“Congratulations, you’ve just blown up The Bachelorette,” Chris Harrison smiles at a crying Clare Crawley at the beginning of week four, confirming what all viewers have known to be true: she’s going to leave with Dale Moss.
After the obligatory Harrison sit-down, the host tells the other contestants that there will be no cocktail party or rose ceremony—but that Dale needs to go to Clare, stat. The couple goes on a date, which appears to be mostly just talking and making out and getting serenaded by Chris Watson and Bri Stauss—from The Bachelor’s A Star Is Born-inspired spinoff, The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart, and two people I never thought I’d have to think about again. Dale and Clare spend the night together. The other guys begin to question where Dale is, as he has been gone for 18 hours. Clare sits down with Harrison again and asks what the hell she’s supposed to do, and he says the next step is a proposal—tonight. She’s down, but has to go check on the other men, first, to break up with them in one fell swoop. They ask for an apology for leading them on, she says, “I’ll apologize if I’ve wasted your time. I’ll apologize if I’ve hurt you. But I’m not going to apologize for love.” Fine.
Meanwhile, Dale’s tasked with picking a ring while Clare cries some more, concerned that she’s putting too much pressure on him. (Expecting an engagement after a single month of dating? Yeah, I’d say that’s justified.) Still, he goes through with it and carries her off into the moonlight. They’re in love. Curtains close.
Cut to the next day—the remaining men begin packing their bags. Chris Harrison pulls them aside and gives them an ultimatum: stay and attempt to find love with a new Bachelorette, or leave heartbroken. The real twist is that all of them decide to stay, including Blake M., the Canadian wildlife enthusiast who as of last week, only had eyes for Clare. Tayshia Adams emerges from a limo, chats with Harrison, and enters the resort… and that’s it! The tease continues. I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of this plays out, because Tayshia really should’ve been The Bachelorette instead of Hannah Brown during season 15, but what are you going to do? At least things are finally getting interesting…