‘The Bachelor: After The Final Rose’ Recap: Arie Luyendyk Is Engaged To Lauren, Becca Is ‘Bachelorette’

(ABC)

On “The Bachelor: After The Final Rose” on Tuesday, it was revealed Arie Luyendyk is now engaged to runner-up Lauren B. His former fiancée, Becca, will be the next Bachelorette. Get the full recap below.

As Gossip Cop reported, Arie Luyendyk dumped Becca on “The Bachelor” finale, as seen on Monday. He originally proposed to her in Peru back in November, but broke up with her in January because he wanted to get back together with Lauren. Now all three parties reunited live for the last episode of the season.

The two-hour broadcast began with host Chris Harrison introducing another look at Arie and Becca’s proposal, engagement and breakup. In new footage not previously seen, Becca tearfully said in a confessional that she was “blindsided” and “so confused.” She claimed that just a “week ago” they had been discussing their future plans. “It’s just been a lie, I guess,” she lamented, insisting his actions “contradict” what he previously said about Lauren. Back in Minnesota, she cried reminiscing about their relationship.

For his part, Arie called the goodbye “hard,” saying, “It kills me to see her upset… I hate this for her… I feel a little bit like a monster right now.” Arie admitted his friends and family didn’t understand his decision, leading him to seek advice from Jason Mesnick, who infamously broke up with fiancée Melissa Rycroft on “After The Final Rose” and asked for a second chance with runner-up Molly Melaney, to whom he’s now married. “Don’t do this unless you’re 100 percent ceretain,” Mesnick advised him. But Arie was sure he “really” wanted to “marry Lauren,” though he was worried he “risked everything for nothing.”

He flew to her family’s home in Virginia Beach, where he claimed to suffer a “panic attack” outside the residence. When he gained the courage to knock, an ecstatic Lauren opened the door and jumped into his arms. She already knew he broke up with Becca via a phone conversation they had, and now he wanted her to know “that I made a mistake and I’m willing to make it up to her every day.” Lauren said in a confessional that she was “angry” when Arie first reached out, as she thought he just wanted “closure.” Now she had “questions.”

“It’s been the hardest month and a half without you,” Arie now told her. “I know you’ve gone through hell… but I came here today because I want a second chance and I want a shot at this.” Lauren called it “really difficult” after he turned her down in Peru, and asked him if he felt his relationship with Becca was “as strong” as theirs. He said Becca showed “confidence,” whereas Lauren had expressed “doubt.” When it came to the proposal, Arie confessed he was making a “safe decision” for his future, and “just let the logic side of myself take over the emotional side of myself.”

He further said he did try to make it work with Becca, but was open about still having feelings for her. “There’s no denying that I love you so much,” Arie now told her, saying their initial phone call “changed everything.” Asked if he’s “100 percent over Becca,” Arie replied, “1,000 percent… My heart’s with you and will always be with you.” Lauren offered, “I forgive you,” and agreed to reconcile. She even said of an engagement, “I’m hoping that doesn’t take that much longer.”

Back in the studio, Harrison asked Bekah, Caroline, Tia, Seinne and Kendall for their reactions. “It’s not Lauren. It’s all Arie,” Tia stressed. Bekah commented, “There’s so many words I want to say that would have to be bleeped out… I just think he’s not a genuine person and he just wants to say whatever he wants to say to the person in front of him to get what he wants.” Seinne criticized “how he treated Becca and now how he threw their relationship [away],” something Carolina also called “hurtful.” Bekah further said Arie shouldn’t have proposed in the first place, but if he was going to break up with Becca, he should’ve “done it privately instead of [in front of] millions of people on camera.”

Kendall argued the upside of filming the breakup was that everyone got to “see how strong Becca is.” Tia revealed she was with Lauren when Arie first reached out to her on New Year’s Eve, a month and a half after his proposal to Becca and just before the season premiered. She and Seinne also pointed out that Arie already knew Lauren would take him back before he dumped Becca. Bekah declared, “I hope Lauren gets out of that as soon as possible.” But Kendall said she “really” hopes their relationship works out for love’s sake. Regardless, they all emphasized that Lauren doesn’t deserve “hate” and that Becca is a wonderful person who deserves “another shot.”

