announcer: Tonight on "The Bachelor"...
- Whoo!
- Much like falling in love,
the first step is the hardest.
- Ahh! [laughs]
How's it going?
Knowing that I'll be meeting
four families certainly will help
make sense of my feelings.
- I'm falling in love with you.
Like, bringing you home is such a big deal to me.
- Oh! - I'm so excited for him
to get to know, like, where I came from.
- Clayton could be my husband,
and I hope my family can see the person that I see.
- Tonight could change everything.
I told him I was falling in love with him.
♪ ♪
- I don't know where his relationship's at
with the other three.
- Who's gonna be here to pick up the pieces?
- Do you think you love Susie?
Proceed with caution.
- You better be good to her.
I don't give a damn about anything else.
- As a father, people always
have to prove their selves to me.
What are you gonna do to not hurt her?
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
- It is Hometown week,
and this is the most important week for me
in my entire journey.
I have four women left with me,
and I haven't said I'm falling in love
with any of these women
just because saying the words holds a lot of weight.
But knowing that I'll be
meeting four families this week
certainly will help me make sense of my feelings.
Today, I am in Poquoson, Virginia,
to meet Susie's family,
so I am so very excited.
Oh, there she is.
This is a woman that has
so many great characteristics about her.
And what I really love about her is
how her family is so important to her.
- I'm gonna come to you. - Bring it to me.
In Croatia, Susie told me that she's falling in love with me.
And it could be very well
that I've already begun to fall in love.
So today, I'm excited to see
how much farther we can take this relationship.
- Welcome to Virginia. - Mm-hmm. I'm excited.
Look at this view. - I know, it's pretty, right?
- Yes, what do you have in store today?
- I'm excited to introduce you to my family tonight.
- Yes. - But before that,
I have a really fun day planned, some surprises.
You ready to go? - I am, I'm so ready.
- Good. - So let's bring it.
- Okay, let's go. - Okay.
- Clayton's a man that I'm falling in love with,
and after today and, like, seeing how he is
here in Virginia and how he is with my family,
like, I feel like, if everything goes well,
we'll be one step closer to like,
truly being in love.
But before that, there's one thing that I need to know.
So today we're gonna find out if Clayton likes being choked.
[rock music plays]
♪ ♪
- Oh, my gosh.
- Jujutsu is something that I'm passionate about.
It's something that I love.
I started training jujutsu in Japan,
and I think it changed my life.
I used to struggle a lot with body image,
and I feel like, training jujutsu, like,
I see my body as a weapon.
And, like, I'm really excited
that I get to share this with him.
Nice.
- Hey, Susie.
- Brendan's a former coach of mine.
He's now a professor in jujutsu.
He's a black belt.
So he's gonna teach us some moves today and have some fun.
- Can't wait to get my ass kicked.
- So why don't you guys go ahead.
We got Gis over there for you, go get changed out,
and we'll meet you back here on the mat.
- Let's do it. - All right, let's go.
I'm really excited.
Didn't think I would be throwing on a jujutsu outfit,
but here we are.
- Ow, ow!
Look at you. - I'm ready, let's go.
Did I tie it right?
I don't even know if I tied it right.
- It's really close. - Do you want to fix him?
- Yeah, okay.
Clayton is killing it in the Gi.
I actually was like, most thrilled about, like,
forcing him to wear one.
But he looks good, and like, he's...
he's, like, ready to roll.
- All fights start on the feet.
But they don't end there, right?
Unless you get the perfect throw, the fight keeps going.
So the first thing that she's going to do,
she's gonna take her butt
and she's gonna put it over here.
So it's called shrimping. She gets her hips away.
- It's called what? - Shrimping, all right?
She makes that shrimp motion. - It's called shrimping.
This is it. We can't make this up.
- We just can't get away from shrimp.
Yeah, I mean, I've had shrimp follow me
throughout this entire journey.
It's ridiculous.
It's never going away, apparently.
- I try to push in, she hips away, she shrimps.
Brings the leg through. And then she wraps her legs.
And now she's in a good, safe position.
Got it? - You can stay there.
At the end of the day though, I'll shrimp with Susie
any day of the week.
- Hip away.
Knee to elbow. Collect, wrap the guard.
Good. - Nice.
- All right, so we got that position.
So she's gonna get one arm in, one arm out.
Leg goes over, locks the shin.
And then she's gonna pull down on my head,
hip up and pinch her knees.
- Like I said, today we're gonna find out
if Clayton likes being choked.
- [coughing] - Oh, [bleep]!
Are you okay? Are you okay?
- I'm good, no, no, I wanted to see.
- Turns out he does. [laughs]
[romantic music plays]
♪ ♪
- Am I in your element? Virginia Susie.
- This is Virginia Sue. - Virginia Sue.
- So far today has been so much fun.
I can't wait for Clayton to meet my parents and, like,
see what my family is like,
because family's truly so important to me.
I aspire to have a relationship like my parents.
So it's important for Clayton to meet them
and just to, like, see where I come from.
And I want him just to, like, know why I am the way I am.
I was nervous to bring you like, home-home,
to be honest, as you know.
- What are you-- were nervous about?
Like, were you nervous that I'm just gonna, like,
look at this and be like...
- No, like, I think I'm just really
different from, like, where I'm from.
My town, like, I don't know, I guess I just, like,
wanted so bad my whole life to get out of where I was from.
And with my dad getting sick, like,
a lot of it kind of made sense.
And I was like, I'm certainly meant to be here.
Like, my dad is the man that I've looked up to
my whole life.
And when he got sick, like, one of like,
the most heartbreaking things for me
was like, um...
Oh, God, I didn't want say it, but just like,
the thought of him, like, not being there
to, like, walk me down the aisle one day.
Like, he set such a standard of like, what a man should be.
And, like, I want him to meet my person.
I want him to be there on that day.
And like, I don't know, I just, I don't even like
to think about it, but to be feeling what I'm feeling
and to be feeling like I'm falling in love with you,
like, bringing you home to meet him specifically is, like,
such a big deal to me and, like, so important.
- Yeah--yeah.
I mean, I can only really like, sympathize with how
tough going through all that would be.
I think I'm, like, really excited obviously
to meet him because, again, if, like, that's the standard
you hold for, like, what a man should be,
you know, then it's like, okay, like,
I want to, like, see what that is.
- Yeah.
- And hopefully live up to that expectation.
So I hope to, yeah,
I really hope to just make the most of today,
and I know we will, and I'm excited.
- Me too. - So thank you.
- I'm excited.
It's a big deal for me to introduce somebody
to my dad like this.
My dad means so much to me and, like,
I can't even imagine, like, a world without him.
So, like, for me to bring Clayton home and for him to be
someone I am potentially going to marry, like,
it's very serious and it's very much real.
- All right, well, should we go meet the parents?
- Let's do it. - All right, let's do it.
- Okay.
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
- Ooh, here we come. - How are you feeling?
- I'm a little nervous, but that's okay,
because that just means I care.
Right now, I'm about to meet
Susie's mom, Jean, her dad, Tom,
her sister, Barbara, and her best friend, Lauren.
It's very important for me to be able to get the approval
of her family because with that, that takes us
one step closer towards, you know,
finding that everlasting love.
Hello. - Hi.
- How are y'all doing?
- Oh, my gosh.
Clayton, this is Lauren.
This is my best friend.
- I'm gonna hug you. - Yeah, I'm a hugger too.
- Your ears must have been burning.
We were just talking about you.
- You can tell the second that Susie
walks in the room that, like, her father,
like, they have this incredibly strong bond.
So I really do want his approval.
Like it means so much to me,
considering, like, how important he is to her.
- You brought me flowers too. - I did.
[laughing]
- Awesome, thank you. - Always the jokester, Tom!
- This is a really big step for Clayton and I.
And it's a really big deal to my parents.
I'm not, like, worried about my parents
not embracing Clayton,
but they're, like, the most important people in the world
to me and like, their opinions, like, definitely matter.
- I'm so glad you're here. - Who, me or her?
- Both of you. - I need to hear every detail.
- Where did you go, what did you do?
- We have went through such an incredible journey together.
- I can't even imagine. - Tell us about it.
- She shocked me out the limo.
A little buzzer. - Oh, yeah.
- Wait, what did you do? You did that?
- Then she was the first one-on-one date.
She was the first one-on-one date, yeah.
[all cheering]
And we were--we--we did it big.
