Bachelor/Bachelorette: Did love last for the couples?

The Bachelor (season 19) 

Finale aired March 9, 2015

Bachelor: Chris Soules

Potential Brides: Whitney Bischoff and Becca Tilley

Samantha Highfill wrote: 

On the lovers: "Currently, Chris is searching for clarity as he falls in love with two women. HE COULD GO IN EITHER DIRECTION. Because, you know, that’s something your future wife always likes to hear: You really didn’t know that you loved her enough even 48 hours before your engagement."

The Choice: "Finally, Whitney accepts the final rose—What if she said no? What would that mean?—and the two sit in the barn, looking out over all the land that they now get to christen. And you know what? 'It’s perfect.'"

What Happened Next: Chris Soules competed on Dancing With the Stars, and Whitney supported him the entire time. But only two months into their relationship—and just weeks after Soules posted photos on Instagram of them together on his farm in Arlington, Iowa—the couple "amicably" called it quits. Looks like crashing their wedding is no longer an option.

The Bachelorette (season 10)

Finale aired July 28, 2014

Bachelorette: Andi Dorfman

Potential Grooms: Josh Murray and Nick Viall

Kristen Baldwin wrote:

On the lovers: ''I love how Andi, Josh, and Nick keep talking about all the "obstacles" they've encountered during their journey. And here I thought a relationship obstacle was something like being denied the right to marry—turns out real obstacles are things like being asked to take a fake lie detector test on a date or sulking about having to share someone's attention while miming during an all-expenses-paid trip to France.''

The Choice: ''The Bachelorette still can't quite believe that her 'journey' is supposed to end with a jock who lives around the corner in Atlanta. 'My brain definitely thinks, you know, Is this all too good to be true?' (I don't know, honey, I think the question you should be asking is, 'Why is Josh's watch the size of a hot plate?')''

What Happened Next: After several attempts to try to rekindle his flame with Andi (vacation sneak attacks and Men Tell All ambushes), Nick outed their sexual relationship on the After the Final Rose special before tweeting congratulations to the new fiancés. Seven months after the proposal, Andi and Josh called off their engagement, and Andi decided to make a fresh start by moving to New York City.

The Bachelor (season 18)

Finale aired March 10, 2014

Bachelor: Juan Pablo Galavis

Potential brides: Clare Crawley and Nikki Ferrell

Kristen Baldwin wrote:

On Clare: ''Maybe he's just trying to give Clare fair warning that she's not getting the final rose—though his approach is about as humane as a doctor trying to remove someone's eye with a spork.''

The Choice: ''Okay, blondie—it's time for your 'dream' to come 'true.' You're about to hear Juan Pablo say he loves you. Oh, wait...sorry, we're getting some new information here.... You're actually going to hear him say he loves a bunch of things about you. And now for the big but: It turns out Juan Pablo really was listening when Nikki's dad Tom politely asked him not to propose if he wasn't feeling it 100 percent.''

What Happened Next: Rumors surrounded Juan Pablo and Nikki's controversial relationship from the moment that he refused to propose or say those three little words to his new girlfriend (at least on camera). Though Nikki posted a photo with Juan Pablo on Instagram in June 2014, she posted a quote in July 2014 that led people to speculate she was calling their relationship a lie. Ferrell also took Bachelorette producers to task over Twitter for orchestrating a confrontation on Andi Dorfman's After the Final Rose special. By November of 2014, the couple had split.

The Bachelorette (season 9)

Finale aired Aug. 5, 2013

Bachelorette: Desiree Hartsock

Potential grooms: Chris Sigfried and Drew Kenney

Kristen Baldwin wrote:

On Drew: ''Drew might not be the most masculine guy, and he might rival Pauly D in the hair product use and abuse department, but it's truly moving to see what a loving, devoted brother he is to Melissa.''

On Chris: ''Chris goes in for the kill: 'I don't want to make decisions for me anymore. I want to make decisions with you for us, and our future together. And I want to be that rock that doesn't break for you.' At this point, if you found yourself screaming at the TV, Who cares if he's your second choice? MARRY HIM!, you would not be alone.''

The Choice: ''After a tearful, smoochy hug, Chris and Des break apart, and he gets back to the business at hand. 'I have something to say, too.... It's not just a yes or a no. It's a, Do you want to grow old together? Do you want to share your experiences with me together? Can I share mine with you? Do you want to start a family? Do you want to have kids?' And with that, the poet drops to one knee. 'So, Desiree Eileen Hartsock, I want to be your first, I want to be your last. Will you marry me?' And she LOVES it. 'Yes, a thousand times!' cries Desiree, pulling her ball player into a joyful, tearful embrace.''

What Happened Next: After the show ended, Desiree moved to Seattle to be with Chris. The couple attended the wedding of fellow Bachelor lovers Sean Lowe and Catherine Guidici on Jan. 26, 2014. On January 18, 2015, Desiree and Chris were married in California.

