'The Bachelor' Finale Will Mark a First in Franchise History: Here's Why (Exclusive)

In an unprecedented move for the reality show, raw, unedited footage will air during its finale.

We know Monday's The Bachelor finale will be shocking. If you haven't heard ... spoiler ahead ... ET's sources confirm that Arie Luyendyk Jr. proposed to one woman, then broke up with her and is now in a relationship with his initial second choice. The franchise is completely switching up its format to match the real-life drama of what went down.

ET can reveal that after 21 seasons, the finale will feature totally unedited scenes for the first time, tearing down the so-called fourth wall and putting the audience in the center of the drama unlike ever before. A source close to production tells ET: "This is an unprecedented and extremely unusual move for the franchise. The show will include completely unedited scenes just as they were shot, with both cameras visible at all times to show every word and every moment of an incredibly emotional moment. It’s nothing like you’ve seen on The Bachelor."

Awkward pauses ... painful silences ... no music to cushion the raw sounds of gut-wrenching sobs? We're already reaching for our much-needed wine.

Whatever that unedited footage is, it could be especially painful considering the woman Arie proposed to and then broke up with didn't see it coming. A source tells ET, "She felt totally blindsided." 

Typically, the season finale is three hours long, consisting of two hours of the pre-taped finale, plus one hour of a live After the Final Rose special hosted by Chris Harrison that features his interviews with the Bachelor and his final two women. That will also be different next week; Monday night will be three hours, followed by a live two-hour AFR on Tuesday, where the new Bachelorette will also be announced. 

Luyendyk Jr. will be on hand to answer questions at AFR, along with his top two women, Becca and Lauren. But also in attendance will be contestants Tia, Kendall, Seinne, Bekah and Caroline. A source close to the cast tells ET that the women are ready to "grill" Luyendyk about what went down.

Another source says, "Becca and Lauren will handle themselves really well. They're class acts. For Arie, it's going to be a bloodbath. A lot of the women don't think his playboy tendencies have gone away. Will he last with anyone?"

ET recently spoke to standout contestant Bekah Martinez, who, frankly, doesn't think he will. Watch the video below. 

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