Like, I felt like after that, I even, like,
thought after the first one-on-one date
I was like, man, I feel like we've been dating
for like, over a year. - Oh, wow.
- Yeah, it's so crazy. - That's good.
- 'Cause it was so natural, yeah.
- Well, I'm excited that you guys are here.
I'm excited to get to know Clayton, and I'm excited.
- Cheers. - Cheers.
- Susie, let's go have a chat. - Let's do it.
I'm excited to talk with my dad and just kind of
check in on him and see how he's doing.
I've missed my family so much this whole time,
and it feels good to be home.
Like, I feel happy.
Are you--I wanted to ask you like,
is everything going well with you since I've been gone?
- Yeah, yeah, I-- - Like, your health
and everything? - I have an MRI tomorrow,
but I'm expecting good results. - Okay.
- And I'm getting stronger every day.
- I shared with him like, when you got sick, like,
one of the things I thought about that, like,
broke my heart, and I'm like, I don't even like to
talk about it was, like, the thought of you not being there
on, like, the day that I get married.
- Hey, I'm gonna be here for that--I'm gonna be here.
- I told him today, I was like,
my dad is, like, the golden standard of, like,
what I expect in a person and, like, in a partner.
- Thank you. - In a man and like...
Yeah, like, you've just really set the standard really high.
And I think that's why I've been so tough on people
in the past in relationships and stuff, like...
- Because of me? - Kind of a savage.
'Cause you're just such a good person.
Like, you're just such a good...
- Thank you. - Man, and like,
I think that's what's scary in this is that I,
like, I do believe everything that he's shown me and stuff.
But like, if he's not, like, I know I won't stand for it.
I do think that Clayton and I have something special.
It doesn't feel like, any other kind of relationship
that I've had before this.
So I just hope that my dad, like, really likes Clayton.
- I just want you to know, like,
if you choose Susie, what you're getting.
And I don't know if she-- I know she's talked to you
about it, but I got really sick last year.
And on one of the worst nights, she slept next to my bed
and would not leave my side all night.
And that's the type of person you're getting.
She's--she's special. You know that, right? I mean...
- I figured that out so early on.
- Yeah. - Yeah.
- I'm surprised someone hasn't nabbed her yet.
- Well, that's what-- - You've got her on the line.
All you gotta do is reel her in.
- I asked her that, I said the guys that you've apparently
talked to before this, like, are dumb as a box of rocks.
'Cause I was like, I don't understand how you're here.
But I'm not gonna question it.
I said, because like, if I even tried to find
a yellow flag, I couldn't find one.
- My wife and I look up to her
because she sets examples for us all the time.
Just how nice she is.
What a good person she is.
I mean, she's amazing.
And the thing I see is that when you guys
walked in the door, there was definitely
something there with you guys.
And I felt really comfortable just having
you come into my house, you know?
I mean, you seem like a really good guy.
And I know this too, I know Susie would know
if you were a bad guy or not.
You know, so I defer to her judgment.
- Thank you so much. - And I'll tell you this.
if Susie loves you, we'll love you.
- You know, it's a major thing to get
the blessing of Susie's father
knowing how much he means to her.
And it's a great step in the right direction
to know that there's nothing holding us back.
I'm so blown away by who Susie is and her character.
- Yeah, she is incredible. - It absolutely blew me away.
- And if you guys do end up together,
you know, she will be loyal.
- Yeah. - As long as you're loyal.
If you're not loyal, then she's outta there.
- And rightfully so. - Yeah.
Um, you know, do you think you love Susie?
- So I will say that I have very,
very strong feelings for Susie.
And to fall in love to me is...
it's very sacred and like, and I--
and I know that I will-- I will get there.
There's a part of me that is trying to make sense of it
in my head with-- just to be honest with you,
with other women around, I'm like, I don't necessarily--
like, I kind of guard myself 'cause I'm afraid to like--
I'm like, I don't want to fall in love with, like,
four people-- that doesn't make sense.
And so--but when I look at Susie and I'm like,
I don't--there's-- there's no question in my mind
that, like, I will get there.
Speaking with Susie's mom, I can understand her concern.
You know, I have these feelings for Susie,
and they're extremely strong.
But I also have these feelings for these other women as well.
And it's like, my head is spinning.
It's like, can I fall in love with
four women at one time? And I just don't know.
- I can see that there's definitely
a connection between the two of you.
- I feel really good about where I'm at.
- Do you think you want to marry him?
- I think I could marry this man.
But it is still very scary.
Because I feel like Clayton is somebody
that could, like, break my heart.
- I think that you're on the right track
to be cautious. - Mm-hmm.
- You know, I came right out and asked him,
you know, "Are you in love with Susie?"
He didn't say that he's in love with you, he said,
but he can see that he could get there with you.
And that he would never want to hurt you.
So proceed with caution.
- Yeah.
I think my mom being concerned is, like,
something I will, like, keep in the back of my head.
Proceed with caution, I think is what she said.
But I think she sees that he's a good man.
So it didn't affect how I feel about Clayton.
- I'm so glad we got to meet you, Clayton.
- So glad. - I really just wanna
say it again-- you're so awesome.
- I hope we get to see you again.
- Yeah.
- I think tonight, like, brought us a lot closer.
Having Clayton meet my family...
like, that in itself is a big deal.
I feel like my family could see Clayton
becoming a part of the family.
- I obviously will be waiting for the next time
that we can be together, so don't forget about me.
- I won't forget about you. Don't forget about me!
- That's not going to happen, I can tell you that.
- Okay, good. - That's not happening, so...
Absolutely.
[soft music]
- I think I'm really just, like, putting myself
out there and putting my heart out there.
I feel like I told Clayton how I feel,
that I'm falling in love with him
and that with every interaction, every, like,
day we get together, it just becomes more and more real.
- See you later. - I'll see you soon.
Obviously, I want Clayton to feel like
he's falling in love with me,
and I want to Clayton to get there with me.
We'll just have to wait and see.
[mellow guitar music]
♪ ♪
- We're in Denver, Colorado,
in the beautiful Rocky Mountains
for my Hometown date.
Denver means so much.
It's where I learned to become a nurse
and I was a Denver Broncos cheerleader for five years.
I've really just done so much growth
and coming into myself as a woman.
All right here, baby.
So I'm excited to be back
and to be able to share it with Clayton.
- Gabby!
How's it going? Oh--oh, here we go.
[laughs]
- These last couple of weeks have been,
like, monumental for us.
It's good to see you.
Every time we see each other, we keep growing
and discover a new part of our relationship,
so bringing him home to meet my family
is just kind of, like, the icing on the cake.
I can't wait for you to meet my family later.
- We gotta make it there first, right?
You know, I don't know what you have
in the wilderness here.
- You have to cut down trees and fight bears to meet them.
- Oh, okay. I'm here for it, you ready?
- Yeah, let's go. - All right, let's go.
- We have a surprise!
- Okay, our first surprise.
- I am kinda stoked that I get to surprise you.
- Ooh, we get a little...
- You can't hike without a backpack.
- Yeah?
Colorado's just like the mecca for, like, outdoorsy stuff.
- Hold on now. - That's for later.
- Who am I fighting off? - I don't know.
Maybe a bear--there's bears around these parts.
There's wildlife all around us.
Which is kind of scary, but I know he can fight off
whatever comes our way.
Do you know what you're supposed to do
when you see a bear?
- If you see a black bear you're supposed to,
like, scream at it and get big.
- Yeah. What if you see a grizzly bear?
- You play dead.
- Oh, my God, how'd you know that?
- Can't you tell I'm, like, Mr. Outdoorsy?
- No.
- What I love about Gabby is that she makes me laugh.
Everyone knows that she is the funniest woman alive.
Gabby, stop!
- Your pants aren't going to cover them.
Okay, okay, okay-- - The other one's laced up.
So it only makes sense. - Okay, I'll do it!
Oh, my God.
- [laughs]
Like, you just don't know, like,
the next word that comes out of her mouth.
It's always a wild card.
- I'm the bear... - Yeah.
- And then you do what you would
to scare off the bear.
- All right. - Okay.
- Ready? - Yeah.
- [screams] - [laughter]
- No! Oh, my God!
- Throw you down. I'll throw you down.
- Okay.
- Gabby stands out because not only has she shown me
her humorous side but, like, in the last few weeks,
she's trusting me, she's opening up.
