SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from Thursday’s episode of The Golden Bachelor, including who receives a rose after hometowns.
Hometown dates are finally upon us, so buckle up for lots of tears and a few elated declarations of love.
There are three women left vying for Gerry Turner’s heart on ABC‘s The Golden Bachelor. Thursday’s episode sees Gerry travel across the country to visit Faith, Leslie and Teresa and meet their families. Gerry seems hopeful but nervous as he heads to LAX for his first flight. He thinks he’s falling in love, but so far he hasn’t clued any of the women in on his feelings.
First up, he’s headed to Shrewsbury, New Jersey, to see Teresa. Her family is very eager to meet Gerry and, in fact, her daughter says she’s the one who encouraged Teresa do apply for the show. In addition to meeting Teresa’s daughter and grandkids, Gerry also meets her two sisters. Unsurprisingly, Gerry hits it off with the whole family. Teresa’s sisters say that they think she’s found her person.
But, Teresa’s daughter is thinking a bit more practically. She throws a few tough questions at Gerry, which he doesn’t necessarily have the answers to quite yet. Has he thought about the reality of them living in two different places? Unlike the contestants in their 20s, Teresa and his other two suitors have whole lives they would need to uproot if they moved away from their hometowns. She explains they are used to seeing Teresa almost daily and, while she would never discourage her mom from following her heart, it would be sad to see her go.
Gerry might not have an answer yet, but he assures her that he’s committed to finding a solution that works for both families. That seems to be a good enough answer, at least for now. The pair end their day with some alone time and, as they ride a ferris wheel together on the pier, Teresa tells Gerry she can’t picture her life without him. Gerry is a bit reserved in his response to Teresa, but he says during a confessional that he’s fallen in love with her.
But for now, Gerry needs to move on. It’s time for his second hometown date, this time in Benton City, Washington, with Faith. She meets Gerry on her property, which is a sprawling rural land. She introduces him to her horses and explains that she wasn’t sure how Gerry might feel about trading in suburbia for the great outdoors. I mean, she rides her horse to the grocery store sometimes. That’s sure to be a bit of a change of pace for Gerry. As with most things, he takes it in stride and before they know it he’s riding on horseback like a pro.
Faith also brings up the idea of reconciling where they’d live, since she isn’t sure she’s ready to abandon her lifestyle or her family. Once again, Gerry doesn’t really have an answer but he reiterates his commitment to figuring it out together. Seems like all they can really ask for at this point. They don’t dwell on it for long, because Gerry must now meet Faith’s family. Her two sons, grandkids and older sister are waiting. They all seem impressed right off the bat, but none more than Faith’s sister, who becomes emotional when she tells Faith that she thinks Gerry makes her feel safe — a quality that other men she’s dated haven’t had.
Most of the family’s questions revolve around making sure that Gerry is doing his best to protect Faith’s heart, given the circumstances. He reassures everyone that he is when he declares his love for her in front of the entire family. Faith says it back, and you can almost see the fireworks in their eyes as they make out in front of everyone.
Last but not least, Gerry is headed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, for his hometown date with Leslie. She tells Gerry that not only will he be meeting her kids, he’ll also be meeting her brother who has been like a father to her since her dad passed away when she was a teenager. Gerry will need his blessing to move forward with Leslie.
Again, it seems like things get along without a hitch. Her kids seem to really like Gerry, and the grandkids are thrilled they get to grill their grandma’s boyfriend. Naturally, Leslie’s brother is a bit wary because he doesn’t want to see his sister hurt. But he admits that Gerry is quite different from other men Leslie has dated, so he gives Gerry the stamp of approval. After the date, Leslie tells Gerry she’s in love with him and he says it right back.
At this point, it seems pretty obvious who is likely to move on to fantasy suites, given that Gerry has said the big three words to just two of the remaining women. But anything could happen!
Everyone is on pins and needles at the rose ceremony. Gerry hands the first rose to Leslie. Before he can give out the second rose, he becomes very emotional and steps outside to collect himself. It doesn’t seem like he is confused. In fact, he seems to know exactly what he needs to do but is afraid of the pain it’s going to cause when he does.
That’s all, folks! I guess we will find out who else is moving forward next week.
The Golden Bachelor airs on ABC Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
