‘The Bachelor’ Finale: Peter Weber’s Mother Crashes the Party

According to Chris Harrison, nobody knew how bachelor Peter Weber’s journey ended. Not even Weber (or producers, or his contestants, or Reality Steve, for that matter). But on the latter half of the two-night finale, audiences were finally clued in when the saga ended with a proposal – and then some.

The evening started with a live studio audience, but quickly transitioned to Weber in Australia. After declaring that he was “100 percent certain” about Hannah Ann Sluss and their future, he picked out a ring, called her father for his blessing, and prepared to propose.

Meanwhile, Sluss considered her own hesitations privately. “I want someone to be sure of me and it doesn’t seem like he’s there,” she confessed. In fact, she was so hesitant, production sent Harrison to relay the news to Weber: “I hate to darken the mood… To be honest, I’m not positive she’s coming.”

Despite the scare, the two finally reunited for Weber to confess his love. “You’re thoughtful, you’re caring, you’re selfless, you’re passionate and beyond all else, you’re one of a kind,” he told her. “And my heart chooses you forever.” The first-impression rose winner ultimately walked away with an engagement.

But with the heartfelt moment came a warning from Harrison, who assured viewers that the story wasn’t done.

Weber was able to share the news with his family, who was overwhelmed with joy. Sluss, who was the obvious favorite of his final two, received their stamp of approval. Despite their endorsement, Weber seemed less than enthusiastic during his and Sluss’s in-person reunion that followed.

She confronted Weber, and questioned why he proposed to her in the first place. She called him “selfish” and argued that she had consistently been the support system in the relationship. “When I said yes to you, I said yes to a partnership and being teammates,” Sluss told him. “But if you can’t give me that love in return, that’s not a relationship.”

The two continued their emotional exchange (while Weber’s mother’s live reactions were simultaneously broadcasted), that led to their decision to separate. Sluss’s declaration of their breakup was met with claps from Weber’s mother.

While their split had happened weeks prior, the evening continued with the former couple’s onstage reunion. Sluss was prepared, delivering direct commentary on what went wrong in their relationship. She took the opportunity to question why he hadn’t given her the “full truth” about runner-up Madison Prewett, and explained how his lack of communication led to their blindsiding breakup. “Words are powerful, Peter,” she said.

During her statements, she also revealed that Weber had reached out to former bachelorette Hannah Brown for “closure” in their relationship. She finished: “If you want to be with a woman, you have to become a real man.”

After wrapping up the hot seat with Sluss, Harrison told Weber that he visited Auburn, Alabama to pay a visit to Prewett. During their sit-down, he recounted the last few weeks, before whisking her off to California to see Weber face-to-face. His parents continued to show distaste for the situation, regularly rolling their eyes during the live portion.

Prewett and Weber met in California and talked through their past before reuniting on stage. While the two made their future plans unclear, Weber’s mother was very precise with her thoughts on the situation.

“We did not have that connection with Madison,” she told the audience. She recounted their meeting in Australia – she shared that they waited for hours, never received an apology and that Prewett rejected their family. “How do you expect a mother – who loves her son with all of her heart – to take that? As a mother, that wasn’t what we were expecting.”

She continued to passionately reject their relationship. “She’s going to have to fail to succeed.” The meeting was tense, with multiple attacks led by the family.

The audience ultimately rallied around Prewett, booing Weber’s mother fights with her son. Prewett accepted the criticism with grace and focused on moving forward with Weber, marking the end of his season.

While one season ended, another prepared to begin: Harrison’s last act of the night was to bring next season’s bachelorette, Clare Crawley, to the stage. Her Bachelor nation highlight reel ran, with her reflecting on the past and looking forward to her future. “I don’t want to give up – it’s worth it.”