The Bachelorette featured Clare Crawley dumping all of her bachelors for Dale Moss and getting engaged before Tayshia Adams stepped in to replace Clare as the Bachelorette for the rest of the 2020 season.
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The 16 other men included Bennett Jordan, a 36-year-old wealth management consultant from New York City, NY; Ben Smith, a 29-year-old Army Ranger veteran from Venice, CA; Blake Moynes, a 29-year-old wildlife manager from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; Brendan Morais, a 30-year-old commercial roofer from Milford, MA; Chasen Nick, a 31-year-old IT account executive from San Diego, CA; and Demar Jackson, a 26-year-old spin cycling instructor from Scottsdale, AZ.
The list also included Ed Waisbrot, a 36-year-old health care salesman from Miami, FL; Ivan Hall, a 28-year-old aeronautical engineer from Dallas, TX; Jason Foster, a 31-year-old former pro football lineman from Arlington, VA; Jay Smith, a 30-year-old fitness director from Fort Lauderdale, FL; and Joe Park, a 36-year-old anesthesiologist from New York City, NY.
The rest of the bachelors were Jordan Chapman, a 26-year-old software account executive from New York, NY; Kenny Braasch, a 39-year-old boyband manager from Chicago, IL; Riley Christian, a 30-year-old attorney from Long Island City, NY; Uzoma "Eazy" Nwachukwu, a 29-year-old sports marketing agent from Newport Beach, CA; and Zac Clark, a 36-year-old addiction specialist from Haddonfield, NJ.
However, despite their "Final 17" status, the 16 men were feeling defeated.
Kenny said Clare was "wrapped up" in Dale and it wasn't Dale's fault. He didn't think Clare cared to learn about or get to know anyone else, so he wondered what he was still doing on the show.
Meanwhile, Clare admitted she was "so falling in love with Dale" because they had "intangible chemistry." Clare felt it was so rare she felt so connected with Dale when they had only known each other for a short period of time.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
"Dale is what I want," Clare noted. "What do we do from here? What do we do?"
The Bachelorette host Chris Harrison then met with Clare to have "a serious talk."
"Right now the guys in the house are unhappy. They're confused. These are good guys and they're not dumb," Harrison said.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW"No," Clare replied.
"These are smart men. They know what's going on. The path we are on right now, we can't continue," Harrison continued.
Clare said she respected The Bachelorette process and wanted to get to know her "really amazing guys," however, she said, "I am totally head over heels for Dale. He is amazing."
Clare recalled looking at Dale's Instagram on Mother's Day and seeing a posting about his late mother said she related to him in that instant. She called their lives "parallel" given her own mother is in a nursing home.
"Can I ask you a very honest question? Don't f-ck with me," Harrison said. "Did you guys talk at all before the show?"
"Not one bit, not one word -- I swear on my Dad's grave, not one single word, not one single contact," Clare insisted. "One hundred percent. And that's why I'm so into this."
"I feel Dale is my match."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
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"You said you spent your entire life looking for a man who is like your dad. Is Dale that man?" Chris asked.
"I think he is," Clare replied in tears. "He just continually shows up for me. Yeah. I've just waited so long for this."
Clare had tears streaming down her face, and Chris just sat there stunned. He even wiped a tear from his eye because it was an emotional conversation.
Clare said she didn't want to disrespect her group of guys and waste their time, so she asked Chris what to do and how to proceed. Chris said he wasn't sure how to move forward.
Clare told Chris that she wanted to spend more time with Dale to make sure he was feeling the same way about her.
"So in your mind right now, is this over?" Chris asked.
"Yeah," Clare confessed.
"Okay. Okay. Congratulations, you've just blown up The Bachelorette," Chris said.
Just as some of the guys were finding themselves drained and almost giving up on their journey to find love, Chris entered the room to share some news. Chris revealed Clare had decided to cancel the cocktail party and the subsequent Rose Ceremony.
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Chris told the men that he would see them the following day, and then the host asked to speak with Dale in private outside.
Chris explained to Dale that Clare only wanted to spend time with him that night.
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That night, Clare got all dolled up in a red sparkly dress for a dinner date with Dale. Clare planned to express how she felt.
"Dale is the man of my dreams, and I am so in love with him. I know it sounds so crazy saying that, but I just feel it. But I'm scared because what if he doesn't feel the same thing?" Clare explained.
"This is such a big risk... I don't know if it's mutual, and that's terrifying."
Clare told Dale that she was doing The Bachelorette her way, even if it wasn't the traditional way, because she knew what she wanted and believed in her convictions.
Clare admitted she had denied men a rose on the prior group date because she couldn't stop thinking about Dale, even though they hadn't enjoyed a one-on-one date up to that point.