It's just so easy with her.
Every time we see each other, it's, like,
our relationship just-- it skyrockets.
- Can you handle the altitude?
- This looks promising.
- Just wait. I did this all for you.
- Wow, that's actually really cool.
- And it's called Proposal Rock.
So did you bring my ring?
- Okay, hold on now.
- So look in your bag. There should be a ring.
And it needs to be a size at least 22 to fit over these.
Proposal Rock was just a subtle hint.
If he decided to propose there, like, I wouldn't say no.
- Scenic and romantic? Gabby's being romantic?
- I know. - What?
- Don't tell anyone, I'll kill you.
- Is that even possible? - No.
- How's it feel?
[romantic music]
♪ ♪
- I've been looking forward to this day for so, so long.
It just feels, like, meaningful in a sense
that we can just jump in right where we left off,
and it's like no time has passed.
Do you see anything else?
- I'm not looking yet. - Okay.
- Oh, I see a...
- A hot tub!
- A hot tub? - Yeah.
- Okay, I love hot tubs.
- Me too. - Yeah.
- I really have high hopes for tonight.
I'm just excited to show off my family and to show off
Clayton and watch how they get along.
- Hoo-hoo! Ooh, that's cold.
- I have feelings for Clayton, and I really want to tell him,
but I know in the back of my mind,
like, I just have to wait for the perfect time.
And I think that will come after him meeting my family.
- So okay--so I am curious. - Yeah.
- Like, with tonight, who all will I be meeting?
- So my Aunt Julie is coming... - Okay.
- And then my Uncle Rich and then their daughter Keira,
my cousin, and my grandpa.
- Okay.
- There is, like, some kind of family stuff
going on at home.
My dad's girlfriend of, like, ten years was recently
diagnosed with cancer, so because of COVID,
he's not gonna be there, which is, like, hard for me.
It's just not a good time for him.
And I can't really, like, ask him otherwise,
because, like, health stuff always comes first.
- Absolutely. And no, I mean, obviously I wanted to...
meet your dad 'cause I knew how much...
- Yeah. - Like, he means to you,
but when it comes to, like, a family member being, like,
not in the best health, then, like, that makes sense.
Just hoping that, like, by the end of this,
that I can, like, see myself being a part of the family.
That's what's so important. - Yeah, totally.
It makes me, like, really excited, you know,
for the future. - Yeah.
- It's very exciting. - Yeah.
There's a lot on my mind,
talking to Clayton in the hot tub.
I'm just, like, really kind of excited to
let it all out on the table and let him know
that I do think that I'm falling in love with him
and, like, I'm excited to tell him that.
But I really wish my dad was here tonight
and I wish I could just get some feedback,
because he's normally the person I turn to.
[soft music]
♪ ♪
[gentle music]
- I have skin showing.
♪ ♪
I'm so excited. - I'm very excited.
This is the moment, like, we've been talking about.
So here it is, so... - I know.
- You ready? - I'm ready.
- Yeah? So remind me again who I'm meeting.
- My Grandpa John and Aunt Julie,
Uncle Rich, cousin Keira.
- Okay, all right, you take the lead.
- I'm so excited for Clayton to meet my family.
My dad couldn't be here because of COVID
and the safety of his girlfriend,
but I'm so grateful the rest of my family is here.
They just step right in, no questions asked.
- Is that them?
- Oh, my God!
- Oh!
- Wow.
- Hey, Clayton, I'm Julie. Nice to meet you.
- You've got to be the guy, huh?
- This is Clayton.
- Good luck to you, man. Good luck to you.
- Are you telling me I need it? - Yeah, oh, yeah...
- I mean, I'm falling in love with Clayton,
and telling him that is terrifying.
And I know my dad would have a ton of questions.
So it is hard not to have him here for this huge moment.
So I am nervous.
- Thank you for inviting us.
- Oh, my God, no, thank you so much for coming.
- And being a part of this journey with you.
- They're all from out of town.
And I'm so glad you guys are here.
Like, I just feel so fortunate, and if anything,
like, I'm glad he gets to meet you guys now
and then we can, like, build our relationship
with Dad later.
- Yes. - Of course.
So how has it been? Tell us all about it.
Tell us about your adventures.
- It's been crazy.
- All the way back from night one at the limo,
your little-- - Clayton.
- So what was your line? - No!
- Okay, we gotta hear this now.
We gotta hear it. - Is Clayton blushing?
[laughter]
- Yeah, you'll understand why in a second.
- [laughs]
- Ugh, I had, like, this pillow made
with his face on it.
I was like, I'm Gabby,
and I know my feet are gonna get tired later,
so I'd really like to sit on your face.
[laughter]
- Gabriela!
I think it's great.
- Grandpa has a good sense of humor!
- I'm not gonna blush, I don't think.
[laughs]
Going into tonight, I wasn't sure what to expect.
When I saw Gabriela and Clayton together...
they looked really happy.
- What?
- Clayton, would you, like, to talk with me
for just a few minutes? - All right, let's do it.
- But what I really want to know
is enough about Clayton to feel that
he was good enough for Gabriela
and that he felt an honest feeling for her.
I don't give a damn about anything else.
- With Gabby, I guess-- I'm curious, like,
so how was she growing up?
Like what kind of-- has she always been kind of--
- She's always been a dingbat.
She's been a lovable dingbat.
- She--you know what's so fun about her
is she keeps me on my toes.
But, like, that's what I love is, like, a sense of humor
is so important to me.
And, like, there was a whole side of, like, being able
to talk about the emotional side of things.
And I think at first she was a little more reserved,
but then she's really opened up a lot
since the beginning of the journey.
- Obviously I care about my granddaughter a lot.
So she's a good kid.
You'd better be good to her. - Yeah, I know what I have
in front of me, absolutely. - Okay.
I would certainly advise her and you to not be in a hurry.
- Absolutely.
- You really need to get to know a person.
So I encourage you to not run into it.
And I'm certainly going to tell Gabriela the same thing.
- Absolutely.
- And so far, I like what I've seen.
Of course, it's early, so I may change my mind about you.
- I know you know, but it means, like,
the whole world to have you here.
- Well, you know, we would always be here for you.
This is a big deal. - Yeah.
- This is a big journey for you.
So we're excited.
So tell us about it.
- You nervous? - Yeah.
Like, I feel like, I'm just, like, in a blender.
Like, I can't really, like, sort out my emotions
or, like, what's right or wrong
or, like, think about the future.
- I mean, do you feel like you
see a long-term relationship that, like,
Clayton could be your life partner?
- Yeah.
- Have you told him you love him?
- No, and I've been very cautious
with my words and my feelings.
I wanted to see him with you guys.
- I'm actually happy that you guys
haven't leaped forward with that too soon.
You can't rush to "I love you." - Yeah.
- See where this relationship goes, you know?
- Well, you know, we just want you to be happy.
You know, I love the fact
that you're getting to be you around him
and you're not trying to be somebody different.
I mean, the fact that he can goof around with us
right off the bat.
I'm like, okay, that's good. Yeah, that's really good.
Gabby feels like she can be herself,
she can be open, she's let her guard down.
She's not one to throw out the L word.
But I think if she were to tell him
that she's falling in love with him,
they might have a great connection
and a future together.
And I'm very excited for the two of them.
- So what do you think of this guy?
- What do you think of this guy?
- Well, then I can be honest to you?
- Yeah, of course.
- I think he's full of [bleep]. - Oh.
[laughs]
- Anybody that could possibly like you
is obviously full of crap.
[laughs]
- Yeah. - I am excited for you.
You know what you want and what you like
and what you think you love.
All I have to say is make sure
before you make that final step and say yes.
Because it's gonna be for life.
'Cause if it isn't for life, I'll be really pissed.
I'll come back and haunt you. You know that.
- I hope you do, no matter what.
- I'm sure that I will.
I don't think I could love anybody as much as I love you
and my wife and...
well, you know-- you know I love you.
- I love that you still wear your wedding ring.
I miss Grandma so much.
- I've thought about taking it off,
but I kept saying, why would I want to do that?
Proud of having been married to the same woman that long.
So that's why I wear it.
Every marriage has problems.
It's just the ones that last, both people involved
have gotta be willing to be flexible
and be willing to be forgiving.
You just have to keep on loving.
- It's so nice that I'm having all these conversations with
my family, but they know and I know that there's, like,
a huge piece missing, which is, like, my dad.
