Love doesn't have a job.

Evil incarnate - thy name is Wes. Go back to Chihuahua!!!!

Aaah...nothing like group dating on a high-speed train to make the inevitable finally happen!! Wes was finally revealed as the slimy mercenary we knew him to be -- well, at least to all the guys....while poor Jillian was still left hanging out in the breeze, being openly duped by the guy, and no one said a word to her about it! And, was it me or did Chris Harrison seem to be milking the situation just a little bit too much asking her all those leading questions about him? Anyway, I understand why the guys don't say anything about Wes to her, because who wants to be the guy who talks shit? That guy gets sent home. And speaking of -- finally and WAY overdue -- Tanner got sent home, freakish foot-loving ways and all. You know, again, what's so odd about that guy is not how much he loves women's feet, but the fact that that's pretty much ALL that's interesting about the dude. Wait -- I'm sorry - I stand corrected. Apparently, he's packing quite the johnson in his jock strap. But we SO shouldn't know that. I mean, on this show, you really know a guy A) is getting desperate and B) has a lame personality when the best idea he has under pressure is to take his pants off. (At least he had the good sense to do it indoors as opposed to the dipshit at the beginning of the season so he wasn't, um, poorly misjudged). But, alas, even his manly-sized manhood was not enough to save him from his lack of personality or his obsession with all things podiatric.

My current fave, Reid - is this really the best photo they had??

In other great news, my two faves, Reid and Michael, surged ahead, with Reid showing great promise in his one on one. Yes, he's neurotic. Big deal! As a New York Jew, I find his pet peeves and phobias completely normal and also totally adorable, but Jillian might not find them quite so likable. (By the way, Jillian - who the heck doesn't wash fruit from the grocery store?? That's just crazy.) But I loved her take on him - that he lets his "freak flag" fly and is very comfortable in his own skin. Reid is a totally mature, smart and funny guy and he just knows who he is. We all have our little harmless pecadillos and it's better to know them, and put them out there then to have them fester and surface later in a big scary surprise mess. Also, they have great chemistry and a natural flow together. And I speak from personal experience when I say that it's not about having a common background or a common past - it's about having a common language and a common way of living and dealing with the world that matters and makes a relationship work. Go Reid! Go nerdy obsessive Jew boys!!

Ok - so my team is clear. But I am still a huge Michael fan. I just think his age is becoming more and more of an apparent hindrance. His wit and charm continue to impress but I just don't see him outlasting Kip or Jesse in the romance department. Those guys are just way more smooth and as much as I loved Michael saying he wants to be a "young dad," Jillian and I both know that saying it and doing it are two VERY different things. I'm afraid Michael is not long for this competition.

Can YOU tell them apart??

So, what about Kip and Jesse? And yes, I keep grouping them together because I still can't distinguish one from the other. Yes, I know...Kip is the one that she has the amazing mondo chemistry with and yes, she seems to definitely think she's falling for him...or at least she knows she's ready to do it with him. But she's also got a big ol' crush on Jesse too, and I just feel like I keep seeing the same great sensitive speeches from both of them, "You're so awesome....blah blah blah" But there is just something so generic about them! Like they're great, but what else? What's missing? WHO are they? What do you guys think? I'm stumped.

Poor Jake took the train back to his plane...

And, alas, dear sweet clueless Jake....he went the way of the nice guy, the perfect guy, the born to be the best friend guy. When he told her, "You're a lot like my mom!" Ick. He's the guy who was prom king in high school and has never quite emotionally matured beyond that. Life has to get bigger than that, dude! It was SO hard for him just to tell her his feelings and then it came out, "I really really like you!" In your thirties?? That's how you express yourself? Wow. I mean, a totally incredibly and amazingly nice guy, but he needs to have some deeper life experiences that he can't control - experiences that don't happen up in a plane. He needs to question his beliefs and doubt himself and wonder if maybe he's wrong about some things. Frankly, he could make an amazing candidate for the Bachelor -- he IS totally hot and perfect and so incredibly caring. But he needs some damn charisma. We'll see what happens when he comes back next week - maybe this experience really gave him the jolt he needed to step up and question himself the way he needs to? Maybe they are already grooming him for Bachelor, Season 106. (I have no freakin clue how many we're up to now)

xoxo
Roemer