Becca then came out to discuss it all, saying she was “hanging in there.” She admitted, “It’s hard to watch it all back and see what went down on the other end.” That said, she said the footage was helping her get “closure.” Defending the filming of the breakup and its aftermath, she told Harrison, “I signed up for this, knowing it was a show, that my life was going to be documented, and it’s just another part of my story.” Becca shared that it was after their engagement that Arie told her he had said “I love you” to Lauren as well, but she didn’t know he reached out to Lauren until a week after the fact. Noting they had plans to live together, she said, “I thought we were still on ‘go’ and moving forward… To be quite honest, I didn’t know [things] were going to go that south.”

But a week before Arie dumped her, he started telling her about being unable to shake his feelings for Lauren. Becca said she’s doing “well” now. “If I’m not the one, I’m not the one,” she maturely said, backing Arie’s decision to follow his heart. She was blown away by the outpouring of support from “Bachelor Nation,” and said the roughly $6,000 people have sent her since last night’s episode would go to Stand Up To Cancer. Harrison said they’d match that donation.

Arie then came to see her for the first time since he dumped her. They hugged, and he said it was “good” to see her. Becca asked, “When did you know that you wanted to end things with me and go back to her?” Arie said it was “through” his conversation with Lauren, but he held back until he was “sure.” Seemingly explaining why he filmed the breakup, he said, “I wanted everyone here and at home to know that this was on me and it wasn’t on you.” Becca said she didn’t “fully get” honesty from him, and repeatedly questioned why he wasn’t more upfront. Arie said he had an “emptiness” upon their return from Peru.

“You go through this intense breakup and you go through a proposal. There’s nothing normal about that,” Arie said. But she called him out for a “lack of respect” for her, since she thought he was “closing a door” when he contacted Lauren, when he was really reigniting their connection. Becca told him, “I’m always going to have love in my heart for you. You were my fiancé, and I did fall in love with you… [But] I’m ready for the next chapter of my life, to find somebody better suited for me, like I hope Lauren is for you.”

Arie confessed, “I do regret proposing that day because I wasn’t fully ready.” Becca: “So then why did you?” Him: “The pressure of this, the pressure of being the Bachelor, having to make a decision on that day.” Her: “You always have a choice.” Him: “I make no excuse.” Becca went on to admonish, “You robbed me… I will never have that first engagement, the first proposal again. I understand it’s a very high-pressure situation, I just wish you had thought it through so much more on that day.” Conceded Arie, “I completely agree with you.”

She also pointed out that she had asked him if he felt “pressured,” and his response was always, “Yes, I’m confident with us, I made the right decision, I’m confident, I love you.” So where did it go wrong, she wanted to know. He responded, “I don’t think it ever went wrong. I think I was [only] one foot in… I needed more time, but I didn’t have more time. I think I should’ve taken more time… I can’t take that back. So when we did get engaged, I gave it as much effort as I could.” Becca eventually offered, “I forgive you… I do want you to be happy. I hope Lauren is your one… I just want you to be honest with her. Hold her heart high, have the most respect for her, be committed to her.”

Jason and Molly were the next to weigh in, and she said her first thought was, “Why didn’t Arie give us a call before doing anything?” Jason said he would’ve told Arie to handle things “privately,” but he also understood that showing everything would stop people from “wondering.” Going forward, he suggested Arie and Lauren “get away and really work on your relationship.” He also defended Arie as a “nice person” and “genuinely good.” Jason bluntly said, “This show can really mess somebody up. Unless you’ve been through it… you just don’t get it… I hope we can cut him some slack.” Harrison even touted that Jason and Molly represented a “100 percent success rate” for this situation.

