Tonight
on "The Bachelorette"...
[car horn beeps] both: Taxi!
I am so excited for hometowns.
I could be meeting my in-laws.
Cooking in Filipino heritage
brings my entire family
together.
[squeals] Mama.
I haven't seen you smile
that much in a long time.
Ahh!
I could definitely see Tayshia
as the mother of my kids.
Are you kidding me? [laughter]
Tayshia's gonna get to see
a part of me
that I might not
be able to show.
I'm not gonna lie.
I'm really nervous.
[dramatic music]
I have these concerns
about proposing
that I haven't
been able to shake.
I don't want to do this
a second time.
You love her.
♪ ♪
I don't know.
Where are you at with Zac
in comparison
to the other three?
I'm definitely
falling in love with Zac.
You didn't answer
the question.
Yeah.
I'm still a skeptic
through all this.
Am I ready to propose to her?
No, I'm not.
Over the past several years,
I've been telling this lie.
This is not how I thought
it was gonna end.
I should've told her.
This is really real for me.
[crying]
It's just, like, a lot.
It's, like, a lot.
[crying]
[sighs]
It's all coming up tonight
on "The Bachelorette."
[bird chirping]
[bright music]
♪ ♪
I am so excited for hometowns.
This week is such a big part
of this journey,
and I cannot wait for it.
I have picked four amazing men
to continue this journey with
and meet their families,
but as fun and exciting
as this week is,
I am a little bit nervous
just because
I have been here before,
and I know how big of a role
family can play in your marriage
and in your future,
so seeing these men
with their families
and how they interact with them
is gonna be so telling to me
as how our future might look
outside of this.
♪ ♪
Last night
was when I really realized,
you know, Tayshia's actually
gonna meet my family now.
This is a real thing.
And how important it's gonna be.
Yeah, I didn't sleep much
last night,
you know, just kind of like...
[makes whirring sound]
It's rea--it's happening.
[door creaks]
Hey, Chris. Hey, boys.
How you doing? Hey, Chris.
Good morning. all: Morning.
How's everybody doing?
Very good. Great.
As you guys probably know,
we're down to the final four,
and that means it's hometowns,
and typically, we'd be
traveling around the country,
seeing where you live,
seeing where you grew up,
meeting your family and friends
and all that great stuff,
but given this pandemic,
obviously, we can't do that.
So we have moved
all of the hometowns here,
on property
at the La Quinta resort,
and the way
we're gonna do this is,
I want you
to put together a date
that will take Tayshia
to your hometown.
Give her that vibe
of what you would eat,
what you might do, right?
A little window into what life
might be like with you.
To that end, we've also
done the best we can
to bring the most meaningful
people in your lives here.
Your families are here.
They're going through
quarantine.
They're going through
the testing.
They're doing everything
they need to do
to be here for you guys...
[tender music]
Which is pretty awesome.
It says a lot about the people
that have come.
Do you guys wanna hear
who's showing up for you?
All: Yes. [laughter]
Zac.
I don't know
if I can handle it.
Your mom, your dad,
and your brother, Matt,
are here.
Love those people very much.
I can't wait.
When she gave me the rose
last night, I said,
"I can't wait for you
to meet my family," so...
Um, speaking of family, Ivan,
both your parents are here.
I love your mom,
and I can tell you,
she's fired up.
[laughs]
Ben, your sister's here.
That's my favorite person
in the world.
She's done more for me
in my life
than I could ever
express to her in words,
and so having her here,
there isn't another person
that I'd want to be here.
Crying, I don't really
know how to do that,
but the closest I ever get
is when I think about her.
What do you mean,
you don't cry?
I, like, don't know
how to do that emotion.
Really? I, like, don't know
where it's supposed
to come from.
But my heart's racing.
I got a pit in my stomach.
Maybe I'll cry. [laughter]
Brendan...
you're going first.
Kay.
Your brother, Daniel,
his wife, Christi,
and your niece, Aliyah,
are all here.
Okay. Wow.
[grunts softly]
I'm sorry.
Yeah. [clears throat]
♪ ♪
My older brother is...
the closest thing I had
to a father,
you know,
after my father passed,
and he's just been...
the most important person
in my life to this day.
The example he's shown me
each and every day
is just astonishing.
He's the most selfless, amazing
man I've ever met in my life.
♪ ♪
I'm sorry.
[clears throat] Yeah.
It's just such an honor
he's here, and--
and my--of course,
my niece, Aliyah, is here.
She's the sweetest thing
in the world,
and I'm at a loss for words,
so, yeah.
This is so, so special for me.
Good.
I can't believe
I'm gonna introduce Tayshia
to my amazing family.
They're the most important
people in my life,
and they know me the best,
and they might even know me
better than I know myself.
All right, boys.
All my best, man.
It's good to see you.
Bye, Chris.
So this is a pivotal moment
in the progression
of Tayshia and I's relationship.
Yo, can I get some hugs
around here?
Grown men cry.
So I'm really
looking forward to getting
their advice and perspective
on all this craziness,
and most importantly,
I think Tayshia's gonna
really love my family.
[laughs]
I don't know what
to expect with today,
but I'm excited and really,
really thankful for it.
♪ ♪
[bird chirping]
[gentle acoustic music]
It's very fitting that
Brendan is my first hometown,
seeing as how he was my first
one-on-one.
I feel, like, confident in my
relationship with Brendan,
but I feel like I need a little
bit of validation from him.
Looking back, I know how
pivotal hometowns was for me,
so I really hope this is the
step Brendan needs in order
to feel super comfortable
to take the next step.
Hi!
[laughs]
I'm so excited
to meet his family tonight,
but also just spend, like,
a whole day with him.
It's been a long time coming...
[laughs]
And I think we need it.
[laughs] Oh, my God!
Brendan, I'm so excited
to see you.
I missed you so much.
How are you?
I missed you. I'm doing good.
Can I give you--can I give
you a little spin or what?
Yeah, of course!
How are you?
I missed you.
I missed you more.
Yeah? How are you feeling?
[laughs] I'm not gonna lie.
I am really nervous. Yeah.
We have a little day
ahead of us here.
I can't wait.
A special day for me.
Can't wait
to enjoy the day with you
and make more memories
with you, so let's do it.
Let's do it.
Let's go. [laughs]
Today is a really,
really special day
that I planned
specifically for Tayshia
to give her a little insight
on where I'm from.
I'm nervous! I'm excited!
No, nothing
to be nervous about.
So nothing too crazy,
but this is a little piece
of, you know, my hometown.
Oh, my gosh.
Carnivals and little fairs
are, like,
a part of my small town...
Mm-hmm.
On a hot summer day,
and I still,
as a grown 30-year-old man
go to them.
[laughs] I love it!
But yeah.
But there's one thing missing
with this date.
Uh-oh.
And one thing
that's gonna complete
the date we have
ahead of us here:
my beautiful little niece--
Oh, my gosh!
Little niece here.
Come here!
Hi, babe. [laughter]
God!
Come on! [laughs]
I'm here to see
my Uncle Brendan
and to meet Tayshia.
I actually hugged her
before my uncle.
I missed you, sweetheart.
I missed you too.
Aww. Are you excited?
Yeah!
Are you nervous or what?
I'm excited.
Well, this is Tayshia.
Hi. Tayshia, this is Aliyah.
Hi. I'm Tayshia.
Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you too.
I've heard so much about you.
She's my little niece,
but more mature than me
in a lot of ways. [laughing]
We got a nice day
ahead of us here, Aliyah.
This really is
as perfect a hometown
as I could imagine.
You know,
I live in a small town,
and bringing my family,
my niece to a carnival,
you know, would just
be the perfect day,
and you know, if there
was a woman in my life,
she'd be coming along with me.
Ready? All right.
You go ahead, Aliyah. Yeah.
That's five, right?
That's five.
Okay, you're at five.
Go again.
Both: Two.
Seven total.
Ooh! It's all right.
Okay, okay. All right.
Tayshia, you're up.
Oh, my gosh.
Seven's the score to b*at.
Okay, five.
Oh, wow.
Thank you, thank you.
I absolutely adore Aliyah,
and I cannot picture
a better person
for Brendan to have
at our hometown today.
Just gotta have that touch,
you know?
[laughing] Oh.
Because he talks so much
about her,
and I know that their
relationship is so special.
That little monkey's so cute,
but also the little porcupine...
Oh, yeah. Up top is cute.
Yeah. I like the monkey.
The monkey? The monkey.
Okay, let's get the monkey.
Monkey for Aliyah.
I know Brendan's family
is so important to him,
so seeing him be so loving
was probably
the most attractive thing.
Here, do it this way.
Do it this way, like, go up.
Okay, ready?
Maybe that works.
[both cheering]
What a good strategy.
I want to be a dad
more than anything.
Even at an early age, I wanted
to have kids of my own.
You know, obviously it didn't
work out that way for me.
Try to get 'em all.
You got it. [both cheering]
I love how sweet Tayshia's
being to Aliyah.
You did it!
Just making her
feel comfortable.
