It’s rare to shock audiences these days, but that’s exactly what happened when Season 21 of ABC’s The Bachelorette ended Tuesday evening with a twist that fans didn’t see coming.
Although Jenn Tran was expected to end the season engaged to one of her final two suitors, sensitive Devin Strader or emotionally unavailable Marcus Shoberger, Jenn and her fiancé barely made it off the lush Hawaiian island the finale was filmed on before they called it quits.
Spoiler: This story contains spoilers related to the season finale of The Bachelorette.
Bachelorette Season Ends With Unprecedented Twist
The episode opened with host Jesse Palmer hinting to the live studio audience that last night’s episode would be “the emotional conclusion of Jenn’s journey” before promising that the ending was something that had never happened in Bachelor Nation history.
Last week, Jenn said goodbye to Jonathon Johnson, enthusiastically proclaiming her love for the remaining two finalists: Devin and Marcus.
During the season finale, heated emotions were laid on the table, with Devin earnestly telling her family that losing Jenn would devastate him:
Would it kill me to not be the one? It would. One hundred percent.
Because I believe so much in what we have.
Jenn seemed to echo Devin’s feelings, telling her family that she felt open and safe with Devin.
“With Devin, I can really talk about my feelings,” Jenn said, before talking about the family she wants to raise with him someday.
It sounded like Jenn was pretty set on a future with Devin. Or was she?
In the first hour of the finale, Jenn’s brother James seemed almost like a cop, grilling her suitors and repeatedly saying Jenn had a history of falling for “emotionally unavailable men.”
In those scenes, it seemed like James was being overbearing and judgmental. (We’re sorry we thought that, James.)
At this point, it looked like the world’s easiest choice for Jenn Tran, and Devin said all the right things with such conviction …
After sitting down with Marcus and her family, despite the flaming red flags, like Marcus saying he wasn’t in love with Jenn yet, and a very awkward talk with her brother, Jenn still made excuses for Marcus’ lack of enthusiasm about an engagement.
It seemed like Jenn was having mixed feelings about her looming engagement.
She seemed more confused than ever, but determined to follow her heart. Meanwhile, Marcus said:
Engagement is a very big deal, that’s a very big life decision. I want to get there, and that’s why I’m still here, because I think it’s possible.
Jenn Proposed To Her Chosen Bachelor
After final dates with the remaining men, Jenn managed to sort through her emotions and choose her victor: sweet Devin.
But Jenn also decided that she wasn’t going to let anything like antiquated gender roles dictate how she ended the season, saying:
I’m not gonna let Devin propose to me today. I’m
gonna propose to Devin.
Jesse had been teasing some sort of Bachelorette history in the making, and Jenn’s decision to propose to Devin seemed to be that twist …
And then the real twist happened, and it was incredibly shocking.
Jenn Tran’s Bachelorette Journey Ended In Tears
After we found out that Jenn planned to do the proposing, Jesse switched gears hard.
He referenced the proposal, and then started saying things about it being “not appropriate” to show — it was a “record scratch” moment, because what could have possibly happened?
When Jenn and Devin were meeting Jenn’s family, they said “I love you” to one another a number of times, and did a fair bit of kissing, too.
Jenn came out to sit with Jesse, and it was clear something had gone horribly wrong, despite the fact Devin convinced everyone that he meant what he said.
We should have paid more attention to James.
Soon, Jenn was sobbing, and she confessed:
We left Hawaii engaged but … [crying] as soon as we left, things were different.
He pulled away and went back on his promises.
Jenn proceeded to tell her side of the story, and it was truly a surprise — by her account, Devin immediately changed after they left Hawaii.
Jenn’s words came tumbling out after that: she said he said he regretted getting engaged, that he claimed he felt pressured, and he ghosted her.
It didn’t end there, either. Devin was brought out to, as Jesse put it, “face the music.” And oh man, there was music.
As soon as Devin was on the stage, he sat down next to Jenn, and then did that thing where he got up and moved further away.
They argued. A lot, to a point where it looked like they could barely share the same stage.
Jenn accused him of following a woman on Instagram, and of clubbing in Manhattan, and Devin visibly shut down, his answers cold and clinical … the 180 gave us all whiplash.
Finally, Jesse “asked” Jenn if they could air her proposal to Devin, and she began to agree; as the camera cut away, Jenn said:
The footage rolled, depicting a very convincing proposal, one totally at odds with the Jenn and Devin on stage for the finale.
In the end, Jesse told Jenn that she did things “her way,” even if her engagement to Devin fell apart so spectacularly.
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