Mr. & Mrs. Right Now: Season 29, Episode 9

Because those two are absolutely not destined to be together long-term.

Hello! First, let me address the elephant in the room: no recaps in the last two weeks. I underestimated how difficult it would be to watch in Europe, and then I underestimated how the jet lag would hit me upon returning home. I apologize! I did watch the Fantasy Suites episode. I skipped Women Tell All; based on the online chatter, that was a fine decision. My biggest takeaway from overnights is that every single woman hated their day date, and I can’t remember the last time we experienced that on this show.

I went into this finale so sure that Grant should be picking Litia, yet I was not at all confident that he actually would.

I mean, have we ever seen a Bachelor this torn on who to pick? Even Arie and Jason Mesnick, who picked one woman and then decided to spin the block for the other woman, seemed more decisive during their finales than Grant did Monday night. Let’s just get into it.

We open the episode with Jesse Palmer and a live studio audience. Jesse says the night promises to be an emotional and unpredictable ending that has never been seen before. I’m convinced Disney slips a few extra thousand to the hosts when they say the finale promises to be “the most _____” we’ve ever seen, so they oblige. Enough. 🙄

Meeting the Family

Grant’s Family: mom Renee, dad Robert, sister Taylor

Litia

Litia is meeting the family first and they start by sharing their time together throughout the journey.

Renee and Litia get some time to connect first, and Renee asks how Litia knew that she loved Grant. She had a great answer, too. She said watching Grant be so considerate and conscientious with her family made her fall for him. She also shared that she has no expectations for Grant to change his entire life and move to her but that they’d be willing to work together to find a new home that makes sense for both of them. Before they end their time together, Renee asks Litia if she’d say yes to a proposal from Grant, and she doesn’t hesitate to say yes.

Litia’s time with Robert focused on her want for kids and a husband. I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum, but it was a bit sad to hear her admit that she feels the best part of life starts once you have kids. Life is for the living. Even if you want kids, the days still pass by.

Grant’s time with his father focuses on how quickly Litia wants kids and I think he gave him some shitty advice. Grant is concerned about Litia’s timeline for kids because he’s spent all his adult life so far focused on his basketball career. His dad told him not to let a “little thing” like a timeline for kids stop him from picking her, but I’d argue that when (and where, and how) to have and raise kids is a pretty huge thing that you should absolutely consider heavily before proposing to someone.

At the end of the meeting with the family, Grant and Litia debrief, and she shares she’s never said “I love you,” to anyone before. Grant’s smile drops from his face immediately. That’s a pretty huge thing not to mention, right? Am I tripping y’all? It made me wonder if Litia really loves this man, or just feels like he checks enough boxes and she’ll do what she needs to in order to get the life (read: kids) she wants.

I’m not suggesting that she’s lying about her feelings or anything; I just wonder if the quickness of this process, coupled with her quick process of wanting to get married and have kids, is clouding her judgment a bit. And we still haven’t really heard why it didn’t work with the previous men she’s dated — something we usually get from the final 2-3 contestants. It all just makes me wonder if her timeline is shaping her feelings a bit.

Juliana

Why did they start having the final two meet the family on the same day? It feels unfair. It makes comparing so much easier for the family, which I imagine puts the lead and the final two in a tough position.

Renee and Juliana speak first. Renee asks a similar question she asked Litia: how she knows she’s fallen in love with Grant. Juliana shares that Grant can have deep conversations with her and hold her in moments of vulnerability. Next, Renee asks if she’s in love with Grant, and Juliana basically says no. She’s not there yet, but she knows that he exhibits the qualities of someone she’d want to spend forever with. Based on her answer, Renee tells Grant that if Juliana can’t say she loves him, he shouldn’t pick her. I thought this was a really unfair thing to say, but at the same time, I understand not wanting to see your son get hurt again. It seems like his entire family has experienced his deep want for a romantic partnership, so they want to make sure the choice he makes is mutual.

Before the day ends, Grant and his father have a touching moment where he thanks Grant for the way he stood beside him and supported him even when it wasn’t his job as a son. It seemed incredibly healing for Grant to hear his dad’s support and appreciation. None of us can really imagine what he went through while his dad was in the pits of his addiction, but we do know — according to Grant and his dad — that Grant never gave up on him. I’m glad they got to have this moment that seemed incredibly genuine and not just manufactured for television.

At the end of the family meeting, Grant tells Juliana that he loves her. A mess. Why would he say this? Why play games like this? I do not think you’re only capable of loving one person — after all, poly and open relationships are more prevalent than they’ve ever been — but in this particular process, Grant has a responsibility to protect the final person, and when you tell both of the final women that you love them, it’s impossible to do right by the final one you choose (which we literally see later on). Especially once the watch it back and see that you said it to them and the other woman.

Final Dates

Juliana

Juliana and Grant are spending the day exploring the Caribbean Sea, they both look lighter and seem to interact more comfortably now that they’ve exchanged I love yous.

Later that night, when they meet, Grant asks her if she’s ready for an engagement or if she intends to break his heart. Juliana says she’ll do her best to handle his heart with care, which isn’t a yes. And at this point, I don’t understand why she wouldn’t just be honest, even if the answer is “I don’t know.”

But, it turns out the non-answer was just for dramatic effect. She shares that despite this process being fast and not knowing how she’d feel if she got to this moment, she’s ready and willing to accept a proposal.

They exchange a few kisses, I love yous and say their goodbyes.

Litia

The daytime portion of their date was more of the same. I love you, I’m so excited to start our life; you’re the best part of this journey, my family loved you, no, my family loved you. You get it.

When they met up again later in the evening, Grant used the time to ask the final lingering questions on his mind. Litia was dressed like a woman who knows she’s got it in the bag — sweatpants and sneakers, girl? Really?