- Oh, don't you dare cry on me, for crying out loud.
- I'm falling in love with Clayton,
and I do really want to tell him,
but I still feel so torn.
And my dad's normally the person I turn to.
so I wish, like, more than anything
that he could have been here with us tonight.
You guys know, like, how much you mean to me and just,
you know, like, Dad's relationship and I.
- Yeah.
- Obviously we wish he was here but--
- You know he really wants to be here, honey.
You know he loves you. He really wanted to be here.
- Yeah, no, I know.
[horn honking]
- Do you hear that? What the hell is that?
- What's happening?
♪ ♪
[horn honking]
[soft music]
♪ ♪
- [sobbing]
♪ ♪
- What's happening?
- I think she's got a special visitor,
maybe her dad?
- I know he wanted to be here.
- I can only imagine.
- [crying] Thank you, Dad.
Seeing my dad tonight, when I kind of, like,
needed him most and, like, expected it the least...
[sobbing]
And for him to, like, come and--and do what he could
given the circumstances, it gave me like,
more encouragement to keep going.
If there's, like, a word bigger than love, then I would use it.
It was like the best surprise I could ever, ever ask for.
- That was exciting. - I know.
- Huh? Yeah.
Are you good?
- It's just emotional. - Yeah, no, it's a lot.
- Yeah. [sighs]
- It was a lot, but I think, like, I'm so excited
to see that he was able to be here,
if only for a moment, like-- - Totally.
- It means a lot and I'm happy, like,
that you got to have that moment.
- Yeah, thank you.
- It's so very obvious how important
Gabby's dad is to her.
And being able to have a surprise visit
from her dad at the end was so very special.
Obviously, I could see it through her emotions.
- Oh, my gosh, hi!
- What the heck happened out there?
- What happened? - Uh, oh, it was just Dad.
- Aw. - Just Dad!
[laughter]
- Oh, my goodness! - I know, yeah.
- What? - Good, good.
- Oh, hon--oh, honey. I'm so glad that you could--
- Mom, you're gonna make her cry more!
- Aw, I'm just so happy that he was able to come and see you.
Aw, wow.
- He's really a good guy.
I--I think that you're gonna get along just fine.
- Bringing Clayton home went,
like, as well as I could have imagined.
Oh, thank you so much for having me.
- I love you so much.
- So nice to meet you, I really appreciate everything.
- Oh, my baby! [kisses]
- And seeing my dad was something that I
never, like, planned for.
And then getting a blessing from him
is, like, huge.
It makes me, like, really excited
to finally tell Clayton how I feel about him
and how much he means to me.
- I think tonight, honestly, like, went so well.
I did feel like I was a part of the family,
which is so important, like, that's what I was hoping for.
Like, I really do feel like, we're in a really great spot.
- Thank you for, like, obviously coming and just,
like, how much you, like, have never asked me
to change and it means, like, so much.
- I would never ask you to change,
I like you for who you are! - [giggles]
- I definitely feel like--like I'm falling in love with you.
- There it is! - [laughing]
- You're cute.
- [laughs]
- I might have been waiting on that a little bit.
- [laughs] - You know? And, I mean...
- But you know, like, my words have weight
and, like, I don't say them unless I mean to, and I've,
like, felt it for a while, but I think seeing you
with my family just, like, solidified things.
- Oh, yeah, I'm just so happy now.
[both laugh]
I can't stop smiling.
My smile's just gonna freeze tonight.
- Oh, my God, I'm so happy.
I told Clayton that I am falling in love with him,
and he's smiling from ear to ear and, like, so giddy,
which is so reassuring and makes it, like, so worth it.
♪ ♪
Okay, bye.
- [chuckles]
- My heart is so full after tonight.
Bye.
It was just, like, so special to see, like,
another kind of huge stepping stone
in our relationship go so well.
I'm so ready to be engaged
and share our lives together.
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
- I'm back home in Oklahoma City,
and Clayton's here too.
It feels so good to be home.
- Serene. - Oh, my gosh!
- It's so good to see you. I feel like it's been forever.
- It has been forever!
- How you doin'?
- It's just so sweet to get to bring Clayton to the place
that I grew up, and he gets to meet my family today which
is just crazy to think, but I'm just so excited for that.
- You look more beautiful than ever.
- Aw, thank you!
- And I am so ready to not be in charge today
so I'll stop talking. - Yeah!
- All right, fill me in, what are we doing?
- Are you afraid of heights?
- How high are we talking? - We are going up there.
♪ ♪
- Oh, we're gonna be climbing across that?
- You've gotta work for all things great.
- Oh, so I gotta work for it today.
- Uh-huh.
- Yeah, that's what this is about.
- Yeah.
It is something that I've never done before but have always
wanted to do, and I thought what better way to bring
Clayton to my city than to try something new together?
My gosh, are you ready for this?
Today we get to take a leap of faith,
and I didn't know if he was afraid of heights, heck,
I didn't even know if I was afraid of heights.
But it's just, like, a huge step in the right direction.
[laughs]
- There's no way that you could do this without holding.
Hey, just let go!
Let go--go without holding on!
- Oh, my gosh!
- Just doing the obstacle course
can kind of tie into like, a relationship.
- I laugh when I get nervous.
- Yeah, I'm doing the same.
You have obstacles throughout a journey,
like, as far as when you're falling in love
and getting to know somebody,
and as you go higher and higher up
and farther into the journey, it becomes a little bit
more scary because the emotions do become involved.
[breathing heavily]
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
No, no, no, no.
- You're not making me feel that good about this.
- No.
Oh, my--oh, I don't even wanna step on it.
It's just getting more...
Oh, I can't even take another step.
Oh, my gosh, I'm literally gripping onto this thing
above me, like, if my life depends on it, 'cause it does.
Oh, gosh.
Okay, there's-- it's almost done.
Oh--oh, my God.
[Serene laughs]
Okay. - All right, good luck!
Okay, you being that freaked out by this scares me.
- My heart is racing--you will see when you get across it.
♪ ♪
- Oh! [Serene laughs]
Oh, you're really gonna do that to me?
You're--you're gonna punk me like that?
You're gonna punk me-- you're gonna stand there,
even just to, like, really rub it in?
- [laughs]
- What was that?
Explain yourself. What the hell was that?
- [laughs]
- Are you--are you for--are you for real right now?
Are you for real? - I'm for real.
- You're for real? - That wasn't that bad!
- With every interaction with Serene, our relationship
grows stronger and stronger and it took another step today.
Do you see what I'm doing?
Do you see--this is what-- this is--these are the lengths
I'm willing to go for this relationship.
We continue to be by each other's side and push
each other to be better and to rise above, like, our fears.
I don't wanna be someone who steps away
when it gets tough or when it's scary,
like, I wanna be someone that steps into those moments
and makes the most of them.
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, man.
- There is only one way down.
[laughs] - Ah!
- You got it. - Ugh!
Oh, come on!
Whoo! Yep!
Oh, here we go, baby, three--
I don't wanna count myself down.
Oh, my gosh!
- It was hard making our way up that tower
and stepping off of that 80-foot ledge.
- Ohh, come on! Come on, Clayton!
Ah! - Much like falling in love...
- Three, two--oh, all right, hold on.
Hold on.
- The first step is the hardest.
- One step.
One big step, baby.
Oh, [bleep]!
[laughs] Oh, my God!
[laughing]
- You okay there, man? - Oh, I'm so fine.
I'm so much better now.
- We both show fear very differently.
But I was, like, freaking out on the inside.
But taking the plunge-- you can't take it back.
Okay. - Just take a step!
Don't even think about it.
Yep!
- [laughing] Oh, my God!
- You didn't even scream! - [squeals]
- You know, I panicked a little,
but I'll never forget him
freaking out at the top of that thing.
Oh, my gosh.
I got to see him going through
all of the emotions and being human.
Like, I don't want him to feel like he can't
be scared in front of me.
Which today he showed me that he very clearly can, so...
[ducks quacking]
Today was a lot of fun and I feel like,
kind of conquering that together and just, like,
seeing how you handled it, it's just, like, more
of a testament to how I am falling in love with you.
And I'm just excited for you to go meet my family now.
- So speaking of, who all will I be meeting today?
And who do I need to keep an eye on?
- Yeah, so today you'll be meeting my mom, my brother,
Roland, and then my best friend, Melanie.
- Okay.
