Finale Night Recap!

[00:00:02] What You Want, When You Want It, Where You Want It, This Is The MESH

[00:00:07] Welcome back to My Dad Watches The Bachelor. I'm Meredith and I'm here with my co-host, my dad

[00:00:23] Hello Meredith, how are you doing today?

[00:00:26] You know, dad, I'm not doing too well. I spent three hours of my life last night watching what I consider to be one of the most boring finales ever

[00:00:39] You know, I think we have some listeners that don't actually watch the show but listen to our podcast

[00:00:46] And I think the only thing we can say to them is you're welcome. You made a very smart decision

[00:00:54] That was a masterclass by ABC in taking something that could have been an hour and a half and turning it into three hours of commercials and pain

[00:01:05] Yeah, you know, this is the first finale we've had in a long time that went by the old formula

[00:01:12] Like this is what used to happen every single time and since we've been getting such weird endings recently having such a cookie cutter one where nothing happens I was bored out of my mind

[00:01:24] You know, and our friend Jesse Palmer talked us up as shocking surprises, devastating heartache and many tears

[00:01:34] There were many tears from Gabby

[00:01:38] Yeah, and maybe Gabby was devastated although perhaps she could have seen it coming

[00:01:46] You know I had heard rumors about the ending. I figured Katie won for a while and it did get confirmed for me this past week

[00:01:59] But I also heard rumblings that things weren't going well for Katie and Zach that Katie has been speaking to an ex of hers whilst being engaged to Zach

[00:02:12] There's also a rumor that Zach and Katie broke up and he was now with Jess

[00:02:18] With Jess?

[00:02:20] Yes, yep Jess. I don't know where that one came from but I was hoping for some drama when Katie came out on the set and there was none

[00:02:32] There was the opposite of drama they're talking about moving in together, they're talking about 2025 wedding date, they're talking about kids

[00:02:39] And I don't know I'm not here for it

[00:02:43] You're not here for happily ever after

[00:02:47] Something about it felt false to me

[00:02:53] I don't know what, I guess because I'd heard these rumors I had these preconceived notions I was like I think you're playing us. I do not think this lasts a year

[00:03:04] Well something about this felt false we've been watching this show for how many years and how many of these have actually ended up in a wedding

[00:03:14] I don't know, two, three. I don't know so I think that your false antenna probably should be in tune by now

[00:03:23] Yeah but you know some people, thinking back on it since we started podcasting I do believe that only one couple is still together

[00:03:35] Matt James and Rachel Kirknell with the season that ended The Bachelor as we know it

[00:03:42] So yeah my false antenna seems correct, I don't know I just was expecting them to not be a happy couple still

[00:03:52] Well and if history holds it won't take a year it'll be three to six months I suspect

[00:04:00] And I don't hear the same rumors that you do so I'll look forward to you keeping me updated but

[00:04:07] Yeah we did get a three hour show last night, did you have any highlights?

[00:04:12] I had very few and they're not that high so let's get into them

[00:04:17] I enjoyed seeing Ariel get to confront Zach she's very poised, very well spoken

[00:04:24] You know telling Zach that he took away her agency by setting the no sex parameters rather than coming to the conclusion as a couple

[00:04:33] Which she agreed with the sentiment but didn't like being told what to do, getting her decision taken from her

[00:04:39] I think that she's just so eloquent and mature and it's just so different than what we're used to seeing on this show

[00:04:49] I also had her as a high I will have to say I had to ask the moms and took away her agency what does that mean

[00:04:57] So she had to explain do some explaining to me

[00:05:01] Come on dad

[00:05:03] Okay I don't hear that term very often

[00:05:06] It's a very smart term, very educated term

[00:05:11] Well I guess I'm running in the wrong circles

[00:05:15] My other two highs one this is a pretty weak high

[00:05:21] We got to see Nate from Gabby and Rachel season again

[00:05:24] Did I forget who this man is?

[00:05:26] Yes

[00:05:27] But was I excited to see him back on my screen?

