announcer: Tonight on "The Bachelorette"...
‐ Hey, guys. We're Miss Young's students.
‐ Oh.
‐ Hit me with your hardest questions.
‐ Have you and Miss Young kissed?
[dramatic music]
‐ Maybe. ‐ [laughs]
‐ Love is messy.
So today we're gonna get our hands dirty.
‐ What? [cow moos]
Michelle, this is for you.
‐ The more time that I spend with her, the more I realize
she could be the one.
‐ This is the woman I've been waiting for my entire life.
♪ ♪
And I'm just like, "Nothing can go wrong."
‐ Michelle?
♪ ♪
‐ I want to be honest.
I think he's two‐faced.
‐ I have feelings for the person I think someone is.
‐ Oh, my God, you know?
‐ But they're actually not that person.
‐ Now everything becomes clear.
‐ I just want Michelle so badly.
‐ My heart is pounding out of my chest.
‐ Oh.
‐ She hasn't been paying attention.
‐ He's flat‐out rude and disrespectful.
‐ You haven't been honest.
‐ They're definitely arguing about something.
‐ I can no longer trust you.
♪ ♪
‐ This just became so much more real.
♪ ♪
announcer: And it all starts right now.
[soft music]
♪ ♪
‐ Looking back from night one at the start of journey
till now is just‐‐it's crazy.
‐ Seems like every day, like,
the room gets smaller and smaller.
‐ Doesn't seem that long ago that we were at 30,
and now we're down to eight.
‐ What's crazy is we still have to cut this group in half
before we get to that Hometown.
This is the most critical week by far
because if you get a rose this week,
you're going to the Hometowns.
‐ At this point, like, every decision she makes is crucial.
Just gonna be tougher and tougher for her.
‐ I can only imagine how she's feeling right now.
I hope she's okay.
I know she has tough decisions,
and she has eight amazing guys all vying for her heart.
I can't even imagine how she's gonna decide.
‐ [gasps] How are you guys?
all: Good. ‐ Good?
Children are a big part of my life.
And today, I get to spend time
with four of my students.
You handed this to me, Jayleen. What is this?
‐ We made pictures. ‐ You made pictures?
‐ I made that one.
‐ These kids have been in Miss Young's classroom.
They've seen Miss Young in teacher‐mode.
"Dear Miss Young, I'm glad you're the Bachelorette
"because you're my favorite teacher
"and I think you really deserve it.
Sincerely, Ahmed." Thank you.
‐ Miss Young is my favorite teacher
because she's so kind and patient and helpful.
‐ Who made this? ‐ I made that one.
‐ It's like the poop emoji? ‐ Yes.
‐ When thinking about how I wanted this week to go,
I started thinking about how, day‐in and day‐out,
my students teach me so much.
I can't even explain it,
but a child's opinion can be very, very powerful.
I feel very lucky to have you guys here,
because you're gonna help me
with some important decisions this week.
I'm giving these kids an important assignment.
I think the men are going to be very caught off‐guard.
I think some of them may be feeling
happy caught off‐guard, and I think
some of them might be like "oh, crap" caught off‐guard.
[chuckles]
all: Hello.
‐ Hey, guys, we're Miss Young's students,
and we're here to take over the week.
all: Okay. ‐ All right.
‐ I'm Jayleen. ‐ I'm Kelsey.
‐ I'm Luke. ‐ I'm Ahmed.
‐ And we're planning all the dates.
[quirky music]
‐ Oh. [laughter]
‐ This should be fun.
So they're the ones planning these dates.
You know, I'm kinda shook, but at the same time,
I'm like, these kids are her passion, you know?
And so we gotta do whatever we can to impress them.
‐ Okay, I have some questions.
We're trying to find out who the bad guys are
and who the good guys are.
Have you ever been grounded?
[laughter]
‐ I've been grounded once or twice in my life.
You know, nothing too crazy.
‐ There's two kinds of people that are gonna be
the most honest in this world.
Drunk people and children.
‐ Who in the house has the worst breath?
‐ So Rodney takes a lot of Listerine strips,
so I gotta assume it's him.
‐ To be a husband, I'm pretty sure all you have to do
is be kind to your wife, be nice, and be patient.
‐ Can you guys do a handstand?
‐ Sure can.
‐ I'll give it a shot. You want me to do it?
‐ Right here with it. Handstand.
‐ Oh, watch your feet. all: Whoa.
‐ Jeez, oh, my God.
‐ Nayte seems like a really good guy for Michelle
'cause, like, he's tall, and I think
that would be easy to play basketball with.
‐ So I know Miss Young wants a big wedding.
What kind of wedding do you guys want?
‐ African cultural wedding is just‐‐is big.
I actually want to do it in Africa.
‐ I want to be invited to the wedding.
‐ Olu is, like, nice‐hearted, like,
made us feel, like, warm inside, like a...
‐ Yeah, like a... ‐ Hot chocolate
and a chocolate chip cookie. ‐ Yeah, yeah.
‐ So I've had a lot
of very intimate and romantic moments with Michelle.
I'll tell you one of the moments.
Uh, we had a‐‐a dinner date.
And then she got me a...
‐ I don't really like Martin.
‐ There's this huge telescope,
and she pointed it at two stars, and when I...
‐ I don't know, like, I don't know how to explain it.
He's trying to show off.
‐ And I looked at her and I was like,
"Well, I don't see anything."
She said, "That's our star."
‐ I don't know if he's the right one for Michelle.
And he wears too much cologne.
‐ Do you have any questions for me?
‐ Do you shave your nipples?
‐ Oh, my gosh! Um...
As a matter of fact, I mean, I‐‐I do.
It's‐‐it's not that often.
Yeah, there's a specific, uh, manscape that work‐‐
it works, it works.
‐ Rodney stood out to me because
he was really funny.
And I think he's a really nice guy.
We even actually made a secret handshake.
‐ How does it go?
‐ Um, it's a secret handshake for a reason.
‐ Hey, uh, anybody here want to build a fort?
Any of you guys? ‐ Me!
‐ Any‐‐you do, yeah? Can we get anybody else here?
All right, where we going with this?
All right, let's build a fort here.
We know there's a one‐on‐one coming today.
And I'm like, "Hey, y'all are picking the dates?"
I instantly start thinking, like, what am I going to,
like, say or do to get that one‐on‐one?
Hit me with your hardest questions, guys.
‐ Have you farted in front of Miss Young?
‐ Guys, I can't tell you that.
That's gonna get me in trouble.
‐ Uh, no, it won't. ‐ No, it won't?
You're not gonna tell her? ‐ No.
‐ You won't tell her, you promise?
‐ Yes. ‐ Okay.
Maybe. I might have.
‐ Have you and Miss Young kissed?
‐ We‐‐we have kissed, yes.
It was, uh‐‐it was magical.
It was‐‐it was just nice.
She's very fun to be around.
‐ Are you ready to get married? ‐ Am I ready? Absolutely.
‐ How many kids do you want to have?
‐ Ooh. I think...
two or three.
‐ Clayton has big muscles.
He'd be really good at carrying the groceries in.
He had really good fort‐building abilities.
Probably the best fort I've ever seen.
‐ Three... four...
I had a blast today. These kids are amazing.
Their faces light up when they mention Michelle.
‐ You want to go ahead and destroy this fort?
both: Yes. ‐ Take it apart? Let's go.
Let's get it. Take it down.
‐ Nyuh! ‐ Ah.
Today has been phenomenal.
Like, the way these kids handle themself,
it's clearly obvious that they have a phenomenal teacher
in Miss Young, as they call her.
And, uh, and I'm hoping that I made a good enough impression
on these kids.
I just want to be on the date card.
‐ One more thing.
[suspenseful music]
‐ Ooh. ‐ Oh.
‐ Thank you. ‐ Thank you.
‐ Good luck, guys. ‐ Thank you so much.
‐ See y'all. ‐ We'll see you guys.
‐ I really want this.
I'm one of the only ones who hasn't been
on a one‐on‐one.
And I want to understand her more, rather than
doing events where I barely get to speak to her.
♪ ♪
‐ "We had a lot of fun today.
"Michelle asked us to pick our favorite
"for the date tonight.
"We liked everyone, but we liked one guy the best.
‐ I want that one‐on‐one more than anything in this world.
If I don't a one‐on‐one this week, and then I go home,
it'll be absolutely devastating.
