Bachelorette comes to OKC

[Patrick]

Not sure if any of you watch the Bachelorette/Bachelor, but I do! Anyways, tonight it was down to one of the final 4 guys, and Jen, the bachelorette, was going to visit the home towns of each of the guys. John Paul, one of the remaining guys, is an entrepenuer from OKC. So, the show came to OKC! Obviously his family lives in Nichols Hills, as that's where it was filmed.

I was hoping they'd show more of OKC, like Bricktown, the Memorial, etc., but all they really showed was the Capitol Dome and Nichols Hills. Oh well!

At least we still got some exposure.

Unfortunately, one of the gifts John Paul gave Jen, was a pair of cowboy boots, supposedly to represent Oklahoma! Guess we still can't shake our western heritage!

Still, I'm glad our city got some exposure.

[Patrick]

Bachelorette Episode Guide
Air Date: 02/07/2005

It's down to four men now, and Jen will be heading to the hometown of each bachelor to meet their families. She'll be going to Oklahoma City to meet John Paul's folks; Medford, Ore. to visit with Ryan's family; Chicago to meet Wendell's family; and Rochester, NY to visit Jerry's family.

It's all going by so fast, but Jen knows she could be engaged to someone by the end of these few weeks. She has to see where these men come from in order to know if she's comfortable accepting a proposal from one of them.

Oklahoma City:

Jen, decked out in a sparkly purple sweater and jeans, meets John Paul in a park, where he's waiting for her on a bench. John Paul is anxious to have her know that he's ready to settle down, despite his tender age. He offers a gift welcoming her to Oklahoma, and Jen opens the box to find a pair of cowboy boots just like the ones John Paul is wearing.

At his parents' comfortable home, John Paul introduces Jen to his parents, Susan and Paul, and his two little brothers. Over a meal outside on the deck, Jen and Susan discover they have a past in common: they were both cheerleaders. John Paul's family is obsessed with sports, and Jen feels very comfortable with that, as her own family is the same way.

Susan takes Jen aside for a girls' chat. Jen asks Susan how she feels about John Paul potentially finding a mate through the show. John Paul's mother admits she felt unsure about his decision at first, but now she feels it's a matter of destiny. She tells Jen she thinks it's better to marry early and have kids early, in order to enjoy them. A youthful-looking mother herself, she wants to be a grandmother soon.

Later, John Paul and his mother talk privately. He tells Susan that he likes Jen, but he can't say he loves her -- they haven't even kissed yet. His mother is pleased to hear that and tells him not to kiss her until he knows it's right. John Paul assures his mother that he wouldn't force anything.

John Paul takes Jen to his spacious house, which is beautifully appointed with great decor and furniture. He introduces her to Wade, the chef at John Paul's new restaurant. Wade greets Jen and proceeds to cook them a gourmet dinner. Jen wants to know if Wade cooks dinner for John Paul every night, but John Paul admits regretfully that he doesn't. Jen is still impressed.

After dinner, they enjoy dessert out by the pool. John Paul likes having this beautiful woman in his life and thinks Jen could fit in so well that it's scary. He finally makes a move to kiss her and they make out at last.

They move back inside to sit by a roaring fire, and cuddle while he strokes her hair. John Paul thinks he's falling for her, and Jen is surprised at her own feelings. She's always attracted to the wrong guy, but John Paul would be the right one. Jen loves John Paul's family and feels completely at home and comfortable around them. After her visit to his hometown, she sees him in a whole new light.

Oregon:

Jen and Ryan meet at a hockey rink in Ryan's hometown of Medford. They skate around the rink, holding hands, and enjoy hot cocoa afterward. Jen feels right and normal to be with him. He admits to her that it's a big deal for her to meet his family, because it's been a while since he's brought someone home. He's a little nervous about it, but they take the edge off by kissing for a bit.

At Ryan's family home, Jen meets his parents, Scott and Barbara, and his sister Mackenzie. Mom and Dad have just come back from a trip to Thailand and they're looking forward to telling Jen all about it. They are filled with stories about Thailand. Jen becomes bored after a while and struggles to stay engaged in the conversation. Every other word in the conversation seems to be about Thailand, to which she has nothing to contribute.

Mercifully, they move to the dining room to eat. Barbara has prepared a table full of what she calls "Barbaritas" -- a mix of Mexican foods. They ask Jen if she finds their town too rural compared to the city. Jen answers that she grew up outside Cleveland and couldn't imagine raising kids in the city. She sees kids braving the bus in the city and wouldn't want that for her kids. That reminds Barbara of the kids she saw in Thailand on the bus.

Jen is getting put out about the subject of Thailand, and her discomfort shows. She's dying to look around and scream, "Is anyone else listening to this? Does anyone else think this is weird?" She can see that Ryan's family loves him, but they don't seem too concerned that he brought a girl home, when all they can talk about is Thailand.

Ryan can tell that his parents are nervous. He chats privately with his dad, who thinks Jen is a lovely girl. Meanwhile, Ryan's mom takes Jen into a bathroom she's lined with construction paper, and asks Jen to write on the walls before she leaves. She tells Jen that a friend of hers got in trouble for writing on the bathroom walls at school. Ryan's mom has set up the bathroom so that all visitors can leave their mark on the walls. Jen thinks it's cute and obliges with a little message.

