BY Eric Rezsnyak
Now that was a fulfilling finale. Although it included quite a bit of heartbreak — some of it difficult to watch — I felt like the stories all ended in a way that made sense to the viewer, and provided us with as much resolution as was possible.
Let’s get into it, reversing the usual order and going from total relationship catastrophe to happily ever after (hopefully).
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Jimmy & Chelsea
It’s fitting that this couple’s final date was at an amusement park, because their relationship has been a rollercoaster. And I don’t think anyone saw that final drop coming. When last we left the absolutely doomed Jimmy and Chelsea, they were both very obviously pretending that everything was fine, and that they were madly in love with each other, desperately trying to get to the altar. I still believe Chelsea absolutely wanted that ring on her finger before she dropped the act and went back to being impossible, while I think Jimmy wanted to maximize his TV time but had no intention of saying, “I do.” So I was stunned when, just a few minutes into this episode, Jimmy told Chelsea he could not marry her.
I would love to hear Jimmy’s calculus for the timing of this announcement — the actual truth, not the mealy-mouthed BS he said here — because I do understand Chelsea’s genuine confusion as to what was happening. From what we saw, they had spent the days leading up to this all teeth and kissies as they made ugly ice sculptures and picked out wedding purchases. And then, BAM!, he lowers the boom. I would have to go back and rewatch the ending of Episode 12, but I feel like Jimmy was just saying that he couldn’t wait to marry Chelsea, then he asked her how she was feeling. When this episode began, she expressed uncertainty, but hopefulness, and that’s when he said it was over. The timing was WEIRD.
But there’s more to it. The tone with which Jimmy spoke to Chelsea here was cold and borderline calculated. It was clear, to me, that he absolutely did give up on her after their big fight from a few episodes before, when Chelsea completely lost it and accused him of cheating (no indication of that), seeing Jessica (totally made up), never loving her (Jesus Christ), and revealing to the world that Jimmy slept with one of his female friends. That last part seemed to be the real issue here. At the time of the fight, you could see Jimmy get enraged when Chelsea revealed that in front of the cameras, and he specifically brought it up again in this conversation. I think that’s when he realized that he could not trust Chelsea, and that her emotional outbursts were too big a liability. Had she not done that I think he probably could have gotten to the altar, but that was a betrayal — not just to Jimmy, but to his friend, and I think that was the real issue here.
And honestly, I agree. I’m sure it sucked for Chelsea to be strung along up to this point, but a) they absolutely should not have gotten married, and b) at least he didn’t dump her at the altar, which I think has to be even more brutal (more on that in a second). I genuinely think that Jimmy wanted to maximize his camera time — he wanted to make it to the finale — and I think he was very concerned about looking like a “bad guy” on national TV. He mentioned the cameras too many times for me to believe otherwise, and his behavior since Dominican Republic was that of a man going through the motions, saying the “right” things, but lacking genuine emotion behind it. And I do think Chelsea picked up on those vibes. She’s not stupid. Just a mess.
I’m sure all of that made Chelsea’s overwhelming trust issues even worse…but that said, Chelsea needs to do a lot of self work. I am not a psychologist, but I do sleep with one. I absolutely understand that men are The Worst. Her trust issues and lack of self esteem are understandable. But she HAS to work on those and get right with herself, or she’s never going to find happiness. I’m sure this show has not helped at all. In addition to Jimmy going from, “I can’t wait to marry you, I love you so much” to, “Welcome to Dumpsville, Population: You” in seemingly minutes — a real mindfuck — when she finds out Trevor was in a long-term relationship the whole time they were in the pods? I genuinely feel for her, she was getting played by multiple guys. The men this season really were trash.
Clay & AD
Oh, man. This was difficult. The Clay & AD segment made up the bulk of this episode, and for good reason. It was compelling television. I could have watched AD and her family and friends glowing, radiating positivity in their bridal suite, for hours. Gorgeous women just reveling in their shared joy. Amazing. The energy was notably different for Clay right from the beginning. I have felt strongly since the pods that Clay was not emotionally strong enough for this process, and this episode confirmed that again and again. He looked like a little boy wandering through this episode, almost clueless about the world around him. He retreated into his shell and all I saw on his face was terror, with a few bits of obvious admiration for AD.
