Jenn Tran had two men left to choose from on The Bachelorette finale: Marcus Shoberg or Devin Strader. After telling both men she loved them during fantasy suites week, she had a big decision to make during the Tuesday, September 3, episode.
The finale began with the clip that’s been teased all season: Jenn telling someone, “I can’t let you propose to me,” before putting her final rose back on the podium. In between the previously-filmed clips, host Jesse Palmer was back in the live studio with updates.
Jenn Tran Introduces Devin to Her Family
Before bringing the men to meet her mom, Trinh, brother James, aunt Lylan and friend Nicole, Jenn spent some quality time with her loved ones. She revealed that she had “equal” feelings for both of them and informed them that Devin had told her he loved her but Marcus didn’t.
Devin was first to meet the family. He had a conversation with Lylan and Trinh about race and opened up about how he loves Jenn because he makes her feel seen. He also vowed to always be someone who makes Jenn feel safe and be the man she never had in her life since her father wasn’t around. Trinh and Lylan were admittedly worried about giving Devin their blessing to propose because they thought Jenn needed to be in a longer relationship with someone before settling down. Trinh told her daughter that she thought she and Devin needed more time to understand each other before a proposal.
James took it upon himself to “grill” the guys because he was playing the role of father figure in the situation. Devin pointed to his and Jenn’s similar upbringings — growing up without their dads playing a prominent role in their lives — as a reason to why they’ve gotten so close. James also would not give his blessing to Devin to propose and didn’t feel like he could until he met Marcus first. However, he said he respected the fact that Devin asked.
Devin left the day feeling unsure about where he stood because of Jenn’s family’s concerns, but she assured him that she loved him and told him not to get in his head about it.
Jenn Tran Introduces Marcus to Her Family
Next, it was Marcus’ turn to meet the family. James said he was going into the meeting with an open mind, despite fearing that Jenn was falling for another emotionally unavailable man since Marcus hadn’t used the L-word yet. Off the bat, James was concerned that Marcus wasn’t opening up about his feelings for Jenn, even though he “appreciated” that the Army veteran spoke so openly about his difficult past and upbringing.
Marcus told Lylan and Trinh that he still wasn’t in love with Jenn but believed that he could get there. He also said he still felt like it was possible for him to get to the point of being ready for an engagement. James admitted to his sister that he “wasn’t sure” about Marcus because he didn’t know if he was giving her the love she needed like Devin was. He said Marcus seemed to “fit the mold” of Jenn’s exes.
After speaking with her family, Jenn knew she had to ask Marcus the tough questions and find out where he was at. Marcus said he felt “progress” after the day with Jenn’s family but she needed more. He said he wasn’t uncertain about her but was putting pressure on himself to have the family that he never did growing up. After they spoke, Marcus still didn’t say “I love you” and Jenn still didn’t have the answers she wanted.
Jenn Tran and Devin Strader’s Final Date on ‘The Bachelorette’
Jenn went on her final date with Devin in Hawaii. The two took part in a traditional Hawaiian ceremony that was meant to help them let go of the past and embrace the future.
After Jenn opened up about wanting to let go of her fear of abandonment, Devin went into the second part of the date wanting to make sure she knew he’d always be a safe space for her. Devin gifted Jenn with something he was given by the shaman on their first one-on-one date, which meant a lot to her because it represented his commitment to spending the rest of his life with her.
Jenn Tran and Marcus Shoberg’s Final Date on ‘The Bachelorette’
A lot more was riding on Jenn and Marcus’ final date, as she was still waiting to hear that he loved her. She went into the date with more uncertainty in their relationship than ever before. Meanwhile, Marcus told Jesse that he was still “so torn” about whether or not he was in love with Jenn. Jesse urged Marcus to tell Jenn that he loved her if that’s how he was really feeling.
Before the date, Jenn approached Marcus in his hotel room to get the answers she wanted before moving forward. He said he regretted not diving deeper into what he wanted from the future on their overnight date. “I’m struggling, for sure,” he told her, adding, “You make me want to keep trying. My highest aspiration in life is to find love and start a family. … I know that my feelings for you are real and that I can picture it with you.”
Jenn pointed out how much she invested in her relationship with Marcus and wasn’t feeling the same reciprocated. Finally, Marcus said, “At the end of the day, I know that I love you and I want to be the type of person that fights for it. I want to do this with you. I want to give it a try.”
Jenn was still conflicted, though, and needed a minute to process what she wanted to do. Although she finally heard what she wanted to hear from Marcus, she still had a “pit in [her] stomach.”
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