Jen is trying to be understanding and give Ryan's family the benefit of the doubt. She thinks they may have been nervous. Still, she found her visit an uncomfortable one. Ryan knows that both his parents and Jen had an uncomfortable night.

[Patrick]

Chicago:

Jen finds Wendell perfect for her ... on paper. He's successful, funny, close to his family -- and he's from Chicago, the city she calls home. She pays him a visit at his apartment for drinks before visiting his family. Wendell's place is neat and tastefully decorated with good furniture -- the quintessential metrosexual's bachelor pad.

Over wine, Wendell asks Jen what she likes and doesn't like about him. Jen dodges that bullet by saying she knows only what she likes about him -- that she's always comfortable and herself around him. He tells her not to be nervous about meeting his family, because he'll take care of her.

They drive out to Wendell's mom's house. He finds it one of the best parts of the night and could drive on forever, just talking and being normal together.

At the house, Jen finds herself among a whole slew of Wendells: his mom, his two sisters, his brother and brother-in-law. His brother even sounds like Wendell, and the house is filled with their energy -- almost too much energy. Jen quickly discovers that they've been drinking for a while. Wendell's brother begins slurring and banging on the table, while the others laugh raucously.

After dinner, Jen is pulled aside by Wendell's mom and sister. They ask her about Andrew Firestone, and Jen makes a face at his name. They assure Jen that they like her more than Andrew.

Meanwhile, Wendell is asked by his brother what he sees in Jen. Wendell says he'd be chasing Jen if they'd met in Chicago, and that he feels safe and happy around her. Jen finds his family comfortable and real, and could see herself at holidays with both her family and Wendell's. But after she leaves, Wendell's family tells him point-blank that they think it's crazy -- the two of them just met and the family doesn't sense anything between them.

Rochester, NY:

Jen's last hometown visit is with Jerry. She's suspicious of his reaction at the last Rose Ceremony, where he appeared to have something to hide when she asked him about taking her to meet his family. He hasn't been home in long while and Jen wonders why. She's counting on this visit to learn more about him.

Jerry meets her at his old high school. He greets her with multiple smacking kisses. He finds the setting appropriate because he feels like a teenager all over again when he's with Jen. The school is part of his past and his life, and he's hoping it will explain more about him to her.

While sitting in one of Jerry's old classrooms, he tells her about the members of his family she will meet. He nervously mentions that his mother is deaf. Jen then understands why he's been so hesitant when talking about his family. She asks him how to say hello and Jerry teaches her how to introduce herself in sign language. It's a test of a real relationship for Jerry -- he wants to see how open Jen is to his mom being deaf. The girl he marries must be open to learning to communicate with his mom.

On their way to his family's home, a county-wide power outage hits. They arrive at the house, which is completely darkened on the outside. They are greeted at the door by Jerry's brother Mike, his mother Paula, his sister Linda and sister-in-law Christine. They enter a house lit softly by candles, and Jen introduces herself immediately to Jerry's mom. Paula is delighted and surprised that Jen has learned some sign language, and Jen is glad to be able to communicate right off the bat.

Over dinner, Jerry and his siblings take turns translating between Jen and their mom. Paula wants to know why Jen wanted to do the show again, and Jen tells her that it was an opportunity that she had to take a chance on. Jerry's mom tells Jen she hopes it works out for her, and Jen answers with a "Thank you" in sign language, scoring big points.

Jerry's brother Mike is very skeptical of the situation, and asks Jen what makes his brother different from the other 20-some guys that she met. Jen tells Mike she finds Jerry artistic and likes his way of thinking -- that she's always surprised by it. Mike asks Jen to always be honest with Jerry -- it's clear he wants to protect his brother. Jen promises that she will, but Mike's skepticism makes her wonder about Jerry's sincerity.

Jerry's mom shows Jen some pictures of the kids growing up, and Jen finds it easy to communicate with her, despite the language barrier. Jen now understands why Jerry was so guarded, because he was worried about her communicating with his mom. It's turned out just fine. They hug, and his mother is glad Jen is willing to accept her and seems understanding about deaf culture.

After the four hometown dates, it's time to winnow the field still further. All the guys are feeling confident about getting a rose, except for Ryan. This time, there's no socializing beforehand. Each bachelor arrives at the house separately and is shown to the ceremony space by host Chris Harrison. Jen appears in a svelte black dress to hand out the three roses left.

Jen gives a short speech about the importance of family, and how each of them should be proud of theirs. She makes a disclaimer about how hard the decision is for her, then proceeded to give roses to:

John Paul
Ryan
...Chris Harrison butts in to announce the last rose, which goes to:
Jerry.

Wendell looks bummed. Jen walks him out and tells him she sees him only as a friend. He's gracious and sweet about it in response, but once he's safely in the limo, he admits that he's upset.

Three men are left -- but only two will make it through next week. Who's going to make it to the final cut?