The Bachelorette Season 19, Episode 11 recap: Finale (Part 1)

The Bachelorette Season 19 has finally reached its end…at least the first part. Split over two weeks, the season finale started tonight with Rachel Recchia and Gabby Windey solidifying the men or man they want to be with. However, as the season closes, the drama picks up as the decisions become real and life-changing.

Who will the Bachelorettes end up with in the end? Let’s find out what happened in part one of the two-part finale of The Bachelorette Season 19!

The Bachelorette Season 19, Episode 11 recap

1. Rachel’s rose ceremony

In front of a live audience for the second time on The Bachelorette Season 19, Jesse introduced the women, and after a short conversation, they picked up where they left off last week. Jesse has been hyping this finale up as the most dramatic in Bachelorette history. Time will tell if that is actually what happens.

Back to the drama. Zach pulled Rachel aside before the rose ceremony to get his feelings off his chest. He felt differently about Rachel after their overnight date. He felt she wasn’t genuine and acted differently when the cameras were off and not in a good way. She commented about his age and questioned him being ready for a proposal, but there are only a few months apart.

Zach brought up these things in their conversation, saying he did love her and did see a future with her. Her response was rather disingenuous towards him, and you could tell he was the one that would have gone home regardless. At least Zach got to leave on his terms. Rachel honestly acted like she didn’t care at that moment, and the two were obviously in two different places in the relationship.

As she gives the roses to Tino and Aven, in that order, Zach questions everything about his journey and time on the show as he’s taken away. Jesse revealed to the live audience that Rachel and Zach would get to speak to each other for the first time since being on the show.

Zach and Rachel started their conversation with an apology from Zach. Although some would argue he did nothing wrong. The two discussed their relationship and actions during the overnight date, and they both agreed that when they got to the date, they felt like strangers when they got to know the real Rachel and Zach. Jesse asked if they had any regrets, and Zach said no, and everything happens for a reason. They both had great things to say about each other, and Zach wished nothing but the best for Rachel.

2. Aven meets the family

Now it’s time for the remaining men to meet Rachel’s and Gabby’s families. First up is Aven, meeting Rachel’s family, including Big Tony, for the first time. Big Tony flashed a smile when talking with Aven. Aven buttered him up with a cigar, trying to win some brownie points.

These two are the first to go off and have a conversation. Tony put Aven on the spot and asked what makes him different than Tino. Aven talked about how he has been genuine, open, and honest and realizes this is her real life just as much as his real life. He realizes that there are repercussions from decisions made on this show that will impact the rest of their life. Aven reiterates that he takes Rachel’s feelings into every decision he makes and how he is falling in love and is ready for a life with Rachel.

Next up for Aven is Rachel’s two best friends. They asked if Aven was falling in love with Rachel or love with Rachel. He said he’s falling in love with Rachel and can see a life with her after the show. When her friends push him on this, he says he doesn’t know how much time they have left on the show but doesn’t know if he can get there by the show’s end. Mind you, Aven’s parents are divorced, and he saw the repercussions of what rushing into a marriage looks like and what happens after. He doesn’t want that for him and Rachel and is willing to wait until the right moment.

Rachel then met with her friends and discussed their questioning of Aven. They told Rachel that he was not ready to get engaged, but that’s not quite what Aven said. He said he is ready in his life to get engaged but maybe not in a few days. I can see both sides of this story. Rachel and Aven have a heated conversation about this, where Aven tries to get Rachel to see that there are real lives and futures at stake, and there is still another man involved to whom Rachel could also be engaged. Rachel thought they had already discussed this and was under the impression Aven was ready to propose in a few days otherwise, she may not have introduced him to her family.

The conversation continued, and not for the better. Aven tries to get Rachel to understand that he feels like he can propose to her but wants to make sure it is the right time and place for the both of them. Again, this isn’t for TV there are real lives at stake after the show. Rachel told him he was yelling and said he was just super passionate and wanted to be with Rachel in the end. Yelling was a bit of a stretch. The two seem to smooth things over enough after the date but is this an impasse Rachel can’t get through? Will Aven be ready by the end of The Bachelorette Season 19?

3. Erich meets the family

Now it’s Gabby’s turn to be reunited with her family and to show off her lone man standing on The Bachelorette Season 19, Erich. The family received Erich well and expressed how important his hometown date with Gabby was and how his feelings grew after that. Gabby first talked with her Grandpa John, who had already met Erich and liked him from that one-on-one date. He expressed his approval of Erich and advised her that their relationship needs to be 90/90, not 50/50.

Erich talked with Gabby’s dad and stepmom and had a good conversation with them. He reiterated that he loves Gabby and wants to spend his life with her. Gabby met with this couple and said she constantly battles with her and Erich’s relationship being too good to be true or the real thing.

She then talked with her aunt about her issues with love after her experiences with her mom. She told Gabby that she had to let Erich in and see her vulnerable side and insecurities about being loved. This had to be the best advice given during the episode.

4. Tino meets the family

Now it’s Tino’s turn to meet Rachel’s family on The Bachelorette Season 19. After his family didn’t receive Rachel well, it will be interesting to see how it is in reverse. Rachel prefaced their date by telling her family how poorly their family reacted to her. Immediately their family was skeptical.

