The Bachelor: So Did Chantal Win or What? (Warning: Spoilers Ahead)

Editor's note: As a public service we are recapping the season finale of The Bachelor, where Seattle native Chantal O'Brien is one of the two finalists vying for the heart and loins of bachelor Brad Womack. Chantal is the daughter of former Seahawks player (and current auto group magnate) Mike O'Brien.

For this season’s finale we have moved from the game reserve in South Africa to the city of Cape Town where Brad’s family will get a chance to meet and evaluate his final two ladies. We open with another classic confused inner monologue from The Bachelor as he ponders what future he wants.

After Brad catches up with his family for a bit, our local favorite appears on the scene. Brad provides her a little pep talk in the driveway and then proceeds to rattle off the names of his family members, which Chantal will obviously not remember. Let the awkward games begin...

While claiming to be nervous, Chantal jumps right into the conversation and seems very comfortable with the group. She gabs about her feelings for Brad and why she cares so deeply for him in a way her competitor has not been able to all season.

The normally wooden Brad gets quite animated with his family. His brother's name is Chad--really, mama Womack? Chad and Brad? Mama asks Chantal, “How could you fall in love so quick?” (this is probably the third time in opening scenes it became apparent that proper use of adverbs is optional in the Womack household). She is satisfied enough with Chantal’s answer to endorse a proposal.

Next up it is Emily’s turn to meet the family and melt their hearts. We all know what is coming here: a dearth of emotion, insincere conversation, and then the inevitable awkwardness where someone from the Womack clan asks the wrong question touching on her tragic loss. Poor brother Wes is the one who asks about her daughter’s father. Cue tears around the table. It's clear the question and answer part is over here. How could the family, or any of us for that matter, critique her following that revelation? The family has joined Team Emily. There's a level of candor and comfort here we didn't see with Chantal; and in case you didn't pick up on it, the producers use two very different musical selections to accompany the scenes.

Chantal has one more chance to win over Brad in spite of the advice of his family. She and Brad head out to sea on a boat. After checking out some sea life, they come across a shark—and here we thought Michelle was off the show a few weeks back.

Brad has plans for them to go swimming with great white sharks. Chantal emerges from changing to get ready for the plunge with her wet suit quite unzipped, just as a little reminder to Brad of what she has to offer. While climbing into the cage we hear a noticeably nervous Chantal say, “after doing this you better put a f*#*ing ring on my finger.”

The date continues as many of their other dates have with Brad repeatedly saying how comfortable he is with Chantal and how easy it is to be himself around her. They wrap up with her providing him a fairly touching map of their adventures and a letter expressing her deep feelings for him.

Next up, Emily and Brad are off to the Cape of Good Hope for the day (foreshadowing much? We can’t make this stuff up). They while away the hours enjoying the scenery and return home for the evening. Then, in some sort of weird role reversal, Brad tells Emily he wants a chance to be a father to her not a stepfather. He is selling this hard. Who is the one auditioning here? Emily really challenges how committed he is to being a dad “in good times and bad” which ends up in an awkward disagreement with Brad pouting his way down the hallway. It is amazing how uncomfortable she makes a guy who is normally very confident.

Great work by Capetown tourism bureau, by the way. Who doesn’t want to hop over there after watching this episode?

The girls ready for the final selection and Chantal is up first. After some platitudes, Brad dashes our local girl’s dreams and shares he simply cares more for someone else. We are left with one great awkward scene where Brad shares what is obviously a script he has worked out in his head with Emily. Of course he can’t deliver this without some gaffes. Why did we not get to watch him rehearse that script? That would have been some compelling TV.

We have to say, Chantal handled it like a champ, even controlling her meltdown in the limo ride home.

In the end, Brad had something pretty great with Chantal. It was clear the two of them enjoyed their time together a great day and would have had many adventures with one another. He repeatedly admits to feeling himself around her. That said, he decided to go for Emily who he thinks (hopes) might someday provide him more. He is enamored with the illusion that Emily is what he thinks he should have in a wife.