Elyse Watches The Bachelorette–S20 E6: Knitting Date

This week is hometowns on The Bachelorette, the episode Pudding and I hate most.

Why?

The contestants take the Bachelorette back to their hometown and introduce her to their family, thereby dragging them into this reality BS as well.

And it’s always the same thing: the families wonder “how can you fall in love with multiple people at once?” Then the Bachelorette cries because this is getting really hard, and my head hurts from rolling my eyes.

Anyway, here’s Pudding’s feelings on the matter:

First up they go to Aaron’s hometown of Houston.  He points out right away that they haven’t said they’re falling in love with each other (while she has with the other contestants).

Aaron’s family is preparing the most amazing looking cookout. I would say F you to the “no eating while mic’d” rule immediately. There’s gumbo, frog legs, catfish and shrimp. There is fried lobster.

Pudding is tying on a bib right now.

Aaron says his mom is “very welcoming” then adds, “at the same time she locked one of my exes in a room for forty-five minutes to have ‘a chat’.”

Charity and Aaron’s mom talk, and his mom likes her. She asks what Charity would do if Aaron proposed today and Charity struggles to answer. Finally she admits she couldn’t say yes, and Aaron’s mom’s expression changes to far less impressed.

Charity tells the camera, “With the time we have, I don’t know if me and Aaron will get there.”

Later they stop by Aaron’s high school and he gives her a letterman jacket.

Next up is Joey’s hometown.

He’s from Collegeville, PA. He gives her a tennis lesson (he’s a tennis coach) and he gives her the cutest tennis outfit.

Pudding: I would look amazing in that.

During family time, Joey’s mom is worried he’ll get his heart broken.

Joey’s uncle (confusingly named Joe) thinks Joey isn’t portraying himself, but is “portraying someone she wants.”

Then he says, “We’ve been down this road before.”

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Later, Charity asks Uncle Joe if Joey is ready to be a husband and father.

He says, “I don’t know.”

He also says Joey is a people pleaser and will try to be the person he thinks someone wants rather than who he is.

Charity struggles when she’s leaving and cries. Joey thinks it’s because she doesn’t want to leave, but it’s really because she’s conflicted now.

Then it’s Xavier’s turn; he’s from Cleveland, OH.

He takes her on THE BEST DATE EVER. They go to a yarn store!

Pudding: I would roll in all of that yarn!

Xavier tells her that he learned to knit to reduce stress.

I too find knitting very meditative. Then they hang out with a knitting group.

Charity comments on how nice the knitting group is and how patient Xavier is.

Later, during family time, Charity asks his sister if he’s ready to settle down.  She tells Charity he’s been looking for his person for a long time.

Later Xavier tells her that he’s falling in love with her. She says she doesn’t want the day to end.

Well, yeah, because knitting.

Last up is Dotun. He lives in Fresno. She meets Dotun’s grandma first who is busy feeding everyone. Then his parents surprise everyone by coming back early from a trip to Nigeria.

Dotun’s siblings are excited when they learn she enjoys Nigerian food. They also reassure her that she’s seeing the real Dotun (after her concerns about Joey).

Dotun’s mother says that if she picks him, she’ll whisk Charity off to Nigeria and will give her a big wedding.

Later Charity and Dotun go for a ride in a convertible and stop at a drive in theater. They watch a movie of their childhood photos.

While I love Xavier and the knitting, I really think Charity and Dotun have the best chemistry and connection here.

So then it’s time for the rose ceremony which, inexplicably, is in an airplane hangar. It’s also got to be hot as hell because everyone is very sweaty. There’s a lot of dramatic music and Charity cries because she’s not sure what to do. It’s very drawn out.

In the end Aaron goes home.

That’s it. Are you still watching?