“The MOST dramatic season finale ever.” It seems like we hear these words from Chris Harrison EVERY single time we come to the conclusion of a season of The Bachelor. However, this season he meant it. Arie Luyendyk Jr., a presumably boring guy, was definitely not the popular choice among Bachelor fans, but there is no arguing with the fact that this “boring” guy gave us a finale no one was expecting.
The finale showed two last dates with his final two women: Lauren and Becca. Lauren, the reserved blonde, wowed Arie from the beginning, and there was no denying that they had instant chemistry. Becca, the outgoing brunette, was a consistent steady front-runner when it came to comparing Arie’s relationships with the other women. During the finale, it seemed as if Arie would not be able to choose between the two women. However, he decided the morning of that he was going to propose to Becca! Seems like a really strong start to a relationship, right? Just going out on a limb and picking between two women the morning of the proposal!
There was also a lot of foreshadowing this season:
- Arie repeatedly told the camera that he was terrified of picking the wrong girl.
- Becca’s rose broke right after the engagement.
Two months after the show’s filming ended, Arie decided he’d made a mistake and decided to break up with Becca for Lauren. And hey, there’s no better or nicer way than to break up with someone by inviting them to “Happy Couples Weekend,” right? The perfect breakup: In a nice condo in LA where you thought you were going to spend the weekend with your fiancée, who tells you he made a mistake and is going to make amends with his ex, all the while being chased by producers and camera men as you dodge your ex-fiancée in a state of utter confusion, embarrassment, and anger. Arie did have the right to change his mind. We are all human, and we all make mistakes. If he wanted to be with Lauren, he needed to be honest with Becca. However, Arie was in the wrong many times along the way, and there are many ways that he could have handled this much better:
- First of all, if you aren’t 100% sure you are asking the right girl to marry you, don’t propose. If he was conflicted until literally two hours before his proposal, he could have been completely honest with both Lauren and Becca and told them he needed more time to be comfortable with his decision.
- Why did they need to film Becca’s heartbreak? It just seemed cruel to be watching an hour straight of a girl’s breakup as we witnessed every raw emotion that she was feeling.
- Why didn’t Arie leave?! That hour seemed like a century because Arie just stared at her bawling her eyes out! A piece of advice: If you’re a guy breaking up with his girlfriend for his ex, don’t just sit next to her and ask if she is okay—especially after she has repeatedly asked you to leave.
None of this was fair to Lauren or Becca. BUT, the TV franchise seems to be rewarding Becca for her display of public humiliation. Lauren gets the guy, and Becca is going to be our next Bachelorette!