On last night’s season finale of The Bachelor, it looks like the reality-dating series went back to its roots. The producers found a lead who would revert the show back to its original form.
Zach Shallcross broke a woman’s heart by making her the runner-up in love, and made her show up dressed to the nines to a potential engagement ceremony only to let her down at the most vulnerable moment.

Photo: ABC
It appears on the surface that the show needed to ensure they had a ‘Bachelor’ that wouldn’t do the right thing, by sending a woman home before the final ceremony, if he knew he didn’t want to be with her in the end. In Shallcross, they found their man, but it came at a price, because many in ‘Bachelor Nation’ found Zach to be one of the most unlikeable bachelors in the history of the franchise.
In fact, Zach was the very first ‘Bachelor’ since 2017 to choose between two women in the finale and to leave the After the Final Rose post-show with the woman he is ‘engaged’ too.
The woman who deserves props here is Gabi. She knew in her gut (leading into the engagement ceremony) that she was not the one Zach would ultimately choose, yet she begrudgingly, showed up anyway – this is a TV show she had a contract to be on, after all. For Gabi, was the one who had sex with Zach during ‘Fantasy Week” initially, and then Zach had to tell Kaity, not Ariel tho, that they had sex together breaking his ‘code’ that he set for ‘sex week’ – in that, he was going to swear off sex with all three women. Apparently, he wound up having sex with two – Gabi and Kaity.
When it came down to Zach’s speech to Gabi, you could hear ‘Bachelor Nation’s’ heart drop when he lowered the boom on Gabi. Best part, when Gabi stepped into mud getting out of the limo to meet Zach only to be rejected by him and tells the producers, “When Kaity arrives, don’t do that to her.” It’s as if Gabi knew what was ahead of her in a very self-aware moment.
Later, while Zach began is meandering during his rejection speech of her, Gabi announces, “Can you stop? I knew it was coming. What I don’t know is why you didn’t tell me when you knew.” Us either!

Photo: ABC
During the After the Final Rose episode, an intense and emotional Gabi was struggling after watching herself being dumped. When seeing Zack for the first time since the season ended, Gabi tells him, “I wish you would have just sent me home and saved me all the pain that just went on and on. I thought it was love. I thought it was more than a TV show. I get it, sex sells, but now I’ve become a narrative; it’s really painful.” Heartbreaking.

Photo: ABC
However, let’s not forget to talk about Kaity, who was the odds-on favorite for weeks to win Zach’s heart, and she did. In the end, Zach professed his love for her over and over at their engagement ceremony, handed her the final rose which she accepted, and the duo walked away unscathed, for now.
Later, Kaity appeared with Zach for the first time in public during the After the Final Rose episode and Zach revealed his plans to move to Austin, so they could live together. Will they last? Stay tuned.
So, what did you think about the season finale of The Bachelor? Were you rooting for Gabi or Kaity to receive the final rose from Zach? Comment below.