The segment with Clay and his father seemed interminable to me, but I also understood how important it was that we, the viewer, saw it. Because it helped to explain Clay pretty clearly. First, Clay’s relationship with his father is…bizarre. The two of them did not interact as a father and son would. There was almost no rapport between them. It was incredibly awkward, almost like a fan meeting his idol, with Clay a bundle of nerves and his father just monologuing the most generic, sometimes actively terrible, advice we’ve ever seen on this show. And was he rhyming? I felt like he was rhyming. And in what I think was a very key takeaway, at multiple times he turned this whole thing, somehow, to be about him. The red flags were flagging.
And so it was awful to watch, but not surprising — I had expected it for weeks, truly — when they got to the altar, AD absolutely beaming with love and excitement and saying, “I Do,” and Clay saying, “I Can’t.” He assured her he loved her, but he could not marry her, because he wasn’t there yet. AD was devastated. So was I.
On the one hand, I sympathize with Clay here, because the timeline for this show is absolutely crazy. And he’s right: it is a business arrangement as much as it is a sacred trust, and he didn’t feel like he understood AD’s business enough to take that on. Well, given the number of times we saw Clay bail on AD to go run jet skis or whatever, I’m going to guess that’s at least partially on him. Was he asking her those questions? I can’t imagine AD wouldn’t be forthcoming. But beyond that, this is Season 6 of this show. Everyone knew what they were signing up for. To get all the way to the altar and say, “You know what, I just don’t think I’m ready for marriage,” is…boo. That’s what it is. You wanted to be on TV. And you strung this woman along for the ride.
I do think Clay actually has/had feelings for AD. I also hope she sticks by her pledge at the end of the episode to be done with him. Because Clay is not capable of being the man AD wants and needs, as much as both of them would like to think otherwise. Both Clay and AD said this episode that Clay either “put in the work” or that he would “put in the work.” Where is the work? Where is the growth? All I see is a scared kid. And apparently there is good reason for that. The scenes with Clay’s dad and his awesome mother alluded to some vague but clearly upsetting situations from their marriage that Clay was privy to, which shocked his mother. They spoke in the most obtuse terms possible, I’m sure for reasons of privacy. But I suspect it had the opposite effect. I’m confident the “Love Is Blind” sphere is abuzz trying to figure out what Clay’s dad during his marriage.
I can’t think of another situation on this show where a part of a couple’s family played such a crucial role in their decision. I do believe Clay when he said he wasn’t emotionally ready for this — and you shouldn’t get married if you’re not emotionally ready, agree, but then why were you on this show? — and I believe him when he says it stems from issues with his parents’ marriage. What I do not understand is why that should have such a profound impact on Clay, and how he is going to live his life to address it going forward. Like, you can’t fix your parents’ marriage. You can only work on yours. But you’re not emotionally ready to get married, because of them. A really strange scenario, and again, from where I’m sitting, Clay needs to log a lot of time in a therapist’s chair.
Team AD all the way. I’m looking forward to see how she’s doing at the reunion. She deserves the world and I’m confident she will get it. Also, please do a spin-off with her whole family. They are LOVELY.
Johnny & Amy
And the best way to end the episode was with our season’s sole functional couple, Johnny & Amy. I’ve said all along that I’m sure these two were getting a glowing edit because everyone else was imploding, but seeing them interact with their families and friends, I also just think they work. There’s such an ease to their relationship, and that extended to their loved ones. It was so sweet watching the families blend together at that wedding. As adorable as the actual couple was — and they were — I was equally as engaged by their family members going all gooey for each other.
Everything about that wedding seemed perfect. There are really no notes. They both looked great, the setting was beautiful, everyone seemed to have a wonderful time — it was the exact right way to end this season, and I wish them only happiness. One of our panelists pointed out that a season ending with one married couple is actually fitting for a “social experiment” like this — average wise, it’s unlikely that multiple couples would be successful at the end. Johnny & Amy were the correct couple for this season.
NEXT: The reunion, where I hope we get to see Trevor grilled, Chelsea and Jimmy at each other’s throats, Laura and Jeramey destroying one another, AD living her best life, and get an update on what the fuck was going on with Matthew.
Did you miss our previous “Love Is Blind” recaps? Here they are:
