‘Bachelorette’ Finale: JoJo’s Final Decision Surprises A Nation

The Bachelorette’s Joelle Fletcher faced many challenging situations in the weeks leading to yesterday’s finale. Robby Hayes and Jordan Rodgers are two men that would seemingly make any partner an excellent husband. They are both stunningly handsome. They have both had enough professional success to offer a stable financial future. To top it all off, both men carry themselves with mounds of class and composure.

Comforting ur boy after a lackluster Bachelorette finale like pic.twitter.com/UhiX0JvL6z

— GABY DUNN (@gabydunn) August 2, 2016

Last week’s installment of The Bachelorette Season 12 led viewers to believe the show’s finale might swing in favor of Robby. Even the first half of the finale show seemed to seal the deal for Mr. Hayes. Jordan’s failure to clearly express his desire to marry JoJo while meeting her parents caused a ground-shaking sense of insecurity for the couple.

Jordan Rodger’s hesitation to seek the approval of Joelle’s father really seemed to hurt his chances with the coveted bachelorette. After spending a whole evening discussing the importance of this action with his partner in an earlier episode of Season 12 of The Bachelorette, Jordan pressed the brakes when the moment finally presented itself.

The first half of Monday’s finale featured the final one-on-one dates for each of the remaining bachelors. Robby’s date was first. The couple shared a day of fun in the sunshine of Phuket, Thailand. To end the evening, they shared photos of their journey and a Shakespearean exchange of words. Robby also did not fail to woo the audience with his beautiful appeal to the approval of JoJo’s parents. Millions of viewers were riddled with goosebumps and a few sneaky tears while basking in the romance shared by the pair.

Once Jordan’s date arrived, the Bachelorette had already had a whole evening to stew on his failed proposal request. Joelle’s mother had also expressed some deep concerns for Jordan’s ultimate intentions with her daughter. JoJo’s family was clearly leaning in Robby’s favor.

Nevertheless, Jordan and Joelle began their final date on a positive note. Canoeing into a hidden cove, paradise oozed beauty all around. The Bachelorette has never been accused of skimping on the romance, and this pair basked in this once in a lifetime opportunity to grow their relationship. Surprisingly, Jordan was the first to address the proverbial elephant in the room, explaining that the moment just wasn’t right. As the evening ended, Joelle seemed very unsettled and unsure of Jordan’s true intentions. It was almost certain that Jordan had ruined his chance to be the last man standing.

Of course, the Network would never allow the viewers to feel as though the finale was too predictable. We have to realize that the editors can shape the ebb and flow of our emotions by choosing just the right snippets from several different interviews… and they do.

Exhibit A: Chad the meat-eating meathead. It is quite obvious that he was placed by the powers that be in the running for Joelle’s love. He was never there to experience romance. He was there to boost ratings. Every show needs a controversial villain, and the road is paved for Chad’s appearance in the spinoff show, Bachelor in Paradise.

Naturally, the finale show featured an array of upsets for the viewers. An overwhelming percentage of the audience was absolutely certain that JoJo would extend the final rose to Robby, but they were wrong. In the end, Jordan Rodgers got the girl.

What an amazing night! Never letting this one go @joelle_fletcher #jimmykimmel pic.twitter.com/A33Gp18AMx

— Jordan Rodgers (@JRodgers11) August 2, 2016

Only time will tell whether JoJo made the best choice. Only three of ABC’s Bachelorettes are currently happily married to their picks. The statistics are not very favorable, but love knows nothing of statistics. One thing does remain constant. The tabloids will have plenty of material in the next few weeks.

[Photo by Carl Costas/Getty Images]