Houston's own Erica Rose was back front and center for the finale of Bachelor Pad 2, which unfolded Monday night in two back-to-back episodes of dramz.

First came the final challenge, in which the final four couples competed in a physically demanding stunt performance on the Las Vegas set of Cirque du Soleil. Guest judges and ex-Bachelor contestants Trista Sutter, Jason Mesnick and Ali Fedotowsky were charged with declaring one couple the winner, who got immunity, and one couple the loser, who was voted off on the spot.

Michael Stagliano's dance background paid off as he and partner Holly Durst outperformed the other couples and earned immunity for the night, along with two roses to hand off to another couple. Not so lucky were perpetual sob-story-seller Ella Nolan and hot-for-a-ginger Kirk Dewindt, who got sent home for their less-than-stellar attempt at acrobatic grace.

With the competition down to three couples, it was up to Holly and Michael to effectively eliminate one couple in saving the other. Although keeping Jake and Vienna would guarantee the former fiances a better chance at winning when put to a jury of their peers, friendship won out in the end, and Holly and Michael opted to keep Graham and Michelle and send Kasey and Vienna home in a fit of alternate titters and tears. (We had to rewind Vienna's grin-turned-violent sob multiple times to fully grasp the absurdity.)

But that was just the beginning of this silly three-hour spectacular.

Next it was off to the final challenge, in which former castmates voted on the couple they thought most deserved the $250,000 grand prize. Although Michelle and Graham had managed to stay out of the drama and avoid making enemies, their castmates decided that keeping their hands clean was nothing to admire, and sent Holly and Michael on to the final round.

But as anything Bachelor-related, it wasn't quite as clean as all that. First, Jake Pavelka and Kasey Kahl both spent time in host Chris Harrison's hot seat to discuss their manufactured love triangle with lazy-eyed Vienna Girardi. (May we just say that a new nose — hers, provided by Houston's Dr. Franklin Rose, Erica's father — can't fix everything. And Ella looked so different we had trouble recognizing her).

Despite the accurate portrayal of Kasey and Vienna's relationship as fraught and unhealthy, Erica Rose — who looked the best she has all season at the finale, with her hair pulled back and a classic cobalt dress on — spoke out in support of the couple, whom she'd spent time with in Houston. Signature crystal gavel in hand, she declared that the two would make it.

Next to the hot seat was Blake Julian, the infamous maker-outer of both Melissa AND Holly (the horror! He pinky swore!), who dropped a bomb on the audience that would only get bigger — and more awkward.

As any faithful tabloid reader already knew, Blake and Holly are engaged. And while one might think it'd be polite to warn fellow castmate and Holly's former fiance, Michael, that the two had gotten engaged on-camera, complete with a (probably comped) ostentatious Neil Lane sparkler, one would think wrong.

It's all about the dramz! Jason Mesnick dumping Melissa Rycroft on national television? Kid's stuff! Let's tell a guy that used to be engaged to his partner — with whom he's poised to win $250,000 and has pined for all season — that she's engaged to another contestant live on-air.

"I knew from keeping in touch with them that Holly was moving to South Carolina, so I knew their relationship was serious, but no one expected them to be getting engaged so soon," Erica Rose tells CultureMap of the collective cast shock. Still, she expects a wedding invite. "I'm one of their closest friends in the house," she says of the couple she once told to keep away from each other. "Blake was my partner, and I really like Holly."

To his credit, Michael handled it well. His initial shock was obvious and painful for anyone watching, but he broke it with his characteristic quippy humor: "Could I get a water? Maybe a commercial break?"

Despite the obvious tension, the pair remained a team through the final round, which required each person to decide in an isolated deliberation room whether they wanted to keep or share the winnings. If both contestants picked share, the winnings would be split down the middle. If one picked keep, they'd take it all. And if both got greedy, neither got anything and the winnings would be divided among the other castmembers. No surprise here: The former lovers decided to split the winnings, and ultimately wished each other well, although Michael got in a final snark: "Weddings are expensive, last I checked."

Bachelor Pad might be over, but we won't be seeing the last of its Houston star. Rose tells CultureMap that she has meetings in Los Angeles beginning Thursday with major networks to explore more Erica-centric concepts.

"Everyone tells me I need my own show," Rose says of her deadpan comedic moments. "I've been on three successful reality shows, and think I need another one."