NOTE: This post contains spoilers for Season 28, Episode 8 of The Bachelor.
Hello and welcome back to another recap of the newest episode of The Bachelor! Joey headed to Daisy, Kelsey A., Rachel, and Maria’s hometowns this week to meet their families and get a glimpse into their lives outside the Bachelor bubble. Read on to see how Joey’s trips to Minnesota, Louisiana, California, and Ontario went this episode, and to answer the big question- who went home?
Hometown #1: Kelsey A.
Exploring New Orleans
Joey started the week in New Orleans for Kelsey A.’s hometown. Kelsey A. (or just Kelsey since Kelsey T. went home last week) completed the requisite Run ‘n’ Jump™ maneuver when she saw Joey coming down the path toward her. To start their date, she and Joey rode a tandem bicycle, which Kelsey last did with her late mother. Kelsey said that she has felt her mother’s presence lately and really wished that she could have met Joey.
After spotting a bride having her photo taken nearby, Joey and Kelsey talked about a potential future engagement. Kelsey told Joey that it’s an “exciting idea” that marriage could be in her future so soon, but she still feels scared about getting heartbroken. Joey told her he’s afraid he’ll be down on one knee in a few weeks and the other person won’t be ready to be with him.
Meeting the Family
“I just know I could be happy every day if Kelsey was the person I was with,” said Joey in his confessional. It sounded like the date was going well so far, but Joey still had to meet Kelsey’s family. This included her dad, Mark, her brother, Matthew, and her sister, Taylor. After all the hugs and hellos, Mark pulled out a scrapbook filled with old pictures of Kelsey and her mom, which pulled at everyone’s heartstrings.
Kelsey’s sister pulled her aside to chat, and expressed her worries about Kelsey potentially being sent home. Kelsey told her that she just wants to know that she tried her best and put everything into it.
Kelsey’s dad then pulled Joey aside to try to gauge how he’s feeling about his daughter. “When I met Kelsey’s mom it’s like I knew it right away,” Mark told Joey and then asked, “How do you know when you actually find the right one?” Valid question considering Joey was still dating three other women at this point. Joey told him that it has been difficult for him because he has real feelings but has held back from verbally expressing them since he wants everything he says and does to be intentional. However, he reassured Mark that he has very real feelings for Kelsey.
Hometown #2: Rachel
A Family Luau
Although Rachel is originally from Hawaii, she met Joey in Rancho Cucamonga, California for her hometown date. Apparently making the trip to Hawaii was not feasible given the production schedule, so this one was technically not really a “hometown” date- more like a family vacay.
Before meeting her family, Rachel gave Joey a few pointers relating to her Filipino heritage, such as how to greet and address her parents. She was clearly very nervous about introducing Joey to her family since they had loved her ex. She said “that breakup, my dad and my mom took it really hard”. Apparently Joey had some big shoes to fill…
She and Joey visited her aunt’s home for a family luau, complete with a pig roast! Joey met Rachel’s dad, mom, sister, her adorable nephew, and many other members of her family. He nailed the traditional “mano po” gesture (used to show respect to elders) when greeting Rachel’s mom, Noela. Rachel’s family then informed him that in Filipino culture a suitor interested in a daughter must eat the roast pig’s ear, and Joey chowed down right away.
Rachel sat down with her dad, Hakim, who said he has never seen the show. He told her that even if it doesn’t go the way she wants she should stay “even-keel” and remember that she always has them to support her.
Joey also sat down with Noela, who was still very skeptical about this entire process. “My concern for her is that there are three other women involved,” she said to Joey, which is a valid point. Noela said that she and Hakim have seen Rachel hurt before, and I’m sure it’s hard for them to imagine that she won’t be hurt again in this situation.
Rachel sat down with her mom next. She told Noela that she really does like Joey, but her mom warned her to guard her heart. She also reminded Rachel that while Joey has to choose her, she also has to choose Joey. Again, valid point Noela.
Hakim’s sit-down with Joey echoed some of the same points, as he told Joey that he doesn’t want to see his daughter hurt again. After Joey asked him about a potential proposal, Hakim said he is very traditional. “If that time comes, she has my number,” he said. “You can call me man-to-man.” It wasn’t a yes and it wasn’t a no, which the Bachelor noted.
Later on, Joey and Rachel sat on a bench to discuss the date. Rachel very quickly got emotional, but assured Joey they weren’t bad tears. Even though her family was clearly skeptical, Rachel told Joey that she’s definitely falling in love with him and that she’s choosing him. Joey was happy that she was not just “falling”, but “falling in love” with him. (What else would she be falling in? Just wondering.)
On to the next hometown!
Hometown #3: Daisy
“In my heart is a Christmas tree farm…”
Then it was time for Daisy’s hometown date in Becker, Minnesota. Alexa, play Christmas Tree Farm by Taylor Swift, please! Yes, Daisy grew up on a Christmas tree farm, which she showed Joey around before he met her family. They even took a ride on a horse-drawn carriage complete with Christmas decorations and a driver wearing a Santa hat.
A bunch of Daisy’s friends showed up on the farm to meet Joey, and they gathered around to check in on how her experience has been so far. “I’m really happy,” said Daisy, before she told them how Joey had changed her outlook on life. Before the show, she felt that it would be hard to find someone who wanted to be with her due to her cochlear implant and previous health issues. Regardless of whether it will end up being her and Joey in the end, she told them that she now knows what she deserves.
