The Bachelor Brad, Take 2, Hometown Dates
The Bachelor: Brad Womack (Mondays at 8PM on ABC)
It's coming down to the end folks. This episode had Brad visiting his final 4 ladies in their hometowns. I love the hometown episodes. It's usually the most high-pressured, most awkward, and most interesting in terms of human interactions this show gets.
So as we start off the episode with Brad in NYC in his paper-boy hat contemplating the seriousness of this week. Meeting families is an important step... Let's talk about how it went in each town.
Photo Credit - ABC
First up - Chantal in Seattle, WA. They meet in a park overlooking the Seattle sky-line. Brad has been worried that Chantal is too emotional for him, but it seemed like that wasn't even in the back of his mind as they talked and flirted in the park.
Photo Credit - ABC
She makes sure to tell him that if her parents don't approve, he's out of there... But before that, she takes him to her place to meet her
Photo Credit - ABC
Then, the head off down the street to Chantal's parents' place = total mansion. The house was... gorgeous. Brad tells them about how Chantal slapped him the first time they met, and after that he just seemed at ease with the family. We got clips of Chantal talking to both parents about how she's falling in love with him, but the biggest clip was when Brad and Chantal's dad, Mike oogle a statue of a man carving himself out of stone and bond over similar back-stories.
Photo Credit - ABC
At the end of the date, Mike gives Brad his blessing to propose/marry his daughter, and maybe even seemed a bit in love with the guy himself. Chantal and Brad kiss good-bye.
Up next - Ashley in Madawaska, Maine. Brad's worried that whenever's there's time/distance between them, they always take a step back. He's hoping a hometown date will bring them closer than ever.
They meet at the restaurant where Ashley used to work and sit down for some "Poutine" which is the fancy french term for french fries with gravy and cheese (which is totally delicious, especially at the end of a good drinking night!)
Photo Credit - ABC
Can I just say Brad is totally awkward? He says "Si" instead of "Oui" in the french-speaking restuarant, but instead of laughing it off, he gets totally embarrassed. Shake it off, dude.
They talk about how much they've had to reassure each other in their relationship thus far and vow to not waste any more time doing that.
After that, they go visit the town sign and take fun pictures together. Totally a normal, yet still romantic-goofy thing to do.
Photo Credit - ABC
They then grab some Maine lobsters and some veggies from a local stand, before heading to Ashley's parents' house. If you thought Ashley was bubbly... it's genetic; her whole family (at least the women were just like her in that department). Ashley was very affectionate with Brad in front of her family and this seemed the most fun gathering for Brad.
Photo Credit - ABC
Ashley's dad though made sure that Brad knew that he wanted Ashley to finish her denistry-schooling and that Ashley is very driven to do just that. That put a seed of doubt in his head that he might be holding Ashley back in the future. Plus her dad can't tell Brad if a proposal will scare Ashley or not.
Photo Credit - ABC
Meanwhile, Ashley tells her family (and us) that she's "close to falling in love with Brad" and that she doesn't want to go overboard and say that she is, just to be rejected by him.
Next up, is Shawntel in Chico, CA. They meet in Shawntel's families' funeral home. Oh, no. Brad calls his relationship with Shawntel the most consistent, and wants to see if the hometown date will take off where their last date in Anguilla left off.
Photo Credit - ABC
None of the other girls were featured showing Brad their places of work, and here Shawntel is showing what most would consider an odd choice for an occupation. She shows him everything from a possible final resting place, to the crematorium, to the meeting room and finally the embalming room where she makes him lay on the table and show him all her tools.
He was physically uncomfortable the entire time and I honestly don't know how she didn't pick up on it. Brad eventually tells her that he doesn't deal with death well, but that he respects her love of the profession and thinks she so full of life.
So, let's get out of this death-trap and meet the family... It can't get any more awkward, right? WRONG.
Shawntel's dad makes it clear that he wants Shawntel to take over the family death-business and isn't keen on the fact that his legacy may be taken away to Texas. It makes for an awkward confession from Shawntel about how she loves Brad and that love changes things.
She's then taking away by her dad for a HUGE, AWKWARD nationally televised guilt-trip talk. He tells her how her being with Brad will destroy all their family plans and how she's needed as a "caregiver" in the Chico community.
