Tayshia Adams’s chaotic and quarantined season of The Bachelorette has ended—and boy, was it a ride. The second part of the finale opened with Ben’s return—Adams kissed him, for some unknown reason (which seemed to be unknown to her, as well). At the rose ceremony, Ivan and Zac C. were shocked to see Ben arrive—and not Brendan, who up until that point they were unaware chose to go home. Instead of going through the theatrics of a traditional rose ceremony, Adams called Ivan aside and sent him home for something involving “religion” (what?), leaving Ben and Zac C.—the final two.
The following day, Tayshia reunited with her family and told them they werre going to meet Ben, a man she sent packing and who later returned—exactly what any dad wants to hear, am I right? She threw him to the wolves; he namedropped West Point, where he went to school, and that seemed to win a few points. After a while, Tayshia’s dad seemed taken by him, and I was taken by Tayshia’s dad. He seems wise and direct and no wonder she kept asking for emotionally articulate men. She was raised by one.
Next up: Zac C. met the family, presenting them with flowers and gifts. It’s evident that her parents love Zac C.—he’s charming and open with his feelings, and they’re responsive to it. However, the following day, her dad expressed to Tayshia that he’s worried she’s going to make a mistake, despite thinking both men are good, leaving Tayshia with a lot to think about. When she reunited with Zac C. the next day for a date, it’s clear her dad’s words have been weighing on her—but perhaps not too much, because they seemed to have a blast taking a dance class together (perhaps their last date before an engagement?). They had a heart-to-heart, mostly talking in circles around one another, but they seemed to enjoy it just fine.
When it came time for Tayshia to see Ben, she realized that she loves Zac and needed to send B packing. She bid him farewell, he didn’t seem too torn up over it, and life goes on. She cried more about the breakup than he did, which I guess should’ve been expected—he struggles with expressing himself openly on camera, and who can blame him? The Bachelorette is a fishbowl.
The next day, Zac C. picked out a wedding ring with Neil Lane for Tayshia, and she prepared for a proposal… or did she? Host Chris Harrison couldn’t tell how she was feeling as she cried and said something about maybe never having experienced real love before. Regardless, Zac proposed, she said yes, and they’re betrothed. Good for them!
For now, enjoy the two-week respite between the holidays and the next season of The Bachelor. (To be fair, it stars Matt James, the first-ever black Bachelor—it’s a tragedy it has taken 24 seasons and 18 years for that to happen, but no one has ever accused the show of being progressive…. or contemporary, by any means.) See you in 2021, Bachelor Nation!