Written by Kaelyn Spickler
This week Bachelor fans’ anxieties were finally put at ease with the highly anticipated Bachelor finale. Chris Harrison had hyped this two-night finale to the extreme, and he did not disappoint. There is a lot to unpack from the two episodes, but here are the three main take-aways from Roanoke College’s self-proclaimed Bachelor analytic.
What is Peter’s relationship status?
Madi decided to throw in the towel on the relationship after recognizing their apparent differences. It was very clear Madi leaving devastated Peter, yet he proposed to Hannah Ann, and the two continued their happy romance for about a month. After a hard conversation, the two parted because Peter’s heart wasn’t fully in the relationship. Hannah Ann was, of course, upset. Chris Harrison worked his magic and visited Madi to let her know of this turn in events which prompted Madi’s visit to see Peter. On the After the Final Rose, Peter and Madi confessed they are both still in love, but that they both have a lot of healing to do so are going to take things one day at a time.
Peter’s mom is not thrilled.
Something that has never been shown before is a family so involved in who their son or daughter is going to pick. Families may have opinions on who they think makes a better match, but those thoughts have likely been kept more to themselves, and certainly not aired. This season, however, it was very apparent that Peter’s mom and the rest of the family do not approve of Peter and Madi together, despite meeting her at the beginning of the season during the parents’ vow renewal. Their feelings were made evident during the finale, and it was made even more evident when Peter’s mom was filmed clapping while Hannah Ann gave her fiery speech directed at Peter, not to mention the many eye rolls she made while Madi talked. Barb even directly confronted Madi as she explained her opinions to Chris.
Madi and Hannah Ann both stuck their ground.
Madi and Hannah Ann are arguably the season’s two sweethearts, and we have seen this sweet, non-dramatic side of them throughout the whole season. The finale unraveled the strong side of these women, and viewers couldn’t help but to be proud. Hannah Ann handled the sudden and public break-up with a powerful speech and stood up for herself to let it be known the situation she had now put in was less than ideal. Madi handled herself with grace during the After the Final Rose, even when shots were fired at her. She is a woman that is firm in her beliefs, knows what she deserves, and isn’t going to settle for anything less than she deserves. These two women showed Bachelor Nation there is more to them than just a sweet girl with a big smile.
It was a season full of ups and downs and plenty of controversy regarding heavy producer involvement. The finale was no different, but Chris Harrison was able to meddle just enough to create the best possible outcome fans could have based on the circumstances. No matter how different Peter and Madi may be, it’s up to them to find out if they are compatible because at the end of the day, it’s better to try than to wonder what could be. Best of luck to the happy-almost couple, and best of luck to Hannah Ann. Obviously, viewers just want everyone to be happy, though Bard Weber may not be too happy.