The Bachelor (season 17)
Finale aired March 11, 2013
Bachelor: Sean Lowe
Potential brides: Catherine Giudici and Lindsay Yenter

Kristen Baldwin wrote:
On Lindsay: '''I almost sent her home the first night,' recalls Sean. 'I thought Lindsay could be crazy — and not a good crazy.' But then she cut back on the booze and the Bachelor realized that Lindsay is 'so loving, caring, generous, supportive, hilarious' and 'seems to never have a bad day.'''
On Catherine: ''Catherine [is] 'very funny,'' ''sweet,'' and ''a little weird, nerdy and goofy,'' which Sean likes because, as he puts it, ''I need more silly in my life.'''
The Choice: ''The sun is setting by the time Catherine — clad in gold, in keeping with The Bachelor's opposing-color-finale-gown tradition — arrives at the Proposal Platform to meet Sean, and if that doesn't make her feel confident, the Bachelor's goofy grin and gushing words must. 'I miss you every time we have to say goodbye,' he tells her. 'I don't want to say goodbye anymore. Catherine, I want to spend the rest of my life telling you that I love you.' As Sean lowers himself to one knee, Catherine gulps for air and tries not to ruin her mascara. 'Yes! Oh my God!' she gasps, as the Bachelor relocates the rock to her ring finger. 'I love you so much,' sobs Sean into her shoulder. 'I'm going to tell you every day.'''

What Happened Next: Catherine and Sean continued their happily-ever-after once the show had ended, tying the knot in the first-ever live televised Bachelor wedding on Jan. 26, 2014.

The Bachelorette (season 8)

Finale aired July 23, 2012

Bachelorette: Emily Maynard

Potential grooms: Jef Holm and Arie Luyendyk

Kristen Baldwin wrote:

On Arie: ''Arie brings out Emily's 'youthfulness,' and he's 'thoughtful, ' 'attentive,' and would 'adore' Emily until the end of days.''

On Jef: ''One F's declaration of love to Emily made me cry. And no, it wasn't all the hoo-ha about how he loves her 'big brown eyes' and how she fits in his arms and how their 'unique connection' means they're 'meant to be.' No, it was the moment right after Jef said he'll cheer Ricki up when she's sad, when Emily closed her eyes and savored the mental picture of her little girl getting a comforting hug from her daddy.''

The Choice: ''To Emily's credit, she doesn't dither around or try to fake Jef out with an ominously placed 'But?' in her speech — it's just straight up you're my guy: 'I really do feel like you're my soulmate...I love you, so so much. So, so much. I knew you were the one for me. ' In fact, she continues, 'You were the only one who got to meet Ricki, and I didn't even go on a date with Arie yesterday. And he's not even here today! So it's just me and you.'''

What Happened Next: After weeks of rumors, Emily and Jef officially called it quits in October 2012. Emily claimed that ''ultimately we are just at different points in our lives.'' In January 2014, Emily got engaged to Tyler Johnson, whom she met at church in 2013. The couple wed on June 7, 2014. In January 2015, Emily announced she was pregnant with her second child and her first with Johnson.

The Bachelor (season 16)
Finale aired March 12, 2012
Bachelor: Ben Flajnik
Potential brides: Courtney Robertson and Lindzi Cox

Kristen Baldwin wrote:
On Courtney: ''After some tentative hello hugs, [Ben's mother] breaks the ice by asking Courtney if people often pre-judge her once they hear she's a model. 'Yeah, I think some of the girls are a little judgey of me,' Courtney squeaks. 'Some girls wouldn't even look at me or talk to me, and I was like, Why am I trying so hard? So I just kind of gave up.' Damn, girl, you haven't even taken your coat off! Maybe wait a few minutes before you eviscerate the other 'ladies' with your razor-sharp excuses!''
On Lindzi: ''But rather than — to use classic reality TV parlance — throwing her rival under the bus, Lindzi pauses, and then offers a very measured response. 'Courtney... she's very different than myself. I'm more of a people person... She was very shut off. In that situation why not try to make friends?' Julia has heard enough. 'At the end of the day, I want to protect my brother,' she says. "And I would be very, very happy if he picked you." (Uh-oh, Lindzi. I hate to tell you this, but it's never a good sign when a Bachelor's family shows a clear preference for one 'lady' over another. Team Bachelor loves nothing better than an early-in-the-episode fake-out.)''
The Choice: ''As Courtney's helicopter descends, she is feeling confident. 'I'm a good person,' she insists. 'And good things happen to good people.' Yeah, that's not actually true on either count, toots. Anyhow, let's do this thing, shall we? Like Lindzi, she hands her cape to Harrison before heading out to the Proposal Platform to hear Ben's speech. 'It always seems like whenever I'm with you I have these incredible moments,' gushes Ben. 'I want you to know that I think you're an incredible woman. But... I... I promised myself that I wouldn't get down on one knee again unless I was certain it was forever.' Hold up, is Ben about to exercise some judgment? 'And I want to tell you that you're my forever.' Oh, crap... never mind.''

What Happened Next: Flajnik and Robertson had already broken up amid cheating allegations and staged bridal shopping sprees by the time After the Final Rose aired, though they were seen together in May 2012 and claimed they were still engaged as of that June. Four months later, they officially ended their engagement. In June 2014, Robertson published I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends, a tell-all about her experience on the show.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelorette (season 7)

Finale aired May 23, 2011

Bachelorette: Ashley Hebert

Potential grooms: JP Rosenbaum and Ben Flajnik

Kristen Baldwin wrote:

On JP: ''He goes in for the kill: 'I am madly in love with you.' Later that night, we get the Ritual Exchange of Trinkets Found in the Hotel Gift Shop, as JP gives Ashley a photo album. Apparently he's been taking fiction-writing classes as well, because he's written an inscription: 'My dearest Ashley, this is the first chapter to the greatest love story ever told... When we look back years from now, still happy and very much in love, we'll always remember this time in our lives...' Ok, I think we get the picture. Let's just get this over with.''

