What did Peter do?: Season 24 recap
March 19, 2020
Season 24 of “The Bachelor” was definitely a bumpy and turbulent ride Bachelor Nation will never forget.
The two-night season finale, the highly anticipated season finale took an unexpected turn when fans learned that Peter ultimately did not get the happy ending he wanted. Host Chris Harrison throughout the night that warned us during Part 1 of the live finale Monday that the season’s ending was “one of the most controversial and shocking endings to a season that we have ever had on this show. And he wasn’t kidding.
Meet the Parents
Hannah Ann Sluss, 23, was the first to meet the Weber’s and it went perfectly planned. Barbara Weber, Peter’s mother was thrilled to meet Hannah and said that she was “charming and very welcoming”. Barb felt like she knew Hannah forever and had an overall great first impression to the Weber’s. However, things took a turn when finalist Madison Prewitt, 23, was about to meet the Weber’s.
Madison Prewett and Peter had pre-existing issues in their relationship, starting with the fantasy suites week. Madison expressed concerned about her standards with Peter as she expressed her religious values and expectations for Peter being intimate with other women. This problem created tension for the couple and made Peter’s mother Barb upset when she met Madi for the first time. This awkward encounter with the family made the Weber’s question Madi’s intentions for chaning Peter and made the couple leave with uncertainty. Talk about an awkward first impression! As I was watching this, I was definitely cringing hearing how Barb felt about this whole situation and her parenting. Although Madison has her religious values, if they both truly loved each other it should not have stopped them. Unfortunately, the rest of the episode did not go as planned for Peter.
Don’t let her go!
The most highly anticipated trailer tease of the season was Barb’s “don’t let her go” and fans finally found out who Barb didn’t want Peter to let go. Personally, I had many predictions about who Barb was talking about. In the beginning of the season, I thought she was talking about Hannah Brown, after she made an appearance in the first 2 episodes. I later thought it was about Madison because of the episode timing and fantasy suites. Ultimately, Barb was talking about Hannah Ann and personally, I think that Barb was right to tell Peter that. To Barb, Hannah Ann was the woman who cared most for Peter so this was the best choice for him in Barb’s opinion. At least fans will always remember Barb as a dramatic meme now!
Madison Leaves… But Comes Back?
On night 1 of the season finale, we see Madison and Peter go on a one-on-one date before a possible engagement and lets just say, it didn’t go as planned..again. After meeting the Weber’s, there was obvious tension between Madison and Barb. From the start the couple’s chemistry was off and it was clear that they were both trying to save something that was just not meant to be. Madison made the decision to break up with Peter and fans agreed with the decision.
Chirs Harrison returned to Madison’s hometown in Auburn, Alabama to see if she regreted her decision. Although Madison admitted that she did regret her decision, she was not able to make it back in time before he proposed to Hannah Ann. There was a lot of build up before the proposal which made many viewers including myself question every next step that was going to happen. At this point in the show, I was guessing every possibility hat could happen but ultimately Peter made his choice.
The Proposal
Here comes the bride! Wait, no more turbulence actually. After Madison left, Peter decided to pursue Hannah Ann and propose to her in Australia with a 3.27 carat Neil Lane princess cut ring! Both Hannah Ann and Peter looked sharp in their suit and dress and Peter ultimealtey professed his eager love to Hannah Ann.
However, after 3 months of their engagement, Peter was still uncertain about his feelings. This became a road blcok for the couple and led Hannah Ann to become blindsided by Peter, realizing that Peter truly wasn’t committed to her. Hannah Ann returned the ring to Peter after confronting him in a confident yet realistic way. At first, it wasn’t clear why she wanted to end the engagement but viewers quickly inferred that he still had feelings for a former contestant.
Reunion turns into family feud
In the midst of this crazy rollercoaster of emotions, the highlight of the finale was the controversial reaction from Barb. Throughout the night, Barb held nothing back when talking about her concerns for Madison and Peter. While she praised Hannah Ann for loving and caring for her son, she still supported Hannah Ann through the breakup. Barb’s main concern with Madison and Peter were their “lifestyles choices”. Barb didn’t want Madison to change Peter into someone he’s not, which is a genuine concern any parent would have for their child.
Many fans were shocked how blunt Barb was about her feeling and it was clearly shown on Madison, Peter, and Chris Harrison’s faces that Barb felt strongly about Madison. I commend Madison for keeping a strong face through her tough criticism, but this moment was real and a topic that some people can relate to. Pleasing parents ina relationship is important, but having Barb say things to Madison that can be upsetting, especially on live television, is a lot to handle.
