And so ends season 16 of The Bachelor. Winning.

Our Bachelor and Beer night turned into a classy event for the season finale.  We settled in with homemade lasagna, salad, dessert and (of course) wine.  When you put 6 Bachelor fan ladies in a room there’s bound to be chatter, so forgive me if I missed a few details. However, I think all of the important things you need to know are covered.

Who Ben Chose:

Preface to How it All Went Down:
Did anyone else feel like this finale reminded you of Jake Palveka’s season with Vienna? Very formulaic. Good vs evil. Two girls left: one America’s sweetheart (aka Tenley or in this case Lindzi) and the other the villain of the season who did not get along with the other women in the house (aka Vienna and Courtney).  Both seasons the men chose America’s least favorite contestant.  I have a theory on this (taken from Millionaire Matchmaker‘s Patti Stanger) and that is that men tend to pick with something other than their heads. Hint: It’s not their hearts.

Meeting the Family: First up, Ben’s mother and sister met Lindzi.  Of course, they loved her and approved because America loves her and approves.  When Ben’s sister talked to Lindzi, Lindzi mentioned she (being Lindzi) is very different from Courtney. Sound familiar? *cough* Vienna and Tenley *cough* And we all know how that one worked out.

Next, the fam bam met Courtney. Dun, dun, dun, dun. Ben’s sister admitted going in with negative preconceived notions about Courtney being a model and not getting along with the other ladies in the house. But the twist – his family loved her!

Well, that sealed it. Lindzi was first to arrive at the final rose ceremony in a helicopter on top of a mountain in Switzerland.  We all know what happens when you arrive first.  You’re first on your way home, that’s what.  Ben told her he loved her buuut…that’s a big BUT and I cannot lie.  Something, something he’s fallen in love with someone else.

Side note: Both ladies were wearing capes.  Yes, capes.  And I cannot get away with not touching on the fact that Courtney was wearing elbow-length gloves. I repeat gloves.  I don’t think I’ve seen those gloves since Cinderella.

Tweet of the Night: And the most hilarious tweet of the night has to go to Kelly Ripa for this beaut. Context: Ben just dumped Lindzi on a mountain in Switzerland and asked to walk her out.

Cheesiest Moment of the Night:
Take note men.  Ben gets down on one knee and proposes to Courtney.

“I promised myself I would never get on my knees again and propose unless it was forever.  You are my forever.” – Ben

After The Final Rose:
The big question of the night. Are Courtney and Ben still together? 

Short answer yes. Long answer, Ben broke up with Courtney for about a week (around Valentine’s Day) after seeing the footage, but had been talking with her after.  Chris Harrison gave Ben the engagement ring on air and Ben gave it back to Courtney – I’m guessing as a symbol to work on their relationship because when Chris asked if there was a wedding in their future Ben answered, “Who knows.” Apparently, a ring holds a different meaning on The Bachelor.

Rumors: The tabloids showed pictures of Ben kissing other ladies.  He denied the accusations and said that Courtney went to try on wedding dresses to deflect heat from Ben.  I have to admit that is a redeeming quality about her.  Although, I give more points to her publicist or ABC who I’m assuming recommended she do so to keep the finale a secret.  Admittedly, Ben and Courtney are both wonderfully weird together and there’s something there that I can’t quite explain.  We’ll see how it progresses and I’ll be sure to keep you updated, but as of yet it seems like they’re going to work it out.

JP and Ashley: Last season’s Bachelorette, Ashley Hebert and her pick JP appeared on After The Final Rose. Watching them interact with each other is so adorable it makes me love them and root for their relationship despite my extreme jealousy and desire to snatch up JP from her. After JP jokingly announced Ashley was pregnant, she playfully told him that’s how rumor’s get started! Ashley may not be pregnant but the couple did announce they would be getting married within the year. Fingers crossed for another Bachelor success story. Goodness knows we could use more of those.

While this season is ending, we have a whole new season of The Bachelorette coming up in the Spring.  I’ll catch up with you then for some Bachelorette recaps with Emily Maynard.  Until next time, Bachelor fans.