Though thoroughly entertaining, this season of The Bachelor was just another reason not to trust a man you barely know.
It was not necessarily an abundance of drama or tearful breakups that made this season different from the rest, but it was the fact that Grant Ellis, a 31-year-old ex-professional basketball player and this season’s bachelor, was an indecisive mess.
Not only did Ellis leave his final decision down to the absolute wire, confessing that he still had no idea who he wanted to propose to while both the finalists were on their way to the engagement site, but he also led one contestant on to the point where the audience was misled and ultimately disappointed when he chose somebody else.
Litia Garr, a 31-year-old venture capitalist from Utah, stole Ellis’ heart from the very beginning of the show, scoring two solo dates and many “I love you”s before the proposal day, all of which is quite rare in the Bachelor franchise.
Garr stole more than Ellis’ heart—she quickly became an audience favorite, praised for her poise, beauty, and maturity.
As Garr became a frontrunner, there was another woman who stood out for her bubbly personality and connection with Ellis: Juliana Pasquarosa, a 28-year-old client service associate from Newton, Mass., who became known for cutely serving Ellis a cannoli during the premiere to commemorate her Italian heritage.
Pasquarosa was another contestant to whom Ellis confessed his love before the altar, making it clear that she and Garr were the finalists before the final two roses were even handed out.
While Ellis had a very apparent spark with Garr and gave her consistent validation that she was the one, their differences became evident throughout the season. Garr, a Mormon, revealed her faith later in the show, but it did not initially affect their relationship.
Closer to the finale, however, their future goals began to clash. Garr wanted to settle down and have kids within two years of an engagement, and Ellis wanted to take things slow and figure his life out.
Some speculated that Ellis was not ready to give up his carefree lifestyle, especially after releasing his song “Party girl” while the season was airing, leading fans to believe that he and Garr were not together, their different levels of maturity made clear.
Meanwhile, Pasquarosa seemed to potentially be a better fit, sharing more of Ellis’ lifestyle and reluctance to settle down anytime soon.
Despite their differing plans, Ellis kept reassuring Garr she was the one throughout the season, which was his biggest mistake since, in reality, he had no idea.
“I went to bed thinking I knew what I wanted, but I woke up and realized I still don’t,” he confessed the morning of the proposal, torn between the two women.
Dangerous territory for an engagement day.
After hours of anxiety, Ellis made his final decision at the proposal site. Garr arrived first, signaling she would not be chosen. When Ellis began explaining that he loved her but was not her person, she was in complete shock.
Fans were appalled to see Garr arrive first—the whole season had practically been set up for her to win.
“For me, the switch-up is crazy … you’re different than I thought,” Garr explained. “I would have a lot of questions if I were [Juliana] from the things that you said to me.”
Soon after Garr left the site blindsided, Ellis proposed to Pasquarosa in a heartfelt celebration of love, and the two left happily engaged with all smiles.
So, happily ever after? Everything is settled—except maybe not.
After the show aired, Garr revealed several behind-the-scenes details of her relationship with Ellis that exposed how he led her on even more than what was shown on screen.
“I remember saying goodbye to him and saying, ‘Oh my gosh, we are getting engaged tomorrow,’” Garr revealed live on the finale’s “After the Final Rose” segment. “And he said, ‘I know, I can’t wait. I love you. I love you. I love you.’ Those were the last words that he said to me before I walked up there.”
Ellis told Garr early on that if he could, he would stop the show just to be with her. So, all of this unwarranted validation just to not propose in the end.
Future bachelors should take notes from Ellis on what not to do.
Garr was not the ideal fit for him, and he should not have given her repeated validation when he knew this. Yes, the purpose of the show is to date multiple women until you find “the one,” but this does not mean you should repeatedly tell someone they are until you know for sure.
That being said, Ellis and Pasquarosa do make quite a cute couple, eating many cannolis and working out after all.
One burning question viewers are still wondering is if Ellis really picked out one wedding ring, not knowing who he was going to give it to, or if he picked out two. I guess we’ll never know, but if I were his fiancée, I sure would want to.
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