Finally caught up. I seem to be missing more than I appreciated by not watching the first half hour.
I love Rhi and Jeff, they seem really good together, so hopefully their previous fling was just a case of the right person but not necessarily the right time. They are both very likable, and attractive, and seem to be taking their time to make a deeper connection. If I have hopes for anyone to work out it would be them.
Morena strikes me as someone who has just come out of therapy and is determined to do right by herself, but has yet to learn how to manage the necessary compromise when discovering that not everyone is like her ex. I really felt for Tony, after she somehow came up with that inspired task for him. I really thought they were going to turn things around, and then she put the mockers on his 'high' by not even asking how the workshop went. Too soon for her to be doing this I suspect. Tony, bless him, seems like a nice guy, but clearly hasn't spent a lot of time in m/f relationships, and is frustratingly verbally/emotionally constipated in general. The workshop was like prunes for him, and it's a shame we didn't get to see how he expressed that when he got back to Morena.
Paul and his hair - does he have hair plugs, or is he using a multi-tipped brow pen to straighten up the hairline? Something's going on there. Carina seems lovely, but the thought of the hair and make-up time to look that polished when she's really a natural beauty, fills me with horror. Before the show started I remember seeing something that hinted at trouble between these two, and none of it rang any bells when it turned out he'd ghosted her, so in the back of my mind I'm waiting for something to go wrong.
I loved Billy and Sierah, but found the massage situation somewhat perplexing. It seemed more about discomfort than self-restraint. She is very tall, and I think quite magnificent and fun, and has said that she didn't go for 'polished' types, so I can understand her being matched with Billy, who seems lovely - sensitive, respectful, and has 'defended' her. I really thought they could work out and be good for each other, but am now confused. I wonder if he's too much of a Mumma's boy to want to be seen "in action".
Jamie and Dave are both clearly very attracted to each other, but I wonder if deep down Dave would sometimes prefer her to pipe down a bit. He often looks like the cogs are turning and he wants to say something but doesn't.
Awhina and Adrian are on a rocky road and I'm not sure if it's because he lacks the emotional intelligence to convey his thoughts/feelings, I wonder also if he has struggled with reading/writing. Whatever the case, his communication is lacking, and that's going to be hard for her to get past.
Ryan and Jacqui - I struggle to like her, but do feel sorry for her - that neediness is too much. Clearly as someone whose family presumably placed importance on how she looked, she was able to prove herself in other areas, but still needs that recognition. Not keen on Ryan either, but I get his point of view in terms of not lying/misleading her. He could have done all sorts of things to reassure her, without actually lying though. That said, she seems very specific/unrealistic in her expectations. When they show her sobbing all I can do is question how much botox she's had.
Tonight's going to be interesting!