‘The Bachelor’ Finale, Pt. 1: Clayton’s Choice Brings Broken Hearts & Second Chances (RECAP)

Paige Strout
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'The Bachelor,' Season 26 Finale Night 1, Clayton Echard, ABC
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The Bachelor

2610 Part 1

Season 26 • Episode 10

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It’s all come down to this. It’s Night 1 of The Bachelor Season 26 two-night finale and Clayton Echard is in a huge mess. After he spent the night in the Fantasy Suites and said “I love you” to both Rachel and Gabby, the Bachelor was blindsided when Susie bid farewell to him in Iceland last week, leaving him questioning every choice he’s made so far.

Teased all season long, tonight’s “rose ceremony from hell” changes everything, as his final two learn the truth of his actions. Also, some Bachelor Nation alums join host Jesse Palmer and the show’s live audience to give their two cents about the night’s crazy events.

So what went down on the first night of “the most controversial finale in Bachelor history?” Strap in Bachelor Nation, and find out where things stand ahead of tomorrow’s final episode below!

Will Clayton End Up With Anyone at the End of His 'Bachelor' Season? (POLL)
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Will Clayton End Up With Anyone at the End of His 'Bachelor' Season? (POLL)

Where We Left Off

“I’m just so messed up at this point,” says Clayton, pondering the previous night’s events in a church while being serenaded by an Icelandic choir. He meets up with Jesse to break down Susie’s words, confused as to why she told him to explore other options. The former Bachelor reminds him that Gabby and Rachel are expecting roses at the rose ceremony later on, after which they will meet his parents. But will the news of Susie’s departure break his trust with them? That’s a question Bachelor Nation and Clayton will find out soon enough. Clayton is going to lay it all on the line, no matter the fallout.

“The Rose Ceremony From Hell”

Going into the rose ceremony, Rachel is worried that she will be blindsided but hopes their love for each other will prevail. Oh, sweet Rachel. She has no idea what’s coming. Gabby shares her nerves, knowing “someone’s gonna get hurt tonight.” Well, it’s finally time for the rose ceremony, so let’s dive in!

Standing side-by-side, they each wonder where Susie is, correctly guessing that she went home (or did she, really?). Clayton arrives and the mood immediately switches to a much more serious one as he prepares to relay the previous night’s events. “The person that’s standing in front of you right now is not the person you were last with,” he tells them.

He states that Susie was not able to continue on given the way he felt about the other two (not to mention the fact he was intimate with both in the Fantasy Suites). Since it was a dealbreaker with Susie, he wants to clear the air with them so that the same thing won’t happen (even though it totally will). “I am in love with both of you, and I also was intimate with both of you,” he tells them. Poor Gabby looks like she’s on the verge of tears! Not knowing where to go next, he reassures them that he does see himself walking away with one of them, he just doesn’t know who. “I don’t have the answers, I don’t know who that is.”

He opens the floor to questions, but none are asked. Instead, Rachel and Gabby walk away heartbroken, leaving Clayton to listen to the echoes of their cries as they are comforted by staff and producers. “That’s not fair,” says Gabby through tears. As Rachel says, there’s a difference between falling in love and being in love, and the fact that Clayton feels that way about all three of them is hard to comprehend. “I’ve never felt pain like this before,” she cries.

Just as Jesse arrives to comfort the Bachelor, he watches in disappointment as Gabby walks by, seemingly leaving. Regardless of the heartbreak, the women deserved to know the truth, and he wants to continue his relationships with both if they will let him. Gabby returns and asks what truly happened with Susie. “How do you weigh your words and then the potential of me going home? How do you, like, back that up,” she asks him, to which he poorly responds that he will choose whoever he “loves the most.” And before last night, it seemed like the one he “loved the most” was Susie. Gabby claps back, asking him how he would feel in her shoes before leaving. “Love isn’t measured, you can’t measure it, so don’t say that,” she says in a confessional, and boy is she right!

Rachel can’t wrap her head around Clayton’s feelings for all three, not wanting to be picked because he loves her a bit more than someone else. She takes him aside to talk, now feeling like their past few days together have become meaningless. He knows it *doesn’t make sense,* but tells her the love he feels for her is different than Gabby’s, but Rachel can’t express the confusion and pain she’s feeling. She was truly in love with him, but now has no clue what to do. “I feel like my heart’s breaking,” she tells him before breaking down in his lap. Clayton’s reassurance feels a bit performative, and we wonder if it’s because he’s not over Susie. Rachel and Gabby deserve better than Clayton’s half-ass feelings, but he manages to convince her to stay and meet his family. Girl, just go home!

The Aftermath

Clayton is holding on to the hope that he’s done enough to get them to stay, and somehow they both return to the rose ceremony. Whether or not they will accept his apology is up to them, but Clayton thanks them for returning to talk things through. Rachel accepts her rose, but Gabby seems more hesitant when walking up to Clayton. She surprisingly turns the rose down, asking Clayton to walk her out. Rachel’s shocked face says it all.