Meeting the Family
Joey met Daisy’s mom, Julie, her dad, Brandon, her older sister, Josephine, her younger brother, Harrison, her grandpa, Ted, and her grandma, Gloria. Daisy filled her family in on her journey so far, from getting the first one-on-one to telling Joey about her hearing loss. After her little brother told her about how college is going for him, Daisy teared up and said, “Harrison’s voice sounds like Harrison.” This was a big deal since some voices didn’t sound quite the same as she adjusted to her cochlear implant.
Joey then sat down with Julie, who got right to the point and asked if he and Daisy had said “I love you” to each other. Joey said that they had not yet, but assured her that they have feelings for each other and that Daisy wanted to see him with her family before dropping any kind of L-word.
Next up, Daisy and her mom sat down to chat. Daisy admitted that she had been struggling to be open with Joey, which surprised her mom. “I definitely see you guys really care for each other,” she told Daisy, which made her daughter cry. Daisy didn’t think she would be able to “feel this way” about someone again, but she’s “feeling this way toward him”. However, she admitted that she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to express it.
Daisy’s conversation with her dad also addressed her struggles with being vulnerable. Her dad told her that it’s normal to have a wall up, but if she thinks that she’s falling for Joey then “shoot the shot”! And if Joey doesn’t feel the same way? “It’s not like you’re gonna lose your hearing over it!”, he joked to Daisy.
Dad jokes are always a mood booster, and Daisy felt much better after their conversation. So much better that, after they left her family, Daisy told Joey that she’s falling in love with him. You already know that Joey absolutely loved this, and even said he can “see Daisy as being my wife” in a confessional.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves Mr. Bachelor because you have one more hometown and three other women to think of too!
Hometown #4: Maria
Back to Canada
Joey traveled to Niagara Falls, Ontario for Maria’s hometown. A quick reminder before we get into the date- things went awry between Joey and Maria when she almost self-eliminated last week (if you missed it then catch up here). Obviously, they worked it out and Joey gave her a rose, but at the beginning of her hometown date he was still feeling nervous about where they stood.
Joey and Maria began their day together on the Maid of the Mist but soon found a quiet bench for a serious chat about what went down last week. Maria told Joey that he’s everything she wants in a man, but it was difficult to see him with other women last week. Joey then asked Maria when the last time was she brought someone home to meet her family. “I’ve never brought anyone home,” Maria told him.
He wasn’t exactly thrilled by that answer and it showed on his face. In his confessional, he said that his feelings were mixed. On one hand, he said it’s special to think that he’s the first man she’s bringing home but, on the other hand, “How has she gone this long in life without, like, opening up to someone?”.
Meanwhile, Maria’s dad, Nick, was waiting not-so-enthusiastically for Joey and Maria to arrive for dinner. “If she gets hurt, it would be a problem for Joey,” he said.
Meeting the Family
Aside from Nick, Joey also met Maria’s mom, Lori, her two brothers, Steven and Soto, and her friend, Brittany. “You have the most important thing in my life, in your hands,” Nick told Joey as he was trying to down some Greek stuffed peppers (which looked delish by the way).
Joey and Nick sat down to chat. “To me she’s my angel, my princess,” Nick said to Joey, and then continued. “If you tell me that you’re ‘falling for her’ and you’re telling the other three girls you’re ‘falling for’ them- that doesn’t mean anything to me.” Joey reassured Nick that he had not told any of the women that he’s falling for them because he wants to save those words for his final pick.
Then Joey asked for Nick’s blessing to marry his daughter, and Nick told Joey that “if she chooses you and you choose her” then he would not have a problem giving his blessing. Then he said to Joey that he would “become more than a son to me because the woman you chose is my life”.
Then Maria sat down with her dad, who told her that she was “glowing” with Joey. “He’s a good guy!” he told her, and that she should try to put her guard down. Then he told her that Joey asked for his blessing, which shocked Maria.
Joey and Maria ended the night by watching old home videos, but Maria still didn’t tell Joey that she was falling for him. It’s clear that Joey really wanted to hear the words “falling in love” from the women at this point, so this didn’t bode well for Maria.
So, who went home?
The rose ceremony was held in a hangar, and the women were on edge waiting for Joey to arrive. Before the rose ceremony began, Maria pulled Joey to tell him that she’s falling in love with him. She felt that she had to tell him so she wouldn’t have any regrets. Unfortunately, Joey’s feelings were written all over his face… and they weren’t good.
Still, Maria rejoined the other women in Joey’s lineup, and Rachel was not thrilled by the timing of her convo. However, it was clear that Joey had already made up his mind. His first rose went to Daisy, second to Kelsey, and third to Rachel.
So, this was the end of the road for Maria. Even though she had finally told him her feelings, Joey said that he just couldn’t get there and it wouldn’t have been right to move forward with the amount of doubts he had. “It sucks,” said Maria in the SUV but she admitted that she should have told him how she felt sooner.
And now only three remain...
Next week is Fantasy Suite week, and it looks like there will be some cameos from the Golder Bachelor ladies, a lot of tears, and a mysterious “we need to talk” note left on Joey’s door. Join me next week to recap and reflect on the new episode.
