Longtime fans of "The Bachelor" already know that the "Women Tell All" episode is more about the relationships between the cat-fighting girls than the show's hunky star. But Sean Lowe's "WTA" had one big moment that was all about Sean -- and a fantasy suite faux pas.
Host Chris Harrison hinted at an uncomfortable confrontation last week. He told TV Guide he hadn't seen the final cut of the pre-taped reunion but added, "I hope they show a very awkward moment that none of us knew about or saw coming when AshLee and Sean started talking." As if there was ever a doubt!
Sean's face to face with AshLee -- the first time he'd seen her since dumping her in Thailand -- probably didn't go as either of them planned. There was certainly no closure, and there was one exchange that can surely be dubbed "The Most Awkward Moment in 'Bachelor' History."
While Sean tried to explain himself to AshLee ("From day one, you were my frontrunner. When I pictured my life with someone, it was usually you because everything seemed to match up with. But when it came down to it, there were times that I felt like I couldn't find that laughter with you," he said), the 32-year-old personal organizer blindsided The Bach with a fantasy suite bombshell that had the all-female audience stunned.
"Why did you say you had absolutely no feelings for them?" AshLee asked him of the final two girls, Lindsay and Catherine.
"I didn't say that," Sean quickly replied.
"Twice you didn't say that, Sean? Come on, Sean."
"I promise I didn't say that. I didn't, and I wouldn't say that."
But AshLee pressed on: "Do you think I would just say that out of the blue? Do you think I would just make that up?"
"I would never say I don't have feelings for those two women," he declared.
The two finally agreed to disagree (the cameras continued to roll during the commercial break as AshLee tried to jog this forgetful Bachelor's memory), but it was ultra uncomfortable especially since it's rumored that Sean is now engaged to one of the other two women. Looks like he had some explaining to do after last night's broadcast!
"I would never call you out if I wasn't sure that's what you said," AshLee told him. Although she did admit to Harrison that as she watched this season play out, she realized, "This guy's not quite who I thought he was."
"With me, he was a southern gentleman, but with the other girls, he was kind of like a frat boy," she said.
Harrison gave Sean the final word on the conversation that went on in the fantasy suite. "I certainly didn't say I didn't have feelings for the remaining two women," Sean said. (Cue the eye roll from AshLee.) "But obviously I must have had something that misled AshLee, and for that, I'm very sorry if I did."
While the AshLee accusation was the highlight of the show, there was also a teary look back at some of the other broken hearts Sean left in his wake.
"I put that wall down for him. He had seen me in a more vulnerable state than I think I've ever let anybody see me," Sarah cried, before admitting that she thought she had "forever" with this guy she kissed once. "I've cried and talked about things with him that I don't talk to with my best friends about. I thought we had something else. It's the worst to be told you're great, but you're not good enough for me."
And then there was Des. "I saw our lives lining up," the Katie Holmes lookalike said of her time with Sean. While her overprotective brother likely killed her chances with 'The Bachelor," don't rule her out as the next "Bachelorette," especially since she made sure to tell Harrison she's still looking for Prince Charming. "I'm very open to finding love. That's all I want. That's all I could hope for," she said.
Finally, there was the return of Tierra. (That's Tierrable to the haters.) This season's troublemaker didn't have much to say about Sean, but she did have a whole lot of defending of her own character to do. In the end, she gave the other girls a half-hearted apology and gave her eyebrow props for having its own Twitter account. #Winning.
The three-hour finale of "The Bachelor" Season 17 airs on Monday, 3/11 at 8 PM ET on ABC.
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