The Bachelor Review: Some Hometown Fun And One Serious Let Down

The bachelor and his bachelorettes finally made it to the hometown round this week which is beyond question the roughest phase the group has had to go through yet. Four women were left and each had the opportunity to bring Ben home to meet their families while giving everyone a better idea of what their future could be like if they wind up being the lucky lady picked in the end. Of course, meeting a man with various suitorettes, falling in love, and tying the knot all in a television season’s time raised some obvious concerns with the girls’ families so, part of the hometown round was spent trying to convince their respective clans that the decision to spend the rest of their life with a stranger wasn’t irrational.

Ben’s first stop was to Ocala, Florida to get to know more about Lindzi’s equestrian roots and find out if her family believes she’s even ready for marriage. For a change of pace, Ben wasn’t planning the dates so Lindzi was sure to keep his adventurous appetite satisfied with a crash course in horse and carriage riding (later turned to racing). The last time that Lindzi brought a man home to meet the family he wound up breaking her heart so, the hometown round has been the ultimate test in letting down her guard to Ben. Her family was one of the most welcoming and extremely easy to talk to and, although they, like most parents, don’t want to see their little girl get hurt, they did seem to agree that Lindzi was in a good place when it came to a committed relationship. Her family openly supported what the two have been working towards and, with their charming nature, it was easy to see where Lindzi’s playfulness and kindness both stem from. With one exceptional date down, there were still three left to go.

Kacie B. was next on the list and she spared no expense to give Ben the biggest welcome to her hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee that she could. With a full marching band in tow, Kacie impressed Ben with some more baton twirling skills from her high school days before making a running leap into his arms. The grand entrance just excited the two further to move onward with their future until Kacie broke the news that her father is a federal probation officer and completely skeptical of the whole Bachelor situation. Oh, and he doesn’t touch alcohol so any gifts that Ben the Winemaker might be bringing by could be rejected but, other than that the family would just love him…right? While Kacie’s family certainly was welcoming, they had just as many concerns as was assumed, and then some. Her dad’s anti-risk policies and hardcore traditional values were clearly getting in the way of what Kacie wanted with Ben, to the point where she stated that no matter what, in the end she’d still do as she pleased. What started off as positive day soon took a rocky turn and by the end of the night, Kacie was worried that her family’s firmness could be the end of her and Ben.

Next, Ben was off to Fort Worth, Texas to get to know Nicki’s family. The last time she brought someone home to meet her folks, she married the man so, with that logic, it might seem like a good omen- until you realize that the marriage ended in divorce. So, maybe the first one was just a practice run and a second time’s a charm! The first thing Nicki did to assimilate Ben to Texas life was have him fitted for some cowboy boots and a big ol’ hat to go along with them. Fun and games aside, Nicki talked about how her divorce has made her stronger but that she’s ultimately ready for a new start, hopefully with Ben. Like all the families Ben was coming across, Nicki’s had questions, too. No one wants to see anyone get hurt since in the end many of the girls are inevitably going to, and each family hoped that it wouldn’t be their daughter. Nicki’s father supported her decision to find love with Ben although he seemed to almost blame himself for her previously failed marriage, stating that he may have given away Nicki’s hand too readily the last time. It was a sad moment but very sweet to see how much thought he had put into his daughter’s happiness. With some major reassurance from Nicki’s end, Dad was fully onboard and had given his full blessings to the hypothetical couple.

The last leg of Ben’s hometown tour took him to Scottsdale, Arizona to spend some quality time with Courtney and her family. It seems like more recently that Court had turned over a new leaf, showing her softer, more emotional side and even going as far as to apologize for treating the other girls badly. That’s easy for her to say now that she’s gotten this far but, it does go to show how she behaves under pressure with direct competition and, who knows, that could possibly surface in other day to day situations. Just sayin’, Ben. The family had Ben and her new mate over for some lunch where the usual pleasantries were exchanged, as well as the serious, one on one talks with various family members. Once Courtney convinced the family that Ben was the one for her, she had a very special production set up to finally reveal her love feelings for her bachelor. In a lovely field nearby, a place where Courtney mentioned she could see herself being married, a faux wedding was set up, complete with a minister. Before he knew it, Courtney slapped a bow tie on Ben and shoved a sheet of paper into his hand in which he was to write some impromptu wedding vows to his pretend bride. Ben is so easygoing and didn’t find anything weird about the act at all but, it got creepier and creepier to watch as the “ceremony” went on. At the altar, Courtney spilled her sentiments to Ben and sealed the deal with some fake rings and a kiss. Knowing Courtney, there is a good chance that the two are actually married now.

That was it for the hometown round. First and lasting impressions were made by all and Ben was in for some more tough decision making. Pretty much every town he visited went swimmingly, making the fact that he would have to send one girl home empty handed even worse. Courtney’s unique song and dance of professing her love for him must have made the biggest impact on him this week as she was the first to receive a rose. The looks of disappointment that washed over the other three girls’ faces was instantaneous. Once again, their nemesis had made it through to the next stage and that meant that one of them would for sure be going home. Lindzi was the next to accept a rose and it was finally down to two. Nicki had been flying under the radar compared to the other girls. She didn’t seem to stand out as much as the others and maybe Ben discovered something new about her in Fort Worth because he decided that she was the most worthy to receive the final rose. Poor Kacie B., who seemed to have a special place with Ben, was in disbelief that she had been rejected. I think a lot of people predicted seeing her make it just a little bit further, if not to the end, and she all but fell apart at the news. Every family warned that things could end badly and things are only going to get worse for the women. Two more are destined to be disappointed and soon there will be only one happy girl left for Ben.

Season 16, Episode 8: Hometown (originally aired February 20, 2012)

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Images courtesy of  Ralph Freso/ABC.