Gabby tells him her trust in him carried their relationship, but that trust has been broken. “I’m not in the business of competing with anyone for love,” she states (preach!). Clayton doesn’t know what he can say to make her stay. Gabby is not having Clayton’s excuses of “loving someone the most” and loving them each in “different ways,” but he asks if her heart is what’s telling her to go. No, Clayton. She’s using her head and doing what she thinks is best for her, not you. He may be the Bachelor, but he isn’t the center of these women’s universes.

She isn’t sure about what to do but doesn’t want to go through this pain again with him. Ultimately, Clayton gets her to stay, but we feel like there is only more heartbreak headed Gabby’s way. They go back upstairs, and she formally accepts the rose, meaning both women will move on to meet Clayton’s family.

Bach Alums Break It Down

Jumping back to the episode’s live audience, Jesse sits down with former Bachelor Nation stars Michelle Young, Nick Viall, and Clare Crawley to break down everything that’s happened so far. When asked how she thinks Clayton handled the rose ceremony, Clare says it was “tough to watch,” stating that the star didn’t handle the situation well. Nick points out that Clayton didn’t confess to telling Susie he “loved her the most,” and despite his best intentions, didn’t properly empathize with the women’s feelings.

Michelle critiques her former Bachelorette contestant, stating that the stars of the show have to put as much effort into the relationships as the contestants do. “I think that’s the only way that two people can work past something like this,” she says.

Despite their harsh words, they each hope that Clayton finds happiness, whether that be on the show or afterward. Now, let’s jump back into what went down in Iceland!

Gabby & Rachel Meet the Family

Clayton’s parents and brothers are excited to catch up with him, but they don’t know the tornado of drama that’s about to hit them. He is nervous to tell them what’s been going down and confesses that his worst fear of falling in love with multiple women came true. His mom is confused by her son’s feelings while his dad emphasizes that the women have a right to be mad at him (thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Echard, for holding your son accountable). “You screwed the pooch, in my opinion,” his dad tells him, but they are still excited to meet the women.

Like the ray of sunshine she is, Gabby arrives with flowers and gifts for his family. Family means a lot to both of them, and she views the day as a last chance to see if their relationship will work. Clayton’s mom gets emotional thinking that Gabby could be her future daughter-in-law, and takes her aside to discuss her decision to stay. We love how his mom is concerned about her feelings, not just her son’s. She charms over his father, too, and they assure her that they don’t think any less of her because of her decision to almost walk out. The day is a success, and Gabby is happy that she changed her mind, almost setting a reset button on their relationship. We just hope he feels the same way…

It’s Rachel’s turn to meet the Echards the following day. She is rightfully wary of where their relationship stands, but Clayton is thankful that she stuck around to meet his family. They know that he and Rachel hit it off ever since Episode 1, and are curious what makes his feelings for Rachel different than his for Gabby. His mom listens with open ears as Rachel expresses her confusion over the rose ceremony’s events, but states that she owes it to their relationship to give it her all and try once more. She can see him as her husband, and his mom thinks that her decision to stay speaks volumes about her character. Then again, she didn’t witness what went down that night!

Clayton’s dad doesn’t take Rachel’s words lightly, continuing to be respectful of her feelings about the whole situation. She knows it’s a lot, they know it’s a lot, but she is in love with him, and that’s that. Another great day goes down in the books!

After she leaves, Clayton’s dad tells his son that he has to accept the fact that someone’s going to get hurt again because of his actions. But, introducing Rachel and Gabby to his family doesn’t suppress his lingering regrets about Susie. We can sense a storm brewing…

Clayton’s Next Move

Clayton’s family can sense his lack of clarity, and he admits that his heart still lies with Susie. It all comes down to loving her “a little bit more.” However, she was the one that left him, and they think he may be throwing something special away for feelings that might not be returned. Is it worth risking Rachel and Gabby’s newly built trust for a second chance with Susie? At least Clayton is realizing the error of his ways, but this revelation might have come too little too late. In the end, they tell him to follow his heart, so that’s what he’s gonna do.

As if by perfect timing, Jesse walks in to ask what Clayton’s next move is, and what he wants to do is find closure with Susie. Just his luck, Susie hasn’t left Iceland yet. “Well, what you’re gonna know for sure after tomorrow, you’ll know how this whole thing ends. You’ll know that with certainty,” he tells Clayton.

And that’s the end! Leaving fans on a cliffhanger, Bachelorette host Kaitlyn Bristowe, Rodney Matthews (from Michelle’s Bachelorette Season 18), and Cassie Randolph (from Colton Underwood‘s Bachelor Season 23) join Jesse on the couch for some final thoughts. He asks what they think Clayton should do, and after taking a second to process, Kaitlyn believes that he should follow his heart. Hearts will be broken no matter what happens, but he has to take that risk. Relating to Susie’s situation, Cassie thinks that Susie shouldn’t feel pressured to follow Clayton’s wishes, but make the decision that’s best for her. Having grown close to Clayton on The Bachelorette, Rodney gives his friend some advice, encouraging him to think before he speaks and to not live in the moment too much.

So how will it all end? Apparently, even Clayton doesn’t know! All will be revealed tomorrow night, including who the new star of The Bachelorette will be! Stay tuned!

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