So good! And, like,
making sure Aliyah's okay.
Yeah, girls rule,
in case you didn't realize.
And Tayshia's just, you know,
showing that she obviously
cares about others
and would be a great aunt
and I'm assuming
a great mother too.
This is, like,
the more condensed version
of our handshake, but...
Yeah. Okay.
Ahh! That was good!
So we got a lot more.
We just don't have time.
Wait, that was, like, swaggy.
That was really good.
Can you do it again?
Sure. Ready? Of course.
I know that Brendan
wants to be a dad so badly,
and seeing him with Aliyah...
I love--okay, wait.
Who came up with that?
Really just let me see
a different part of him.
Obviously,
the shoulder thing was--
That was clearly you. [laughs]
Wait.
I wanna actually handshake.
This hometown carnival day
just really goes to show,
like, how good of a father
he can be.
Yep. Yeah.
All: One, two...
Okay, we're doing it again.
Three.
Okay, one, two, three.
And then we go...
[hip-hop music]
What is this one?
Oh.
Yeah. [snaps fingers]
Wait, I love this!
♪ ♪
Uh, get it.
Aliyah, don't hold back.
Come on, Aliyah,
don't hold back on me!
Go, girl! [laughs]
Sometimes Brendan can be
kind of quiet and reserved,
so seeing him having fun,
dancing around,
is really, really cute.
Brendan likes to shake it up.
Yeah. He's just--wow.
Listening to music
and having a good time
is definitely something
I can see us doing
outside of all this.
I'm so happy you're here.
[chuckles]
Yeah, like, he's great,
but like,
you're way better,
you know what I mean?
Yeah. [both laughing]
The fact that Tayshia could be
a part of my family one day
is--is insane.
Ready? On your mark.
Get set. Go!
Okay. Whoo!
I could definitely see Tayshia
as the mother of my kids.
You got it?
I really do see
something real here.
Oh, my God.
Tonight, Tayshia is gonna meet
some of the most important
people in my entire life.
Oh, my gosh!
I'm totally gonna jump in!
Hopefully, they will help
assess the situation
and give me
a different perspective
from people that I love
and care about
and want the best for me.
Oh, my God!
I love bounce houses.
Knowing that I have
been through this already
and proposed to somebody,
been married before...
You're not touching your head?
Oh, my God!
You know, I only wanna
propose one more time.
[squeals]
♪ ♪
[mellow music]
♪ ♪
Well, thank you for...
showing up for the second half.
[chuckles] Of course.
I appreciate that.
I wouldn't miss this
for the world.
And looking all beautiful too.
[chuckles] I mean, come on.
I feel like today was
really good for Brendan and I.
Brendan has been someone
that I have been all-in for
since day one,
but sometimes I can't read
what he's feeling inside.
Brendan really relies
on his family,
so I'm hoping tonight,
meeting them,
really just kind of, like,
completes the picture,
'cause I know we have
a good foundation,
and we can build on that.
This is a big day.
Are you nervous?
I'm doing good.
I'm doing good.
Don't be nervous! [laughs]
You are nervous! No, no, no.
I'm good, I'm good, I mean,
the unknown of introducing you
to family and...
I know. Is--is a lot,
and it's nerve-racking,
but today was--
was amazing for me.
How was today for you?
Was it all right?
You did pretty good.
I'm not gonna lie.
It was very cute. Yeah, yeah.
I don't know, I saw, like,
a different side of you
with your niece,
and I thought that--
you were so sweet with her.
We definitely needed this,
for sure.
Absolutely. For sure.
Who am I meeting? Um...
I'm really nervous,
but I'm excited.
Yeah, okay, so my older
brother, Daniel, is here,
and my sister-in-law,
his wife, Christi,
so yeah.
I mean, my older brother
is, like, simply
the most important person
in my life.
Aww, I feel like
you're getting--mm!
[tender music]
Are you ready?
Should we do it?
Okay. Okay. Let's go.
This is gonna be great.
My family
is very important to me.
They know me better
than I know myself,
so I'm hoping
they can, you know,
really give me some clarity
on my feelings.
[laughter] Hi!
One of the tougher parts
of this whole journey
has been not being able to get
my family's perspective.
[laughter] Brendan!
Oh, my God.
Christi, this is Tayshia. Hi.
It's so nice to meet you.
Oh, it's so nice to meet you!
How are you?
I'm good, thank you.
These are for you.
What's going on?
[laughter] Hey!
Aww.
Oh...
Hi. So nice to meet you. Hi.
So nice to meet you.
I've heard so much
about all of you guys.
Oh, my God, yes.
This is a pleasure.
Not in a million years
did I think
that you guys
would be in Palm Springs.
[laughter]
Neither did we.
Neither did we.
We had fun today. We did.
Yes. It was a lot of fun.
We had fun,
so I'm glad you were able
to come with us.
Yes. It was a lot of fun.
Aliyah said that Uncle Brendan
didn't win, like,
one game, though.
Oh, she reported back. Yeah.
Yeah.
No, this is becoming a trend.
He maybe tied one,
but, like, yeah.
Tayshia also saw me
get thrown around in wrestling.
[laughs] Um...
They put him through
some--some tests.
Yeah.
But he's been doing well.
Lie detector test.
So we've been through it.
[gasps]
We did it. I--
Did he fail
any of the questions?
"We'll talk about that..."
[laughter]
A couple inconclusive...
Okay, okay.
Thank God for inconclusive.
The questions that
came out inconclusive were,
um, just him meeting--
well, me meeting your family,
and then you meeting mine.
Mm-hmm.
And I think it's because
he had reservations
about, I don't know, just...
The next step
if they're all here.
Yeah, 'cause we were
kind of, like, nervous.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And I feel like
with our background,
it's kind of a lot
to bring you guys
into this situation.
Yeah.
And so, with that, I did--
I started, like,
kind of freaking out--
I'm not gonna lie--
just because I was like,
"Well,
is Brendan actually ready?"
Do you want to go chat alone
for a little while and...
Yeah.
Figure a few things out?
Yeah, yeah, let's talk.
All right, let's do it.
[chuckles]
Really, really excited
to see Brendan
and definitely a little bit
nervous to meet Tayshia
and just kind of see
how their whole dynamic is.
I'm really excited
just to talk with Brendan,
and obviously,
it's been almost two months
that we haven't seen
one another.
So--'cause I don't know.
I feel like I haven't
told you enough
or at least in a long time,
like, how much you mean to me.
Um...
I think kind of
what I've been, like,
working through in my mind
is just, you know,
this is extremely
important to me.
I don't want to do this
a second time...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
And it fail a second time.
Yeah, yeah.
I know how important
that is to you, you know,
since the divorce
and everything like that.
It's like--it's do or die,
like, real life.
Like, you've got to make
that decision.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
So you were married...
Yes. At a young age?
Um, I got married at 25.
How long were you married for?
Just under two years.
Like, I feel like
that's where, like,
Brendan and I really bonded
over our divorces.
Yeah. Um...
just, like, the things
that we've felt
going through all that
were so similar,
and I feel like
I've never really, like,
related to someone like that.
Yeah, and there can be,
like, shame.
Absolutely.
And it's, like,
the number one k*ller
of, like,
you reaching your destiny,
and I--you know, for Brendan,
like, I just--
he's way too awesome of a person
to let that rob him
of true love and joy
and family
and what he really wants.
So from just
our couple minutes inside,
like, what was your
kind of perspective?
I was definitely--
I was definitely really happy
to see you guys, you know,
kind of having
that physical connection
and holding hands
and being close to each other
and all that,
and then the way you guys
would look at each other,
there's definitely
a connection there.
I don't know,
I don't know if you feel that
with her right now
or where you're at with that.
If I could have molded,
like, a Bachelorette...
Right, right, right.
[laughing]
Like, you know,
it would be Tayshia, so...
Right, right, right.
In that department,
you know,
I'm all good, for sure.
Yeah, yeah.
And what I've kind of
come to the understanding
is, like, what I want
with my life
and just seeing, um...
I don't know, it's,
like, one of--
one of those really
special things
that I--that I've
thought of recently
is just seeing the way, like...
[sniffles]
Braden and Aliyah and Eden,
like, look at you, you know?
And the amazing father
that you are
and obviously the amazing
husband that you are,
and that's all, like-you know,
that's all I really want
in this life.
Yeah.
I'm coming more and more
to the realization that
I see something so real
in front of me with Tayshia.
[voice breaking]
She met my family.
Like, this is really real
for me.
[tender music]
I know that Brendan wears,
like, his heart on his sleeve,
and he's so genuine...
Yes, he is.
And caring and kind,
and like, I still look at him
almost like, "I don't get it."
[laughing]
"But, like, thank you."
Right, right, right, right.
You know?
I'm so enamored by everything.
Yeah. And it's just--
I don't know, I feel like it's
taken him a little bit of time
to, like, kind of come out
of his shell.
Yes, yes, yes.
My true feelings are,
I'm here to find someone,
and I just want to know that
Brendan is ready for marriage.