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
‐ I have never let a 5th‐grader
plan a date for me,
but my students are in charge of the dates this week.
I have no clue who they chose
or what kind of date we could be going on tonight.
But I trust them to know who's genuine
and sniff out who's not.
5th‐graders are smart.
And I'm really excited to see
who they are gonna send on this date with me.
Hello! ‐ Michelle.
‐ Hi. ‐ How you doing?
So good to see you. ‐ Look who it is. Okay.
‐ Beautiful.
‐ They picked a good one. ‐ Oh, my God.
‐ How you feeling? ‐ Great. How you doing?
‐ Good. How was the drop‐by today?
‐ Oh, my gosh, like, they walked in,
and I was just like,
"When's the last time I've been around kids?"
And, like, hopefully, you know, I can impress them.
‐ Well, you must have impressed them to some degree
'cause they chose you.
‐ I think I built a pretty impressive fort.
‐ Oh. ‐ Yeah.
‐ It was the fort‐building skills that got you here.
‐ The, uh‐‐ ‐ Well,
we have this limousine that they, you know,
scheduled to pull up.
So you ready to get started? ‐ I'm ready to go. Let's go.
‐ [laughs] All right, let's go.
[laughing]
‐ Oh, it's a pizza party? ‐ Oh...
We have got the goods. ‐ Oh, my gosh.
‐ I guess, what else did you expect?
Ten‐year‐olds planning a date.
‐ I mean, do they know there's just two of us?
[both laugh]
[romantic music]
‐ What would be, like, the first thing that you go for?
‐ I instantly think pizza. ‐ You‐‐really?
‐ I think you're sweets, though, right?
‐ Definitely.
‐ Ready?
‐ Clayton's on the one‐on‐one tonight,
and I'm really happy with their choice.
[both laughing]
‐ Clayton's a relationship that I feel like
has started to really progress.
I feel like I've seen more of Clayton.
He ended up receiving the last Group Date Rose.
He's been able to be vulnerable.
And I'm starting to really get a feel for who Clayton is.
But I feel like I need one‐on‐one attention
to see if I'm able to get where I need to get
in order to meet his family.
So Clayton on this one‐on‐one with me tonight
is perfect timing.
How do you feel about museums?
‐ I love museums because there's so much inside
that you can learn.
‐ This is one of the places that my kids love.
We've been to field trips here.
I can see why they set this date up.
And I think it's gonna be a lot of fun.
We have keys.
Open this baby.
Okay.
Here we go.
Oh, my God. ‐ Oh...
Wow.
‐ No way. ‐ Holy cow.
‐ This is huge.
‐ Being on a date in a museum at night
is nothing I've ever experienced before.
And we have the whole museum to ourself,
which is pretty cool.
‐ Tell me‐‐ ‐ Well, nobody's here.
You gotta run around. ‐ Okay‐‐oh, absolutely.
All right, are you gonna be the tagger first?
‐ Yeah. ‐ Okay. Okay, easy.
[playful music]
‐ Wait, wait, wait, wait, come here, come here.
Actually, no, you're it.
‐ I'm it? Okay, all right, you're done.
Here we go. ‐ Ooh.
‐ Get ready for the mating dance now.
‐ Okay. ‐ Bow.
Flap. Jump.
Great job. ‐ [laughs]
‐ Clayton's a lot of fun. He is playful.
He can joke around and make fun of himself.
"Every species has a special call.
Create your own mating call."
What is that?
‐ My mating call.
‐ [laughing] That's your mating call?
I mean, he's a pretty decent dancer.
He's got some moves.
And the fact that he's willing
to kind of just dive into it
and is like, "Well, if I make a fool of myself,
I make a fool of myself."
And I like that about him.
Wow, I'm impressed. ‐ [laughs]
‐ Card.
‐ "Catch the butterflies high to low.
Learn more about your date as you go."
High to low?
‐ So each of these butterflies have little scrolls on them.
‐ That was very graceful.
‐ See? You have met me.
‐ [chuckles]
[gentle music]
"If you could only celebrate one holiday each year,
what would it be?"
‐ I know mine. ‐ Okay.
‐ Thanksgiving. ‐ Me too.
‐ I love to eat.
‐ Three, two, one, go.
‐ Got it? ‐ Ooh.
‐ "If you could have one superpower, what would it be?"
‐ What would‐‐what superpower would you have?
‐ To fly. ‐ To fly?
‐ To fly. ‐ That's awesome.
‐ What about you?
‐ Probably to heal, right?
‐ Oh, the power‐‐oh, wow, yeah.
So you're like helping‐‐ benefitting everyone else,
and I'm just over here flying by myself.
‐ Shoulders. ‐ Shoulders?
‐ Yeah. ‐ Whew.
‐ Go.
‐ I've really been waiting on this one‐on‐one
because what I haven't had that other guys have had
is time with Michelle.
More time to build a relationship,
more conversations.
‐ "What is your best character trait?"
[laughs]
Well, you're strong.
‐ The more I get to know about Michelle,
the more that I develop stronger feelings for her.
I mean, what she's telling me is really kind of
icing on the cake.
I already knew she had a big heart.
But it's clearly bigger than I thought.
What about you? What's your‐‐
‐ My character trait, I will do anything and everything
for my friends and family.
And even, like, in my classroom,
I will give, give, give, give.
It also can be my downfall 'cause I get burnt out.
‐ I mean, people‐‐the world needs more people like that,
so I think, uh, that's awesome that you're like that way,
and I‐‐I hope to be that way as well.
And I think that's what I admire most
and want to pick up from you.
I'm experiencing so much growth because of it,
and I hope that I can continue to do that.
♪ ♪
‐ Aw.
‐ Giving it my all tonight.
I'm giving Michelle everything I have,
and there's a lot on the line
because there's a rose at the end of the night.
And if I'm lucky enough to get that rose,
then the next stop is her meeting my family.
♪ ♪
‐ Oh, wow. ‐ Oh, I love these things.
‐ So cool.
‐ I'm so excited.
I know the planetarium is gonna be sweet.
‐ I wonder what we're gonna see.
‐ Hi, Miss Young and future Mr. Young.
I hope you've been having fun in the museum.
‐ Now it's time for space. Are you ready?
[students laugh]
‐ First, we're going to blast off from Earth
and head into our solar system.
Earth is really a cool place to live
because there's pizza, dogs, and, my personal favorite,
chocolate chip ice cream.
Whoa, did you see that?
That was Mars.
Mars is one of the easiest planets to spot
as it's bright red for all to see.
‐ These kids set up such a great date.
It just feels like it's Michelle and I
flying through this galaxy together.
‐ Saturn!
This planet has rings
like that one maybe Mr. Young will give you soon.
[student giggles] [both laugh]
‐ I really feel safe with Michelle.
And it just feels very magical to be able to hold her
in that planetarium, the beauty of it,
the beauty of Michelle.
It's hard to really put it into words what I'm feeling.
I have such a rush of emotions.
I'm glad they picked me.
‐ Me too. ‐ Yeah.
♪ ♪
I really feel happy, and I don't want the night to end.
This could be something that I could get used to
for the rest of my life.
She could be the one.
♪ ♪
[tense music]
‐ Who knows how the date's going?
But on a one‐on‐one,
you hope that you can keep building that connection,
'cause you don't get that much time on a Group Date.
‐ Love y'all, but I'm sick of Group Dates.
I wanna take that next step.
I don't want to have to fight more people to do it.
Tomorrow's a Group Date, and I just gotta pray
I'm not on the Group Date,
'cause I want the one‐on‐one with Michelle.
Our relationship is strong, but I'm fighting
an uphill battle against everyone who has had
a one‐on‐one this late in the game.
[knock at door]
‐ Ooh.
‐ I'm gonna go get it, fellas.
‐ More than anything, I don't want to hear my name
on that card.
‐ Ooh.
‐ Read it.
‐ Rick.
Rodney.
Nayte.
Joe.
Martin.
♪ ♪
Olu.
"Love is messy...
Love from: Michelle."
‐ Now, all the sudden, everything becomes clear.
She wants me on this one‐on‐one for a reason.
I feel amazing right now.
‐ I wish my name wasn't on that card.
That would have been a great opportunity to build,
but, you know, she chose you.
It sucks 'cause I'm the only one
who hasn't received a one‐on‐one.
But I'm just focused on tomorrow's date
and showing Michelle
that I could be that right man for her.
