The Bachelor: Episode 10 (FINALE)

TWO ARE LEFT. Who will be voted out tonight?

Before we start, I’ll finalize my prediction. I guessed Nikki from the beginning, so I’ll stay with her. I do think she’s a much better match for Juan Pablo than Clare is. It’s been harder to cheer for JP (than, say, Sean) because of the way he’s treated the women, but at the same time I hope he watches the season and sees how he is and learns from his mistakes. That would be ideal. People CAN change.

Oh, hey, we’re live! Hi, Chris Harrison! I vote Chris to be the next Bachelor. With Elan Gale (the producer with all the hair) hosting. Or maybe Jillian Harris.

So is he going to still be with the woman he chooses? Or will they have broken up by now? I don’t predict a smooth journey, but I do hope that he’s had a smack on the head and that he has a happy ending.

Saint Lucia! Juan Pablo and his family are hanging out. There’s Camila, the best girl on the show.

Clare is up first to meet Juan Pablo’s family. She “couldn’t be more thrilled. I’m falling in love with him.” She brought flowers for JP’s mom. Clare thinks that JP is all that much hotter after seeing him with Camila. Apparently all Clare’s family is spanish but she doesn’t speak it. I’d think that’s weird, but my whole family is Dutch and I don’t speak it. Though my parent’s didn’t speak it to us when we were growing up. I kind of wish they did, but it wasn’t their first language, either. I should have taken lessons from my grandma.

JP’s mom is chatting with Clare. Clare: “Is there anything personality-wise about him that he would never tell me?” JP’s mom: “He’s hyperactive.” Yea, I think we got that one. Clare: “He made me cry.” JP’s mom: “Me too.”

Clare and JP’s brother. She tells him that she’s falling in love with JP. Rudolfo wants to know, if JP wants to run away if there’s a problem, will she hang on to him? Rudolfo then talks to JP and asks if Clare is ready to get married and have kids. JP says yes. JP’s dad tells Clare that she will always have a father-in-law. That Clare will always be in his life and he will take care of her. Clare: “He’s a true gentleman. I think anybody would be so lucky to be a part of this family.”

Clare tells JP that she knows he was raised right, then takes off. “I could 1,000% see myself as part of Juan Pablo’s family.”

Back at the live show, Chris says, “Tonight we are watching what promises to be the most controversial finale in Bachelor history.” Sure, Chris. You say that EVERY TIME. Apparently Juan Pablo has a surprise during After The Final Rose. I doubt it’s that he’s already married.

Next up is Nikki’s turn to meet JP’s family. His daughter and niece are climbing all over him. I love that they all call Nikki “Neekee”. JP: “I feel very good about Nikki.” Nikki is very nervous, “I just hope they like me.”

Nikki also brings flowers for JP’s mom. This is her second time meeting JP’s parents and daughter. I like Nikki’s hair. Can someone come over and do that to my bangs? Nikki: “I’m so blessed to be a part of this. I’m so grateful.” JP’s not worried about Nikki talking to his family. She tells JP’s dad that she’s thankful for Camila because she made him who he is today. JP’s dad: “He’s not an easy guy. It’s always specific, what he wants.” Nikki: “I asked him what his biggest flaw was, and he said he was stubborn.” Saul: “I think Nikki is enough honest to be able to manage a very good relationship with Juan.”

Nikki tells JP’s mom how great of a guy he is. Nelly: “He’s very simple. Is he the kind of guy you want?” Nikki: “Yes. Do you think he’s ready for this?” Nelly: “I think he is ready for this.”

Nelly: “This girl is very strong. I think she would be a good match.”

Nikki to JP’s brother: “I don’t think I need to know everything about someone to love them.” Rodolfo: “I want to know how much you can take, because Juan Pablo, sometimes when things are getting rough, he’ll run away from the relationship. So what do you do with that?” Nikki says she isn’t worried, and relationships need fighting and passion. She thinks they fit well together.

