'The Bachelorette' Finale: Jillian Harris Chooses Ed Swiderski

So, after getting her heart broken on last season's installment of 'The Bachelor,' who did 'Bachelorette' Jillian Harris choose to be her mate for life (that's in reality TV years, of course) on tonight's season finale? Was it Ed, the walking poster boy for erectile dysfunction, or Kiptyn, the man whose name sounds like something Superman is allergic to?

In what host Chris Harrison had warned in the beginning would be "the most emotional season finale ever," Jillian chose .... Ed, the technology consultant who had dumped her earlier in the season to return home to his job, before coming back a month later when he realized he'd made a mistake.




Keeping Harrison's words in mind, second chances would become one of the evening's recurring themes: Ed returning to the show, Ed returning to the bedroom for another shot at rocking Jillian's world and Reid, the Philadelphia realtor she'd rejected in the penultimate episode, returning to ... well, more on that in a minute.

It basically came down to this: Did Jillian and Ed have any spark? She felt he loved her, but worried they had a lack of chemistry that would make him a great best friend, but not necessarily husband material.

She professed to wanting to rip Kiptyn's clothes off, on the other hand, but wasn't always sure of his feelings for her outside the Fantasy Suite.

Fast forward to the scene where an exploding volcano – seriously – seemed to confirm that Ed's E.D. problems were a thing of the past, and later still, California business developer Kiptyn 'fessing his love for her, and our girl Jillian did have a serious decision to make. Both fellas picked out rings for potential proposals, and all that was left to do was await the Bachelorette's decision.

Said Jillian to Kiptyn, the first guy who'd arrived via limo in the season premiere: you're the perfect guy ... but I love someone else.

So it's Ed, right?

Said Jillian to Ed: uh, wait a minute ... suddenly, a new – or rather, a new old – contender emerged.

Yes, Reid came back. Wearing an ill-fitting sport coat and sneakers and arriving in an oh-so-romantic minivan, Reid returned to say he'd made an oopsie. "I just came back to tell you that I love you, and hopefully you feel the same way," he said. And then he proposed.

"I need to think about the fact that I was thinking about spending the rest of my life with someone else today," she responded. And then, after much fretting, chatting with Harrison and a commercial break or two, she kicked Reid to the curb once again.

Meanwhile, that "someone else," Ed, was in a limo and on his way to the busiest Bachelorette pad this side of Paris Hilton's hacienda.

"Ed better not f***ing disappoint me," said delicate flower Jillian.

And he didn't.





"There's something aboot (hey, she's Canadian) Ed that makes me smile from ear to ear," Jillian said, as she waited for Ed to make his way to her, where he told her she had "changed him as a man, helped me reprioritize my life" and then flashed a super blingy Neil Lane ring on her.

"Jillian, will you marry me?" Ed asked.

"Absolutely!" Jillian answered.

Squeals, hugs, kisses, and cue the Martina McBride tune ("I Just Call You Mine") as Jillian gives Ed her final rose and tells him they're going to have "the funnest wild ride."
-- By Kim Potts

Next up: Tuesday night's 'The Bachelorette: After the Final Rose' reunion special (10PM ET, ABC).

Related: Why couldn't Jillian have been the one to propose to Ed?