- My dad, unfortunately, will not be there.
- Okay.
- My mom and dad divorced when I was two.
And for like, a lot of my childhood,
I didn't know what marriage looked like at all.
I think for that reason, I'm so much more, like,
cautious about, like, people meeting my family,
and that's why people haven't met my family.
- Well, I am so excited that we've gotten to that point.
From the first time we met until now, like,
I was, like, watching you
become more confident and, like,
being able to talk about your emotions, knowing that,
like you said, it wasn't something you did growing up.
And I feel that, yeah, we've knocked down, like,
all those walls, and so I think that that'll be apparent,
obviously, as we walk in tonight.
- Yeah. I think they're gonna love you,
so I think it'll be a good night.
- Yeah, okay.
- To give someone all of me and be hopeful that
that's my person, I have to feel really comfortable.
And with Clayton, I've been really comfortable, which is,
like, really strange, and it's a new experience for me.
Clayton meeting my family will make this
even that much more real to me.
I hope tonight goes well, they see the Clayton that I'm
falling in love with, and I think they'll see
that I'm really happy.
♪ ♪
[suspenseful music]
- Yeah, ready?
♪ ♪
It's exciting. - I know.
It's been at least ten years since I've introduced
somebody to my family, which is crazy to think about.
But yeah, I'm ready for it.
I'm excited.
Hi! - Hello, how's it going?
- Tonight could change everything.
- Hi!
A big piece to getting who I am is meeting the people
that matter the most to me.
- What's going on man? - I'm Clayton.
- My mom, and my brother, and my best friend,
you know, people that I talk to every day.
- Hi, I'm Melanie. - Hi.
- Nice to meet you.
- If my brother has ever been super protective of me,
normally, he's like, "Oh, I'm cool,
I'm your brother, like, I don't--I don't care."
But, like, he really cares deep down.
And so if it happens, it'll happen
in a conversation between he and Clayton.
- First off, I'm really excited to be here, really, truthfully.
Like, I know we were both anticipating getting to this
point, and today, she--first off, she put me through...
- Tell us.
- She tested me with everything that I had.
- What did you do?
- You're not gonna believe what we did.
- Tell us, tell us!
- You guys--you guys know the Riversport thing?
- Mm-hmm. - Yeah.
- At the top, there's an 80-foot, not jump,
but--but you have to step off of it and just fall.
And we both did it!
- If--if there's something that she
hasn't done before, even if you're scared to death,
it's like, "No, I'm doing this."
- Yeah. Well, we've had a lot of
firsts, actually, since it started.
For our first one-on-one date we were in Houston
but went to the Galveston Pier.
- We went to the Pleasure Pier. - Yeah.
- Clayton said, you know, I feel like, there might be
something that, like, you're holding back.
And there, I was able to tell him about, you know,
dealing with so much loss, you know, Grandma and Shanaya.
And like, you guys know, I haven't, like, talked
much about any of it.
And so that was, like, a huge, like,
I feel like turning point for both of us.
- I was anxious to talk to Clayton.
I know my sister, and she instantly seemed
really, really happy, which is bittersweet for me,
because the higher you are, the harder you fall.
And I'm really, really scared for her.
Clayton, you ready for the big brother talk?
- Let's do it. - All right.
- I know how bad she's been hurt,
and when things get hard, will he stick around?
Will he leave and disappear?
I don't know him.
- All right.
Well, how's it going, man?
- Good, man, good.
I've never had-- I've never had to do this
in such a short time, so...
I've gotta base a lot of my feelings off of
how she's acting. - Yeah.
- And I'm not listening to her as much as I'm
watching her body language. - Yeah.
- It takes her a lot to be vulnerable with her family
that she's grown up with, and she just met you.
I was shocked when she said, like, for example,
my grandma-- that happened two years ago.
Our cousin-- that happened like, two,
maybe three months ago, somewhere in there.
The fact that she told you about that is huge,
because that's still an open wound for her, for sure.
So that lets me know that she sees something
special in you. - Yeah.
- So please, be really careful and fra--
it's--it's really fragile.
- As we've been together, like, she's continued to open up,
and it's, like, for me that's attractive
because it's, like, wow, like, this is someone
who's trusting me and continues to open up,
and I don't even have to ask for it at this point, like.
- It feels crazy that I'm asking you this
because I just met you, but again,
it's possible that the next time I see her
outside of today, she might be engaged.
- Absolutely. - So do you love her?
- I...
Um, to tell you the truth, like,
I haven't told anybody that I'm in love with them.
I'm not there yet.
[tense music]
- What you thinkin'?
- Um, I told him I was falling in love with him.
And I definitely am.
And when I told him that, by the way,
he was like, face lit up like a little kid.
- It's kind of surprising
hearing that you can get there so fast.
- Yeah, I think--I think from the jump, we've had a very good
connection, like the spark, you know, that people talk about,
and I feel pretty comfortable telling him anything.
And he always, like, really listens.
And so obviously, like, the most recent thing is Shanaya
and how, you know, I didn't have, like, a sister.
And she was really that for me growing up, and I told
him about the fireflies, and...
He got me this jar.
He had two of them and was like, I know,
you know your cousin was very important
to you and that you think of her.
Now, part of her is with you.
Like as we travel, you can have fireflies.
- That's so cool. - It was really reassuring.
He pays close attention.
And I was like, I don't think anybody's
ever done anything like that.
- Hearing Serene say that she was falling in love
with him was--it was a pretty big deal
because important emotions she really holds close to her.
So hopefully he appreciates that,
because it's a really big deal for her.
- Do you feel like you're in a group of four girls?
Or do you feel like, he sees you as Serene?
- I've felt like he's seen me the entire time.
Have you thought about...
- If this actually happens?
- How would that feel to you? What would you think?
Like...
- I gotta put a lot of big brother stuff aside
because this is so fast.
Because of how y'all are looking
and acting with each other, it makes me really happy
but it also scares me the most.
I don't want you to get hurt.
I have seen you hurt in a lot of ways.
Been up on the phone with you with you crying
till 3:00 in the morning.
I don't--I don't want you to feel that anymore.
I've seen you trust people before.
Are you comfortable that he's not gonna break your trust?
- The real truth of it is as, like, more feelings grow,
like, things get scarier.
Yeah, it could be, like, what if I fall?
But to me, it's like, what if I fly?
I'm so here for it.
- That's what scares me is that you're here for it.
You ain't scared of nothing.
You're not afraid to be hurt again.
When you jump off of 80-foot stuff,
you ain't afraid to break your leg.
- I was afraid, you should have seen it.
- But you do it anyway.
So I'm not saying I don't trust your judgment.
I do, but be careful.
Make sure you're thinking everything through,
and I trust you, I love you.
I really, really do.
- I love you too, thank you.
I've never seen my brother emotional like that ever,
but for him to say those things to me was good to hear.
- All right, man, it was great meeting you too.
- For as little time that Clayton got to spend
with my family tonight, I feel really at peace
because I definitely feel like I have Mom's approval
and I feel really good about it.
I feel secure in our connection and our relationship together.
- That went really well.
- It felt so comfortable
and, you know, saying they've, like, never
really seen me, like, be so open
about, like, my emotions before, and like,
I don't, like, want to freak you out at all,
but I can say that after today, like, I am not, like,
falling, in love with you, like, I am in love with you.
And seeing you, like, with my family, like,
really solidified that for me, and...
I don't think it could have gone any better at all.
- It's, I mean--yeah.
Honestly, I can't stop smiling now.
[chuckling]
This is so--it's just so many feelings but it's like--
it's just, like, but it feels so good.
[romantic music]
♪ ♪
You're full of surprises. The best ones though.
- Yep, I'm in love with Clayton.
He was so shocked.
He didn't think that that was coming at all.
- I will see you in a few days, okay?
- All right. - Okay.
- You know, obviously I can tell that
he's scared a little bit but I would rather let him know
how I'm feeling and leave it all out there than not.
And I'm willing to be patient with him
because I am in love with him.
♪ ♪
[bright music]
♪ ♪
- So we are here in my hometown of Clermont, Florida.
- Oh, look who it is. - Hello!
And I can't wait to, you know,
make more memories here with Clayton.
Are you gonna jump? - Am I jumping?
You're not gonna catch-- - Are you gonna jump?
Are you gonna jump? - You are not gonna catch me.
You're jumping. - Let me catch you.
