Let's Break Down The Chances Katie Gets Engaged During Her Bachelorette Finale
After her hometowns episode, everything's up in the air.
The penultimate episode of Katie Thurston’s Bachelorette season was a whirlwind. After a fan-favorite self-eliminated in one of the most explosive breakups in Bachelor Nation history, Katie was on the verge of leaving the show altogether. With such an intense cliffhanger, you may be wondering: How will Katie’s Bachelorette finale even end? Let’s break down the major possibilities.
Warning: Spoilers for the Aug. 2 episode of The Bachelorette follow. After single dad Michael Allio self-eliminated in order to be with his young son, James, Katie only had three hometown dates instead of the usual four. Still, things seemed to be going well... until frontrunner Greg Grippo told Katie he loved her and she basically filled the hole in his heart left by his father’s death, only for Katie to not say she loved him back. So, he began spiraling when Katie couldn’t reciprocate the emotions he was displaying, and their ensuing blowout led to Greg sending himself home.
It really seemed like it might be Katie and Greg at the end of all this, so it makes sense why Katie’s first impulse was to proclaim she was done with the show. As she explained to co-host Kaitlyn Bristowe, it felt like her time on the season was all for nothing. “This whole time, [I told] myself it’ll be worth it. I’ll go through this process, do all the stuff you’re supposed to do, and all of a sudden it’s blowing up in my face,” she said. “I feel like I literally shouldn’t be here. Michael left. Greg left. And at this point, the confidence and strength I had is destroyed.”
So, will Katie actually leave before giving out her final rose, or will she ultimately find a way to move forward and maybe even end up with someone else? It’s anyone’s guess, but for now, we can theorize based on what’s currently known.
First of all: The Aug. 9 season finale is three hours long, the episode’s preview footage shows footage of Katie’s loved ones arriving at the resort and clips of her talking to Justin. So unless there’s going to be a wild amount of filler, I highly doubt Katie will actually leave The Bachelorette right after her breakup with Greg.
It also seems highly unlikely that Katie and Justin will end up together, just because fans have seen hardly any of their relationship up until this point. But Katie and Blake could still have a shot. After all, she reassured Blake’s family that they had a real connection during his hometown date. Plus, a promo low-key reveals that has at least one more Katie/Blake date coming, revealing three new shots of them kissing: in front of a large (and terrifying) statue, covered in mud, and in a hot tub.
There could also be a hint in what Katie’s already revealed on air. During the “Men Tell All” special, Katie said she still believes everything happens for a reason, and politely rebuffed Michael when he said he’d be willing to give things another shot with her. She seemed way more positive about her time on the show than she did right after her breakup with Greg, so something is about to change. Whether Katie leaves the show engaged, dating, or happily single, the finale is going to be wild.
The Bachelorette Season 17 continues on Monday, August 9, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
