Colton Underwood's big fence jump is finally airing, Monday, March 4 on ABC.
Bachelor Nation has been looking forward to this all season long: Monday night's episode features the franchise's first virgin ever heading into the fantasy suites, but this season's fantasy suites have also become about a different 'f' word ... the fence.
Colton Underwood's big fence jump -- the moment the former NFL player scales a gate in a single bound and escapes the show's production crew -- is finally airing in full Monday, March 4, on ABC.
ET has been asking Underwood about his unbelievably athletic vault since the morning after his premiere, and Bachelor Nation, we're here for you! This is everything we know ahead of one of the most instantly iconic moments in Bachelor history.
Colton leaves because he "snaps"
Fans first learned of the fence jump in a season teaser trailer ahead of The Bachelor's premiere in January. So, when we sat down with Underwood the morning after his premiere aired, we had to ask why he seemingly stormed off from the show's production crew and jumped a fence! The Denver resident told us something happens that makes things "overwhelming" for him ahead of his exit.
And, at the show's recent Women Tell All taping, host Chris Harrison explained that even he didn't realize the scope of Underwood's frustration.
"He just kind of broke and snapped and he was done," Harrison told ET. "I don't think I realized the severity of it until I was trying to walk after him and obviously you saw the jump of the fence, and then he took off."
Also at the WTA (which airs Tues., March 5 on ABC), Underwood elaborated on his mental state: "I just needed to get away," he told ET. "I needed time and I think I realized you know I wanted I wanted to just be to myself and just sit in that moment by myself and realize whats best for me as a human being."
Colton says in jumping the fence, he quit the show
"In that moment and the feelings I was feeling," Underwood told us back in January. "I left the show ... There was no Bachelor."
But...can a Bachelor really quit?
ET spoke to one of Underwood's predecessors, Ben Higgins, who says the show will always go on. "Nobody actually quits the show," Higgins says. "You’re the Bachelor! Once you sign up, no matter what, your story has already been told. If you want to walk out after night one, you can do that, I guess but, it doesn’t really mean you quit the show, it just means the show is going to look a lot different. There’s no actual quitting. Once you sign your name on the dotted line and show up, you’re there. If you think you’ve quit, you haven’t. The ending might just look a lot different."
Yet, Colton is gone for "a while."
When Underwood jumps the fence, the show's crew goes after him ... but they might not find him right away. Back in January, Underwood told us he was gone "for a while." Why? "I needed time to myself," he explained.
At WTA, Harrison shared, "It really was unlike anything we'd dealt with before, and so for the first five minutes I thought, 'We're clearly gonna find him, it's not that big of a deal,' and then we didn't."
And, he doesn't have much with him in the wild.
Fans can see in the teasers that Underwood walks out without a suitcase ... or really anything! So, does the Bachelor turn into Bear Grylls? "I'm a resourceful guy," the 27-year-old told us in January. "I know how to make a little bonfire, fight off some coyotes or whatever we got to do!"
At that time, he also revealed what makes him return to filming again at some point. "It was a conversation, not only with Chris, but you know with myself," Underwood said.
Colton does come back
We don't know when or how Colton reunites with the crew, but in January, Underwood shared that he does return. What makes the difference in his decision? "It was a conversation, not only with Chris Harrison, but you know, with myself," he said.
There are tears ahead
Also in January, we asked Underwood if there are tears after the jump. In true franchise fashion, he said, "Oh, of course! Of course! ... It was emotional!"
Season 23 of The Bachelor is in its penultimate week, with two episodes airing March 4 and 5, and a two-part live finale on March 11 and 12.
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