A couple years ago,
you know, I would've said,
you know, "Absolutely not.
He's not ready right now,"
but I really believe now he is.
Um, it seems like you guys
both going through
a difficult divorce,
a lot of people would let that
negatively affect them...
Absolutely.
For the next 5-10 years.
Absolutely. You know?
And look at both of you now.
There's that connection
and that spark
and just a real solid
foundation, you know?
The right person, you know,
going through difficult trials,
it's only gonna make you better,
make you stronger. Right.
You know, just having
that validation is crucial.
Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
For sure, for sure.
Thank you, 'cause I feel like
I'm supposed to be here.
It felt really good
to hear Brendan's brother--
like, having--just having,
like, a feeling
that Brendan and I
would be a great match,
because they know him
better than anyone.
So nice to meet you.
Both: Aww.
Hopefully,
we'll see you again soon.
Please, please. [chuckles]
Love you. Oh...
I mean,
that made me feel so good.
Oh, my God.
You really are amazing.
Me? Yeah.
You just go right in there,
like, acting like
you've met my family
a million times before, and...
[laughs]
Being able to introduce
Tayshia to my family
was incredible.
Just getting
a different perspective--
their opinion put all my doubts
and all the reservations
I had aside.
I feel like our connection
has grown,
and I do have strong,
strong feelings
for this beautiful woman.
[romantic music]
How was the night for you?
I don't know,
I just feel really lucky.
Yeah. Today was a lot of fun.
Same. Yeah.
♪ ♪
Meeting Brendan's family
really spoke volumes
about who he is as a person,
and I definitely see myself
falling in love with him.
Hey, I don't want you to--
I know.
When it's time to leave,
I don't want to.
♪ ♪
Like, it was a "game over,"
in a sense, you know?
Like, I truly feel like
Brendan could be my husband.
One last kiss? Mm-hmm.
And I could really see him
standing next to me
at the end of all this.
Bye. Bye, Tayshia. Good night.
Good night.
♪ ♪
[light music]
♪ ♪
Today I have a hometown
with Zac.
Last week, Zac said he
was falling in love with me.
I said it back, and today,
I have a little bit
of butterflies,
but, like, in the best way.
Zac is extremely close
with his family,
so it just make me
a little nervous,
but I'm looking forward
to today.
I feel like it's gonna
be really fun.
I'm so excited. [gasps]
It's ready. Oh!
Oh. Zac!
How are you? Good.
How you doing? You look great.
You look good too.
I have a good day planned.
Okay.
That first conversation
we had by the fountain?
Mm-hmm?
Talked about New York. Yes.
And so we're gonna do
some New York things...
Okay. And have some fun.
So the first--
have you ever hailed a cab?
Not in New York. Okay.
Yes. Could you show me?
Show me how you hail a cab.
Um, you just go, like...
"Hi." No, no, no.
[laughing] Right? No, no.
It's gotta be like--
a little bit more like, "Taxi!"
[laughs] "Taxi, right here!"
You're joking. No.
Yell like that? Yes.
Or else your cab's
gonna get stolen,
and you're gonna be--
this beautiful woman
is gonna be standing on the
side of the road with no ride.
Okay.
I feel like I need,
like, a power stance.
Power stance. Okay. [laughs]
I'm nervous!
Taxi!
Is that-[laughing]
[laughing]
That sounds good, doesn't it?
It was good enough.
It was good enough. Okay.
We'll let you pass. Okay.
So we're gonna go get a taxi.
Oh, okay.
You ready? Yeah.
[punchy music]
This is so cute! Taxi!
Taxi! [laughing]
We got a taxi here.
We gotta drive ourselves.
Oh, okay. Hello.
Are you ready? Yes.
Three, two, one.
Oh. [horn beeps]
Tayshia mentioned,
in our first conversation,
when I said I live in New York,
that she was actually
thinking about moving there.
It's obviously, like,
stuck with me
that I would love
to kind of be able
to show her
what it would look like
if we lived
in New York together.
All right,
we're at our first stop here.
So-Oh, my gosh.
In New York... Yes.
I go out to the bagel shop.
I grab us some bagels.
Okay, that's cute.
So how do you take your bagel?
I think I'm gonna do some
regular cream cheese...
Okay.
I think, like,
a blueberry or two.
With a blueberry? Yeah.
Doesn't that sound kind of good?
I don't think so.
Have you ever had
a blueberry bagel?
Mm-hmm.
I just don't know
if that really goes,
but we'll-It's okay.
Hey, it's my bagel.
The blueberry's
freaking me out.
I don't know if I can trust
a girl that eats blueberry
on their cream cheese bagels.
Stop it.
[quirky music]
Mmm. Ooh.
Actually, the blueberry is b*mb.
Who doesn't like fruit?
Who doesn't like blueberries?
I'm so--we're gonna
have to change that.
Like--I mean, he can have it.
Whatever. I don't care.
Watch this.
Taxi! Oh, God. You got--
Oh, it worked. [laughing]
The connection
that Zac and I have
is always fun,
and he's just, like,
the biggest dork,
and I love it so much.
Second stop. Pizza!
Have you had
a true New York slice?
No. [chuckles]
When I'm with Zac,
I just feel, like,
really, really happy.
[chuckles]
It'd be insane if I was
with Zac in New York...
just because
I would be happy, I think.
This is my favorite place
in the city.
Okay.
♪ ♪
[grunts]
Central Park.
Where I spend so much time
of my life.
Mm-hmm.
[sighs] How was your day?
Are you kidding? Yeah.
My day in New York, like,
blew me out of the water.
So tonight...
I'm excited.
I'm really--like,
I'm, like, a little nervous,
but I think I'm good. Why?
Nothing. It's just,
like, meeting parents.
Like, that's, like, a big deal.
I mean,
I'm sure they are nervous.
Are they? Probably.
Okay.
Because...
I wouldn't be sitting
on this bench
if they didn't...
like, stick with me through
some of my darkest times.
Okay. And, uh...
they know me the best, so...
Family's important to me,
just like it's important to you,
and they're gonna love you.
Oh, God, I hope so.
They will.
Just be yourself.
I can be myself.
I actually can't wait.
I've been looking forward
to this day for a long time.
We're gonna meet
your parents tonight.
[chuckles]
Zac's gone through
some really dark times,
you know?
Having an addiction,
going to rehab,
and there's a lot of love there
with him and his family,
specifically his parents.
Their opinion
means everything to him,
so I'm a little nervous.
[sighs]
Your turn to hail the cab.
Oh.
[inhales] Taxi! Yes!
I was pretty excited
coming into today,
and, like,
the New York thing was cool,
the bagels and coffee,
the pizza--
I mean, it was all amazing,
but when we end up
at the fountain
where we made a wish the very
first night I met her...
We're gonna get in. Yes.
Come on. Okay. I'm ready.
Her reaction could've been,
"I don't want
to mess my hair up.
I have makeup on, and a dress."
Whatever else
she could've thought of,
but no.
[sweeping music]
♪ ♪
Tayshia's the best.
She's the best.
When I'm with her,
it's like there's nothing else
going on in the world.
I don't think I've ever
been in a fountain before.
Me neither.
She lights me up.
She lights me up.
And, like,
tonight's gonna be amazing.
She's meeting my family.
It's gonna be really,
really good.
♪ ♪
[both laughing]
[soft music]
Oh, boy.
All black everything?
All black everything. Yes.
[laughs] Great job.
Thank you.
I had the best time
with Zac today
experiencing New York
and just getting to know more
about him,
but I'm not gonna lie.
I'm really nervous
to meet his parents tonight.
[whispers] Okay.
He's very close with his family,
so having their approval
means everything.
I don't know,
I hope they like me.
♪ ♪
I can't wait to see
and meet Tayshia,
and I can't wait to...
Hear all about it.
Hear all about it. Yeah.
I just--I'm trying
to envision it,
and I can't.
Yeah, my--one of my
first questions will be,
you know, "How serious is this?"
And how he's feeling about
the relationship, so...
Yep.
Okay.
Big moment. I know.
You're gonna do great.
There's nothing
to be nervous about.
Okay. You're fine.
Okay.
[mellow guitar music]
All right. Oh!
[laughter] Aww.
Mama. Don't do it yet.
Don't do it-Why--
Oh.
This--everyone, this is Tayshia.
Tayshia-Tayshia.
What's up, man? [laughing]
How you doing? Wow.
I love my family.
There's, like, things in life
that you just can't
put a value on.
They saved my life.
They believed in me
when I had a pretty gnarly
drug addiction
that could've taken me out
at any time,
and ultimately, they're
probably worried for me,
but tonight's gonna be amazing,
and I think Tayshia
will fit in with the Clarks
and the whole thing.
You wanna hear about today?
Yesterday?
[overlapping chatter]
We have so much to tell you.
Yeah, I think we need
to go back to, like...
We have a lot of stories.
You know,
when you hit it off
and then kind of...
What changed the game for me
was having our first one-on-one.
Mm-hmm.
Never seen you smile,
like, so big... Aww.