[crickets chirping]
‐ I love being outside.
‐ All of the crickets.
‐ Everybody moves at different speeds in this process.
Some guys are a lot quicker to open up.
I'm more on the slow‐burn side of things.
It takes times for me to warm up to my environment.
Until tonight, I'd finally got past that point,
and I'm very ready for love.
And I think what's in front of me is‐‐is it,
is everything that I've been chasing after.
So while it is scary, I'm really, really excited.
You wanna do a cheers? ‐ Yes.
‐ I just want to cheers to such a special moment
and hopefully more to come in the future.
both: Cheers.
‐ I've been waiting for this moment for a while.
I have so much on my mind, but it's all great feelings
and things that I haven't felt in a long time.
Like, for me, tonight put in perspective
that I want to settle down.
I want to have a family.
I want to have all those things.
But the last five years of my life,
everything that I did, I was trying to, like, make sure
that people are impressed by, and, you know,
that I'm good enough.
Or I could chase after an MBA or these things
that I thought was gonna bring happiness.
I think I got so invested, in like, in my job.
And, uh, that's part of the reason
why I was shelled off for a while,
was because I...
Really, it's been‐‐I've been single for so long,
I kinda just forgot about how much
I wanted a future with somebody.
Now I'm able to just
stop worrying about others, stop comparing myself to others
and just be me. ‐ Yeah.
‐ You know?
‐ Do you feel like when you, you know,
first came in to this experience, you...
felt comfortable at that time with who you were?
‐ I would say I had, like,
a pretty good grasp on who I was.
Like, I was 90% sure.
But I was holding things back.
I was concerned about how others viewed me.
I was too concerned about looking stupid
or looking‐‐ just embarrassing myself.
And‐‐and then I just felt like, you know, I'm like,
"You're gonna miss out on so much
because you're so concerned about others."
And so for me, like, that's why I'm totally open.
I'm totally, completely vulnerable.
I'm like, I will do whatever it takes
to make a relationship work.
Like, I will absolutely do it.
Because it's who I bring into my life that's going
to bring that happiness and make me feel
like I'm enough. ‐ Yeah.
Tonight's been fun.
It's been awesome to be able to spend
more time with Clayton,
and I feel like there are
these amazing romantic moments between us.
But one of the hardest parts of this journey
is the fact that there are eight wonderful men here.
So even though Clayton's this really great guy,
I have to make difficult decisions.
‐ So far, every one‐on‐one date resulted in a rose.
Now that we're having one‐on‐ones in her hometown,
I think these one‐on‐ones
are weighted a lot more heavily.
And so there's a chance that, you know, Clayton
doesn't come back tonight because of that.
‐ I don't know if you guys pay attention,
but Hometowns being next week,
it would make no sense to me
if Clayton comes back with a rose.
So I'm interested to hear the news.
I wanna know if he's staying or if he's gone.
With Michelle, I've been definitely questioning
a lot of the, you know, roses that she has been handing out.
But if Clayton goes home, it'll make me feel
a lot better about all the decisions
that Michelle has made up until this point.
If she's gonna meet my parents,
uh, I wanna make sure
that we're on the same page, you know?
‐ You have been in my shoes once.
‐ Yeah.
‐ Did you go in already kind of having it all figured out,
or‐‐or was it like a growth experience for you?
‐ I think‐‐so, for me, I...
I knew who I was, and I did.
Like, I didn't waver from who I was, you know.
To have a companion in this world,
like, you can't alter it.
Like, a lot of people do lose who they are.
‐ Yeah.
‐ Probably the reason why a lot of people do that, though,
is there's, like, also this fear of being alone.
‐ Mm‐hmm. Um, 1,000%.
‐ For me, the fear of being and feeling very alone
when in a relationship
is significantly more painful than being alone, you know?
Like, for me, I stuck to my guns with who I was,
regardless if I had anyone on my side
or didn't have anyone on my side.
‐ I always believe you have to love yourself
before you can love anybody else,
but, like, I wasn't taking my own advice.
But I've gotten there.
‐ I think you hit it right on the head
with learning how to love yourself.
‐ Yeah, I‐‐sometimes you have to go down a dark path
to come to that conclusion. ‐ Absolutely.
I care about Clayton a lot.
There are so many qualities Clayton has
that I'm looking for in my life partner.
But I am also starting to get the feeling
something's missing for me.
And there is a rose on the table.
By handing out that rose, that means
that I'm ready to meet his family.
And I'm not sure if I'm at that point.
[dramatic music]
[crickets chirping]
‐ [sighs]
So...
um, today,
I feel like I really started to get to know you.
You've continued to show me how much
you want to be the best for your future family.
You completely checked every single box
of all the qualities that I'm looking for in somebody.
But...
I know that giving out this rose means
I'm ready to meet your family.
And I don't feel that...
I'm able to get there
with you in time.
[soft solemn music]
And this is incredibly difficult for me
because not being able to give you this rose
doesn't mean that you're not enough.
It's, for me, about following my heart.
‐ Yeah.
♪ ♪
I‐‐I‐‐
I really am thankful
for this opportunity, and for meeting you.
And I know you'll find what you're looking for.
I'm sorry that I couldn't be that, but...
‐ I don't think‐‐and that's like my biggest thing,
is that if I say that there's a piece missing,
it's not because you don't have that piece.
It's because there's a different connection
that I need. ‐ Yeah.
‐ You are this amazing, wonderful person.
And you are enough.
‐ Thank you.
‐ And without a doubt, there is going to be, like,
the right time and place for that relationship.
I truly do believe that. ‐ Yeah.
[emotional music]
I believe it too.
‐ Walk you out? ‐ Yeah.
♪ ♪
Clayton, from the start, has been such a great guy.
And the hardest part is that, for me, there's just still...
a piece missing where I can't get my feelings there.
I do have to follow my heart.
‐ Thank you.
♪ ♪
‐ My heart is telling me that Clayton is a wonderful person.
‐ All right, that's my ride.
‐ He's just not my person.
‐ See you later.
‐ But I know that there's somebody out there
that is gonna be absolutely amazing for him.
And it's hard sending Clayton home.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
‐ The last time I was in a relationship,
was like‐‐I felt like, "Where'd I go wrong?"
And I feel like I'm asking myself
the same questions right now, but...
You know...
you can't go there.
‐ What's going on, guys?
‐ Clayton's bag. ‐ Oh.
‐ Ooh.
‐ He gone. ‐ Oh.
‐ He gone. Just like that.
♪ ♪
‐ Everything seemed to be going well,
and then all of a sudden, it's not, and that sucks.
You know, I‐‐I'm completely vulnerable,
and this is what happens when I become completely vulnerable.
It's like, I open myself up to be hurt.
I've stayed closed off for so long
because it takes the right person
for me to feel comfortable opening up.
And Michelle did that.
She opened me back up.
And now I feel like I want to go back into that shell
to protect myself against being hurt.
[engine revving]
♪ ♪
‐ One last hug.
‐ Bye.
‐ It was really nice to meet you guys.
‐ Thank you.
‐ And good luck with everything.
‐ We have this for you. ‐ Okay.
‐ And this for you. ‐ Awesome.
Can I read 'em now, or do I have to wait?
both: You have to wait. ‐ Until we're gone.
‐ Have to wait? Okay.
I'll hold onto them and wait.
‐ Yeah. ‐ I'll walk you guys out.
‐ Mm‐hmm. both: Bye.
‐ All right, see you guys later.
"Dear Mr. Clayton, I liked meeting you,
"and I am sad that Miss Young didn't choose you.
You're really good at making forts..."
[laughs]
"And you have lots‐‐ you have lots of muscles."
[laughing]
"When you get married,
can I come with my sister? Luke."
Wow.
That's awesome.
"Dear Clayton,
"it made me real sad to hear about last night.
"It was surprising because you are super genuine
"and I liked you a lot,
and I know you'd be a really great husband for Miss Young."
"I..."
"I hope you aren't too sad when you go home."
[tender piano music]
♪ ♪
"You will probably meet someone else..."
"And fall in love
and have lots of kids and be a great dad."
"Please don't be too sad, okay? Kelsey."
I was very, very overwhelmed.
I, uh, I haven't cried in years, um...
but that feels good.
Like...
It just shows me, like, I want kids one day.
Like, I want a fa‐‐
♪ ♪
I just wanna find love so badly.
And have a family.
And start that chapter of my life.
