[cue Daughtry Home]
[cue Bee Gees Words]
[cue The Spinners Could It Be I’m Falling in Love]
[cue Al Green L-O-V-E]
A lot of things happen in the Hometown visits both for our entertainment (the skeptical Dad, the protective Mom, the combative sibling) and crucial information for the couples. But when the meeting and greeting are over, and the couples adjourn to the bench that sits in front of every house (is there a “benches” line item in the production budget?), the words each use to communicate their respective levels of affection are paramount. While the Bachelorettes are typically somewhat guarded in what they say, their suitors are expected to tell her where they are in their journey with her.
It all comes down to where they are in their connection. Are Jenn’s bachelors FALLING (the F-word) in love, or are they already there, in love (the L-word)? What will Jenn say in response? And what will be the emotional tone of the music that the Evil Genius Producers (EGPs) use to shape those moments? Regardless of what happened earlier in the visit, the choice of and response to the words are of prime importance.
The “first” Hometown was Devin’s in Houston. First means that he was the first one the Evil Genius EGPs showed us and not necessarily the first visit that happened. First matters because only twice in the history of The Bachelorette has the first guy shown “won,” which is problematic for Devin’s chances of getting an accepted proposal.
He and Jenn went running with his run club. My Friend and Loyal Follower of these Musings, CSP, asked about the music that played in the background. To find out. I needed to put my Crack Research Staff to work, and they found the appropriately named song Running Wild by Vanacore, an organization that composes music for broadcasts and branding.
Devin knows he’s been holding back on dropping the L-word. Mom says he needs to risk it for the biscuit1. He goes for it, drops the L-word TWICE, and while Jenn is “so happy,” she responds with the less declarative F-word instead by saying she’s “falling so hard.” The “so hard” helps, but it’s less than the real deal, and the low-key music the EGPs placed in the background indicates to me that we shouldn’t get too excited about Devin’s long-term prognosis.
Final Two Potential Quotient – Medium Low
Jenn’s second Hometown is with Jeremy in Fairfield, CT. Jenn thinks it’s crazy that she’s meeting his family at this point, probably because It’s borderline if a majority of Bachelor Nation knows him by name yet. They meet in the woods to go to a grocery store because everybody meets up in the middle of the woods to go to a grocery store for a date.
My obsessive Crack Research staff went to work on this one. The closest Stew Leonards to Fairfield is in Norwalk, about a 20-minute drive. This does nothing to explain the meet-up in the woods to tell her they’re going shopping at a grocery store.
All that said, My Daughter Cassandra (MDC) loved the playful nature of said date.
Jeremy confesses to his family that he’s been “guarded” about his feelings. Mom tells Jenn that he may not be ready to be engaged in the timeline of their dating, and that concerns Jenn because, what, five or six weeks of filming while you’re dating a couple dozen guys should be more than enough time for a guy to make a lifetime commitment to you.
So Jenn presses Jeremy on his readiness, and he finally drops his guard to say the F-word, “I’m falling for you.” That makes Jenn “really happy,” but she has no F or L words in return. The background music was tepid. This doesn’t bode well for Jeremy.
Final Two Potential Quotient – Very Low
Hometown #3 is with Jonathan in San Diego. As they both played competitive lacrosse, he set up a date on a lacrosse field. But the theme of the episode is about the guys “being open about feelings,” “being vulnerable, ”and “breaking down walls,” and Jonathan fits right in. He’s got trust issues from a prior toxic relationship, and there’s nothing like your girlfriend being in serious engagement negotiations with three other guys to make you want to be reluctant about being open, vulnerable, and breaking down one’s walls.
But his brother and sister-in-law had a whirlwind romance, and Mom sees sparks between them. Jonathan’s sis says, “You gotta play big to win big.” So Jonathan pushed all his chips into the middle of the table, and F-words went flying! With names! “Jennifer Tran, I am falling for you.” “Jonathan Walter, I am also falling for you.” [cue Alicia Keys Fallin’] They kiss with dramatic music!
Final Two Potential Quotient – Very High
The final Hometown is Marcus in Tacoma. He wins the contest for Most Unsure He Can Get There. In other words, he’s thinking rationally. The EGPs make sure that everything about this visit is that Marcus is Unsure He Can Get There, which is precisely why we know he will eventually get there. Marcus draws strength from his sister, with whom he has a very close relationship due to their abandonment by their parents. He drops the F-word with LOTS of dramatic background music, and Jenn responds, “I’m so happy. I feel so strongly for you, too,” along with MORE dramatic background music.
Final Two Potential Quotient – Very High
After the Hometowns, the EGPs gave us a new segment – Bros get Brews. All four guys got together to share ale and feelings about where they are with Jenn. Devin is, of course, Devin, irrationally confident, and Jeremy and Jonathan feel good about where they’re at, which makes Marcus Even More Unsure He Can Get There.
The Rose Ceremony will make one guy one Rose short of making Fantasy Suites. That guy is Jeremy. [cue Carpenters Goodbye to Love]
Prediction. Marcus will be the Last Man Kneeling. The EGPs making his narrative all about his uncertainty is misdirection. He fits the “this season on The Bachelorette” preview of her saying I can’t let an unknown “you” propose to me because Jenn is going to propose to him to let him feel chosen in contrast to his parents not having chosen him.
I said what I said.
See you next week.
P.S. This week’s viewing wine was a really nice Kirkland (Costco) brand Vacqueyras Rhone blend (80% Grenache, 10% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre).
- She didn’t literally say that. That’s a line from a Hallmark movie starring former American Idol runner-up Lauren Alaina. I know that because I intentionally watched Roadhouse Romance to see My Girl Lauren. She was pretty good. ↩︎
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