After a grueling season, we’re finally here: part one of the two-part, four-hour Bachelor finale. When we last left young Peter Weber, he’d sent home Victoria F. and set her free to go on The Women Tell All. But — as Peter emphasized repeatedly — this in no way meant he was any closer to making up his mind. While his emotional rose exchange with Madison raised a few eyebrows, Peter swears he’s split 50/50 between Madison and Hannah Ann. Tonight, they’ll meet his parents, and we’ll (hopefully) finally find out who Peter’s mom is sobbing about.
For Peter’s finale, we’re in the Australian outback, which Peter says reminds him of falling in love with someone, because both of those things are beautiful. Good one, Pete. He catches up with his parents and brother, and we quickly learn just how close of a relationship they have. Peter launches right in with Madison’s ultimatum and the fact that he had sex with the other women. His parents agree that this behavior is alarming — on Madison’s part.
“She doesn’t want me being intimate with other girls”
— Chicks in the Office (@ChicksInTheOff) March 10, 2020
Immediate concern from Peter’s parents #TheBachelorpic.twitter.com/TtvCqOIITQ
“It concerns me a lot actually,” Peter’s dad says. Peter goes on to describe Hannah Ann to his parents, and since there’s no talk of sex ultimatums or last-minute fights, they’re pleased.
Hannah Ann is up first to meet Peter’s parents, and she’s coming in hot with a singular goal: to make Peter’s family understand how much she loves their son. Heck, she’ll beat it into their heads if she needs to! His parents ask what she liked about the journey and she jumps right in: “He just means so much to me,” she gushes. “I’m proud to be a part of him.” Peter has wrapped himself fully around her torso and is touching her a lot more than I’d expect for the circumstances.
I wait for Peter’s parents to be horrified by the fact that Hannah Ann sounds like a bad actress or their son’s aggressive PDA, but alas: “I see your dad and I 30 years ago,” Peter’s mom says. Hannah is knocking it out of the park.
https://twitter.com/jamiebreit_/status/1237170498313871360She chats with Peter’s mom and dad individually next, and despite what the teasers showed, it all goes great. “There’s a difference between just having a connection with someone and having a connection with a future,” she tells Peter’s mom, who’s eating it right up. She tells Peter’s dad that it was love at first sight with him, which — please. I’m biased here because I find it tough to believe anything that Hannah Ann says, but I think that’s the worst lie to tell on hometowns. They know you were assigned to date him; don’t act like you picked him out of a crowd.
“I feel like I’ve known you all my life!” Peter’s mom tells Hannah Ann as she leaves. It’s hard to see how this could have gone better — but we must remember, Peter loves drama. Hannah gave him a perfectly drama-free afternoon, but he really only lights up when he talks about fighting with Madison.
Speaking of fighting with Madison! She comes in hot with a bouquet of flowers and a terrible mood. “How are you doing?” Peter asks in an attempt to be pleasant.
Peter: how ar-
— T (@teewatterss) March 10, 2020
Madison: #TheBachelorpic.twitter.com/d8GUl1TkUX
Madison explains to Peter that when he went ahead and got intimate with the other two ladies, she felt like he was putting his “needs and wants” way above hers. Peter counters by saying he hates to call it an ultimatum, but that it was an ultimatum, and she needs to understand that he’s also in other relationships. It’s clear they’re not coming to an agreement any time soon.
“At this point, I feel like I’m kind of hanging by a thread if I’m being honest,” Madison says. “I need to feel confident and sure and at peace and I don’t feel that right now.” It honestly seems like she’s going to back out of meeting his family. Peter, primed from his hometown with Victoria F., is all in on this moment, and he is not going to let her leave.
Madison's face is such a mood. #TheBachelorpic.twitter.com/gSFTyo4tb8
— Nikki (@seriously_nik) March 10, 2020
Somehow, he gets Madison giggling again, and she launches into an impromptu description of her character. “I’m really strong willed. I don’t give up. I fight for what I believe in. And I’m loyal to a fault. I’m really protective over my people.” Finally, she tells Peter she loves him. Beaming, he takes her inside to meet his family.
“I can honestly say I don’t have any concerns,” Peter tells the producers. “I have zero worries.” Oh my god.
Madison meets Peter’s parents, and honestly, it’s a mess. For some reason, they decide to rehash her sex request again, and Peter’s parents seem disturbingly intent on protecting their son’s right to physically explore as many relationships as he wants to.
“Telling him, when there are other girls that he cares about, that he can’t get physical with them….” Peter’s mom says, shaking her head.
Yeah I’m going to need everyone to STOP coming for Madison for having values and expressing them #theBachelorpic.twitter.com/Dj7j8gWIV5
— Tayla George (@tayla_george3) March 10, 2020
Peter’s brother takes him aside, and it’s the best conversation so far: “You’re very physical in relationships,” he tells Peter. “Do you think that [waiting for marriage] is something that you realistically see yourself doing?” He adds that Peter likes to go “line dancing” and to the clubs on weekends, and that Madison seems like a quieter, church-going gal. Peter seems irritated that he’s being challenged on any of this.
“I don’t want you to be compromising part of yourself,” his brother says. “It’s a relationship,” Peter spits out bitterly. “Of course I’m going to be compromising part of myself.” It’s not looking good for Madison.
