“The Bachelorette” Finale Recap: Ice Baths, Diamond Rings, & Not Enough Roses!

After weeks of tears, accusations, and drama, Season 16 of "The Bachelorette" has officially come to an end. A 2-night finale on Monday (December 21) and last night (December 22) wrapped up the journey of our Bachelorette, Tayshia Adams, towards finding her ultimate love story. Although the audience saw a rocky start to the season, with the original leading-lady, Clare Crawley, falling in love and leaving only 4 episodes in, Tayshia’s story culminated sophisticatedly and left us begging for more.

Here is a recap of the thrilling season finale!

The Top Three

We begin the week with Tayshia’s 3 remaining men: Brendan Morais, Ivan Hall, and Zac Clark. There is much tension between the 3, as they attempt to remain respectful of each other while also struggling to grasp the awkwardness of dating the same woman. The maturity and civility displayed by the men is impressive; they encourage each other to put their best foot forward yet focus on their personal relationships with Tayshia, not letting any competitiveness get in the way. Each of them is invited for some one-on-one time with Tayshia -- on the much coveted Fantasy Suite dates -- where the couples are able to spend quality time off-camera to truly connect and use the time however they please.

Fantasy Suite Dates

Ivan is the first to go on this date where he and Tayshia put their relationship to the test by attempting to break the world record for the World’s Longest Coldest Kiss. After a successful new record set (6 minutes and 35 seconds), Ivan is led to an intimately decorated trailer where he admits he is falling in love with her.

Tayshia’s next date is with Zac, and we see the two creating art together with their bodies covered in paint. Their date is never short of laughter and cheerfulness as they have fun yet are also able to get physically intimate. The day ends with both Zac and Tayshia admitting that they are in love with each other and we see them enjoy some alone time in a romantic suite.

At the last date, we see Brendan and Tayshia meet with celebrated jewelry designer, Neil Lane, to pick out engagement rings. Brendan, who has acknowledged his scars from his previous marriage, is visibly uncomfortable during the date and later admits to Tayshia that he does not believe he has healed from his past heartbreak. The two break up and Tayshia is left with Ivan and Zac.

Return of Ben

During the previous week’s episode, we saw Tayshia send home one of the top four, Ben Smith, despite having strong feelings for him due to his lack of ability to openly express his emotions. Ben returns to surprise Tayshia and confess his love for her. Tayshia welcomes him back and gives him a rose during the rose ceremony, thus inviting him to join the top two.

Meeting the Family

Tayshia breaks up with Ivan due to their religious differences and different goals for the future. Thus, Zac and Ben are the only ones to move onward with the journey and meet Tayshia’s family.

Tayshia is shown to be very close with her family, welcoming their opinions and wanting their approval. Initially, they disapprove of Ben due to her already having broken up with him once before. However, after having a heart-felt and personal discussion with him, they agree to give him a second chance. Zac makes a more positive first impression on the family, who are immediately fascinated by his poise and kindness. He reassures them that he understands the commitment and dedication required in a marriage and is willing to hold that promise with Tayshia.

However, pressure rises for Tayshia when her father shows up at her door step the next day, warning her to be cautious when making her decision in order to avoid the heartache she faced after the crumbling of her first marriage. Though she knows he is simply being protective of her, she begins to question whether she is really ready for another marriage.

The Final Rose

For their final date, Zac and Tayshia take ballroom dancing lessons together and manage to make it intimate yet fun. Zac recognizes that Tayshia seems preoccupied in her mind and does his best to help her feel at ease. He officially wins over the hearts of the audience with his compassion and perceptiveness.

Tayshia, before her last date with Ben, makes a well-thought-out decision to break up with him (again), clearly stating that she does not believe Ben is her husband. Though he feels crushed, he admits his fault in not confessing his feelings earlier and thus forgoing the pivotal Fantasy Suite date. Thankfully, their break-up goes much smoother than expected, having already parted ways once before.

Finally, the moment is here! Tayshia realizes that Zac is the only man left, and though she is excited about possibly spending her future with him, she remains extremely fearful of getting hurt again. Her hands shake as she walks down the graveled path towards the final rose ceremony. However, her stiff demeanor is immediately put to ease when she sees Zac and hears his speech about his love for her. At last, Zac proposes and the couple is engaged!

Being an avid fan of both "The Bachelorette" and "The Bachelor" series, I was pleasantly surprised at how the season unraveled. The proposal was genuine and romantic, and the final couple was visibly madly in love with each other. With Matt James’s season of "The Bachelor" starting January 4, I can’t wait to see more romantic love stories and, of course, lots of drama!