Bachelor: Why Clayton & Susie’s Happy Ending Was Disappointing

Bachelor Nation fans watched as The Bachelor season 26 finale came to a close with Clayton Echard walking away with Susie Evans as his winner, but their happy ending could detract from all the tough lessons he should have actually learned on the show. Viewers were thoroughly entertained, confused, or horrified by the two-part The Bachelor season 26 finale showing Clayton’s behavior and actions. Alas, fans who had been hoping for Clayton to have grown as a result of his heartbreak and mistakes turned out to be disappointed by the things they saw during this grand finale.

Following Susie Evans’ dramatic exit from the season, Clayton begged his final-two women, Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia, to continue their journey with him on the show. Clayton claimed to be completely transparent with them but left out the key detail that, even though he loved both of them, he had been the most in love with Susie. After introducing Rachel and Gabby to his parents, Clayton chose that he still wanted to pursue Susie after all. As a result, he gathered Gabby and Rachel together to double dump them as if they were getting cc’d on an email. Later, Clayton professed his love to Susie, but she turned him down.

However, that was just what happened in Iceland. As promised, the story didn’t end there. For the first half of the After The Final Rose portion, things seemed promising as far as Clayton getting what he deserved. The Bachelor lead looked miserable – as he should – after what he put Gabby and Rachel through. He was horrible to the two women, and many viewers felt like it was time for Clayton to have a taste of his medicine. Gabby confronted him first and expertly called him out for being so careless with his words and her feelings. Then, Rachel confronted him next and she made it clear to Clayton that she had zero remaining love for him. It appeared as though Clayton was finally getting his comeuppance.

For part two, though, the entire show shifted its mood. It turns out that, after season 26 filming ended, Susie reached out to Clayton. Despite the way he treated her fellow costars, Susie decided to give her relationship with Clayton another shot. Clayton’s face lit up when she came on stage, and it was clear how happy he is to have Susie back in his life. That’s all well and good, but it was as if all of Clayton’s guilt and mistakes just melted away. When it seemed like Clayton had ended up alone on The Bachelor, it felt fitting, given that he needed to learn a lesson. Nonetheless, everything worked out for him in the end, so it’s unclear if he’s actually learned anything.

Even though Gabby and Rachel seem to be thriving as the next two Bachelorettes, that doesn’t change the fact that they were collateral damage on Clayton’s quest to find love on The Bachelor. It wasn’t fair that he treated them with such disrespect. But because he got everything he wanted in the end, Clayton might not change.

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Maggie Mead
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Maggie Mead is a reality tv writer who loves crafting a good story and can hold her breath for at least 10 seconds. When she isn’t rambling on about why Great British Bake Off contestants should never attempt a bake they haven’t practiced, she’s probably wrangling cats or striking a yoga pose.

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