Tonight is the much anticipated home visits for Ben. He gets to visit the homes of Amanda, Caila, JoJo and Lauren. Previews for the show looked intense, so I am hoping that these two hours go fast.
After tonight, we will be down to the final 3. Going to do a group messenger chat for the February 29th episode and convert chat to transcript for next week's blog. Rules are still the same, you must watch it live and agree that what you write goes to the blog.
All right! Let's go!
Orange County is first. Laguna Beach is where Amanda calls home. Ben meets Amanda on the beach. Apparently, Amanda hasn't seen her kids yet. This seems like a responsible decision: throw your kids into a stranger's arms after you haven't seen them for nearly 2 months. I'm sure it will go well.
Kinsley and Charlee are Amanda's daughters and they are adorable. Despite their reluctance to hang with Ben, he does a good job of getting them acclimated to the awkward situation. Everyone has fun at the beach, so I assume this was an easy date. The domestic side is going to test Ben's true feelings for Amanda.
00:12: Back from commercial and we get to hear Charlee crying in the car. Probably because ABC producers didn't let her take a nap. Ben admits that, "The car ride was a little rough." Ben gets to meet Amanda's family, John (Dad), Michelle (Mom), and Sister. Family has some reservations about Ben's age and his ability to be a father.
Amanda's parents are clearly over compensating because they gave their blessing to the douche that Amanda divorced. Ben is a good dude. They shouldn't be so guarded. The final verdict is that Ben is sweet and that the family would be happy to see Amanda with Ben.
00:26: Next stop is Portland, Oregon to visit Lauren. Ben and Lauren hug and immediately compare tight pants and argue over who wears the tightest pants. I'm kidding about the tight pants argument. Ben seriously wears some tight pants, though.
After sampling the cuisine of the Portland food trucks, Lauren pulls a one on one date on Ben and takes him to a private whiskey library. Very cool date for Lauren. Time to go meet "the fam," says Lauren.
"I'm in love with Ben but I haven't told him that. I think I just need him to meet my family before telling him how I feel. If I get my family's approval, I will definitely tell Ben that I am in love with him," confesses Lauren.
Dave (Dad), Kristen (Mom), Molly (Sister), Bryant? (Brother), and Bret? (younger brother) meet Ben. Molly seems like the jealous older sister. I get bad vibes from her. Notice that she is not married. Molly grabs Ben first and asks for a relationship rundown from Ben and admits that she is hesitant and skeptical. Ben gets emotional when describing Lauren to Molly and immediately wins Molly over. If Molly is currently dating someone, I feel bad for him. I bet every twenty minutes she asks her current beau, "Do you cry when describing me to someone? Because Ben does when trying to describe Lauren and I want you to feel that way about me." Every. Twenty. Minutes.
Dave is a cool dude. Lauren and her father look a lot alike. Dave lays down that dating on a reality, game show is different than a real life courtship. Ben admits that he is not coping well and it is tough dealing with his current situation of dating four girls. Must be excruciating.
Dave and Lauren privately talk. Dave is very protective of his baby "LoLo" and rightfully so. He is very grounded and puts things into perspective for Lauren. I don't know if this means Dave gave his blessing because Lauren did not tell Ben that she is in love with him.
00:48: Ben visits Hudson, Ohio to meet Caila and her family. Ben and Caila walk through her hometown. How they can move is beyond me. Seriously. These tight pants. I can't take it. I thought the 90's fashion was coming back. A little loose fitting materials never hurt anyone or hurt anyone to let their skin breath. Caila takes Ben to a bench near her old high school and says, "I feel like I always watched couples come to this bench and I always dreamed about taking someone special her someday. You are the first person I thought is worthy of the bench." They fulfill her high school fantasy of making out on the bench.
Caila's dad is the CEO of Step 2 kids toy company. They are going to design a house and they are going to build it in the factory. I am familiar with Step 2 so I thought this date was especially cool. Caila, however. I just don't know about her. One minute she is as beautiful as a Disney princess and then the next she looks like Sarah Jessica Parker in Footloose.
The Officer and a Gentleman moment at the end of the warehouse scene was a little too much for me.
00:58: Ben is meeting Chris (Dad), Rosanna (Mom), and Chris (little brother). Caila says that she hopes her parents approval validates her falling in love with Ben. Chris fires out wanting to know how to deal with "microwave fame". Great line.
Rosanna grabs Ben first and wants to know what grabbed Ben's attention about Caila. He describes her leaping into his arms and tries to translate her confusing confessional from two weeks ago. Chris and Caila talk. Chris asks some great questions. The fathers so far have been great- guarded and protective, yet open to learn about Ben.
Caila and Rosanna talk about how Caila knows that she is in love with Ben. Caila can stop calling her mom, "Mommy", at any moment. It's creepy. Rosanna tells Caila to confess her love to Ben and that she thinks Ben is in love with Caila. Rosanna has never seen Ben look at Lauren. Bad advice, mommy! Caila gets cold feet with sharing her affection at the limo. Instead she eats his face.