Grant asks her how much pressure she feels to be a mother. He wants to understand if the pressure is coming from her family or if it is something she’s always wanted and seen for herself. A great question to ask! Grant also asks about the two-year kid timeline and if she’d be willing to amend that. She is willing, depending on Grant’s why. She acknowledges that it’s a decision they will ultimately make together.

Litia also addresses why she hasn’t said I love you in previous relationships, without Grant even having to ask. She says she hasn’t felt safe enough to say it in the past, she hasn’t been confident that it would be handled with care, or taken seriously. But Grant makes her feel safe and seen.

They exchanged goodbyes, and at this point, I was so sure we were going to see Litia engaged the following day.

An Indecent Proposal

Grant wakes up “hoping to get engaged” (his words), but he admits that he still doesn’t know what he wants. Both Litia and Juliana are equally amazing, but it’s a decision he has to make on his own and he clearly doesn’t want to.

Luckily (?) Grant’s dad is there to help him navigate the decision. Grant says that one woman is “31 and knows what she wants” (Litia), and one woman is “fun” (Juliana). Sir, we are talking about marriage. Fun is great, fun is important, but do you feel seen, supported, and safe? Why is he acting like he hasn’t felt safe enough to bawl with Litia several times? And reducing Litia to a 31-year-old who just wants kids was frustrating to hear. Why are you talking about the woman you love like that?

When Grant arrives at the proposal location, he’s still unsure. Jesse tells him he has moments to decide, and Grant says he doesn’t know how to look someone he loves in the eyes and tell them it’s not them.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but if your person wakes up unsure about you/the relationship on the day you’re supposed to get engaged, do not get engaged! Being unsure after ~6 weeks with these women is pretty reasonable. Still insisting on proposing to one of them, not so much.

At the end of the day, if you’re this torn up and confused minutes before you’re supposed to break up with one woman and propose to another, you absolutely should not be getting engaged.

Grant decides to listen to his dad’s advice and follow his heart, which leads him to Juliana. Wow. I honestly had no words.

The producers make Litia walk down this long, wet path, playing her confessional where she’s so confident she’s the final choice and she’s not. It was so sad to watch.

After Litia’s heartfelt speech about giving Grant a family so he never has to feel alone and so they’ll all know love, Grant pretty quickly and flatly says that she is not his person. Litia is pissed and she should be! Based on what she said in response to him, it seems like Grant was even more reassuring than we saw on camera. As part of their final conversation, Litia said that Juliana is beautiful and she loves her, but if she were her, she’d have a lot of questions about the choice he’s made.

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In the hot seat with Jesse, Litia says that she felt the rug was pulled out from under her. She said Grant had alluded to her being the final one several times throughout the process — even up to the night before the proposal. Still, she maintains that she did love Grant, at least the parts that he willingly showed her.

I don’t want to paint Grant as a terrible person or to make comments about his emotional intelligence, but it sounds like he may be a bit of a love bomber. Or, at the very least, a sweet talker. Enough leads have gone through this process before and managed not to say things like what Litia accused him of throughout the process. She claimed Grant was calling her his number one since the first group date. That is so wild to me! Why would you say that to her so early on? Why would you say it to her mother (something else he allegedly did)?

When Grant and Litia meet face to face on the couch, Litia makes it known that she doesn’t think he’s a bad guy but that he does need to be more careful and intentional about his words. Grant made a lot of promises that ultimately meant nothing because it wasn’t her in the end. Grant doesn’t deny any of the accusations Litia has lodged against him, but he does apologize for hurting her and her family. He said he didn’t know the severity of this journey and “spoke too soon.” Such a sad amount of responsibility and accountability from a man who truly did pride himself on being both of those things the entire season.

It’s time for Juliana and Grant to get engaged. I can’t lie, I couldn’t take anything Juliana said seriously because how is it her? She’s beautiful, she seems sweet, kind, and loving, but all we saw was Grant and Litia, we don’t even know this woman for real! The ring was beautiful though. Of course, she says yes.

Ultimately, I think Grant picked the woman his life was more compatible with. It was easy to see himself moving to the east coast to be closer to his new fiancé and his dad, it’s easy for them to spend 2-3 years traveling and enjoying one another before having kids, or even getting married, and it was likely easy to say yes to the twentysomething whose lack of life experience (not her fault she was born when she was) will likely mean she won’t require much from Grant, who admittedly is looking to have fun more than he’s looking to start a family. Again, not what he said at the beginning of this process, but whatever.

After the Final Rose

Y’all know I’m not about to break down this happy couple segment after seeing the woman who was meant to be his actual wife eviscerate him. I feel like Grant picked a woman who is never going to question his behavior too much, never press him too much, and expect the bare minimum as long as he doesn’t cheat. And if they like it, I love it.

The couple received a trip to Italy as a gift from production and Grant will be moving to Boston within an undisclosed time. Good for them. 🙃

My prediction: Juliana and Grant will have a good time for the next six, nine, maybe 12 months, and then they’ll fizzle out.

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Before the three-hour finale ends, we get an announcement that Bachelor is Paradise will include members from the Golden franchise and the regular franchise. It’s unclear if they’ll all get to date one another, or if they’ll just be on the same beach at the same time, go one double dates, stuff like that.

Do we really need to see 60-somethings in the sweltering heat? I don’t think so. I hope they put the Golden cast members in a nice hotel nearby with an oceanfront view. Too many dating shows (Love Island, Too Hot To Handle, FBoy Island, etc.) have shows us how nice the beach villas can be, so Imma need production to do better.

That’s all I got. What did y’all think about this finale? Did it turn out how you predicted? Are you excited for this Bachelor in Paradise twist?