The Bachelorette Recap: Emily Maynard Picks Her Man! Is It Jef Or Arie?

It’s finally here. The most amazing Bachelorette  finale ever. (No, really, it might be true this time.) Who does Emily Maynard love more – Jef Holm or Arie Luyendyk, Jr.? Will Emily’s chosen one propose? Chris Harrison welcomes us to the three hour finale of the Bachelorette. (Three hours!)  Grab a drink, a snack, and a box of tissues, because Chris promises good stuff. He better not be lying.

Emily‘s parents and brother are in Curacao to meet Jef and Arie.

First up, Jef! Suzy, Emily’s mom, asks Jef how his family feels about Jef looking for love on this crazy show. Jef’s family is skeptical, because Jef’s family is smart. But, of course, they were completely sold on the idea after meeting Emily. Suzy and Jef sit down for a chat. Jef wants to be a good husband and father. He’ll accept Ricki as his own. Jef wants to marry Emily, she completes him. Suzy thinks Jef is a good fit for Emily.

Emily’s brother Ernie is the next one to grill Jef. Jef asks Ernie if Emily is ready to settle down with somebody. Ernie says, oh, no, Emily does not settle. If Emily doesn’t feel right about it, it won’t happen. Jef thinks what he and Emily share is special. He’s excited about a future with Emily. Ernie thinks Jef’s intentions are good. Ernie loves that Jef talks like he’s reading greeting cards.

Jef is nervous about talking to Emily’s dad. Jef is mentally preparing to ask for Emily‘s hand in marriage. Jef wouldn’t feel right taking the next step with Emily without Dad’s blessing. Lucky for Jef, Dad isn’t a hard sell. He hands it right over.

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Now it’s Arie‘s turn to meet the parents. Emily introduces Arie. To fully understand Arie’s charm, kisses for everyone. That would have been a good plan. Instead, Arie talks constantly about nothing.

Suzy talks to Arie. She’s blown away. She loves both Arie and Jef. Shocker!

Ernie thinks Arie talks too smooth, wondering if he’s a player. Ernie asks Arie if he’s there to win the competition or to win Emily’s heart. Arie gulps, then tells him how much he loves Emily. It’s not long before Ernie is confused. He, too, loves them both. Dad grills Arie. Arie considers Emily the love of his life. Arie asks Dad for his blessing. He’s so easy! He says yes again.

Emily believes she is in love with both Jef and Arie. Emily is counting on her family to lead her towards one or the other. Emily is quite annoyed when that doesn’t happen. Mom likes them both. Dad isn’t much help either. “I don’t believe that you can love two people at once,” Dad says. “So you’re in love with one or the other now.” Emily’s mom tells her not to rush an engagement.

Last Dates

Jef meets Emily on the beach. They sit on a yellow blanket and talk. Emily is stressed out. Jef calmly says, “I feel like you have everything I’ve ever wanted in anybody, and it’s amazing.” That said he’d still like to meet Ricki.  He says, “Just because I haven’t met her doesn’t mean that I haven’t been thinking about her every day. But it’s up to you.”  Considering how things ended with Brad Womack, Emily is hesitant to bring Ricki into the mix. Jef asks Emily is she has confidence. She says yes. They’re both quiet for a few moments.

Jef asks Emily to think about it from his perspective. You meet someone that is the most perfect person for you and you haven’t met their daughter, how would you feel? Emily crumbles under the pressure and agrees to let Jef meet Ricki. She says, “I have all the faith in the world that this time is going to be different than last time.” This right here pretty much confirms that Jef is going to be the last one standing, doesn’t it?

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They head back to Emily’s beach house, leaving the yellow blanket for the crew to clean up. This is why relationships that come out of this show don’t last – nothing that happens here is “real.” It’s all fake and lovely and perfect. In real life, instead of romantically walking down the beach hand in hand, they’d have to carrying their crap back to the house.

Jef meets Ricki. Jef is glowing. Do men glow? I don’t know, but Jef looks like he’s glowing. Jef gets in the pool with Ricki, sporting pink goggles. Jef says Ricki is beautiful, funny, creative, wild, and he goes on. I think my heart skips a beat. I do not admit that easily. Damn this show!

