The Bachelor Finale Recap: Did Joey Get Left at the Rose Ceremony Altar? Plus, Vote in Our Poll!
Joey looked destined for heartbreak as The Bachelor reached its season finale on Monday… but did he manage to find a happy ending?
As the finale opens, Joey is down to his final two women — Daisy and Kelsey — and is excited to introduce them to his parents in Tulum, Mexico before making his final decision. But as multiple previews have already shown us, we know that Joey ends up blindsided and in tears at the final rose ceremony. So does his chosen girl dump him at the last minute? There’s only one way to find out: sit through three hours of television, apparently. Jesse Palmer assures us that what we’re about to see “has never happened before, ever!” (Yeah, we’ll believe that when we see it, Jesse.)
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Joey is still haunted by fears that he’ll end up alone as he reunites with his family, including his dad Nick and his mom Cathy. His family is a little gun shy, too, after what happened with him and Charity on The Bachelorette. (Understandably!) But when he brings in Daisy to meet them, they’re quickly won over by her sweet nature and can see how close she and Joey are. They “really seem like they’re in love with each other,” Joey’s sister Ellie marvels, and Daisy vows to his family that she’ll “choose him every single day for the rest of my life.” But Joey later tells his sisters that he has a nagging feeling Daisy is still holding back. Daisy also has an emotional heart-to-heart with Joey’s mom that makes The Golden Bachelor’s Gerry weepy in the live audience… but let’s be real: That guy cries about everything.
It’s Kelsey’s turn next, and of course, they love her, too, with everyone tearing up when Kelsey talks about her late mother. Joey’s mom wants to make sure that Kelsey is ready to get married, and when she tells Joey’s sisters that she’s “not on any timeline” to get engaged, alarm bells start to go off. They tell Joey that they feel like Daisy is more ready to say yes if he proposes, and that triggers Joey’s fears all over again. Then Kelsey’s chat with his mom becomes almost like a therapy session, with them both crying and facing the hard fact that Joey may end up picking Daisy instead. So Joey is torn… but how will he decide which girl to propose to? “Maybe he won’t,” Jesse teases. Huh?
We start to get a clue when Joey heads out on his final date with Daisy, and she’s feeling the nerves, too: “I just really want it to be me.” They do a spiritual cleansing and sit in a sweat lodge together, and she’s ready to tell him she loves him, but it hurts her to feel like “he’s not sure of me.” When they make wishes and toss them into the fire, Joey says he wishes for them both to find true happiness, “whether that’s with each other or just in general.” Uh-oh. That answer throws Daisy for a loop, and she shuts down emotionally. She rebounds for their final dinner together, though, and she finally tells him she loves him. But he doesn’t really give her much back (“That’s so good to hear”), and instead, he talks about how much it “kills” him to think about rejecting one of them. Daisy picks up on that: “He’s not talking about a potential future with us.” The light visibly goes out in her eyes, and after he says goodbye, she concludes sadly, “I don’t think it’s me.”
The mood is lighter when Joey and Kelsey enjoy a spa day together and rub each other with hot oils. But back at the hotel, Daisy is in tears, feeling like “something isn’t clicking fully” with her and Joey. He and Kelsey enjoy a Champagne toast, and she clarifies her non-answer about getting engaged, emphasizing that she is ready as long as it’s with him. He reassures her when she worries about not being chosen — and he does sound more sure about her, doesn’t he? (Daisy, you’re not crazy.) They share a sweet kiss goodbye, and now it’s time for Joey to choose… or, as Jesse hinted, maybe it isn’t?
While Joey picks out a ring with Neil Lane and Kelsey picks out a beautiful white dress, Daisy paces her hotel balcony, wracked with anxiety. During her last date with Joey, “something felt off with us,” she says, and she’s bracing herself for heartache. “Love shouldn’t feel like it hurts this much,” Daisy decides, and she walks with purpose through the hotel, knocking on the door of… Kelsey! They share a heartfelt hug, and Daisy sits her down, explaining that “there was something missing” between her and Joey on their date, and she didn’t get the validation she wanted from Joey, while Kelsey did. Daisy is crushed — “I really think it’s Kelsey” — but she doesn’t want to just walk away, either.
So we arrive at the final rose ceremony… and Daisy and Kelsey arrive together! (That is a first!) Joey is ready, ring in hand, and Daisy walks up first — as is tradition for the runner-up. When they start to exchange sweet words, Daisy interrupts to say: “But the thing is: You’re not going to choose me.” Joey starts to sob while Daisy gracefully bows out: “I’m gonna do what’s best for me, and I’m gonna go.” He knows she’s right: “You deserve nothing but the best, and I really wish I was able to give it to you.” He offers to walk her out, but she wants to do it on her own, and they share a tearful hug goodbye. After she walks away, we get the weepy Joey alone that we’ve seen in a hundred previews. But thankfully, we know that’s not the end.
Kelsey was in that car, too, and she joins Joey at the rose ceremony, breaking into a wide smile as he tells her how much he loves her. He gets down on one knee to propose — and she says yes! (And judging by the tear he wipes away, it looks like Kelsey’s dad approves.) “It all worked out!” Jesse excitedly declares. He brings out Joey to break it down on the live show, and Joey admits he asked himself, “How did you know?” when Daisy told him she’s not the one. Daisy joins him and gushes about how happy she is for him and Kelsey. Her seeds of doubt began when she noticed the way Joey and Kelsey looked at each other at the previous rose ceremony with Rachel, she remembers, and she knows now that it was the right decision to walk away. And maybe it was, because we do have a Bachelorette announcement coming…
First, we check in with the happy couple, and Joey admits he was “nervous as hell” when he got down on one knee to propose to Kelsey. (Hey, he’s been stopped before!) They do seem very happy together, making googly eyes at each other the whole time, and even though we’re total cynics about the Bachelor success rate — for good reason! — we’re genuinely rooting for these two. They’re planning to move to New York together this summer, and Jesse presents them with a return trip to Jasper as an engagement gift. Jesse also calls out to Kelsey’s dad Mark in the audience: “Maybe we’ll be seeing you soon down the road, too.” Hmmm… the next Golden Bachelor, anyone?
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We do get one official announcement: After teasing who the next Bachelorette will be, Jesse brings out Daisy… but that’s just a head-fake. Daisy says the last year has been a whirlwind for her, and she just wants to focus on herself and her loved ones: “Right now, no, I’m not ready, and that’s OK, and I’m really proud of myself for realizing that.” Instead, Jesse brings out Charity to tell us that our new Bachelorette is… Jenn! That’s a bit of a curveball, isn’t it? Even the Bachelor Nation alums in the audience look surprised. We kinda wanted Maria, to be honest, just for the fireworks, but Jenn is a sweetheart, so we’ll happily watch her journey. She and Jesse (and the whole crowd!) take a shot to celebrate, and Maria even gives her seal of approval from the audience. See you this summer!
Alright, Bachelor Nation, it’s your turn: Tell us who you think Joey should have chosen in our poll below, and then hit the comments to share your thoughts on the finale.
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