While Peter Weber’s time in The Bachelor cockpit has mostly been marred by the fact that viewers don’t like him and his messy turbulence, an interesting theory took shape this week that was really, truly a smooth one for the ages: Weber doesn’t end up with any of his remaining four contestants, but rather chooses to pursue a relationship with a veteran producer for the franchise, Julie LaPlaca. The theory gained a substantial amount of steam after being posited on Reddit last week, and Bachelor Nation (who, it should be noted, love this ending for Weber in general) were seemingly spotting clues all over the place that confirm their romance. She celebrated New Year’s Eve with Weber’s family! She was spotted wearing Seattle Seahawks merch — a team that Weber loves so much, he got a tattoo to show his pride! And for the first time in several years, this Bachelor season hasn’t been spoiled by gossip blogs, which only adds to the tinfoil-y nature of what’s going on.
So, what’s the likelihood that this relationship is in any way legitimate, and not just a fever dream as a result of being subjected to five (5!) hours of Bachelor content last week? We’re gonna file this one under “fun but very unlikely.†The theory actually found its way back to ABC on Tuesday, where Robert Mills, the network’s senior vice-president of alternative series, teased how it could fit into the rest of the season. “Well, I hate to get in the way of a good rumor, so I’m not going to confirm or deny about whether he ends up with a producer,†he explained. “I don’t know how we’d ever top that though! But, it is crazy.†He added that “there’s a lot of craziness, it’s a roller coaster, but I would say even now the roller coaster hasn’t ended, and it won’t end until after After the Final Rose.†More bluntly, noted Bachelor spoiler blogger Reality Steve shut down the “garbage†theory, essentially calling us a bunch of idiots if we believe it. Hey, weirder things have happened this season.