[00:05:30] Also yes

[00:05:32] Well you didn't forget he was out of your mind but when you saw him and they said Nate

[00:05:39] You remembered who he was, I remembered who he was

[00:05:42] Well when they said Nate my first, my brain went to Michelle's Nate

[00:05:47] Who won her season, Tall Nate with the earrings

[00:05:51] I don't remember him

[00:05:52] Well that's who my brain went to but then it was Gabby's Nate and I was like what a guy, miss him

[00:05:58] We really enjoyed that Nate

[00:06:00] We did enjoy that Nate would have been a good bachelor pick over Clayton

[00:06:04] Well I think that he has a daughter as I recall

[00:06:08] He does yes

[00:06:09] And that he's very devoted to but I'm glad he had time to come to the bachelor program last night

[00:06:15] My last high

[00:06:19] When Gabby was going to the proposal slash dumping and she gets out of the van

[00:06:26] And she's telling the producers that they pulled into a really muddy parking spot

[00:06:31] And not to do that whenever the real thing is happening with Katie

[00:06:38] Yeah so that I think that's an interesting point

[00:06:42] You know the mom stayed up and watched most of the show with me last night

[00:06:47] And she was saying so how does this work at the end

[00:06:51] And I said well I think usually the first person that shows up

[00:06:55] She's not going to win, they don't bring out both ladies and say you get the rose

[00:07:01] It's like it's more of an individual conversation with each of them

[00:07:06] So do you think that Gabby was just doing this I know in my gut I'm not going to win

[00:07:11] And so Katie's behind me or do you think that she knew some

[00:07:15] Did she have inside information?

[00:07:17] No that was just her gut I think she's just like yeah this isn't me Katie's coming after me

[00:07:24] Don't do her dirty like this don't drop her in a mud puddle, not cool

[00:07:28] But I thought it was very funny I don't think that seems like something we would get more in the blooper reel

[00:07:33] And I enjoyed that we got it in the actual show

[00:07:37] We didn't even get a blooper reel did we or I guess did we get some of that in the women

[00:07:42] You got that in the women tell off

[00:07:44] I think I missed that that's too bad

[00:07:46] Yeah so sad that's all my highs I've got a lot of lows though

[00:07:51] Well I also put down as a high Ariel's performance and yeah this is this is a

[00:08:01] Marketed to us as a live show and I guess it's a tape live or relatively live show so we start

[00:08:09] It's all it's in studio and we get to see Ariel and they drag out Zach and later we get to see Gabby

[00:08:15] And they drag out Zach before Katie comes out but I agree Ariel Ariel's just so classy and

[00:08:25] And very cool and and and I thought she did a good job of

[00:08:32] I don't see asking difficult questions to Zach but doing it in a in a way that

[00:08:41] You know was fair and honest and and you know left left bridges intact so you know would it shock you if you in six months

[00:08:51] Zach was with Ariel would that shock you

[00:08:54] Yes

[00:08:55] Not because they left on bad terms of just because you think Ariel can do better

[00:09:00] Yes

[00:09:01] Okay

[00:09:02] So anyway that that that I was a high I must say that I really enjoyed Zach's parents and they they just seem so normal and nice

[00:09:14] And you know so I when they were on screen we had our family visits with Zach's family where Gabby and Katie got to meet the Zach's family

[00:09:26] So you know his parents just seem pleasant normal I was they made me happy

[00:09:34] They did seem pleasant and normal seems like a good family to be joining

[00:09:39] When Gabby came out on the quote unquote live portion to talk to Jesse and then confront Zach

[00:09:47] Her outfit and look made me feel like she had the Cruella de Vil thing going on as she was all in black and she looked

[00:09:55] She had sort of an evil look about her so I thought it was a real I enjoyed that was real real Cruella de Vil sort of thing going

[00:10:02] Yeah, she's bringing back shoulder pads

[00:10:04] Okay

[00:10:05] Are they gone?