Since you've been here.
And that's, like,
what's happening here,
is I'm smiling, which is...
[chuckles]
Will make my mom happy.
Yeah.
[laughter]
I'm happy just to see you.
[laughter]
Tayshia, can we go talk?
Absolutely.
I'm rooting for, you know,
a fairy tale ending,
so if that was the outcome,
I'd be really happy
for Zac and Tayshia,
but I'm skeptical
about, you know,
how--how it's gonna turn out.
I think, you know, it has to be,
you know, right time,
uh, and right situation.
So give me all the dirt now.
I know! [laughs]
I wish I had a lot of stuff
to lay on you,
but...
Here's what I'm curious about.
Okay, please. So you've--
you've been at this stage
in the process
in Zac's shoes.
I have. Absolutely.
So I'll ask you
the tough question.
Okay.
Where are you at with Zac
in comparison
to where you're at
with the other three?
Yeah, um,
I'm definitely
falling in love with Zac...
Okay. And I feel like
I could really see myself
marrying him
at the end of this,
to be honest.
Yeah.
You didn't answer the question.
♪ ♪
I mean, is he asking you
that question?
Um... Is he asking you
where you're at with your
other relationships?
No. No?
I guess it never
really feels good
to talk about
another relationship.
No, it doesn't, but, I mean...
But also, it's just--
It's the reality
of the situation, though.
It is the reality.
My advice for Tayshia and Zac
would be, you know,
they have to be able
to get to some of those
deep conversations,
and I think
if they both do that,
you know,
they'll get to the right spot,
whatever that right spot is,
you know,
but that right spot
might be them realizing
that maybe they're, you know--
maybe they're not,
you know, the right--
exact right people
for each other.
♪ ♪
This is something
totally different
than I ever expected,
and I'm not that comfortable
doing what we're doing here,
but I do feel comfortable
with you.
Don't take--
Well, that's good.
Don't take that the wrong way.
No, I don't. I don't.
You know, I'm just--
I--I come from a small town.
Right. A farm town.
And so, you know,
you trying to make a decision
amongst four guys...
[both laugh]
I don't know that I could
be one of those four guys,
to be honest with you.
Yeah.
Well, you have seen
how Zac and I interact
a little bit...
Yeah.
I mean, how do you view Zac,
right here, right now?
Right now? Mm-hmm.
He's smiling.
I haven't seen him smile
that much in a long time.
Really? And I--
and that's really
something that's...
really making me happy.
And damn if it didn't happen
when I saw you two come in here.
He's--he's a happy man
right now.
Zachary smiled before he left.
It was a different smile.
I don't think there's
any question in my mind
that he is--he's smitten
at this point in time
with this, uh, Tayshia,
and I think she's
a pretty wonderful person.
Thank you so much for the time
and the wonderful conversation.
Absolutely. Absolutely.
We are so blessed to be here,
meeting what we all hope,
I think,
would be the beginnings
of a relationship
that will forever flourish.
[laughing] How are you?
I'm good. How are you?
I'm good. Are you good?
Yeah. What's up?
Are you happy being here?
Yes.
Something happened on that
day that she was talking about
for me that has not happened
for a very long time.
[sighs]
Like, no one
has been able to touch me
like she has in these...
Kay. Like, I'm happy,
and I'm smiling, you know?
Yep, I noticed that a lot.
I'm usually pretty stern,
and, like, I think that--
a part of that was just, like--
Saying you didn't need
to have love in your life
because you had your family,
and you were--
Well, I told the lie
that I didn't want kids,
and I wanted
to just be an uncle,
but what I've realized
and I think is important
for you to hear
is that... I do want a family.
I do want a wife.
Oh, that makes me so happy.
I do want children.
You know, meeting Tayshia
and falling for her...
[inhales deeply]
Has allowed me to reflect on
everything that we've
been through, you know,
and, like,
and I just hope that you know
the impact you've had
on my life,
because I would not
be sitting here--
I would not be alive
if it wasn't for your strength.
[tender music]
[sniffles] So...
♪ ♪
Nothing means more than for you
seeing me happy tonight.
I know. And see me smiling
and seeing me at peace.
At the end of the day,
it's just, like,
truly all about love,
and I love you.
♪ ♪
I think Zac's amazing.
There's something inside of him
that made him want to be
where he is today.
We're lucky to have him today,
where he is.
Mm-hmm.
And I hope that Tayshia
sees that.
I feel really happy...
Oh, good.
Because he's ready for love.
Look at me.
I'm already getting emotional.
No, it's good. It's good.
I know.
But I just wanted him to--
you know,
he's an amazing guy,
and he's realized
that he was in denial,
you know, saying,
"I don't need a spouse.
I don't need to have children,"
but the fact that
he's said now,
"I see that I want that,"
like, that made me so happy.
Mm-hmm.
And he claims that
that's what you've done
for him, so I thank you.
Really? Let's have a cheers.
Oh, okay, that sounds good.
All right.
Here's to everybody
deserves to be loved
and to find love,
and I hope for you
and for Zac, it happens.
Thank you. Okay?
Cheers. Cheers.
I love Zac's family.
His mom is the cutest
little button.
All right, I'm gonna hug you.
[laughs]
They're protective,
but in the best way possible.
You can just tell.
He just comes from
an amazing family.
Tayshia, Zac,
I can't be happier
than I am sitting here
looking at you two,
and I really don't want
to say goodbye tonight.
I want to spend
some more time with you two.
Oh, my golly.
So thank you. Thank you both.
Thank you. Thank you.
I've received so much love
today from my family.
Bye. They came in,
kinda, like, were skeptics,
and I walked in
with Tayshia tonight,
and they're like, "Oh.
Oh, wait a second.
"We're gonna take a 20-second
time out here and regroup,
"because I actually
see a shift in Zac.
"He's actually walking in
with a woman
who he seems pretty happy with."
Bye, guys! Bye.
Bye, guys. Take care.
That makes everything
to this point...
Worth it.
No, today was amazing,
and, uh...
I don't know,
it just feels so, like,
easy and natural with you,
you know?
[tender music]
♪ ♪
Today was amazing.
Zac's incredible.
I feel like it's right.
It feels right.
It feels good, and it's like
I have zero hesitations
about it.
♪ ♪
Sleep well.
Thank you. You too.
Good night, Zac.
♪ ♪
Zac and I are good.
♪ ♪
See ya! Good night!
♪ ♪
I'm the second girl
he's ever brought home
to his parents,
and that makes me nervous.
I'm still a big skeptic.
Okay.
You love her.
[dramatic music]
I don't know.
In true Ben fashion,
I just blew it.
[upbeat music]
♪ ♪
Hi! [giggles] What's up?
Today I have a hometown
with Ivan.
[giggling]
And I am so excited
because it's not even, like,
what do I love about Ivan?
What is there not to love?
You look great. [giggles]
Thank you.
He makes me feel
very safe and secure
in our relationship.
He just has, like,
this subtle confidence
that I love.
♪ ♪
Hey. How you feeling?
I'm good. How are you?
I'm good. Yeah?
So this is gonna be awesome.
Okay.
I have a great date
planned for us.
I can't wait. Are you ready
to get a little taste
of what makes me, me?
I am, I am. Let's do it.
Okay. [giggles]
I already have very strong
feelings for Tayshia.
I know what family means to her,
and she's gonna see
how close my family is,
and I really feel like
this week,
more than any other week,
has the potential
for our relationship to grow
to that next level.
I think we're right here.
Okay.
The hometowns
mean everything to me.
I--literally only one person
has ever met my family,
so I don't take it lightly.
I think it would be great
to know that my family
supports me and Tayshia
and that they believe in us.
Welcome to my humble abode.
[laughs] This is so amazing.
Yeah. I know you love cooking.
Yes. And, uh, you know,
cooking in, like,
Filipino heritage and--
and my culture is honestly,
like, super big.
It's, like, the thing
that brings
my entire family together,
ever since I was really little.
Okay.
And I'm actually friends
with one of the top
Filipino chefs in the world.
Wait, what? Yes.
Okay. So I got a little
special video for us... Okay.
And I'm gonna show you
what we'll be cooking.
Okay.
It's my niece. Oh, my God!
My niece, Kehlani,
is the most important person
in the world to me right now.
She was born when my brother
was in prison,
and I really stepped up
to take care of her.
Add the flour and the sugar.
Ooh. [laughs]
Wait, how old is she?
She's 4 1/2 right now.
Oh, my gosh.
She was the cutest thing,
and the way that Ivan
just melted
watching her on the screen
was honestly adorable.
She's ready.
Oh, my gosh, she did it.
Look at her go! [laughing]
Wait, so are we gonna
make that?
Yes.
Wait, Ivan. Yes?
I'm obsessed with this.
You are?
No, I'm, like,
so happy right now.
I love that Ivan
wants to bring me
into family tradition
and bring me
into making something
that makes his family
his family.
Yum.
[laughs] Okay.
We are so good.
We are the dream team
right now.
I love this. Okay.
