Chris Harrison Blogs 'The Bachelor' Hometown Dates
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love hometowns. It’s a chance for Ben to see all four women in their natural habitats. He gets to see where they live or where they come from, he gets to meet the people that raised them, or in some cases, like Amanda’s, would become an immediate part of his family forever. There’s no question that Ben has remarkably serious relationships with all of these women by the time he is invited to meet their families, but it really is the next step in a relationship, and for all intents and purposes, this is Ben being auditioned by his new in-laws — and vice-versa.
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The week started off with one of the sweetest hometown dates we’ve seen in a while. Amanda is a great and caring Mom who only wants the best for her children, and it’s clear that she took the decision to introduce Ben to them very seriously. That said, there was nothing too serious about the day. Ben is great with kids and was obviously trying really hard to make sure the kids had a fun day at the beach. It’s important for Amanda to see what a potential spouse would be like with her kids, as well as for Ben to see if he can really see himself becoming an instant father. Amanda and her whole family were warm and welcoming, but also took their jobs seriously to be protective of a hard-working single mother and her young daughters. Despite how everything worked out, I think it was a pretty incredible day.
The intensity of the week continued as Ben went up to Portland to meet Lauren’s family. Portland is a great town and what could be better than a day of walking around eating and settling down for a drink? Even though it was a lot of fun, not to mention ridiculously beautiful weather, there was a lot on both Ben and Lauren’s minds as they went into the suburbs to meet her family. The pressure of the week was obviously weighing heavy on Ben as he got emotional talking to Lauren’s sister. I think a lot of times people underestimate exactly how hard this week can be on the Bachelor. He’s trying to take every relationship individually and not compare and contrast the women, but the families are taking the very real approach of not wanting their loved one to get hurt. Ben doesn’t want to hurt anyone and is making the best decisions he can, but the families are also just doing their best to try and get a feel for him based on the few hours that they have. Needless to say, it’s a lot of pressure on everyone. Lauren’s family, like Amanda’s took a liking to Ben and gave him their support. That’s a very loving thing for any family to do and I know Ben appreciated it.
That continued with Caila’s hometown date. I know it meant a tremendous amount for her to be able to take Ben back to her high school and kiss him on that bench. And then to take him back to her father’s toy factory? I mean that’s a hometown date for the storybooks. But nothing about such a fun lighthearted day really could have prepared anyone for the genuine outpouring of emotion that took place that night. Caila really opened up to her family and in many ways I think she found access to her heart in a new way by bringing Ben home. Caila’s relationship with Ben has been different from anyone else’s and she has changed so much through this journey. Falling in love, though exciting, can also be a little terrifying, and next week I hope Caila finds it in her to say everything she is feeling.
After three really positive and illuminating hometowns, things went a little off the rails in Dallas. I must say I feel bad for JoJo. It was like hit after hit. First and foremost, her ex-boyfriend leaving a card and flowers at her door was something I’ve never seen before.
Obviously he knew she was going to be in town and wanted to try and win her back. Honestly, no one could have predicted how she would respond. There was definitely a possibility she could have taken him back, as you never know how things from the past can stir up emotions in the present. But it was immediately clear that JoJo was over and done with that relationship. In some ways, facing that ex head on and then talking through all of that with Ben was actually a very mature and serious turning point in their relationship. What started off as a big negative quickly turned into a positive, as the two of them leaned more about each other and how they deal with adversity than they would have otherwise.
And just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, well, they didn’t. I really had a hard time understanding exactly what went on at JoJo’s family’s house. Her brothers described themselves as protective, and that’s good and appropriate, but they seemed to be harboring some deeper frustrations that they were not expressing to Ben. In one moment they were listening and saying that JoJo and Ben should proceed with caution, but then moments later they were accusing Ben of being fake or calculating, and I think that those comments were a bit over the line. Ben did a great job of trying to calm the situation down, but I really don’t think he liked what he was hearing. In fact, the best proof of how real Ben’s feelings for JoJo were in that moment, is how patient he was in trying make her brothers appreciate his point of view. JoJo’s parents did a great job of defusing the situation and making sure that nothing got between Ben and JoJo, and I commend them for coming to their daughter’s rescue.
As hard as the week was, nothing could have prepared Ben for how hard it would be to say goodbye to Amanda. In my years of doing this I’m not sure I remember anyone being as torn up and conflicted as Ben. He feels so deeply and has done such a good job of treating his relationships individually, so I don’t think, in his mind and in his heart, that a lot of these breakups make a lot of sense. In any other situation I’m sure he would have wanted to continue to explore his relationship with Amanda, but time is against you when you’re the Bachelor. I hope Amanda was able to see exactly how hard it was for Ben to say goodbye. She’s an amazing woman and we all loved getting to spend time with her. We also send our love to her daughters, who are being raised by an incredibly dedicated and loving mother.
Next week, it’s time for our romantic overnight dates in Jamaica. I can tell you right now that next week’s episode is like nothing we have ever seen on any season of The Bachelor, so you definitely won’t want to miss it. Until then, we’ll see you online, Bachelor Nation!
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.
