The Bachelorette, Ep. 9.11: The Finale & After The Final Rose

So, is everyone ready for the "most shocking and dramatic" finales ever? Here we go!

When we last left off, Brooks broke Des's heart and left. She said that she couldn't love Drew and Chris the way she loved Brooks. So what is she going to do? She had the ending planned and was ready to spend the rest of her life with Brooks, and he just threw a curveball at her and left her totally confused and broken. She didn't see it coming.

Now, not only does she not have Brooks (at this point), but now she most likely has to dump 2 guys who both want to propose to her. It would be totally unbelievable if she is able to switch gears and pick one of the remaining guys. Not after her completely emotional and desperate plea to Brooks to stay. BUT, she's talking to Chris, and after crying just a couple minutes ago, she now says she's ready to give Drew and Chris a chance and move on with the process. Anyone want to take bets on at what point Brooks comes back? I'm guessing right before she hands out a rose at this next Rose Ceremony, he'll pull up in a limo and ask to talk to her.

RealitySteve is so rarely wrong, and he had this to say before the show: "Nothing has changed. What I reported about the final result back in May never changed & I never wavered from it. Enjoy tonight"

Rose Ceremony

This just says it all: "It's just sad cause I had hopes, and now I don't." She also said that if she can't see a future, it's over. (Well, I should think so). She tells them that she has always treated their relationships as individuals and she doesn't want to let what happened with Brooks affect what happens from here on out. Well, it's a little late for that, because she was going to pick him as the winner, and by him leaving, that absolutely affects what's going to happen.

She has 2 roses to give out and she cries as she tells them that when she calls their names, she wants them to tell her if they have any doubts. She gives one to both Drew and Chris, and I was wrong. No appearance by Brooks...yet. OK, next guess...she gets ready to go on a date with either Drew or Chris and Brooks shows up before the date.

Date with Drew
Horse riding to the beach. I would love that date! They have some chit chat on the way, and they sit down on the beach. Right away, Des breaks down into tears and can't get her words out. She tells him she doesn't know if she can see a future with them. Seriously? She's doing this now?! Um...wasn't the point of the date to see if there were feelings there? Otherwise she would have just not given him a rose at the last rose ceremony. Why did she ride with him all the way to the beach to do that?

Poor Drew...could he be hurt any more? She already publicly loved Brooks more than him, then she gives him false hope by giving him a rose to go on another date. Wow...pretty low Des, pretty low.

I think he took the news really well, considering he was ready to propose to her. He held it together until he left her. He said he was crushed and never saw it coming.

Gotta love the live audience's dramatic silence and shocked faces.

Date with Chris
So, will he suffer the same fate as Drew? The hope of a new date and a new day, to only end with a painful break up.

Well, it looks like he fared a little better than Drew did. He at least gets to enjoy his date on a boat. The date goes really well, and at the end of the date, he gives her a journal. In the journal is all of the poems that they wrote together.

They've done a pretty good job of showing that she is SLOWLY forgetting about Brooks. She is trying to convince herself that she could love Chris and see a future with him. I think she's starting to fake believe it, only because it's him or nothing. It's amazing how quickly she was able to turn things around and decide that she does "love" Chris now...only because Brooks isn't there.

And now that they've made us believe that she totally picks Chris now, guess who should be arriving at any inappropriate moment now...Next question: does Chris get to meet her family? If yes, that really sucks for Chris, if he's not the one.

Chris Meets the Parents
Surprisingly, her brother is there as well, even though she basically told him that she didn't want him there a couple weeks ago. He starts right away firing the tough questions, one right after another. Her parents can't get a word in edgewise! Seriously dude, we get it, you're protective, but geez louise! Finally, her dad had to pull Chris aside to get to talk to him. Chris takes that opportunity to ask her dad for his blessing, which he gives to him happily.

When Des is alone with her brother, he brings up Brooks. She said it took her a long time for her to give up on. Actually, it apparently didn't take too long...a couple days at the most.

At least this time her brother didn't totally ruin things for her.

The Moment of Truth
Chris is ready to propose, and Des is ready to be engaged to...Chris...we think.

Wow, they are dragging out Brooks's return longer than I thought. It's looking more and more like Chris is going to be down on one knee and Brooks is going to come running in saying "WAIT!" That would be almost too good to be true...awful for them, but great TV!