On Ben: ''Ben and Ashley give a master class in 'dog voice' performance art; let's just say Ben sounds like Peter Lorre with a chest cold and Ashley makes a sound even dolphins would find excruciatingly high-pitched and piercing. But you know what? This horrifying display of schmoopiness actually makes it clear how much more compatible Ashley is with Ben than she is with stiff-as-a-board JP. ... All the more reason she'll probably pick JP, right? If we've learned anything on this 'journey,' it's that Ashley is a sucker for a bad decision.''

The Choice: ''As usual, Ashley's already high-pitched voice goes up another octave when she sees her man. 'Heeeey, handsome!' After JP blathers on for a few minutes about his feelings and emotions, Ashley finally opens her mouth: 'I've been wanting to tell you how much I loved you for so long now... I don't want to be with anyone else but you forever.' This forever you speak of — I do not think it means what you think it means. Anyhoo, this declaration of delusion prompts JP to drop to one knee and propose, and of course she says yes. Cue REO Speedwagon!''

What Happened Next: Hebert confirmed to season 8 Bachelorette Emily Maynard during a February 2012 promo on The Bachelor that she and Rosenbaum were still happily engaged and living together in New York City. The pair got married on national television in December 2012. And on July 21, 2014, the couple appeared on Bachelorette Andi Dorfman's Men Tell All special, where a live ultrasound was performed showing that the couple is expecting a baby boy in October 2014. The child has since been born, and the couple is still together.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelor (season 15)
Finale aired March 14, 2011
Bachelor: Brad Womack
Potential brides: Emily Maynard and Chantal O'Brien

Kristen Baldwin wrote:
On Chantal: ''Chantal begins talking a thousand miles a minute, telling the family about how she fell in love with Brad when they got rained on in Costa Rica, and oh, by the way, they just 'talked for several hours' when they went back to his hotel room.... The ever-garrulous bachelorette (perhaps fueled by her Cougar Town-size glass of wine) chatters on and on and on about how she learned so much from her divorce and her heart is so open and yada yada yada, and eventually the conversation devolves into a lovefest with Pamela calling Chantal 'precious' and declaring, 'I can see you to the end, and I hope that I do.' Nice work, girl! You're mama-approved.''
On Emily: ''Day 2 in Cape Town, and let's be honest — Emily is already starting at a disadvantage, and not just because Chantal got along so famously with the Womack clan. First question: 'How did Brad do with your family?' Um, yeah, well here's the thing... I've got a 5-year-old daughter. And if that wasn't awkward enough, ill-informed Wes wants to know how Ricki's father would feel about her moving to Austin. While Brad tries to dive in front of the verbal bullet, Emily stands her ground and tells her sad tale with the same poise she's demonstrated all season. And with that, Emily's apparent disadvantage becomes her trump card, as Chantal's bubbly immaturity is thrown into stark relief against her younger rival's life experience.''
The Choice: ''I don't know who wrote Brad's proposal speech, but that person deserves a raise. Even though it looks like Brad's reading the lines off of the top of Emily's hands, it's still quite possibly the sweetest, most coherent few sentences ever to come out of a Bachelor's mouth. 'You're so much more to me than a leap of faith. You're the one, Em. You're it. You're my once in a lifetime. And so what I'm asking is this: I'm asking you to please give me your forever.' Okay, so the last part is a bit cheesy, but this is The Bachelor after all. Emily, classy (or, should I say, 'classy') until the end, doesn't even glance at the ring before saying yes. And then Brad issues his final overly polite command: 'Emily, come here to me, please. I love you.'''

What Happened Next: In June 2011, Emily announced that the two had split up. Brad claimed that ''the demise of our relationship was completely my fault.''

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelorette (season 6)
Finale aired August 2, 2010
Bachelorette: Ali Fedotowsky
Potential grooms: Roberto Martinez and Chris Lambton

Jennifer Armstrong wrote:
On Roberto: ''Roberto, looking extra distractingly hot, charmed Ali's family — Mom, Dad, sister Raya and poor, little, mostly silent brother Mike — right away. It was all, Oh, we liked each other right away, there was an instant connection, I taught her to salsa dance, I gave him the First Impression rose, blah blah. We moved easily onto the portion of the proceedings wherein her brother and sister took him outside for a talking-to while Ali continued to gush to her parents about Roberto: 'I'm a little hyper,' she said. 'He brings me to a peaceful place.'''
On Chris: ''Chris then started to make me very nervous with his intractable faith in his feelings for Ali, detonating several I'm going to be proposings and I've found my soulmates. 'Hopefully we'll see you more,' Raya said. 'I have a feeling you will,' he said, and my heart broke a little more. Since he started saying stuff like that in Cape Cod, I've been worried for his poor, embattled (and also supercute) soul.??
The Choice: ''Finally, Ali was perched on the heavily symbolic Proposal Precipice in a gorgeous, flowy, champagne-gold gown, and he showed up all suited and suave. The speeches began: 'You told me how important it was for your husband to love you unconditionally and to be by your side no matter what. I want to be that man for you. I want to make you laugh, just like this. I want to make you smile. I want to make sure you wake up every morning for the rest of your life knowing that you're so, so loved.' Yes, please, sign me up for that plan. Ali got to say she loved him, then he went for the proposal, finally: 'I want to grow old with you. I want to have a beautiful, beautiful family with you. I want to share my life with you. Share your life with me. Be my wife.' I'll admit it: Now I cried for them, too. They totally won me over.