Now we need... Sugar.
Okay, 1 teaspoon of sugar.
The thing about
Ivan and I's dates
is they're very realistic.
They were very much so things
we would do at home.
[oil sizzling]
Oh, my gosh! I'm excited.
[laughs]
This is my kind of party,
to be honest with you.
Oh, for sure.
I feel like Tayshia and I
just have
a very real connection.
It's--it's natural.
It's really just about us
being in a house
and cooking together,
which is something
we can potentially
do in the future,
and just having fun
with each other.
Just enjoying
each other's company.
Okay, ready?
I'm gonna feed this to you.
♪ ♪
Is it too hot?
It's not good? Spit it out.
Yum.
[laughing] Spit--oh, my...
[laughter]
It's bad, isn't it?
No, it's good.
Ivan is definitely a guy
that makes me feel very
loved when I'm with him,
but I also feel like
he's a person
that lets me be me,
and I love that about him.
It was, like,
the perfect combination
of, like, lighthearted and fun.
He hit the nail on the head
with today's date.
So your family's here.
Who am I meeting?
You know, I was really hoping
my niece, Kehlani...
Yeah.
And my brother could make it,
'cause they're, like--
my brother, like,
he's the most influential
person in my life,
but you know, either way,
it doesn't matter.
My--my parents are here.
You know, growing up,
my dad's been, like,
my hero, really.
Mm-hmm.
And my dad, he, um...
he's had cancer twice.
He's had a heart att*ck once.
He, um,
has pulmonary fibrosis now.
So, like, the scary thing
about the pulmonary fibrosis
is that, like, you know,
we have COVID going on.
If he gets COVID, honestly,
as much as I hate to say it,
it's like a death sentence.
I know, no matter what,
he was gonna do his best
to make it here,
'cause my parents just want
to see me happy,
and I know they're
gonna see that tonight.
It just means a lot to me
that you get to meet
my parents today,
'cause this is only
the second time ever
anyone's ever met my parents.
Oh, my God! Now I'm nerv--
okay, you remember when you
asked me if I was nervous?
No, don't be nervous.
Now I'm really
freakin' nervous.
Don't be nervous.
But yeah, um...
Ivan speaks so highly
of his family,
and the fact
that I'm the second girl
he's ever brought home
to his parents
makes me nervous.
I just really love family,
so I really hope
I make a good impression.
♪ ♪
[soft music]
Oh, my gosh. Oh, wow.
I can't stop smiling. [laughs]
Oh, my go--oh, my gosh.
[laughs]
I cannot wait
to meet Ivan's parents.
He's been excited for me
to meet his family
since our one-on-one,
and the fact
that I'm the second girl
he's ever brought home
to his parents is...
it's really special.
How you feeling?
I'm nervous.
Are you? [laughs] Yes.
And I don't really get,
like, nervous like this.
Don't be nervous at all.
It's just my parents.
I guarantee they're gonna
love you no matter what.
Just your parents.
Yeah. Just be yourself.
I promise you
they're gonna love you.
We're gonna be good. Okay.
You ready to head in?
[squeals]
Sneak in a little kiss.
Okay.
Let's do it. Okay.
[chuckles] Oh, my gosh.
I know Ivan's not worried,
but I know how close he is
with his family,
so it's really important
that they like me.
Are they here?
Oh, my gosh! They're here!
Oh, my God!
It's so nice to meet you. Hi.
This is Tayshia.
Nice to meet you.
Ivan! Hi. How are you?
I'm so good. How are you?
Ivan!
Good to see you.
Oh, my goodness, my love.
Good to see you as well.
[squeals]
This is Tayshia,
by the way, Dad.
Have a seat, guys.
You're beautiful.
Oh, why, thank you.
Yeah.
Wait, how are you guys feeling?
Oh, you know me. We're fine.
We're excited to see you.
Yeah, no, I've been telling
everybody here
we talk every single day,
so it's just weird
that it's been, like, 40-plus--
over a month now.
28 years of your life,
it's like, I've never
not talked to you this long.
I'm excited
my parents are here.
They're the most loving,
comfortable,
caring parents in the world.
I just wish my brother
was able to make it.
He's the person who's most
influenced me in my life.
Tayshia, can I have a minute
to chat with you?
Of course. Please. Okay.
I am still interested,
definitely,
to see, like,
what my parents have to say,
and I'll know pretty quickly
based off
of how my mom's acting.
It's probably so nice
to have finally met you.
I know. How are you doing?
It's a lot,
and I'm still a big skeptic.
Okay.
It's just so fast.
It is fast.
Everything is happening
so fast.
I agree with you.
It's been a wild ride
from the beginning,
but I will tell you,
I know that if you are
open, honest,
truly yourself, vulnerable,
that you truly can find
something through this journey.
But what did you like
about Ivan?
You've kept him around, so...
Yeah. [laughter]
Honestly,
what did you like about...
Ivan has
pleasantly surprised me
since the very beginning.
I didn't even know he was 28.
I thought he was much older
because of how
he carries himself.
Yes, yes. He's very mature.
Ivan wants to make
a difference in the world.
And that's all
I've ever said too.
He's just such a good guy.
He is.
And he's as genuine
and as authentic as...
As they come.
You know, as it comes, yeah.
Wherever this journey will lead
both of you,
it's his happiness
that I'm looking for.
His mom was
a little bit skeptical.
I think there were, you know,
just a little bit of walls up.
That's totally fine.
It's his mom.
And I have nothing to hide
and I feel like I'm confident
in Ivan and I's relationship,
but you never know
what parents have to ask.
As I understand it...
Mm-hmm.
You've been married before.
I have.
So have I. Okay.
And so I was wondering,
what did you learn?
Did you do any reflection?
There's a lot that I learned.
I got married at a young age,
and divorce was his decision,
and it's something I fought for,
but I feel like
at the end of the day,
it wasn't
the right relationship.
God wanted to teach me
other things.
You know, you said
a very key word there.
"Young." Mm-hmm.
I got married at the age 24.
My bride was 20.
In retrospect,
we were both too young.
Mm-hmm. Bottom line.
We were both too young.
I took my time
before I got married again.
And when I did, it was like,
now I'm sure
I'm in it for the long run.
That would be something I would
encourage you to look at
and have
that kind of a conviction
before you think about marriage.
I wouldn't be here
unless I thought that...
Mm-hmm.
This is the next step
I wanna take
and I'm ready for it.
Do you feel that
it could definitely happen
with you and Ivan?
Absolutely. Yeah?
She is--I'm really impressed
with the young lady.
She exudes confidence.
I think that
she and Ivan could be
a good match,
and I'll just leave it at that.
I don't wanna get ahead
of myself, but...
I met her and I was impressed.
You like her, obviously.
Yeah.
I definitely have feelings
for Tayshia.
I really like her.
But am I ready
to propose to her?
No, I'm not.
I see a path forward
for that to happen potentially.
I gotta meet her family,
and potentially, like,
a Fantasy Suite situation
or whatever.
If she keeps you around.
[laughs]
I'll be here. But yeah.
[both laugh] But yeah.
I almost love your confidence.
No, but mo--don't worry.
You know, the next time
I do see you guys,
I could be engaged
or I may not be,
but just know
that if I am engaged,
I thought it out thoroughly.
I'm still a skeptic
through all this.
But I--
regardless of the way I feel,
I trust in you.
That's what I'm saying.
That's the bottom line.
Really, the very bottom line is,
it doesn't matter how I feel.
It's what you feel.
If you're happy,
that makes me happy.
And I am happy.
I really am happy.
So if she were to choose you,
if you were to choose her,
we would welcome her
with open arms.
I love you, son.
Love you too.
And I miss you so much.
It 100% feels great
that, you know,
my parents approve
of what I'm doing here
with Tayshia.
I know that they recognize
that Tayshia and I have,
like, a special connection,
a special bond.
You know, you haven't seen
this much with me.
I always keep this kinda,
like, kinda private, I'd say.
I know.
It means the world to us,
to me and Tayshia as well,
to be able--for you guys
to see me, like, happy.
With all that being said, still,
it would've meant the world
for me
for my brother to be here,
for sure.
Yeah, we got to see
the Kehlani video.
[door opens]
Just let me know.
[indistinct chatter]
[laughter]
Oh, my go...
[laughs] Oh, my God.
[crying]
[indistinct].
The biggest surprise
of the night was,
my brother was here.
It was just, like,
such a range of emotions,
and it just meant
the world for me.
Pleasure to meet you.
My name's Gabe.
I'm Tayshia.
I heard so much about you.
[soft music]
[laughter]
Surprise, surprise.
It's very special for me
to have my brother here.
He grew up by my side
and knows me best
at the end of the day.
He's my best friend,
so I'm very excited
for Tayshia to meet him.
Oh, man. I'm so happy.
Y'all know we definitely--
How are you?
I'm doing well. Good.
I mean, it's scary.
Like, y'all know it caused
some concern at first.
Ivan has lit up so much
talking about you.
