ABC Tayshia Adams during the finale of The Bachelorette.
After a season unlike any other, Tayshia Adams’ final night as Bachelorette is finally here. The finale is airing on ABC, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern.
Adams has made history as the first replacement lead in the dating franchise. She stepped in after the season’s original Bachelorette, Clare Crawley, exited the season engaged to Dale Moss.
Since then, the Click Bait! host has narrowed down 20 contestants to just two. Viewers will have to watch to see to who, and if, she will get engaged.
Stop reading if you do not want spoilers on season 16 of The Bachelorette!
Follow along here with our live recap. All times Eastern.
8:00 – Viewers did not have to wait long to see if Adams would invite Ben Smith to stay after his shocking return last week. While she will not commit to him yet, she did invite him to come to the rose ceremony, leaving things off with a kiss!
RT if you knew this would get complicated 😉 #TheBachelorette
8:15 – At the rose ceremony, Adams asked to speak with fan-favorite Ivan Hall privately. It seems the two discussed a difference in religious beliefs during their overnight Fantasy Suite date, the couple’s only moments away from the watching eye of a camera. The differences are too much to overcome and Adams sends him home. Zac Clark and Smith get roses, meaning they will meet her family.
8:25 – Adams is all smiles as she reunites with her family since setting off on this whirlwind adventure! Sitting in a suite at the La Quinta Resort and Club are her parents and two brothers. Her sister was not in attendance. While breaking down her experience, she reveals she has invited Smith back, but he was previously eliminated. Though one thing is for sure, she is LIVING HER BEST LIFE!
8:28 – Despite originally seeming unsure if she wanted to continue with Smith, Adams decides to introduce him to her parents. A nervous Ben admits he is SWEATING! With Adams’ sister in the Navy, there is a moment of playful contention over Smith’s time at West Point. Luckily for him, Adams’ dad does not seem deterred by his previous elimination.
8:34 – Adams seems smitten after spending the day with Smith and her parents. After scootering around the La Quinta Resort and Club, she admits she is starting to fall in love with him all over again.
8:38 – Zac Clark is here to make it clear he is ready to marry Adams! His “good nerves” are running high as he gets to meet Adams’ family. Fortunately, she is gushing to her family about how much she loves him. On a scale of one to 10, he is coming in at a hot 8.95, only needing her family’s approval to take him the extra 1.05.
8:44 – Clark is being upfront about his past, letting her dad know he has been divorced, but he learned a lot after marrying young and is ready to take his relationship with Adams to the next level. It seems his dad appreciates his honesty as he calls him a “good man.”
8:53 – Adams is surprised by a knock at the door! When she opens the door she is greeted by her dad who is her to bring up. what her family discussed after meeting both of the men. After not being able to stop thinking about the meetings, he warns her to be careful so she does not “make the biggest mistake of [her] life!”
8:56 – Tearing up, Adams is reminiscing about a time at 3 or 4 a.m. after her divorce where she just sat in her car “wailing” with only her dad to comfort her. She seems to think her dad was focused on just one of her contestants and she knows who it is. Was it Smith or Clark?
9:01 – It’s time for Clark and Adams’ final date of the season, but Clark is feeling her “trepidation.” What he does not know is how much her dad’s warning rattled her. Maybe a dance class will help the date rebound.
9:05 – After she declared “we’re off, we’re off, we’re off,” while dancing, they seem to be in sync now. The dancing couple is giddy as they nail the dance routine while saying in an interview that she thinks he is so perfect.
Dancing those worries away 💃 #TheBachelorette
9:15 – Clark is heartbroken when he hears she is worried she is missing any flaws and could one day leave her. But Clark wants to make one thing clear: he is LOYAL! He told her, “I know Tayshia why I love you and it has nothing to do with in five years if you’re going to be a stay at home mom or a waitress, it doesn’t matter to me. I love you!” He leaves feeling her love in return, declaring “I think she believes in me.”
.@tayshia’s decision is coming… #TheBachelorette
9:25 – When Smith shows up ready for his final one-on-one date of the season, Adams sits him down to tell him goodbye! She admits they cannot move forward since she is in love with another guy. Given his difficulty with emotion throughout the season, it is no surprise he takes the news with his usual stoicism. He reiterates his love for her and the excitement he had for their potential future together, but barely shares even a single tear.
9:36 – After watching Clark get ready after his shower, he looks stressed as he sits in his room. Then a knock at the door indicates it’s time for a Bachelorette tradition and rite of passage for any winner. Neil Lane has arrived with the rings Clark gets to choose from for his proposal.
9:39 – Adams is donning a silver, one-shoulder dress as she glides down the path to the rose podium. As she speaks with franchise host Chris Harrison, she admits the process has made her realize she has never truly been in love, at least “true love.” The moment gets to her and she cannot help but cry from her excitement.
9:48 – Clark makes his way to Adams who is stunning in her shimmering silver dress. He professes his love for her, listing all the reasons why she is the one for him. After she admits there is not even a way to articulate her love for him, he gets down on one knee to pull out that Neil Lane ring box. The two happily celebrate their engagement and ride away in their “cab” from Clark’s hometown date.
9:57 – A promo airs for Matt James’ season of The Bachelor. It will premiere on January 4.
This season is about to be Matt-nificent 😍 Jan 4 on ABC 🌹 #TheBachelor t.co/qbetRlHXDH
There Is Not an ‘After the Final Rose’ Special
Despite being able to pull together a Men Tell All special, this season does not include an After the Final Rose special. “There is no ATFR [After the Final Rose] tonight, just a two hour episode on how Tayshia [Adams]’s season will play out,” Reality Steve previously reported.
Chris Harrison revealed on Twitter the reason, writing, “It pains me there’s no AFR live special this [The Bachelorette] season. Due to being pushed into the holidays and the difficulty of bringing people safely together during this time it just wasn’t possible. But hopefully we’ll be back for [The Bachelor].”
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