The Bachelor featured Zach Shallcross crushing Gabi Elnicki's heart and getting engaged to Kaity Biggar at the Final Rose Ceremony in Thailand during the Season 27 finale that aired Monday night on ABC.
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The broadcast began with host Jesse Palmer addressing a studio audience and viewers at home by teasing how no one knew how this season was going to end. He said the finale was going to be filled with "shocking surprises" and heartbreak.
Jesse then welcomed Zach's third-place finisher Ariel Frenkel to sit in the hot seat.
Ariel shared how Zach meant so much to her and she wasn't able to say everything she wanted to say during their breakup. Ariel admitted she had emotionally shut down in Thailand, especially given an engagement was only days away, but she wanted to show Zach gratitude and appreciation for helping her to open up and be her most authentic self.
Ariel then revealed how she was actually on the same page with Zach going into Fantasy Suites and didn't want to be physically intimate in order to protect herself from a broken heart. Ariel said she would've been willing to explore that part of the relationship with Zach had they ended up together.
When Jesse asked Ariel how she felt about Zach sleeping with Gabi and then only telling Kaity about it, Ariel replied, "I'm really hurt. It really hurts to find everything out on TV when everyone else does, with a partner you've shared so many intimate moments with. I was really disappointed in the way the whole week was handled, and I was disappointed with how I was left not knowing anything from Zach."
Zach then joined Ariel onstage, and she said it was really hard to watch everything back. She said she had mostly positive thoughts about Zach and their time together but it was "really difficult" to see that he wasn't honest with her.
Ariel explained that Zach should not have left her in the dark about his decision with Gabi and he had "ample time" to tell her. She asked why he had given Kaity grace and been honest with her and she didn't receive the same respect.
Zach said he had a lot of regret with how he had handled that week and his actions, and setting parameters for that week, was the wrong way to go about it. Zach confessed he should've told Ariel what happened right away but there was a lot of stuff going on in his mind.
Zach apologized for her finding out with the rest of the world, adding, "There's no excuse for it."
Ariel explained that by taking sex off the table, he actually made the whole week about sex. Zach agreed the situation backfired and he had "deep regret" about his no-sex rule and not having told Ariel about his actions before she was denied a rose.
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Ariel said Zach had taken away her agency and made a decision by himself, which took away from their power as a couple and a team. Zach said his universal rule was not fair to the women and it pained him that he caused hurt.
"I felt like he owed me the truth. It's not about what you did... it's what you did after. You just didn't tell me anything," Ariel said.
But Ariel insisted she wasn't on the show to drag Zach through the mud or make him feel worse. Zach assured Ariel that he had a lot of respect for her and he did mess up. Zach said Ariel had every right to feel the way she did, and Ariel confirmed she'll still look back on their relationship fondly.
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Previously-filmed footage then flashed back to Zach's final days in Krabi, Thailand, when the Bachelor about to introduce Kaity and Gabi to his family.
Zach said he learned taking sex off the table was a big mistake. Being open and honest caused a loss of trust with both of the women, and he imagined they were still feeling upset with him. Zach told the cameras that he was going to try to fix things, but he hoped it wasn't going to be too little too late.
Zach got to speak to his family before the first meet and greet, and Zach shared how a decision during Fantasy Suites bit him in the ass. His mother didn't want to hear details, and so Zach kept information close to his chest. Zach then announced how Gabi was quiet and confident in their romance, and she was the first to meet Zach's loved ones.
Gabi said she left the Fantasy Suite feeling "a lot of love" but Zach associating his behavior with regret and failure made her feel like she was in the Scarlet Letter. Gabi felt some regret from Zach, regardless of him claiming the opposite.
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Gabi, who felt blindsided by Zach, therefore sat down for a chat with the Bachelor and said she didn't want to be a source of pain for him.
Zach explained how he said he "felt like a failure" because he didn't follow his own rules for finding love and it had nothing to do with her. But Gabi shared how it was really hard to feel like the reason why Zach was disappointed in himself.
"I feel very guilty, like I was an accessory in a crime... I feel like I was f-ckng in The Scarlet Letter, if I'm being honest. Do you regret the decision to make with me?" Gabi asked.
"No, not at all! That was huge for us," Zach insisted. "I wouldn't take anything back... You opened my eyes and you're someone who, in my heart, it's love. I want you to know that."
Zach's response made Gabi feel a lot better and allowed her to feel excited to meet Zach's family.
Gabi shared how her parents were still married after 32 years and she's a very family-oriented person.
