MAJOR SPOILERS ahead from The Bachelor 2020 aka Bachelor Peter Weber's Season 24.
What happens at the end of The Bachelor 2020? Bachelor Peter Weber got fans intrigued when he basically dared anyone to spoil, or even guess, his finale. He doesn't think it will happen. Spoilers have revealed up to his final two ladies -- said to be Hannah Ann Sluss and Madison Prewett -- and spoiler guru Reality Steve then said Peter does not have a "normal ending."
What does that even mean? Let's start with what we know -- or what we think we know -- from spoilers and then speculate about Peter's endgame:
SPOILERS: There Was No Engagement In The Bachelor Final Rose Ceremony
According to Reality Steve, Bachelor Peter doesn't just dump one finalist and pick the other, which is the usual route. There was no engagement at the November 2019 final rose ceremony, but that doesn't mean he isn't engaged now. Peter said he's happy with how things turned out, and Steve said he thinks Peter is with someone right now. Is that someone Hannah Ann or Madison? The expectation is still that he's with one of those two finalists. So even if he left the show alone, which is possible, he's not a full Brad Womack.
SPOILERS: Peter Does NOT End Up With Hannah Brown
According to Reality Steve, despite all the fan speculation, former Bachelorette Hannah Brown does not have anything to do with The Bachelor 2020 finale, she doesn't show up, she doesn't contact the show, she and Bachelor Peter are not secretly dating, nothing. Waste of time, if you ask me, to bring her back just to stir up drama for Peter and the other ladies and then that's it. But the timing never would've worked for her to show up at Peter's final rose ceremony, since she was competing on Dancing With the Stars in Los Angeles at the same time he was in Australia for the November 17, 2019 final rose ceremony.
SPOILERS: Peter Has A Reason For Thinking No One Will Spoil His Ending
Here's what Peter Weber told THR about the ending of The Bachelor Season 24:
I’m really excited for this season because I’m very confident that no one is going to be able to spoil it. There’s a reason I believe that — and obviously I can’t say it, otherwise it gives it away. I’m very confident that Reality Steve and all of these people, they’re not going to find out what happens — there’s no way they’re going to find out. And I’m very excited about that because I think that’s what this show has wanted for a while and I’m excited that for my season there’s a really good chance that happens. And I’m excited for everyone to just come along for the journey and not know what happens at the end, and just be able to live it out with me.
THR asked if that's because his ending is still playing out? Here's his answer:
You’ll have to tune in to find out!
SPOILERS: Chris Harrison Shares Breaking News Before The Final Rose Ceremony
The Bachelor 2020 started the entire season with a glimpse of the final rose ceremony. Bachelor Peter was standing there with an engagement ring, so there was at least the suggestion that he planned to propose to Madison or Hannah Ann. The preview shows Chris Harrison step up to tell Peter something:
Chris Harrison: Before you do what you're about to do, there is something you should know.Peter Weber: What?Chris: There's something I just found out, all of us just found out. ... I'm not sure how all this ends, so I just wanted to give you a heads up.Peter: Oh god. ... I feel like I'm going to pass out right now. ... It's just like the last thing I needed to hear.
The Bachelor previews are notoriously misleading and not all of those statements were said together. But it gives us a lot to work with and speculate from.
SPOILERS: The Finale Is 'Gut-Wrenching' And Will 'Break Your Heart'
It sounds like The Bachelor's big surprise at the end is something sad. Here's what Chris Harrison told ET:
Peter and I, going through this together, had no idea this was happening and how this was going to all come to an end. It's riveting, and it really is breathtaking and it'll break your heart.
Peter Weber added:
You can't see this coming for a mile.
Chris Harrison teased more about Bachelor Peter's finale to reporters during the TCAs (via Yahoo):
This is very dramatic, but in a very different way than, say, Colton’s season, whereas there was this crazy feat of athleticism where he jumped the fence, and Hannah’s was, obviously the twist at the end of hers with Jed and what happened. This is in a more emotional, gut-wrenching way.
So this finale is heartbreaking and gut-wrenching and surprising, but how? How is it riveting and we won't see it coming?
SPOILERS: Peter's Mom Gets Emotional About Something In The Final Week
Another preview of the season showed Peter's tearful mom telling Peter "Don't let her go" and "Bring her home to us." Who is she talking about? We still don't know. Since Bachelor previews can be so deceptive, we don't even know if she's talking about the same person in both quotes. Is it safe to assume she's speaking about Peter's finalists? Peter's mom says what she says during the last week of filming, per ET, which is traditionally when the Bachelor introduces his final two ladies to his family. In this case, though, Madison Prewett already met Peter's parents during the first one-on-one date of the season.
SPOILERS: Madison Is A Virgin And Her Dad Doesn't Give His Blessing To Marry Peter
Those are two different things, but in the full season preview, Victoria F. is heard saying she couldn't believe someone waited so long to tell Peter she's a virgin. According to Reality Steve, the virgin is Madison. (Side note: Is virginity still a big deal to people? Come on. We went through this with Colton.) Steve also said, during the hometown dates, Madison's father didn't give Peter his blessing to marry Madison. Does that come into play in the finale?
