*SPOILERS AHEAD*
For the past ten weeks, I have spent every Monday night rushing home to prepare snacks to turn on the TV for me and my friends’ weekly watch party of The Bachelor. Although I have never been a sucker for this show before, the fact that this season’s Bachelor is a West Chester University Alumni (and a very handsome one at that) made the show extremely intriguing. Joey Graziadei, the star of The Bachelor’s season 28, quickly made a name for himself being dubbed the “best bachelor in history”. Joey’s season was full of emotions, twists, and drama. One of the most anticipated parts of the season was, of course, the finale. This anticipation was mainly because of the hype that was building up around it. Ever since the season’s premiere episode, The Bachelor host Jesse Palmer repeatedly stated that this season was unlike any in the show’s history, ending with a shocking twist that has never happened before. Well, let me tell you, my 6 friends and I were glued to the couch, waiting for the shocking twist…that never really happened. Here’s a breakdown of the season finale and why the “surprising” ending was pretty predictable.
The Basics
The show’s finale centered around the two women left for Joey to choose from: Daisy Kent and Kelsey Anderson. Here’s a big spoiler for the finale: The two women ride in the same car to the proposal, Daisy tells Joey she knows he isn’t going to pick her, and Joey proposes to Kelsey. Although this may have seemed shocking to some people, my friends and I felt the entire episode gave this away. Several things happened throughout the episode that ultimately gave away who Joey chose.
Giveaway #1: Meeting The Fam
The first big event in the finale was the two women meeting Joey’s family for the first time. Daisy was only shown talking to Joey’s mom and sisters when she met his family. Nothing was unusual about her conversation with his sisters, but when talking to his mom, the producers showed Joey’s mom’s live reaction to the clip. She was crying with her head in her hands, which was not a positive reaction. When Kelsey met his family, she had more screen time than Daisy. They also showed Kelsey’s conversation with Joey’s dad, while Daisy did not have a conversation with his dad (or it just wasn’t shown). Although Joey’s family was a bit thrown off by Kelsey’s answer of, “I think so” when asked if she was ready to be engaged, it seemed like his family welcomed Kelsey more than Daisy. This was the first sign that his family was either rooting for Kelsey or felt bad that Daisy was not chosen.
Giveaway #2: The Final Dates
During the finale episode, each woman received one last date with Joey. If you’re anything like me and my friends, you were probably screaming at the TV when you saw Kelsey’s date compared to Daisy’s. Daisy’s date consisted of a spiritual ceremony where she and Joey awkwardly exchanged wishes and sat in a sauna. This was also a dead giveaway that Joey was not pursuing a future with Daisy. Her wishes to him included statements of hoping for a happy future together and continuing to grow their love. In return, Joey told Daisy he was happy for the connection they created and that he wished the best, whatever happens. This is a complete 360 compared to Kelsey’s date which was a romantic and relaxing spa day. The couple was shown massaging one another, doing face masks, and sharing kisses. Joey was also very reassuring to Kesley during this date, telling her that she shouldn’t worry about losing him. Yeah… that seems pretty obvious that he isn’t choosing Daisy.
Giveaway #3: The “Shock”
After the dates conclude and the show cuts to the next day, Daisy is seen walking to Kelsey’s room. The women sit down and talk to each other, which is something that’s never been seen before in The Bachelor’s history. I will admit that this was a bit unexpected, but their conversation gives away what’s next to come. After discussing how their dates went and what Joey said to them (Kelsey fully tells Daisy that he was extremely reassuring), Daisy knows that Joey is not picking her. The girls ride in the same car to the proposal and Daisy ends up telling Joey that she knows she is not the one for him. The moment was extremely touching, emotional, and heartwarming (especially when she talks to Kelsey afterward), but not all surprising. It feels like all the hype leading up to the finale was given away within the first 30 minutes of the two-and-a-half-hour episode. The show would have ended on a much more shocking note if Joey had adjusted his word choice or if the women received equal dates.
One element of the finale that not many people saw coming was the choice of the lead for the next season of The Bachelorette. Jenn Tran was announced as the next lead, which came as a shock to many people who were expecting Daisy or fan-favorite Maria Georgas. Jenn is the first-ever Asian American bachelorette and I’m honestly looking forward to seeing how her season plays out! All in all, apart from the finale, this season of The Bachelor has mostly lived up to its dubbed title of “most exciting and most watched”. Although I was disappointed in the over-hyped finale, the rest of the show had me on the edge of my seat and I’ll be counting down the days until I can watch the next season!