In his
weekly interview with TV Guide,
Bachelor host Chris Harrison warns that Monday's finale and
After the Final Rose might not play out the way the fans and tabloids expect. And we might be so blindsided that we'll need a night to let the season's conclusion really sink in:
"Between the finale and After the Final, it's going to be very different
than any of the tabloids and fans think," says Harrison. "All I will say is, let's sit
back, take it all in, maybe take a night to sleep on it and then let's
go to Twitter and go to town."
As host and bit player to all the drama, Chris gets his share of backlash when fans aren't pleased with the show's outcome. So with rumors all but officially confirmed that Ben and Courtney will end the season engaged, it's probably in Harrison's best personal interests to advise
Bachelor fans to take a breath and step back before they condemn Ben and his vindictive (
but recently apologetic) would-be bride. Or to plant a red herring to get us all pumped up and tuning in for the episode. Still, his quote makes us wonder: What could Monday's finale have in store, besides a face-palm-inducing proposal atop the Matterhorn?
For one, Chris says we'll see a different Ben than we did this season: "All of this has gotten to him and I think it's slapped him upside the
head in a good way," the host says of the Bachelor. "It's been horrible and I feel sorry for that, but I
think you'll see a different guy next week at
After the Final Rose.
You'll see a little less bravado and cavalier attitude and more of the
really sincere and true Ben we got to know and love."
Today,
Reality Steve posted his details from the After the Final Rose taping, some of which may spoil those surprises Chris Harrison warned us about. As he's maintained all along, Steve says that Ben and Courtney are still engaged, but revealed in the
ATFR that Ben "apparently did not call [Courtney] on Valentine's Day," and while there was no "absolute
100% breakup," there were tough times since their proposal in Switzerland -- including Ben's
recent cheating rumors. Steve says that the "
wedding dress photo shoot last week that Courtney did was purposely done
in direct response to take attention away from Ben and the tabloid
attacks he was getting about the alleged cheating. This was addressed
on the show." Steve says that Ben will maintain in the
ATFR that he never cheated on Courtney. And at the end of the special, Ben will reportedly re-propose to Courtney and tell her,
"I'm going to be there for you forever." Read his full spoiler post for more from the
ATFR -- or tune in at 10pm after Monday's finale to see for yourself.
ABC came out with their press release teasing the finale, when Courtney
and Lyndzi -- Ben's other, almost forgotten option -- will meet his mother
and sister. Here's the release, with the vital parts
bolded:
With
his search for his soul mate over, emotions run high, as Ben, who
breaks down talking to Chris Harrison about his ultimate choice, takes
us back to those final days in Switzerland. Then the woman who received
Ben's final rose joins him for the first time in public as a couple.
They discuss the high and lows of their relationship and what the future
holds for them. It's the emotional ending to Ben's heartfelt journey to
finally find true love. In addition, Bachelorette Ashley Hebert and her
fiance, J.P., discuss their future wedding plans and how they've found
lasting happiness together, on The Bachelor: After the Final Rose.
Ben
reunites with his family who will meet the final two women and,
hopefully, will be able to help him find clarity about which
bachelorette is right for him. When Ben's mother and sister find out
that one of the women didn't get along well with the other ladies, it
immediately raises a red flag for them, but Ben pleads with them to keep
an open mind.
Lindzi arrives first and makes a
great first impression. She assures Ben's family that she is in love
with him and plans to tell him so. When Ben's sister asks her about
Courtney, she admits that there were those women who didn't get along
with her, but reassures her that she is nothing like Courtney. Lindzi is
a hit and the family believes she would be a great addition to their
family.
Ben is extremely nervous when Courtney
arrives. Even though Ben emphatically tells his family that he and
Courtney have an amazing relationship, his mom and sister worry that she
won't fit in with their tight knit family. Courtney does her best to
win them over and gain their trust. Both women have impressed Ben's
family, but which bachelorette can they see as Ben's future wife?
More
confused than ever, Ben hopes that his final dates with the two
bachelorettes will make it clear which woman he should choose. He takes
Lindzi on an adventurous day of skiing the Swiss Alps. Lindzi has fallen
for Ben - literally and figuratively -- but she knows getting her
feelings out there will be crucial if Ben is to pick her. Later that
night, Lindzi opens her heart to up him, and it just confirms to Ben
that he has fallen in love and can definitely see a life with her.
Although
he's head over heels for Lindzi, Ben needs to keep an open mind when he
has his final date with Courtney. They soar over the summit of the
Matterhorn in a helicopter and picnic high in the snow covered Alps. His
elation over his relationship with Courtney comes to an abrupt halt
when she goes on the defensive about his family's questioning her as to
whether she is a "nice" person. Her insecurities about her past
relationships with men come to the surface and she is beginning to fear
it might happen again. Now Ben is worried about her anxiety and wonders
if they will be able to maintain a stable relationship. Is his love for
Courtney worth the risk?
Ben came on this
journey to find love and he has found it with two women. Should he trust
the slowly developing relationship which turned into a flame with
Lindzi or take a risk on a roller coaster ride with Courtney? Which
woman does he see as his future wife? Will he complete his search with a
proposal? And will the woman say yes?Yep, that's
definitely what proposing to your future wife should feel like: Either trusting in a "slowly developing" flame, or taking a "risk on a roller coaster ride."
Check out
a sneak peek of the Bachelor finale here (the very bottom video), tune in for the episode Monday at 8-10pm and the
After the Final Rose at 10-11pm, and then come back here to see my FULL recap of the whole mess -- I mean FAIRYTALE LOVE STORY!
(Image courtesy of ABC)