‘The Bachelorette’: Michelle’s Final 2 Revealed After a Dramatic Goodbye (RECAP)

And then there were three. It’s officially Fantasy Suite Week which means Michelle Young gets to have some intimate overnight dates with Nayte, Brandon, and Joe off-camera on ABC‘s The Bachelorette. But which men will be the final two left vying for her heart? Let’s find out…

So we pick up in Mexico with Nayte, Brandon, and Joe sitting in the most tension-filled room ever, awkwardly awaiting what’s to come. Tayshia shows up to tell them that they need to let their guards down going into this significant week. Brandon is the chosen one to get the first date card this week — not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing?

After a romantic day filled with hand-holding and horseback-riding on the beach, Brandon and Michelle cuddle up on on a blanket and talk about how far they’ve come in this journey. While it’s only been a handful of weeks since they first met, according to Brandon, it feels like “forever.”

 

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“You are one of a kind and I recognize that,” she tells him. “You mean the world to me,” he replies with a kiss.

In an interview, Brandon says that Michelle can “do what she wants with” his heart because it “only beats for her.” Wow. My heart just EXPLODED. This man is smitten.

Later that night, the happy couple heads to dinner and seem to be more in love than ever. “Since the day that I met you, I knew you were the one,” Brandon tells her, adding that he’s in love with her. “I was gonna wait but I don’t want to wait anymore. I’m truly in love with you.”

In the fantasy suite, Michelle and Brandon waste no time getting in the hot tub and pouring some champagne. The fireworks show directly above them is the cherry on top of the perfect day. Unfortunately, Joe and Nayte have a front row seat to the same firework show, and now it’s becoming clear to Nayte that he’s not the only one falling for Michelle.

The morning after the overnight date, Brandon and Michelle are still going strong. Brandon actually admits that this is the happiest he’s ever felt in his life, so it’s safe to assume things went well once the cameras stopped rolling. Before leaving Michelle, he draws a giant heart in the sand and writes B + M inside of it. Can this guy get any sweeter?

When Brandon reunites with Nayte and Joe, it’s painfully awkward for all three of them. Joe gets the next date card which references that Michelle is “falling for” him. When Brandon hears this, he’s visibly bothered by it, and I don’t blame him. The poor dude just left Michelle’s bed and now he has to watch someone else run off with her — and fall in love with her.

And Joe’s date is a bit more adventurous, too. The two go zip-lining and Michelle is pleased to see Joe come out of his shell. She tells him she likes his goofy side and wants to see that side of him more often.

Later that night, Joe tells Michelle he wants three children and he purposely got into real estate because he wanted to set a foundation for a family. Michelle seems to align with everything Joe is hoping for the future.

“I feel like we’d be a really powerful couple together,” Joe says, before heading to the fantasy suite with her.

The next morning, Michelle admits her decision is that much harder after spending the night with Joe. She has clarity with him, which is a good thing but also complicates her feelings.

Moving on to Nayte, the final date of the week, he gets a day on a catamaran with Michelle in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Saving the best for last? After a beautiful day on the water, the two head to a romantic dinner. Going into the evening, Michelle admits she’s hoping that Nayte will be open with her about how he’s feeling.

“I’m feeling things for you that I’ve never felt before,” he tells her, totally putting Michelle’s fears at ease. “There’s something about you that I’m certain about and I trust that I’m literally falling in love with you.”

“I came here to fall in love,” she admits. “And after this overnight, I may be in love with Nayte.”

The next morning, Nayte can’t stop gushing about how in love he is with Michelle, and for the first time this season, Michelle reciprocates those feelings. “I firmly believe this is what a soulmate feels like,” she says.

Michelle has an important decision to make 🌹 #TheBachelorette pic.twitter.com/gqiu2YCAk2

— The Bachelorette (@BacheloretteABC) December 15, 2021

When it’s time for the rose ceremony, you can cut the tension with a knife. All three men feel like they have the strongest connection, but obviously only two men can progress to the next stage of this journey. But before Michelle hands out the first rose of the night, Brandon walks up to her and pulls her out of the room. “When I told you that I put you first, I put you first. When I told you that I love you, I love you… regardless of whatever happens,” he tells her, admitting that he is unsure if this will be his last day.

The two head back to the rose ceremony and Michelle hands her first rose to Nayte. Leaving Joe and Brandon left waiting for that last rose. Unfortunately, it’s Joe who’s going home tonight, with Brandon nabbing the final two spot with Nayte.

Joe’s goodbye with Michelle is a tearful one. She tells him that she’s still falling in love with him and she doesn’t want to break his heart. “You have changed me so much and you have brought such a piece of home,” she says. “It’s just, I can’t be your person.”

“As much as it hurts, I might not be showing it right now but I really did see a future with you. I meant all those words that I said to you,” he tells her before getting in the car and driving off.

The Bachelorette, Tuesdays, 8/7c, ABC