I want it more than anything else.
And I'll do whatever it takes to get that.
Whatever it takes.
[somber music]
♪ ♪
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
‐ This week is really important.
If you get a rose, it means you're going to Hometowns.
It means that I'm gonna be meeting your family.
Hi. ‐ Whew, how you doing?
‐ Brah, brah.
‐ The date card today said, "Love is messy."
Which is very true.
And today my kids planned a farm date.
[cow moos]
I'm looking for a guy who is comfortable
with getting their hands dirty.
So today we're gonna get our hands dirty,
Minnesota‐style.
‐ Oh. ‐ Yo.
‐ Oh. ‐ Ready to milk some cows?
[cow moos]
[quirky music]
‐ Oh, jeez.
I can't even lie, I've never milked a cow before.
I have switched over to, like, almond milk.
Oat milk, like, some Lactaid, some different stuff.
I'm just not used to this at all.
‐ Oh, he has one going. ‐ What?
‐ Okay, Rick.
‐ Look how he's squeezing it.
Rick's a natural.
‐ It's almost like driving a car.
You know, eight and twelve, but just keep going.
There's other things to think about,
but I like to think about driving a car.
‐ Ooh! [cow moos]
‐ I wanna put my best foot forward.
The Group Date Rose means Hometowns.
‐ Oh, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Bessie.
[cow moos] Oh, my gosh, Bessie.
Oh, wow.
What? Oh, my goodness.
Oh, my God. [cow moos]
‐ Oh‐‐oh, my gosh. Oh, my God.
Bessie, you okay? You okay?
No, no, no, we can't lose the milk.
We're good, baby, we're good.
‐ In life and a relationship...
‐ Come on, we almost there. We almost there.
‐ You have to do things that are hard every day.
‐ Look, we almost there, baby, we almost there.
‐ How these guys handle the situation...
‐ Eye contact, eye contact, we're good, baby.
‐ That's a very clear insight into the future.
‐ Michelle, this is for you. Michelle, this is for you.
[cow moos] ‐ Come on, girl.
‐ I would say if I was the most worried
about somebody today, it would definitely be Martin.
He seems like he doesn't want to have anything to do
with touching an udder.
‐ Oh, I got it all over my hands.
‐ All right, who's stepping up next?
‐ Joe versus me.
‐ I can't even lie, the guys right there are going‐‐
they're going to work.
‐ Nayte's got quite a bit.
‐ It's a heated competition.
‐ Ooh. ‐ Nayte.
‐ Oh, no. ‐ Oh, yeah.
‐ Joe's the winner.
Clearly, Joe knows how to handle teats.
[chuckles]
[calf moos]
Oh, hi, pumpkin.
‐ Come here. ‐ Gotta be nurturing.
‐ [smooching]
‐ There you go, Rick. Okay.
Okay, there we go. ‐ Hey, Joe.
‐ I think one of the most attractive characteristics
a man could have is when they have that nurturing side.
I feel like animals can kind of feel your energy.
And I notice that Joe seems to be a calf favorite.
I made note of that.
[twangy guitar music]
[clattering]
♪ ♪
Churning butter is a lot.
Like relationships, you got to put in consistent effort
and work, and it takes time.
And then at the end you have something beautiful.
Butter.
It's all in the wrist.
‐ You gotta make sure you go like this.
Swish it a few times. ‐ Good.
‐ Other people think they had to go like this,
like a fire starter,
or just nice and light, and, nah, you can't do that.
You know it's gotta be‐‐ going crazy with it.
‐ Maintain eye contact.
You gotta maintain eye contact‐‐[snickers]
‐ I'm exhausted. Like, yo.
The delteri‐exteriors? [laughs]
Oh, man, this hurts.
‐ Why are you taking a break?
Keep it in check.
‐ Oh, look at this. ‐ Keep it in check.
‐ Oh, wow. ‐ That's butter‐butter.
‐ Are you kidding me? ‐ That's butter‐butter, yeah.
‐ That's butter‐butter.
‐ What?
‐ Joe has now outperformed me in milking the cow.
He's outperformed me in nurturing these baby cows.
And now he's outperforming me in the butter churning.
There's gotta be something here that I can outperform Joe at.
‐ Okay, okay. Hey, watch your pour.
Watch your pour, bruh.
And you could‐‐jeez, Nayte.
‐ Cleaning up poop?
I wanna have kids.
So you're gonna have to clean up some type of poop.
‐ Oh‐‐f‐‐ ‐ What happened?
‐ My lower back, brother. ‐ You good?
Hey, Nayte, I need you right now.
I need you right now‐‐ ‐ Oh, that hurt, bruh.
I definitely hurt my back.
But it did give me a really good excuse
to go talk to Michelle.
‐ You're supposed to lift with your legs.
‐ All right. ‐ Lift with your legs.
You good? ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ Hey, don't tell me you did it on purpose.
Get back to work. ‐ Huh? No, my back.
‐ It looked like he was trying to get
extra time with Michelle, so I had to make sure
I cut that in check immediately.
‐ You big baby! ‐ Hey, I got a injury.
‐ Michelle, you're stepping up?
‐ Yeah, we're gonna be a team, Rod.
‐ She really stepped up.
‐ This is a lot different than snow.
‐ This is all for you, no regrets, you know that?
Every single day we see her,
we have to make a good impression
or else we will be the next one going home.
So yeah, every single second with her is crucial.
And, yeah, I want to make sure
that I'm getting my time in too.
Look at you. She's no joke.
She's no joke, I told y'all.
Oh, my God. ‐ Good work, team.
‐ I'm so impressed with you. Give me a hug.
I'm so impressed.
‐ Don't forget the handshake. ‐ Ready?
Uh, uh. both: Shee! Mm‐mm‐mm.
‐ Kiss? ‐ There we go.
‐ Go back to scooping [bleep]. ‐ Okay.
♪ ♪
‐ We‐‐we can't end a farm date
without, like, properly going on...
‐ A hayride. ‐ A hayride.
‐ Ooh, okay.
‐ Today is our last Group Date.
Which is really crazy because that tells me that
this is really starting to, like, turn the corner
to the end of this experience.
And next week are Hometowns.
That's a big deal, and so I think tonight
is a night where I really need to make sure
that these guys put everything out on the table.
You know, I clearly have
a lot of big decisions to make.
[soft music]
‐ You look so nice. ‐ Thank you, thank you.
‐ The rose tonight is the most important rose.
It's Hometowns.
Michelle would get to meet my family.
That's a big step, so tonight, I'm gonna be vulnerable.
I'm gonna tell her how I feel. And I hope I get it.
‐ Today was actually our last Group Date.
And that means that this rose on the table,
and roses this week,
mean that I'm gonna be meeting your families.
And that's a really big deal for me.
And so tonight I want to make sure that
you leave everything out on the table.
So if there's something that you want to talk about,
if there's something that you feel I need to know,
if there's something that you need to know,
I want to have those conversations.
Okay? all: Okay.
‐ Cheers. all: Cheers.
‐ I couldn't be happier to have gone on this‐‐
this journey with Michelle.
Now tying that into Hometowns,
like, tonight is going to be really important.
So I do have some things that I want to talk about.
With Hometowns right around‐‐right, like,
literally right around the... ‐ Yeah.
‐ The corner, which... ‐ How you feeling about that?
‐ It's crazy, I mean‐‐ it's crazy, I mean, um,
yeah, so like, we haven't really touched
too‐too deep on family. ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ Like, I have a really unique family situation.
Like my dad, he's kind‐‐he has, like, a few rules for us.
And one of those things was, like,
"Do not talk to me, ever, about girls.
"Or don't introduce me to anybody.
Like, I don't care. We don't talk about it."
That's just how it is in the house.
‐ So you've never brought anyone to meet your dad?
‐ Not once, never.
I've actually never once...
Felt like I wanted to introduce somebody
to my dad before.
Um, and then you come along. You know what I mean?
Like, you come along, and I feel like it'd be so easy
for me to introduce you to my dad.
With all that being said, I think
what I've been trying to say is that...
I'm definitely falling for you.
Definitely, seriously, strongly, falling for you.
And I've genuinely never felt this way before.
‐ [laughs]
My heart is going a million miles an hour right now.
Not in a bad way.
But I feel very strongly about you.
And I am...
Really tumbling, like, down a hill so fast.
Falling for you as well. ‐ Oh, you make me happy.
