Bachelor Pad Season Finale Recap: Who Played The Best Game?

Bachelor Pad Season 3 began with a mix of fan favorites, drunken losers, and super fans. Last week, Nick Peterson and Rachel Trueheart won the final challenge and chose to bring Chris Bukowski and Sarah Newlon with them to the finale. Ed Swiderski and Jaclyn Swartz were eliminated. They were beyond shocked. With a murderous look in her eye, Jaclyn sobbed, "Rachel is dead to me." 

Chris Harrison welcomes back the Bachelor Pad losers… Ryan "not gettin' any" HoagKalon McMahon and Lindzi Cox (cheers), Reid Rosenthal (lukewarm cheer), Jaclyn and Ed, Erica Rose, Jamie Otis (ready for a costume partyabsolute silence), Tony Pieper and Blakeley Jones (cheers), and Michael Stagliano (huge cheer). Also, the super fans – SWAT, David, Donna, Paige, Brittany, and Erica.

The losers vote for the winning couple of Bachelor Pad 3. Who will it be – Nick and Rachel or Chris and Sarah? And, as always, there's only one prize in Bachelor Pad. <wink, wink>

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Drama, Drama, Drama

Chris Harrison asks Erica if Bachelor Pad is just a game of lies. Erica says yes, and, if you cannot lie (like her), you'll struggle in the game.

Kalon, is there any way to survive in this game and not lie? Kalon says, "Absolutely. You can survive but that doesn't necessarily mean you will thrive. And there's a big difference."

Lindzi reports that she and Kalon's relationship is "still going." The crowd cheers. Lindzi thinks Kalon is a really nice and sweet guy… obviously overlooked on the Bachelorette. Erica Rose throws down her gavel. She says to Lindzi, "Be careful. I've seen Kalon around town at different events with different women." She lists a movie premiere as one of the events. Kalon asks Erica who she was with at the movie premiere. She answers her friend Natalie. Kalon wants to know if they're dating. Erica says, "No. But I wasn't rubbing her leg either during the movie." Neither Kalon nor Lindzi respond to Erica's rumors/accusations. 

Michael Stagliano in the Hot Seat

So, Michael, did you know it would be this tough to play this game again? He says no, but he did expect to be targeted and eliminated first/second. 

Originally, Michael said he came back to Bachelor Pad to find love. Apparently, the game got the best of him, because he lost that focus somewhere along the way. Now, in the hot seat, Michael admits he did not come back to Bachelor Pad to find a wife. He says, "It's Bachelor Pad. If I'm really honest, I came to have a really good time." What about Rachel? "I liked Rachel immediately. There's chemistry there, but I thought it was a summer camp relationship. Then, Rachel and I were hanging out, making out, sleeping together, having a blast…"

So, that Bachelor Pad romance didn't last, but Michael says he and Rachel are okay (as in, amicable) now. Jaclyn speaks up, "She's not okay.She's still very hurt." Michael says he saw Rachel after filming ended and told her there wasn't enough there for him to want to do a long-distance relationship. Michael says, "She was falling in love. I just wasn't."

Jaclyn Swartz in the Hot Seat

Jaclyn's dress is beyond ugly. Jaclyn whines about how loyal she was to Rachel and admits she wouldn't have been that loyal to her had she known Rachel would stab her in the back. Jaclyn says, "I know you are supposed to take your emotions out of the game – it is just a game – but, honestly, anyone who puts themselves in my shoes knows… a best friend doing that, essentially taking away their best friend's chance at winning $250,000, is unforgivable." Jaclyn says she fought to keep Rachel in the game, like, 14 times.. you know, when Michael left and, err, a few other times too.

Jaclyn says, "I thought I was set up to win." Feeling entitled much, Jaclyn? Chris tells her no one is ever "set up" to win. Jaclyn is like, whatever, she thinks she was the one who was calling the shots and controlling the game. She's a little bitter because Michael got the credit for her genius work. 

Blakeley Jones and Tony Pieper in the Hot Seat

Poor Blakeley got all caught in Chris Bukowski's web of lies and needy ladies. Chris Harrison wants to know why she and Jamie do not like each other. Blakeley simply says she didn't come on Bachelor Pad to make friends. Jamie speaks up. After she insults the virgin, she says to Blakeley, "You have no good reason to not be friends with me. I mean, Jaclyn says I'm fake…" Jaclyn chimes in, "You are!" Jamie is like, and you're not? Jaclyn says, "I'm the realest person you'll ever meet." Ed agrees with Jaclyn. I'm assuming "real" means "bitchy mean girl" in Bachelor Pad world. Jaclyn tells Jamie she's socially awkward (true).