I told everybody, you know,
I love my mom, I love my dad,
but you're definitely the most
influential person in my life,
and, you know, no matter what,
you always know I got your back
and that we're best friends.
Oh, man, everything you said,
I could say the same about you.
You're my best friend.
I look up to you.
It's just unfortunate
that when I got dropped
in the water,
you guys had to learn
how to ride the waves as well.
We're family.
That's what family does.
Seeing Ivan, you know,
I felt revitalized.
Ivan, if you don't mind,
let me get in your ear
for a second.
All right. [chuckles]
He's demonstrated his love
for me as a brother.
He's helped guide me,
and I'm just grateful
that, you know, I was able
to show up and support him
in this righteous endeavor.
Gabriel, Gabriel, Gabriel.
Ike, Ike, Ike. [laughs]
I'm glad you were able
to make it out, seriously.
No, for real, man,
I'm glad I was able to come.
When Kehlani say--every time
Kehlani says she miss you,
I'm like, "I miss him too."
I know, dude.
It's crazy that the roles
are sort of reversed.
I'm able to try to be here
for you for once.
I appreciate it.
And I had to be here.
You know what I mean?
So how you been feeling lately?
Feeling good.
What are some
of the main things
that attract you to Tayshia?
Dude, it was like,
one, her energy and
her confidence first of all.
Yeah.
But the thing is, like,
that she noticed initially--
actually, she said this first,
and she was like,
"With you, Ivan,
I just feel like
it's so comfortable and easy."
Right.
And that's what it is.
It's just, like--
it's, like, so easy.
Yeah. It's organic.
It's natural. Yeah, I mean--
I could just tell you--
really, just your whole energy,
your whole--I could tell you,
I'm saying, yeah,
you glowing, bro.
Yeah. I do really like her.
I definitely do really like her.
You know, it's--
I've probably said that
about maybe, like, three
or four girls in my life.
I mean, just from
this short time with her
and just reading her...
Yeah. Her energy--
and I'm big on energy,
so she seems like--
y'all together was organic.
It was... Yeah.
Y'all glow together.
Yeah. Tayshia's awesome, dude.
Tayshia's awesome.
I'm interested to see
my brother's reaction,
you know, to Tayshia,
'cause he, you know,
just through
his life experience,
is great at, like,
reading people.
He's amazing at it.
So to get my younger brother's
approval too,
it would mean a lot.
What's going on, Tayshia?
[laughs]
How are you?
Better than yesterday. Yeah?
Definitely, definitely,
now that I got to speak
with Ivan.
Ivan's talked
so much about you.
I know I've kinda touched
on that a little earlier.
He's told you
all the bad stuff, huh?
No! Are you kidding me?
No, but he's--I mean,
I feel like you're a big part
of his life,
and he's really--
like, I'm not kidding,
has, like, sung your praises.
Yeah.
What did Ivan tell you
out there--I'm just kidding.
You don't have
to tell me everything.
You don't wanna know.
[laughs]
I'm just kidding.
So like he said with you guys,
everything just--
it just feels so natural
and it's effortless.
Yeah. Yeah, that's amazing.
And for him to speak
so highly of you,
I mean, that tells me a lot.
Really?
About you. Definitely.
I will say--
I mean, you know Ivan,
but he has
a lot of qualities in the way--
in what I want
in a husband and a man.
In what ways do you think
my brother may encompass
those traits?
He's loyal. He's reliable.
He's someone
I can truly count on.
I think he'd be a great father.
I think, you know--
I mean, he look at my daughter
like it's his daughter.
[laughs] For real.
And one thing you said
with loyalty...
Mm-hmm. You know,
loyalty, that's an action word,
and I think that...
if given the chance,
he will demonstrate that.
I mean, he's demonstrated it
to me my whole life.
Sorry. [mumbles] It's okay.
I mean, my brother, man,
that's my--I mean, that's--
I couldn't see my life
without him.
[heartfelt music]
And from my personal gauge,
it seems like
you guys together--
yeah, I like it.
That makes me feel good.
My conversation with Gabe
was great.
He's definitely a person
that knows Ivan the best,
so to have that conversation
with him
and just to hear,
like, his concerns
and his love for his brother--
it would've been great talking
to just his mom and dad,
but, like, Gabe was definitely
the icing on the cake,
and it was exactly
what I needed.
We're about to head out.
Pop. Uh-huh.
Love you, man. Ah.
All right, man.
[laughs] [indistinct].
Love you, dude.
So nice to meet you.
I wish I could say I'm shocked
at how amazing his family is,
but I'm not shocked.
Love you guys.
I will see you guys later.
Bye. [laughter]
Have a good night.
They made me feel
really special and included.
Like, that's a family
I wanna be a part of.
Ooh, boy.
Wow.
Yeah, this has been
a whirlwind tonight.
First, like, it's like--
what are your thoughts?
I just see
where you come from.
Yeah. Like, I get it.
Yeah.
Like, I really get it now.
And your brother.
Your brother. Yeah?
You're a great older brother.
I appreciate that.
It just shows,
like, your loyalty, you know?
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
And how big your heart is.
[soft music]
You know, I really do have
strong feelings for you,
and I really feel like,
you know, next week is--
it's something super exciting
for me to look forward to,
if you shall have me there,
you know, of course,
but just know
that I'm the happiest person
in the world right now.
You have no clue. Really?
Yeah. Wait, I love that.
Little bit, yeah. Come here.
[laughs]
Tonight was truly amazing.
This was definitely a night
like I've never had before.
This has been a great day.
And I really appreciate
every moment.
Good. Yeah.
I'll let you get to some sleep.
[laughs]
Okay.
All in all,
tonight went better
than how I thought it would go.
Seeing Tayshia with my family,
with my brother,
I just felt like I saw
a glimpse of the future.
[laughs] I'll see you soon.
Good night, Ivan.
To get my family's approval
means the world,
because, quite frankly,
I really am falling in love
with Tayshia.
[relaxed music]
♪ ♪
[laughs]
Hello.
[laughs]
Hi!
Oh, my goodness.
I am very excited
to have a Hometown with Ben.
I told you before
I'm born and raised in Indiana.
Mm-hmm.
But I think
that home is the place
that you feel most yourself,
so today, we're going
to Venice Beach.
Yeah! [laughs]
We're gonna take a trip
to the boardwalk.
Okay.
Which is, like,
the most Venice of all things.
[laughing] Okay.
We're gonna rollerblade
a little bit,
and I'm gonna show you
how I live my life.
Okay. Mm-kay. Let's go.
Ben is someone
I've had my eye on
since night one.
There's just something about him
that I'm really drawn to.
This is your setup here
and these are your boots.
Oh, cute. I can help you.
Our one-on-one last week
allowed him
to really put down his walls
and be open and vulnerable
with me,
and I know where my heart
stands with Ben.
I'm starting to fall in love
with him.
But he has not shared
where his heart is,
and so today
is gonna be crucial.
Oh, my gosh, it just slid back.
I'm hoping he can continue
to be vulnerable
and let me know
where his heart is.
Oh, my gosh.
Do you know how to stop?
No!
[upbeat music]
Just imagine
that we're on Pacific.
The beach is out here
to the west.
Oh, my gosh, look how nice
the water is today.
I know. It's incredible.
[laughs]
I'm excited just to be here
with Tayshia.
I feel this insane connection
to her.
It also helps
that there's, like,
this undeniable chemistry,
and, like, I have a huge crush.
It doesn't even
feel like a date.
It just feels like
I'm with my girlfriend.
This is the most LA thing
that I do.
Oh, my gosh!
Got a little juice bar.
Cute.
There's a charcoal one...
Yum.
Apple cider vinegar, turmeric,
and then, like, a wellness sh*t.
Mm-hmm.
Mm. Okay.
Mm! Mm! Mm-mm.
You can spit it out
if you want.
Mm-mm. What's wrong?
I'm dying.
The wellness sh*ts
were aggressive.
I was like,
"God, please don't die.
It's, like, our first stop
on the date."
So I noticed that you didn't
have sunglasses or a hat on.
Yeah?
So we're gonna go
to one of the boardwalk shops.
Oh, my gosh.
This is for you.
This screams Ben? [laughs]
I just love the way
Ben carries himself.
He's just really easy
to talk to.
I can definitely be myself
around him.
I don't know, he's, like, cute,
and he just, like--
we, like, banter a lot
and it just feels like he cares
and wants to put the effort in.
You're joking!
[laughter]
Wait, we're so cute.
I know, right?
He makes me feel really good.
[laughs] Okay.
I'm very smitten
and taken by Ben.
The best part about Venice...
Yeah?
Is not the boardwalk. Oh.
It's the beach.
[seagull cries]
♪ ♪
[champagne pops] [gasps]
Wow. Easy.
Benjamin. [chuckles]
Today was insane.
I had a blast.
But I cannot wait for tonight
to meet your family.
Yeah. So who am I meeting?
I told you before, like,
my life is full
of strong, independent,
bold, decisive women.
Yeah.
And the two people
that you're gonna meet today
are my two favorite.
Okay.