Nikki gets hugs all around. Rodrigo: “From what I’ve seen today, Nikki is a good choice. But so is Clare. It’s a tough one.” JP and Nikki have a bit of time before she leaves. Nikki: “After today with Juan Pablo’s family, I’m more convinced that this is the guy for me.” JP: “I’m so glad you signed up for this.”

Back the live show! Chris: “Even Juan Pablo’s family thinks his honesty is a double-edged sword.” He says something else about the finale being controversial, blah blah blah.

Chris is in the studio audience. The first woman says, “This is bad news. This is going south fast. His whole family warned both girls against him!” Next, a guy: “I think it’s going to end well. Nikki seemed more comfortable with the family than Clare.” A woman: “I really don’t know. It’s really hard to get a read on him. Because everything’s ‘ok’.” Chris asks another woman if either of the women should accept a proposal: “I don’t know, neither one of them seems 100% positive with them. I don’t see it lasting forever with either one of them.”

Sean and Catherine are in the front row with other bachelorettes. Kelly is worried about the family’s warnings about Juan Pablo. Catherine: “I like JP as a person, I think it’s really hard to be a girl in this scenario because of his complacency, but he doesn’t show his passion in the right way.” She says when you want to see good things in a person, it’s hard to hear the bad things. They’re going to see things through rose-coloured glasses.

Chris: “What’s going to happen will surprise all of you.” OF COURSE IT WILL. Clare is about to have her last date with JP and “it is nothing like you have ever seen on the Bachelor before.”

So, Clare’s last date with Juan Pablo. He’s not sure what he’s going to do. “I have to figure out how I feel about these women. I have to make a decision for my life and for my daughter’s life. It feels good to be close to Clare. But is she the right one?”

They’re so colourful. JP in purple and blue, Clare in yellow and black. They get into a helicoptor to see Saint Lucia from the air. JP: “It’s going to be incredible.” They make out and say how happy they are to be there with each other. As they land they have a rare moment with no cameras as the helicopter lands. JP whispered something in Clare’s ear “that I thought would be sweet, kind, loving words”, but it was not at all. She was shocked. “I don’t have words for how I feel right now. He chose to tell me something that no one wants to hear. Some sexual thing, I don’t even want to repeat it. It was insulting and offensive.” Yea, that isn’t surprising at all. Poor girl. No woman deserves that. Ever. “I’m not just an object. Maybe I have him all wrong. Maybe he’s not the guy I thought he was. I don’t know what to do next. If he can’t tell me that he knows me well and that this relationship goes further than a physical connection, I’m outta here.”

Clare’s back in her hotel room thinking over what Juan Pablo said. She wanted something romantic, and she can’t even repeat what he said. “I’ve been in those types of relationships where there wasn’t more than that. And I came here for love.”

JP comes to Clare’s hotel room and she tells him to have a seat. As usual, Juan Pablo hasn’t got a clue what’s up. She tells him to talk to her about what he said in the helicopter. “You could have said anything in the world. No mics, no cameras, no people. And what did you tell me?” JP: “Remind me, what do you want to know.” Clare: “First you made a comment about stuff that happened with us, in private. You told me that you don’t know me at all, and that I don’t know you at all. … What I want in a relationship and in the future, I want more than the physical stuff.” JP says something about being honest. He says it’s hard. Clare: “For me, it was a moment of, ‘This is the end.’” She says she’s out of there if he feels the way she suspects he feels.

“This is our last time together and I need some answers from Juan Pablo. If there are doubts going on, I want to put it all out on the table. … If I’m unsure if he even wants me here, I’ll book my ticket home from Saint Lucia.” So, that would be three of the top five to choose to go home? Sharleen, Andi, and Clare (if she goes home). Wow. That has never happened before.

