By Lauren S | Season 18 | Episode 1 | Aired on 01.06.2014
Chris comes out to tell JP he gets to hand out one first impression rose, while the rest of them will have to wait for the rose ceremony like peasants. Inside, the girls all talk about how hot he is and squeal when he finally arrives. Sharleen immediately stands and hands him a cocktail while he tries to collect himself and then tells them all he hopes they'll act like themselves so he can really get to know them. He then puts on some music so that they can all dance, and they also find a photo booth with props like pirate hats and moustaches. One of the girls (Chelsie? I'm not committing these all to memory until at least a few are culled) thinks that JP having a photo booth in the mansion shows how "kooky" he is. That, or, you know, it could say the same thing about the producer who actually thought to have it placed there.
The first one he pulls aside is nurse Nikki, because he remembers her heart (and maybe the chest containing it) and they talk about where she lives and what she does. He then pulls aside Renee, and it seems that those girls who got special introduction packages earlier might be the ones to at least make it through to week. The two of them talk about their lives and kids. To my disgust he then pulls aside Free Spirit Lucy who touts her own self-confidence and scares him a little. I doubt she thought that, when she swung her legs into his lap with her bare feet showing, he'd tell the camera he found it "strange," rather than "sexy." Speaking of strange, they have set up a massage table so that Amy J. can massage him through his suit with oil on her hands, which weirds out JP, which makes me like JP even more because that was really super awkward.
Chris then walks in with the first impression rose, but JP chooses to wait and talk to some more girls first even though it makes the women all insane to see it sitting there. And we have our first girl say that she'll die or some such if she doesn't get a rose tonight -- I'm not even figuring out which one that was because we've seen her for about ten seconds and I think she needs to prepare herself for tragic disappointment. As the night goes on, things get less, "Party on!" and more, "Crap, I'm pinning all my hopes and dreams on a flower sitting on a tasteful wooden tray and I'm nervous!" He talks to Elise and Chelsie, both have pretty long blonde hair, are wearing metallic dresses, and are hoping that this is the first moment they visited with their future fiancé husband. The girls who haven't muscled in get one-on-one time are starting to fret, especially Lauren H. who doesn't like learning that she's shy and not natural at picking up a man in a room full of 26 other women vying for his attention. She begins to cry since the whole experience is bringing up a lot of old insecurities and I feel terrible for her and also think this show would eat her alive if she makes it even as far as week. Ashley is sweet and pulls her aside to talk to her, but Lauren kind of falls apart. She of course does finally get time with JP and immediately tells him her romantic history and how this night made her insecure. She basically can't hold herself together.