- You know you'd come crashing down.
- Clayton makes me so happy, and he is just absolutely
incredible, and I haven't met anyone like him.
[whispers] I missed you. - I missed you too.
- Our relationship has just exceeded
every expectation I've ever had.
I am falling in love with Clayton.
I'm losing my voice. - It's okay.
- And despite how I might sound,
I'm so excited to get this day started.
Are you ready to see what we're gonna do?
- I'm ready let's go.
[birds chirping]
- During this journey, it's all just been
about him and I and our connection.
- Oh, I see I see. I see what we're doin'.
- So today I'm excited for him to meet my family
and friends but also just see a little part of me.
So this is what we're doing today.
We're going kayaking, and it has a clear bottom.
- So you can see what's under it, right?
- Yeah, do you see how clear
the spring is? - Yeah.
- We're in Central Florida, and there's alligators here.
- Okay.
- And there are some black bears here.
- Oh, really?
So we're not safe on-- - And snakes.
- We're not safe on water or land, okay.
- No, it's gonna be very adventurous.
- You know, what I really like about Hometowns
is, again, I don't have, like, any control.
I have no idea what we're doing today,
which is actually very refreshing.
- Wait, I'm nervous. Should I, like, hold this?
- You gonna hold this?
[laughing] - Wait, my seat's down.
I don't want to be in charge, like, at all times.
So today I don't have to be, like, this is all on Rachel.
She gets to decide what we're doing,
like, she gets to keep all the surprises.
Whatever we're doing, we're gonna have a great time.
I'll tell you what, we are, like, sitting ducks
for a gator.
- I know.
- It's so quiet, like, whenever you're, just, like, sitting.
This is what happens right before some--
something comes popping out.
[oars clunking]
Everything is so extreme and...
[chittering]
What in the [bleep] is that?
I don't know what that is, but it doesn't sound
like anything I've heard in Missouri.
So we better get out of here.
- Oh, my God! Look at that spider!
- Oh, my-- - See that?
Wait, go back, go back. - Oh, my--no!
- Yes. - Holy hell, get me outta here.
When's the next plane?
- Wait, did you see how big that--
- That thing was huge. - I've never seen one that big.
- Oh, my God. - Oh, my God.
- That thing could have taken out Godzilla.
That thing was massive.
Just for the record, though, I mean,
I totally handled that reaction like a man right?
[laughter]
- I don't know what they're feeding
these insects down here,
but I thought that thing was gonna jump in the boat
and have us, you know, each for lunch.
Here we go, here we go.
Now I'm wondering what's coming around the corner next.
[romantic music]
- Oh. - It's crazy.
- The kissing tree? - Yeah it's a tradition.
You have to kiss me. - It's a tradition here?
- Mm-hmm. - Okay.
- Clayton and I have a playful relationship,
which is something I've always wanted.
Someone who could make me laugh and I could joke with.
And every time I'm with him, I just feel like
we pick right back up where we were, if not better.
[romantic music]
♪ ♪
- Yeah, I think it's very obvious
that Rachel and I have a connection
because we can't keep our hands off each other.
We can't not kiss.
It's like we have this really, really strong connection.
We're very intimate and I definitely hope
that her family will like me.
I hope they can see that the happiness that Rachel has
is because of what we have, the two of us.
- I truly feel that Clayton could be my husband.
And I hope my family
can see the person that I see tonight
and they can see how happy I am.
I'm falling in love with Clayton,
and I want my family to also fall in love with him.
- I really enjoyed, like, all of today,
and just spending time with you.
It feels like it's been forever since I last saw you.
And so to be able to meet your family tonight,
like, this is, like, a huge deal.
- Okay, so you're gonna be meeting my mom and my dad,
and my best friends Sam and Nate.
Um, I think my dad is gonna be your toughest, um, critic.
He has never really liked anyone I brought home,
so there's never gonna be someone he's like,
"That one's a good one."
Like, he's gonna just be very skeptical.
And I get where it's coming from,
but sometimes it can come off a little bit harsh.
So I just want you to be prepared
going into tonight. - So he's pretty blunt.
That's what you're saying. - He's very blunt, yeah.
- Okay. - He's just, like,
a tough Italian guy.
- Is he gonna give the firmest handshake when I walk in there?
Should I try to out-squeeze his hand?
- Probably. [laughs]
- No, honestly, I think, like, you telling me
that he's gonna be tough.
Like, when you first said it,
I am almost welcoming of the tough questions.
I have to also earn their trust
the same way I had to earn yours.
If anything, I just hope that I can shake his hand
by the end of the night and he can be like,
"All right," you know, "you're not that bad."
If I get a "You're not that bad, kid..."
- Then we'll be going in the right direction.
- "You're not that bad, kid," then we're solid.
So just know, like, I understand.
- This answer is making me so happy, like,
you have no idea.
'Cause I have been so stressed about it,
and I just don't want it
to, like, affect the way you see me,
should it not go well.
Because I am falling in love with you.
And I'm so excited to introduce you to them.
Just so happy that you're here.
It's going to be great.
- It's coming around the corner.
- And I'm so excited. - I know.
- I just want tonight to be as perfect as today was,
and I'm just hoping tonight my dad doesn't, you know,
put him in a position where he can't see himself fitting in.
I am very scared because I do know much
one conversation can affect things.
I really just hope my dad doesn't get in his head
and change his mind.
[suspenseful music]
♪ ♪
- We're actually at your parents' house.
- I am so excited.
- Tonight, I'm meeting Rachel's mother, Mary,
her father, Tony,
and then her two friends Sam and Nate.
I hear voices.
Rachel has told me multiple times
that she's falling in love with me.
She also told me that it's really important
that her family accepts who she's with.
And so I know that what lies ahead
is going to be a challenging night,
but hopefully it's gonna be a very productive one.
It's gonna be good.
It's gonna be a really fun night.
[tense music]
Just...you know,
just be on my side. Don't be drifting off too far.
I do want to hopefully win over her family,
especially her father.
And Rachel said that her dad was tough.
- Hello. - Oh, my God.
- How's it going? - [screams]
My baby girl!
Oh, my God, I missed you so much.
- I missed you. - Oh, my baby.
- How you doing? Tony.
- Tony, Clayton, it's nice to meet you.
- My dad has always been the most welcoming presence
for anyone I've brought home.
I think I've prepared Clayton as well as I can
to meet my father.
But still, I am incredibly nervous.
- So beautiful. - I can't wait to hear
everything you guys have done.
I can't wait.
- Oh, my gosh. We had an adventure.
- Tell me about it.
- Okay, we were in LA for what, two weeks, three weeks?
- Was it two? - I'm scared.
- So much happens every day. - Yeah.
And then we went to Toronto,
and I got the group date rose in Toronto.
- [gasps] Oh! - Yeah.
And then after Toronto, we went to Croatia
and then in Croatia, I got the group date rose.
- [squeals]
- Aw, Clayton, good guy.
- Clayton, you like this girl or something?
- Just a little bit, you know. But I had to, uh,
I told her, like, I can't pump the ego up too much
'cause she starts giving me this look,
like, the smile starts. You get this little--
- I don't have a look.
- You have a look-- she has a look.
I get the one that's like I have you
wrapped around my finger.
[laughter]
That's the one I have. I get that a lot.
- I am going to cheers
because I have never seen you
this actually glowing and happy.
- I know. - Seriously.
- I am serious.
I haven't seen you glowing like this.
- And if you hurt Rachel, I'm gonna hurt you.
- [laughing] Here it comes.
- But we're gonna cheers to just family coming together.
- Yeah. - Cheers.
- For sure. - I love you, thank you.
- Rachel, do you want to go talk?
- I do. - I love it.
Rachel is glowing in a way
that I've never seen her,
and that's great to see,
but there's still three other girls,
and I don't want to see Rachel hurt.
As happy as you do seem, you know,
like, how are these other people feeling?
- He's never given me a reason to doubt him.
Every time I'm with him, I truly do feel like
I'm the only person there.
- How do you feel about, like, Fantasy Suites?
There's still other people involved.
- I know.
- You don't wanna be played. No one wants to be played!
- I don't know.
I don't know where his relationship's at
with the other three.
And it's something you have to, like, push out of your mind.
- Because for me, I'm thinking about, like,
two months from now, who's gonna be here
to pick up the pieces?
- I know this girl well. - Yeah.