A really close family friend.
Her name's Antonia.
She is with me
more than anybody else.
And you and her are
eerily similar.
Really? It's incredible.
My sister, Madalyn,
will be here.
[squeals] Okay.
She's the one
that I told you about
at our one-on-one date.
Mm-hmm.
She's the most incredible
person I've ever met,
and so I'm so excited
that you get to meet her.
Yeah.
My parents,
they weren't able to make it,
just 'cause of, like, COVID,
and my dad's a doctor,
and so, like...
Do you think
your parents think
you're ready for marriage?
Yeah.
Yeah, my parents haven't
seen me happy in a long time.
Like, really happy.
I haven't been this happy
in a long time.
Oh, my gosh. Really?
I haven't been this happy
in a long time.
[chuckles]
She asked me that question,
"Do your parents think
you're ready for marriage?"
And I said, "Yeah, of course.
I think, even more,
what they want
is for me to be happy,
and I've never been happier
in my entire life.
I feel an incredible thing here,
the way that she looks
in my eyes
or the way that she, like,
squeezed my hand.
Tayshia is the most
pleasant surprise
I've ever gotten in my life.
Oh, my gosh, I needed this.
But yeah...
When Ben looks at me,
it's like he's looking
into my soul,
and I really, really like it.
[laughs]
You make me happy.
There is a lot of mystery
to Ben.
And I feel like that's almost
what's exciting about it.
But the family part
is a really big part
that I'm missing
about Ben's life,
so I feel like
meeting his family tonight
is gonna be crucial.
I love doing this.
[soft music]
♪ ♪
Ben! [laughs] What?
Today was such a good day.
He makes me feel so good
and, like, so happy,
and I feel like
that's how we would be
outside of here.
Tonight,
I'm meeting Ben's sister
and his family friend, Antonia,
and I'm hoping
they can give me insight
as to who he really is,
because I feel like
it took him so long
to be able to open up
about his past.
Are you nervous?
A little bit. 'Cause I am.
You are? Okay.
Madalyn. both: Antonia.
I got this. Good. Let's go.
I definitely
am falling for Ben,
but until Ben says it,
I feel like that's when it's
really gonna mean something.
[laughter]
Are you kidding me?
[laughter]
I'm so excited.
I cannot believe
that they came here.
Hi. Hi.
Both Mads and Antonia are
two people in my life
that I know for sure
unconditionally love me,
but I hope that they're
gonna be in awe with Tayshia.
Hi! Hi, I'm Madalyn.
By meeting my sister
and by meeting Antonia,
Tayshia's gonna get to see
a part of me
that I might not be able
to show.
I hope that she walks away
from today
knowing that
there is a possible life
with us together.
Okay, guys,
so what's been happening?
Hi! Hi. Nice to meet you.
Okay, so, Madalyn, Antonia,
Ben, Tayshia.
So nice to meet you.
Very nice to meet you.
So nice to meet you.
Guys, I got a girlfriend.
[laughter]
Like, hi. Surprise!
Can you tell us everything?
Well, okay, first off,
you know, I have heard
so much about you guys.
If there's one thing
that makes Ben's eyes light up,
it's you guys,
and just having you guys here,
I know, means so much to him.
We're very excited
to be here, yeah.
[laughter] Cheers.
Cheers, guys.
So happy that you're here.
I really hope
I make a good impression.
Tayshia, do you wanna
go in the other room
and talk for a little bit?
Love to.
I feel like Madalyn
and Antonia could
definitely fill in
some of the little holes
of where Ben still holds
a little bit of mystery.
I truly care about Ben,
but it's like,
there's so much more
I have to uncover.
I have to say,
I am dying to talk to you.
I know. Me too.
But also, I'm so happy
you're here.
I am so happy to be here.
Okay, so I'm just like--
it's just so much to talk about.
Yeah, yeah, ask away.
So--okay.
So starting since day one,
Ben has been someone
I have had my eye on,
but I will say, like,
him being so closed off
has, like,
kinda made me hesitant,
and it's to the point
where I'm, like,
constantly looking
for something to be wrong,
or, like, he's hiding
something, because I'm like,
"There's just no way
you're that perfect,
but also, like,
I know you're guarded."
Right. Everyone has a past--
Absolutely.
And I think being hurt,
I think he is
a little bit more guarded...
Mm-hmm.
Than he maybe would have
been before, especially--
this is just
a really different situation,
and so I think
that's probably part of it too,
but I will say,
and I know I'm his sister,
he's not hiding anything.
It's just, the wall
hasn't broken down yet.
And I've always said, like,
even though you'd think
he's, like, this jock,
he really is very sensitive.
Yeah.
And I'm sure you've seen
parts of that too.
I can tell. Mm-hmm.
And he really does wear
his heart on his sleeve,
and I think in his past,
that's gotten him hurt.
But at the end of the day,
he definitely--
he wants to be vulnerable
with that special person.
Yeah.
It was really nice
talking to Madalyn
and hearing, like,
a sister's perspective on Ben.
Because I know my feelings
are growing for Ben
and I'm confident
where my heart is.
I'm hoping that he can
continue to be vulnerable
and just be honest
about how he feels about me.
I'm so glad that you came out.
I'm so happy.
And I'm so happy
that we're able to talk
about my relationship
with Tayshia.
Okay, wait.
Start from the beginning.
She's incredible.
She's decisive.
She's incredibly intelligent.
She makes me feel a way
that I've never felt
in my entire life.
And I think
the feeling is happiness.
Like, genuine... Mm-hmm, yeah.
Legitimate happiness.
And every time I'm around her,
I'm more impressed
with the way
that she's able to make me
into some sort of better person.
I don't, like, have the words
to describe it.
It's incredible.
She just always knows
what to do and what to say,
and it's things
that I know I need
but I'm scared to ask for
or I don't know in the moment
to ask for,
and she just happens to do it.
I love all of this so much.
I--I know!
I knew that you would love
all these things,
'cause we've, like,
talked about this.
Yeah. Listen, as soon as I
saw you guys sit down together,
I was like, "It's lights out."
Like, Maddie looked at me
and I was like, "It's over.
Like, I can tell."
Okay, so have you felt this way
about any other woman before?
No. Not even close.
I have the strongest feelings
I've ever had for a person
for her.
I just--you know, "love" is,
like, a scary word.
That's okay. Yeah.
It's just like, once you say it,
it can't be unsaid,
and, like, once you give that
to somebody
and they give it back to you,
then, like...
[sighs] You love her.
I don't know.
You love her.
It's not even a question.
♪ ♪
I'm in love with her.
I know. That's wild.
I sat down and I was
just like, "You love her.
Like, what are you
talking about?"
She's so great. Yeah.
I just don't know
how to say it.
Same way you say it
to all of us.
I know.
The same way that you say it
to everyone else.
You know what I mean?
Just let go. How 'bout that?
I know. You already have.
You're like--you're literally,
like, 3/4 of the way there.
Yeah.
Wild. Yeah.
That's wild.
I know. I love you.
See how easy that is?
[both laugh]
The first thing Antonia said,
she said,
"You love her, don't you?"
And in the moment, I was like,
"Oh, I don't know.
I don't know.
Like, I feel a certain way."
And after the conversation,
I was like,
"I am in love with her."
My brain's exploding.
I did not know it was love
until Antonia called me out
on it.
Thank you.
So good to meet you.
So good to meet you, honestly.
Yeah.
Thank you for being here.
So great to meet you.
So good to meet you.
Tonight was the most
important night of my life.
Having the opportunity
to sit with the people
that I care most about
and who know me the best
gave me new perspective,
and I leave...
in love.
Tonight, I wanna be able
to tell her all that
and then tell her
that I've fallen
in love with her.
I, like,
had a really good day.
Yeah.
[laughs]
All right. I did too.
Did you? Yeah.
You, like,
know all the things now.
Like, I got to share
a little bit last time.
Yeah.
They probably shared...
I don't even know
what they shared, but, like,
they probably shared
all the other stuff
that I didn't tell you.
Mm-hmm.
It's all true, for sure.
[laughs]
I got, like,
weirdly emotional.
It's not weird, Ben.
It's a good thing.
How do you feel?
I--I feel...
so good about, like,
the way that this is...
[tense music]
♪ ♪
It's so easy...
♪ ♪
Yeah, I...
I don't know.
I'm incredibly uncomfortable.
I'm super nervous.
My heart rate's
never been higher.
Um...
I just--my brain couldn't work.
We gotta go to bed.
So I have to stand up
and now watch you walk away?
Guess so. Okay.
Good night. [chuckles]
Bye. See ya.
In true Ben fashion,
I just blew it.
I'm in love with her,
and I should've told her.
And now I'm terrified
that I won't get a rose
this week
and I won't get to tell her
how I feel,
and that kills me inside.
♪ ♪
[soft tense music]
♪ ♪
I have
a Rose Ceremony tonight,
and it's really weighing on me.
I had such an amazing week
with Ben, Brendan,
Ivan, and Zac.