Des says that Chris is the man that she could love for the rest of her life. She is worried though because he deserves to know how she felt about Brooks. That could change everything. Who wants to be someone's second choice?

Chris makes his way to Des, and he utters the immortal words of doom "I would be shocked if something today got in the way of the relationship that Des and I have built."

His proposal is very beautiful, and really sweet. He really does have a way with words, doesn't he? Just as he gets ready to get down on his knee, she stops him. She wants to tell him about her feelings. She tells him that she has already said to goodbye to Drew and that he was the only one who met her family. Finally he breathes again. There for a moment I thought he might pass out because she basically stopped him mid-proposal, which is usually not a good sign. Then she tells him how torn apart she was when Brooks left and that she loved him. She said it was always between those 2. Now, he looks devastated again. Oh, but there's a "but"...she said that she was so blindsided by what happened that she couldn't see that what she needed was right in front of her. Now he's happy again! Poor guy is on a roller coaster right now! Who knows how this is going to end.

She finally declares her love for him and she says she wants to spend the rest of her life with him.  And now, for attempt #2, he finally gets to ask her to marry him. Wow...I can't believe it's gotten this far. Now, it's looking like maybe she pulls a "Mesnick" and gets with Brooks after she's engaged to Chris? RealitySteve was so sure that she's with Brooks and was sticking to the story. Hmmm...

RealitySteve's response tweet: "Wow. Uhhhh, didn't see that coming. No idea what happened. Just means ill [sic] have to get it right next season."

After The Final Rose
Welp...we were all fooled! SHE IS STILL ENGAGED TO CHRIS! Wow. I really kept expecting Brooks to make a reappearance, because if nothing else, it would be great tv.

Oh well, Chris (or Drew for that matter) is a far better than Brooks ever was, even before he left.

Brooks does show up, but it's not the way we all thought. The chat went well, and not as awkward as I thought it might be. Brooks didn't seem too heartbroken and was happy to hear that she was engaged to Chris. He said their feelings were pretty apparent at the rose ceremonies.

Drew is up next. He also seemed to be on the mend, and doing better than what I thought he might be. He says he noticed something was different at the rose ceremony because her greeting to Chris was warmer to Chris than to him, and on their date he knew something was coming, and he wanted to try to do whatever he could to stop what was coming. Now, he does seem to have moved on and he actually said that he didn't think he was in love with her any more. Chris says "I think you're going to do OK." It looks like they might just be setting him up as the next Bachelor...

Des and Chris are reunited on stage, and they seem to be pretty happy, so good for them. But then again, so is every couple on the ATFR, so who knows what will happen. Surprisingly he didn't seem to be too phased by her feelings for Brooks and that essentially, he was her 2nd choice, and her final choice only because her actual first choice backed out...so really it wasn't her choice at all. Get it? Got it? Good.

Des is moving to Seattle. They found a new place to share together.

And the night wouldn't be complete without a poem. Chris presents a framed poem called "My Girl" and inside was also each of the roses that he received throughout their journey. Aw!

And the Next Bachelor Is...JUAN PABLO!!!!
I really had a feeling it could be him! He wasn't on for very long, and didn't get that much screen time, but I really felt like he made a good impression to Bachelor Nation. I would have been more than OK with Drew and I'm so happy they didn't pick Brooks! If they would have picked him, I think I would have been sick.

And today's his birthday! Happy birthday, Juan Pablo!

Weird Side Notes
Side note #1: I'm trying to follow Twitter while watching the show and typing this blog. I just have to share a tweet from RealitySteve, because it is really good, and I wish I had thought of it myself. Part of me really hopes that it happens:

"This is totally gonna be a Ross and Rachel moment. Des will say Brooks' name instead of Drew or Chris ha ha."

Side note #2: What is with Des's shirt on Drew's date? Is that a shirt? What is it?

Side note #3: Did anyone else notice how beat red Des's chest was?! Whoa...bright red! It was bright red as she was getting ready for her date with Drew. Then, when she meets up with Drew, she is no red at all! Oops production team!

Side note #4: Anyone counting how many times they say there are in Antigua this episode? They already said it like 100 times last episode. We are about an hour in, and I think they have said it at least 200 times. We know that's where you are, we don't need reminded every 3 seconds. They must be getting paid by the mention. Ridiculous!

Side note #5: Anyone else think that Des's dad looks like Chris but 30 years older? Strange!