Nick Viall Reflects on 'Failed' Kaitlyn Bristowe Proposal: 'It Really Was a Season for the Ages'

"It was like waving at someone who's waving at the person behind [you]... but million times worse," Nick Viall said

Nick Viall, Kaitlyn Bristowe. Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty; Amy Sussman/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank

Nick Viall is reflecting on his "failed proposal" to Kaitlyn Bristowe ahead of ABC airing her The Bachelorette episode as part of Monday night's The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons — Ever!

On Sunday, Viall, 39, shared a clip from season 11 of The Bachelorette, which shows Bristowe, 34, awkwardly shutting down his proposal to her.

Of the moment, Viall candidly wrote in the caption that it "was like waving at someone who's waving at the person behind... but [a] million times worse."

However, Viall has since moved on explaining, "I look back on this time of my life and have nothing but positive memories."

"I just didn't think ABC would make us relive the entire failed proposal tomorrow night... It really was a season for the ages," Viall continued. "You never know how you view things as time passes. Glad to be able to call KB a good friend!"

Viall placed second during Bristowe's season of The Bachelorette in 2015 (after placing second on Andi Dorfman’s season in 2014). He then appeared on Bachelor in Paradise and went one to become The Bachelor in 2016.

Viall opened up about his relationship with Bristowe last year, explaining that he's finally found "closure" after being "really pissed" with Bristowe for comments she made following their breakup.

In an old video posted on The Bachelorette's official Instagram page, Bristowe was asked to play a word association game, responding to the phrase “the right reasons” with a simple yet biting, “not Nick Viall.”

Viall was angered by her response, taking to the comments section of the video in a since-deleted message to express his frustrations.

“@Kaitlynbristowe dms me two weeks into filming.. asks me to show up. Picks someone else. Makes jokes post show at my expense in national interviews to cover own ass. 3 years later…..same ole,” Viall wrote before deleting his comment, according to Us Weekly.

Kaitlyn Bristowe and Nick Viall. Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

On his podcast, The Viall Files, Viall revealed that he and Bristowe have since talked and smoothed things over.

“When it comes to Kaitlyn, I am hypersensitive. It’s a trigger,” said Viall.

“Of all the times I’ve been on the show, every other time was this opportunity I had to be open to the possibility of meeting someone,” he said. “But when I went on for Kaitlyn’s season, it was for that particular girl and probably the sincerest thing I’ve ever done in my time on the show. So this implication of any insincerity out of her mouth about me really boils my blood.”

According to Viall, Bristowe asked him in a direct message on social media to talk on the phone, and the two spoke at length for the first time in years. He said he “felt so much better” after the conversation.

“It was a great conversation and it was a conversation that should’ve happened a long time ago,” Viall said of the phone call. “She was really gracious and I really appreciated it. It validated a lot of thoughts I had about certain things.”

“I truly believe that closure doesn’t need to come from the other person. You can always get closure from yourself. Sometimes you’re required to do that.”

Bristowe is currently in a relationship with another Bachelorette alumnus, Jason Tartick.

Bristowe later revealed during an episode o E!'s LADYGANG that she understood Viall's frustration.

“He was like, ‘What did I do to you?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah. Nothing. That’s fair,'” Bristowe revealed. “And then he goes, ‘Get a new joke.’ And I was like, ‘Again, very fair. I’ll get a new joke.'”