We can all agree that the premise of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette is kind of ridiculous, right? One lead (or two, if you’re Gabby Windey or Rachel Recchia) dates dozens of people simultaneously, hoping to develop a relationship with their “person” in a matter of weeks. This franchise is built around the idea of fast-tracks to engagement, so what happens when the contestants stop playing by those rules? Four of the final six hopefuls for Season 19 expressed that they would NOT be ready to propose by the end of the season, and while it’s been devastating for the bachelorettes, fans on social media actually seem to be siding with the men.
In Part 1 of “the most emotional finale in Bachelorette history” (according to host Jesse Palmer that is), Rachel Recchia eliminated Aven Jones after he was unable to commit to an impending proposal, despite him saying repeatedly that he wanted to be with her after the show to eventually get engaged. Gabby Windey, for her part, was blindsided when her last remaining suitor, Erich Schwer, said he wanted “to date” her in the real world and not “rush anything.” That was definitely not what Windey wanted to hear, and who can blame her? As some Twitter users pointed out, isn’t an engagement the point of the show?
Me thinking Rachel and Gabby are too focused on being engaged. Me then remembering the point of the show is to be engaged and the guys knew that when they joined. #thebachelorette #bachelorette pic.twitter.com/j8GJIBYlRLSeptember 14, 2022
However, it seemed like a lot of Bachelor Nation fans related to the contestants’ points of view. In spite what the premise of these shows has been since The Bachelor kicked things off in 2002, quite a few viewers thought it more than logical that men would and should want to spend more than two months on making a choice that will affect the rest of their lives. As one fan noted:
it is BEYOND reasonable to not want to be ENGAGED after two months 👀👀 these are the most reasonable men in #bachelorette history #thebacheloretteSeptember 14, 2022
It wasn’t just Aven Jones and Erich Schwer who were questioning the process either. Johnny DePhillipo and Jason Alabaster both left the show during Fantasy Suite week for the same reason, which is how Gabby Windey was left with just one guy in the two-part finale to begin with. This Twitter user joked about the caliber of men the show recruited for this season:
How dare all these men like Erich, Aven, Jason and Johnny, not be ready to get engaged! Don't they know that common sense doesn't belong on the show?#TheBachelorette #Bachelorette #BachelorNation pic.twitter.com/M0pKY0eHYJSeptember 14, 2022
The Bachelor franchise does not have a good track record for forming long-lasting couples, so maybe a rushed engagement isn’t the key to everlasting love after all? This fan suggests letting the air out of that pressure cooker:
Can we pls stop putting pressure on getting engaged at the end echase all it does is cause problems #bacheloretteSeptember 14, 2022
This social media user pointed out it actually takes a lot more courage to stand up to the woman you’re dating to tell her you’re not ready, rather than being pressured into a life-changing event:
Can we just be done with these #bachelorette #bachelor shows already? They should give the prizes to the guys who have the balls to stand up and say "I like you but I'm not ready to propose after 6 weeks....". For real. #themostdramaticendingever#bsSeptember 14, 2022
Three of the four men who weren’t ready to propose were eliminated for that reason, while Erich Schwer’s fate will be revealed in Part 2 of the season finale. The saddest element is that each of the more contemplative finalists had strong connections with the woman they were dating, and it really seemed to be just a matter of being able to outwardly commit to an engagement. This fan asks what’s actually wrong with wanting to date?
Dating someone before you get engaged… WHAT A CONCEPT #bacheloretteSeptember 14, 2022
We’ll have to see what “crazy controversy” awaits us in Part 2 of The Bachelorette Season 19 finale, and if either or both Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia will get engaged. The show will wrap up with a three-hour finale starting at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday, September 20, on ABC. With this season coming to a close, check out our 2022 TV Schedule to see what premieres are coming soon.