Photo Credit - ABC
It was definitely a weird vibe between father and daughter. And it even makes me wonder if Shawntel is so overly-talkative and positive about her job because she's trying to convince herself that's what she loves and not something her dad forced her into.
In the end, however, Shawntel's dad gives his blessing to the couple and Shawntel tells Brad that she is "in love" with him before he jets off for his last hometown date.
Lastly, Emily in Charlotte, NC. Emily gets some time with her daughter, Ricki before Brad arrives, in hopes to prep her for meeting mommy's "new friend". Brad's worried about meeting Ricki... he wants things to go smoothly because he knows how important it is to Emily.
Brad shows up with a gift for Ricki, but she's playing the shy-card, barely even looking at poor, awkwardly-giggling Brad.
Photo Credit - ABC
Ricki finally opens the gift... a butterfly kite, but it's still a long while before Ricki feels comfortable enough to have a little fun. Poor Emily had to keep comforting both Brad and Ricki.
Photo Credit - ABC
They end up having some fun flying the kite before heading back to Emily's totally adorable and feminine decorated home. This is where Ricki and Brad really warmed up to each other. Ricki drew him a picture, they played candy land and even had mac-and-cheese, before Brad got to help tuck in Ricki for bed.
Photo Credit - ABC
It was an adorable night. I think it showed Emily that Brad could do this, and I think it showed Brad he did want this... a family life. Emily and Brad sit down on the couch for some alone time, and Brad tells her he's not going to kiss her. Emily thinks that it's both sweet AND dumb (although she was too nice to actually use the word 'dumb'), saying that if they work out, Ricki will always be upstairs.
Although the intentions were good on Brad's part, the next part was AWKWARD, and instead of just seizing the moment, Brad became panicky and embarrassed. The guy takes himself WAY TOO seriously.
Emily finally seizes the moment herself, when she kisses Brad in the doorway before he leaves.
Photo Credit - ABC
Again, these two seem "in love" to me. At least, Brad seems "in love" and now I'm feeling as if Emily is getting there too. If she's not his pick in the end, the other woman must be having a REALLY hard time watching these episodes. I know I would considering how he talks about her as "perfect" where he usually has concerns about the other girls.
HARRISON CHAT
The most memorable part of their conversation was the little tibbit that Harrison brought up... Ashley's the only one that hasn't confessed her love to Brad, but Brad blows it off saying that he has to follow his own feelings and hope that if he picks Ashley she'll feel the same way.
ROSE CEREMONY
The ladies... looked awful this week. What was up with the dresses?!
Photo Credit - ABC
Chantal's was incredibly ill-fitting; Emily's looked like an 80s throwback; Ashley's flattened and bludged in inappropraite places; and Shawntel's had a mock-turtleneck...
Anyways. Brad's first rose went to Ashley. The second rose went to Emily.
So it was Chantal vs. Shawntel. He chooses Chantal, which means Shantel had a trip in the rejecto-limo.
Photo Credit - ABC
But, Brad walked her out. Shawntel tried to hold it together as she praised Brad. He told her that he just didn't feel like he should have felt when she told him she loved him, and for that reason he had to let her go. He tells her she'll find the perfect guy.
In the limo she breaks down a little bit more, citing how perfect Brad was, and how well he treated her compared to other guys (like a "princess"), and how it she "didn't see this coming". Poor girl. She's my second nominee for next Bachelorette. (Remember, Ashley # 2 was my first nominee... I think Shawntel would have her beat though). Shawntel showed that she's lots of funny, but also incredibly quirky with the whole embalmer job thing. I think she'd be fun to watch as the next Bachelorette.
You know who would be my 3rd nominee for next Bachelorette? Cheryl Burke of DWTS fame. Now, I'm not a DWTS fan, but Cheryl Burke seems incredibly endearing, fun and cute. Castmate Maks has signed on for The Bachelor - Ukraine, so why not, right?!
Anyways, the final 3 are headed off for Fantasy Dates in South Africa. Who do I think will be eliminated next? Head over to my rankings blog...
Photo Credit - ABC
