This week was the last week of The Bachelor before hometown dates take place, meaning this is the last week the women had the chance to spend time with Arie before he chose the four lucky girls who will have the opportunity to take him home to their families. Of course with the vision of hometown dates in the near future, the women stressed and doubted their actions as this week’s dates began to unfold.
The beginning of the episode began with seven women remaining: Becca K, Bekah M, Seinne, Kendall, Tia, Lauren B and Jacqueline. As the episode continues and the hometown date roses are being handed out the women’s anxiety about their confidence in each of their relationships with Arie gets put to the test. Becca K starts out the episode with her romantic one on one date with Arie in Tuscany, where the two roam the town and enjoy an intimate dinner, ending with Becca receiving the first hometown date rose.
Later on in the episode Lauren B and Arie head out on their second one on one date within two weeks, which is extremely rare in The Bachelor world. Arie and Lauren have a very confusing relationship that seemed to peak in this week’s episode. In previous weeks Lauren explains how she had been extremely hurt in the past and is very guarded when it comes to opening up and being vulnerable with someone. Due to her guarded, closed off mannerisms, she has come off extremely quiet and somewhat boring as the season has gone on. Although on Monday’s episode she tells Arie she’s falling in love with him during their one on one. After she opens up about her feelings Arie immediately walks away from the table, needing to take a minute to himself while Lauren is left in tears. To those who were watching, his actions made it seem as though he was caught off guard and did not feel the same as she did. When he came back to the table Arie expressed his love for Lauren and gave out the second hometown date rose, confusing all of America.
Following Lauren’s date, Jacqueline expresses her lack of confidence in her relationship with Arie and her feelings about not being ready to bring him home to her family. Jacqueline goes to Arie’s hotel room and in between sobs explains to him that she is not ready for what’s to come and that their relationship has not progressed far enough for her to bring him home to her family, ultimately sending herself home.
The next one on one date card goes to Seinne. The couple head out on their date to pick truffles from the Tuscan hillside and prepare lunch with an Italian family where they learn how to make an authentic Italian meal. The two later on settle in to an intimate candle lit dinner where Arie breaks it to Seinne that he likes her but doesn’t feel that their connection is deep enough to bring her family involved, sending her home.
With two remaining roses, the episode ends with a three on one with Kendall, Tia and 22 year-old Bekah M. The four of them spend the day at a beautiful Tuscan mansion where feelings develop and remaining questions get answered. After the daytime portion of the date is over Arie hands out one of the roses to Kendall after she admits to him that she would move to Scottsdale, Arizona to be with Arie. The date continues on where Tia opens up to Arie about her concern with Bekah M’s age being the reason she is not ready for marriage. In turn Bekah cries to Arie about how she wants him to have faith in her and her readiness for marriage. At the end of the date Arie hands out the fourth and final hometown rose to Tia, sending home fan favorite Bekah M.
Next week we get to meet the four girls’ families and learn about their family dynamics and how they feel about The Bachelor process.