Clare wants to know if Juan Pablo wants here there. JP says not to blame everything on him. “Do I see myself with you? Yes, I see myself with you.” Clare: “Do you think you know me well enough to make your decision?” JP: “It’s hard, because a proposal for me is huge.” He talks about how hard everything is for him. She says she wants to hear more than that he just likes kissing her. “When I’m with someone, I want to hear that they want to be with me.” JP says that he wouldn’t have introduced her to his family if he didn’t want to be with her. “You’re special to me. … I know if I go with you, we’re going to have a baby in like a year and two months.” Clare: “Twins?” JP: “I feel great about you.” They snuggle and make up and all that mooshy stuff. Clare: “Now, I definitely know it’s more than a physical attraction between us. It’s what I needed to hear. I know that he wants me.” JP plays the song from their first date together. JP: “I know she could be the one. I like that girl a LOT.” Clare: “You should just play this when we get married.” … “JP has broken down those walls that were around my heart. I definitely believe in that now.” Clare says that they may not know each other 100%, but that they have something special. “The next time that I see Juan Pablo, I’m going to be dressed up. Because I don’t want a rose, I want forever.”

Live audience! Sharleen’s there! Chris asks about what she thinks about what happened. She says it was painful to watch. And she just ignored it when he was patronizing her. His way of complimenting her was to let her meet his family. Sean says it was painful to watch as well. He says he heard the collective sigh as everyone watched Clare give in. That he talked in circles instead of shooting straight. Chris: “More shocking surprises before this is all said and done.”

Next up is Nikki’s final date. JP: “Every day I want something to happen that makes me feel better towards one person.” Nikki says the only thing that’s missing is hearing how he feels about her. She tells JP about how wonderful his family is. “Your whole family’s awesome. I can’t pick a favourite.” … “I won’t be confident until I learn how he feels about me.” She tells him she thinks he’s guarded. JP: “I’m not guarded.” … Nikki: “I feel like we have something so special and I just don’t see him having that with anyone else.”

Nikki says if this was her last day with JP, she’d be heartbroken. JP says he understands how hard it is on Nikki. She wants to know how he feels.

JP goes up to Nikki’s hotel room. Nikki: “I just want to know it’s me. I know that I love him, but if I’m going to accept a proposal from Juan Pablo, I want to know how he feels.” They talk about how this is the end of the Bachelor experience and then there are awkward pauses. Because this season is The Awkward Pause Experience. Nikki says she’s wanted it to be over but now that it is, it’s scary. Nikki: “I’m head over heels in love with this guy but he might not feel the same.” JP: “At the end of everything, it’s going to be ok.” IT’S OK.

Nikki brings something out that she made for him. A framed photo of the two of them on horses. I’ve seen this shot on the instagram account of one of the producers. She wrote him a note, ending with saying that she loves him. She doesn’t look happy, though. Probably because he isn’t saying anything. GIVE IT UP, JUAN PABLO. SAY SOMETHING. Yea, she’s not happy. This is awkward. She’s crying. He leaves, completely clueless. She sits on her couch and cries.

Live show. As they watch the scene play out, it’s so silent you could hear a pin drop. Chris: “Wow, so now Nikki’s crying. Both women in tears on their last date with Juan Pablo.”

I don’t see this ending in a proposal. I don’t see either relationship being anywhere close to that.

Clare is so excited. She wants nothing more than to hear JP say that she’s falling in love with her. She’d say yes if JP proposed. “It’s all been that perfect version of a fairy tale.” Really? REALLY?! “Tonight, I could have a ring on my finger.” “I’m more than ready to spend my life with him.”

Both women are completely sure it’s them. Which, you know, is what is usually said.

JP is standing up on the proposal place. Who’s in the first boat? This tells everything … drum roll … It’s Clare. The first person is never the one who stays. Chris meets her and tells her she looks beautiful. “This could be the day my fairy tale comes true.” She’s gonna be a mess. These walk-up things are always so awkward. But not as awkward as this is going to be …

