Arie Luyendyk Jr. went on four magical hometown dates this week on The Bachelor. But only three women would earn roses to advance.
Were The Bachelor spoilers on point, as they have been all season long, regarding which three bachelorettes earned overnight dates?
While speculation continues to swirl about Arie ending his engagement after the finale, we’re still a few weeks away from that conclusion.
When The Bachelor Season 22 Episode 8 kicked off, Arie expressed the usual reservations about meeting the four women’s families.
After all, protective fathers and father figures are never lacking, and Lauren Burnham’s dad, a military man, was true to form Monday.
No, he didn’t threaten to “f–king kill” Arie to his face, as ABC’s promos implied, but he was dead serious about protecting his daughter.
We can sort of see where Lauren gets her personality from after watching the first half of her hometown date. It was quiet. And awkward.
Eventually, though, they did warm up to him – surprisingly, more so than some of the other families he met, or at least about the same.
He seems to be falling for Lauren Burnham more than the other three combined, although Becca Kufrin might argue with that comment.
On her hometown date, Becca’s uncle stepped in to fill the role of father figure, as he has in her life ever since her father passed away.
Ultimately, Arie talked Uncle Gary off the fence as well, while the adorable Minnesota native continued to charm him around the clock.
Becca could be a dark horse to win this.
Meanwhile, Kendall Long showed Arie how to mount a taxidermy rat, which you’d think would’ve been the weirdest part of their date.
But then we met her twin sister … Kylie.
Yes, Kendall and Kylie. Unfortunately, the show didn’t attempt to pass Kylie off as Kendall to fool him, or make Kardashian quips.
In Arkansas, Tia Booth’s family did a little Internet research before he came to Weiner and found out a bit about Arie’s playboy past.
Arie denied that he was a playboy, chalking it up to being on TV and in the tabloids and whatnot. They largely believed his story.
Unfortunately for Tia, who seems as open to marrying Arie as anyone, his decision on whom to send home came down to her.
He struggled with this decision, partly because he genuinely cares for all four women, and also because he can’t commit. At all.
Just putting that out there.
Arie pulled Kendall aside before the rose ceremony to ask if she was really ready for this. She was still unsure … but got a rose anyway!
Instead, a devastated Tia is heading back to the Natural State in a state of confusion as to how Kendall got an overnight date instead.
