I Just Call You… “Mine.”

I’ve never shed a tear… not in all the seasons of The Bachelor nor the The Bachelorette.  Never once.  Tonight, I did.

Let’s start at the beginning.

On the Big Island of Hawaii, both Ed and Kiptyn are scheduled to meet Jillian’s family.  Her father, Glenn, her mother, Peggy, her wonderful grandmother and her cousin, Tori, are set to meet the guys.  First up to meet the potential in-laws is Ed.  Ed and Jillian approach the family’s suite with some huge thing under Ed’s arm.  Could it be a rug?  Is Ed really giving them a rug?  (*Huh…*)

Grandma has a tad bit of a crush on Ed and tells everyone in the room that Ed is “a pretty good lookin’ guy.”  Jill and Ed tell the story of how they met, how he left & returned, and how at one time Ed was married to his job.  Peggy has a list of interview questions for Ed and I think that he does pretty well under fire.  At one point, she asks him what the glue was that held a relationship together.  Ed answered that he believed it was love, honesty, and hard work.  Later, with Glenn, Ed requests his blessing for his proposal to Jillian because he claimed that he had “no doubts at all” about marrying his daughter.  And, Glenn’s blessing, he did receive. 

After an afternoon of food, wine, and talking, the family donned their funkiest hula outfits and we get to hear Ed’s nerdy laugh.  I loved it!  As Ed hula dances with Glenn, he tells him, “Forget Jillian.  You’re all mine, Glenn!”

(*Awww, Ed.*)

Soon enough, it’s Kiptyn’s turn to meet the folks.  Jillian raves about her feelings for Kiptyn and shares that there is a “definite physical chemistry” between the two of them.  He shows up at the family’s door with nothing in hand.  (*What?  Didn’t he get the memo?  Where’s his rug?*)

Inside, they gather, eat, talk and Peggy gives her interview to Kiptyn.  The feedback from the family is that Kiptyn is more like Jillian than Ed in that they share the same energy and free spiritedness.  Grandma thinks he is “very nice.”  When Glenn asks Kiptyn if he’s in love, Kiptyn answers, “I’m getting there.”  But, on camera in an interview later, Kiptyn admits that it was Glenn’s question that prompted him to actually come to the realization that he was, in fact, in love with Jillian already. 

As they say their “good-byes,” Jillian admits that when she’s with Kiptyn, she never wants him to leave.

In the post-meeting of the men discussion with her parents, the viewers come to understand that Peggy is pro-Kiptyn and Glenn is pro-Ed.  And, we all know what Grandma thinks!

On the last 1-on-1 date between Jillian and Ed, he shows up yet again in another pink shirt.  (*God knows that I hope Jillian picks Ed so that she can start giving him fashion advice.*)  Ed admits to the cameras that he’s “never been this in love in his life.”  They take a Jeep to a helicopter parked in a grassy area.  Ed tells Jillian that they should board “the chopper” and they do.  They go on an amazing ride where they get to see volcano lava erupting and just awesome scenery.  But, Ed admits that he can’t even enjoy the volcano because he’s so into what’s going on between him and Jillian.  And, just what is that?  A ton o’ chemistry!  (*YEAH!*) 

They end up at some amazing waterfall/rain forest killer-romantic spot.  It is here that they swim and kiss up a storm, as usual.  It is also here that he tells Jillian, “You’re perfect for me,” and “I would never leave you again.”  Despite the love and all the amazing gushy stuff, I can’t get over the fact that Ed is, once again, sporting the green MANKINI.  (*Ed, oh, Ed, oh Ed!*)  He then invites Jillian back to his room for an evening date.  Of course, she accepts.  But, this time the chemistry was there.  As the cameras show the light to their suite going off (meaning that the naughty stuff is going on), they immediately shift to film of lava exploding.  (*Ha-Ha, V. Funny!*)

Onto the final date with Kiptyn… he starts off by confessing to the cameras that Jillian’s the type of woman that he needs.  (*…o.k., so is it “the type of woman”.. or the woman?*)  Next, it is time to hear Jillian’s opinion.  She admits that she loves him and that she thinks he loves her.  (*uh, o.k.  but, didn’t you and Ed just do the nasty less than 12 hours ago?*)  So, they take this little boat out to a deserted island area and disembark it onto a large surfboard that comes with an oar and a picnic basket.  (*and, I worry about the food in the basket getting wet*)  Let me just say that when Kiptyn carries that surfboard out of the water onto the shore, I wanted to burst out into song, singing “Hunka Hunka Burning Love” by Elvis Presley!  (*man-o-man, the hotness of his abs!*)  They do the picnic-thing and head out into the surf on the board with the oar.  It’s amazing to me how well Kiptyn managed the board with Jillian wrapped around him and the handling the oar without them eating sh*t!  But, he does and it looks romantic.  Jillian recaps this date by saying that Kiptyn is “the best catch she’s ever met in her entire life.”  (*really?  what about Ed?*)

That night in Kiptyn’s room, he admits that he can see with her that amazing love that he knew was possible.  In addition, he claims that he’s been stressed out at facing the end of this process with her.  He explains to Jill that he’d be hurt if he lost her.   Kiptyn goes on to say that he wants to spend a lifetime with her and that he’s falling in love with her.   Then comes the invitation for her to move to San Diego to come and live there with him and build a life there together. 

As if we haven’t heard enough from Kiptyn at this point to completely convince us that Jillian is going to pick him, we then get to listen to the fact that Kiptyn thinks that Jill’s an amazing woman and that he pictures having kids with her.  Also, he believes that they can find a love that people would envy.  As she gazes longingly into his eyes, he asks her if she’s happy.  She says, “Yes.”  She later tells cameras that she thinks she’d be lucky to spend a life with Kiptyn.  But, she also confesses that she loves the both of them.  (*eek*)

Next on the 2-hour finale… the rings. 

