The Bachelor (season 2)
Finale aired Nov. 20, 2002
Bachelor: Aaron Buerge
Potential Brides: Helene Eksterowicz and Brooke Smith

Jessica Shaw wrote:
On Helene: ''Over the past few weeks, it became increasingly clear that Helene was in it to win it — not because she was madly in love with Aaron, but because she wanted the victory. And, most transparently, she bought him a money clip. Hmmm, is somebody after something other than your heart, Aaron?''
On Brooke: ''Brooke, on the other hand, may be a mere 22, but that girl had more genuine emotion for this undeserving clod in her pinky toe than Helene had in her entire body.''
The Choice: ''If you teared up during Aaron's predictable proposal to Helene, just stop reading right now because you're not going to like what I have to say. If you've watched the show since the beginning, you saw Aaron turn into a bulging-eyed cartoon character every time he saw the Jersey-girl school psychologist. You had to know no other woman really had a shot. Well, guess what? The guy made the wrong choice.''

What Happened Next: Before the end of 2002, Helene and Aaron's engagement was off

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