Bachelorette Recap: Hometowns.

Between last week's episode and this week's hometowns was a shocking Men Tell All. To briefly summarize, Michael A. struggles with balancing time away from his son at home and focusing on his relationship with Katie. During a phone call from home, Michael’s son, James, asks if his dad even wants to see him anymore. This was Michael’s breaking point. He meets Katie at her suite and tells her that he can not continue his journey with her knowing that his son is so lost and confused at home. This heartbreaking conversation ends with Michael and Katie saying their final goodbyes to each other. Michael credits Katie with teaching him how to love again.

This next week is hometowns!! The three men left are Justin, Greg, and Blake.

The first hometown is Blake, who is from Ontario, Canada. Unfortunately, the show cannot travel due to the pandemic. So each hometown is remade at the resort in New Mexico. Blake recreates his old bartending job for Katie. They take shots of syrup and play truth or dare darts at a fake bar. They also ride a mechanical bull and play street hockey with cute matching jerseys. They have great chemistry but I do feel like a lot of it is lust.

Back from the balcony at the hotel, Greg sneaks a view of this date. He watches Katie and Blake share a passionate kiss. This makes Greg feel insecure and he struggles with confidence in their relationship.

Blake takes Katie to meet his family. His mom, sister, and brother are there. I love his mom; she is so cute and fun. It’s very refreshing to see his mom support their relationship so much.

Blake’s mom, Emily, has a private discussion with Katie. She tells Katie that she can see how smitten Blake is. Katie tells Emily that she does not want to tell a man she loves him while she’s dating other men. This will become a trend. The couple struggles with revealing the word love to each other. They both are very hesitant. Blake’s mom emphasizes the urgency of them opening up their feelings, and soon.

At the end of the night, both of them chicken out and neither of them says it.

Next is Justin’s hometown. His family decides not to show up. They don’t understand how this journey works or believe in it. That is ridiculous to me. His friends from home come in replacement.

Justin is from Baltimore, Maryland, which is my hometown too!!!! SO FUN. I wish they could’ve come here.

They do a horse and carriage ride, which I have never seen in Baltimore but ok. They ride by his makeshift graffiti alley, very unique. They also pick and eat crabs, this is sooo Maryland.

They go and meet Justin’s two friends, Herb and Tommy. They discuss their instants chemistry and how well their relationship is growing. They discuss the couple's hesitance to talk about the word love. Neither of them has said it either. His friends like Katie a lot and were pleased to see Justin so comfortable and secure in a relationship. Still, no one says “I love you.”

Here’s where everything hits the fan. Greg’s hometown is next. Greg is from New Jersey.

They ride a tandem bike, like the beach towns in Jersey. They stop at a pork roll stand, eat Italian ice, and fake surf on a bounce house. He made the date even more special by playing basketball with Katie, something that he hasn’t done since his dad passed. How sweet. He’s so cute. They do another rain kiss because of the rain in Jersey, sometimes.

Greg’s mom, brother, and best friend are here. His family surprises him with a video from the rest of his family at home. This is so unique and shows how supportive of his journey they are. His brother reveals to Katie that he doesn’t talk about his dad at all, which is super special because he and Katie have discussed it multiple times.

Katie tells Greg’s mom that he is Katie’s “front runner” and will be here next week. His mom asks if she is in love with Greg. Greg expressed his love to Katie on their last date, and she still stands by not saying anything till a proposal.

At the end of the date, Greg expresses to Katie that she has filled a hole in his life and that he is in love with her. Her response is “I just love looking at you.”

BRUH. She says that it will all be worth it and he needs to stay in there, basically confirming that he is the one, without expressing her love.

They fight in a dark room, with Greg begging for her to express her feelings. She promises that it’s them at the end, but refuses to express anything else. All she says is that it’s going to be hard.

The next morning, Greg is still shaken up and goes to Katie’s room to talk. He once again begs for her to open up and be vulnerable and acknowledge his feelings. He says he has reached his breaking point. Katie gives him nothing, but he runs away at the sight of their first miscommunication. Both of them are in the wrong. Katie follows him as he leaves her room and he ends up leaving her outside.

She says that if he leaves, she is done as well. As he walks away, she says she wants to go home and she wants someone to book her flight. She locks herself in a bathroom and tells Kaitlyn that she wants to go home.

With Greg gone, this is awkward if she marries someone else, considering that she is ready to quit without him here.