The last three people involved in The Bachelor Canada’s tension-filled finale nearly reached breaking point last Wednesday as the TV show moves slooowwwlly towards its conclusion.
Bachelor Chris, pulled two ways by his obvious affection for both Lyndsey and Mikaela, was showing the strain of having to make an important decision in public. While he may have originally thought he could handle the stress of the series, he came unglued near the end of the program, weeping in his mother’s arms, and confessing how hard it has been for him to examine his feelings.
He even tried to get his mom to decide for him, asking her: “Who’s your favourite?”
But that idea crept into his thinking early in last Wednesday’s episode. On a day-long adventure with Mikaela, he grilled her repeatedly with the question: “Do you know I’m the one?” Chris plainly was looking for a neat and tidy decision, without all the personal angst but to give both girls credit, they weren’t going there.
Mikaela, not surprisingly, was a bit deflated by his attitude, surprised to find him so unsure this late in the game. During a sail on a pirate ship, the pair talked about being open with each other, but Chris’s problem seemed to be that he felt Mikaela was lacking some vital spark he needed.
There was no lack of excitement between him and Lake Cowichan-raised Lindsey Gavin however. They enjoyed a deliciously sexy mud bath at a spa and later a special ceremony to clean away any doubts caused by the negative vibes remaining from his tough-love visit to her family at the Lake.
No, with Lyndsey he seemed to be more concerned that he would be living far from his family if he moved to Vancouver to be with her. The west coast girl has stood her ground firmly, declaring that she wished to remain where she is living now, rather than move to Toronto to be near his family.
Lyndsey told Chris that, while she loved and respected her family, and knew her mom was “just super protective”, it was now time to move past that encounter.
“I’ve got your back, but life is not going to be easy,” she warned him.
It was obvious that Chris admires Lindsey’s strength, saying surprisingly, “I feel safe with her.”
He admitted that he would even be willing to move to Vancouver.
“I feel so much hope for us, even though you scare me,” he said.
The show reached a critical point when Chris met his parents, newly arrived in Mexico for chats with him and the two women.
They were both concerned on hearing that Lyndsey is only 23 years old, especially Chris’ mother, who said she thought he would be better with someone nearer his own age.
While both parents listened as Chris talked about Lyndsey, when he tried to tell his dad that he was “concerned about being so far away from what he knows,” his dad replied, “You’re too old to play that game. Sometimes you have to make adjustments in your life.”
So, now, with two episodes of the show left, watchers are still left wondering what Chris will do.
Will he give the rose to the girl next door? Or will he listen to the call of the wild, urging him to “Go west, young man.” The plot thickens.