Although it may seem breathtaking, this season’s star Clayton Echard ignored these rules. And as a result, in Tuesday night’s finale which was described on the show as both “excruciating” and “crazy”, he ended up being voted out by the winner for the first time in the history of the ” Bachelor”.
ABC’s two-hour season 26 finale was the culmination of a few brutally uncomfortable recent episodes, which began last week during the fantasy sequel dates in Iceland. Clayton, a 28-year-old former football player from Missouri, thought it would be a great plan to tell two of his finalists (Rachel Recchia, a 26-year-old flight instructor from Florida, and Gabby Windey, a 31-year-old -old Colorado ICU nurse) that he was falling in love with them. They were thrilled to hear this, not realizing that Clayton had made almost identical statements to them after leaving their rooms the morning after their respective dates.
Then it all imploded when Clayton went on his third date night with Susie Evans, a 28-year-old wedding videographer from Virginia, and of course said, “I love you.” In response, Susie asked if he had been “intimate” with another woman and/or had fallen in love with them. When Clayton admitted he had, in fact, slept with Rachel and Gabby and had “feelings of love” for the two, Susie was devastated and said she couldn’t see moving forward with him. Clayton protested that he liked Susie “the most”, although that didn’t help; he later became furious with his ultimatum, given that exploring relationships with multiple women is the show’s premise. Susie seemed taken aback by his backlash as he chided her for not making his expectations clear early on, then coldly told her to leave.
In the first game of Monday’s final, Clayton guessed it all and broke down in tears mourning Susie’s departure. For some reason, this inspired him to be “transparent” with Rachel and Gabby, who were waiting for him at the rose ceremony, since he was supposed to whittle down the bottom three to the bottom two. In what host Jesse Palmer enthusiastically called the “hell rose ceremony,” Clayton informed Rachel and Gabby that Susie was gone, and it “broke” him: “I was in love with ‘she…I’m in love with you two. And I was also intimate with you two. He admitted he had no idea who to choose, and soon the only sounds that could be heard were Rachel and Gabby’s sobs as they ran off in different directions.
Somehow (a producer’s encouragement?), Clayton managed to persuade Rachel and Gabby to stick around, and even meet her family who had traveled to Iceland to meet her two last. Everyone pretended not to be unhappy, especially Clayton, although he then did the worst thing: after making everyone experience this forced happiness, he realized that the person he was he really loved was Susie.
It was the infuriating cliffhanger that led to Tuesday’s finale, when Clayton found out Susie was still in Iceland and begged her to give him another chance – and while she thought about it, decided to win some money. time and employing a rare strategy known as “group breaking”. He sat down with Rachel and Gabby together: “I absolutely saw a future with you two and told you I loved you, and I meant all of that,” he told them gravely. “Everyone deserves someone to give them 100% of their heart, and sadly, I just can’t be that person for you two. Because my heart isn’t there anymore. It’s with Susie. I I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to hurt you all and I hope you can forgive me one day.
They looked amazed. “I really don’t have anything to say,” Gabby said as she left the room. Clayton sued her, then probably regretted it when Gabby dragged him out for completely botching the situation, pointing out that he asked her to stay a few days earlier when he clearly had stronger feelings for Susie . “Your pride was hurt because Susie left,” she said. “A few days doesn’t seem to make that much of a difference, Clayton. Except one time it was going to be my decision, which you didn’t want. And now it’s your decision, so it’s easier.
Clayton’s goodbye conversation with Rachel was even darker and she couldn’t stop crying. As with every finale, between those scenes, the contestants were scheduled to take part in the “After the Final Rose” live special, where they broached all of those issues in real time. Gabby told Clayton that while she didn’t think he acted maliciously, she felt “betrayed” watching the episodes, especially seeing him tell Susie he loved her “the most” ever since. the beginning. Rachel was still in disbelief that he broke up with them through it all, a resigned Clayton apologized and agreed that he had acted terrible.
Then Rachel popped the question that might be a first for “The Bachelor,” which is surprisingly prudish about the concept of contestants having sex: “Did you tell me you were in love with me because you wanted to have sex? with me ?” she asked The studio audience gasped.
“No. No,” Clayton said immediately, shaking his head. “I felt those feelings for you then. I believed him. I really believed that I felt these feelings.
Rachel stopped. “I just don’t believe you,” she said. After an awkward silence, Palmer finally launched a commercial.
After that mess, it was time to go back to Iceland and see Clayton again trying to persuade Susie to get back together, even after her breakdown when she first left. He wrote her an impassioned letter urging her to meet him in the countryside, which turned out to be a heavily decorated place where he held a diamond engagement ring in his pocket. “If you allow me to love you one more day, to take one more step with you, to show you that I can be that man you thought I was – I can prove it if you just give me the chance “, did he declare. noted.
Susie, to much cheers on social media, basically said “no thanks” to him. She said while they shared a connection and on some level she loved him, she wanted to leave Iceland alone. “I don’t think I’m your person,” she said. “And I don’t think you’re mine.”
“I see forever with you,” Clayton insisted. “But I will also take the time to get there, because for me it’s not over until you tell me it’s over.”
“I feel like it’s over,” Susie said.
With that, the camera returned to Palmer in the studio. “For the first time in history, our bachelor was rejected on the last day and he finds himself alone,” he said happily. Then he raised an eyebrow. “…Or does he?”
You could practically hear the enraged cries of ‘Bachelor’ viewers across the country, as indeed the drama took an even worse turn for viewers who just witnessed three harrowing episodes of Clayton Disasters: Clayton Returned at the studio and admitted that to his shock someone contacted him after filming. “I created a world of pain. I caused a lot of trouble. And I expected that to be it for me,” he said. Alas, that was not the case, because this mysterious person came out… and it was Susie.
It’s true: One of the three women he had emotionally abused decided she wanted to date him anyway. They sat down on the sofa, holding hands. “That’s my boyfriend!” Susie exclaimed when Palmer asked them to clarify their relationship. And yes, she confirmed, as they kissed and cuddled, she loved him. However, Susie is realistic: “I think we both expect a little backlash,” she said. “We both could have done better in different ways.”
An analysis of social media comments showed that was an understatement. “The most important thing is that you’re both happy,” Palmer assured them, as another disastrous “Bachelor” season drew to a close. Although good news for Gabby and Rachel, although humiliated and emotionally manipulated on national television: Palmer announced that they both star of the next season of “The Bachelorette,” which premieres on ABC in July.