GOLDEN Bachelor fans have applauded runner-up Cindy Cullers for dumping Mel Owens and expressed their disappointment over the finale.
Mel didn’t have to choose between the final two ladies, Cindy and Peg Munson, as one ended up walking away from the former athlete.
The episode picked up where it left off two weeks earlier, with Cindy and Mel having a serious discussion about their future during their date in Antigua.
Cindy admitted she questioned Mel’s true feelings for her and whether he was ready for a commitment and a proposal.
Mel seemed to confirm her fears, as he revealed he most likely wouldn’t be popping the question during the season finale, as he was still torn between his feelings for her and Peg.
Cindy then made the difficult decision to end their romance, and she walked away in tears.
Mel later recapped what happened to Peg, who agreed she was still interested in getting to know the former NFL star.
After meeting his sons and best friend, Diane, and receiving the stamp of approval, the couple solidified their relationship in a romantic beach setting.
Instead of a proposal, Mel gifted Peg a massive diamond “promise ring” and asked her to continue their journey and see how the relationship progresses, to which she accepted.
Mel reunited with both ladies during the After the Final Rose special, hosted by Jesse Palmer.
He and Cindy shared their final peace, with Cindy revealing she’s happy that Mel didn’t try to convince her to stay.
She further noted that the pair “didn’t align,” and wanted different things from the experience, but there were no hard feelings.
Fans praised Cindy for expressing what she wanted and not settling for Mel when she realized they weren’t on the same page.
“The biggest WINNER on The Golden Bachelor is Cindy. Good for her, for not settling for Mel & his indecision. It took a lot to walk away. ABC: There is your next Golden Bachelorette,” one person wrote on X.
“Dodged a bullet, Cindy-dodged a great big bullet,” said another.
“That was brutal. The only good thing that happened was that Cindy handled the situation on her terms.
“She deserves someone who wants a commitment, not saying they want to wait two years to see what happens! She deserves someone incredibly special,” a third reacted.
Viewers also shared their frustrations with the “boring” finale, especially after Mel and Peg seemingly dodged questions about a possible proposal and wedding in their future.
“This is so boring I actually went and did laundry,” one fan admitted.
“I have never been so happy for a season to be over,” a second remarked.
“This is not getting me excited for her season. Sorry abc, it’s not working,” a third commented.
Despite their smiles onstage, The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed that there’s already trouble in paradise between Mel and Peg, according to a source.
The insider also revealed that the duo planned to come out as a “united front” for the live show to ensure fans didn’t sense that their relationship was on the rocks.
We entered the midseason finale of “9-1-1” with trepidation, considering ABC’s own promo included a shot of Hen collapsing in her living room, and we’re sorry to report that we’re even more concerned about Aisha Hinds’ character after watching the episode.
Hen first noticed an issue with her hand after another totally normal rescue call for the 118, in which an entire family reunion lost their fingers during a brutal tug of war. (Buck asking “Who has French tips?” while holding up a severed finger was definitely a highlight of the hour.) But Hen shrugged off her concerns, and when a med spa scam artist commented on her tremors during another call, she got very defensive.
Hen began her investigation with a call to her mom, innocently inquiring about a potential family history of strokes. Moments after hanging up, Hen passed out in the middle of her living room, eventually waking up to a call from Karen hours later. Once again, she kept her concerns to herself, telling Karen that she simply got held up at work.
After picking Maddie’s brain as a former nurse, Hen decided that there was only one way to find out what’s wrong with her — an out-of-pocket full-body scan at the same med spa the 118 visited earlier in the hour. You know, the place where the scam artist “doctor” didn’t notice a patient dying right in front of him. That should give you an idea of how hush-hush Hen wants to keep this.
We, however, will not stay hush-hush! What the heck is going on with Hen? Our gut says it could be cancer, as this wouldn’t be the first time someone from the “9-1-1” franchise has fought the good fight, but it almost feels pointless to speculate given the WTF nature of this show. After all, who among us would have predicted that Bobby would succumb to Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever?! We could have gone the rest of our lives without knowing what that even is.
Regardless of what’s wrong with Hen, we’re pulling for her. Not only do we not want to lose anyone else from the 118 after Bobby, but Karen and those babies need her! It’s going to be a long wait for “9-1-1” to return with the second half of Season 9 on Thursday, Jan. 8 (8/7c).
ABC
In much happier news, there’s a new captain in town, and his name is — drumroll please — Howard “Chimney” Han! While serving as interim captain, Chimney initially resisted Chief Simpson’s offer to make the arrangement permanent, but after serious consideration (not to mention a strong push from Maddie), he delighted the chief by changing his mind.
We held it together for most of Chimney’s promotion ceremony, but we’ll be darned if we didn’t get all misty-eyed when the new captain’s fellow firefighters gave him that watch engraved with “The 118 is not just a number, it’s us,” a direct quote from the inspirational speech that foreshadowed Chimney in his new position last season.
Here’s hoping that having Chimney as a full-time captain will give “9-1-1” the license to have some fun again. Don’t get us wrong, Bobby’s memory should always be honored and preserved, but this show has been sputtering in a puddle of grief all season — compounded by last week’s tragic loss for Eddie. Let the sunshine in!
More good news: Harry was officially accepted into the LAFD academy, though it was far from a sure thing. In theory, you couldn’t ask for a better candidate than the son of Athena Grant and the step-son of Bobby Nash, but Harry’s otherwise guaranteed future was compromised by his criminal past.
In case you need a refresher on what happened to Harry in Season 7, he had a warrant out for his arrest after fighting a convenience store owner in self-defense. As a minor, he was released into Athena’s custody, and he didn’t think it would go on his permanent record. Surprise! It did!
Harry initially revoked his application, certain that his past would disqualify him, but Buck — who agreed to train Harry for the test, all while keeping it from Athena — wouldn’t let Harry give up. He tricked Harry into “bumping into” Chief Simpson at a restaurant, where he agreed to give Harry a shot at the academy. (Buck and Harry also bumped into Chimney at the same restaurant, blowing his big secret about becoming captain. Oops!)
Speaking of the Grant family, Athena spent the hour figuring out who was cyberbullying an 18-year-old girl who attempted suicide over an endless barrage of cruel text messages. The ordeal forced Athena to relive her own trauma (because when is she not?) from when May found herself in the same situation several years earlier.
During an evening of mother-daughter drinking, Athena conveniently left the messages printed out on her coffee table, sparking a conversation with May about how she’s doing now. Athena apologized for not seeing the signs and intervening sooner, but May assuaged her guilt by saying that she knew everything was going to be OK when she woke up in the hospital and saw Athena’s face.
Oh, and the girl’s cyberbully turned out to be — wait for it — her own mother! That’s right, we’ve got a regular “Awkward” situation on our hands. (Remember that show? It’s honestly worth a rewatch if you have the time.)
How are you feeling after the “9-1-1” midseason finale? What’s your diagnosis for Hen’s mystery condition? And what are you hoping to see in 2026?