Peter’s brother like “Bro, I know you and there’s no way you can live in this world without having sex” #TheBachelorpic.twitter.com/Hj3yt6E2iO
— Chicks in the Office (@ChicksInTheOff) March 10, 2020
Peter says goodbye to Madison, and when he comes back, his mom is uncontrollably sobbing. She launches right into it: “She’s not there for you. She’s not there for you, bud.” She didn’t just not like Madison; she’s actively distraught from this meeting.
“I think God has answered my prayers and put the right person in your path,” she tells Peter. “But maybe deep in your heart, bud, you knew that.” To make things even clearer, this is how she puts it to the producers: “Madison’s a sweet girl, lovely girl. But Hannah Ann is an angel on earth.”
Barb: “I know you like Madison more, but God literally told me Hannah Ann is your angel and practically Jesus himself”
— Becca Fortune (@Becca_Fortune) March 10, 2020
Peter: “you need to calm the fuck down”#TheBachelorpic.twitter.com/1z43Wo2AuZ
Peter sits down with the rest of this family and they’re all on the same page. Hannah Ann is the answer; Madison is bad news. Peter’s mom starts crying again, and it’s the big moment we’ve all been waiting for: “Hannah Ann loves you with all of her heart. Don’t let her go.”
At this point, Peter is a little pissed (and more than a little panicked). “You gotta stop doing this,” he says, over and over. “It’s literally destroying me right now.”
After he leaves, he has a revelation for the camera: “I want Madi more than anything.” Really? Even if she won’t go line dancing with you?
https://twitter.com/MalyBrandon/status/1237183810963415040Next up, Peter will go on a final date with each of these women — though I’m honestly hoping he pulls a Colton and calls it off early to be with Madi. For the 100th time, the date involves a helicopter, and for the 100th time, Peter acts like it’s the most unique and exciting thing that’s ever happened to him.
“Who does this?!” he giggles. “We do this.”
He and Madison sit in a field (another classic Bachelor date setting) and drink sparkling apple juice. (Does Madison also not drink? Did I miss this? They really might not be compatible at all.) Surprisingly, Madi and I are on the same page.
“As much as we want this I don’t know that we can give each other what we need,” she starts, and Peter suddenly realizes that this day is not going to go as planned. “Being a good warrior and being a good fighter is knowing when to surrender.”
We can hear Peter’s heart beating in his chest. He and Madison bat away flies as they talk.
“We see things so differently, we expect such different things,” Madison says, making excellent points. “A lot of things have been brought more into focus over the last few days when it comes to marriage, when it comes to faith, when it comes to lifestyle.”
When he wants to go line dancing but it conflicts with mass #TheBachelorpic.twitter.com/74aWEUMkpy
— Sarah Hanson (@SHanson52) March 10, 2020
“I don’t know that we’re the best for each other,” she says, finally. And Peter, finally, accepts it. He says he saw the differences, but it didn’t bother him. They hug, and he walks her a white van conveniently waiting.
“I’m going to miss him every day,” Madison says as she drives away.
“I was head over heels in love with Madison, and Madison’s gone now,” Peter says. Succinct.
Chris Harrison comes to check in on Peter and make sure he hasn’t jumped a fence or walked into another golf cart. “Can you get over this heartbreak, or is this over?” he asks Peter. “I honestly don’t know right now.”
Me at the beginning of the night getting all comfy and ready to watch #TheBachelor vs me now. pic.twitter.com/6wi6i5OqDU
— kate koltzau (@katee_lyynn) March 10, 2020
It’s time for Peter’s final date with Hannah Ann, and I feel like I’ve aged 100 years since this episode started. In further proof that the production is rigged toward Hannah Ann, her date is visiting a kangaroo refuge. Peter and Hannah feed baby kangaroos bottles of milk, and it’s heartbreakingly adorable. They’re literally feeding babies together. Peter’s about to start lactating. Also: Is he not going to tell her that Madison went home?
“I’ve felt no pressure from you in any way, but I’ve always felt you there,” Peter tells her, and it’s a depressingly accurate snapshot of what emotionally unavailable men want from women. But Madison can tell all is not well.
“Looking into Peter’s eyes, something is off,” she says. He holds her from behind and they stare at the kangaroos. Later that night, Peter’s still not sure. Hannah finally cracks, and starts to cry. She can’t keep telling him how much she loves him and not getting anything back. “You just seem not, you know, completely there.”
Suddenly I am overcome by sadness for Hannah Ann, who I have literally felt nothing for all season #TheBachelor
— Emma Gray (@emmaladyrose) March 10, 2020
“I’m just at my breaking point, honestly,” she tells Peter. Me too, Hannah Ann. Me too. They have a tearful goodbye, and Hannah knows she’s in trouble.
We’re back with Chris Harrison and the live audience, and he tells us the shocking twist: “If you think you’ve seen the last of Madison, you haven’t.” He promises once again that even Peter doesn’t know how his journey will end, and that we’ll find out live tomorrow. As usual, the last five minutes are more exciting than the last two hours, and I am immediately, irrevocably sucked back in. See you tomorrow night.
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