Get in, Bachelor Nation! We’re going on Hometown Dates.
After five speedy weeks, The Bachelorette took viewers to Texas, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and California to meet the families of Charity Lawson’s four remaining men: Aaron Bryant, Joey Graziadei, Xavier Bonner, and Dotun Olubeko.
In a refreshing twist, Charity’s Hometown Dates weren’t overly dramatic like those of seasons past. Aside from one questionable uncle who instilled a nugget of doubt in her mind, her biggest problem ahead of the major rose ceremony was the fact that she was falling in love with all four men and couldn’t imagine saying goodbye to anyone. A blessing and a curse!
The episode featured four deeply romantic one-on-one dates, several crucial conversations with relatives, and cathartic cries — both happy and sad. If you think you know who’s going home, think again. This episode keeps you guessing until the final rose is handed out.
Looking for a recap of The Bachelorette Season 20, Week 6? Wondering who went home after Hometown Dates? Decider’s Season 20, Episode 6 recap breaks down all the juicy details. Just be mindful that spoilers lie ahead.
Location: Houston, TX
Aaron’s Hometown Hang: Aaron’s mom (Ethel), dad, younger brother (Erick), older brother (Edward), sister-in-law (Audrey)
Aaron’s been a strong contestant since the start, but ahead of his Hometown Date, both he and Charity expressed concern over the fact that they hadn’t had much alone time since their perfect one-on-one date in Week 2. Charity straight-up told cameras her relationship with Aaron was “the furthest behind” going into Week 6, which made me wonder yet again why she gave a Week 5 one-on-one date to Dotun, who was fresh off a Week 4 solo date. But back to Hometowns!
After a feast of frog legs, catfish, gumbo, fried lobster, and more, Charity and Aaron’s mom had a frank chat where Charity admitted if Aaron proposed to her that day she wouldn’t be able to say yes. Though Aaron’s parents were a bit skeptical of the process, they embraced Charity wholeheartedly, with Aaron’s dad telling him she’s “a keeper.” Following a warm, positive day, Charity told Aaron’s mom she couldn’t wait to come back one day (bold words!), explaining in a confessional that she could envision herself joining the family.
As the sun set on a perfect day, Aaron took Charity to a football field for a perfect night. He got them matching Letterman jackets, told her he’s falling in love with her, and they danced to the same Lauren Alaina song from their first date. Smooth moves all around, Bryant!
Location: Collegeville, PA
Joey’s Hometown Hang: Joey’s mom (Cathy), dad (Nick), sisters (Carly and Ellie), and brother-in-law (Zach)
Next up, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, where Charity planned to tell Joey she was falling in love with him if all went well. The day kicked off with the tennis pro giving Charity her first lesson on an indoor court, but their romantic one-on-one came to a halt when Joey’s Uncle Joe crashed the date to give some lessons of his own. After observing the chemistry on the court, Uncle Joe told cameras that Charity was fantastic, but said “something didn’t feel 100% with Joey.” Uh oh!
Going into the night, Charity’s nerves were high, but Joey’s family gave her a warm welcome that went so smoothly she told Joey’s sister she was falling in love and wanted forever with him. (Again, bold words!) Then Uncle Joe returned to serve up trouble. When chatting with Joey, Joe questioned if he was portraying his true self or the version of him that Charity wanted. He reminded Joey he’s a “people pleaser” and has a tendency to become who other people want him to be, but Joey maintained that he’d been his genuine self throughout the journey. When Joe and Charity sat down, however, Joe asked her how confident she was that she had the real Joey, which raised concerns. Rather than chatting about her worries or bringing the conversation to Joey’s attention, Charity said goodbye with tears in her eyes, leaving him to wonder what was going through her mind.
Location: Cleveland, OH
Xavier’s Hometown Hang: Xavier’s mom (Tracey), his dad, and his sister (Chelsea)
Instead of taking Charity to the lab, Xavier — the biomedical scientist who continues to surprise — took her on the franchise’s most wholesome date…to a yarn store…for A KNITTING CLASS. As Xavier taught Charity how to navigate the needles (not sticks), she marveled over his patience and the sparkling confidence he exuded in his element. Afterward, the two stopped by a cafe to chat more about the weight of an engagement, and Charity went to meet his family wondering if he was ready to get down on one knee.
As Xavier revealed in his one-on-one date, his mom has multiple sclerosis, his dad is her caretaker, and he’s essentially devoted his career to the hope of helping her, so it was extra touching to see their tight-knit bond. Though Tracey said her son was likely fearful of the fast pace of the show, she assured Charity that he wants to get married and be a dad. And Xavier told both parents he was ready to take that next step with Charity. With her concerns sorted, Charity left the Hometown Date with her “feelings intensified times 100.”
Location: Fresno, CA
Dotun’s Hometown Hang: Dotun’s brothers, sisters, and Grandma Temitayo, plus two surprise guests
Filled with doubt after Joey’s Hometown Date, Charity went into her crucial time with Dotun determined to ask his family if she was getting his authentic personality, but unfortunately, Dotun’s parents were on their annual four to six-week-long Nigeria trip and wouldn’t be able to make it home. Still, Dotun’s siblings and grandma (who’s “a whole vibe and a half”) gave Charity a warm welcome and a Nigerian feast. Oh, and two surprise guests crashed the party: Dotun’s mom and dad, who came home early!
Dotun warned that his mom, Adenike, was very critical of past partners, but she loved Charity and said, “If you pick my son I’ll whisk you to Nigeria and give you a nice wedding. I’ve adopted you already. You’re my daughter!” Dotun’s father and sisters confirmed that what Charity saw in Dotun is what she’d get, and Charity left the day with stronger feelings for him than ever. But it wasn’t over yet! Dotun and Charity hopped in a Thunderbird for a surprise trip to a drive-in movie theater, where Dotun played her a meaningful montage of their baby photos, home videos, and memories from their Bachelorette journey. The gesture left Charity in tears, and she explained an engagement had never felt more real to her.
When catching up with Jesse Palmer (where have you been dude?!) back in Los Angeles, Charity said that although the week was wonderful, it gave her no clarity ahead of the rose ceremony. “Two people are gonna be heartbroken tonight, and I’m gonna be one of those people,” she told the cameras. “I am falling in love with four people, and can’t picture saying goodbye to one of them.”
The four men — all of whom were confident in their roses except for Joey — showed up to a literal airplane hangar that was giving hilarious YOU and Manifest vibes to learn their fate. Charity said it had been the hardest day of her life, and though she still wasn’t sure she was making the right decision, she gave roses to Dotun, Xavier, and……..JOEY! That means a blindsided Aaron B. went home, but not before an emotional goodbye.
“I knew I wanted to make her my wife. I was ready to go down on one knee,” Aaron said as his car drove away. “The more I think about it, it’s actually the most absurd shit I’ve ever done,” Charity told cameras. “What if I just made the absolute wrong decision?”
We’ll see you back here next week for another chapter of her unconventional love story.
New episodes of The Bachelorette Season 20 premiere on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Episodes are available for next-day streaming on Hulu.