[both laughing]
‐ Good to know.
[sentimental music]
♪ ♪
I'm here to find my soul mate.
And this is a time to really talk
about how you feel in your heart.
Like, that's important to me.
I feel like that's what's happening here.
And the night is still young.
‐ Had no idea you were so nurturing
with the cows. [both chuckle]
‐ Yeah, yeah, um, funny story is, um,
my grandparents were‐‐ owned and ran a dairy farm.
‐ What? ‐ Yeah.
‐ You were actually right at home.
‐ I was right at home.
It‐‐it kind of ties back into to just, like,
kind of why I'm such a family oriented person.
You know, I have a lot of traditions.
That's what I love about my family.
And that's what, you know,
that's what I'm looking for with you.
‐ Absolutely.
♪ ♪
These guys can open up and can be vulnerable
and can accept that.
And in return, I am able to be vulnerable
because I need to be able to do that
and push myself to do that in order to find my soul mate.
‐ You said leave it all out there tonight.
And I just want to make sure I cover all that
because I don't have any doubts about it.
‐ I feel like time spent with you has been very natural.
‐ Good. ‐ And...
you know, you joke around with me
but you're serious.
And I do‐‐I like who you are.
I am starting to develop really strong feelings
for all of them.
And so I have to make
the most difficult decision yet.
It's really hard.
Um, yeah.
I'm still trying to figure it out.
‐ You know, we've all been talking about, like, Hometowns,
and I know the‐‐the gravity of that.
‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ And, uh, I really need you to see where I come from,
see what I'm about... ‐ Yeah.
‐ For you to truly understand, like, who I am
and why I'm this way.
‐ I want to know why you are the way you are
because I care about you.
I want to know more about you.
‐ Why do you do this to me?
‐ [chuckles]
Early in this journey, I made a promise to myself
I'm not going to settle, and I'm not going
to be in a relationship where I don't have trust.
You have to build that foundation,
And all of these guys, they're all being vulnerable.
And that's what they are, they're genuine.
‐ I think, for me, I don't know about you.
I went into my last conversation...
and, just like, the conversation didn't flow
as it usually does. ‐ Yeah.
‐ And after having a little bit of miscommunication,
you can't help but to think about these things
and be like, "Wait, she hasn't been paying attention."
[dramatic music]
And that's why she perceived everything
a little bit incorrectly.
My last conversation with her at the last cocktail party,
there was a little bit of miscommunication.
I don't think she understood what I was trying to say.
And she got very much defensive.
Yeah, there's a lot of things that have made me question...
You know, what she really stands for, I guess.
But, like, going back to her poem,
obviously, Michelle's gone through some childhood trauma.
For her, it's something that's, like, deep inside her
that maybe she hasn't worked past.
And I think that's immature.
[laughs]
‐ Martin is honestly the only guy
that raises red flags to me.
I personally feel like Martin could be two‐faced
in the sense of he's saying one thing to the guys
and another to Michelle.
You know, point blank, he's an [bleep].
Um, it is what it is.
‐ I would love to take you to my hometown
so you can meet my parents, my whole family,
and my friends. ‐ Hmm.
‐ I think, like I said, I think friends say a lot about you.
‐ Yeah. ‐ Um‐‐
‐ What do you think your friends would say
your biggest downfall or flaw is?
‐ The fact that I'm, like, brutally honest.
Sometimes it comes off as, like, blunt,
and just, like, direct.
And sometimes there's, like,
a little bit of miscommunication.
Like, I think there was last time.
But... ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ I really do think you're, like, an amazing woman.
And I've said it before,
that you're loving, that you're caring.
You're thoughtful, you're generous.
You handle yourself like a woman.
Right? ‐ Mm‐hmm.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Obviously, there's gonna be a Group Date Rose at the end.
And I really do think I have a chance
to go to Hometowns with Michelle.
‐ I want to be honest to you, and, um...
‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ Whatever I'm about to tell you
is not to benefit me at all,
but, um...
kind do have some concerns. ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ And I don't know if you see it.
So, um, Martin, um...
you know, there was a red flag that I saw.
When you, like, explained your poem,
how you felt unseen...
‐ Mm‐hmm. ‐ You know,
that was, like, your story growing up,
and, um, he said that, um,
the fact that you haven't dealt with your past
was kinda, like, immature.
You know?
And him saying that is like, "Okay.
You've never dealt with these issues."
[tense music]
‐ I want to thank you.
‐ Yeah.
‐ Because...
that piece of information
is huge.
And I, going into this, like, I would want to know.
‐ I just want that‐‐ that right man for you.
[dramatic music]
‐ I appreciate that. ‐ No problem.
‐ I definitely have a lot to think about.
‐ All right.
‐ Um...
Olu is very trustworthy.
He has no reason to lie about this.
Plus, the past few weeks with Martin
I've had some uneasiness.
And so hearing this, I need clarity
on this situation right now.
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
‐ Leaving the Group Date with a rose tonight
solidifies the fact that I'll be going to Hometowns,
and I think with Michelle,
we do have a really strong relationship.
I do think she wants to get to know me a lot more.
We've gotten very, very deep in our conversations,
so I feel confident
that I will walk out with a rose.
‐ [sighs]
♪ ♪
Martin, can we go chat for a sec?
‐ Yeah, of course.
‐ All right, come over here.
I feel very confused
because Olu is telling me
how there are all these red flags with Martin.
That he hasn't been respectful to me
behind closed doors.
And so I need to talk to Martin,
because I'm not gonna be able to sleep tonight
if I don't have a conversation with him right now.
So...
tonight it was brought to my attention
that when we're having conversations,
you're saying one thing to my face,
and then you're preaching it in a different way
when you're not in front of me.
[tense music]
And, like, your thoughts on my poem
and about me opening up and being vulnerable
about what I've been through‐‐
it was immature, that I had not dealt with that?
Is that something that came out of your mouth?
‐ That's absolutely not true. [scoffs]
About you being immature? Definitely not true.
‐ Then where would that stem from?
‐ I would love to know.
Can I tell you what I said?
Am I allowed?
♪ ♪
‐ I see a lot of chatter
and it looks like they're having a tough chat.
‐ All right, Rick.
You said it looks like they're having a tough chat?
‐ Yeah. It just looks like
they're going back and forth, but it's‐‐I don't know.
I don't think it's good.
They're definitely arguing about something.
‐ There is a difference between being insecure
and having insecurities.
Does that make sense? ‐ But that's not‐‐
‐ That's not what was understood
from that person that told you.
‐ Yeah, okay, cool.
The miscommunication‐‐ ‐ But how can I call‐‐
How can I call somebody immature‐‐
‐ You have to let me speak.
When you're talking to me‐‐ ‐ Okay, but‐‐
But‐‐but my love... ‐ When you're‐‐
‐ Now you're putting words in my mouth.
‐ No, not "my love."
When you're talking to me,
you're talking to me about being a strong woman.
‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ But words that have been used
when you're not talking to me
are "insecurities,"
"immature."
♪ ♪
So which one is it?
‐ My personal opinion
is that you're letting somebody else dictate
the relationship that we have.
‐ I think what's difficult is‐‐
‐ Because for me, it's not even, like‐‐
‐ Mm‐kay.
‐ No, it's just, like, a respect thing.
I respect you.
‐ I thought you did as well. ‐ I very‐‐
‐ Like, the whole conversation has been
about how you think I should feel about it
and how I misread it.
Like, you haven't even taken a step back,
and you've cut me off every time I start talking.
‐ So I apologize for... [scoffs]
Maybe speaking over you.
Um...
[tense music]
♪ ♪
‐ You haven't been honest.
‐ I haven't been honest?
♪ ♪
‐ You have not listened to why I'm hurting.
And my red flags are up, my walls are up,
and I have to follow the fact
that I don't trust you right now.
And so I have to walk you out.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
‐ I do really hope that you find your soul mate.
I really do. ‐ Thank you.
‐ They're coming back.
They're coming back. They're coming back.
♪ ♪
‐ The part that's the most hurtful
is I have opened up
and been so vulnerable with Martin.
And for somebody
to turn it around and stomp on it
and consider it a character flaw
is painful.
♪ ♪
‐ I'm not upset
that I'm not going to Hometowns,
and I'm not upset that I'm going home.
I'm upset that she handled [bleep] like that.
She was like, "Now that you spoke over me
and loudly, blah, blah, blah."