Zach's father explained to Gabi how Zach was born a very sick child on the verge of death and that terrible time made his marriage stronger because they got through it together. Gabi said she was willing to get through tough times with Zach and put her best effort into the relationship.
Meanwhile, Zach told his mother Megan that he could see himself getting down on one knee.
Gabi then told Zach's sisters that she felt very strongly for Zach and was "in love" with him -- to her core. Gabi said she felt an overwhelming sense of love from Zach's family and cared about him even more after this visit.
At the end of the visit, Gabi told Zach, "I am in love with you, and it's so scary to admit that... It's different from what I've ever felt."
"You don't know how good that is to hear," Zach replied, before kissing the bachelorette.
Gabi thought her dreams were going to come true with Zach, and she left the date on a high.
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It then became time for Kaity's date, and she acknowledged it was scary that Zach was also falling in love with Gabi. She said it was hard to think about another man possibly leaving her life. Kaity intended to be herself, and she told the cameras, "I hope that that's enough."
Zach thought Kaity was going to do well with his family because she's lovable, fun and sweet. He couldn't wait for his family to see how he was with her, and it didn't take long for Zach's loved ones to see the connection.
During Kaity and Megan's conversation, Kaity said they didn't have the smoothest ride, and she got a little emotional.
Kaity called Gabi "incredible" and acknowledged it probably wasn't smart of her to do that. She told Zach's sisters it would be heartbreaking if Zach chose Gabi but she wanted him to follow his heart and be happy. Kaity could see herself being a part of Zach's family.
Kaity proceeded to tell Zach's father, "If I'm going to experience any hardship, I want it to be with him."
Kaity said having two father figures walk out of her life and then being in a toxic relationship left her with a lot of trust issues.
However, she felt certain Zach wouldn't run away during difficult times, and she confirmed that she was "absolutely" in love with Zach. Kaity thought she fit in with Zach's family, and she said she wasn't going to let anything cloud her thoughts of ending up with Zach.
At the end of Kaity's visit with Zach's family, Kaity told the Bachelor, "I told you that I am falling in love with you, but after today, it's not even a question. I am so in love with you, Zach. And hearing your family talk about you made me even more in love with you. I am just very, very happy with you."
Kaity felt a weight lifted off her shoulders, and she just hoped Zach wanted the same thing and felt the same way.
After involving his family, Zach looked forward to being engaged in just a few days -- but he felt "so torn" between his Final 2 women and said it was going to be the hardest decision to make.
Zach then enjoyed his final one-on-one date with Kaity. They went on a hike and Kaity opened up about how Gabi was an "unreal girl" and she understood why Zach liked her so much.
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Zach explained how he didn't want to second guess his final decision and so making one was a lot to take in, with a lot at stake. Kaity left the date more scared than excited, and she wondered in the back of her mind what Zach was saying to Gabi and if he was telling her the same things.
For Zach and Gabi's last one-on-one date, the pair went horseback riding and Gabi showed off her skills. While sitting on a private beach afterward, Gabi felt like they just "got each other" and were in a really good spot. Gabi told Zach that she was scared to lose him.
Zach shared with Gabi that he felt calm but also "so torn" about where he was going to be at in two days. He acknowledged he had a very tough decision to make but truly felt like the right thing was going to happen in the end no matter what.
Gabi was feeling great until that moment, and she apparently had a gut feeling that he wasn't going to pick her.
"I can see what's coming. I'm sick of self doubt and feeling like I'm not enough. When will I ever be enough?" Gabi cried in a confessional.
That night, Gabi was hoping for some clarity. She was convinced that she and Zach were perfect for each other. Gabi told Zach that she wished his heart was leaning toward her because she had never doubted him or what they had together. Zach reminded Gabi that he saw a future with her and he never would've taken things so far if he didn't.
Zach said he knew his lack of reassurance and validation was unfair but he was giving the process everything he had and was doing his best to figure things out.
Zach admitted his heart was being tugged in two different places. Zach reiterated how he was falling in love with her, but that also meant he was falling in love with Kaity. Zach was holding back and stopping himself from saying, "I love you," so that he could save it for just one person.
Once Zach left Gabi, he cried about how he couldn't decide between the two remaining women. Zach was clearly crazy about both bachelorettes.
Following a brief segment in which Jesse spoke to The Bachelor alum Sean Lowe and his wife Catherine Giudici about Zach's journey live in studio, Jesse teased it was going to be "very, very sad" and "a rough one" for his runner-up.
