The Bachelor with Matt James is slowly coming to an end.
The season only has a few more episodes to air, as the Women Tell All special will air next Monday on ABC.
Then, the week after, Matt will have his overnight dates in the Fantasy Suites with his final three women and then he’ll have his final two dates before the big finale.
Given the shakeup this season with both COVID-19 and Chris Harrison stepping aside over recent backlash to an interview with Rachel Lindsay, the After The Final Rose special will look different this year.
But the episode will still be moving forward.
The Bachelor: After The Final Rose will still take place
Because of Chris’ decision to step aside temporarily, fans wondered if the After The Final Rose would even happen this season.
But Reality Steve reported on his website that the segment will film this weekend in Los Angeles, but details are scarce.
“The ATFR is filming this weekend in LA. Before you ask, as of now, I don’t know who will be hosting. Nor do I know what they plan on doing, what the format will be, etc. And whoever hosts the ATFR, does that mean they’re the new host when the Bachelorette starts up filming next month? We don’t know that either,” he wrote on his website.
Reality Steve also made sure to mention that this is the first non-live After The Final Rose in years. For the past decade, the show has been done live. But given the recent developments in Bachelor Nation, this would be a prime conversation to have, especially in the light of Chris removing himself temporarily from the franchise.
“So this is all new territory we’re dealing with here. Will there even be an audience? I’m not sure. But this sure is gonna be messy. I can’t remember the last couple that couldn’t even make it to their ATFR taping. Maybe Ben and Courtney,” Steve guessed.
The Bachelor: After The Final Rose may look a bit different this year
The After The Final Rose may look a bit different this year. For one, there is the issue of COVID-19 and how the studio audience can’t be packed with people. It’s not clear if anyone will be watching from the audience seats.
Then, there is the issue of Chris not hosting. Reality Steve didn’t have any leads as to who could take over for him. Rachel is reportedly in talks to ABC about taking over the hosting job, but she had previously said she wasn’t thinking about taking over.
The segment may not include interviews with the follow-up contestant unless she’s announced as the next Bachelorette. The focus may be on Rachael’s photos from 2018 and having that important conversation about racism. It may also feature Matt James and Rachel Lindsay having an important conversation about diversity and inclusivity in Bachelor Nation.
That’s what Bachelor Nation seems to watch – but will they get it?
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.