Hometown dates are arguably one of the best parts of “The Bachelor” and this season was no different. Kendall, Tia, Becca and Lauren all took Arie home to introduce him to their families and show him around their hometowns. While some of the dates involved some strange activities like Kendall and Arie making taxidermy rats and playing with them, it seemed like all the dates seemed to go well. But one lady had to go home this week, and Arie’s choice seemed to surprise everyone.
*WARNING: This recap contains spoilers from Episode Seven*
1. Kendall’s Hometown Kendall was the first girl to take Arie home, and their date started on a unique note. Kendall, a taxidermy enthusiast, had a pair of rats for them to taxidermy and then play with in front of a Paris backdrop. Later in the day, Arie met her dad, mom, twin sister (her name is Kylie, Kendall and Kylie!) and her younger brother. Kendall reveals to her sister that she’s not ready for an engagement yet, but when Arie talks to her dad he tells him that if this is something that Kendall really wants, he’d give his blessing for them to get married.
2. Tia’s Hometown Weiner, Arkansas was the next stop on Arie’s itinerary to meet Tia’s family. The day starts with an activity near and dear to Arie: racing. After the couple takes a few laps racing each other on a dirt track, they head to Tia’s house. The meeting with the family starts out on a light note with the couple doing a toast with cocktail wieners with Tia’s mom, dad and brother. Then Arie talks with Tia’s brother where he reveals he’s ready to settle down after his “wild” years of racing and traveling the world.
3. Becca’s Hometown After spending the day exploring Becca’s hometown, Arie meets her family, who seems to be a rather tough crowd. Arie talks with her mom Jill who seems to be very skeptical of the whole process and says that she wouldn’t give her blessing for marriage. She then added that if Becca decides she wants to marry Arie she would be okay with it; this seems to be a common theme this season with the parents. Becca also has a conversation about her future with Arie with her Uncle Gary who became a father figure in her life after her dad passed away.
4. Lauren’s Hometown Lauren had the last hometown date with Arie in Virginia Beach where the couple rode horses on the beach and explored an old lighthouse. After a romantic day at the beach, the couple went to Lauren’s home where Arie met her family for dinner. The encounter starts off on a cold note with many awkward silences and her family making Arie say “Lauren, you’re beautiful” in Dutch. At one point during dinner Arie even excuses himself because he is so nervous about impressing her family. Things end on a good note though with Arie and her dad bonding over his trip to the Middle East to meet troops and Lauren convincing her mom she’s in love with Arie.
5. The Shocking Rose Ceremony With only four girls left for the rose ceremony, Arie had to make the difficult decision of sending one girl home. He’s about to hand out the first rose when he asks Kendall if they can speak privately. He asks her again if she’d be ready for marriage after the show, but she gives him the same answer, saying she wants to be with him but she’s not ready to be engaged. After they speak it seems like Kendall will be going home but in a twist of events, he sends Tia home who leaves shocked and heartbroken.
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