The Bachelorette‘s almost unfathomable season 21 finale has fans furious over the cruelty of the producers towards the Bachelorette herself — Jenn Tran — thanks to a questionable decision made right at the end of the show.
The finale was heavily promoted as featuring something that’s never happened before on The Bachelorette. It turns out that was correct but, unfortunately for ABC, it will be remembered for a truly unthinkable choice by the show’s producers.
Jenn realized that she hadn’t given Devin the love she thought he deserved during the show and, since Devin said that he’ll wake up every day choosing her, she decided she’d propose to him! That’s when things became strange and utterly cruel.
The finale is always aired live in a studio with an audience and then the bachelorette and her chosen one appear and talk about how things have been since the taped finale. Just before the audience and the viewers at home were about to see the proposal, host Jesse Palmer told them that ABC would not show it.
Palmer said they wouldn’t show it until they talked to Jenn about what’s happened since that day. Jenn then emerged in tears, making it obvious that she and Devin were no longer together.
Jenn explained how he ultimately ended their engagement over the phone just a couple of months after the proposal, leaving her dreams in tatters. Then, as expected, they brought out Devin. He was trying to explain his actions, though he settled for saying that he wouldn’t make excuses and mostly listened to Jenn as she opened her broken heart to him.
So, we can move on from this awkward conversation now, right? Nope. ABC kept the two on the stage together for what had to have been the most uncomfortable couch chat possible and made a decision that resulted in viewers flocking to social media to blast producers. Palmer told the audience that, despite Jenn and Devin sitting right there, the big screen behind him would now show the proposal.
In a moment of what can only be described as fake politeness, Palmer asked Jenn if they could show it, a question she wasn’t interested in answering given her emotional state. After he asked again, she responded by asking, “Do I have a choice?”
As soon as she asked that question, the screen lit up, showing her and Devin’s “happy” day. Clearly, the producers actually didn’t care about her well-being at all. As if the moment wasn’t absurd enough, another unbelievable thing promptly happened.
During the video, the show zeroed in on Jenn’s traumatized reaction with a picture-in-picture shot on the bottom left corner of the screen, showing her painfully sobbing throughout as if she was being tortured — which she technically was.
This was the single most gut-wrenching and intentionally cruel thing ever seen in the history of the franchise and that’s saying something considering its exploitative past. The show’s producers have long been under fire for allegedly being dishonest and manipulative to their leads and the suitors. Producers Claire Freeland, Bennett Graebner, and Jason Ehrlich have recently been insistent that they are committed to treating those on the show better. This was not better.
Social media became flooded with people calling for producers to be fired. It’s doubtful that will happen but it will be interesting to see if, in the least, ABC offers an apology. Jenn Tran deserves that but she also deserves a lot more, including respect.