ABC
It’s time for the annual Hometown Dates, which will see Bachelor Peter Weber criss-cross the country as he visits the families of the Final Four ladies: Victoria Fuller, Madison Prewett, Hannah Ann Sluss, and Kelsey Weier. It sounds like Victoria’s visit will be particularly dramatic, as an unexpected visitor “drops a bomb” on their relationship that might blow up Peter’s chances to meet her family, according to the episode description.
Meanwhile, when they reconvene for the rose ceremony, apparently Peter second-guesses himself about his choices, and then afterward, before they leave for the overnight date location, one woman with “serious concerns” tells him something “that could change everything.”
It all starts Monday, February 17 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Follow along with our live recap and elimination spoilers below. All times Eastern.
8:00 — Hometown dates are the best, y’all. This is showing my age a bit, but does anyone else remember Ali Fedotowsky going to Kirk’s hometown and having to experience his dad’s Basement o’ Taxidermy? Yiiiiiikes.
8:05 — We kick things off with Hannah Ann in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her dad is “Ranger Rick” and works in the lumber industry, so Hannah Ann needs to show her dad “that this California boy is tough.” Ughhh. That’s kind of gross. Also, what does axe-throwing actually have to do with being tough?
Starting hometowns off strong 💪 #TheBachelor
8:07 — Luckily, Peter is actually more of a big mushball, as he busts out a hand-written list of what he loves about Hannah Ann, just like she did for him last week. That’s pretty cute.
8:15 — At Hannah Ann’s house, Peter meets her mom and dad, plus a brother and a sister. Hannah Ann’s dad Rick is perhaps the most tight-lipped parent we have ever seen on this show, whoa. I mean, he really is giving off some serious “If you hurt my daughter, Imma kill you, boy” vibes, and not just like he’s putting on an act for the show.
8:18 — Hannah Ann’s mom says that her dad won’t “give her away to just anyone,” which — can we please stop acting like daughters are their father’s property to “give away” to someone? I think asking for the parents’ blessing is fine, but it gets really weird and creepy when you talk about a grown woman like she’s chattel.
8:20 — Peter wins Rick over, though, by telling him that he is “falling in love” with Hannah Ann and he doesn’t want her to have any doubt about that and he doesn’t want to let her go. But Rick cautions him not to use the “L” word to Hannah Ann unless he truly means it. Peter then immediately runs to tell Hannah Ann that he’s falling in love with her and that it feels “so right” to be there with her family. I feel like maybe Rick meant to wait more than five seconds and give it some serious consideration, but OK.
8:30 — Up next is going to Des Moines, Iowa, for a hometown date with Kelsey. I’m totally biased because I’m from Iowa, but Des Moines is a great little city. No joke. Anyway, they head to a local winery to crush some grapes and then make their own wine. That’s a really cute date. After they make their own blend, Kelsey tells Peter she’s in love with him and she knows her family will see that. He says he can see a future with her, but it feels a lot less fiery and sincere than the stuff he was saying to Hannah Ann.
Dirty? On #TheBachelor? Never 😉
8:40 — That night, Peter meets Kelsey’s mom Beth, stepdad Mike, and sisters Kalason and Kayla. In case you’re wondering, Kelsey’s bio dad Scott is absent because he left their family when she was in 7th grade. She recently took up talking to him again (when this filmed) but she hadn’t yet told her mom about that. Kelsey’s parents’ divorce was pretty ugly; her mom sued her dad over a book he wrote that criticized their marriage and how she was as a mother.
8:45 — Beth talks to Peter about how it’s hard for Kelsey to open up because of what happened between her and Kelsey’s dad. She asks Peter not to break Kelsey’s heart. Meanwhile, Kelsey talks to her stepdad and he seems lovely, so that’s nice. Later, Kelsey’s mom tells her they fully support her and they love her. Her family seems great.
8:50 — Time for Madison’s hometown date in Auburn, Alabama. They go to the basketball arena (her dad is part of the coaching staff there) and they shoot hoops with Bruce Pearl, the head coach. Maddie schools Peter on some ball-handling skills — no dirty pun, she’s good.
9:00 — Peter meets Maddie’s family and they have a tradition where whoever has the “special plate” gets everyone else to say something nice about them. They give Maddie the plate and Peter tells them she inspires him every time they’re together. Then Madison’s mom talks to her privately about whether she’s talked to Peter about intimacy and Madison says she wants to have that talk with him, but she’s really nervous about it. You know, all the talk about his sexual prowess with Hannah Brown must have made Madison feel pretty uncomfortable. Yet another reason why that was all really weird.
9:05 — Meanwhile, Peter talks to Madison’s dad about how he feels about her. Peter says he’s willing to put the work in to be the man that Madison deserves, but Chad insists that Peter say that Madison is the one for him and Peter can’t really do that. Well, let’s not forget that Peter isn’t really allowed to say stuff like that. But privately, he does say in an interview that he loves Madison and he doesn’t mind that her parents grilled him.
9:15 — Last but not least is Victoria’s hometown visit in Virginia Beach. As they hang out on the boardwalk, Peter says a life with Victoria would “never be boring.” That’s one way to say that she’s a drama queen. Look, it takes two to tango and I do not at all think women are the drama mavens and men never are, but in this case, Victoria thrives on drama. Run, run, run, Peter.
9:20 — On a date that is a little too on-the-nose for this show, Peter and Victoria dance to Hunter Hayes singing, “I don’t want easy, I want crazy.” Ummmmm…..
9:22 — Then in what is obviously a total a coincidence, Peter runs into his ex-girlfriend, Merissa Pence, who just happens to be there and just happens to know Victoria and just happens to warn him that Victoria is bad news.
The drama has LANDED ✔️🛬 #TheBachelor
9:30 — That night, Peter tells Victoria that Merissa told him Victoria has caused a lot of other relationships to end. She denies it, of course, and then cries and can’t believe Peter would even bring it up. He wants to talk, but she shuts him down. She’s getting super defensive, telling Peter that he’s acting like what Merissa told him is more important than meeting her entire family. Peter says he’s the one always talking her down and she denies everything like a child. She’s acting like a spoiled brat who got called out on her BS and it’s gross. Victoria is the worst. Her emotional maturity is practically nonexistent. She talks in circles, she tries to trap Peter all the time, she’s a needy mess who has some serious issues. RUN AWAY, PETER.
9:45 — The next morning, Peter says he’s conflicted because he hates seeing Victoria like that. Oh, dude. This has to be put on for the show, right? No one in his right mind would want any part of that cuckoo bananas drama! But no, it must be genuine because when Victoria shows up at his hotel room, Peter actually says something very observant when he tells her, “You don’t even want me to love you.” YES. She is sabotaging this at every turn. Get off this merry-go-round, Peter. But instead, he tells her he can’t make any decisions right now.
9:55 — At the rose ceremony, which is held in an airplane hangar, all the ladies come in feeling pretty confident except Victoria. I mean, obviously, she’s staying because this show milks the drama as long as it can. And then the roses go to… Hannah Ann, Madison, and Victoria. Yeah.
This episode’s MOOD… #TheBachelor
9:58 — Peter and Kelsey sit down to talk and he apologizes for blindsiding her like that. She’s pretty devastated, but she takes it well. As she drives away in the limo, she says she’s confused and shocked.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
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