[clicks tongue]
♪ ♪
She's making a mistake.
Which, she'll‐‐let her‐‐ she'll find out
on her own that she made a mistake.
But at this point...
♪ ♪
I wouldn't even care to give her a shot.
It's sad. That's all it is.
I feel sad for her. [scoffs]
Like, a woman like that does not deserve my time.
‐ Um...
I found out some information about Martin tonight
that he was not honest with me about.
Um...
So I sent Martin home.
[somber music]
♪ ♪
[sighs heavily]
This rose is going to go to the person
who I feel very confident in our connection
and know that I am ready to meet that family.
So...
Nayte, will you accept this rose?
‐ Absolutely.
[chuckles]
[soft music]
♪ ♪
‐ Michelle hands the rose to Nayte.
I'm feeling sad,
but I feel like she was just grateful
that I was able to share all that info.
You know, so I'm definitely not going home.
Eventually getting a rose.
‐ And I'll say good night to you guys.
Even though it was a really difficult night
saying goodbye to Martin, I still feel
that my person, my soul mate, is in this group of men.
‐ No problem.
[mellow music]
‐ [laughs]
Hi!
Today I am taking Brandon
on our first one‐on‐one together.
My students are in charge
of planning the dates this week,
and they want Miss Young and Brandon
to do some things and some activities
that I have a lot of, like, strong memories about,
and memories that I've cherished.
‐ Ready to go? ‐ Yeah.
Where are we going? ‐ Let's go!
‐ Oh, we driving? ‐ We're driving, of course!
‐ You driving?
‐ Yes, do you trust me? ‐ Ooh. Yeah, I trust you.
I've been waiting for this for so long.
The connection that we've built is so monumental
and such a strong foundation on just Group Dates.
‐ Hi. You look nice. ‐ Hi.
You look nice too.
Now I get a chance to elevate our relationship
to a whole new height.
But, you know, after Clayton going home,
the lesson is, you better step up your game
'cause anything can happen.
But, I'm [bleep] stoked‐‐ excuse my French.
I am stoked. I am so stoked.
Oh, my gosh.
Are we getting ice cream?
‐ I mean... ‐ No way!
‐ This is‐‐ ‐ Oh, my gosh.
‐ This is a signature spot here
for the summertime.
Brandon and I are going to one of my favorite spots
in Stillwater, Minnesota.
In the summers growing up, it was, like, a...
at least once or twice a week type of thing.
Because it's only open during the summer.
And so you, like, you were cooped up
all of Minnesota winter, it's cold.
But, like, summer's finally hit,
and this is the spot.
‐ I'm so excited.
The date card said, "Home is where the heart is,"
and a one‐on‐one in her hometown,
this is what I've been waiting for.
I'm just hoping, like, somehow in this mix
she gives me her heart.
[both laughing]
[light music]
‐ Mmm. Do I have‐‐
‐ No. Just a little bit.
It is safe to say that whatever activity
Brandon and I do, we will be laughing,
and it will be fun.
I'm covered‐‐
I'm covered in ice cream right now.
Are you? ‐ Oh, really? Yeah.
‐ I don't know, my‐‐ just, like, my hands.
‐ Look, it got on my shirt too...
[both mumbling indistinctly]
He's just somebody that I can see
being my best friend.
And I think that's one of the most important,
if not the most important thing,
to look for when searching for a soul mate.
I do have another special spot I want to show you.
‐ Okay, I'm excited.
‐ Ready? ‐ Yeah.
‐ I have a very special surprise for Brandon.
We are gonna be going to the place in Minnesota
that I have spent the most time,
that I have the most memories,
and I don't, like, bring just anybody here.
I want to know and see how Brandon kind of responds
to who I am and what's made me me.
This is actually the cul‐de‐sac
that I grew up in.
‐ Wait, right here?
‐ Yeah, like, this...
This is actually‐‐ ‐ Like, this is your house.
‐ Yeah. [chuckles]
Yeah, actually.
Um...[laughing]
‐ You're gonna have to hold me the entire way,
'cause I'm nervous as hell right now.
‐ My parents aren't here. They're gone.
‐ Oh, okay, I thought I was meeting the parents.
‐ You're gonna‐‐ ‐ I was like, "Okay, oof."
‐ [chuckles]
‐ Didn't warn me at all, all right.
‐ Brandon's definitely gonna get a tour
of my childhood home
where my parents still live.
I think stepping into my home,
he's gonna learn a lot about me.
And my family.
‐ Oh, man. ‐ Okay.
So... ‐ Where do you go first?
‐ Gotta love some senior pictures.
‐ Yeah. Wow.
Look how straight your teeth are
and everything.
‐ Are they not like that anymore?
‐ No, no. ‐ [bleep]!
‐ No, I didn't mean it like that.
I didn't mean it like that!
‐ Pictures, I think,
hold so many different memories,
and I love that when I walk into my childhood home
all those memories are on the wall.
‐ Look at little, preschool Michelle!
‐ I know! ‐ Oh, my God.
I'm walking through that house,
and I truly feel like
the luckiest man in the entire world.
She is literally walking me through her heart,
and walking me
through all the happiest memories in her life.
Is this Miss Michelle's room? Wow.
‐ This was my room growing up, actually.
It's been quite a minute since a love interest
has been in my childhood bedroom
in my parents' house.
It's so weird to be back in here.
‐ You know what's funny to me?
I rolled up to you the first day on my bed,
and now I'm sitting in yours.
[both laughing]
‐ I didn't even think about that.
‐ The first day to the last day.
I like you. ‐ I like you too.
‐ Wait, is it okay with your parents
if you have a guy in the room?
‐ [laughs] ‐ Are they okay with that?
‐ So how do you feel about taking a dip in the pool?
‐ I would love that. Let's do it.
‐ You can wear one of my dad's swimsuits
now that I think of it. ‐ Okay.
‐ I'm gonna give you one of my dad's suits, yeah?
‐ Yeah, let's do it. ‐ Okay.
‐ Let's do it. ‐ Okay. Okay.
‐ Is he cool with that?
‐ Uh, we'll find out.
I mean, they're not here, so he doesn't have to know.
Oh, perfect.
They're still in the same spot. Okay.
‐ Oh, my favorite color. Dope.
‐ Yeah? ‐ Yeah, yeah.
‐ Okay, cool. ‐ Cool.
‐ Don't‐‐don't tell anybody.
They won't know until, you know, they see it.
‐ Oh, I'm not gonna say a word. ‐ [laughs]
[soft music]
Parents aren't home.
I feel like the boyfriend
who snuck over in the Jacuzzi.
We're in this blissful moment, the weather's perfect,
and I'm just like, "Nothing can go wrong."
[tense music]
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
‐ Michelle?
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
‐ Michelle? ‐ Michelle.
‐ Mom? Dad?
‐ Oh, hello. ‐ Hi, there.
‐ Well, that's awkward. ‐ [laughs]
‐ Hi. ‐ Mom.
‐ So good to see you! ‐ How you doing?
‐ And who do we have here?
‐ This is Brandon.
‐ Oh, hi! ‐ Brandon, hi.
‐ I'm Brandon. ‐ I'd give you a hug,
but you're all wet. ‐ I would love
to give you a hug right now, but...
It's like, "Hello."
[laughs]
I'm just like, "Yep, I‐‐that was‐‐
"Me? Her? No. No, no, no, no that wasn't‐‐
Yeah, me kissing‐‐no, no."
‐ We had to borrow some swim trunks, Dad.
‐ I was gonna say, those look familiar.
‐ [chuckles]
And I'm like, I'm dead. This is it.
‐ This is my mom, Lavonne, and my dad, Ephraim.
Mom, Dad, this is Brandon. ‐ So nice to meet you.
‐ Hi. ‐ Nice to meet you guys.
‐ Yeah. ‐ I've heard so much.
‐ Oh, well, we can't wait to hear more about you!
‐ Yeah, no, I'm excited. ‐ Should we get out?
‐ Sorry, yeah, sorry for kissing your daughter.
[laughter]
‐ What a way to meet somebody's parents.
[laughs]
Hi. ‐ Hello.
‐ Okay, now I'm gonna give you another hug.
Now that I'm dry. ‐ Yeah, yeah.
Good to meet you again. ‐ Pleasure to meet you.
I wish I could have met them for the first time
in a better way, but, I mean,
yeah, I was just hoping, like, they accept me for me,
'cause I just want to spend the rest of my days
with their daughter.