Clare said she had been praying for a strong and compassionate man like her father and Dale showed those qualities from the second he had walked into her life.
Clare shared the story of how her father James had proposed marriage to her mother Lilly after meeting just one time and then they married three months later and remained married for over 40 years.
Dale said his father had to hitchhike to see his mother because he didn't have much money, and Clare couldn't believe it because her father had gone to similar lengths to spend time with her mother.
Dale's mother passed away, which apparently left Dale's family broken, devastated and falling apart.
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Dale said he "was in" ever since he saw Clare's The Bachelorette announcement on Good Morning America. Dale said he hadn't felt those emotions "in years," and with that being said, Clare was almost ready to profess her love and be completely vulnerable.
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Clare expressed to Dale how much she already felt for him even though the process had basically just begun. Clare admitted she was trying to convince herself to stay open-minded and get to know her other bachelors but she couldn't stop thinking about him.
"I'm literally trying to convince myself to be open-minded and try my best to be present in every conversation with everybody but every time I wake up, I think about you," Clare said.
"And when I go to bed at night, I think about you. I can't even put into words, like, how you make me feel. It's insane to me. It's insane to me."
"All I know is that, like I'm so falling in love with you," Clare confessed to Dale.
Dale then shared his own feelings with Clare.
"When we met, I felt love, and that's what I came here for, and I'm falling in love with you through this process. I'm not afraid to say that at all... My heart is open and I'm not going to fight that," Dale said.
"And I've been dying to share this with you," he added.
"So have I! So have I! And I couldn't sit through another Rose Ceremony without talking to you," Clare said.
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Clare was thrilled and asked, "What is happening?!"
"Love," Dale replied, before the couple kissed.
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Dale and Clare then kissed and danced the night away as they listened to music by The Bachelor Presents: Listen To Your Heart winners Chris Watson and Bri Stauss.
"There is no doubt in my mind this is my person. This is exactly what I want," Clare said.
Clare and Dale then returned to her room and made out on her bed, and the pair apparently spent the night together.
In the morning, Clare and Dale snuggled in bed after waking up next to each other, and Clare noted she just wanted to be with him and spend time with him instead of continuing to date other men.
Clare gushed to cameras Dale is the type of man a woman finds when she refuses to settle.
"Dale is the type of man you get when you refuse to settle," she bragged. "He is strong, and sensitive, kind and compassionate. Makes me feel protected."
"Dale is just everything!"
The pair agreed they had an amazing date while the guys discussed how Clare didn't seem like the woman who would have an overnight date with a man so quickly. Chasen, in particular, didn't think Clare would have slept with Dale.
Clare then sat down with Chris again and called her time with Dale "priceless." She had the clarity and reassurance she needed and was smiling ear to ear when recalling how Dale said he was in love with her.
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"I would be so honored to be with this guy for the rest of my life. He's my person," Clare said.
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Chris revealed the proposal was going to happen that very night, and Clare's jaw dropped to the floor with joy and excitement. Chris gave Clare a hug and seemed to support her decision.
"It seriously is true -- you know when you know, and I know! But does Dale want to get engaged to me? I just hope that he's ready for this. This is crazy!" Clare exclaimed, later adding that Dale meant everything to her.
Meanwhile, Kenny expected an explanation from Clare and said Clare had screwed up and lost the guys in the house.
When Clare confronted the group about the situation, she said she came onto The Bachelorette to find the love of her life.
"What I came here for, I think I found -- and it's with Dale," Clare announced. "I know each and every one of you have so much to offer, but I'm always been a woman who says I know what I want, and I'm going for it."
Clare said she didn't want to lead anyone on, nor did her decision devalue any of the conversations she had with any of the men.
The guys appeared bummed, displeased and a little frustrated. Blake expressed fear that Clare was going to get hurt and said he didn't understand how Clare could know her future husband so soon.
Clare promised the guys she had never spoken to Dale before the show, and then Kenny asked Clare for an apology. Clare said she didn't know what she needed to apologize for, and Kenny said she had conversations with him in which she wasn't present and didn't seem to care.
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"You should apologize to the group," Kenny said. "You don't have to apologize for falling in love with Dale, that's not what we're asking. I just feel I just feel a lot of time's been wasted."
"Because the conversation we had, I could tell your head wasn't there. Like I'm talking to you, but like I don't think you really cared. Like I can tell when someone is not into it, and I said that to the group. So you should apologize for faking it," he continued.
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Clare said she didn't want to waste their time and dating them had meant everything to do. Clare apologized for wasting their time and hurting them, but she added, "I'm not going to apologize for love," and Jason said she shouldn't have to.
