Nick Viall's fourth search for love on The Bachelor franchise ended with the March 13 Season 21 finale, which saw Nick choosing between 29-year-old special education teacher-slash-actress Vanessa Grimaldi and 25-year-old fashion boutique owner Raven Gates. The final episode (an "historic three-hour finale," as host Chris Harrison described it to The Bachelor Live studio audience) was set in frosty Finland, and ultimately Nick proposed to Vanessa.

First up in the episode, Vanessa had heartfelt, if occasionally fraught, conversations with Nick's mom and dad before Nick took her on a horseback ride to visit this bearded recluse in the woods.

Terhi Tuovinen, ABC
Terhi Tuovinen, ABC
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Unfortunately, Vanessa was soon reminded that she's on The Bachelor and wasn't the sole competitor on this show (a fact she's been strangely surprised by throughout) and started "questioning" her relationship with Nick again.

Meanwhile, Nick mused in the next scene, "it's just easier with Raven," as the two went on a whimsical ice skating jaunt before he brought her PUPPIES (this date was so much better than the Santa thing). Nick and Raven continued their shared love of making out on the ground, this time on a frozen lake instead of in the mud. Raven (who we're expected to believe had her very first orgasm with Nick in the Fantasy Suite last week) assured him she still very much wanted to marry him, and Nick commended how "sincere" and "loyal" and "fun" she is. When Raven said via voiceover that she's wanted this "all of my adult life," it was a good reminder that she is only 25, and has a bright, O-filled future ahead of her.

does-nick-pick-raven-the-bachelor
Terhi Tuovinen, ABC
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After Nick ultimately let Raven down with an "I don't know if I'm in love with you," he proposed to Vanessa with a giant Neil Lane diamond, and Grimaldi accepted.

Throughout the season, Viall barely behaved like someone who actually wanted to find a life partner — the 36-year-old's antics had mostly been a show of disinterest and puzzling choices that would come off as manipulative if his execution was less bumbling. Back in February, Life & Style claimed that Nick had a "breakdown" while filming the finale, as a source said "Nick told produc­ers he felt like he was in hell" and, in addition to making pro and con lists about Raven and Vanessa, asked for multiple breaks to get reassurance from the crew and host Chris Harrison. 

It was all enough to seriously wonder, even by the standards of a long-running, producer-sculpted reality show, if Nick might be dead inside and just doing this to maintain employment with ABC? Or are his parents as perfect as they seem, to the point that they provided an example so lofty Nick felt like he can't live up to it? Alternately, is Nick just too familiar with how the Bachelor-sausage is made, and after working in this sausage factory for too long he overthought this thing every step of the way?

Nick finally had his fairy tale ending on The Bachelor, and told Chris Harrison on After the Final Rose that he's "very happy" with his fiancee Vanessa. Meanwhile, Vanessa admitted to Chris that living in two separate countries and growing their relationship after the show has been "difficult" at times. Hrrrmm.

Either way, Nick fans won't need to wait long to see him again: He's set to reappear on the network as a contestant on Dancing With the Stars

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