[BigBrother_Survivor] 'The Bachelor' Recap: Arie Faces Tough Families During the Hometown Dates

 

I was really surprised he kept Kendall and let Tia go. The winner will get engaged but I donot think it will last. I wonder if the one in 2 or 3 will be the new Bachelorette

  'The Bachelor' Recap: Arie Faces Tough Families During the Hometown Dates
Monday, February 19, 2018

Bill King
Contributing Writer, BuddyTV

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There is but a quartet of drivers remaining in the race for Arie Luyendyk, Jr.'s heart in season 22 of The Bachelor, but I reckon he's more likely to win the Daytona 500 than find a wife at the end of all this. A temporary fiancee, sure, but that's all for the cameras. There are no checkered flags in this Grand Prix, but there's a shit-ton of red ones.

The next few stops on Arie's journey back to eventual single life are those pesky cross-country hometown dates. And since Chris Harrison apparently lacked the foresight to recognize that Arie can't carry an episode on his own, we've got a whole bunch of surly parents to shoulder the load. 

Oh, and if you pegged the taxidermy chick for the final four, you're the gal or guy who's about to pick an eight seed to win March Madness because you like their mascot. But not everyone is a Villanova Wildcat, even if she has one stuffed and hanging on her wall.

Kendall's House of 1,000 Corpses

The first stop is Los Angeles, where Kendall leads Arie to her storage unit of mayhem: the taxidermy room. "They look so real," Arie muses, apparently having no idea how taxidermy works. 

They "mount" rats, as one does, dressing them up in formal evening wear and placing them in a diorama of Paris. They make them kiss -- and for the love of god, they're playing with dead rats. As a New Yorker -- and a human -- I am horrified. 

The press release for the episode calls it "a romantic, if quirky, date" because how else would you describe making out while having fun with animal carcasses? Wash. Your. Hands. And your souls.

They chat about how taxidermy is not weird at all, even though it's a total deal-breaker, and Kendall reveals that her family is a tough crowd. Still, he's so compassionate that she's certain he will pass with flying colors.

Strike 1

Arie meets mom Michelle, dad Bob, twin sister Kylie and little bro Colton. Needless to say, they're happier to see one of their arriving guests. Arie describes taxidermy as "fun" instead of something psychopaths do, then confides in Kylie that he's falling for her twin.

Still, the family worries that Kendall may not have the emotional base to be in love, and Kylie tells Kendall that she doesn't get the feeling that Arie is the one for her. Pops is both protective and skeptical, and he's hesitant in giving his blessing because he doesn't believe Kendall is the type of woman who is ready for a proposal. 

Kylie convinces Kendall to let her walls down and open up to Arie, and she drops her guard enough to admit that love is blossoming. But it's going to be a tough sell for them to move forward after Kendall's entire family basically said it's not the right match.

Show Me Your Weiner

C'mon, the town is called Weiner! How ridiculous is that? Anyway, it's off to Arkansas, where Tia and her doctor degree take Arie dirt track racing in vintage sports cars. It's the perfect date for him -- like when my wife takes me to Dave & Buster's -- and there are smooches aplenty. 

The southern belle has no problem opening up to Arie and letting him know that she is falling for him, but will her family share in the joy? Here's a hint: no. 

Waiting to grill Arie are mom Denise, dad Kenny, brother Jason, Aunt Carol and cousin Rhonda. And what do you serve in Weiner? Pigs in a blanket, of course. Dad and Jason are anxious to test Arie's manliness based on his handshake, while mom looks like the living embodiment of taxidermy.

My wife: "This is why old people shouldn't have super long hair."

Foul Tip

Jason resembles a drill sergeant who is also in a motorcycle gang, just got out of jail and enjoys using homophobic slurs, and he's as intimidating as f*** as he demands that Arie convince him he's not a womanizing "kissing bandit" playboy about to defile his little sister. Eh hem. 

Arie searches for the two things that hang below Weiner, stammering that his days of youthful exuberance and promiscuity are long in the past. Jason wasn't expecting to like him, but he is won over by Arie's sincerity. I'm sure they can look forward to many awkward hunting trips together, and they can take the spoils to Kendall for stuffing. 

Tia's dad is another hard sell, but Arie assures him that he would take care of his daughter and give her the life she deserves. They share a few chuckles, and Kenny vows to trust his baby girl's judgment should it get to that point. One blessing down, but can Arie muster any more approval?

Where the Eagles Soar

From west to south to north, the third stop is Prior Lake, Minnesota, for apple picking with Becca not too far from where the Philadelphia Eagles became the team of destiny by defeating the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII (also known as that Justin Timberlake concert where they bizarrely played football). 

