This week was "The Bachelor's" high-stakes hometown visits episode, and it did the show good to give the women a reprieve from each other. The episode hit a significantly less scandalous note as Ben trekked across America to meet the families of his four chosen women, finding that some were more welcoming than others. The lack of nudity and backstabbing made this episode an anomaly, but the shocking results of the heartbreaking rose ceremony were a can't-miss moment. Here are the highlights:
Lindzi Saddles Up
Ben's travels started with a trip to Ocala, Florida, where he met up with Lindzi, with whom he had deepened his connection last week during a romantic one-on-one date. For the second time this season, she made her grand entrance on a horse, and soon had Ben riding around in a horse-drawn carriage. Over a picnic lunch, Lindzi once again opened up about her terrible breakup (her ex, with whom she was living, sent her a text welcoming her to "Dumpsville"). Ben appreciated seeing this serious side of the usually giddy Lindzi.
The horse theme continued as the couple took their carriage over to Lindzi's parents' house, where Lindzi made sure to repeatedly refer to Ben as her "boyfriend." Her parents instantly put Ben at ease with their playfulness, even challenging him to a carriage race. He seemed almost as smitten with her folks as he did with Lindzi herself, remarking on her dad's potential as a replacement father figure. Ben left Florida after a day of conflict-free fun, and the success of the visit clarified a thing or two for him. "I think that I might be falling in love with Lindzi," he said.
[Watch Last Night's 'Bachelor' in Full Right Here]
Tennessee Is Tense With Kacie B.
Kacie B., the show's youngest remaining contestant at age 24, welcomed Ben to the Bible Belt in style with a surprise marching band on her school's football field. She continued her reign as this season's sweetheart with a wholesome baton-twirling routine that topped off the performance.
Clearly ecstatic to see Ben, she shared a sweet story on the bleachers about the enduring love of her grandparents. Yet Ben was more preoccupied with what she had to say about her father, a federal probation officer who doesn't drink. As a winemaker, Ben was instantly nervous. "My business is booze. Strike 1," he gulped.
The friction continued from there, as Ben experienced more resistance from Kacie B.'s parents than most Bachelors encounter during the entire week of hometown dates. The traditional twosome were especially worried about the possibility that Ben might want to move in with their daughter after getting engaged -- a concern that caught Ben off guard. Kacie B.'s dad was even tougher on her, telling her that he would refuse to give her hand in marriage to Ben until they got to know each other better. We're guessing that her folks don't watch much reality TV.
Poor Kacie B. became aware that things were devolving quickly, and her goodbye with Ben was stiffer and more uncertain than we've ever seen these two act around each other. "All of a sudden, everything is going wrong and I don't know how to fix it," she worried.
Nicki Goes for Seconds
Despite acknowledging that his emotional connection with Nicki isn't as developed as with the other ladies, Ben was obviously excited to meet the vivacious divorcee in Fort Worth, Texas. She was even more thrilled to see him, and they spend a relaxed day shopping for cowboy hats and boots and drinking in a honky-tonk bar. The conversation got more serious when she brought up her failed marriage, adamantly insisting that she's ready for a more successful round two.
For Nicki, a lot was on the line with this date -- she categorically refuses to marry anybody her family doesn't approve of. Luckily for Ben, her folks (who are also divorced) took to him instantly. After a sentimental conversation with her dad, she took Ben aside to gush, "After today, I'm in love with you." He doesn't have much of substance to say back to her, but lingers at their goodbye.
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Courtney Keeps Faking It
Courtney, who has consistently kept the show scandalous with her scathing commentary and sexually charged exploits, was clearly making an effort to show the audience that she's not really a villain. She expressed regret for the way she treated the other women on the show and made sure to mention her strong feelings for Ben repeatedly. After seven weeks of manipulation and malice, it's hard not to be skeptical.
After welcoming Ben into their Scottsdale, Arizona home, Courtney's mom was equally unconvinced upon meeting our Bachelor and said, "I'm not sold on it." She seemed to change her mind towards the end of the visit after a conversation with Courtney, where she was assured that her daughter's feelings were genuine. Courtney's dad didn't seem to have the same reservations and went so far as to mention his desire for grandkids.
We saw Courtney's scheming ways shine through again in the second part of the date, when the couple stumbled across a rustic wedding setup that was conveniently waiting for them. Courtney had planned an entire fake wedding, complete with vow books, rings, and a bow tie for the bemused Bachelor. To Ben's credit, he took it all in stride, coming up with some very sentimental vows on the spot. For Courtney, the phony nuptials were an elaborate frame for her important announcement -- that she's in love with Ben. Once again, Ben bought it.
Ben Breaks a Heart
The stakes were higher than ever for the girls after having introduced Ben to their families, and Ben's decision at the rose ceremony was as shocking to us as it was to the woman he sent home. He called Courtney first, which rankled the other girls, and then doled out his roses to everybody but sweet Kacie B., who was visibly stunned. Everybody was surprised -- not only had their chemistry oozed off the screen every week, but Ben had shown no signs of becoming disenchanted with the Southern belle. The tense visit with her parents must have bothered him more than he let on.
To her credit, Kacie B. handled the dismissal with an incredible amount of poise and class for her age -- until she was in the limo and out of Ben's earshot. Her meltdown was one of the most painful in recent memory, and it was hard to watch her call herself stupid and not good enough. We're crossing our fingers that she'll be able to bounce back soon.
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