Entertainment TV Matt James Says He's in a 'Dark Place' Before Potential Proposal in' Bachelor' Finale Sneak Peek On next week's season finale, Matt James will introduce his final two women — Rachael Kirkconnell and Michelle Young — to his mom and brother By Jodi Guglielmi Jodi Guglielmi Instagram Twitter Writer-Reporter, PEOPLE People Editorial Guidelines Published on March 9, 2021 11:30 AM Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Matt James' journey to find love may be coming to an end, but the drama is just getting started. In a sneak peek at next week's season finale of The Bachelor, Matt introduces his final two women — Rachael Kirkconnell and Michelle Young — to his mom and brother. "I'm about to make one of the most important decisions of my life: to find love, to find my wife, to leave this thing engaged," he says. "My brother and my mom, they know me better than anybody. She doesn't want me to make the same mistake that my dad made." When Matt sits down with his mom, she offers him some hard truths about the perils of falling in love. "Love is a wonderful thing, but it's not going to be easy," she says. "Love is not the end-all, be-all." Rachel Lindsay Says She Was 'Disturbed' by Matt James' Conversation with His Dad on The Bachelor Matt James. bachelor nation abc/ youtube Will you accept this rose? Sign up for PEOPLE's free weekly Bachelor Nation newsletter to get the latest news on The Bachelor, The Bachelorette and everything in between. The conversation leaves Matt emotional, and he breaks down while reflecting on his mom's complicated past with his dad. "It takes me back to a very dark place," he says. And when Chris Harrison asks Matt if he's able to continue moving forward with the process, the 29-year-old wavers. "To be honest with you, I don't know," he says. "Everything that I thought I was working for is just starting to crumble." "I don't know what I'm going to do," he admits. GMA's Michael Strahan Calls Bachelor Host Chris Harrison's Apology a 'Surface Response' The upcoming finale comes as the ABC franchise remains embroiled in controversy following a conversation longtime host Harrison had with Rachel Lindsay, the first Black Bachelorette, on Extra last month. The two were discussing Matt's frontrunner Rachael, who had come under fire for resurfaced social media posts which saw her dressed in Native American attire in costume and attending an antebellum plantation-themed college party in 2018. She has since apologized. During the 14-minute, unedited interview, Harrison appeared to defend Rachael and said people should have "a little grace, a little understanding, a little compassion" in the wake of the resurfaced photos. After facing backlash for his remarks, Harrison apologized for "speaking in a manner that perpetuates racism" and announced that he would be "stepping aside" from the franchise for a period of time. In his absence, Emmanuel Acho has been tapped to host the After the Final Rose special, the official conclusion to Matt's season. The Bachelor season finale airs Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, followed by the After the Final Rose special at 10 p.m. ET.