Ivan complimented Clare on having guts to make this decision, and Ben also said he appreciated Clare's courage, boldness and ability to stay true to herself.
Jason confessed he was in disbelief and totally "crushed" and hated the idea of having to let go of something he thought was real.
Blake complained to the guys once Clare left the room that he had invested so much in Clare without getting anything in return. Blake even said he had bought a book on dementia and Alzheimers to understand her mother's battle better.
Chris then FaceTimed with jeweler Neil Lane and said he needed to get an engagement ring that very day because there was hopefully going to be a proposal.
Dale, feeling relaxed and stress-free, said he was looking forward to exploring his connection with Clare with no pressure, and then he told Chris during a sit-down chat that he wanted to nurture his relationship with Clare because he was "in love" with her.
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Chris revealed Clare had dumped her other bachelors and so they had reached the final step of The Bachelorette process. With that being said, Chris told Dale that Clare was going to be waiting for a marriage proposal from him within a matter of hours.
Clare vented to producers she didn't want to ruin a good thing by putting too much pressure on Dale because she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
Clare feared she and Dale weren't on the same page, and she didn't want to beg a man to love her like she had apparently done in the past.
Clare was experiencing a lot of fear because love used to equal pain for her, but Chris advised Clare to trust herself and all the work she had done on herself.
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Chris approached Clare first when she looked stunning in a white dress, and he said that everyone was so proud of her. Clare gushed she was "so ready," and then Dale walked up to her.
"There's a lot I'm scared of, but it will all be worth it if Dale gets down on one knee," Clare said.
Clare told Dale that she felt electricity upon first meeting him because she felt that he was going to be her husband. Clare said she was "so in love with the man" Dale is and everything she had been through in the past was finally worth it.
Clare promised to show up for Dale each and every day, and then he thanked Clare for believing in them as a couple.
"I want nothing more than to keep moving forward and be there for you each and every day," Dale said.
Dale pointed out his mother would have loved Clare and that he loved her and was appreciative to have her in his life.
"I'm not going anywhere and I want to make you happy each and every day. So with that being said, I'm done it," Dale said, as he got down on one knee.
"Clare, will you marry me?"
"Yes!" Clare shouted with glee. "Oh my God! Oh my gosh. Oh my God! Thank you so much for showing up."
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The couple hugged, kissed and then yelled about being engaged, and then Clare gave Dale her final rose. Dale then carried Clare off and noted they were going to "do the damn thing."
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Chris then met with the guys and apologized for them having put their hearts on the line.
Chris said it was unprecedented for Clare to research Dale before the show but Clare had "sworn up and down" she and Dale did not engage in any type of relationship pre-filming. Chris then revealed that Dale proposed marriage to Clare and she said "yes."
Chris revealed Dale and Clare had left the resort together, and Blake was astounded.
Chris admitted the guys had been "cheated a little bit" in terms of finding love, and so a historic move was about to be taken. Chris explained the guys' journey was "not over" as long as they could look past their relationships with Clare and move on.
Chris gave the guys a chance to quit and leave, saying there would be no shame in that. The guys had a full day to think about things, but they didn't know what was about to happen.
Blake wanted to try to convince himself that Clare was "never a thing," and Jordan wondered if one woman was going to be brought in or multiple women Bachelor in Paradise-style.
Riley wasn't sure whether he'd want to start The Bachelorette process again with a new woman.
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Jason seemed to regret opening up to Clare so much on their one-on-one date because he still cared about her. Jason contemplated just walking away as a result, and the men weren't sure Jason could pick up the pieces so quickly.
That night, the 16 "leftovers" on Clare's season got dressed up in their suits, ready for what was about to happen next, including Jason.
The focus was back on love, and Riley noted, "Here we go again!"
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"Gentleman, your new Bachelorette is on her way here right now. That's right. You guys have a brand new Bachelorette. This woman is incredible. She is smart, independent, stunningly beautiful and really kind and charismatic," Chris explained.
Chris added that this woman couldn't wait to get to know all the guys and was truly at a place in her life where she's ready to find true love. Jay therefore felt re-energized, and the men were all smiles.
"The next person to walk through these doors will be your new Bachelorette and possibly your wife," Chris announced. "So good luck and have fun tonight."
Tayshia then pulled up in a limo and all the guys were happy to be on an equal playing field with a clean slate.
Tayshia walked up to Chris and said reality hadn't set in yet. Chris assured Tayshia that she had a great group of guys left, "a solid group."
Tayshia said she was prepared to have difficult and honest conversations with the men, and she said this moment felt "meant to be."
Tayshia then walked in to meet her bachelors, and Jordan said he might be willing to break down his walls again for someone special.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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About The Author: Steven Rogers