Kiptyn looks SMOKIN’ HOT in this white shirt and jeans when he goes to Neil Lane to pick out his engagement ring.  (*I always wonder at this part if ABC picks up the cost of the eventually chosen ring or if it is donated by the jeweler.*)  In this case, Neil Lane, himself, shows up to present rings to the lads.  While we hear Kiptyn tell us for the millionth time that he’s ecstatic about Jillian, etc., he picks out a lovely square/cushion cut diamond ring.  Later, Eddie-Poo chooses a gorgeous pear-shaped diamond ring that blows me away.  I love pear-shaped ring. 

It is at this point that I have a sick feeling that Jillian is going to pick Kiptyn. 

I feel sad.

We get to see them all get ready for the “Big Day.”  My favorite was seeing Ed in his snuggly blue undies.  (*giggle*).  Kiptyn is first to arrive at the romantic proposal spot.  (*btw, it’s this pool with a view that has a bridge going across it to a platform… and, it’s wet and totally ruining the bottom of Jillian’s flowing chiffon-like pale blush long dress…. I can’t stop worrying about the dress getting wet… if you saw the first episode, she also had a white/light dress getting wet at the bottom thing that drove me nuts!*) 

So.. back to the proposals… Kiptyn is the first to arrive.  He gives her a heartfelt speech about how he moved slower in the process, but how he believes it has paid off because now he’s in love with her and he feels so solid about it.  Then, the big three words come.  As he starts to propose, Jillian stops him and tells him that, in the meantime, she’s fallen in love with someone else.  Being the class-act that Kiptyn is, he tells her that Ed’s a lucky man and that she’s an incredible woman.  After he is swept away in the limo, he takes out the ring and sets it beside him on the car seat.  He tells the cameras that he’s never had his heart broken before.  He picks up the ring and stares at it with sadness.  (*heart break sucks*)

As Jillian waits for Ed, up arrives Reid in a red minivan taxi cab.  He looks so shabby when he gets out.  Everything is untucked and he’s wearing tennis shoes of some sort.  Still, I’m dying to know what he has to say.  After the initial shock of seeing him, Jillian gets to hear Reid explain that he was “an idiot,” that he had ”been acting like a 4-year-old,” and that after she sent him away “everything became really clear” to him.  They cling together.  You can just feel how much is still left between them.  It made me feel horrible.  On one hand, I wanted to see them honor that connection.  On the other hand, he shouldn’t have blown it with her and she has fallen in love with Ed. 

Jillian heads into the house and asks Reid to wait outside on the wet bridge.

Inside, Chris Harrison comes to her rescue.  It is at this point that I think Chris Harrison’s wife is the luckiest woman alive.  I really like Chris Harrison’s blog… and now… I just adore him.  Let me recap:

C: “It’s still up to you.  If you are in love with Ed, you can stand by your convictions.  But, are you in love with Reid?”

J: “How is somebody supposed to make a decision like this?”

C: “Because you know, right?”

J: “Yeah.”

C: “Are you excited about the prospect of Ed showing up, getting down on one knee and proposing to you?”

J: ”Yes.”

C: “You’re in love with this guy?”

J: “Yes.”

C: “You want Ed to be your husband?”

J: “Yes.”

C: “Deep down in your heart?”

J: “Yes.” (she smiles)

C: “Then, there’s no question what you need to do.”

What you’re not seeing along with this above dialogue is how sad, hurt and confused Jillian is.  Her eyes are all droopy and puffy.  Chris just helps her to find her center and follow her heart…. like a wonderful brother would.  I cried. 

(*yes, I really did… don’t laugh!*)

So, Jill heads back out to the wet bridge to give Reid his answer and she explains to him that she’s in love with Ed.  However, the entire time she can’t even look him in the eye… nor can she let go of him.  It is at this point that I am worried about a Jason-Molly disaster and her destroying Ed later on by realizing that she’s made a mistake and heading out after Reid.  But, I can’t think about that now.  I just have to believe Jillian that she loves Ed.

As she walks Reid out, he tells her that her choosing Ed doesn’t make sense to him  He also laments that he was “too late” and that “it’s a shame.”

Jillian drenches the bottom of her dress as she heads back out to the proposal spot where she shares that she’s “110% sure now,” and that “Ed better not disappoint me!”  We get to also understand that Ed makes her “smile ear-to-ear” and that she’s “100% madly in love with Ed.”

Ed arrives.

He makes his way across the wet bridge and to Jillian. 

“Jillian.”

“Yes, Ed.” (she laughs)

He tells her mushy-gushy stuff and then says, “I know that I love you, but before we go any further, I need to know that you love me.”

“There is no doubt in my mind that I’m madly in love you and I love you so much.”

<makeout session>

Jillian tells Ed, “It was so hard for me not to tell you that I was in love with you.”

Ed responds, “I want to be with you forever.  I want a family with you.  I want you to give me a hard time when we’re 80 years old.  Jillian, will you marry me?”

“Absolutely!”

There was this beautiful song by Martina McBride at the end… I have to buy it on iTunes… the chorus says… “Everyone calls you amazing, I just call you mine.”

The happy couple goofs about.

Tomorrow night is the After the Final Rose Episode. 

I can’t wait!

Here is another post on TV Watch:  http://tvwatch.people.com/2009/07/27/bachelorette-finale-jillian-names-her-man/#more-14985

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Here is what Chris Harrison had to say about the episode on his blog: http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/07/the-bachelorette-finale-jillian-makes-her-choice-chris-harrison-will-blog-all-about-it-on-wednesday.html

-and-

And, this is a good post as well: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20294249,00.html

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