My friend and I just took advantage of TGIF’s new all you can eat Appetizers, it was my first time in a TGIF in 6 years, we drank a tonne we ate a tonne and it will probably be another 6 years before I am hungry again.
Hometown dates:
Nick in Wisconsin is first:
Andi meets Nick in the Milwaukee public market. Nick calls it his favorite place in the city. Nick clearly has the bar put a new tap on with Nick and Andi beer “the Perfect brew”. It is probably sour. 
Andi asks “what is a polka?” AGAIN...how is she an attorney?
They finally meet Nick’s family...he has 10 siblings it is like so many stereotypes I have heard of Wisconsin. 
Nick’s dad pulls Andi aside but we never see the conversation. Instead we see the conversation with Andi and Nick’s closest sibling who brings up that Nick has had his heart broken before.
Andi also gets questioned by Nick’s 9 year old little sister Bella and Andi tries to explain what a “mental connection” is to her - run little girl, do not get dating advice from this woman. Nick then grills Bella for her questions and Andi’s answers (methinks he gave her the questions) she tells him that Andi really likes him. I find the age gap between Nick and his sister a bit strange, he is 33...I have a huge age gap in my family but this seems extraordinary especially since Nick does not seem like he is the oldest. My ex teases me constantly about the age difference between my brother and I, she hates me, but her mom is hot.
Nick gives a very creepy stare into the camera and says “I will never get enough Andi, I just want it to be us”. Nick does not tell her he loves her.
We go to Arlington, Iowa:
It is Chris’ hometown date and we get the obligatory shot of him walking alone in a huge field. Chris has a house and this impresses Andi, she keeps missing his hints that maybe the family paid for it he uses “ours” and “we” alot when talking about the home and property.
They take a tractor out into the field and Chris lets Andi drive, she pretends to panic like there could ever be an accident while they are out in acres and acres of property. 
Andi pretends that she could be happy in Iowa, Chris thinks Andi is excited about Iowa...Chris is wrong. Chris tells Andi that she could be a homemaker, she is less than pleased. He has a plane fly by with a banner ‘Chris loves Andi’, 
I know it is supposed to be cute but I get the feeling that life with Chris is filled with kitschy stuff that would just drive me nuts.
Chris' mom asks Chris if Andi could live in Iowa...it is not a good sign that everyone knows this could be a concern. Andi is NOT I repeat NOT moving to Iowa - She while talking to Nick’s mom says “I love my career” and we have to wonder “What career?”, reality TV? Because clearly she is not trying to be an attorney. Chris’ mom is very sweet. Daggum it.
To end the night they play “Ghost in the graveyard” and of course Andi finds Chris (they make out) because hey this is not scripted.
Tampa Florida:
Josh’s hometown:
Josh takes her to a baseball field and claims that it is tough for him to take anyone there that might be true, if I tried hard to make a team and it did not work out that might crush me. 
He throws Andi some soft pitches and she crushes them, she even breaks a bat...
I keep staring at her shorts.
Josh makes it seem that he chose to give up baseball, not the other way around. He is now focused on his brother Aaron Murray (I am surprised that it took me this long to make the connection - I liked his brother in college) former QB at Georgia the kid was tough and good.
Apparently Josh is in love with his dog Sable. Aaron leads the toast at the table (and looks directly into the camera) Andi appears to be very jealous of the attention that Aaron is receiving. Josh’s sister tells Andi that she and Josh might fight over Andi’s desire to separate him from the family.
They play a game of backyard football, since I know he has been safely drafted I chuckle at the thought of Aaron getting injured in this game and having to explain this to teams.
Dallas Texas:
Marcus’ hometown:
He picks Andi up and this feels like it was done just to show off his Mercedes.
He takes her to a club that is so blatantly a set up and yup he reenacts his stripping from the first group date he was on...
his dancing is terrible - but Andi is intrigued.
All of these hometown dates have been terrible.
Andi meets Marcus’ family and his niece presents them with bracelets, all these kids tonight have been so much more confident than I ever was as a kid. I do wonder if social media and the openness of information makes kids less concerned about cameras and strangers in their home nowadays...or maybe I was just a wuss.
Marcus’ sister does him no favors and makes him sound like he is clingy. Marcus starts crying when talking to his brother about their dad leaving and his brother being a father figure and yup his sister is right - he is very sensitive.
All of these dates seem very truncated and I suspect there was some editing done to get them down to a small size so that more time could be spent on the death of Eric, or maybe they were the usual length and I did not notice it because I am digesting 18lbs of chicken wings.
We go to Chris Harrison’s home in Los Angeles, CA:
No really we are at Chris’ home...and of course his home is laid out like a Bachelor/Bachelorette set - All the guys able to sit facing the camera. And arrives and everyone looks nervous, Chris proceeds to tell them that Eric has died. The room goes appropriately quiet. Marcus walks outside, Andi follows him and they sit on the porch with Marcus’ arm around her (grief can be sexy?). The production crew comes in and starts to hug Andi and the guys, the camera is perfectly placed to capture the reactions - I know that I am very cynical in this blog, but as someone who has worked with people in film I can vouch for them that even in moments of genuine emotion/grief on their part, they would still be professional enough like this group to keep filming.
BUT...this whole moment feels gross and unnecessary, we already knew that Eric had died, it was impressed upon us the very first night of this show, it was rehashed the night he left we did not need to see this, we did not need to know how they reacted, it felt staged and it felt forced.
Andi and Chris sit down for their fireside chat, and Andi cries alot about the responsibility she now bears, yes Andi has made Eric’s death about her.
Nick busts out a gorgeously cocky pastel jacket...that is the jacket you wear when you think you are winning the show. 
I also love that he is clearly not wearing an “I came to mourn jacket”. Andi picks up the first rose, holds it like a chalice, pauses and then says “I am sorry” and walks off crying; I want to believe it is genuine.
I also love that he is clearly not wearing an “I came to mourn jacket”. Andi picks up the first rose, holds it like a chalice, pauses and then says “I am sorry” and walks off crying; I want to believe it is genuine.
Josh gets the first rose when Andi returns...have to fulfill that contract. Chris gets the 2nd rose and I am surprised. Nick gets the final rose and there is no surprise there. Once Chris got the rose Marcus was done for. Andi tells Marcus he did everything right...oh really?
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