Back to Blakeley. Chris says Blakeley talks tough but she's really just a cry baby. Chris wants to know, why Tony? She says, "Something I feel… I don't know how to explain it. I've never felt it before." Blakely stops, because she's getting choked up, and then continues, "Sometimes I feel like it's too good to be true. I don't know what I did to deserve someone like that. He's amazing." 

Together, Blakeley and Tony tell the other Pad people that they're moving in together. Super fan David beams. In a creepy kind of way, the dude could not be happier.  Tony surprises Blakeley, then. He says to her, "We've moved very quick, but it's like every day I fall more and more in love with you with. I am madly in love with you. I cannot picture you not in my life. I care about you more than anybody I've ever been with. I don't want this to end. I want to show you how much I love you. I want you to be confident that I'm in this for you and that I'm in this forever."

Tony gets down on his knee and proposes to Blakeley…  he begs "please say yes"… she says "absolutely!" 

Moving on to the Finalists

Nick, Rachel, Chris, and Sarah come to the stage. 

Rachel tells Michael she's confused. She knows Michael was into her… she felt it, American saw it… but he turned cold as soon as he was off the show.  Michael says, "I liked you. I wanted to be more than a partner, but once I got off, I realized I wasn't falling in love." Chris reminds us that Rachel was ready to leave the show for Michael after his elimination. Seriously, Chris? How could we forget? Rachel says, "There were so many times I wanted to leave for him. The money didn't matter, I just didn't care about that anymore. I thought I had found something so much better."

Nick is just like, let's get to the money, okay? He is so very over this drama. I kind of love him right now.

Rachel's crying, but poor Rachel still needs to finish this game. Chris says, "Nick, I want to get to you too… just to prove you're on the show." Then, when he gets to Nick, he asks him about Rachel. Nick says, "I felt like it was always about Michael. I know it was tough for her, I'm not trashing her, but I felt like she was stuck with me." Chris asks Nick, "Was it your plan all along to fly under the radar and let everyone else self-destruct?" Nick addresses the Pad people, "I stayed out of all of the drama. My hands are clean. That's the way I wanted to play it. This is a lot of money on the line, and I need it, so I didn't want to risk it by getting involved in anything stupid." 

Chris Bukowski’s Big Move

Chris Harrison says, speaking of stupid controversy, "Chris Bukowski, your name has come up a couple times tonight." Chris says the Jamie/Blakeley situation was tough… for him. And, also, his friends and family. Chris says, "I know I'm going to hear it from the two girls that I hurt, but I want you to know right now, I heard it already. I heard it from my dad, my sister."  In other words, he's saying, save it. I don't want to hear it. 

Chris says he came on Bachelor Pad to get over Emily Maynard… and he just took the wrong approach.

Jamie speaks up, "All I have to say to you is, you claimed that you loved Emily so much, but I think Emily is very wise to see you right through you. I don't think you'd be any great father for her daughter Ricki." 

Jaclyn wants to know why Rachel didn't fight harder to bring her and Ed to the finale. Jaclyn snubs Nick, saying he's the guy who "landed" in the finals "out of luck." Rachel, poor Rachel, cries that has just had such a rough time. Nick says, "This is a game. Our best chance at winning the money was to take Chris and Sarah." 

Chris Harrison is tired of Jaclyn and Rachel's drama too, so he moves on to Chris Bukowski. Chris wants to know if he regrets the way he played the game. Chris says no, he's there to win. Blakeley says, "You came here to win, but we have to vote. I think you should have just thought about that." Sarah defends Chris's game and character. Chris asks for votes for Sarah. (umm, that's votes for you, too)

Votes for the Win!

Michael – Rachel and, by default, Nick

Jamie – Nick and Rachel

Kalon – a big SARAH and a little Chris

Ed – Nick and Rachel

Blakeley – Nick and Rachel

Dave – Chris and Sarah

Erica – Chris and Sarah

Reid – Nick and Rachel

Lindzi – Rachel and Nick

Donna – Rachel and Nick

Tony – Nick (Captain Protein) and Rachel

Jaclyn – Rachel and Nick

(the rest of the votes are for Nick and Rachel)

Rachel and Nick win the votes! 

