Toward the end of the episode, Matt showed up onstage with a face full of facial hair—a huge departure from the close-cut stubble he’s sported all season. Naturally, Chris Harrison called out the obvious elephant in the room and, of course, the women claimed they loved it. If you follow Matt on Instagram, the new look isn’t a huge shock. He’s been rocking this fuller beard in photos since January. Evidence A: There’s even video of the beard in motion, suggesting that Matt feels pretty comfortable with his new look. Evidence B: And, in a video about the LeBron James Family Foundation, you can see Matt’s beard in all its full, grown-out glory. Evidence C: Matt shared a pic from Women Tell All on Instagram before the show aired, and people made it clear they weren’t exactly feeling the new facial hair. “Shave,” one person wrote in the comments. “#Single,” another said. Ouch! Let a man live…and grow out his beard in quarantine! Of course, after the episode aired, the memes and beard jokes came out in full force—and plenty think the beard is a sign that Matt’s back on the market. We have to admit, some of the reactions are simply hilarious. But, ultimately, if Matt is into his new beard, that’s all that matters. Keep on doing you, Matt.

Best Matt James beard memes and reactions

In all fairness, not everyone hated on Matt’s new look. Next, look through these 10 Bachelor and Bachelorette finales that were just as dramatic as Chris Harrison claimed!

Best Matt James Beard Memes After the Final Rose - 93