It’s hard to believe this season is already over. I guess when it’s this good it just feels like it flies by. Just judging by the response of Bachelor Nation, this was easily one of our best seasons ever. I really love how we’ve started doing the finale as a three-hour Bachelor-watching event. I know that’s how many of you watch the show and to me it feels like one big viewing party all across the country.
This final episode took place in and around the town of Chiang Rai, Thailand. It gave us a beautiful backdrop to an incredible ending. Sean’s house, where the ‘meet the parents’ dates took place, was actually in town and that’s the property where the proposal later took place. But the dates actually took place up where the rest of us were staying which was the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort. This resort was about an hour away from Sean’s place and it sits right on the Golden Triangle just above the Mekong River. I felt like both Catherine and Lindsay had very good meetings with Sean’s parents and family. I think after seeing what a loving, caring, sincere man Sean’s dad is it’s easy to see the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. Both women seem to fit nicely with Sean’s family and both equally seemed accepted. I know Sean was looking for some sign to make his final decision a little easier, but it definitely didn’t happen by meeting the family.
I always have a tough time on proposal day because I know the first person to arrive is about to be hurt and is hoping for something that’s just not going to happen. But this season was extra tough. Because Sean is so sincere and has been so open and honest with these women, it has led to the building of two solid relationships. As Sean said, he was in love with both of these women and I truly believe he meant that. In a strange way, I think Sean may have done too good of a job this season. I can’t remember a time where the Bachelor has had such a strong connection with both of the final two women.
When Lindsay arrived and got out of the car on that final day, I knew it was going to be brutal. First of all, you couldn’t tell on the show but we had a pretty lengthy walk to get to Sean. Lindsay was nervous, but excited for what she thought was going to be a magnificent proposal for her. I really have to give it to her — Lindsay handled the situation with class and left with dignity. I wouldn’t expect anything less from her, but in those situations you just never know what’s going to happen and what you’ll get. I’m interested to know your thoughts on how Sean continued to try to explain how much he loved her and how much he cared for her. It was really important for him that she knew how hard that moment was for him.
It kind of reminded me of when AshLee left without saying a word and Sean was upset because that took away his moment to explain. He wanted her to hear his side of the story. What are the rules in a breakup like that? Do you think he went too far in telling Lindsay he loved her and repeatedly telling her how tough this was on him? Lindsay was obviously blindsided by this, and as you saw last night, even though she’s doing great, there are still raw emotions and hurt feelings.
When Catherine arrived, she was beaming. She couldn’t stop smiling. She was very nervous but she too arrived thinking she was about to receive a beautiful proposal. I thought the proposal was fantastic. Sean did a great job of finally telling Catherine all the things he’s wanted to say the last couple weeks. I absolutely love Catherine’s reaction to the proposal. It just felt real and honest. I never get the impression she’s being anything but genuine and I like that in her. As you could clearly see last night, these two are madly in love and doing great.
I’ve talked to Sean several times over the past few months while he and Catherine continued to grow their relationship in private and it has been nothing but fantastic. Every time he talked of her it was with love and adoration and, as you saw last night, that love has only grown. I’m very excited for their future plans together. Sean and Catherine will be gearing up for a huge summer and I can’t wait for that. I’m extremely happy for both of them and wish them nothing but love and success in the future.
Speaking of the future, let’s discuss the choice of Desiree as the new Bachelorette. Much like with Sean’s season, we had an embarrassment of riches. As I’ve said, publicly there were several women from this last season who would have made a fantastic Bachelorette, but in every conversation we had, Des kept rising to the top of that list. She really is what the show was built on, a true Cinderella story. She is that girl next door and that diamond in the rough, and she is ready for her moment. She’s a sweet, sincere woman who has the chops to handle anything that is thrown her way. I look forward to taking this journey with her as I know it will be another incredible, and yes, dramatic season.
I want to end this season with a couple personal notes. Once again I just want to thank you for watching. You showed up this season in record numbers to watch Sean fall in love. This franchise is stronger than it’s ever been only because you make it so. I also want to take a moment to talk about a new personal endeavor that I’m extremely excited about. Yesterday, I launched my new clothing line the Chris Harrison Collection by DaVinci. It’s a men’s clothing line that will of course have suits and ties but also casual wear as well. The outfit I wore last night on the show was actually from my new collection. If you like what you see me wear on the show or just want to check out the collection, go to DaVinciClothing.com. This has been a nerve-wracking but exciting last few months putting all this together but with the help of my good friend and designer Christopher Wicks from DaVinci I really feel proud of what we have produced. For more on the line I hope you’ll start following me @ClothingByChris and you can also follow me and find the latest on the collection and the show @ChrisBHarrison.
Thank you in advance for your support and I look forward to seeing all of the men out there dressed just a little bit better when we premiere The Bachelorette on May 20th.
More Bachelor from EW:
Bachelor season finale recap: Too Close for Comfort
Desiree Hartsock will be the new ‘Bachelorette’
Chris Harrison to launch clothing line
Plus, check out Sean’s blog on people.com
