I’ll be the first to admit that “The Bachelor” is my guilty pleasure. I can’t help myself from watching all things Bachelor. Whether it’s “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette,” “Bachelor in Paradise” or “Bachelor Pad” you can find me glued to my TV. This season’s drama has been kept to a minimum after Olivia was sent home on a two-on-one (thank God) and Leah’s dramatic exit (who doesn’t hate her?!). This week’s hometown dates were the most pivotal point in the show thus far for the relationships of the four girls who remain.
First up was Amanda. Ben’s first meeting with Amanda’s two girls has been long awaited and anticipated. The reunion of Amanda and her kids was the most precious thing in the world… and did we all see the tears in Ben’s eyes when he watched the beautiful mother greet her adorable children?! My heart melted. Ben couldn’t have fit in more perfectly with Amanda, Kinsley and Charlie. But the biggest question of the night remains “is Ben ready to be an instant father?”, as Amanda’s father worried.
Next was Lauren B.’s hometown in Portland. The beautiful couple strolled the streets of Portland and ate at some food trucks: the perfect way to a man’s heart. And how cool was the whiskey library that she took him to?! Major brownie points for Lauren B. The highlight of Lauren B.’s hometown was unquestionably the conversations the two of them had with Lauren’s sister, Mollie. Mollie, being the skeptical sister, asks her potential brother-in-law how he feels about her beloved sister and the waterworks began on Ben’s end. How cute. But, the cuter part was that Lauren cried at the same question. I think it’s safe to say Mollie is convinced of their love for each other and that Lauren is the clear front-runner at this point in the “amazing journey”.
Caila’s date in Ohio was next. To me, Caila is forgettable. Ben spends a lot of time validating his feelings about Caila, which makes me question if he’s just making himself believe he loves her. The couple made a cute toy house together and met her family who was opening and accepting of Ben, nothing really exciting or noteworthy. Caila is such a sweet and wholesome girl but I don’t see the spark between them like I see between Ben and some of the other girls. I was honestly surprised when Caila still remained after the rose ceremony.
They definitely saved the most controversial hometown for last, in typical Bachelor style. Jojo arrives at her home to flowers and a note from her lover… but it’s not Ben. Jojo’s ex-boyfriend, Chad, makes a hopeless attempt to get her back… or maybe it was just an attempt at his 15 seconds of fame; who knows. Jojo seemed pretty broken up and confused by the gesture and it sure did seem like there were some unhealed wounds left from Chad. Ben and Jojo later leave to meet her family. Can we just acknowledge the fact that Jojo’s parents basically live in the Bachelor Mansion?! How beautiful! The beauty of the situation wore off pretty fast, though, once they entered the house and Jojo’s two overly protective brothers began grilling Ben from the second he stepped foot on the welcome mat. The bond that a family holds is like no other, obviously, but the bond between Jojo and her bothers is a bit strange and extreme, to say the least. With her brothers’ complete disapproval of Ben and the process, Jojo becomes frustrated. I couldn’t help but feel bad for Ben who just couldn’t get his point across that he truly adores Jojo and that he was no villain. The highlight of the episode was definitely when Jojo’s mother drinks straight from the bottle of wine. It was hard to catch, but it completely explained the whole episode.
The rose ceremony was actually somewhat unpredictable, unlike most weeks. When Jojo received the final rose leaving Amanda rose-less, a dagger could have been put into the hearts of viewers everywhere for the single mom. But, I think it’s fair to everyone in the situation to admit that he just wasn’t ready to be an “instant father”. Next week’s episode in Jamaica should be one to watch considering none of the girls have professed their love for Ben and fantasy suite dates are upon us. Next week is Caila’s time to leave, I think, and it seems like Lauren B. will be the one that Ben gets on one knee for. Fingers crossed for the next Bachelorette to be Amanda!
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