Tino was super nervous on this date, and it showed. Rachel’s mom pulled Tino aside first, and he seemed super nervous. She brought up his family not liking her, and he said they won’t have a choice if they get engaged. Rachel talked with her dad, who reiterated that he wanted Tino to be right for her and not to have her sacrifice her dreams and future for Tino.

Now the moment we all wanted. Tino and Big Tony. He got right into the hometown date, and Tino revealed that he had only really talked about sports with his dad and was surprised how he reacted on their hometown date. Big Tony said he liked Tino to his face and appreciated his answers. What we missed, or never happened, was Tino getting grilled by her friends.

Tino said all the right things but did he mean it? Rachel has a difficult choice ahead of her, with Aven in the dog house and Tino having a shockingly good family date.

5. Aven’s last date

Back at the live finale show of the Bachelorette Season 19, Jesse asked Rachel about her difficult conversation with Aven. She hoped they would be on the same page but realized they weren’t after her family date. Aven has one final shot at making things right with Rachel.

Rachel had her last date with Aven and greeted him in his room. They both knew they had a tough conversation ahead of them. Aven apologized profusely to open the conversation saying he never wants to be the reason she cries or is upset. He reiterated that an engagement is an extremely important decision for them, and he wants to experience real life with Rachel before a proposal. His argument is sound. He wants to get to know Rachel deeper than he can on a TV show. He wants to reach a point where they both are ready for an engagement and can move straight into marriage and start their family.

She replied to Aven, telling him she told her family that she trusted Aven wholeheartedly and felt that he was ready for the next step. She talked about having her friends tell her that she didn’t know where her boyfriend stood and that he wasn’t ready for an engagement. Aven said he could have gotten caught up in things and said he was ready when maybe deep down he ultimately wasn’t. He wants to be with Rachel in the end and can see a life with her but is not ready to propose.

Rachel ended her side by saying she needs someone who is 100% here for her and ready to give her what she wants, and that isn’t Aven. She told him it was over. He tells her he will never get over this, but he wants her to be happy in all of this, so if this is what she wants, he accepts it. In his side interview, he said he’s failed and that if he could do that one thing to change it all and end up with Rachel, he would have. He is confident they would have gotten there in the end.

6. Live with Aven & Rachel

They go back to the live audience, and you can hear a pin drop. Honestly, the quietest it’s been on The Bachelorette Season 19. Jesse is almost speechless and doesn’t know where to start. Rachel said that it’s hard to talk about and watch again. Jesse revealed that Aven is backstage and ready to talk with Rachel for their first time since Mexico.

Aven came out, and the crowd cheered. Aven started their conversation by saying he was extremely sorry about how their relationship ended and that he blindsided her and felt like he had let her down. Now that’s two men who apologized to Rachel when they maybe didn’t need it. Rachel said that there probably wasn’t anything Aven could have done to salvage the relationship, but she could respect that he was honest with himself and what they needed. He said he guessed he didn’t understand what she wanted or needed at the end of it all.

Jesse asked when Aven realized he wasn’t ready to propose, and he said he just wanted to be open and honest with her family but didn’t have the opportunity to talk to her before. Jesse asked if her friends were trying to sabotage her relationship, and Aven said they weren’t, and Rachel agreed. Although it kinda seemed fishy.

They talked about regrets, and Aven said he does regret not being able to see it through with Rachel, and she said you couldn’t look back and have to move on. She said she wanted the best for him and was glad they could have this closure.

7. The overflow

Time’s up! Or was it? The show was supposed to end, but The Bachelorette got special permission to go over their allotted time to finish the discussion and close the loop on the tough moments. We also had Gabby’s final date with Erich, the final date of The Bachelorette Season 19, to cover in part one of the finale.

Back in Mexico, Gabby met Erich for their final date to discuss the finishing touches before the big day. Erich discussed his time on the show and how he was falling for Gabby since he stepped out of the limo. He said that he wants to spend his life with her and doesn’t want anything that’s not natural or meant for them.

Gabby was seeking out the truth on this date and needed to know where Erich stood on a proposal. He is still not sure whether he can do it or not. She said the last thing she wanted to do was put pressure on him. She is not the one proposing and acknowledges that. Erich reiterated that he wanted to spend time with her but revealed that he wanted to date her in the real world. He stated that a proposal right after this wouldn’t feel natural.

She had to walk away after not getting the answer she wanted. She wants to spend her life with Erich and wants him to propose, but she can’t make that decision for him. He wants to date her in the real world and see how things go. Dating doesn’t equal a proposal. Gabby started to question the process and was done with it all.

They show the teasers before closing the episode, which looks DRAMATIC. Yes, all caps. Maybe Jesse was telling the truth. Or not, and both women end up engaged in the end. Well, we have to wait until next week to find out.

Want to know what’s in store and how to watch the season finale of The Bachelorette Season 19? Check out the article above! What do we think about Aven and their decision to call it quits? Do both Bachelorettes end up engaged in the end? Does only one? Neither? 

Let us know what you think in the comments below, Bachelor Nation!