[00:10:07] I don't know these things

[00:10:08] Yes, they're not they're not around any longer so from Gabby last night

[00:10:13] And the last high I think this is something Katie said is that the women were all trauma bonded trauma bonded

[00:10:20] You know so I was not familiar with that term either so I sort of that caught my ear that they're they're trauma bonded

[00:10:29] Because a lot of times the women don't seem to get along so well and even despite the fact that Gabby had to wear the scarlet letter A

[00:10:38] All the ladies seem to be very respectful of one another and get along

[00:10:46] Yeah, it seems like Gabby and Katie are very good friends. They've like posted TikTok videos together from the season about their friendship

[00:10:55] And that also leads me to believe that Katie and Zach just aren't going to work out because why would you want to get married to a guy that slept with your best friend?

[00:11:05] Yeah, I gotta go away. I gotta agree with you on that one so yeah

[00:11:10] All right, are we done with highs?

[00:11:12] We're done with highs

[00:11:13] Yeah, that lasted longer than I expected. Let's get into the lows

[00:11:17] No Uncle Cronk all season

[00:11:20] First thing on my list. No David Putty or Cronk. That was that was a very disappointing turn of events there

[00:11:28] Technically he did host one of the first group dates in episode two and they just completely cut the group date out of the whole season

[00:11:38] They just didn't show it to us at all. He was there. We didn't get to see it and honestly this was the only reason I was that excited about Zach being the bachelor

[00:11:49] Well, if they cut it and we didn't see it, I'm not sure it actually happened but I'll take your word for that but yes disappointing that there were no David Putty sightings

[00:11:59] And obviously he did not make the trip to Thailand. You were correct. We're gonna drag the family to Thailand. Family visits happened there so I guess uncles don't make the cut

[00:12:11] Well famous uncles probably should

[00:12:14] I agree. Maybe he's working. Maybe he's got stuff to do

[00:12:18] Another low for me

[00:12:21] We got confirmation that Ariel had no idea what happened during fantasy sweet week. You know there was some speculation. Maybe Zach told her we didn't get to see it like maybe she did know but then finding out that

[00:12:36] You know she's up there at the Rose ceremony Zach's like apologizing for everything saying he made mistakes. She's just completely in the dark and out of anyone I think Zach owed her an explanation not Katie

[00:12:51] And then she has to like find out along with everyone else while watching the show

[00:12:56] It's very backwards to me

[00:12:59] And Ariel certainly put him through the ringer on that one but I think she was right and I think that Zach acknowledged that she was right and was doing everything he could to agree with her

[00:13:15] Yeah it's it's it was a I'm sure it's a crazy week when you're going through all those dates he's he's trying to sort through things and unfortunately you know it didn't click in for him that hey I gotta have this conversation with the Ariel as well it's unfortunate but that does make it a low

[00:13:32] Ariel's the only one he made that promise to and broke Katie didn't know that this no sex promise even existed and it just bad bad calls on Zach's part

[00:13:46] But but if he's going to end up with Katie which for the time being we assume he's with Katie and all this is coming out on television if he's going to if he's going to make this edict to Jesse at the beginning of the week and say hey here's my plan no sex with anybody

[00:14:01] I do think he also needs to tell Katie because I don't think that's something you want your future bride to see on on TV, you know, two months later.

[00:14:10] I think he should have told everyone but now he missed a bow with Ariel.

[00:14:19] Another low for me.

[00:14:22] Katie crying so much in front of Zach's family for the first time meeting them.

[00:14:29] Like I think I would want to pull myself together a bit more the first time meeting my potential fiance's family like she literally cried in front of his mom, his dad and both his sisters.

[00:14:42] That's literally all of them at three separate points like it just put yourself together a little bit.

[00:14:50] She was she was melting down during the whole visit and I and the families.

[00:14:56] I don't know was that endearing this in some way they seem to they still they enjoyed her they liked her but it just seemed a little mom's seemed to find it endearing.

[00:15:06] This podcast is sponsored by Jackson creative, a custom communication agency located in downtown Hickory, North Carolina specializing in online content creation.

[00:15:17] To learn more visit the Jackson creative calm.

[00:15:21] Jackson creative we tell your story to me is sort of a red flag of hey you got a the emotional roller coaster here of course, we know that the other one Gabby is actually the emotional roller coaster that he should avoid and

[00:15:38] you know her emotional roller coaster roller coaster was proved to be warranted though.