SPOILERS: Jimmy Kimmel Predicted Peter Picked Hannah Ann
Jimmy Kimmel always "predicts" who'll win The Bachelor or Bachelorette and it usually matches spoilers. However, last season he picked Jed before Reality Steve changed his spoilers from Tyler to Jed. This season, he predicted Bachelor Peter was with Hannah Ann, who got Peter's first impression rose and -- fun fact -- is friends with Hannah Godwin, one of Bachelor Colton's finalists last year. So is Jimmy right?
OK now it's time to speculate about what all of that could mean for The Bachelor 2020 finale.
SPECULATION 1: Someone Gets Sick, Or Gets Bad News About Family, And Leaves During The Finale
If Chris Harrison gave Peter some kind of upsetting update, what if it was something personal rather than connected to the show? I hope not, but what if it was an update that someone in his family was sick or -- God forbid -- a grandparent died or something of that nature. Maybe it's Hannah Ann or Madison who had something like that happen. Maybe one of them had to head home for an emergency? Maybe that's why Bachelor Peter didn't propose, because his lady love had to leave Australia for home? Total speculation but it might fit. Chris Harrison giving Peter a "heads up" sounds too casual for one of the women to be sick herself or to leave the show because she is Just Not That Into Him. It's more like "This could affect you if you were planning to propose to this woman, so heads up."
SPECULATION 2: Peter Is Rejected In The Finale And Leaves Alone
Maybe Madison decides she can't accept a proposal, because her dad didn't give his blessing and she's not ready? Pure speculation. Besides, does a proposal rejection really fit with the idea that they "had no idea this was happening" and "you can't see this coming for a mile"? Actually, maybe it does. Wouldn't fit with Chris Harrison's "heads up" update, but that could be separate. Then again, if Peter leaves alone and rejected, why would he be happy now? (UPDATE: According to Reality Steve, Madison does quit The Bachelor, reportedly over Bachelor Peter having sex with Hannah Ann and Victoria F. during the fantasy suite dates. However, that is supposedly not tied to what Chris Harrison says, that's a separate thing.)
SPECULATION 3: Someone Tries To Come Back For Another Chance With Peter
I'm not a big fan of this idea because it has been done before, and Peter and Chris are acting like what happens in The Bachelor finale was a heartbreaking shock. Production brings back past contestants all the time. Apparently Hannah Brown doesn't come back, and Reality Steve said Victoria F. -- who is said to place third -- doesn't come back either. But still, it's possible someone from the show or elsewhere in Peter's past returns. Maybe it's Mike Johnson showing up to demand he get to be the Bachelor instead. I can dream.
SPECULATION 4: Peter Gets Engaged To Either Hannah Ann Or Madison After The Finale
Let's assume the news Chris Harrison brings ends up stopping Peter's proposal and that's why he doesn't get engaged. But maybe he did pick someone and got engaged to them later, in one of those pre-taped pieces ABC tends to do, like when Hannah sat down with Jed to dump him on camera. Maybe we'll see the engagement on The Bachelor finale or on "After the Final Rose."
SPECULATION 5: Peter Will Pick Someone Live On The "After The Final Rose" Special
Maybe Peter's season ending hasn't been spoiled because he hasn't even picked someone yet. Maybe Peter, Hannah Ann, and Madison delayed the ending until the live finale. I'm not sure why he'd be allowed to do that, other than to avoid spoilers or because of some kind of emergency event, but we'll see.
SPECULATION 6: Peter Will Get Engaged Live On The "After The Final Rose" Special
Maybe Peter did pick someone and, let's just say, he and Madison are now dating but not engaged yet. Maybe they are saving the engagement for live on the "After the Final Rose" special. Maybe they wanted to try things out in the real world first until Dad gave his blessing. Or maybe one of them had to leave the show at the end and they decided to wait and get engaged live for fans. Couples have not gotten engaged on the show before, so that wouldn't be breakthrough, but the idea of ending the show without any resolution would be the surprise.
SPECULATION 7: Peter Will Get Married Live On The "After The Final Rose" Special
The Bachelor has yet to have a live wedding on the finale, even though that's something they'd love. Maybe it happens this time? If something upsetting happens at the final rose ceremony that changes Peter's engagement plans, maybe they make up for it -- not just with an engagement but with an actual live wedding on finale night.
My speculation is reaching a bit, so I'll stop now. But more wild ideas may occur to me, or you may have some better ideas. (UPDATE: Like, Did Bachelor Peter Get Someone Pregnant? Apparently that's a big theory out there.) It's possible we're waaaaay overthinking what happens, or maybe just not thinking in the right direction. It passes the time until the finale, though, and so does scouring the season preview for clues:
The Bachelor Season 24 continues Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Bachelor Peter's season will be followed by the strange new Bachelor spinoff, and then followed by The Bachelorette, which will almost certainly star one of Peter's rejects. And several rejected Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants will then gather at Stagecoach, er, Bachelor in Paradise 2020 this summer.