Awkward silence … JUST GET IT OVER WITH, JUAN PABLO. Oh, right, she has to give her I LOVE YOU speech first. This is just cruel. Poor girl. Juan Pablo mentions the belly that Clare walked out of the limo with. “You’re here because I wanted you to be here.” Then he gets into the whole you’re-going-home thing. She can sense it. “I have to say goodbye to you.” He steps in for a hug and she stops him. The crowd cheers. Oh my, this is hilarious. I mean, not funny, but, you know. Everyone’s clapping. Clare: “This entire time I’ve stuck around because I believed in you. The other night, when we spent that time, I needed that reassurance. And for you to tell me that you could see yourself in Sacramento, and with our babies. I saved this moment for the man of my dreams and I thought that was you.” JP keeps saying “Mm hmm.” She brings up Sharleen and Andi. She stomps off and says, “I lost respect for you.” To which JP says, “Ok.” It looks from the outside that he just doesn’t care and isn’t taking it seriously at all, but I also see him using that as a defence mechanism. So that he doesn’t completely lose it. And yes, I’m sticking up for him, you just shush. Clare: “I’ll tell you what. I thought I knew what kind of a man you were. But what you just put me through? I never want my children having a father like you.” Ouch. JP has a couple “ok”s in there.

The crowd is cheering and clapping while JP watches Clare walk away. Chris hugs her and asks if she’s ok. Of course she says no. JP: “I’m glad I didn’t pick her.” Yea, I don’t blame him for saying that. What?! I don’t! I feel horrible for her, but at the same time, she’s no peach. Clare: “He’s truly not the man I thought he was.” … “Don’t tell me you want to *bleep* me. … Just don’t say anything. … Right now it hurts my heart. I want a man who thinks I’m worth it, who will fight for me. Where’s that man that will fight for me?”

Chris: “That was tough to watch. … The dramatic conclusion to The Bachelor is up next.” Chris says that Juan Pablo did get a visit from Neil Lane and that he did choose a ring. “But will he use it?” They probably didn’t have time to show the Neil Lane part with all the drama and such.

Here comes Nikki’s boat. JP has a gorgeous ring in his hands. (I like mine better.) Chris wishes Nikki good luck. Nikki says how much she wants to be engaged to JP, she’s ready to spend the rest of her life with him. “I want Juan Pablo to tell me he loves me. I want that so bad.” She tells him that she wants to be a part of his life and she wants him to be a part of hers. “I don’t want to live my life without you.”

JP: “Nikki. Just know that I love so many things about you. I love how much you care about other people. I love your honesty so much. I think you would be a good step-mom for Camila.” He tells her that what her dad said to him made him think a lot. And that when some guy comes to propose to Camila, he wants that guy to be 100% sure. “I have a ring in my pocket, but I’m not going to use it. I’m not 100% sure that I want to propose to you. But at the same time, I’m 100% sure that I don’t want to let you go. I like you a lot. A lot. Nikki, will you accept my final rose?” Nikki: “Absolutely.”

Huh. Ok then. She doesn’t look absolutely thrilled. But they make out anyway. JP: “Don’t get cranky ’cause you’re hot. I’m hot, too.” Um. REALLY?!

Ok! After The Final Rose! I wasn’t going to blog this part, but I want to find out if they’re still together. Chris brings up the big surprise that Juan Pablo mentioned, and then brings out Clare.

Clare says it was hard to watch, and it brings up the sting of that day. She says that was the day that every woman waits for, the day they get engaged. She says that she told him her fears and wanted to know his, because she’d be out of there. Chris asks about the helicopter and the offensive comments. She says it caught her off-guard. It was offensive and it’s not something that she wants to repeat. She says it’s disappointing, because she didn’t want to hear that. She didn’t know how to feel, because the whole thing was being built up, hoping for something amazing to happen, and it was such a let-down to feel that. She says she went into it with rose-coloured glasses and an open heart. Chris asks why she stayed. What kept her there. “I should have left. My gut was right on, I should have left.” She didn’t leave because going into this she wanted to come in with an open heart and her whole guard down. She’d never let her guard down, and she trusted the process of it. Of being with someone who wanted what she wanted. Someone who was serious about marriage. He was “not the man I thought he was.”

