'The Bachelor' recap: Victoria’s hometown meltdown leads to an ending no one saw coming
On Monday’s episode of "The Bachelor", it was time for Peter to visit each of the remaining four ladies’ hometowns for the daunting task of meeting their families. However, a shocking allegation leads to his toughest elimination yet.
Peter’s first stop is Hannah Ann’s hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, where he’ll meet her very protective father. She helpfully warns Peter that her dad’s requirements for a potential son-in-law are “good character” and that he should be “a tough man.” She preps the Bachelor by taking him to an axe-throwing bar.
The conversation with her father goes well, for the most part, but when Peter says he’s falling in love with Hannah Ann -- her dad makes him swear not to tell her unless he’s absolutely certain of it. Later, when the two are alone on her porch, he decides he’s ready to take that next step in their relationship.
Next, it’s off to Des Moines, Iowa, where Kelsey treats him to some messy fun: stomping grapes at a local winery before they're off to meet her folks. But before that, she confesses to Peter that she has fallen in love with him. Her family, while concerned that Kelsey could get her heart broken, are behind her every step of the way.
Madison, whose hometown is Auburn, Alabama, and whose father coaches at Auburn University, treats Peter to a sports fan's dream: a day at Auburn Arena, home of the Tigers, Auburn’s basketball team. Even better, he and Madison have all to themselves.
Pilot Pete is also greeted with a prerecorded video message from NBA basketball great and Auburn alum Charles Barkley, who warns him to “treat that girl right.”
Later, after exchanging pleasantries with Madison’s family, Peter faces a tough conversation with Madison's dad, who wants assurance that his daughter is “the one.” Madison’s dad isn’t pleased with Peter’s response that he “can’t give … an answer right now.” When Madison asks for her father's blessing, he tells her he’s not sure Peter is the right man for her, but adds that he's “not willing to close the door either.”
Madison, addressing the camera, also reveals that she has been saving herself for marriage, though she has yet to tell Peter.
The final stop on the Bachelor's tour of hometowns is Virginia Beach, where Victoria F. surprises him with a concert by country superstar Hunter Hayes, who performs “I Want Crazy.”
Unfortunately, their “perfect” day hits a snag when Peter runs into an old friend, who warns him to “be careful” about Victoria and accuses her of breaking up “many relationships.”
When Peter confronts Victoria with the allegation, she tearfully tells him, "I am so done with this conversation right now. I can't do this." The following day, she attempts to right things by revealing that she’s in love with him, but it’s up to Peter to decide whether the relationship can move forward.
Victoria’s last ditch effort seems to work when, at the rose ceremony, she, Hannah Ann and Madison each get roses.
Afterwards, a stunned Kelsey learns that, after professing her love for Peter, he “wasn’t there” with her.
However, with Fantasy Suites week looming, Madison is finally ready to tell Peter about her no-sex-before-marriage pact, a revelation that “could change everything.”
"The Bachelor" airs Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
