The Bachelorette recap: Becca’s hometown visits, Tia drops a bombshell

On The Bachelorette, Becca gains clarity during hometown visits. Tia makes a startling confession, and Becca chooses her final three.

It’s time for Bachelorette Becca to meet the families of her final four guys. Becca’s first stop is to see Garrett in Manteca, CA. Becca continues to be excited about the men she’s chosen, calling them all “stand-up guys.” She’s said this every week, so it’s lost all meaning.

I could also live without the requisite four-limb hug which I never see anywhere except on The Bachelorette/Bachelor and in the movie Love Actually. Before meeting his family, Garrett wants to show Becca the place that turned him into the man he is today, so I assume they’ll attend some kind of Alt-right rally.

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Garrett is eager to prove to Becca he’s ready to be a family man, which means planting tomatoes. In real life, if a guy took a girl out to show her the ropes of the family agricultural business (can’t we just say farmers?), he’d be kicking rocks.

This is supposed to be folksy and charming, but it’s just really boring. Lucky for Garrett, Becca likes to “plant things.”

Becca continues to tell us Garrett reminds her of her dad which, depending on how you look at it, is either really sweet or kind of creepy.

The last woman Garrett brought home was his crazy ex, so the pressure is on Becca to make a stellar impression. She wants to make sure Garrett’s family trusts her and has confidence she won’t hurt him. Garrett’s family  don’t plan to take it easy on Becca. They made that mistake the first time around,

Garrett’s failed marriage is all anyone wants to talk about, and Becca makes it clear that her biggest concern about Garrett is whether or not he’s totally healed and ready to move on.

The biggest skeptic in the group is Garrett’s mom, Barbara. She has valid concerns about whether Garrett will be able to bounce back if Becca breaks it off. Garrett assures his mother that he’ll be okay. He’s laid it all out there, and if it’s meant to be, it will be.

The families always have legit concerns, but after a few questions and some creative editing, their  doubts dissipate (at least in front of the camera). Barbara does comment that it would be nice if Garrett had someone to bring around, since the past couple of years have been “awkward.” Nothing worse than a single son screwing up Christmas.

Becca heads to Buffalo, NY, to meet Jason’s family. Jason is the last hold out; the guy who won’t say he’s falling in love no matter how hard Becca tries to pull it out of him. You can’t go to Buffalo and not eat chicken wings, so Jason takes Becca to a bar where she participates in a wing-eating contest. This is my kind of date, and it sure beats sitting on a tractor.

It’s important to work off those calories which means a trip to the ice rink for some skating. Hockey is a huge part of Jason’s life, and, apparently, the game is all about chemistry. According to Jason, “the smallest change in a line up, can change the whole dynamic of a team.” He thinks the same holds true for relationships — the smallest change could have a huge impact on what comes next. Could we get through one episode without horrible puns and crappy metaphors?

Jason is gearing up to let his guard down and finally tell Becca what she wants to hear, but first it’s dinner with Jason’s relationship role models: his mom, dad, brother and brother-in-law.

Jason’s mom, Dale, likes Becca, but can’t figure out if Becca is definitely falling for Jason. She asks Jason if he feels Becca’s heart could be in “another direction.” Uh, her heart is in three other directions. Why does everyone act like they’ve never seen this show? “The Bachelorette? What’s that about?”

He admits that he felt like he was coming from behind, but now he thinks they’ve caught up and are surpassing everyone else. Dale has her doubts, especially when Jason has no indication of this other than a gut feeling.

Jason’s brother questions if he can see himself getting engaged, and it’s a big red flag when he doesn’t say yes. He goes on and on about how he’s falling for Becca, but it doesn’t seem like Jason is ready to put a ring on it. He does finally admits to Becca he’s insanely and wildly in love with her.

It’s off to Bailey, CO, to meet up with undisputed frontrunner, Blake. Becca recollects how Blake told her he loves her during their one on one in the Bahamas, and even though Blake doesn’t know it yet, Becca feels the same way. This isn’t something she’s said about any of the other guys.

Blake takes Becca on a tour of his old high school where Blake was the BMOC — better than tomato planting, not as good as chicken wings.

Blake has a big secret to tell Becca. His senior year, Blake’s school had a shooting incident. It was some random guy with mental health issues who just walked in and opened fire. Also on the premises was Blake’s mom who worked at the school and his younger sister. One student died which is why Blake tries to stay positive and see life as a gift.

Blake has another surprise for Becca, and, thankfully, it doesn’t have anything to do with cheating moms, divorce or school shootings. There’s a huge crowed waiting for the couple in the auditorium. On stage is Becca’s favorite singer, Betty Who.

After the impromptu concert, it’s time to meet the parents. The names may change, but the conversations are the same: declarations of love, questions about why everyone feels the way they do, concerns about heartbreak, etc.

Becca doesn’t have to go far to see Colton since his family also resides in Colorado. Becca reminds us all about Colton and Tia, and how they’ve worked through it. Really?! If you’ve gotten past it, why do we hear about it every time you guys are together?

Colton and Becca go shopping for gifts to take to a children’s hospital. The Bachelorette isn’t giving me much to work with here. It’s impossible to be snarky about school shooters and sick kids.

Sex isn’t the only thing Colton’s never done before. Becca is the first girl he’s ever brought home to meet his family. And just in case you haven’t had your fill of virgin talk, Colton’s sex life is still a hot topic.

Becca’s concerned about Colton’s lack of experience, and she wants to know if his family thinks he can make a lifetime commitment. In an interesting twist, it’s Colton’s dad, Scott, who wonders if Becca is ready for a serious relationship so soon after Arie. Colton feels he knows Becca well enough and says she is.

Scott talks to Becca and questions if she’s made peace with the Tia situation. We all know her response. Scott tells Becca not to pick Colton if she has any doubts.

The WTF? moment of the night occurs when Becca and Colton’s mom, Donna, discuss his virginity. I know Becca’s all about honesty, but come on. That’s just weird. Would they talk about his sex life if he had one? Would it be acceptable for someone to question Becca about her past partners?

Colton tells Becca he’s in love with her (shocker). This makes Becca feel “special.”

After four hometown visits, Becca decides she can see a future with all of the men. Becca reunites with her girlfriends in Los Angeles. Prior to the rose ceremony, Becca wants advice on what to do next. Becca dishes about all her hometown dates, and the camera keeps cutting to Tia who doesn’t look happy.

Tia pulls Becca aside and reveals she still has feelings for Colton (I probably should have seen this coming). Tia feels sick to her stomach that Colton has made it this far. Becca’s attitude is pretty much, “You snooze, you lose.” She’s all about girl code, but Tia had her chance to speak up, and she’s just dropping the bombshell now.

Going into the rose ceremony, Becca is once again frustrated. But she sees a potential future with Colton, and Tia’s confession doesn’t change anything. Becca’s stressed enough she’s got to send one of these guys home, effectively blindsiding him.

Colton feels the need to bring up the fantasy suite date with Chris Harrison because The Bachelorette is going to ride this virgin thing until the wheels fall off. Have we been reduced to watching a grown man ask a reality dating host if he should lose his virginity on national TV?

Blake gets the first rose. Becca eliminates Colton.

She feels terrible, he feels terrible. On the upside, there’s a cute brunette who would love to be his rebound fling. Becca, Jason, Garrett, and Blake are headed to Thailand where more heartbreak awaits.

Next: The Bachelorette recap: Becca finds love in the Bahamas

Should Tia have told Becca the truth? Do you hope Tia and Colton hook up? Did Becca make the right choice? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC. Tune in to see what happens next.