The Bachelor Recap: The Finale

Hey guys! Kayla here with the very last recap of the season! I have so many mixed feelings writing this recap since the two-part finale was an emotional rollercoaster! What started as a beautiful proposal quickly went off the rails during the live taping of After the Final Rose. So, let’s dig in shall we!

Meet the Weber’s

Part one of the finale begins with meeting Peter’s family. Hannah Ann is first up for an afternoon with the Weber’s and this date could not have gone better! Hannah Ann looked stunningggg in that yellow dress, am I right? Peter’s family fell in love with her right away… I mean how could they not? She was incredibly sweet, kind and made sure his parents were VERY aware of how much she loves their son. Barb, Peter’s mom, says that he and Hannah Ann remind her of herself and her husband when they first
met. After that statement, there was no question that Hannah Ann was the front runner with Peter’s family.

Madison was meeting Peter’s family for the second time, which you’d think would work well in her favour, but it did not. Prior to meeting the family, Madison was clearly struggling and still feeling angry with Peter for choosing to sleep with other girls in the fantasy suite. She shares that she’s hanging on by a thread and I can’t help but feel for her because I can ONLY imagine how stressful that situation would be. Peter managed to turn her frown upside down and the two head out to meet the Weber’s. Madison shared how important her faith was to her and it was not received well by the family who ultimately felt she was giving Peter an ultimatum.

Madison and Peter’s final date was a helicopter ride over one of Australia’s most well-known sites, but it was hard for them to focus on the views while trying to process how terribly Madison’s time with Peter’s family went. Later, Madison tells Peter that despite how badly they want this to work she doesn’t think they’ll be able to give each other what they need, and I think this is SO mature of Madison. At 23 years old, she is very self-aware, and I think it’s very admirable. Too bad Peter’s mom didn’t feel the same! Madison decides to leave and I expected it to be much more emotional. Anyone else?

Hannah Ann’s date with Peter was very lackluster considering it was their last date before a potential engagement. The only exciting part of this date for me was the baby kangaroos! LOL. I think after watching Madison’s date it is very easy to see that his connection with Hannah Ann is not as strong. The next day Peter explains to Hannah Ann that his heart is being pulled in two directions and she becomes very upset due to his uncertainty.

Part Two of the finale kicks off with Peter being very excited about his proposal to Hannah Ann and that it feels “right and real” as he takes off to meet Neil Lane to pick out an engagement ring. Which by the way is a stunning pear-shaped ROCK! Since Hannah Ann is the only girl left, we assume they will get engaged and ride off into the sunset… but Chris Harrison informs Peter that Hannah Ann is having second thoughts… wait, WHAT?! Too bad Hannah Ann didn’t listen to her gut and run!

The Proposal

Hannah Ann arrives looking stunning – she totally killed the dress selection for an engagement! At one point during Peter’s speech, I thought for sure he accidentally called her Madison, anyone else?? I think during a proposal it’s a big no-no to mention another girl’s name, and I very was disappointed that his speech made it seem as if he was proposing to Hannah Ann by default. Would you guys agree? Peter gets down on one knee and Hannah Ann is in total disbelief that he chose her… which was also a little concerning to me? Usually, people are shocked they’re going home, not shocked they’re getting engaged. Very strange! I have to say that as much as I would love a happy ending, this proposal didn’t give me “all the feels” I was hoping for. Which explains what happened next…

After the Final Rose

A month after the show wrapped, Hannah Ann visits Peter in Los Angeles for what would be ANOTHER break up after the final rose. Arie and Becca, Hannah and Jed, now Hannah Ann and Peter! You guys… how heart-wrenching was it watching this conversation? My eyes were locked to the television! Peter shares with Hannah Ann that he’s not “all in” with their relationship and has been battling his feelings for Madison.

I was surprised by Hannah Ann’s reaction, it’s not often that we see her mad and she did not hold back! She tells Peter how he took that precious moment of her first engagement away from her because he wasn’t “man enough” to send her home. I have to say that it did seem a little rehearsed and I find it hard to believe that this conversation wasn’t pre-mediated but that’s The Bachelor! LOL

Peter and Hannah Ann speak for the first time since their breakup and Hannah Ann came prepared with what she had to say. Again, she sounded a little rehearsed to me, but she is on live television, so I get it! Peter’s mom was in the audience smiling and applauded for everything that Hannah Ann said as if she was her daughter? It was very bizarre to me. It was as if they supported her more than their own son. Hannah Ann tells Peter that he should have told her the extent of his feelings for Madison and that she had left before the proposal and not DURING the proposal. Come on, Peter!! She throws some serious shade at Peter by telling the audience that there were two other women involved in their relationship, one being Madison and the other being Hannah Brown, that Peter apparently reached out to “for closure” after the show. Wow Peter, just wow.

Next up, Chris Harrison brings out Madison and announces that they are not engaged or in a relationship. Let’s play a game where we sip rosé every time Barb rolls her eyes at Madison! LOL the eye rolling was just the tip of the iceberg for what was to come!

What a sh*t show! This whole season I thought Barb was crying about Madison when she was saying “bring her home to us” and boy, was I wrong! Madison is the last person that Barb wants Peter to bring home. I think it’s safe to say that Peter and Madison’s relationship is doomed and there’s just way too much damage done to move forward.

Peter’s mom was RUTHLESS during the live taping and I think she may have dodged a bullet for not ending up with Barb as her future mother in law. I understand that there is A LOT that goes on behind the scenes that the viewers do not see – however, this is not the traditional way to find a future husband or wife and I think Barb should really cut Madison some slack. Yes, she may have made his family wait three hours prior to meeting them but she is making a decision that will impact the rest of her life. Good grief! I love how Madison put Barb in her place by saying that this isn’t just Peter’s journey to find love, it’s also hers.

I don’t think I’m alone when I say this finale was a HUGE disappointment. It’s always nice to see someone get a happy ending after being invested for so long and we definitely did not get to see that. Anyone else think there’s potential for Peter and Hannah Brown to rekindle their relationship now that the show is over? I would love to see that happen!

Before the finale wraps, we get to meet our new Bachelorette, Clare Crawley! I’m actually really looking forward to Clare’s journey to love and I’m hoping that her maturity plays a role in a successful outcome! We have been deprived of a happy ending for 3 seasons now LOL! I loved the throwback that was shown of Clare and Juan Pablo during her goodbye where she said, “I would never want you to be the father of my children”. As a mother myself, it was a very empowering statement and I think it’s amazing to see a
woman discover her self-worth and I think Clare is going to be a powerful lead for those watching next season! Would you guys agree?

Well, that’s all for this season of The Bachelor! I’ve had an absolute BLAST recapping this season and I hope you guys enjoyed following along!

xo
Kayla