The problem is that
I'm definitely falling
for all of them,
and I have to make a decision
and I have to follow my heart
in doing that,
and it's not easy.
Life with each of them
could be amazing,
but unfortunately, I can't be
with all four of them.
♪ ♪
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Brendan, what's up?
How are you, sir?
Good to see you.
How you doing?
Very good. How you feeling?
Feeling good.
I'm feeling nervous.
Feeling excited.
Uncertain of the unknown,
of course,
but so grateful and thankful
to be here
and, you know, excited
for whatever comes my way.
Well, good luck to you.
Thank you, sir.
I appreciate it. Come on in.
I have really strong
feelings for Tayshia,
so I absolutely
want a rose tonight
so I can continue
this amazing journey with her
and keep that momentum going
into next week.
Ivan. How you doing, sir?
I'm doing good.
How 'bout yourself?
I'm doing really good.
Good to see you.
Good to see you as well.
Head on inside.
It's a very big night tonight.
I'm, like, really confident
in my relationship with Tayshia,
but then as soon
as I actually get in the room
and I see the roses,
I think about, like,
"Man, this could all be over
in just a matter of minutes."
Chris. Zac.
Good to see you, man.
Good to see you.
Head on inside.
I'm falling in love
with Tayshia,
but, like, this week could've
been so intense for Tayshia
that, like, she's like,
"Wow, that's just too much.
That energy is too much."
I don't know.
♪ ♪
How's it going, Chris?
Ben, how you doing?
I'm good. How are you?
Good to see you.
Looking sharp tonight.
It's good to see you.
Thank you very much.
How's your week?
Had a great time
with my Hometown
and introducing Tayshia
to my family,
so I'm excited for, you know,
what tonight could bring,
and I feel the relationship
that we have is
just getting stronger
every time we see each other,
and...
I'm in love with her.
Does she know that? Not yet.
All right, good luck to you.
I'm always ready.
Come on in. Thanks, Chris.
I'm nervous about tonight.
Telling Tayshia
the way that I feel
is incredibly daunting
and scary,
but, like, I wanna tell her
that I'm in love with her,
and getting a rose tonight
means that I get to do that.
I just hope
that it's not too late.
Good evening.
Hello.
Beautiful dress.
Thank you so much.
How you feeling?
[sighs]
I'm nervous,
but I think I know
what I'm gonna do.
Do you know how these guys
feel about you?
[chuckles]
I try to guess. Yeah.
But I hope--I don't know.
I hope they're on
the same page I am.
You ready to go? Think so.
All right. Come on inside.
Good luck. [exhales]
♪ ♪
[sighs]
Hometowns.
It was one hell of a week,
I'll tell you that much.
It meant a lot to me.
But I will tell you,
after every Hometown,
it got harder
and my heart got
a little heavier,
because not only
am I just holding
your hearts in my hands now,
but I feel like I have
your families' hearts
in my hands as well.
And it's a lot.
Thank you for this week.
It means a lot.
All I can do is just
follow my heart,
and it's led me this far,
with four incredible guys,
so I'm just gonna continue
to trust it.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
Ivan.
♪ ♪
Ivan, will you accept this rose?
Of course. [chuckles]
♪ ♪
[indistinct]. Thank you.
♪ ♪
Zac.
Zac, will you accept this rose?
Absolutely.
♪ ♪
[sighs] Tayshia,
gentlemen,
this is the final rose tonight.
When you're ready.
[dramatic music]
♪ ♪
Brendan.
[solemn music]
♪ ♪
Brendan, will you accept
this rose?
I will.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
Ben, I'm sorry.
Take a moment,
say your goodbyes.
♪ ♪
See ya.
[indistinct chatter]
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Take a seat? Yeah.
[sighs]
I'm sorry, Ben.
I think you're incredible,
and I feel like
you have taught me so much
being here, truly.
I really care about you.
I care about you.
And I appreciated this week
so much.
I just feel like
I don't know if our pa--
our pages are necessarily
aligned at this time.
I'm not sure what--
I'm not sure what to say.
Just...
I would've liked it to go
a different way,
but, you know, that's--
it is what it is.
[sighs]
I'll be all right.
Like, I'm always all right.
Ben, don't shut down on me.
The last, you know,
two weeks specifically
showed me a lot
about the things
I was feeling for you.
I mean, yeah, I...
But... I don't know.
I've been wrong before.
Like, I'm heartbroken,
but I'll be all right.
[somber music]
♪ ♪
So-I...
I--yeah.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
I wish you the best.
I know that.
I truly care about you.
As do I.
♪ ♪
[engine turns over]
♪ ♪
I'm not asking for, like,
this grand gesture,
but the fact
that he couldn't give me,
like, one ounce of emotion,
it was extremely disappointing.
There was no emotion at all.
He wasn't angry,
he wasn't mad, he wasn't sad.
It kinda felt empty,
and I just felt like,
"Please make me feel like
these past few weeks
meant anything to you."
♪ ♪
I-[sighs]
I, like,
don't even know what to do.
♪ ♪
I'm still in love with her.
[sighs]
I really thought
we were gonna be together.
♪ ♪
I wanted to marry her.
She was gonna be my wife,
the mother of my children,
all these things, and...
♪ ♪
[sighs]
[sniffles]
This is not how I thought
it was gonna end with Ben,
because I really, truly--
I really did consider Ben
someone I could end up with
at the end of this.
But, like, I've put a lot
of my, like, time and energy
into pulling things out of Ben,
and I can't do that
every single time.
♪ ♪
My heart is starting to hurt,
and it's just, like, a lot.
It's, like, a lot.
♪ ♪
[sighs]
I should've told her
how I felt
when I had the chance.
After my Hometown.
[sobbing]
♪ ♪
Oh, God. [sniffles]
I'm not sure how I'm supposed
to fall out of love with her.
Maybe she loved me
and she thought
I didn't love her back.
And then if that's the case,
I [bleep] blew it.
[sobbing]
♪ ♪
Coming up next week...
Fantasy Suites are this week.
That time alone is so crucial.
Tayshia, I am undoubtedly
falling in love with you
right now.
It's an unbelievable
two-night "Bachelorette" finale
next Monday and Tuesday night.
We're gonna have
the best day ever.
No!
Best overnight,
if that's offered to me.
It's a strange dynamic
at this point.
I have certain nerves
and feel a little anxious.
She's gonna potentially
stay up all night
with another guy.
It's very tough.
It's, like,
the elephant in the room.
The fact that you can love
more than one person
at one time,
it's been hard to navigate.
This thing could be the b*mb
that just explodes everything.
There's a Rose Ceremony.
What do I do with that?
[sobbing] Oh, my God.
I never wanna experience
that heartache
that I experienced
in my last marriage.
Tayshia. Frankly, I'm worried.
I don't want you to be making
the biggest mistake
of your life.
[dramatic music]
[sobbing]
Don't miss the special
two-night season finale
next Monday and Tuesday.
Really?
You guys watch, right?
Don't you, like--
Oh, they watched even
"Bachelor in Paradise."
Oh, dude. [laughter]
I don't know it.
I've never heard of it.
Well, my mom's
biggest disappointment
was that Chris wasn't
gonna be here tonight.
Well, I didn't know
if we would meet him.
[laughter]
No, I mean, I know he's busy.
I mean, you never know
around here.
I'm just saying.
Let me tell you.
People fly in and out
of this place like--
It's very true.
You never know.
Oh, my-[laughter]
Oh!
[laughs] Hey.
I had to come meet you.
Oh, my golly.
Oh. You just made her night.
Wait, did you know
I wanted to meet you?
No, I was just walking by.
[laughter]
And I thought
I would just stumble in.
Hope it's all right.
I just wanted to stop by
and say hello.
Oh, my golly.
Thank you so much.
How are these
crazy kids doing?
I think they--
Seems like they're doing well.
I feel like they're doing
really well.
Good.
I actually came because
I have some huge news, okay?
[gasps] Okay.
And everything
is about to change.
[gasps]
I'm just kidding.
[laughter] Oh, my golly!
I'm just messing
with you guys.
[laughter]
16x11 - Week 8: Hometowns
Watch/Buy Amazon
Desiree Hartsock thought she would happily end up with Bachelor Sean Lowe. Their relationship started off incredibly strong, but somewhere along the way Desiree lost her confidence. After struggling to regain what they once had, Sean and Desiree seemed to be on the right track - until the hometown dates. Millions watched, stunned, as Sean sent Desiree home, and they fell even more in love with her as she struggled to tell him he was making a big mistake. Now it's time for Desiree to call the sh*ts when she gets her second chance to find love.
Desiree Hartsock thought she would happily end up with Bachelor Sean Lowe. Their relationship started off incredibly strong, but somewhere along the way Desiree lost her confidence. After struggling to regain what they once had, Sean and Desiree seemed to be on the right track - until the hometown dates. Millions watched, stunned, as Sean sent Desiree home, and they fell even more in love with her as she struggled to tell him he was making a big mistake. Now it's time for Desiree to call the sh*ts when she gets her second chance to find love.