And that’s a wrap.
In addition to enjoying some great live jazz with my Dad, I did manage to catch the last 75 final minutes of Grant’s journey to find love. It went as we and Litia expected. After all, on the first Group Date (GD), he told her he knew she was his wife. He and Litia must have really clicked because that was the basketball GD when 3rd place Zoe irritated the girls by taking him away for a lot of overtime.
On he and Litia’s 1-on-1, Grant told her he wanted to stop the whole show because he was sure and confident in their connection. Grant even said that to Litia’s mom! FIRST DATE!! His L-bomb assurances kept coming because he said he couldn’t stand the thought of losing her, and Litia said that he never let up.
Finally, the night before the Last Day, she told him, “OMG we’re getting engaged tomorrow,” to which he responded he couldn’t wait. So it was no surprise to anyone when he knelt down on one knee, opened up the box holding the Neil Lane ring, and asked Litia if she . . .
So wayment and wtf. He dumped Litia and proposed to Juliana?
Nicely done, Evil Genius Producers (EGPs). You gleefully and artfully conspired with Grant’s legitimate confliction to wait until the last minute to spring your dastardly surprise on us.
But what is really a surprise? Based on what we were shown throughout the season, Litia felt like more of a central figure than Juliana. But I went back to the screentime data from @Bachelordata IG and found that except for Episode 3, Juliana was ahead of Litia in accumulated time for the entire season.1 So the EGPs were giving us Juliana, but it didn’t feel that way because the strength of Grant’s connection with Litia got more emphasis.
For her part, Litia went out reading Grant for filth in not one but TWO spectacular moments, the first at the Altar of Engagement and the second in the live convo with Jesse Palmer and a now-engaged-to Juliana Grant. The previous greatest destruction of a Bachelor was when Clare destroyed Juan Pablo. That was full of fire. Litia was cool, detached, and surgical in how she took Grant apart for the many ways she was led on. And she looked SPECTACULAR while doing it.
In a fair world, Litia would be announced as the next Bachelorette. Unfortunately, that show has been put on an indefinite hold while the franchise sorts out its leadership issues and toxic work environment. They’ll also need to rejuvenate interest in the franchise, which has hit all-time lows.2
Instead, we got an announcement that members of the Golden Bachelor/Bachelorette shows would be in Paradise. Why? Who asked for this?
Before I go, I – actually, @Bachelordata IG – made some predictions after Episode 1 about who the big players this season would be. Juliana, Litia, Zoe (the Final Three), and Carolina (The Villain) were on the list. Nice job, @Bachelordata.
And with that, it’s time say Goodbye to Love [cue The Carpenters). I wish Grant and Juliana nothing but the best. It would be nice to see them beat the Franchise’s odds and maintain a relationship. Thanks to my regular viewing partners and Long-Time Loyal Followers of These Musings, CSP, KMD, and My Daughter Cassandra (MDC). I’ll see you in Paradise. Please, please, please, EGPs, bring My Girl Carolina to the beach.
See you then.
Ray's Musings 
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