01:28: Dallas, Texas is the home of JoJo. She arrives to her doorstep to a bouquet of roses. THIS IS CRAZY!!! JoJo got a letter from her ex-boyfriend but she didn't know it was from him. She thought it was from Ben. On camera, she reads the letter and while reading it she realizes that is not from Ben. This might have been an all time low from the producers to do that to her before Ben arrives at her door step. She is an emotional wreck. I am frantically googling professional athletes in Dallas named "Chad". I heard that JoJo is a jersey chaser. I found nothing.
Anyway, JoJo is on the phone with "Chad" (I'm sure it is a fake name). "Chad" says, "if you are done with me. Tell me right now." JoJo does not answer "Chad". Next we have Ben knocking on the door and he can tell things are not copacetic. She shows Ben the flowers and explains the situation. Why didn't she throw the flowers in the trash? Ben admits that he is very uncomfortable with the situation because of past experiences. JoJo assures Ben that in her conversation with "Chad" that she told him that the past and "Chad" are behind her.
Also, her brothers look like they could be characters Doug and Steve Butabi were based on for SNL sketches and the movie, "A Night At The Roxbury".
JoJo's family is very excited to see her. Ben meets Ciara (Mom), Matt (oldest brother), Joe (Dad), Ben (other brother) and Rachel (sister). JoJo's mom immediately wants to know what separates JoJo from the rest of the girls and the siblings continue the grilling. It seems like they want Ben to move to Dallas. Brother Ben compares his relationship with JoJo as "parental" and he feels he can't say that Bachelor Ben is "generally terrific". Well, JoJo's brother, Ben, I CAN say that in general you are a dick.
Dad, aka Sgt. Slaughter, explains to Bachelor Ben that JoJo has been in relationships where trust wasn't there. Ben gives his usual answers, vague but assuring.
JoJo sits down with Matt and Brother Ben. Matt puts things into perspective. "How can you fall in love with someone that you have been on two dates with?" JoJo goes on the defense but Matt pleads for her to keep guarded. JoJo asks for support from them. Brother Ben refers to talking up Bachelor Ben so much that he wants to hear the same things from Bachelor Ben about JoJo. Matt thinks Bachelor Ben is not as emotionally invested in JoJo as she is with him.
"Ben, you've brain washed these girls," says Matt. The editing is weird on this scene. Bachelor Ben walks into the room saying, "There is a lot of noise in this room." This would be fighting words, in a normal situation but I think editing didn't put it in the right reference. But Matt does come foul and says to Bachelor Ben that he feels that, "Ben is being coached what to say." Ben does not like this statement. Brother Ben looks like he wants to kick the crap out of Bachelor Ben. Parents cool down the situation.
Not knowing the whole situation, JoJo walks Ben out the door and asks Ben how everything went. Ben explains that her mom is sweet, dad is soft hearted and concerned, and that the brothers believe he has a poker face. Ben is unsettled about how JoJo's brothers and he left the evening.
In a recap of every home date, this is what I have come to understand. These people allow their daughters and sisters to go on a reality, dating, game show and put their fears, secrets, and privacy out to the general public with no hesitation what so ever, but when they bring Ben home they act like the girl is the most precious woman on the planet and Ben is not worthy of their affection? Doesn't make sense.
Also, I think these dates are completely bullshit. I think the producers pressed each family to have a cynic. How can Ben not win a family over in four hours? Do you know how many families I had fooled in that amount of time in my dating life? Multiple days in a row? No way do I believe that things could have been that tense on any level at any house.
01:51: FINAL ROSE CEREMONY
Holy smokes! JoJo looks like a real live version of Jessica Rabbit. Amanda's dress isn't too bad to look at, either. Every girl has said, in their confessionals, that they love Ben and regret not telling him on their home dates.
Ben gives a great speech, of course he does, about meeting each of their families and about how special each of the ladies is to him.
Lauren will you accept this rose?
Caila will you accept this rose?
Chris walks in to add to the drama and nails his only line of the night, "Ladies. Ben. It is the final rose tonight. When you are ready."
JoJo will you accept this rose?
Bye Amanda! Ben is sending a message to JoJo by making her wait until last pick- keep your idiot brothers in check. Ben asks to walk with Amanda and sit with her. Amanda says, "I just feel like if you were having any doubts after my hometown date, it would have been nice if you would have let me known then rather than sending me back to L.A. just to send me home in a rose ceremony. Like I wish it was something that if you realized you were feeling that you would have told me then."
BECAUSE THAT IS NOT HOW THE SHOW WORKS, AMANDUUUUH! Get over yourself. Beat it, geek.
"I would like her to know that I care a lot. It means a lot to me that she trusted me to be with her kids for the day. *sob* I can't do this right now," cries Ben. Ben needs to control his emotions. It's only going to get crazier from here.
Final 3 and Top 3
1. Lauren
2. JoJo
3. Caila
See you next week. Thanks for reading. Hope to read see some of you in the Facebook message group.
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