Chris asks her if she wants to talk to Juan Pablo. “That day was pivotal for me. I had never been able to stand up for myself to a man before. … And it was so liberating to be able to stand there and say, this is exactly how I feel. It’s not ok. … That was my closure. That was all I needed.” The crowd claps. “That was enough closure for me. I don’t want to sit on this couch and be fed any more BS.” Chris says he won’t bring JP out, but he will talk to JP. Clare says there’s nothing she wants Chris to say to JP for her. “He’s, plain and simple, not the man I thought he was. There’s nothing I need answered.” Chris says she’s brave and honest and he appreciates her coming.

Juan Pablo! “Ai! Finally! I feel relief.” He says the last month has been hard on him because of what’s happening in Venezuela. Chris asks about Clare. JP says it’s hard, as some of the other Bachelors can attest to. “When it’s there, it’s there. When it’s not, it’s not.” He says it was very hard to say goodbye to people. He made the decision that was best for him. Chris asks if JP has any regrets. “I’m straightforward, like I said before. I don’t’ hide behind a computer.” Chris says everyone is fired up about Clare. JP says it was a rollercoaster. He doesn’t want to talk about private things. “I knew she was going to be disappointed.” He says that day was hard.

Chris asks about the helicopter. JP says it was a private conversation. He was himself, she was himself. It’s something that was personal, and if she wants to say it, that’s fine. He has nothing bad to say about Clare. Chris asks if there are any regrets with her. JP: “It’s fine.” He hasn’t seen the finale, and he doesn’t know what Clare said.

Coming back from commercial, JP isn’t sitting on the couch. If the couple is still together, usually the bachelor(ette) is sitting on the couch waiting for his/her fiance. So … maybe they’re not together? Maybe they got married already? Maybe JP went back to his ex? Here’s Nikki, looking hot.

Chris: “So, here we are, it’s over.” Nikki: “It’s very, very over.” People clap. “No, no, not like that.” So … they’re still together? Chris asks if they’re still together. Nikki says they are, and it’s been hard because they’re hiding. She says she’s in love with him, but doesn’t know if he’s in love with her. “We express things very differently.” Chris: “Has he told you he loves you?” Nikki: “Not exactly.” She says his actions tell her that he loves her. She says that if he didn’t want to be with her, he wouldn’t be. “He wouldn’t be here if he didn’t care about me.” She says she’s not going to force him to tell her he loves her.

Chris calls out Juan Pablo. He and Nikki greet each other. Chris asks JP how they are. JP says, like he said to her dad, he wants to be 100% before he proposes. He’s happy that they can now go in public. Have a burger. At a restaurant. Chris brings up the surprise and Juan Pablo looks confused. He says his surprise is that he’s there with Nikki. Chris: “So how do you feel about her?” JP says he keeps it private. Chris: “So you love her.” JP: “I’m not going to answer that question.” JP: “People don’t understand, this is real life.” Sean sighs. JP: “We are done with this show, we appreciate the opportunity, but we’re done now. … It’s been tough, it hasn’t been easy.” He says that Chris interrupted him before, that he’s honest. He’s bugged by people “what they say on the computer.”

Sean: “You have to know that when you’re on the Bachelor, there is no privacy. People are watching you every move. … Everybody works differently. When I knew that I was in love with Catherine, I could not wait to tell her that. Juan Pablo and I, we are two very different people. When I am in love with someone, I want that person to know it, I want them to know how special they are to me. … To each their own.” JP defends himself. “I didn’t propose because I wanted to respect Nikki’s family. It is how I feel. When you go through the process, you know, it wasn’t easy. … At the end of the day, I sign up, and I end up with what I wanted.” Chris says something about people throwing things at their television. “This is the time to shine. This is the time to express your feelings.” JP: “This show is about someone meeting someone and ending up together. And look, I met somebody and I’m happy! I’ve been four months happy.” Chris: “I don’t know what I’m looking at. I want to look at you and say you’re in love but it’s so awkward.” JP: “I respect your opinion, honestly.” Chris asks Nikki how she feels. “Honestly, I feel like there have been other people who have sat up here before and said they’re in love and mean it but they don’t and it’s just not there and I feel like it doesn’t matter if we say if we are or aren’t and time will tell.” She says it’s a fairy tale, but it’s a real relationship to them. They are taking it seriously. They have another person to think about.

