Hometown dates!
First up we are in L.A., Kendall’s hometown. Now if you’ve been watching this season, you know that Kendall is very passionate about taxidermy. So, of course, she has planned something around that when Arie comes! They go into her r taxidermy building! Arie admits it’s kind of creepy but he knows it’s a big passion for her so he plays along. Like really plays along because after they tour the room full of “stuffed animals”, they “stuff” a couple of rats, using their skin. I give Arie points for doing that. Kendall says she has had trouble in the past finding a guy that understands and is okay with her passion for this. Arie tells her he’s falling for her but she kisses him instead of saying anything back. She is feeling it but is too scared to say it to him.
Arie is going to meet Kendall’s parents, twin sister and younger brother. There seems to be a theme with her family that Kendall is different and you need to be careful. She’s very logical in her thinking and her family really doesn’t think she is ready to get married at the end of this, if it’s her in the end. But Arie asks her dad for his blessing to ask Kendal to marry him if it came down to her and he said he trusts his daughter and if that is what she wants then he’s ok with it. As Kendall is talking to her sister about how she doesn’t want to lose Arie, her sister tells her if you really feel that way, you need to tell him that you are falling for him. Before he leaves, she does tell him that she’s falling for him.
Next, we go to Weiner, Arkansas to meet Tia’s family. But first, Tia arranged to have them do some car racing on a dirt track. I give Tia credit cause she was terrified but knew he would love it!
Arie then meets her parents, brother, Aunt and cousin. Tia’s brother gets right to it and says he’s heard the rumors about Arie being a playboy and the “kissing bandit” and is that what they have to look forward to? Arie is nervous but says, yeah, in his past when he was racing and traveling all over the world but that’s not who he is now and he’s ready to settle down and get married. Arie then talks with Tia’s dad who basically said the same things about what he’s heard, which Arie addresses again. Arie asks Tia’s dad for his blessing if it comes to Tia to ask her to marry him. Tia’s dad says he trusts Tia and again, if that what she wants he gives his blessing. But if you hurt her, I can find you on google! Before Arie leaves, Tia tells him she’s just not falling for him, she IS in love with him!
Next up we go to Minneapolis, Minnesota to meet Becca’s family! They meet at an apple orchard that Becca goes to every year. For Becca, Arie meeting her family and they giving their approval is a make or break moment for her with Arie. Arie is pretty nervous to meet her family. Becca tells him about her Uncles, who have become like 2nd dads to her since her dad passed away when she was 19. Becca’s one uncle is a pastor and has kind of stepped into that father role for her, so he has some pointed questions for Arie. He comes out and says, so is this the real deal with Becca? Arie says yes and that he’s falling for her. In fact Arie pretty much says that about each of the women left! But it’s Becca’s mom who is the most skeptical about this whole thing. She asks Arie what was the key to his successful relationships? Arie says he looks to his parents, who have been married over 37 years and that they choose each other every day. Even though she isn’t 100% on board with this, when Arie asks for her blessing she says she trusts her daughter and if this is what she wants then okay. Becca realizes that after that, she is in love with him but doesn’t tell him that.
On to Virginia Beach to meet Lauren’s family. They go horseback riding along the beach before they meet the family. Arie is super nervous to meet her family as she warns him that they are very protective and skeptical of this whole thing. There are a couple of awkward moments of silence at first and at the dinner table. At one point, Arie has to get up from the table and just calm down cause he’s sweating so bad cause he’s so nervous. He sits down to talk with her dad, a former military pilot and they bond over the fact that Arie got to fly a plane when he and some other racers when to Iraq hanging out with the service men and women at a couple of the bases. Her dad seems very impressed with that and is much more at ease with Arie. And as with the other dads, he trusts his daughter and is ok with a proposal if that is what she wants. It’s her mom that is the tougher one. She asks him about the other relationships and if he tells each of them the same thing. She worries about Lauren getting hurt but trusts her and if this is what she wants, she ok with it. Though you can see the doubt in her face!
At the rose ceremony, Arie still doesn’t know what he’s going to do. When he faces the women, he excuses himself to think a bit more! Then he comes back and asks to talk to Kendal. It freaks the other girls out. Arie asks Kendal if she is ready for an engagement/marriage at the end of this and if she can get there. She says right at that moment she can’t say but she doesn’t want to lose him and really is falling for him. I guess that was good enough for him to hear cause they come back in. You know at that point, he was going to pick her, otherwise, he would have sent her home right away. Becca gets the first rose, then Lauren. I think those 2 of the final 2. Then what comes as a shock to me, he picks Kendal and sends Tia home. Tia is just devastated and breaks down right away! But true Tia is honest to the end. She wants him to give her something, a reason why, did she do something wrong? He says no, she did nothing wrong but he felt there was just something missing. Not much of an answer. I really don’t see Kendal being ready and looking at the scenes of next week, she isn’t. ☹
Next up is actually the Women Tell All on a special Sunday episode! Then on Monday, it’s overnight dates where it looks like someone crashes the party! I thought in the beginning it was someone from Becca’s past but I think it’s actually from Lauren’s past. We’ll see!
Untill next week, will you accept this rose?