Emily, Jef, and Ricki have a great day together. Later, Jef and Ricki braid each other’s hair. Kidding. But they totally should!

Emily and Jef spend their last night together before the final rose ceremony. Emily tells Jef that Ricki asked for him to come back the next day. Jef is touched. They have a little fun together on the couch. Not that kind of fun! Get your mind outta the gutter, Miss Maynard is a mom!

Emily and Jef are goofy together. Emily. is. goofy. Emily actually shows some personality with Jef as they reminisce. Jef and Emily giggle, then kiss. Jef feels as if Emily just gets him. Jef gifts Emily a book about Curacao. In true Jef form, he personalized the book with little Jef and Emily stick figures. Jef wants to hold Emily’s hand until he’s 110. He wants to love her forever and ever. Their night comes to an end, and Jef is scared.

Emily wants to talk to Chris Harrison before she goes on her final date with Arie.

Introducing Jef to Ricki solidified everything for Emily. Jef is the one.  She says, “I was so scared I was going to get to the final day and still be going back and forth between these two perfect guys, but this just did it for me. I know that Jef is everything I’ve been looking for.”

Chris asks, what do we do about Arie? Emily starts crying. She plans on telling Arie today that she’s more in love with Jef.

This mean no “whose foot is coming out of the first limo” scene. Bummer! That’s the best part of the Bachelore/Bachelorette finales.

Meanwhile, Arie is making love potions. Hahaha, seriously, ABC? You couldn’t have substituted a last minute friendship bracelet class in place of the love potion?

Arie tells us he’s in Curacao with Emily, they’re completely in love with each other, he’s meeting Ricki today, and he’s getting engaged tomorrow. Arie can see the love Emily has for him in her eyes. Well, this is awkward.

Emily arrives and finds Arie. She’s getting ready to ruin his life, and he rubs his love potion all over her. Emily starts crying. Arie is clueless. He has no idea what’s coming.

Emily starts, “You know how I felt about you from out very first date.”

Ugh, Emily, just rip off the Band-Aid, already.  And stop sniffling. If you don’t have tears, you don’t have snot either.

Arie catches a clue and chokes out an, “I know.” He asks, “What changed?”

Emily says, “I never thought that I would have to make a choice between you and anybody. I always thought it was just going to be me and you, honestly.”

Arie says, “You don’t have to say anything else.” He shrugs at her.

Emily says, “I don’t know what to say.”

Arie kisses her on the forehead, tells her not to say anything, and then he walks away. Emily follows him. He’s hurt and angry.  She continues to cry without any tears.

Getting Pretty for the Proposal

Emily says her connection with Jef is unlike any other relationship she’s had in a really long time. She thinks he would make the best husband and dad. Jef thinks he and Emily are perfect together. He’s absolutely crazy in love with her. Obviously, Jef doesn’t know Emily already ditched Arie.

Oh, the excitement! We’re off to the very romantic proposal spot – in a parking lot or random street in Curacao? Why no beach backdrop for Princess Emily? The buildings even look fake. It actually looks like a set from a high school play. How very odd.

Jef comes to the budget basement proposal spot.

Emily tells Jef that she loves him. So much. So, so much. She says, “You were the only one who got to meet Ricki, and I didn’t even go on a date with Arie yesterday. And he’s not even here today! So it’s just me and you.”

Jef feels like the luckiest man. “God puts the right people in our lives with the timing is just right,” he says. There’s something about them together that is so natural and easy. He promises her she’ll never feel lonely again.

Jef tells Emily what he’s about to ask her is a forever thing. He asks her if she wants fried chicken for dinner. Forever.

Kidding.  He proposes. She sighs, then says yes.  My heart is fluttering again! Ugh!

Emily Maynard chooses Jef (with one F) Holm as her one and only. She offers him the final rose.

The memories… skateboard, library, cuddling, funny puppets, clay shooting, ferris wheel, swimming in paradise, love letter, fireworks, kisses, Utah, swimming with Ricki. It’s all so lovely. Oh, crap. A tear just slid down my cheek.

Will they live happily ever after? Stay tuned for the recap of After the Final Rose.

TELL US – DO YOU THINK EMILY MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE? 

 

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