Becca's dad passed away when she was 19, but she's positive that he would be on Team Arie. The rest of the relatives, though, she's not too sure about. They caramelize apples, with Becca directing him to "stick it in all the way" (because I'm apparently 13), and then it's off to meet the family.

Uncle Gary is a pastor who is especially skeptical and protective, and the self-described guard dog doesn't mince words when demanding to know if the relationship is the real deal.. Mom likes Arie, but she doesn't quite think a blessing is in the cards. 

In the end, though, they all want what's best for Becca. And if she's content and fulfilled, so are they. Plus, Arie hits all the right notes, and Mom proclaims, "You've done well with my weird family."

Strike 2

The final leg of our tour is Virginia Beach, where Lauren B. executes the leaping leg wrap greeting on the boardwalk. They ride horses in the shallow surf before climbing to the top of a lighthouse for pillowly lip action, and she warns him that her family is likely to be standoffish. 

Remember when Arie walked away from the table on their one-on-one after she dropped the L-bomb, and everyone thought he was about to send her home and instead he proclaimed he was falling deeply in love? That was hilarious.

Lauren's parents speculate that Arie has no idea what he's about to walk into and that there's no way he could be prepared for the family's conservative nature, and the tension is palpable from the moment the couple arrives. A fun aunt tries to break the ice by making him something in Dutch, and luckily, no one immediately mentions deportation.

Strike 3?

Lauren's father asks if Arie's ever dated someone from a military family and if he's a golf enthusiast, and both answers are a disappointing no. They're not the most welcoming family, and Arie steps away to dab his sweat and calm nerves that he claims rival his one appearance in the Indianapolis 500 (he finished in 28th). 

The fun aunt is excited for the unexpected connection. But Pops is the harshest critic, even threatening Arie's well-being (to the camera) if he deems it necessary. Arie wins him over with a story of visiting troops in Iraq on a goodwill tour with other drivers, and Dad instantly turns into a teddy bear.

Her mother is a tougher egg to crack, though, and she peppers Arie with questions about his future plans. He inquires about a blessing, and she reverts to faith and faith in Lauren. But still, there are three other women, and despite Lauren's declaration that this is love, Mom isn't quite ready to roll over. But she sees the potential, and all's well that ends well. 

Unless, you know, your name is Kendall and you're into taxidermy with a family that doesn't think you're ready.

Who's Headed to the Fantasy Suite?

The gang returns to the mansion for a rose ceremony to determine who gets to see Arie naked, but the hometown dates have confounded his plight because he can imagine each woman as his wife. 

After taking a few extra moments to compose himself, he pulls Kendall aside, unable to make a decision without speaking to her first. He needs to know if she would be comfortable with a proposal, and the best she can muster is that she's not ready for this to end. She can't say she's prepared for an engagement, but she sees a future and loves the way he makes her feel.

The roses go to:

Becca (Wait, is he going to keep Kendall?)

Lauren (Wouldn't he have sent her home before the ceremony?)

And... (OMG, they're totally setting this up for him to keep Kendall!)

Kendall

Whaaaattt???? He kept the taxidermy chick who isn't ready to settle down? And he got rid of the doctor who takes him on dream dates catered to his desires? This effing guy.

Tia is stunned and heartbroken, asking what she did wrong and if she was overconfident. He has no reassuring answers, but something was missing. It had to be the scary brother, didn't it? Arie isn't about to shoot quail. 

The Aftermath

Tia breaks down in the limo, tired of not being enough and ready to quit on love. Arie, meanwhile, is poised to forgo his individual room for a night with this bizarre final three.

I mean, he has to end up with Becca, right? I had Tia pegged for the top two, while wondering if an Arkansonian could ever make it further.. But there's no way he picks a woman who gets her jollies creating school projects with materials from a pet cemetery or one who shows even less genuine emotion than he does. 

Then again, we never saw the budding Arie/Lauren love connection, so maybe there's something we're missing. The word that comes to mind when describing their relationship is "milquetoast.." But, hey, some people are into that.

We've got a double feature next time, with the always feisty Women Tell All leading into the overnight dates. It means our journey, and Arie's, is about to come to a close. But is a fairy tale ending in the cards? Nah.

Were you stunned to see Tia go and is she the future Bachelorette? Who is next on the chopping block and who ends up as the potential Mrs. Arie? Is there any chance for happily ever after or is this engagement a drop in the bucket? And, for real, it was definitely the brother, right? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC. Want more news? Like our Bachelor Facebook page..

(Image courtesy of ABC)

How far should Tia have advanced?

The top two, but she wasn't going to be chosen.

39%

Arie made the right decision.

25% <------my pick

She was Arie's best match.

20%

The fantasy suite, for sure.

16%

Total Votes: 59

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