- And I've never seen her-- like, to be honest, straight up
with you, I've never seen her like this, like, glow.
That means a lot to me to see her like that.
And I told her, before she left I said,
don't get your heart broken because, you know,
I don't--I don't wanna deal with it.
Like, you're--it's gonna-- it's gonna be tough on her.
And, you know, I'm--I'm afraid that
there's four girls left, that might happen to her.
And I--oh, my God, I'm gonna start crying.
I don't--I just don't ever wanna see her
get like that again.
Like I don't. It's really--it's really sad
to see her like that, it's just not who she is.
And she's--she's gonna lose her trust in people again,
and it's really scary.
You know, we're Italian people over here,
we're very protective and her dad's gonna be
a tough, tough guy on you.
I'm letting you know now. - As he should be.
- Tony doesn't like anybody.
- She's told me about him and--but my thing is
is like, I told her, I said, I'm gonna be myself,
I think that's the best way to approach this.
- Yeah, you don't need-- just do what you gotta do.
- Yeah. - Be yourself.
And then if he doesn't like you, he doesn't like you.
- Yeah, you know, Rachel told me that her dad is gonna
not skirt around any subject.
He's gonna ask the tough questions.
Like, he's going to be hard to win over his approval.
So I'm keeping that in mind, I'm gonna go in this
a little bit more cautious than I normally would.
- I'm an old-fashioned guy.
People always have to prove their selves to me
that they're good people.
As a father, you're protective.
And no matter how old you get,
you would do anything to protect a daughter.
Even with her last boyfriend, when they were--
had an argument, and I said,
"Do you want me to beat him up?"
So I'm looking forward to seeing what he's all about.
- Thank you for taking the time to sit down and talk with me,
and, you know, I'm sure you might have a lot of questions
and--and I wanna be able to answer any and all them and--
- I do have a few.
- So I wanna know first of all, you're happy?
- I am very happy.
- Yeah, I can see it in your face.
I haven't seen this in you Rachel, seriously!
This is the first time I've seen you like this!
- I really, really think I could see him as my husband.
I really do.
- That makes me happy.
- I know.
- I did talk to him about Dad. - [laughs]
- I'm not kidding, I'm nervous. - What did you say?
- I just said he doesn't like anyone.
- [laughs] - Is it wrong?
- Yeah, no, that's pretty true.
- My dad is outside with Clayton,
and I am terrified.
I want the conversation to go well.
And I'm just hoping my dad can be civil with him.
- Nothing to me is off limits, like,
I want you to feel as comfortable as possible.
And--and again, like, I also have questions as well,
and I think it's just great to be able to open that
dialogue up and be transparent, and--and I would
love to, yeah, to be in that conversation.
So whatever it is...
- Well, you know, one of the questions
I have for you is what do you know about Rachel besides...
- The exotic locations. - The exotic locations.
- All the--all the pizzazz.
- Do you know her dreams?
- Well, we have talked about her past relationships
and how she has these aspirations, obviously,
she's in pilot school, she wants to be a pilot.
I love that she's independent, I love that--like
she's passionate about being a pilot, I mean--
- Right. - She loves it.
- Has been since eighth grade.
So if she wants to work in Europe for a year,
what would that do to you guys and your relationship?
- I'm not gonna waste this opportunity.
Like, I'll do whatever it takes.
Like, I'll move.
I'll go wherever it makes sense to go.
And if that means going to Europe, because,
you know, Rachel wants to go to Europe
and that's--for her work, then like, then why not?
- The number one thing that a parent
doesn't wanna see is their daughter get hurt.
- Yeah.
- And, you know, you're in this and you still
have three other girls. - Yeah.
- And I watch you interact and, you know,
it almost--to me looks, like, there is nobody else.
But that's the part that's concerning me right now.
- Absolutely. The thing about it is I will hurt somebody.
- You're gonna hurt three other people, or two other people.
- I'm going to, and it makes me sick,
but it's--it's--again, I-- people say "I don't envy you,"
and I'm like, yeah, I don't envy myself either.
Because, again, like, dating, you know, from start,
30 women is not fun, actually, it's really not.
It's--but it's like you-- you end up meeting
someone like Rachel, where you're like, it's worth it.
- And if Rachel isn't the one, what are you gonna do
to not hurt her?
- I have no intention of--of hurting Rachel.
I don't have a crystal ball as far as what it looks, like,
at the end of this journey.
But I know that I see a future with her.
I've had thoughts, I've dreamt about, like,
getting down on a knee, proposing to her,
like, what life would look like outside of this.
If I didn't see a future with her,
I would not be sitting here before you,
and all I can do is continue to just keep taking
these steps, this being one of them, meeting her family.
- Right.
- My hope coming here was to hopefully walk away saying,
"Hey, I could see myself being a part of the family."
- Okay.
Well, I really can't give my blessing...
because I haven't talked to my daughter.
You know, right now you're just another face,
you know, until she says,
"Dad, this guy's really special to me,"
is when I would change in my mind, you know?
- Her word's everything to you.
- Yeah, exactly--exactly. - Yeah, absolutely.
That makes complete sense. I think it's just--
- So if she gives me a good word when I shake
your hand when you leave, I'll pat ya on the arm, okay?
- That's--that's-- I'll take that.
- Nice meeting you, nice talking to you.
- Absolutely, it was great talking to you as well.
Rachel's father not giving me his blessing
is totally understandable.
He needs to talk with Rachel first, and I respect that.
With a father that, I mean, that cares so much
about his daughter, wants to be protective,
wants what's best for her, it all makes sense.
But it's still disappointing to not get his approval.
- You know that I would not be here.
- I know you, baby.
- I would not be putting you guys through this.
- I know this. - If it wasn't real.
And when we were in Croatia, I did tell him I was
falling in love with him, and I really am.
- Mm-hmm. - [laughs]
I know.
The thing about him is, like, I've never met someone who,
like, truly, I feel like, sees me and, like, has showed me
that there's a possibility of someone who could...
- Be with you instead of in front of you.
- Yeah, but everyone I've ever brought home,
you were not that nice.
- I am not, I am not.
- You have been so mean! - I know.
- Did you like him?
Like, what did you think about him?
- Yeah, I think--thought he was very nice.
And, you know, he seems like, he agrees that you would,
you know, that he would stand next to you, so...
- I just, like, feel like, you know, that, like,
your opinion has always, like, meant the most to me.
- Yeah.
- And I've always just-- - I love you, baby.
- I've always wanted you to be proud of me.
- I'm very proud of you.
I'm only afraid of you getting hurt.
But if he's what you want, I'm all for it.
- I just feel, like, very grateful that
you guys are, like, accepting him and, you know,
you're not--you're not being mean to him.
[laughs]
That's why I'm the happiest, because I really
thought you were gonna be mean to him.
- Yeah.
- You're like, yeah, I know you probably thought that.
- I wasn't mean, I was a really good guy.
- [laughs]
- Well, I seen my daughter
happier than I've seen her for a long time.
You know, she said that I was different, and I was,
because, you know, you--
your whole life is around your children,
and she was happy, so I wasn't gonna do anything
to spoil the party.
- It was nice to meet you. - Nice to meet you as well.
It was really great talking to you.
- Yeah, I'm not a hugger, but nice meeting you.
- It was really great talking to you.
Rachel's dad did say, you know,
if I speak with her and I feel that, you know,
you are someone that's worthy of marrying my daughter,
like, I'll shake your hand and pat you on the arm.
And that's what he ended up doing, so overall,
like, the day was a huge success.
- Bye, guys. Have fun.
- I see a future more than ever,
like, than I ever have with Rachel, like,
I don't know if today could've went any better.
- I just want you to know that
I truly feel like tonight
makes me feel even stronger for you if that's even possible.
But to be able to see you with, like,
my friends and family, you truly have like,
no idea what tonight meant to me.
And for them to meet you and see me
and just know that what we have is different.
And that's what I felt the whole time.
[whispering] It just means so much to me,
and...
if I was falling for you before,
I'm falling even harder for you now.
And I would never bring you here
or put you through that
if I truly didn't see us at the end of this,
and I told them that.
I truly do.
- Yeah, being able to meet the people
that mean so much to you,
it meant so much to me, more than you know.
So thank you.
- Thank you.
[romantic music]
♪ ♪
- Rachel and I had a phenomenal day
and then a great night.
And I think both of us were really surprised
by how well it went.