[00:15:43] She was having a full time yeah she's right the whole time.

[00:15:48] Well I just found myself thinking that if I was Zach when Gabby came on to talk with Jesse they bring Zach out and basically, Jesse says what do you know what what do you want to say to Zach or what do you want to ask him and she.

[00:16:04] Just goes on a soliloquy for five minutes to a point where Jesse says, Well this is a live show we have to.

[00:16:11] We have to move on here.

[00:16:13] I don't know if you ever actually asked a question she just sort of stated her piece and and we moved on and I couldn't help but thinking as Zach in the back of his mind most of been thinking.

[00:16:24] Glad I didn't glad I didn't go in that direction.

[00:16:28] And I mean I'm sure she's had a lot of thoughts in the past months and just was like word vomiting a little bit trying to get all of them out and her allotted four minutes.

[00:16:39] Well, yeah.

[00:16:41] Anyway, go ahead one other lows do you have.

[00:16:44] I've still got a lot.

[00:16:46] No sound on Gabby's whole date.

[00:16:49] You know, poor girl always getting the short end of the stick now we can't even listen to her date you know I had to call you in the middle of watching this episode and be like did my TV just break or is this is this an everyone problem because we come back from commercial to

[00:17:06] to Gabby's last date and there's just no audio at all.

[00:17:10] It wasn't just your TV was my TV it was everybody's TV ABC was having technical difficulties, but then after commercial they went back and replayed that date.

[00:17:22] Not the whole day.

[00:17:23] Just half of this part of it.

[00:17:25] Part of it with the sound, which led me to my low of ABC is just trying to try to find filler at this point in time they're trying to make this thing last for three hours we're going to have technical difficulties replay scenes.

[00:17:37] We're going to bring on Sean low Sean low.

[00:17:40] So that's my next low.

[00:17:43] Sean low and his wife, because they've been in these situations before we don't really have three hours of material but we're going to drag this out and and we'll have some more commercials will be right back.

[00:17:55] And Sean low actually posted a video of his wife Catherine who was up there on stage with him, explaining the fantasy sweet week to him because he did not watch the show.

[00:18:11] Yet here he is giving his unsolicited advice.

[00:18:16] I must say I was curious, as I was listening to them of how Sean low navigated his fantasy sweet week.

[00:18:24] Do we know that was the first season of the bachelor I ever watched and I actually, I don't think he slept with anyone because his whole stick was that he's a born again virgin.

[00:18:35] Okay, well, yeah I found him sort of looking nervously at his wife as they were discussing the fantasy sweet thing and I was just found myself wondering that he perhaps was he with some other people before he made his decision.

[00:18:55] So anyway,

[00:18:57] um, big low for you probably no Neil Lane he just couldn't make it out to Thailand what the heck isn't this his only job.

[00:19:07] Well they certainly gave the his his logo, lots of looks there as they were as they were giving out rings but yeah I enjoy a little bit of Neil Lane not a lot you know I like when he mixes it up.

[00:19:21] You know, he's always very happy.

[00:19:23] So, so that but it wasn't enough for me to put on as a low.

[00:19:29] Okay, we're getting to the end of this last low for me.

[00:19:33] I thought it was very sad watching Gabby talk to Zach and her specifically saying that like she felt ashamed of having sex with Zach and like how it's all aired on national TV like, you know it's 2023.

[00:19:49] Women can have sex.

[00:19:51] It's okay like you thought that you loved him and you know, don't feel too ashamed about it.

[00:20:00] Well I, I just found the fact that she seemed to have a lot of insecurity about herself about you know why can't I be loved all this stuff and maybe that's the knee jerk reaction when you've gone this far and

[00:20:18] and you're not the one that is picked.

[00:20:20] But I think we saw that from her several times during the season and that and that made me sad, you know because she seems like a nice person she's attractive woman, you know she'll she'll figure it out, you know but I found her insecurities to be troubling.