What Happened Next: Despite celebrating their one-year engagement anniversary with a trip to Bora Bora in May 2011, Fedotowsky announced the couple had split by November.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelor (season 14)

Finale aired March 1, 2010

Bachelor: Jake Pavelka

Potential brides: Vienna Girardi and Tenley Molzahan

Kristen Baldwin wrote:

On Tenley: ''After the comedy club, it's off to another rooftop cocktail party, where Tenley tearfully reveals her previous marriage and betrayal. While I find her pretty annoying, with the tears and the heartbreak and the virginity martyrdom, most of all I just find her boring. In fact, I tuned out her conversation with Jake and spent the time wondering how she got such nice definition in her arms. Free weights? Yoga?''

On Vienna: ''When it's time for Vienna to meet Jake's family, the Bachelor is understandably nervous. 'All Vienna needs to do now is go in there and be the Vienna I fell in love with,'' he says. Well, if that Vienna is 'tacky,' 'abrasive,' and 'annoying,' then the bachelorette sure gets things off to a perfect start.''

The Choice: ''Vienna arrives in a teal off-the-shoulder gown and what looks like a fresh dye job. Jake, in classic Bachelor bait-and-switch fashion, kicks off the exchange by handing her back the promise ring. Vienna looks like she's going to hurl...until a weepy Jake whispers, 'Vienna, I love you!' and drops to one knee, ring in hand. Of course she will! Hand over that princess-cut rock, buddy, and cue Jeffrey Osborne!''

What Happened Next: Vienna followed her fiancé to L.A. and sat in the audience as he competed on season 10 of Dancing With the Stars. But in June 2010 the duo split — and they aired their differences with Bachelor host Chris Harrison in a rivetingly tense joint interview on July 5, 2010. Both appeared on season 2 of ABC's Bachelor Pad with Vienna's then-boyfriend Kasey Kahl (another Bachelorette alum). Kasey and Vienna have since split.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelorette (season 5)
Finale aired July 27, 2009
Bachelorette: Jillian Harris
Potential grooms: Ed Swiderski and Kiptyn Locke

Kristen Baldwin wrote:
On Kiptyn: ''Jillian and Kip head to a flamenco studio for a lesson from Maria and Ricardo. Much to Kipper's chagrin, the lesson comes with traditional costumes. 'It definitely was not the most flattering thing I've ever worn. The kicker was the pants, which were...tight.' (Don't flatter yourself, pal.) They do an awkward but playful dance, and it makes Jillian hopeful. 'I think today I saw a side of Kiptyn I've been waiting to see — that side of him that is able to poke fun at himself and just be goofy, be not perfect.' Frankly, I don't think this guy has any trouble not being perfect, but maybe that's just me.''
On Ed: ''Okay, you know what? I'm going to go out on a limb here and say I think it's actually a selling point for Ed that he couldn't get it up in the Fantasy Suite. Ron Jeremy might be comfortable having sex in front of cameras and lights and a national audience, but most people would find that situation mortifying. As those E.D. commercials say, you have to know when 'the moment is right,' and good for Ed for realizing that despite its name, the Fantasy Suite is nothing but a capital-W wrong moment.''
The Choice: ''Here comes the first limo! Jillian is bracing herself to tell the first guy he's 'not the one,' and I am bracing myself for that poor guy to be Ed. Wait, it's Kipper! Has my wish actually been granted? Up is down! Black is white! Dogs and cats living together!''

What Happened Next: The Chicago-based couple seemed to be weathering the tabloids but ended up breaking up in July 2010.

The Bachelor (season 13)
Finale aired March 2, 2009
Bachelor: Jason Mesnick
Potential brides: Melissa Rycroft and Molly Malaney

Kristen Baldwin wrote:
On Melissa: ''After pretending to know who Winston Churchill is — they are, quite randomly, taking a sailing trip on the British Bulldog's old boat — Melissa yammers on and on in an incongruously peppy tone about how she's nervous about going home with a broken heart, but, like, it's okay because Jason's totally worth it.''
On Molly: ''Jason takes Molly to meet the family, and she responds by turning her perky levels up to 11 — which is a little disturbing because her smile and eyes are so wide at this point, she's beginning to get crazy face. (And I know it's windy out there, but couldn't she have run a comb through her ponytail before entering the house?) Jason's brothers want to know if Molly's ready to transition into the life of a domesticated stepmom, and she says, 'F--- that! I'm packing the brat off to boarding school!' Oh, wait, sorry — she actually tells them what they want to hear: 'I want to settle down with someone now. I've been there, done that.'''
The Choice: ''As soon as Jason, who's managed to get it together by now, tells Melissa that he's 'completely in love' with her, she hops up and down and squeals with glee. Of course, you know the rest: ring, kissing, 'Will you accept this rose?' And then sweet little Ty comes running out in his bowtie... Happily ever after, right? I rarely feel bad for people who choose to go on reality TV shows — strike that, I never feel bad for people who choose to go on reality TV shows — but for Melissa's sake, I really do wish the 'journey' had ended here.''

