruin his chances at happily ever after?
Former Bachelorette star Trista Sutter opens up to Hollywood.com about the frontrunners, Arie’s dating scandal, and where Sean and Chris stand.
Arie’s Producer Dating Scandal Didn’t Hurt His Game
Even though ABC hyped us all up about Arie’s secret dating scandal, Emily was still able to move on and get over the fact that Arie had dated her friend, Bachelorette producer Cassie Lambert. “Emily knows that her connection with Arie is strong enough,” says Trista. “When Arie told her that he loved her on the boat, she could have been like, ‘Okay, game over, we’re done shooting the show, I found him.’ You could tell they’re just genuinely happy with each other.”
The Frontrunner Is…
Sorry, Jef, but Trista thinks Arie is Emily’s man. “Jef makes her laugh and they have a great connection, and she clearly has great chemistry with Sean too. But Arie is the frontrunner for me,” says Trista. “Sean is second, and Jef is third.”
Sean’s Gallant Love Cry
Sean showed he’s in it to win it last night, running through the streets of Prague shouting for Emily. But was it real, raw emotion? Or is the competitive Bachelor just trying to top the other guys? Trista thinks he’s genuine. “I didn’t sense that Sean was in a competition,” says Trista. “He just wanted to see her. I didn’t get that he was like, ‘I have to get out there because I have to be in her mind.’ If it had been Chris doing that, it could have been him actually trying to win — but I believe Sean’s intentions were sincerely about seeing the girl he is falling for.”
Controversial Chris Called Out
Chris, on the other hand, is crying out for Emily’s attention — literally. “I think he is genuinely falling in love with her, but she’s not reciprocating that love,” says Trista. “He’s not seeing that. He’s not open to the fact that she is not falling in love with him and is consequently just causing himself more pain.”
But his drive to “win” the grand prize (Emily’s affection) is making him a little nuts. “I don’t think he has a conscious thought that he wants to win,” says Trista. “In his mind, he thinks that he and Emily have the strongest connection, based on their earlier dates. But, he is not fully grasping the concept of the show and the fact that she’s with other men who she has also developed feelings for… stronger feelings.”
Trista adds: “Maybe deep down Chris’ ego is getting hurt, and he wants to be the winner, but it seems like he genuinely also has feelings for Emily. He wants to win Emily’s heart, not just a competition.”
Do the remaining four guys have bad intentions?
No. “In my mind, I feel that all of them are completely sincere,” Trista states. “None of them are lying to themselves or to Emily at this point. They are all in it for very sincere reasons, to find someone — and they all think that they found someone. It’s just a matter of whether Emily thinks that, too.”
You can reach Trista on Twitter @tristasutter — and her website, TristaSutter.com, will be live soon. Plus, check back here every week for more of Trista’s Bachelorette blog.
Besides working hard as a mommy, Sutter is also a designer for Vintage Couture. Click on this link to check out her collections at Vintagecoutureinc.com/trista_collection.html.
[Photo Credit: CaraLeonardPhotography.com]
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Trista Sutter’s ‘Bachelorette’ Blog: Goodbye Ryan, Hello Arie
