The Bach flashback: Jesse and Jessica

Looking back at all 15 previous Bach seasons, I think Jesse Palmer’s might actually be the most dramatic of them all! Chris Harrison should have retired that phrase when the season ended on May 19, 2004.
 
There was the token villain (remember Trish and her gold digger T shirts?); an actual house spy in the form of his buddy’s wife (Jenny, who kissed Jesse on the lips, causing a little drama of her own); Jesse calling out the name “Katie” instead of “Karen” during a rose ceremony (OOPS!); and runner-up Tara, who was not shy about telling Jesse that his actions with her on their last day were “inappropriate” since he ended up with another girl. Hmmm, I wonder what that meant.

Jesse ended up giving Jessica Bowlin, a 22-year-old blondie from Huntington Beach, the final rose and… a one-way ticket to join in him New York, where he was back-up QB for the Giants at the time. No engagement — not even a promise ring a la the Bach before him, Bob Guiney. Just a plane ticket that she ended up not even using. She decided to stay put in HB and finish law school (good girl!) and less a month later the couple announced their break up, making the Bach relationship record 0 for 5.

But the most dramatic (and awkward) part of the season was the final rose ceremony. My Bach girls and I were holding our breath as the first limo pulled up, Chris opened the door and out walks… JESSICA! This means he chose Tara, right? Doesn’t the first girl get dumped and spend the rest of her day crying in a limo and packing up her formalwear? Not this season. Jesse shocked America by telling Jessica that she’s the one (kind of) and then dismissing her to watch from a window above (see 2:15 in the video clip below) as he dumps sad-eye Tara for good.

Top that, Ben!