The Bachelor Recap: Week 8

Hometowns are here! Emotions are running high, and it’s time for the women (Vanessa, Rachel, Corinne, and Raven) to bring Nick home to their families.

The episode began where it left off last week when Nick surprised the remaining women and sent Kristina home. He came back to the four women left with four roses and handed them all out. All four accepted—hometowns here we come. “Thank you for sticking with me, I’m very excited,” Nick said. He got control of his nerves and is moving forward.

RAVEN’S HOMETOWN

Raven is from Hoxie, Arkansas. She rode up to Nick on a four-wheeler, and the pair went to a grain bin, where people in Hoxie have meaningful conversations. They climb to the top only to be called down by a couple police officers, one of them being Raven’s brother. What a way to introduce some family! After going mudding and sharing some messy kisses, they met the rest of her family.

Nick met Raven’s parents and her brother and the meeting gets off to a tearful start after her father announces he’s cancer free. She has emotional conversations with both of her parents, about her relationship with Nick and how she’s ready to get married and say “I love you.” Raven’s dad said he wasn’t expecting to like Nick, but he was pleasantly surprised.

In the end, Raven couldn’t quite say she was in love with him, even though she felt he was ready. With that, we head to Texas.

RACHEL’S HOMETOWN

Rachel took Nick home to Dallas, Texas. This hometown is a little different than most since we know now that Rachel doesn’t end up with Nick—she’s the next bachelorette! But, we get to see him meet her family anyway. The pair went to Rachel’s church, something that was a big part of her childhood. Even though the environment was different from Nick’s upbringing at church, he reassures her, “Amen is amen.”

Nick met Rachel’s mom, younger sister, cousin, older sister and her husband and their baby. This is the first time Rachel had seriously dated a white man, and the same was true for Nick. This was the main issue Rachel’s family addressed with him. Overall, they ended the day with great first impressions and approved of him. Her mom even said Nick reminded her of her dad.

CORINNE’S HOMETOWN

Corinne brought Nick to Miami, Florida. These two haven’t had a one-on-one at this point in the show, so this was their first time alone together. They started out the day shopping, and Corinne was on a first-name basis with all the mall store owners and dropped $3000 on clothes for her and Nick. This was her ordinary day, and Nick was along for the ride. “The dressing room is your holy ground,” she said, then sipped from a glass of champagne. Nick joked he might have to get a couple of jobs if he and Corinne end up together. Despite Corinne’s reputation so far this season, it was hard to dislike her and Nick together as they goofed around in the store. After the shopping spree, she was also the first to drop an “I love you.”

Nick met Corinne’s mom, dad, sister, and of course, the nanny, Raquel. Her dad asks some tough questions of both Corinne and Nick about their relationship. Nick even has a one-on-one conversation with Raquel about their relationship, asking him about his intentions with her. “She’s happy, I’m happy.”

VANESSA’S HOMETOWN

Vanessa is from Montreal, QC, Canada. They head off first to meet her students at the special education school she works at. The students make Vanessa and Nick a scrapbook of their memories throughout the Bachelor process.

Before meeting Vanessa’s family, she warned Nick that her parents are divorced and he would be meeting her mom and dad separately. There were fifteen family members at Vanessa’s mother’s dinner, more than all the other women’s family dates combined! They definitely grilled him more than the other families and wanted to know their plans for the future, even without an engagement set in stone yet. “My gut is telling me this is it,” Vanessa said to her sister.

After these intense conversations, they headed over to Vanessa’s dad’s home, to meet him and his wife. Nick asked her father for his blessing, and he didn’t give it—right away. They talked for a while and he eventually gave it, expressing his concerns. The date ended on a sour note when Vanessa found out Nick asked the other women’s fathers for their blessing as well.

LOOKING FORWARD

The rose ceremony takes place in New York City—but we don’t get to see the results until next week. Before the show ends, a surprise guest visits Nick: Andi Dorfman, the first woman to reject Nick on The Bachelorette. We won’t get to see how that conversation goes until next week, either. The good old days when we got to see the rose ceremony in the same episode without a cliff hanger seem so far away… Seven more days to go!

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8pm on ABC.