Nervous. ‐ Yes.
[laughter]
‐ So...
‐ Oh, my gosh. What questions do you have?
‐ So tell me how you feel about Michelle.
‐ Hmm. ‐ Hmm?
[laughs] ‐ No, I'm kidding.
I think, you know, she's definitely, like,
the most special person I've ever met.
And that's why I looked forward so much
to meeting you guys 'cause, you know,
my family raised me and gave me that strength.
And I could tell, all the stories she's told
about you guys, it was the same for her.
‐ Let's see, check.
‐ Check? Oh, okay. Yeah.
‐ Nice answer. ‐ Nice answer? Cool.
Yeah, so...
‐ So when did you know Brandon was special?
‐ I think it was, like, at the cocktail party
the second Rose Ceremony, going into it,
where we had a conversation
and he just talked about, like, just how much he trusts me.
‐ Yeah, 'cause the first night she said
that, you know, she's here for the right reason.
And the one thing she expected from us
was trust. ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ I'm in good hands, I'll tell you that.
‐ Yeah, you two look very good together.
‐ [chuckles]
‐ Do you want kids?
‐ I want three kids. ‐ Okay.
‐ Three kids? All right.
‐ We haven't talked about that, but‐‐
‐ I haven't either, but that's mine!
‐ Oh, yeah, I want three kids.
‐ It is actually, and I knew that.
‐ Oh, you did? ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ I did know that. ‐ Yeah.
‐ Oh, yeah. I want three kids.
‐ Right answer, Brandon.
‐ We haven't talked about that, but okay.
‐ Um... ‐ Chalk one up for you.
[laughter]
‐ I believe that's two now.
‐ It is. ‐ Good.
[laughter]
‐ Yeah, so, I mean,
your guys' marriage is so special
and so unique,
so I wanted to know, like, if you guys had any advice.
‐ I'd say, he was my best friend.
The other thing, honestly,
is that he always puts me first.
Even in some pretty difficult situations
where he really had to choose, and he did.
He‐‐I always know he has my back.
So that's what I hope for her.
‐ It's not easy.
You know, it's gonna always be the ups and downs.
But you gotta always, you know, be able
to open up and talk and work your way through it.
You know, that's the key.
I mean, it's like,
just love that person to death, actually.
You know?
‐ I think it's not necessarily easy
to meet someone's parents,
let alone meet them unexpectedly.
But Brandon held his own, and he was genuine and sincere,
and he stayed true to who he was.
And my parents seem to really like him.
‐ So it was scary,
but it's also, like, beautiful too, so...
She just makes me happy.
And now, meeting you guys, I'm like, "Wow."
You got two of the greatest idols
to look up to, so... ‐ Mm‐hmm, I sure do.
‐ Yeah, actually, can I talk to your parents real quick?
‐ Okay. ‐ Sure.
‐ Is that okay?
‐ Yeah. ‐ Okay, okay. Cool.
‐ All right. I'll be back shortly.
‐ Okay. ‐ Hi
‐ [chuckles]
‐ So I feel so deeply for your daughter.
And she absolutely means the entire world to me.
And I want to have the happiest marriage with her
and have that last forever.
But I'm an old soul,
and I will not marry your daughter
unless I have your guys' blessing.
So I was wondering, you know, later in time,
if I'm still here, if you guys will allow me
to be with your daughter?
‐ Well, I can tell you‐‐ ‐ Yeah.
‐ Even just first meeting you, you're very warm,
I like how she looks at you,
um, and if‐‐if she's happy,
and if she chooses and thinks you're the one,
you have my blessing.
‐ Yeah, we support Michelle's decision 100%,
so, I mean...
‐ I asked for the parents' blessing,
and they gave me the best answer
that you could have ever asked for.
That meant a lot, so...
I'm just hoping, like, you know, I'm her person
at the end of all this.
‐ It was really nice to meet you.
Really, really nice.
‐ Very nice, yeah.
‐ At dinner, like, tonight,
you know, we still got a lot to talk about.
I still want to open up and dive to her core
and I want her to see my core.
She's been so vulnerable with me,
and the most vulnerable that she could ever be.
And now I think it's my turn to show her
that I can be the most vulnerable
that I can truly be with her.
And, uh, I have a little something
planned for her tonight.
So um, we'll see.
We'll see what happens.
‐ She looks so happy.
‐ Yeah, she does. ‐ Didn't she?
Did you like him? ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ I liked him a lot.
♪ ♪
[soft music]
‐ Just slide... [speaking indistinctly]
Put some muscle in it.
♪ ♪
‐ Oh, my God.
‐ Use those muscles. [chuckles]
You know that somebody is special
when going to grab ice cream
and going to your parents' house
turns into one of the most special days
that you've had on this journey.
I could see a life with Brandon
here in Minneapolis.
And I could also see how well Brandon
fits into the Young family.
‐ This is beautiful.
‐ I know how strong of a connection we have,
but there's always that possibility
that it goes the other direction.
And so I'm just looking for conversation
that's gonna continue to build our connection.
Tonight is about continuing to open up
and continuing to move forward.
‐ Cheers. [glasses clink]
‐ How did you feel about today?
‐ I felt...
I think the best that I've ever felt so far.
‐ Wow. ‐ Like, your parents
are truly, like, the nicest, sweetest, most genuine people
I've ever met.
And so...
And I just hope I made a good impression...
‐ [chuckles] ‐ And showed them me,
you know, as much as I could.
‐ Today was very special to me.
It means a lot to introduce somebody to my family.
So if I were to come to Hometowns...
‐ Yeah.
‐ Who in Brandon's family would I be meeting?
‐ Well, I would like you to meet everyone,
but I think it would definitely be
Mom and Dad, and 100% my brother.
But, you know, one person I would love, love, love‐‐
he would be the number one
to take you to Hometowns and show you‐‐
would be my grandpa.
Unfortunately, he passed away.
Yeah, he was, uh, he was my best friend.
He was the one, you know, who,
through relationships, friendships,
he showed me, like, you know, what love is,
and, like, what to do.
And, you know, how much effort you need to put in
to keep, like, a strong relationship.
I truly wanted him to be the one to see my wife
and know, like, this is what it's like.
‐ Mm‐hmm. ‐ Like, you know,
I just wanted him to meet the person
I was supposed to end up with so bad, but...
Yeah, so...
you know, that's the one person
who knows me better than anyone else.
‐ Anybody else. ‐ Yeah.
‐ I haven't met your grandpa,
but it is very apparent how much he shines through you
with how you handle yourself, with how you light up a room,
with how you care about the people
that are in your life.
‐ Every time I'm with you,
it's, like, the biggest spark in the world,
and I just want to make you feel
as special as you make me.
This bracelet is something my mom made for me,
you know, before I came here.
And she said that if I truly think
that you're the one, then give her this bracelet,
because if I see it on her,
we'll give her the same love we gave you.
And so I kind of want to give you this bracelet,
if you accept it.
‐ I would love‐‐ oh, yes.
‐ Yeah.
‐ That is honestly
probably one of the most meaningful gifts
I have received from somebody.
You make me feel really special all the time.
No question.
‐ You're still taking a walk through my heart.
And, Michelle Anne Young,
I'm falling in love with you.
And I know it's been so quick, but I am.
And I'm not gonna leave here today
without telling you my true feelings.
♪ ♪
‐ Ooh. ‐ Oh, man.
‐ My heart is going a million miles an hour.
‐ Can I kiss you? ‐ Mm‐hmm.
[romantic music]
♪ ♪
I continue to be more and more surprised
by Brandon every day.
Tonight I saw the vulnerable sides,
the family man side,
the hopeless romantic
yet "fight for what you want" side, everything.
He has shared, like, his deep level
of feelings for me,
and it feels really good.
I'm not used to it.
Brandon makes sure that I know that I'm always on his mind.
♪ ♪
Brandon, you continue to impress me with who you are
and what you stand for,
how you care about those around you.
The thing that stands out to me the most
is that I can see you being my best friend.
And I would love for you to accept this rose
so that I can meet your family
and see what makes you you.
Brandon, will you accept this rose?
‐ Absolutely.
Good luck.
[both laughing]
‐ Look at that. ‐ Now come here.
♪ ♪
‐ Tonight I told her
I was falling in love with her,
and that's the biggest risk that you can truly take.
