Published: Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 1:13 AM ��� Updated: Tuesday, March 15, 2011, 3:10 AM
This time, he put a ring on it.
During Monday night?s finale of ?The Bachelor,? Brad Womack dropped to one knee in Cape Town, South Africa, and proposed to Emily Maynard. The blond Southern belle, also a single mother, won Brad's heart with her sweet nature and reserved confidence.
?You?re the one, Em. You?re it. You?re my once in a lifetime," he told her. "And so what I?m asking is this. I?m asking for you to please give me your forever."
After a previous stint on the show that ended in double rejection, Brad may have finally earned his way back in the good graces of millions of American women.
Runner-up Chantal, the busty brunette with a fiery attitude that kept Brad on his toes, dominated the screen time this season. But during the finale, it became clear Emily had been Brad?s choice for quite some time.
But before we get to the storybook finish, let?s take a look back at how Brad reached his final decision.
In past episodes, Brad brought in his personal therapist for advice. In other episodes, host Chris Harrison was sufficient (and let?s be real: Chris has easily counseled enough crazies to earn a psychology degree). For the finale, Brad needs the Womacks.
Brad?s family, including twin brother Chad, flew to South Africa to give their input. It?s not like we need any more evidence that this new, reformed Brad is in touch with his feelings. But just in case you aren?t convinced, Brad breaks down crying at the first meeting with his family.
Brad tells them he?s in love, and it?s hit him like ?a ton of bricks.? He says he?s ?100 percent? sure he?s going to propose. It?s pretty clear here Brad has already decided who will be the final one.
The question is: does he tell his family he?s already decided on Emily? If so, we don?t see that interaction. In fact, we continue to see Chantal put through the typical motions of the final show (meeting the family, the final date, the final rose ceremony). It?s standard Bachelor procedure, but Brad has been unique in his decisions to defy the show?s rules. If he was so sure about Emily, it raises the question why he didn?t bend the rules to let Chantal leave with some dignity.
Chantal is first to meet the family, and poor thing, she has no clue she?s already toast, history, donezo, finished, etc. Brad?s mom tries not to flinch when Chantal tells her she?s a recent divorcee. It?s just what every potential mother-in-law wants to hear, right? Chantal rambles on about how she fell in love with Brad very early in the show. Brad?s brothers get the same earful.
They like her, and they tell Brad she?s all the right things: fun, bubbly, precious, beautiful and very open with her emotions. But it?s clear she doesn't "wow" them.
Once Emily meets the Womacks, they only have eyes for her. Emily recounts the painful story of her fiance?s death, including discovering she was pregnant just a week after his plane crash. At first, thinking of Brad as a father-to-be to a 5-year-old girl is a bit much for his family to imagine. You can?t fault their skepticism, considering this is the man who needs a therapist to help him navigate ?The Bachelor.? But Brad tells his brothers that just thinking about fatherhood gives him ?the warmest feeling that I can?t describe.?
If there?s any remaining doubt about Brad's final choice, his mother makes her opinion known: ?I think I?m looking at the girl that you?re about to marry,? she says. Game over, Chantal. What Brad?s mother wants, Brad?s mother gets.
After the family round is over, Chantal and Emily have their final dates with Brad. Once again, Chantal draws the short end of the stick. Chantal, who has a fear of the ocean, has gone walking on the sea floor while wearing a huge, ugly helmet, zip-lined through a jungle in a thunderstorm and stayed in a ?fantasy suite? that was nothing more than a tree house in the African wilderness. Now, they?re asking her to get in a wetsuit, dive into the freezing water and sit in a cage while bloodthirsty sharks circle around her. She?s obviously not a favorite of the show's producers.
This is when it gets really painful to watch Chantal and Brad together. We know there?s not a chance he?s choosing her. But she?s still completely clueless, even drafting a lengthy letter professing her love for Brad. His response? ?I know it takes a lot to write that. Thank you very much. I love the fact that you?re so vocal with your feelings.? Crickets. Ladies, take this as a lesson. Do not chase a man. Chantal went after Brad like a shark (pun very much intended). She made her feelings known early ... WAY too early. In the end, it may not have made a difference, but maybe Brad felt a bit suffocated.
Next up is a little concocted drama by the folks at ABC. The show is more than an hour in and already predictable, so there?s got to be something thrown in to stir the pot. Emily and Brad?s last date focuses on some lingering doubts she has about his readiness for fatherhood. Will Brad go to the emergency room in the middle of the night if little Ricki gets hurt? Will he accept all responsibility for her? What does it even mean to him to be a father?
All are very valid questions for a man who may be proposing in 24 hours, but Brad doesn?t take kindly to the probing. Sweating profusely, he walks to the kitchen to get a drink of water. Was this a legitimate disagreement that could prove troublesome down the road, or did ABC just need a good storyline? We'll see in the "After the Rose" special.
Whatever anger or doubt was troubling Brad seems to disappear by the next scene. Now, he?s gushing about finding true love and picking out a Neil Lane engagement ring. Ah, the magic of a TV romance and an ABC checkbook.
But before Brad can finally bend down on one knee, he has to break Chantal?s heart. Dressed in a one-shouldered black evening gown, with a feather detail that looks kind of like a dead bird perched on her shoulder, Chantal walks out of the limo to meet her fate.
?I love this man. I want to move forward with him,? she tells us. ?Today is the day. It?s going to be a fairytale ending.?
In Bachelor tradition, he starts with the good: they?ve always had a strong connection; he feels like himself around her; his family loves her; she?s someone he?s always wanted.
But here comes the dreaded turn: the ole? Bachelor bait-and-switch. ?And here?s when it gets tough,? he tells her. ?I don?t know how else to say it except I have stronger feelings for someone else.?
Some women try to hold it together here, fighting back the welling tears. But Chantal really starts crying hard, and she doesn?t stop. When Chantal does respond, she keeps it classy. ?You?re an amazing person, and Emily is very lucky,? Chantal says. ?It just sucks because I felt so strongly.?
On the walk out, Chantal is quiet. Brad asks if she wants to tell him anything. ?I don?t know what to say,? she says, choking back tears. In the limo, Chantal stays silent and stares into the distance. When she does talk, she says she?s embarrassed about how she could have been so wrong.
Enough with the heartache. Let?s get to the butterflies, rainbows and diamonds. Emily, wearing a pale pink evening dress, arrives in a limo not yet knowing that Chantal has been sent home. Brad welcomes her, telling her she looks "stunning" and has once again taken his breath away. He babbles on about coming on the show and needing to take a leap of faith to find love. He gets choked up and adjusts his tie.
?All it took was coming here and finding you,? he tells her. And cue ?The Bachelor? soaring love score.
?Please let me be your best friend. Please let me protect you and your beautiful daughter,? he says. ?And please give me the opportunity to love you for the rest of your life. I love you Emily. I am truly in love with you.?
Tissues, please. Brad drops to his knee and asks for her hand in marriage. She bends down to kiss him and covers her face in shock. When the ballad "Marry Me" by Train starts to play, it's enough sugar to cause a cavity. ?You just made me the happiest girl in the world,? she tells him.
Brad though, in his trademark uncertainty, can?t ride off into the sunset in peace. Almost as an afterthought, he says, ?I mean this, Em. I want to spend my life with you.? Already trying to reassure himself? Hmmm? is this a sign of trouble on the horizon? Bring back the therapist, stat!
Read more: Brad and Emily's troublesome appearance on the "After the Rose" special.
MORE COVERAGE OF 'THE BACHELOR'
'The Bachelor' recap: Episode 3
'The Bachelor' recap: Episode 4
No comments:
Post a Comment