The ultimate ending
After an intense season finale, Madison and Peter announced via Instagram 48 hours after the finale that they are not continuing with their relationship. They have both mutually agreed that this would be best for them, and Peter thanked both Hannah Ann and Madison for an incredible journey.
Weber wrote, “Madi and I have mutually decided to not pursue our relationship any further.. Believe me this was not easy for either of us to be ok with, but after a lot of honest conversations, we have agreed that this is what makes most sense for the two of us.”
View this post on Instagram
I want to start by acknowledging the incredible group of women that I had the privilege of getting to know this season. Thank you for coming on this journey with me. I learned so many lessons from all of you that I will carry with me. Madi, thank you for your patience and unconditional love. You’re the epitome of a woman who carries herself with grace, stands by what she believes in, and loves whole heartedly. That love is something I feel so grateful to have felt and will take a piece of that with me always going forward. Madi and I have mutually decided to not pursue our relationship any further. Believe me this was not easy for either of us to be ok with, but after a lot of honest conversations, we have agreed that this is what makes most sense for the two of us. The love and respect I have for Madi will continue to endure. Hannah Ann, you set an example for women everywhere a couple nights ago. You are such a strong, confident woman and you deserve all the love in the world. I accept full responsibility for my mistakes in our relationship and wish you only the best. This has been an emotional experience and I am so grateful for the outreach of support that I have received from friends, family, and Bachelor Nation in the last few days. Thank you to all of you! This is just a another chapter in my story. One I will never forget and one I will always cherish ❤️
While Madison posted she was, “So incredibly thankful for this amazing journey I’ve had the honor of being a part of” and adding “I have grown so much and am stronger than I was going in.
Unfortunately in this situation, mother does know best.
Upcoming shows for Bachelor Nation
“The Bachelor” franchise is growing in 2020 as a new show “The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart” premieres on Monday April 13, 2020. ABC stated that this new reality show, “unites two of the most emotionally powerful forces in human life: music and love, as 20 single men and women embark on an incredible journey to find love through music. Singing well-known songs, both individually and as couples, they will look to form attractions through the melodies, find and reveal their feelings and ultimately, fall in love.” Although this new twist of including songwriters and artists sounds unique, I’m wondering if it will be just as dramatic as “The Bachelor”. After watching the first preview of the show, I’m not sure how Bachelor Nation will react to the new show, but it may be everyone’s new favorite show.
Clare Crawley, 38, will return to the Bachelor mansion as she embarks on a new journey to find love as the new season 16 Bachelorette. Crawley was first seen on season 18 of “The Bachelor” when she famously stood up to Juan Pablo after expressing to him the unconditional love and respect she deserves. She then went on to give love another chance on season one and two of “Bachelor in Paradise” and “Bachelor Winter Games”. Clare thought she had her happy ending when she met Benoit on “Bachelor Winter Games” but sadly, the two ended their engagement after one year together and are still friends today.
As of March 13, Warner Bros. Television announced on Friday that “with the rapidly changing events related to COVID-19, and out of an abundance of caution,” the studio was halting production on more than 70 shows and pilots, including season 16 of The Bachelorette, which was set to begin filming that day. This delay will affect the start of “The Bachelorette” and can impact the entire season, since travel is a significant component of the show.
Many Bachelor fans, including myself were looking forward to this new season of “The Bachelorette” since Clare is an older woman who knows what she wants and is mature enough to know what she deserves. This new season could change “The Bachelor” franchise if it is successful, we may see more older bachelors and bachelorettes, which is a direction I would support.
Final Thoughts
This season of “The Bachelor” was all over the place. If you look back at my season predictions, I was almost right with the top 3 contestants. Although Kelley did not make it to the top 3, I still enjoyed watching her journey with Peter. I thought overall that Peter’s approach to finding love was unique in that he was trying to give many women chances, but it did show his true colors. As a contestant coming on to this show, you would expect the Bachelor to know exactly what he wants and be mature, not play games and make contestants feel like they are being misled. Of course, with the nature of this show it can be impossible sometimes to learn about every quality of each contestant and bachelor/bachelorette. I also want to praise Hannah Ann for being confident enough and sticking up for herself while confronting breaking up with Peter. Her honesty and truth was real and truly made Peter think about how his actions affected their relationship. I hope that Peter, Hannah Ann, and Madison all find their own happiness.
In the end, “The Bachelor” will always be the perfect night to watch women and men fight for their chance at finding true love… so you think.
Watch “The Bachelor: Listen to Your Heart” premiere on ABC on Monday, April 13 at 8 p.m. EST.