And to see that it was reciprocated back
just truly, like, goes to show
that this is the woman I've been waiting for
my entire life.
[sweeping music]
♪ ♪
Getting this nice little rose on my chest
is just, like, validation that she feels the same way.
Tonight was definitely one of the best nights
of my life.
I think best, you know, will be, uh,
me on a knee and her accepting.
But as of tonight, I'm just one step closer.
‐ The more I learned about Brandon today,
the stronger my feelings grew.
I could tell how much of Brandon's heart
is in this, and without a question,
he would be there for me.
I know how hard Brandon loves,
and that's not something that you come by often.
It's very possible
that I could fall in love with Brandon.
And I think tonight was the start of that.
♪ ♪
[soft music]
‐ This is definitely
the most important cocktail party
before a Rose Ceremony.
And for the four of us that don't have roses,
I mean, we all want this.
To have this cocktail party,
to have this time to talk with Michelle
about things that we need to get out
before she makes that decision.
‐ So tonight is the cocktail party
and another Rose Ceremony.
Nayte and Brandon already have Hometown Roses.
That leaves only two roses left
for four great guys.
If I get this rose,
it's a straight ticket to Hometowns
and Michelle gets to meet my family.
So time with her is everything tonight.
I have to get some time.
You know, whether it's 5 minutes, 15 minutes,
I really don't care.
‐ Definitely a scary moment for me.
I'm the only one here without a one‐on‐one.
So it's my last chance to make her see
if I am that right guy for her.
‐ Hey, guys.
Oh, my gosh, so tense.
[laughter]
‐ Every time we walk in, they're like...
‐ So we just left Michelle,
and the good news is this is working for her.
She's really falling in love.
‐ And I'm here to bring the bad news.
She knows what she wants to do tonight.
So the cocktail party is cancelled.
[dramatic music]
‐ So, gentlemen,
we'll see you tonight at the Rose Ceremony.
[dramatic music]
‐ As Kaitlyn and Tayshia are letting us know
that there's no cocktail party,
I look at Rodney, and I look at Olu,
and I see disappointment on their faces as well.
You know, we wanted that last opportunity
to express ourselves.
We're all in the same boat.
We have no idea what Michelle's gonna do,
but we're all hoping for the same thing.
♪ ♪
‐ That was definitely a curveball,
what Tayshia and Kaitlyn just threw at us.
This just became so much more real.
♪ ♪
‐ Just seeing two roses when we walked in
was pretty shocking.
There are only six guys left in the house.
With Nayte and Brandon having a rose,
that's two roses for four more people.
It is between Rick, Olu, Rodney, and myself.
I can literally feel my heart pounding
out of my chest right now.
♪ ♪
‐ Tonight I decided to cancel the cocktail party
because I know where my heart is at.
This past week has been nothing short of amazing.
You met some of my students, you saw my hometown,
and saw a few things that meant the most to me.
Hometowns is next week, and tonight's decision
is the hardest decision that I've had to make
while going through this process.
I take meeting families very seriously.
So as offering these roses,
it means that I see a future
not only with you, but with your family.
And by accepting the rose,
it means that you're willing to invite me in
to meet some of the people
who are the most important to you.
Please know that I value
every single relationship in this room.
But in order for this to work,
I do have to continue to follow my heart.
[breathes deeply]
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Joe.
♪ ♪
Joe, will you accept this rose?
‐ Absolutely.
Thank you.
♪ ♪
‐ Gentlemen,
this is the final rose of the evening.
Michelle, when you're ready.
‐ [sighs]
‐ I really need and want that rose
more than anything right now.
Because I've put so much of myself
and my energy into this amazing woman.
And I just hope she sees that,
and that it's enough.
I just hope it's enough.
You know?
‐ Emotions are running high. Nerve‐racking as heck.
I have put a ton into this whole journey
and Michelle has too.
And that's kind of amazing
that it's coming down to this one moment.
‐ [sighs]
♪ ♪
‐ Rodney.
♪ ♪
Rodney, will you accept this rose?
‐ Of course I do.
‐ Thank you. ‐ Thank you.
[somber music]
♪ ♪
‐ Olu, Rick, I'm so sorry.
Please say your goodbyes.
♪ ♪
‐ [muffled speech]
‐ Good luck. ‐ Take care.
[indistinct murmurs] ‐ Love you, man.
♪ ♪
‐ Thank you for this journey,
being able to get to know you more,
and just helping me as a man to grow.
‐ You have been absolutely amazing
through this all.
You are one of the most sincere people
I have ever met.
‐ Thank you.
‐ [sighs]
‐ You know, not hearing my name,
it shocked me in the heart.
Olumide Onajide means "my hero's here," you know?
It was my goal to show Michelle
that I could be her hero.
Unfortunately, you know, we couldn't be.
It hurts, but, you know, it's a part of life,
and, you know, I just gotta accept that fact.
‐ Rick. ‐ Thank you.
This has been an amazing experience,
an amazing journey, and it's changed me.
‐ This was really hard to say goodbye to you,
because I need you to know,
like, I care about you so much.
‐ I care about you too. ‐ Thank you, Rick.
‐ Good luck, okay? ‐ Thank you.
‐ It's painful.
I could see myself
introducing Michelle to my mother and my brother.
I haven't met many people like Michelle in my life.
I thought she was a person I could spend my life with,
create a family with.
I pray that she finds
someone that will treat her right
to the end of their days.
And I pray that I find that too.
♪ ♪
‐ Tonight is the most difficult goodbye yet.
But as difficult as that may be,
I'm really excited about the four men
who will be moving forward,
and meeting their families.
Moving on to Hometowns.
This is so important to me.
Like, family is my everything.
The person that I'm with, my soul mate,
I want to know the ins and outs of you.
So moving into this week, I'm really looking forward
to seeing more of who you are
and where your heart is at.
Cheers. all: Cheers.
announcer: Coming up next week on "The Bachelorette"...
‐ [grunts]
‐ Oh. ‐ Strike!
‐ Oh, my gosh.
[bell dings] ‐ Oh!
It is Hometowns.
I'm really excited. ‐ This is the pivotal week.
‐ Okay. ‐ Oh!
‐ When you know it's real, you know it's real.
‐ I don't think I ever seen you this happy.
‐ [laughs] ‐ Hi!
‐ Now I get to show her a whole different side of me.
‐ Hi!
‐ Michelle, will you go to prom with me?
‐ [laughs] Yes!
[camera clicking]
‐ [laughing]
‐ So you're head over heels, huh?
‐ Oh, I'm crazy about you. You know that.
‐ I have four incredibly strong connections.
‐ The fact that she's dating other guys right now
worries me.
Do you really think that you
could see yourself with my brother?
‐ It brings tears to my eyes that he could be heartbroken.
[sobs]
‐ It turned into this whole family dynamic.
‐ He's never been in a relationship.
‐ [sobs]
‐ Do you think you're ready to propose?
‐ It's a red flag.
Do you feel like he could be ready
for an engagement?
‐ He's not there yet.
I don't want him to hurt himself or you.
‐ I feel nauseous.
[sighs]
announcer: The drama continues
next week on "The Bachelorette."
‐ So I've never done this before.
Am I putting too much on? Or is that‐‐
‐ Maybe not too much.
‐ That's too much? Okay.
‐ Yeah. ‐ Okay.
You want me to do the other one after all that?
‐ Um... ‐ Keep going?
‐ Can I do your nails?
‐ You want to do mine? ‐ Mm‐hmm.
‐ Yes, you can do mine. ‐ Okay.
[quirky music]
♪ ♪
‐ I think red looks good on me, doesn't it?
Look pretty good? ‐ Yeah, sure.
‐ Sure. [laughs]
‐ I like Clayton the most.
He was open to do a lot of things.
Like, when I asked to do his nails,
he said yes.
And I just like that.
The other hand. ‐ We only did one of yours.
‐ Oh. ‐ You want to do both?
‐ Yeah. ‐ Okay, we're doing both.
We're going all in. Okay.
How long does this last?
‐ Like, a...month.
‐ Did you‐‐don't‐‐did you‐‐ you almost said a month.
Were you about to say a month?
‐ Well, like‐‐well, it depends
how good care you take of them.
I want Clayton to find a wife.
‐ You think he'll go find someone from here?
Like, what‐‐what do you think‐‐
what do you think's next for Clayton?
‐ He'll be the next Bachelor.