JP: “I’m sorry the show didn’t end up like you wanted me to but I have to be honest and that’s how I felt and I have to respect families and her dad and my daughter.” He wants to know that they’re not going to get divorced before he proposes to her.

Chris: “Nikki is in love, Juan Pablo is in love but won’t say it, but they are, and so we’re happy and that’s the main thing.” Chris asks how long Nikki would give JP to tell her he loves her. Nikki says there’s no timeline. Chris asks where the relationship is going. JP says things changed drastically two weeks ago after the Women Tell All. JP: “It’s just private like I said. It was just some information that I got.” Chris asks where they’re going to live. Juan Pablo says that things changed and they’re going to be themselves and see where things take them. Chris: “So, are there any plans?” JP says they have plans but they’re private. The show is over and they want to keep it private.

You know, for someone who takes FIVE MILLION INSTAGRAM SELFIES, it’s very strange that he wants to keep all this private. My goodness. Anyway.

Sean: “I don’t want to burst your bubble, but it’s not private after the show.” Chris asks Catherine, “If you were sitting here right now, if you were Nikki, would you be happy?” Catherine: “Well, the whole thing is confusing to me. So, I wouldn’t know what to do if I were Nikki. … If I were physically there, would I accept a rose, I don’t know … I’m happy for them, but … this show is about love and about finding that person, but don’t slap the hand that fed you. I mean, The Bachelor, I mean, everything.” Chris explains what “don’t slap the hand that fed you” means. Chris explains to JP that once he gets the good stuff, why not share it? That’s what we signed up to watch, and that’s what he signed up to show. So what’s confusing is, why not share how you feel about this woman? Juan Pablo says he signed up to find someone on The Bachelor and when he signed up, he’d never seen it before. Then two months of filming, the producers know him, so once it’s done airing, from that point on, we just want to keep it to ourselves.

Chris: “Well, I’m going to say congratulations, I think that’s the right thing to say here, you guys have smiles, so, good on you. … Twelve years I’ve been doing this, this is a bachelor first. Easily. Coming up! Who’s going to be the Bachelorette?”

My first guess would be Andi, as I didn’t think Renee would be willing to be away from her son again to be the Bachelorette, but now it’s obvious she’s with someone, so … that leaves Andi. I don’t have any guesses besides her.

Chris: “How’s everyone doing? Showering that one off? Ok. Another season of The Bachelor has come to a close. Moving on, let’s start by introducing our new Bachelorette.” … ANDI! She changed her hair. “I’m looking to find that great love. I have a great life, but I have no one to spend it with.” She spends her life prosecuting gang-related cases. “I never in a million years thought this would happen to me. Ever. … This time, I’m handing out the roses.”

Andi! Chris congratulates her on being The Bachelorette. “I just want to clear a few things up. You do know this is going to be on television, right? So, feel free to express your emotions at any time during the show. People are going to want to go through this journey WITH you.” Andi is laughing this whole time. “And if you fall in love, don’t be afraid to say that.” Everyone cheers and claps. “So, final day, you tell that person you love them, and they tell you that they like you a lot.” Andi: “I’m gonna say, where’s the next one? Let’s do this over again.”

Andi says she’s worried about sending people home. “To have to look someone in the face and send them home, that’s going to be terrible.” Chris: “The only way that [that = Sean/Catherine, Chris/Desiree] is going to happen, is if you give yourself completely to this process.” Andi: “I feel all in. … I am in the place in my life where I am so ready for this. … I am ready. I have never felt better in my life about this.” Chris: “You’re an assistant district attorney and you’re putting that on hold for this.” Andi: “If I don’t have anyone to share that with, it doesn’t mean anything. … I think it can happen anywhere, even on a show like this.”

So … May 19! Andi! Let’s do this!