[00:20:39] Yeah, and I mean knowing more now than we do last week apparently in the fantasy sweet week after they did have sex.

[00:20:48] They told each other like this is just between us we're not going to tell anyone about this and so if I were Gabby that would make me think like, oh like I win like he said he's not having sex with anyone he had sex with me like he wants it to be between us like this is a done deal

[00:21:04] I get like her roller coaster of emotions there and it makes the betrayal a bit worse.

[00:21:11] Do you have any lows that I didn't already cover a couple.

[00:21:18] I really enjoyed Zach's family and it appeared that he had two sisters but one of them didn't talk the whole time and look, she seemed rather miserable to be there.

[00:21:30] Yeah she was the you know why did you drag me to Thailand sister so I was concerned about her I hope they found some fun things for her to be doing while she was sitting there looking like she was in a hostage video and not talking.

[00:21:47] I'm sure she enjoyed her free trip to Thailand.

[00:21:50] I hope so.

[00:21:51] I hope so.

[00:21:55] Something that bothered me was, you know maybe you're going to discuss it later is after we after we have the ladies meet the families they get one more date with Zach and, and you know they're talking about oh you know I'm you know where you at you know I'm nervous whatever and

[00:22:18] you know this is sort of sitting back saying yeah I've got a difficult decision to make and, and he seemed to just totally be clueless to what was going on with the ladies and, and I think that there must have been a way for him to be a little reassuring

[00:22:37] I'm not so clinical in the way he discussed it it sort of felt like the way he might discuss it with some of his buddies over a beer yeah I got a tough decision making I got two great ladies but I don't think that's what you're supposed to be saying for the ladies.

[00:22:51] Yeah I think Sean Lowe got that one right about you know you're being a little too honest with the women here and question for you.

[00:22:58] Do you think he really didn't know who he was going to propose to until the night before laying in bed thinking about it because that seems kind of ridiculous to me.

[00:23:08] I think he probably had a sense of which way he was going earlier than that I mean maybe you know he had an idea but hadn't really finally made up his mind but I think he probably knew which way he was going there.

[00:23:21] So, my final love, they come on and say they're, they're planning a 2025 wedding. What is it with your generation that requires these extremely long engagement periods.

[00:23:38] They've known each other for three months.

[00:23:41] I'm not just talking about them. I'm talking about your whole generation you know we, you know your mother and I, you know we got engaged in March we got married in August you know what's the fuss what's the must if it's right it's right you get on with it.

[00:23:55] Well you know I have not been engaged so I can't really speak to it but I don't think that they're going to make it to 2025.

[00:24:07] Well I am skeptical as well but I just don't understand why anyone would plan a two year engagement you know so I mean.

[00:24:16] It's like two years of dating for them.

[00:24:19] All right, all right.

[00:24:21] All right let's get into the right reason. I'm giving my right reason to Gabby I guess because she knew what was going to happen at the proposal she had her gut instinct and I like that.

[00:24:36] And I like that as she's walking up to the little altar she said that if it was her, she would know it was her and that's why she had a gut feeling about what was going to happen you know Zach wasn't going to make her feel this way.

[00:24:48] If he was really her person.

[00:24:50] You know I think I kind of liked how she handled the breakup she's like, I don't want or need your apology like please just stop talking I want to leave like this is over.

[00:25:02] But she was still being like as nice as she could while getting dumped on national TV and, and I did notice immediately, like as soon as she got into the car, taking off her high heels she's like I'm done with this taking off these, these shoes like take me home.

[00:25:18] So I guess the right reason goes to Gabby.

[00:25:23] Well, I'm giving the right reason to Zach's parents.

[00:25:28] I thought they were kind funny.

[00:25:35] You know they, they were very warm to both ladies and I think for the first time in this that I can recall in the show I found myself saying, I'd rather hang out with Zach's parents than any of the other people on this show you know I don't want to hang out.

[00:25:50] I like Zach he seemed like a nice guy but I think his dad would be a better hand.

[00:25:55] I think Ariel's the best thing.

[00:25:57] No, Ariel would be good hang to but anyway, I'm going with the parents.