What Happened Next: Jason broke up with Melissa on the After the Final Rose special, which officially got Brad Womack off the hook as America's Most Hated Bachelor. He finally admitted to her that he still had feelings for Molly, and after Melissa called him a ''bastard,'' Molly came out and agreed to give Jason a second chance. They wed on Feb. 27, 2010. The ceremony aired on ABC the following month. (Rycroft actually beat them to the altar: She wed Dallas insurance agent Tye Strickland, a former flame, in December 2009. In 2013, the couple welcomed their second child.) Also in 2013, Jason and Molly welcomed a daughter, Riley Anne.

The Bachelorette (season 4)
Finale aired July 7, 2008
Bachelorette: DeAnna Pappas
Potential grooms: Jesse Csincsak and Jason Mesnick

Erin Stevenson wrote:
On Jesse: ''The snowboarder finally stepped up to the plate and asked DeAnna's dad for his permission to propose to his daughter. (D. tipped him off; I just know it.) The sure sign dad wasn't totally against having a snowboarding son-in-law? They exchanged nugs after a hug.''
On Jason: "Jason arrived bearing flowers for everyone and a basket of goodies; he easily won over the family, though DeAnna's father wondered if his daughter was ready for an instant family.''
The Choice: ''Though the men happily bought rings for the bride of their dreams, the board game [Jason gave DeAnna on their final date] was too little too late for Jason. Our bachelorette had already landed in love with Jesse, as opposed to being still falling in love with Jason, or so she tried to say.''

What Happened Next: DeAnna and Jesse had planned for a 2009 wedding in the Bahamas and an ABC-subsidized honeymoon in Greece, but in November 2008, Jesse announced via the couple's website and a YouTube video that DeAnna had broken up with him with the ol' ''I love you, but I'm not in love with you'' line. Pappas wed Stephen Stagliano, twin brother of Michael Stagliano, who appeared on Jillian Harris's season of The Bachelorette, in 2011, and the couple announced that they were expecting their first child. Addison Marie Stagliano was born on Feb. 6, 2014.

The Bachelor: London Calling (season 12)
Finale aired May 12, 2008
Bachelor: Matt Grant
Potential brides: Chelsea Wanstrath and Shayne Lamas

Mandi Bierly wrote:
On Chelsea: ''I loved that Chelsea stopped and fought with Matt as he walked her back to the limo.... She should have nailed him more for saying that his only 'but' with her is that it took her a 'long time' to open up to him. That's such crap: (a) You haven't known each other a 'long time,' and (b) The woman took off her panties on national television for you. She put herself out there, okay? Just tell her the truth: She's not warm and cuddly, and you want a woman who is.
On Shayne: ''You have to admire how Shayne handled [Matt's brother] Simon. She asked him for his honest first impression of her, and then didn't jump in and get defensive when he admitted that initially, he had no idea what Matt saw in her other than the obvious blond beauty.''
The Choice: ''He told Shayne that he'd looked into her big, brown eyes and thought it was too good to be true: an Englishman falling in love with an American movie star. But she made him believe that's she's just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her — okay, I'm paraphrasing.''

What Happened Next: In June 2008, a month after the finale aired, Matt confirmed to People that he'd moved out of the L.A. apartment he shared with Shayne, but said the two were still engaged. A month later, however, they issued a statement confirming their split. In January 2010, Grant, still Stateside, told US Weekly that he was developing a new show called Pimp My Bride. In April 2010, Lamas eloped with TheDirty.com's Nik Richie in Las Vegas. Despite a stint on VH1's Couples Therapy, the couple is currently expecting their second child together.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelor (season 11)
Finale aired Nov. 19, 2007
Bachelor: Brad Womack
Potential brides: DeAnna Pappas and Jenni Croft

Michael Slezak wrote:
On Jenni: ''Maybe it was her failure to make a homemade lasagna or a promise that she'd move directly to Texas — without passing go and without spending another season as a Phoenix Suns dancer — that caused Brad to reject her.''
On DeAnna: Maybe Brad was disturbed by the way DeAnna's eyelashes batted at the speed of a hummingbird's wings every time they were alone together. Maybe it was DeAnna's totally ferocious declaration that if they ended up together, she was going to want 'the dishes put where I want. The laundry done the way I want.'''
The Choice: ''There was Brad, declaring how 'marriage is one time and one time only,' and then suddenly, stepping away from DeAnna, circling like an uncomfortable cat trying to fluff up its bedding, rubbing his hands together, and [saying]: 'I want so badly to be so confident. To pick you up and twirl you around and give you a diamond ring and spend my life with you. But I can't look you in the eye and tell you that I love you. I can't.... I have to tell you goodbye.' BAM! Brad's twin brother, Chad, would not be gaining a sister-in-law/employee bartender after all.''

What Happened Next: While Pappas went on to become the next Bachelorette, Womack briefly became the most hated man in America. The bar owner returned to Austin and told EW in 2009 that people began to calm down after Ellen DeGeneres (who had called him a ''jerk'') let him explain to her audience that he never asked producers to fly Pappas' father in for the finale. (He also told EW that he admitted to producers two weeks before the finale that he didn't see a future with any woman there, but was told he had to go ring shopping and all the rest of it anyway: ''Per my contract, there was gonna be a final ceremony — whether I picked anybody or not.'')

