'The Bachelorette' Season 16 - Episode 4 Recap

Did Chris Harrison save the most dramatic episode ever for election week because he knew we’d need this escape? I’d like to think so.

We opened on the men from the group date griping about their lack of time and energy from Clare.

Then over to the woman in question as she ruminates on her love for Dale. Chris Harrison showed up to talk to her, because obviously that had to happen. Clare seemed genuinely surprised that he was there.

But Chris needed to talk.

He told her the guys were unhappy and confused. That they are good guys, and they are not dumb. “The path we’re on right now, we can’t continue.” When probed by Chris about how she’s feeling she said that she was totally head over heels with Dale. She admitted then, too, to looking at all the guys social media pages to see who was coming and Dale caught her eye then. She was adamant that they had zero contact though before meeting on the show.

They rarely break that wall for us, so that was interesting for sure. 

Poor Chris looked like “girl you are making my job way harder”. But he then said “congrats, you’ve officially blown up The Bachelor.” I hope he gets a raise for bringing home this one.

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The men got ready for the rose ceremony, unawares what was happening behind the scenes.

Chris came in post-Clare conversation, and told the men that there would be no cocktail party tonight AND that there would be no rose ceremony. He then took Dale aside, because everyone wants private time with Dale it seems.

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Clare and Dale got a special one-on-one where she was going to tell him how she feels. 

And they both were all:

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And we had a classic Bachelor moment, with private musicians. I have questions about this though - could the other men hear this music? Did these musicians have to quarantine? What is “The Bachelor Presents: Listen to your Heart” - which is how they identified the musicians Chris and Bri? SO MANY QUESTIONS.

They went back to Clare’s suite and basically had a honeymoon suite type of night together.

The editing in the “coming up” sections were some for the ages. They really are making it seem like Dale now has to propose and marry Clare ASAP. 

But really, I’m happy for Clare and Dale. They do seem well suited and if the point of the show is to find love, good for her for actually doing it!

First though, Clare had to go into the house and break it to the boys that she just wasn’t that into them.

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Some of the men wanted an apology, while others appreciated her courage to come and tell them the truth. I like those guys. 

I do feel bad for the rest of the men, they were clearly pretty bummed and crushed about teh whole thing, understandably so. 

Meanwhile Chris had to call up Neil Lane to get a ring so that Dale could propose TODAY. Because falling in love isn’t real until you’ve rushed into a marriage. 

Chris went and told Dale then that he would be proposing because “Clare broke up with all the other guys today”. 

I really thought this episode would be them sending Clare and Dale off and starting on the next venture but of course it wasn’t. We had to drag the whole thing out as long as humanly possible. They even had Chris come up to her to tell her they were all proud of her, really making it seem like Dale wasn’t going to come propose to her. 

BUT HE DID SHOW UP! SHOCK! And he proposed! And she said yes! They are getting married. 

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Next up the men were shown packing up. Favourite line: “It sucks for Jason, it sucks for Chayson.” 

Chris came to let the men know that Dale proposed and that him and Clare had left the bubble already and were off living their happy lives while the men were simply still processing it. 

But he also came with good news! He was here to let them know their journey wasn’t over, and in fact they could each make a decision on whether they wanted to stay or not. They had to make that decision by TONIGHT. Gotta be ready to roll with it boys!

Of the 16 remaining men, all of them stayed (because of course they did, what else were they going to do?). Including Blake who was really into Clare, if you’ll remember. They all turned up in their suits for another cocktail party, waiting for the new Bachelorette, who is… drumroll please… 

Tayshia Adams! I have not seen her seasons, but she has been on both The Bachelor and Bachelor in Paradise.

All the men are re-energized and ready to go. So I guess let’s do this!

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