[00:26:04] Okay, wrong reason ABC audio people for you know forcing us to watch half of Gabby's date without any sound wasting our precious time and we're already given three hours to this show.

[00:26:17] Not cool.

[00:26:20] Well, actually I went with ABC as well not just for audio issues just for why the hell was this three hours it was totally unnecessary.

[00:26:29] It was painful.

[00:26:31] It was long.

[00:26:34] You know, three hours late night.

[00:26:37] Didn't like it.

[00:26:39] Agreed.

[00:26:40] I didn't even realize those three hours so I sat down to watch it and you told me that it was and it just ruined my night.

[00:26:46] You know, you're your ladies basketball team one.

[00:26:48] We have that going for you.

[00:26:50] Yes, go game cock for in the final four.

[00:26:54] Okay, I thought long and hard about the MVP and I truly could not think of a single person to give it to.

[00:27:03] So my MVP is no one unless you feel strongly and you would like to hand out the finale MVP.

[00:27:12] I don't really have a finale MVP if you had to give an MVP for the season.

[00:27:18] You know, is there someone that you would you would give the MVP to for the entire season.

[00:27:24] Ariel, she's my favorite off the season.

[00:27:28] A new character that we've never seen before you know the poised elegant well spoken educated mature like too good for this kind of show and I enjoyed watching her.

[00:27:42] I think that would be a good choice.

[00:27:45] Okay, do you have any fatherly advice to wrap up Zach season?

[00:27:50] A couple things from last night that I thought were really good number one when Ariel was on the show.

[00:27:58] I really thought that she showed grace that now she she could have tried to bury Zach but she asked some hard questions but she also had a lot of questions.

[00:28:10] But she also thanked him for the journey and for helping her get to a point where she felt she could be more open with people.

[00:28:20] And you know, she just is a very cool person and I think that we can all show more grace.

[00:28:27] So that's that's a good lesson to take away and from Zach's parents, you know, I think Zach's dad sort of emphasized that that

[00:28:39] relationships are not built on the good times.

[00:28:43] Anybody can have fun during the good times but they're built on your ability to be there for each other when you go through difficult times.

[00:28:51] So I found that to be some pretty wise advice from his father that I will also share with you.

[00:28:59] Thanks Mr. Shalcross.

[00:29:02] You're welcome, Mr.

[00:29:04] Yes, thanks Mr. Shalcross whatever your last name is and and you know let's let's bring in the uncle a little bit more often it's a shame that he was not part of our show.

[00:29:15] Well at least it looks like in charity season we're going to get some Nehemiah in there night one.

[00:29:21] Undercover brother which your mother was giggling about.

[00:29:25] Yeah, she texted me undercover brother a while and I didn't know what was so funny about that.

[00:29:30] It looks like a terrible disguise I don't understand if he's going to be walking around the mansion night one pretending like he's one of the men dating charity but he just doesn't look like you'd be up to par with that mustache and wig.

[00:29:43] Yeah so just for those people that I say to like the two hour and 55 minute mark basically we got a view of charities first night and her brother comes out of the limo Nehemiah and it appears that he's going to hang out as one of the guys in a disguise to determine which guys are really there for the right reason and which ones are not.

[00:30:06] We know we just don't have enough gimmicks on this show so I'm glad we got another one.

[00:30:13] Well we've got three months before that cranks up.

[00:30:16] Yeah also apparently bachelorette is moving from eight o'clock to nine o'clock.

[00:30:23] So we can stay up till 11 to watch the bachelorette now.

[00:30:28] Well that works better for my eight o'clock cocktail hour with my buddies but that's about the only good thing.

[00:30:34] It doesn't work well for my 10 30 bedtime but it's okay you know the things we'll do for charity.

[00:30:41] Alright well wind us up then.

[00:30:44] Alright that's the end of our season we would like to thank the mesh for hosting our podcast if you like what you're hearing feel free to give us a five star rating and subscribe so you never miss an episode.

[00:30:55] And join us next season as we discuss charities journey to find love from the right perspective and my dad's.

[00:31:34] Heard.