‘The Bachelor’ finale: Matt and Rachael face racism controversy

The following contains spoilers for the season finale of “The Bachelor” and the “After the Final Rose” special.

The curtain has finally fallen on the “historic” 25th season of “The Bachelor” – the first to feature a prominent black man. The ending was messier than rosy.

As many fans had predicted, Matt James gifted graphic designer Rachael Kirkconnell his “final rose”, sending the other finalist, elementary school teacher Michelle Young, home in tears. Unlike many previous seasons, which ended in a proposal or engagement, James did not gift the dazzling ring from jeweler Neil Lane. But James told a delighted Kirkconnell that he could easily see her as his wife and the mother of his children. The couple agreed to move forward with their relationship.

But the ‘After The Final Rose’ special, which typically keeps viewers up to date on events since the season ended filming, took an awkward turn when James and Kirkconnell were forced to face the firestorm on the run. which has cast a shadow over the entire season.

The special was hosted by author and former NFL player Emmanuel Acho, who replaced host Chris Harrison after he was embroiled in a fury over the offensive behavior of Kirkconnell’s past.

The season showed James falling in love with Kirkconnell, unaware that she was pictured at a pre-war southern themed party in 2018 and that she ‘liked’ racism-insensitive social media posts. .

An uproar erupted in the middle of the season when former “Bachelorette” Rachel Lindsay asked Harrison during an interview on “Extra” about Kirkconnell’s delay in resolving the incidents. Harrison defended Kirkconnell, making what he later admitted as “racist” comments. He apologized three times for his statement while renouncing his passage “After the Final Rose”. ABC and Warner Horizon, which produces the franchise, announced Friday that Harrison will not be hosting the next season of “The Bachelorette,” which is scheduled to begin filming later this month. Former Bachelorettes Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe will host the season.

Since filming the finale, James and Kirkconnell have gone their separate ways. “After The Final Rose” marked the first time they had seen each other since the split.

Here are five takeaways from tonight’s final and Bachelor special:

Harrison’s absence from the stage was glossed over

Although Aco opened the special with a reference to Harrison’s absence, he never detailed why the longtime host was not on set this time around. This was an omission made more glaring by the fact that Harrison was a constant presence during the season finale, demonstrating his worth not only as the host and face of the franchise, but as a character who serves as an advisor. and a therapist on the slopes. Rather than relying on friends and family, James turned to Harrison for support and advice when doubts about his way forward arose. Harrison’s sympathetic demeanor and calm presence are likely to fuel the debate over whether he should leave the show for good due to his controversial comments on Kirkconnell and concerns about past episodes of alleged racial insensitivity. .

Acho walked a tightrope – unstable

The producers of the series have never publicly explained Aco’s selection as the host of “After The Final Rose.” And while he was pleasant enough, Acho behaved more like he was auditioning for a more traditional emcee role than a character who could bring the seriousness and perspective that discussing this season’s hot issues demanded. . Although he kept the hype – “This is the most shocking ‘After the Final Rose’ ever!” – he also countered his allusions to the racism controversy with lines like, “But first, let’s not forget what this show is about, which is love and romance.”

Most of the time, Acho seemed to be walking a tightrope, mostly asking surface questions about the controversy while appeasing fans more interested in the show’s fairytale formula. Namely, he repeatedly pushed James to be more communicative with Kirkconnell when they met on the stage, despite James’ apparent angst.

James’ uncomfortable silences during reunion with Kirkconnell speaks volumes

When asked for his response to Kirkconnell’s apology for the offensive imagery, a combination of grief and anger imprinted on James’ face, and for several moments he seemed unable to speak, even after being urged by Acho to express his feelings. He told Kirkconnell he was heartbroken when she initially failed to understand why the images from her past hurt him so deeply. The most striking moment came when he refused to play with Aco’s request for the couple to kiss one last time, denying Acho and viewers the image of a possible reconciliation.

Kirkconnell “ lived in ignorance, ” she says

In his one-on-one conversation with Kirkconnell, Acho showed an image of Kirkconnell in a pink suit from Antebellum South and asked him what she saw there. “I see someone who was living in ignorance without even thinking about who it would hurt,” she said. “I never asked myself at any time, what is the tradition behind this?” Kirkconnell, who first apologized on social media following Harrison’s controversial ‘Extra’ interview, later became emotional as she apologized to James for the ignorance. loved it so much that she couldn’t imagine loving someone again. James mostly considered her emotions in silence, but insisted that she had to walk her path to greater racial sensitivity and awareness without him .

There is of them new Bachelorettes

The special ended on a more upbeat note with the announcement that Young, who is black, will be a future Bachelorette. She will be featured in the next season next, which will star Katie Thurston, who also competed in James’ season.