Rachel is someone that I see a future with.
I know what we have is--it's one of a kind,
and I love that she's really all in on me,
and she's been all in for a long time now.
Rachel absolutely could be my wife.
Nights like tonight make me realize that I am
so fortunate to like, have such strong connections,
but I also realize that I can't carry
all four connections into my future life.
Like this--three of them end at some point.
Hearing Rachel's loved ones say
this is the happiest we've seen her in a while,
if she were to go through another heartbreak,
we don't know how she'd be able to handle it--
Like, this is the same conversation that I've already
heard before in a previous Hometown,
and it's not really great to hear.
And it doesn't make me feel good.
Bye. - I don't want you to leave.
- You almost wish the feelings weren't as strong
so that it would be easier to cut ties.
Night. - Night.
- It's just kind of, like, right now it's where I'm at,
it's like break three hearts to make one happy.
♪ ♪
[tense music]
♪ ♪
- Right now, I am heading into the Rose Ceremony.
I am feeling nervous.
I genuinely am worried because I think
we do have a strong connection.
But Clayton told my mom that he wasn't in love with me
and he wasn't falling for me.
So it's hard to know exactly
what's going through his mind right now.
♪ ♪
- After my Hometown, I know how confident I feel
in our relationship and our connection.
♪ ♪
I truly want to end up with him at the end of this.
And the thought of not, it's just terrifying to me.
♪ ♪
There are still three other women here and when
things are this serious and feelings are this strong,
it's gonna be definitely a difficult decision for him.
- Clayton, how you doin'? - Hey, Jesse, how's it goin'?
- Good, man, you look like, you got a lot on your mind.
- Yeah, it was a lot this week.
Meeting the families was very insightful, like, eye opening.
- So where's your head at right now?
How are you feeling about all this?
- I realized that I've had these women really pour
their hearts out to me and continue to be vulnerable,
but I was in a place of protection.
I was afraid to allow myself to open up because it wasn't
making sense in my head, how I was feeling about four women.
But what I know is that I have very strong feelings,
I'm falling in love with all the women
in a different capacity.
- Wow. - Yeah.
Yeah, I mean, I...
- Clayton Echard, as you stand here right now,
you're falling in love with all of these women?
- Yeah, I think I might be, yeah.
I mean, it's--it's exciting, it's scary, it's overwhelming,
but I don't wanna hold back anymore.
I just wanna allow myself to--to be able to love.
I don't want to try to protect myself.
And I think it's only right that I do give them my all.
'Cause they've certainly given me their all.
- Thank you.
- I don't want them to start questioning where I'm at.
They've already told me they're falling in love,
and it's like I haven't said it, and as time passes,
there's a chance they could start putting up walls.
And that's the last thing I want.
I just am going to continue to speak from my heart
and navigate to the best of my ability,
but, like, it's gonna be painful.
This is uncharted territory that I'm entering.
But I know I have to make the tough decision tonight
to let someone go, that I--that I care about
and it's gonna be really hard conversation to have.
- You know what you're gonna do?
- I do know what I'm gonna do. - Sounds like you have a plan.
- Yep. - Good luck man.
- All right, appreciate it.
♪ ♪
- I feel really peaceful in the fact
that Clayton knows 100% where I'm at.
I'm not falling in love anymore.
Like, I am in love.
♪ ♪
And that does make things scarier,
but Clayton's my person.
I would be absolutely shattered if I had to go home tonight.
♪ ♪
- Thank you.
- I finally felt comfortable telling Clayton that
I'm falling in love with him,
and it's the most vulnerable I ever have been.
I completely shed
every one ounce of the guard that I had left.
So if I didn't get a rose tonight, it would be, like,
more than disappointing.
It would just be like a failure.
- You all look absolutely so beautiful tonight,
and this week, to be in your hometowns,
meeting your families, it was so special.
I went into Hometowns hoping to find clarity,
and what it comes down to is just following my heart.
And it is the toughest decision
that I've made up until this point.
[tense music]
♪ ♪
- Susie.
Susie, will you accept this rose?
- Yes, of course.
♪ ♪
- Gabby.
Gabby, will you accept this rose?
- Yes.
- Ladies, Clayton, it's the final rose tonight.
When you're ready.
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
- Rachel.
Rachel, will you accept this rose?
- I will.
- Serene, I'm so sorry.
Please take a moment and say your goodbyes.
- Love you, girl.
[somber music]
♪ ♪
- Can I walk you out? - Yep.
- Okay.
- I'm shaking right now.
- What a crazy night. What a crazy week.
- [sighs]
Um...
Wow, I...
I just wanna--I don't-- I know, like, this is gonna be
a lot, but again I--I just want to say I'm sorry.
- I don't really know what to say.
[breathes deeply]
Can I ask you, like, what it was?
Because you said you had no reservations about me.
Was it just, like, what I said to you
and you just, like, couldn't feel it back or?
- No, it wasn't that at all.
It wasn't something you said that, like, changed it,
it just came down to I had to look back and reflect
and say, where--where do I stand with my heart?
And I just have stronger connections.
[gentle music]
♪ ♪
- All right.
- Thank you. Seriously, thank you.
I wanna see nothing but the best for you.
Thank you so much.
♪ ♪
- [sighs]
I'm shocked.
Confused.
I literally told the man I was falling in love with him
and in love with him.
And if that doesn't do something for him
then, like, there's nothing I can do.
It sucks, it really does.
And I wish it were different.
Clayton was able to break down my walls.
But, like, I gave it my all.
So I can feel myself closing back up,
and that's why I have, like, nothing else to say to him.
announcer: Coming up next week...
It's a dramatic "Bachelor" two-night event.
- This is Fantasy Suites. The stakes are high.
announcer: What happens on the overnight dates...
- I am in love with you.
announcer: Will change everything...
- I love you! - I love you too!
announcer: Forever.
- I just don't wanna hurt anybody.
But I'm going to.
I am in love with each of you.
And I also was intimate with both of you.
[both sobbing]
This is exactly what I was afraid of.
- He told me he was falling in love with me.
- I shouldn't have to ask my future husband
to not sleep with somebody else.
- I never thought he could be in love with three of us.
In love.
I don't know what to do right now.
announcer: It's the most shocking
and emotional ending ever.
[dramatic music]
- I'm so broken.
announcer: And then...
it's an explosive "Women Tell All."
- You're fake. You're two-faced. I'm done.
- Shut up. Like, hush.
- Elizabeth is a lying whore.
announcer: Your favorite women are back...
- Game on, bitches.
announcer: To talk about each other.
- You're so defensive. - Well, you're still a liar.
- You've done atrocious things.
- This is [bleep].
announcer: Shanae... - You're toxic.
And you're lying. - Why is she a liar?
Don't point your finger at me. Oh, my God!
- She said she wasn't in the hot tub.
announcer: And shrimp.
- The Gulf of Mexico called.
They'd like their shrimp back, please.
- This isn't about shrimp!
- You're not listening.
- I don't care about the shrimp!
announcer: It's the dramatic...
- Keep my name out of your mouth.
announcer: Two-night...
- I'm not sorry, hos.
announcer: "Bachelor" event.
- You're not listening.
That's the whole problem.
- Girl, that's a damn lie.
- You're not gonna tell me
how to apologize to you.
- I'm speaking, I'm speaking. Can I please speak?
- I'm done. Talk to yourself about it.
♪ ♪
announcer: Next Monday and Tuesday.
- Let me see your feet.
- You wanna see my feet?
- I wanna see the shape of your toenails.
Oh, they're well-groomed!
- Thank you!
- That's surprising.
- I take care of myself. - Do you get pedicures?
- I don't-- I've never gotten one.
- Oh, that's a shame.
- I looked--we-- I passed by it
in the airport and thought about it.
I was like, why not?
You know, just for the fun of it.
- Well, you should shave those toes.
- No, that's real-- it's a real man.
Real men have hair.
- You like to have furry feet like a hobbit?
- [laughing]
What?
- We're learning a lot about each other.
- I've had my feet out in front of you before, do you just--
- I've never seen your feet that up close.
They were underwater.
- How do you feel about them?
- I think you could shave your toes.
- [laughs]
- But other than that, I think they're fine.
- Is it a deal breaker if I don't?
- Yeah. - Okay.
- [chuckles]
Yeah, if you don't get them sh--shaven,
then I don't know if this is gonna work out, sorry.
[laughs]