The Bachelorette – Season 16, Night Four

By: Sammi Turano

This is the episode of ABC’s “The Bachelorette” that everyone has been waiting for since week one. Clare will finally decide what to do about her love for Dale whilst trying to respect the other men in the house.

The men talk about how upset they are that nobody got a rose on the second group date and how they feel Clare is only interested in talking to Dale. They understandably feel a bit slighted about the entire thing.

Meanwhile, Clare is writing in her diary when Chris Harrison comes by for a chat. He tells her that the guys noticed her feelings for Dale and he confronts her about it. She admits she is in love with Dale and knew it when she stalked his social media pages during COVID. However, she is adamant that they didn’t talk until filming began.

Chris asks her what she wants to do and she admits she feels torn. However, in the end, she decides she wants to be with Dale. Chris tells her that she just blew up “The Bachelorette” and nothing like this has ever happened before.

The guys continue to discuss what is going on and if they can even trust Clare at this point. Chris then tells them that there is no rose ceremony or cocktail party tonight. He then takes Dale aside to fill him in on the situation, leaving the guys even more confused.

It turns out they have a one on one semi-fantasy suite date where she spills her guts and declares her love for him. He says hearing that he reminds her of her dad meant a lot and they discuss their parents, how they met and their love story. Clare’s parents met only once and her dad even hitched to California just to propose…after three weeks. He also shares how much his parents loved each other and how things broke when his mom died.

They continue to bond and are surprised with a concert by the “Listen to Your Heart” winners. They they head to the fantasy suites.

The next morning they continue to cuddle in bed together and talk. This is everything they wanted and, of course, it is hard for them to say goodbye.

The guys are waiting for Dale to come back and wonder what happened to him. They are all confused and agree that they will be upset if he slept with Clare.

Clare fills Chris in on everything that happened with Dale, including that he didn’t run away after the “I love you.” Chris says the next step is the proposal since they are so in love. Apparently, it will happen that night. She is over the moon and hopes he is ready.

The guys are wondering what is happening next when Clare walks in to tell them she is leaving with Dale. She thinks they are great, but doesn’t want to lead them on. She also hopes they find love as well. Most of the guys are worried about her and want her to be happy; however, they wonder if it is too much too fast….and if they knew each other before. She denies this again.

Kenny says she should apologize for wasting their time when she knew she loved Dale at first sight. She won’t apologize for love, but she will apologize for wasting their time and hurting them. The rest of the guys say that they are happy for her and hug her. Jason is especially sad, but wants her to be happy.

Clare then hugs some random people as the guys discuss how they really feel…..not happy. They discuss all the things they did to prepare and get to know her and how they feel like it was all a joke. They also wonder how she can know so fast that Dale is the one and thinks this is so 2020.

Chris then meets with Dale to tell him it is time to propose. Dale is blown away by this turn of events.

After the man to man chat, Chris talks to Clare who is suddenly very nervous. He gives her a pep talk to calm her down, but she still worries it might not work out. The guys wonder if there will even be a proposal this quickly.

Dale meets up with Clare and they declare their love for each other once again. He then gets down on one knee to propose and she says YES! She gives him a rose and they go off into the sunset.

The remaining guys begin to pack, assuming they will go home. However, Chris tells them that Clare and Dale are engaged and left. He then says that this is a historic moment that will only get more historical…They will all be staying on the show and, if they wish, move on with someone new or go home.

The guys are still confused and aren’t sure what to do or if this will be a “Bachelor in Paradise” situation or if they will start from zero.

In the end, the guys decide to stay, even though Jason is still struggling due to the connection he thought he had with Clare. However, he decides to give it another chance, much to the joy of the other guys.

Chris tells them they have a brand new bachelorette and they are getting a do-over. Enter Tayshia!