jesse vs jason?

somehow between moving to california and trying to carve out some quality downtime, i caught an episode of the bachelorette. and i liked it. a lot.

here's why:

deanna - she knows what it's like to be rejected, and the girl is incredibly down to earth, funny, and gorgeous. sure, she's only 26 and has it in her mind that she must get married asap, but at least she knows what she wants and has the guns to stick to it. id call her witty, but there were some bloopers after monday's tell all that would downplay that compliment, so let's just say she's goofy - totally that hot girl next door who is nothing but honest about what she wants, but knows how to have a good time. i also think it's a testament to her seriousness about things that she's kept jesse around so long. she's said repeatedly that he isnt the type of guy she usually goes for, but she's realized that that doesnt matter. he keeps making her happy, and ive got to say, it makes for great television.

jesse - pro snowboarder; goofy and spontaneous; first her friend, then more; totally down to earth; pretty adorable (though not as obviously gorgeous as some of the other dudes, he exudes confidence); he didnt kiss her early on like the rest of the guys - he took his time and made sure they both felt the same way; he also knows their lives are very different - on their exotic date, he made sure to bring up his long term plans, and talk about how deanna would fit into his life. he's obviously grown up a lot over the course of the show, and his feelings seem truly genuine. im crossing my fingers for him.

Jason - nice guy; infectious smile; responsible dad... i totally didnt expect him to make it this far. he's really sweet, but i just wasnt sure the connection was there with deanna. apparently i was wrong. like jeremy, he's pretty perfect on paper. deanna would definitely have stability and trust, but she'd also be thrown into the position of stepmother. she wants to be a young mom, but does she want to walk into that role right now?

it's funny, deanna has made some really interesting (but probably very smart) choices this season. she had major heat with graham, but knew if he couldnt open up, it wasnt going to work the way she wanted it to. then, jeremy was probably the perfect man, but she made a really respectable decision when she told him that she couldnt confuse the bond they had for losing a parent / parents with love. it was surprising to see her act with such maturity and clarity of mind - the woman knows what she wants, and while she loves romance and all, she's smart enough to know what works and what doesnt.

that being said, that quality could work for and against both remaining suiters. deanna obviously worries about jesse's job and how she'd fit into his life. she wants someone serious, and he didnt initially give her that impression. however, i think he did a great job of showing her how grown up he is - as he told her, he's no longer 15, he's 26, and he wants to settle down. he even told her that once everything was over, she'd better be ready to get married, because that's what he wanted. he seems like a great guy, and im rooting for him. just a little nervous about the finale, though - it seems like the visit with her big fat greek family is more than a little awkwaaaard....

jason has a good shot, too. he's a ton of fun, and she really seems to get along well with him. to be honest, though, she seems more into jesse. she and jason had a good time on their date, but the vibe seemed to be much less serious. i think going into the finale, deanna needs to decide a few things: is she ready to be a stepmother and is jesse mature enough to be in a relationship like what she wants? and which is going to be the dealbreaker?

oooh i cant wait for monday!

p.s. i friended deanna pappas on facebook and told her she rocked.
friend status: still pending.
my status: creep.