Read the full TV Watch"

The Bachelor (season 10)
Finale aired May 21, 2007
Bachelor: Andy Baldwin
Potential brides: Tessa Horst and Bevin Powers

Michael Slezak wrote:
On Bevin: ''At least Bevin knew when to keep her mouth shut — refusing to let Andy off the hook after he gave her the old 'this is not a rejection at all' heave-ho (no pun intended). Indeed, the only thing that would've made Bevin's freeze-out even more satisfying would've been seeing her push Andy away, demand that he get his two-timing hands off her, and then march to the limo on her own. I mean, she let dude cop a feel while he was supposed to be flying their chopper!''
The Choice: ''I wonder how Tessa is feeling now that she knows her man toyed and smooched with Bevin mere days before he popped the question. And I wonder if Bevin's tears had dried on Andy's shoulder before he got down on bended knee before Tessa. Sort of puts a damper on ABC's relentless promos promising 'the most romantic proposal ever.'''

What Happened Next: In August 2007, Andy and Tessa told People they had broken off their engagement, but remained ''committed to our relationship.'' Roughly six months later, they called it quits. After a much-publicized relationship with Marla Maples in 2008, Baldwin has kept the focus on his work as a US Navy doctor, triathlete, and humanitarian.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelor: Rome (season 9)
Finale aired Nov. 27, 2006
Bachelor: Prince Lorenzo Borghese
Potential brides: Jen Wilson and Sadie Murray

Michael Slezak wrote:
On Jen and Sadie: ''Lorenzo, struggling to conjure up positive adjectives about both his potential mates, finally [settled] on 'overly polite.'''
On the season: ''Why am I getting worked up over a show that glorifies the idea of falling in love with the bare outline of another human being? In the world of The Bachelor, it's always the vaguest personalities, the ones who don't express a single quirky or interesting fact about themselves, who triumph. Which makes sense, I guess, if you're heeding some artificial deadline to fall in love by the end of November sweeps.''
The Choice: ''Sadie, you dodged a bullet.... Lorenzo, [brought] the evening to its romantic climax by holding out the dodgy diamond to Jen, telling her he loved her, saying she couldn't have it, then having her try it on.''

What Happened Next: In January 2007, the producers of the show confirmed that Borghese and Wilson had split. That same month, US Weekly reported that Murray had moved to New York to rekindle her romance with the prince. In March 2007, news of their breakup hit gossip columns.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelor: Paris (season 8)
Finale aired Feb. 27, 2006
Bachelor: Dr. Travis Stork
Potential brides: Sarah Stone and Moana Dixon

Michael Slezak wrote:
On Moana: ''[Redeemed] herself...with her ice-maiden response to Travis' parting comment that he'd miss her: 'I would certainly hope. In circumstances like this, no one ever knows.' Oooh, suh-nap! That's about as close to female empowerment as you'll ever get on The Bachelor.''
On Sarah: ''[How] about the way [Travis] tried to mislead Sarah (a woman he's supposedly in love with) into thinking he'd chosen Moana — all in the name of good television?! What he deserved was a smack in the kisser, not another unappetizing kissing session with the kindergarten teacher.''
The Choice: ''Bachelor Travis Stork, M.D., decided Sarah Tennessee would 'make the best doctor's wife' (ABC's words, not mine!) and presented her with a 2.2-karat diamond ring on a chain.''

What Happened Next: Blaming the need to stay apart for months between the end of the show's taping and the airing of the finale, the pair announced their split soon after the broadcast. Stork is now one of the hosts of the syndicated talk show The Doctors. Stork tied the knot with pediatrician and girlfriend of three years, Charlotte Brown, in 2012.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelor (season 7)
Finale aired May 16, 2005
Bachelor: Charlie O'Connell
Potential brides: Sarah Brice and Krisily Kennedy

Michael Slezak wrote:
On Krisily: ''Krisily positioned herself as the heartbroken yet 'classy' heiress to the Bachelorette throne.... From the moment Krisily arrived in Long Island, it was clear she'd already earned Charlie's 'just friends' seal of disapproval.''
On Sarah: ''Let's see: Krisily gets taken to the Montauket, where she's forced to drink beer out of a plastic cup with the guys; Sarah B. gets taken to a quiet sit-down restaurant for a glass of white wine. Charlie jokingly tells his dad not to make a pass at Krisily but shows nothing but respect for Sarah B. Which woman is Charlie falling for again?''
The Choice: Charlie and Sarah B. found love, or something like it, topped off by a big mega-carat friendship ring.

