We’re in the home stretch of our Golden Bachelor journey and have made it to the penultimate episode: Fantasy Suites! You know what that means: Next week, Mel makes the big decision, so the pressure is on.
We arrive in Antigua, where Cindy has told Mel she’s falling in love — but Peg has not. Mel tells the camera he’s looking forward to having emotional conversations and building intimacy —not just the physical kind. Mel, at this point, has shown the emotional depth of a dinner plate, so I’m really hoping he steps it up on these overnights.
Mel expresses to Jesse that he hasn’t told either of the women he loves them, and all he can give us is, “I feel great about them.” Even Jesse, who usually tries to be somewhat impartial, goes, “Can you give them anything more?”
I “feel great” about my new peanut butter brand. This is not exactly a rousing endorsement of the woman he may eventually marry.
Peg and Mel’s Fantasy Suites Date
Peg tells the camera that she needs someone who can communicate what they want and need, and she’s not sure Mel will be able to do that. This seems to be the overarching criticism of Mel, as Emma Gray, host of the Love to See It podcast, observed in our Instagram Live last week.
Mel pulls up in a dune buggy, and they inch along in the mud.
Live footage of the dune buggy:
Then Peg takes over driving and floors it. When they arrive at their destination, they unwind over champagne. Peg tells Mel that the deeper she loves, the deeper she gets hurt — which is actually just how love works in general. I’m pretty sure nobody experiences an inverse relationship between the depth of love and potential for pain.
She seems confident in their connection. At dinner, she tells him she can see them working out as a couple really well. She says she never wanted to get married again, but after having this experience, she would be open to it.
Peg: So, how are you feeling about us?
Mel: I’m thankful you’re giving me the opportunity to show you how I feel. I really like you a lot.
This is the closest we’ve gotten to Mel expressing himself so far, and that doesn’t say much…
Mel says, “I love being around you, I love the way you talk to me and make me feel. I like your energy and spirit.” It’s got to be so brutal to hear your man say he loves everything but you. “I love your hair…”
Either way, Mel gives Peg a key to the suite, where they watch steel drum players from their balcony.
Mel is able to say to the camera, “The way Peg looks at me — that’s love,” but can’t say the L word to another human. It’s a fascinating thing to watch.
The next morning, Mel tells the camera that the night “exceeded expectations” and gives a very shameless plug for the resort, which probably comped their rooms. They share breakfast in bed, and Peg tells the camera that Mel finally let his guard down. The fantasy suites work their magic once again.
Mel and Cindy’s Fantasy Suites Date
The next day, Mel drives up in a red Jeep to meet Cindy, who’s literally jumping up and down with joy when she sees him arrive. They go out on a boat, which goes fast since Mel is not driving it. I kid, I kid.
They pull over at Stingray Bay to go swimming with the rays. Mel is afraid of the stingrays, which is kind of endearing. Hey, we all have our limits! One of Mel’s is apparently animals — as Cindy reminds us, he wasn’t a big fan of horses either. The guide tries to make him feel better by saying that in 24 years in business, nobody’s gotten stung. This does not help.
Mel stands off to the side, completely avoiding the stingrays. Do the producers get the lead’s input into the dates at all? Or is it like a Fear Factor thing where they choose stuff that will terrify them on purpose?
Cindy tries to boost his confidence, proving she can be a supportive partner: “You’ve always been so charismatic and drawn people to you.”
Me:
It’s funny because at first I felt Mel’s charisma too, but as time has gone on, watching him has felt a little like watching a robot come to life.
Cindy tries to press Mel for some feelings, and he tells Cindy, I like you a lot.” All he will admit to is, “I’m open. We’ll continue.” This is supposed to be a declaration of love, not a job interview!
As she gets ready for dinner, Cindy tells the camera that she’s falling for Mel and is crazy about him. Meanwhile, Mel says the following to camera, as if he’s being forced to recite these words at knifepoint: “She is very special. She’s loving, caring, and the person I could see a life with after this.”
At this point, I wonder if I’m being unfair, because Mel is very monotone — he says “I’m excited” in the same tone that most people would use to say they have a dentist appointment. So maybe it’s not that he doesn’t feel things, but his voice just isn’t capable of reaching different registers. I, too, am monotone, so I can empathize.
Cindy asks Mel if there are any glaring factors he’s weighing between her and Peg. He says no, he’s still working it out in his head and in his heart.
Mel: But I love spending time with you, I love being with you.
Yikes, not going to lie, these are the exact words I’ve heard from many men, right before the next words, which were: “But I don’t want a relationship.”
Mel tells her, “There’s another person, so I can’t sit here and tell you we’re going to be happily ever after.” This is the least reassuring conversation they could have at this stage, especially since he agreed with Peg that he could see them building a life together. Cindy asks Mel if he sees potential for them, and he says, “No matter what, a relationship would have to develop over time…so…who knows?”
This is not as promising as his date with Peg. I’m concerned; originally, I predicted Mel would choose Peg at the end (and maybe skip the proposal). But now, I’d be kind of surprised if he committed to either woman at the end of this; he just seems so reserved.
Cindy really has to pull teeth to get Mel to talk about whether he sees a future with her and what he thinks about her.
Mel: It’s difficult. It takes time.
Bro, she’s just asking if you can see a future.
Mel tells her he’s not comfortable making a leap of faith. Cindy goes, “You agreed to be the Golden Bachelor. Isn’t that a leap of faith?” Go Cindy! If getting engaged in about eight weeks of knowing someone isn’t a leap of faith, what is?
Mel: No, you’re searching for a partner at the end of the journey.
Ugh. Get Juan Pablo 2.0 out of here.
He adds, “I like you a lot. Where that’s going to head? We don’t know.” I can appreciate him not wanting to mislead anyone, but at the same time, being evasive doesn’t mean the other person won’t get hurt.
We end on that moment of extreme uncertainty. I’ve got to say, it’s not looking good for Cindy. At least we’ll have an answer soon. Next week, we’ll find out who Mel chooses — if anyone.
