Week 8 Recap: Kids, Brothers, and Exes Galore

It's the drama-filled week we've been waiting for... Hometowns!!! Without wasting any time, we jump right into this episode, which means there is a lot of drama to come for sure. Ben starts off in Laguna Beach with Amanda. How did I miss the fact that she lives in Laguna? Does she know Kristin Cavallari??? Did they go to LBHS together? Really, that's all I care about. But first things first: Ben is going to meet Amanda's daughters today. This is the true test! And apparently Amanda also hasn't seen her daughters in weeks, because we have to witness her insanely tearful greeting of her girls. How has she already been in her hometown long enough to do all her makeup and hair, but she hasn't seen her kids yet? Shouldn't that be the first thing since does? Okay. So Ben spends the day with the little girls at the beach, and it is actually super boring. Like, he is good with kids and all, but I do not watch this show to see happy little families. I watch to see crazy bitches and their drama. Enough with the children. After the beach, Ben thinks that his feelings towards Amanda are stronger than ever, but... has he seen what fatherhood is REALLY like yet?? Screaming toddlers. Diapers. Toys everywhere. How's that going to go over with him...?


Does Amanda own any tops that AREN'T this style??

Amanda drives them all back to her house in her mom car, with the screaming children in their car seats in the back. But Ben is totally understanding of that... Okay. Ben meets Amanda's parents and sisters who seem pretty skeptical about him taking on this little family. Does he really want this....? (No.) Amanda gets to chat with her mom, and it's a good thing she's wearing waterproof makeup today, because I think she's already cried 3 or 4 times today. Ugh. Apparently Ben was sooo great to the girls (because duh, he's a great person), that Amanda is now totally in love with him. But was I the only was who was insanelyyyyy bored with that entire segment? Sorry Amanda. I like, you, and I appreciate single moms, but... I'm over it.

Next comes the one we've actually been waiting for- Lauren B's home town! Ben heads to Portland to meet her family and hopefully get to hear Lauren say she loves him... but we'll see about that. They first head to the city to get lunch at some food trucks, and they are just the perfect little couple enjoying the day together. Lauren even takes him to a whiskey library, which apparently is a thing, and she pretty much wins every guy's heart with that one. But, it's not all roses and sunshine yet, because Ben does need to meet the family and get their approval... The family is of course skeptical, and they are very close knit, so Ben better fit in! Ben has a little sit down with the sister, and in case it wasn't SO obvious that Lauren is his #1 choice, he full on starts crying when trying to describe his feelings for Lauren. Not only that, but Lauren starts crying when she describes her feelings for him! JUST GET MARRIED ALREADY!!! End it now. They are clearly perfect for each other. The end! Unfortunately, Lauren is not quite ready to tell Ben that she loves him... because her dad still seemed skeptical. Lauren! Just follow your heart! But I mean, you really shouldn't be concerned that you are going home this week... Please.

Just propose already!!!

Our next stop is Caila's hometown in Ohio. In case I haven't made this clear yet, I am over Caila. I just feel like she is confusing and has trouble putting sentences together, and doesn't really know what she's doing in life. But I think Ben is intrigued by that. Oh, and she is beautiful. So there's that. Just when I thought she couldn't be more immature and childlike, she takes him to her father's toy factory so they can build a toy house together... So they build the toy house, and it's just as if they are building a real home together! ...Ugh. She just seems so young and odd. Later, Ben gets to meet the family and indulge in some authentic Filipino food. Well this is new for you, Ben! But are you ready to become fully immersed into the Filipino culture...? We will see... So Caila is super crazy emotionally in love and can't stop crying about how real this is... But, are we missing something? Because I feel like this is just the crazy talking. Try growing up and then get back to us about this whole thing. Luckily for Caila, her mom thinks that Ben might love Caila back, so that means this is the real deal! Her mom told her that he might love her! Moms never lie! Even though she runs downstairs ready to throw herself onto Ben, she chickens out of saying that she loves him. Geez, is nobody gonna say it??? Not even the crazy one??? How odd.

Just crazy with emotion here!!!

Now, saving the most dramatic for last... we head to JoJo's hometown of Dallas and the drama starts right away. JoJo gets to her house to find roses and a letter sitting at her front door. Immediately she assumes they are from Ben and excitedly starts reading the note. But about halfway through the first page, she finally starts to realize what it says and- how awkward- turns it over to see that it is actually signed by... Chad! Her ex! And what a SHOCK that this guy is just now finding his feelings for her now that she is on a TV show! What crazy timing! JoJo obviously becomes very upset and decides to call Chad to tell him off. But this just gets her even more upset! And Ben is coming over any minute! The drama! Ben comes over while JoJo is still crying, and she spills everything to him. Luckily, we find out that she completely told off the ex bf, and NOW she is the happiest she has ever been. And Ben backed her up and supported her in all of this! What a great guy. Is this the whole date she has planned? Sitting in her house talking about her ex and her feelings? I guess so, and I guess it's time to meet the family now.. Hope there are no mean brothers there to ruin the night!!! This family is clearly super obsessed with each other, and her 2 brothers are reallyyyy attached to JoJo. Like, in a weirdly close way. And they are out for blood right now. Nobody is good enough for JoJo, not even perfect-in-every-way Ben Higgins. JoJo's mom says to go for it, but the brothers think that JoJo is way more invested than Ben is. They even accuse him of brainwashing the girls into falling in love with him! Apparently they think he is being fake and has been coached into answering their questions using a 2-second delay..? What an awkward confrontational conversation! Everyone is convinced that Ben is going to crush her and then spit on her as she walks away, and I'm like, clearly you haven't been watching the show! They are great together! You'll see!

Finally, it is rose ceremony time... and one of these ladies is going home! The big slap in the face that your life is not good enough to be with Ben. Lauren gets the first rose, no surprise there, but Caila gets the second one. Ughhhhhh I can't even. And for the biggest rose of the night... JoJo gets it. Sending Amanda home. I mean, are we surprised that he sends the mom home after spending the day with her cranky kids? No. He's doing the right thing by letting her go now. So long, Amanda! Hope you find the dad that your kids need! Amanda is rightfully pissed off that she introduced him to her kids and then he dumped her, but I mean... have you watched this show before? Does it EVER work out with someone who has kids? The answer to that riddle is no. So really.. you should have known, right? Next week, we will see Ben narrow it down to TWO girls, AND he will admit to loving BOTH of them!!! Stay tuned to see how that works out for him... Until then!