If anyone watching last night's finale of ABC's The Bachelor had a deja vu feeling, they certainly weren't alone.
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In an ending that evoked memories of last fall's Bob Guiney-led Bachelor edition (as well those of original bachelor Alex Michael), Jesse Palmer selected Jessica Bowlin over Tara Huckeby during the program's finale. But instead of proposing to the 22-year-old law Californian law school student, he opted to present her with a one-way ticket to join him in New York.
"This whole thing to me is like a dream," the 25-year-old NFL New York Giants backup quarterback told Jessica during the program's final climax, "I don't want to wake up tomorrow morning if I can't wake up with you [but] I am not ready to propose to you tonight. I think that we need more time to grow and learn about each other."
"That's all I want, I really feel like you and I are meant to be together and I do see that future," replied the apparent easy-to-please Jessica. After hearing Jessica's response, Jesse pulled out the ticket and presented it to Jessica, explaining that it was so that she could "chase all your dreams, but do it with me."
While Jesse deserves points for not mimicking Bachelor Bob's lame "promise ring" presentation, given Jessica's age and Jesse's occupation, its difficult to envision this relationship ending with the couple walking down the aisle. Particularly since ABC's The Bachelor has yet to produce a single actual marriage, with all of the program's four previous relationships having lasted no more than a few months beyond the broadcast of the show's finales.
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After Jessica's acceptance of Jesse's romantic offer of a plane ticket, things did get a bit more interesting. As a result of requesting that her limo driver to pull over so that she could vomit, an extremely nervous and anxious Tara failed to arrive at the finale ceremony location before Jessica, forcing Jesse to send Jessica into the nearby bachelor mansion while he informed the tardy Tara of his selection of Jessica. Cutting off Jesse before he could begin to inform her of his decision, the tearful 24-year-old general contractor from Oklahoma told Jesse that "I don’t want you to say anything." With Jessica observing from a second-floor window unbeknownst to the two below, Tara continued, explaining to Jesse that "You would make me happier than any other person in this entire world, if I am the girl standing here at the very end."
After listening to Tara's heartfelt words, Jesse broke the news that her heart would be broken, simply stating that "Tara, I’ve fallen in love with someone else." Upon hearing the news, Tara didn't exactly take it well. "I really wish that you wouldn't have led me on the way you did and said things that you did," she stated. Not satisfied with stopping there, the frustrated (but apparently no longer nauseous) Tara scolded Jesse for having committing actions that were "inappropriate" if he had not been intending to select her.
As to exactly what those "inappropriate" actions were, viewers everywhere can speculate, but given that ABC will be broadcasting its After The Rose special next week, presumably the public won't have to wonder for very long. The Bachelor: After The Rose will air Wednesday, May 26 at 9PM ET/PT.