Arie admitted he and Lauren didn’t watch the finale, but he “expected” the social media backlash. He maintained he was taking responsibility, and said, “I stand by that and all I can do is apologize. At the end of the day, I’m trying to sort out what’s best for my life. This is a show. This is fading and this is fleeting.” Lauren then joined him and said she was “excited” to be there and to be able to be a “normal couple” with him. She confirmed she first heard from Arie again on New Year’s Eve, and said she wanted to be “respectful” of Becca. Lauren said they discussed how they were both having a “difficult” time, and things unfolded from there.

“I’ve never been more in love with him… We’re very, very happy together,” Lauren insisted. Arie said, “I think this, in a crazy way, has made our love stronger. We’ve gotten through this.” She went on to praise his “bravery” and “honesty,” saying he did an “amazing job handling this whole thing,” and he “couldn’t have gone about it a more respectful way.” Asked if she “trusted” things would work out, Lauren said “absolutely.” Arie added, “Taking that risk was so worth it… I don’t think people understand the gravity of this.” As for the haters, he said, “It doesn’t matter. I’m sitting next to her. She has my heart, I have her heart, and that’s all that matters to me.”

Asked “what’s next,” they said they’ll be leaving the country for a “vacation,” and then Lauren will move to Arizona. They said they’ll stay off social media, with Arie remarking, “I think it’s easy for people to judge, but as long as we’re happy that’s all that matters. Taking care of our relationship is priority… I’m very hopeful.” They both agreed that it was all “worth it.” Harrison then gave Arie “the floor,” which prompted Lauren to say, “I’m gonna pass out.”

Arie then told her, “I made some bad decisions, but the best decision was running back to you. I can’t imagine a life without you. You have shown me a love that is patient, a love that is kind, and I truly believe you are my soulmate. I’m ready to face this life with you and all that comes with it, good and bad… I should’ve done this a long time ago.” He then formally asked her to marry him, and she responded, “Definitely.” Harrison quipped that he hopes this engagement is “longer” than his last.

The topic then changed to “The Bachelorette,” with Harrison announcing Becca would take the role. She returned to the stage, quipping, “Long time no see.” She called it an “easy” decision once she got past the “initial heartbreak. “The show is about finding love. I have so much love to give. It’s a hard ‘yes’ all around,” Becca explained. Noting she has “big shoes to fill,” she said she wants to “be the best damn Bachelorette I can be. I want to find love, I want to meet so many amazing guys, I’m ready to do this.”

Harrison asked if she was a “love at first sight kind of person,” before her pals from the season joined her to celebrate. Quoting one of her signature lines, Caroline declared, “Let’s do the damn thing!” Harrison went on to announce, “The show that’s supposed to start soon is actually starting now.” With that, some of her suitors came out for introductions, much like they did with Rachel Lindsay last year. “Let’s just do the damn thing,” Becca gamely exclaimed, getting laughs for saying she was looking for “loyalty.”

Becca was impressed with the first guy, Lincoln, highlighting his bowtie and accent. He had everyone cheer for her as the new Bachelorette, and revealed it was just about his birthday. “We gotta pop some champagne,” Becca joked, to which the black cutie admitted, “I’m blushing; you can’t tell for obvious reasons.” He went on to reference “what you went through last night,” and applauded her for how “well” she handled things. “It’s contagious, that energy,” he told her, going on to call Arie an [expletive].

A man named Chase followed, telling her, “You deserve better than that… When one door closes, another one opens. I hope to be that open door… I can’t wait to see that smile when I walk out of the limo the first time.” Another guy, Ryan (or possibly Brian), came out playing a banjo and singing a song for his introduction. Becca made him promised to teach her to play the instrument. Next was Darius, who said, “I just want to formally apologize on behalf of my gender.” He then vowed, “I’m here for you.” She jokingly told him, “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

The last one out was Blake, who brought out a horse named Bradley. She observed, “Bradley, Blake and Becca!” He called her “brave,” and told her, “When you fall off the horse, you gotta get back up again… I wanna be the man that’s gonna help you get back up again.” And so he guided Becca onto the horse, even though she was wearing a short dress. Harrison concluded, “We are leaving this night on a horse and a high note.” “The Bachelorette” will premiere on May 28th.