What Happened Next: In September 2007, Sarah told In Touch Weekly she and Charlie had split up a few months earlier. After they reunited, they admitted his drinking had been the problem. In January 2010, Oxygen announced it was developing a reality show with the couple. In April 2010, O'Connell confirmed to People that they'd split again.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelorette (season 3)
Finale aired Feb. 28, 2005
Bachelorette: Jen Schefft
Potential grooms: Jerry Ferris and John Paul Merritt

Michael Slezak wrote:
On Jerry: ''If you were days away from getting engaged to a guy, do you think you'd still have to ask him what exactly he did for a living? And frankly, would the following statement qualify as a sufficient declaration of affection from your future husband? 'The last thing I want you to question is whether or not I'm in love with you.'''
On John Paul: ''John Paul made it clear he thinks choosing a wife is kind of like choosing an automobile.... I could almost imagine him going through a mental checklist of predetermined features: blond hair, small waist, ability to mingle at cocktail parties, wardrobe full of sparkly sweaters, independent suspension.''
The Choice: ''I just about fell off my couch when Jen Schefft grabbed a red pen and rewrote the Bachelorette script all by herself, choosing to be alone (gasp!) instead of entering into a sham marriage engagement with Jerry or John Paul. Whatever her reasons, Jen's sudden declaration of independence gave me hope ? if not for the future of love, feminism, and humanity, then at least for the future of ABC's reality dating franchise.''

What Happened Next: Schefft married Joe Waterman, whom she met on a blind date in February 2008, in Chicago on May 15, 2009. ''He gives me flowers but never roses," she told People when announcing her engagement. The couple welcomed their first child, daughter Mae Elizabeth, on November 13, 2010, as well as a second daughter, Charlotte Grace on July 31, 2012.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelor (season 6)
Finale aired Nov. 24, 2004
Bachelor: Byron Velvick
Potential brides: Mary Delgado and Tanya Michel

Tom Conroy wrote:
On Mary: ''Whenever Byron was on camera with Mary, he looked bored, distracted, or nervous — or was giving that sincere, blinking, blank look that he has used when talking to women he's about to dump.''
On Tanya: ''For much of the first 90 minutes, we saw Byron giving her googly eyes, kissing her, grabbing her. His friends said he looked happier than they had ever seen him. Byron even got up and offered a toast in front of his parents and Tanya's mother: 'Here's to Christmases in Texas.'''
The Choice: ''Tanya was limoed back into the dating pool after what she later called her fastest breakup ever, and the emotionally overwhelmed Mary stumbled out onto the rose platform. Sprinkling his spiel to his Cuban American intended with what sounded to me like pretty decent Spanish (he either told her, 'You look lovely tonight' or 'You see tuna this nacho'), Byron said, 'I cannot see myself spending another minute without you as my wife.'''

What Happened Next: Hours after appearing as a couple — but not yet married — on an ABC special called After the Rose in November 2007, Mary was arrested on charges of assaulting Byron at their Tampa townhouse. The charges were later dropped, and Byron told US Weekly in March 2008 they were still together, and taking things ''day by day.'' In December 2009, the pro angler confirmed to US Weekly that the engagement was officially off.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelor (season 5)
Finale aired May 19, 2004
Bachelor: Jesse Palmer
Potential brides: Jessica Bowlin and Tara Huckeby

Mandi Bierly wrote:
On Jessica: ''Mom thought Jessica was the total package — a good wife, a good mother. Dad thought there's no way she could have enough life experience to be prepared for marriage — or marital problems — at 21.''
On Tara: ''Dad thought Tara was warm, engaging, confident, smart, spontaneous, and totally into his boy. Mom thought Tara was all about finding herself and had no feelings for Jesse at all.''
The Choice: ''Today, I'm speechless. (Well, I would be if I didn't have to write this thing.) Not because I'm overly ecstatic or upset that Jesse chose Jessica, but because one minute after the show ended...I just didn't care.''

What Happened Next: The pro quarterback and the law student's relationship fumbled one month after the finale aired. He recovered with a career in broadcasting.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelorette (season 2)
Finale aired Feb. 25, 2004
Bachelorette: Meredith Phillips
Potential grooms: Ian McKee and Matthew Hickl

Jennifer Armstrong wrote:
On Ian: ''Who do we think loves Ian more, Meredith or Bachelorette producers? (Or me?) Definitely a toss-up. That former New York investment banker made for some fine television during the two-hour finale.... The guy was a bad boy and Prince Charming all wrapped up in one yummy package.''
On Matthew: ''The fam couldn't get enough of him and his bland, if sincere, professions of adoration for Meredy (as they call her). I, on the other hand, had to muster superhuman self-control not to hit the remote and catch a little of The O.C. instead.''
The Choice: ''When [Meredith and Ian] saw each other, it was clear she'd made the right choice — basically, they both turned into blithering, almost incoherent idiots. Meredith...took a chance on the passionate adventurer instead of the sure thing — and her love tamed him into submission. The stuff of fairy tales, folks. And some damned fine TV.''

What Happened Next: Fine TV, yes; fairy tale, not so much. They confirmed their split in February 2005. A classically trained chef, Phillips published The Date Night Cookbook in February 2008. Phillips later married Michael Broady before opening up about her battle with alcoholism in 2013.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelor (season 4)
Finale aired Nov. 19, 2003
Bachelor: Bob Guiney
Potential brides: Estella Gardinier and Kelly Jo Kuharski

Jessica Shaw wrote:
On Kelly Jo: ''The gazillionth time Kelly Jo...announced how confident she was that Bob would propose, you just knew the producers were setting her up for a fall.''
On Estella: ''During the finale, she was so adorable, so confident, so loving, so intelligent, so embracing of her forehead wrinkles.''
The Choice: ''I feel a small amount of comfort in knowing that the man so many of us loved from our living rooms did not want to spend his life with a woman who wears glitter eye shadow.... Since we knew who was getting the last rose, the only surprise was going to be if [Estella] would get the ring. Though the down-on-one-knee moment always makes for good television, it was far more touching that Bob wanted to continue their relationship without cameras watching their every move.''

