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The Bachelorette season 21 concluded after it released its 180-minute finale on ABC on September 3, 2024. The finale which started on a positive note soon took a dark turn after Jenn Tran revealed the man she got engaged to claimed he never loved her.
The two finalists who walked alongside Jenn were Devin and Marcus. Both asserted they wanted to build a future with Jenn, but failed to deliver when the opportunity knocked on their doors. They misled and betrayed the Bachelorette, leaving her with bitter memories. The first-ever Asian lead sat through the finale with tears streaming down her face.
It was the day before the engagement and Marcus had still not professed his love to Jenn. When she goaded him to express his emotions, he admitted he was not ready, compelling Jenn to bid farewell to him. With only one option remaining, Jenn invested all her attention in Devin. However, even he let her down.
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Devin broke up with Jenn two months after their engagement, saying she was not what he wanted. The following morning Jenn found him following Maria Georgas among other women on Instagram. Despite everything, host Jesse Palmer followed the schedule and made Jenn watch the proposal with Devin by her side.
The Bachelorette fans took to X to express their disappointment over the finale.
"I’ll give it to Jesse. I didn’t see this coming," a fan wrote.
"Hi ABC, this is for you. That sinister spectacle of a finale you made of #TheBachelorette was disgusting. I wish I could hug you, Jenn, I’m so sorry," a user reacted.
"I’m so angry and upset rn. NOBODY did right by this woman. Not Devon. Not Marcus. Not Bachelor Producers. Not ABC. Not even Jesse Palmer. Jenn deserved so much more than what she was given. By EVERYONE," one netizen commented.
The Bachelorette fans slammed production for not "protecting" Jenn during her journey through the show, especially in the finale. They criticized them for letting Jenn get humiliated.
"Tonight is extra frustrating bc the head producers JUST did a big interview with the LA Times about how they’re committed to protecting their leads of colour and owning up to past failures. They did not protect Jenn tonight or during casting," a person tweeted.
"im not rocking with the fact that abc hyped up the first asian american bachelorette, sharing she's making history and breaking barrier, just to straight up humiliate her like this in the end..." another person wrote.
"f**k abc for treating Jenn this way truly. They could’ve had an empowering story of the first Asian bachelorette and yet they give her a terrible edit all season, terrible men, and set out to embarrass her on the finale. She deserves so much better than this," one fan commented.
Many fans called the finale the most dramatic of all The Bachelorette finales.
"When they actually deliver on the “most dramatic finale we’ve ever seen”, " a netizen tweeted.
"this is the one and only bachelorette finale jesse palmer was right. we never seen an ending like this," a user wrote.
The Bachelorette season 21 finale: 3 key moments
1) Jenn bids farewell to Marcus
Jenn's family was concerned that Marcus had still not confessed his feelings to her. They worried he was one of those emotionally unavailable men. He clarified that although he was not in love with Jenn, he would eventually "get there."
Jenn started feeling "frustrated," recalling every opportunity she had given him to tell her he loved her. Meanwhile, Marcus confided in Jesse about his uncertainties and said:
"I've been struggling with this doubt of whether or not Jenn and I are meant for each other."
When Jenn pressed him for answers, he confessed he could not meet her expectations. Once the Bachelorette realized he would not take a step into the future, she thanked him for being honest with her and bid farewell to him.
2) Devin's Instagram shenanigans
The Bachelorette decided to propose to Devin to show how deeply she cared for him. After a blissful engagement ceremony, Jenn looked forward to spending a lifetime with him. However, her fairytale was woefully cut short.
Right before a "Happy Coupe" visit, Devin called and cut all ties with her. He claimed he "didn't feel the same way" and denied "ever being in love." While defending himself, Devin admitted he left the show with unresolved feelings and doubts. He said:
"I was regretfully late on letting you know, you are 100 percent right."
What enraged Jenn was everything he did after severing ties with her.
"Ending our engagement on the phone call. The next day I wake up to you following girls on Instagram - not just any girl, but Maria," Jenn said.
Maria was the woman who many cast members thought would be the Bachelorette. Jenn explained it was "so disrespectful" to everything they shared. She then scolded him for clubbing in New York with co-star Jeremy right after breaking up with her.
3) Reliving the trauma
After their breakup became public, Jesse announced it was time to watch Jenn and Devin's engagement ceremony. He played the video for everyone to watch. Although Jenn expressed discomfort watching the clip with Devin next to her, she had no other option.
Jenn sobbed rewatching the "happiest day" of her life. While Devin claimed the man on the screen was in love, Jenn differed saying the man did not exist anymore. Even though it was a tough watch, she vowed to find the man who cared for her and fulfilled her promises instead of leaving her with nothing.
All episodes of The Bachelorette season 21 are available to stream on ABC and Hulu.
