The Bachelor season ended not with a romantic proposal, a twirl, and declarations of undying love, but with a breakup. It was no secret Brad would propose to Emily and she would accept. The question was going to be, are they still together?
The final rose ceremony was filmed in South Africa on November 19. The “After the Final Rose” show taped last week, which means while both aired tonight, one occurred four months after the other in real time. A lot can happen in 4 months.
As soon as the ATFR began, Chris Harrison, looking tired, stressed or botoxed, take your pick, announced that the couple had already split once since leaving South Africa, and hadn’t seen each other in the past month. Later, Chris throws in another bombshell: Brad and Emily were supposed to get married on the ATFR show, which had been planned to film in Anguilla, where the couple fell in love. But Emily called it off.
Chantal came out first, looking terrific in red, then Brad came out, and Chantal, like the good-sport she is, asked the pertinent questions aimed at getting closure. It didn’t go the way she wanted.
Emily also looked beautiful, with a new hairdo in a darker blond (or maybe just added lowlights) and a shorter cut. We also got to see she has a personality, something the show tried to hide all season. She was tough, spontaneous, and funny — who would have guessed? She complained about her “edit” — the boring, poised lady edit — and insisted that if she had gotten the dates Chantal got, she would have had fun too.
So why did they break up? According to Emily, it was Brad’s temper. They have been having knock-down -drag-out fights. Emily says she has a temper too. As a result, Emily says she loves Brad, but they have to work on the the “way they fight” and she’s not moving to Austin anytime soon. Brad says he will keep working to convince her. Secondary reason: Emily was very uncomfortable watching Brad’s serial kissing of the other contestants all season.
Emily seemed to be in apology mode the whole show. She kept rubbing Brad’s arm, locking arms with him and telling him she loved him. Brad kept insisting how much he loves her, but his body language didn’t match his words. He was stiff and physically unresponsive. Either he is scared to death of her, or he already knows she’s going to break his heart and knows there’s nothing he can do to prevent it.
Chances these two will get married? Not great. I wonder if Brad has any idea of who Emily is as a person, or whether he simply created a persona based on his idea of a perfect Emily. He has her on such a pedestal. How can she ever match up in the real world? The reality will never live up to the image and the dream.
That said, I hope Brad and Emily make it. He really believes she is the woman of his dreams. And tonight, a week after the taping of the After the Final Rose. Emily is with Brad in Austin, hanging out one of the four bars Brad owns with his brothers and partner Jason. Jason took this happy picture of Brad and Emily. You can find it and more at JasonCarrier1 on twitter.
A word about Chantal. She had a very classy exit, maintained her dignity and her face didn’t crumble. Just little (crocodile?) tears. A poster at FORT had some words of advice for Brad, after seeing Chantal, stunning in a one shouldered smoking hot red dress: (From the Eagle’s song, Desperado:)
Don’t you draw the queen of diamonds, boy
She’ll beat you if she’s able
You know the queen of hearts is always your best betNow it seems to me, some fine things
Have been laid upon your table
But you only want the ones that you can’t get