Pre-taped footage then picked back up with Gabi and Kaity dressing for the Final Rose Ceremony.
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Zach then picked out a Neil Lane engagement ring with Jesse's help. Zach planned to propose marriage to his best friend and start the rest of their lives together. He said he had love for both women but he was about to crush one woman's heart.
"I've caused pain, I've made mistakes. But standing here with the ring, I just hope that it's all worth it," Zach told the cameras.
Gabi walked up to Zach first at the Final Rose Ceremony wearing a yellow dress, and she yelled at her driver for dropping her off in a mud pit. She said Zach better not do that to Kaity, suggesting that she knew Kaity was coming after her and was going to be the winner.
"I think I know what's about to happen," Gabi told Jesse while walking toward Zach.
Gabi told the cameras that if she was The One for Zach, she's probably know it and feel it already.
Once the pair reunited and held hands by the ocean, Zach recalled how they had life-changing moments together and he adored her humor, smile, intelligence and unwavering confidence in their relationship.
"Falling in love with you has made me a better man, but..." Zach began.
"I know. You don't have to say it," Gabi interjected. "You don't have to say it."
"As much as I've been falling in love with you," Zach continued.
"I don't want to hear it," Gabi repeated.
Zach apologized and said Gabi deserved a man who would pick her every single day. Gabi said she knew this was coming but wished Zach had told her sooner, in a less embarrassing manner. Zach claimed he hadn't "fully" made the decision until he was in bed the previous night, but Gabi argued, "You've known. You've known."
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"I'm sorry," Zach told the bachelorette.
"I don't need an apology. I don't want it and I don't need it. I really do wish nothing but the best for you," Gabi said in tears.
"I don't want to forget those times," Zach said.
But Gabi didn't want to hear it. She said the breakup was "heartbreaking" but she didn't want him to feel guilty. She thanked him for everything he had shown her from the bottom of her heart.
Zach in turn told Gabi that she had a part of his heart and he'd never forget her.
"I'll find love somewhere, somehow. It's okay," Gabi cried.
Gabi then expressed in her final words how she didn't want to talk about Zach dumping her. She had tears streaming down her face and struggled to compose herself.
"I just want to go f-cking home. That was f-cking humiliating. I've been strung along this entire f-cking time and for what?" Gabi lamented.
"What really pisses me off is that I f-cking knew!... When your gut speaks, you should listen to it. I stuck around thinking, 'Maybe it's just all the things you fear and all the things you hate about yourself. Maybe it's not your gut.' No, your gut is always right. I put myself out there again and I'm not good enough. If I were, I wouldn't be here."
Gabi vented about how she's "unlovable for whatever f-cking reason," and continued, "There's something wrong with me. Why am I so hard to love? Why am I always so misunderstood? I don't know when someone is going to choose me. I just want to go home."
It then became time for Kaity's entrance into the Final Rose Ceremony. Zach explained how he didn't take saying, "I love you," lightly and so he thought about which woman he couldn't live without and whom he wanted to wake up next to in bed every morning.
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"I'm so in love with you. I'm so crazy about you," Kaity said. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and honestly if it's not you, it's not anyone."
Zach, in turn, told Kaity that his heart had to make an "impossible decision" but he couldn't imagine anything feeling better than when Kaity had expressed her love to him.
"I can no longer say that I'm falling in love with you. Because Kaity Lane, I am so in love with you," Zach gushed.
"You are my world. The love I feel for you is something I never could've imagined and something I never thought for a lot of my life I'd ever be able to deserve. I love you so much. I love you with all my heart, and your the face I want to wake up next to every morning. I want to go through life with you, and only you."
Zach told Kaity that he wanted to be with her forever and she's the only person whom he wants to spend his life with. As Zach got choked up, Kaity kissed him for comfort.
Zach continued by saying Kaity was his new best friend, and then he got down on one knee and asked, "Kaity, will you marry me?"
"Absolutely," Kaity replied.
Zach put a big rock on Kaity's finger, and the pair hugged, kissed and shouted, "We're engaged."
Zach also offered Kaity his final rose, and the couple said they couldn't wait to begin their new life together in the real world.
On After the Final Rose, Gabi was still devastated about her elimination and how Zach had conducted himself in the Fantasy Suites. Gabi cried about how she felt "violated" by Zach spilling their sex secret, claiming the Bachelor had initially agreed to keep their sexual encounter just between the two of them.
And Kaity and Zach confirmed that they're still together, happy and thinking about a wedding already.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