What Happened Next: A month after the final episode aired, Estella told People, ''He's not the person I thought he was. I don't see any reason to ever have a conversation with him.'' In July 2004, People reported she auctioned off the $45,000 diamond ring Guiney gave her on the Bachelor finale for $22,300 to help her mother buy a house. Guiney married All My Children actress Rebecca Budig, whom he'd met when she was hosting a Bachelor recap special, on July 3, 2004. She filed for divorce in April 2010.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelor (season 3)
Finale aired May 18, 2003
Bachelor: Andrew Firestone
Potential brides: Jen Schefft and Kirsten Buschbacher

Liane Bonin wrote:
On Jen: ''Jen, who started out the show as just another doe-eyed blonde, emerged as the ultimate spunky Cinderella by wowing Andy's folks and making the best of several crappy situations.''
On Kirsten: ''Watching her try to hold her own with Andy's sensible older sisters...filled me with a sense of awe, not only because the poor thing wasn't even aware of how vapid she sounded, but also because both [siblings] were able to hold those frozen smiles on their faces for so long without breaking into hives.''
The Choice: ''Andy...not only chose the right girl but gave Kirsten what-for about the not-quite-ex-boyfriend she had tucked away back home.''

What Happened Next: Andrew and Jen's relationship went flat less than a year after the finale. Jen would later return to the series as the third Bachelorette. Andrew married model Ivana Bozilovic in California on July 5, 2008. They welcomed their first child, a son, Adam Brooks, on March 22, 2009, followed by a daughter named Anja in 2011 and a second son, Shane, in January 2014.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelorette (season 1)
Finale aired Feb. 19, 2003
Bachelorette: Trista Rehn
Potential grooms: Charlie Maher and Ryan Sutter

Ken Tucker wrote:
On Charlie: ''As much as I had been digging the way Trista had managed to project a complex personality in a show designed to simplify romance to a 'He loves me, he loves me not' pull-the-daisy game, I really thought, beneath her sexy-cool exterior lay...a cold, TV-guided heart. That, in other words, she would pick Charlie, the slick 'financial analyst' hustler.''
On Ryan: ''The melting-heart, poetry-writing fireman...was genuine in his awkwardness but also sweetly well-spoken — also a bore, thanks to the [editing by the] producers.''
The Choice: ''Holy mackerel: She picked the right guy! Unsolicited parting advice: Ryan, lay off the rhyming couplets; Trista, pitch your voice a tad lower in intimate moments. And all the best, kids.''

What Happened Next: Trista and Ryan became the first couple from the Bachelor or Bachelorette to actually get married. Their gift from ABC: $1 million for getting hitched on TV. Trista and Ryan's first child, a boy, Max, was born in July 2007. Their second, daughter Blakesley, arrived April 3, 2009. The duo celebrated 10 years of marriage by renewing their vows on national television on Jan. 19, 2014.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelor (season 2)
Finale aired Nov. 20, 2002
Bachelor: Aaron Buerge
Potential brides: Helene Eksterowicz and Brooke Smith

Jessica Shaw wrote:
On Helene: ''Over the past few weeks, it became increasingly clear that Helene was in it to win it — not because she was madly in love with Aaron, but because she wanted the victory. And, most transparently, she bought him a money clip. Hmmm, is somebody after something other than your heart, Aaron?''
On Brooke: ''Brooke, on the other hand, may be a mere 22, but that girl had more genuine emotion for this undeserving clod in her pinkie toe than Helene had in her entire body.''
The Choice: ''If you teared up during Aaron's predictable proposal to Helene, just stop reading right now because you're not going to like what I have to say. If you've watched the show since the beginning, you saw Aaron turn into a bulging-eyed cartoon character every time he saw the Jersey-girl school psychologist. You had to know no other woman really had a shot. Well, guess what? The guy made the wrong choice.''

What Happened Next: Before the end of 2002, Helene and Aaron's engagement was off. Buerge married commercial insurance agent Angye McIntosh in their hometown, Springfield, Mo., in August 2009.

Read the full TV Watch

The Bachelor (season 1)
Finale aired April 25, 2002
Bachelor: Alex Michel
Potential brides: Trista Rehn and Amanda March

Jessica Shaw wrote:
On Trista: ''Trista started off so icy you practically had to put on a sweater while watching.... She didn't throw herself at him or sexually attack him. She didn't claim to have the deepest of emotions she didn't quite have. Still, it was impossible not to see the connection growing stronger between these two as the weeks went on.''
On Amanda: ''This girl signed on looking for Prince Charming. She seduced. She flattered. She pledged eternal affection. And if we learned anything from Alex, it's clear that an ego boost can be the ultimate aphrodisiac.''
The Choice: ''By the last 10 minutes...'I went to Harvard and Stanford' Alex tried to pretend as if he hadn't made the worst choice of his life.... The best woman didn't win mostly because the man was so far from being a prize himself.''

What Happened Next: They didn't live happily ever after: Amanda and Alex split, and she accused him of trysting with Trista, who would later star in the first Bachelorette series.

Read the full TV Watch