Two People, One Prize 

The prize is $250,000. They each have to choose to keep or share the money. If they both choose share, they split the money evenly. If one choses keep and one chooses share, the keeper gets all of the money and the sharer gets nothing. If they both choose keep, neither Nick nor Rachel get the prize money. If that happens, the money is split between the season 3 losers. 

While Nick and Rachel make their choice in a secret room, Chris talks to the Pad people. Jaclyn thinks Rachel should "keep" the money because she deserves it more than Nick. The audience boos. David points out that Rachel wanted to leave the game to chase after Michael. Chris is confident they'll share the money. SWAT says, "Am I the only one who would take the $250,000 and run?" Michael retorts, $125,000 is a ton of money, why be so greedy? Reid agrees, why stir the pot? 

The Big Reveal

Nick and Rachel return with their chalkboards and bodyguards. 

Rachel says, "I came on the show for both the possibility of winning the money and also maybe a chance at love again. There was a time that I thought I was really close to both. One of them isn't a possibility anymore, but I am close to the money right now. I didn't come here to win half the money. I came here to win, but you cannot win without a partner, so I choose to share."

Rachel picks share.

Nick says, "Thank you, Rachel. I think it's really funny ironic that nobody sitting up there in the cast, audience, or home would have put their money on me to win this. It's crazy though to sit up here and to watch the last episode and to see Jaclyn say that I don't deserve to be here and to see Ed to say I'm just an anonymous guy in house. I was on nobody's radar, nobody was ever on my team, and I did this all myself. Nobody ever cared how I was going to vote. Nobody cared what my plan was. I feel like I'm an outsider. I got here by myself. I did this all by myself. Rachel never wanted to be my partner. She didn't! As a matter of fact, she told me she backed into this partnership. She tried to leave me three times, knowing that it would screw me over. I had to talk to you, Jaclyn had to talk to you, and you told me it was Jaclyn's words that kept you here, not mine. Never once did you say, 'I'm going to stick it out for your sake, Nick.' In the final competition you told me if it were you and Michael, you'd win this for sure. So, I decided to keep the money."

Nick picks keep. Rachel gets nothing!

Rachel says, "Are you f***ing kidding me?!"

The audience stand and cheers. 

Rachel is appalled that Nick is laughing.

Nick, "I won."

Rachel, "I brought you here. You are here because of me."

Nick, "Because of you?"

Rachel looks at the audience and asks, is he not here because of me?! The audience is silent.

Nick says, "I was here day one by myself. I was never in the big alliance. I was never part of a strong partnership."

Rachel calls Nick a disgusting human being. Nick is like, nobody comes into this game hoping to win $125,000 (ie, half). Rachel begs for someone to punch Nick. 

Nick says, "I came here to win $250,000 and that's what I won."

Rachel says, "I'm devastated." 

Rachel cries about her rough times and losing Michael. Nick tells her if she had been all in the partnership, instead of crying about Michael the whole time, he would have been cool with splitting the money. Rachel calls Nick a f***ing schmuck. Nick says he's a schmuck with $250,000. 

Jaclyn says Rachel deserved the money. End of story. Nick asks, "Why don't I deserve it?" Jaclyn shrugs her shoulder and says, "Because you're not one of the cool kids you don't." Kalon, the Bachelor Pad 3 voice of reason, says, "Is there anyone who actually understands what the word deserves means? No of us deserves this. This is a game." Kalon says to Nick, "Well played, man." 

Tony wants to know if Nick feels he'll regret this decision. Nick says he wasn't out to hurt Rachel, he just played the game. The audience cheers. Rachel wants to know why the audience is cheering. Nick walks off stage, Rachel storms after him. Jaclyn's sour puss face says, "I'm just so annoyed. Like, I just gave him $250,000." 

Nick leaves with his duffel bag full of cash. Rachel sobs.

It's safe to say – Nick will never be part of the Bachelor cool kids club. Nick laughs, "It's BP3, that's just how it goes." 

TELL US – WHAT DID YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? DID NICK DO THE RIGHT THING?

Photo credit: ABC

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