Hometown-dates week on The Bachelorette spirals into chaos when Katie’s relationship with Greg suddenly implodes.
Quick question: What the hell just happened, rose lovers?
First though, a trip over the imaginary border.
Greg and Katie on ‘The Bachelorette’.Credit: ABC
Down the hatch, Katie!
But did we need to know that Blake has used syrup in the bedroom before?
No, we did not.
ABC
It’s also possible that it was a total coincidence.
Filming hometown dates in an enclosed resort is hard why not introduce a little intra-suitor drama?
And that’s exactly what happens.
Suddenly Greg has an Excedrin headache.ABC
“God, I’m sick to my stomach,” murmurs Greg.
“Seeing her with Blake, you know, she looks so happy and it scared me.”
Hold that thought, sir.
Separated at birth?.ABC
It’s time to meet the Moynes!
First off, Blake’s mom Emily is giving me serious Kathy Najimy vibes.
God bless this woman.
Katie and Blake.ABC
It’s gonna work.'
EXCELLENT QUESTION, DEAR SISTER!
Unfortunately, she doesn’t really pause to let Blake answer.
ABC
Instead, Taylor plows ahead to discuss whether her brother and Katie are in love.
“No one aligned with me like she has ever,” says Blake.
So then why hasn’t he dropped the l-bomb?
Katie meets Justin’s buddies.ABC
“That word is going to be used it’s a matter of when,” insists Blake.
“And I feel it, but I’m saying it needs to come naturally.”
Taylor’s all,Okay… good luck, bro.
Can Herb be the next Bachelor?.ABC
Once again, Emily takes the more direct approach.
Then they share a sweet hug.
But when it’s time to say goodbye…
Katie and Justin.ABC
Turns out the word “love” was simply too “scary” for Blake at that moment.
Can I get an amen, rose lovers?
Especially when they do it with a firm but loving conviction.
Greg and Katie.ABC
“We have always trusted your judgment,” says dad.
Eventually, Justin must break the bad news to the Bachelorette: His parents aren’t coming.
But hey, at least Justin’s best friends Herb and Tommy are here!
The rain machine strikes again!.ABC
The Bachelorette is “super bummed” but tries to be understanding.
After spending some time with Katie and Justin, Herb is impressed.
“I’ve never seen him so affectionate.
ABC
PDA is not something that he’s typically up for…
It’s possible that Katie could be the one.”
On the plus side, Herb is simply adorable!
Katie, say something!.ABC
“I know I’m falling in love with you,” he says.
“That is how I feel, and I don’t want to hold back.”
Though she doesn’t reciprocate, Katie does appear to LOVE it.
ABC
“I’m proud of you,” she says.
“I could feel you fighting that.”
Hmmm… did that sound condescending, or reassuring?
Greg and his RSF.ABC
It all starts out well.
Then comes apork rollsandwich and some pretend surfing.
The final activity shooting hoops is actually pretty sweet.
Again, Katie, SAY SOMETHING!.ABC
“It means a lot that Greg wants to share that with me,” she says.
“That he is turning a page in his life and is ready to find his happiness.”
Indeed, Greg does seem happy especially for a guy with Resting Sad Face.
If this bathroom door could talk…ABC
“He is somebody I very much can see walking away with at the end of this.”
Hmmmm… put a pin in that thought, honey.
It’s time to meet the Grippos (and friend)!
The visit starts with a video message from Greg’s sisters, Andrea and Samantha.
Adds Andrea, “Gregory, I know dad is so proud of you.”
Awww man, can someone get Greg a tissue?
“You might have been the first person he talked to about that,” says Joe.
“Me and him haven’t even talked about dad, really, like that.
So that tells me a lot, too.”
In another room, Greg is pouring his heart out to his buddy, Dave.
“I’m like in love with this girl,” he says with a grin.
“It’s gonna be me and her.”
In fact, Greg says they’ve already “talked out” all of the post-show details.
(Wait, does that mean that Katie is going to move to New York?
Actually, never mind.
Jesse Jackson used to say onSNL,the question is moot.)
Elsewhere, Katie is chatting with Sandy, who wants to know how the Bachelorette feels about her boy.
“I don’t care if I’m allowed to say this Greg will be here next week.”
Sandy understands, but she’s worried her boy will be hurt.
To her credit, Katie does not have a go at allay those fears.
Sandy praises Katie for being “sincere” and “very kind.”
Oh dear, rose lovers.
This is where things start to go sideways.
Before bidding Katie adieu, Greg sits down with her to debrief on her visit with his family.
And right now, Greg still looks really, really happy.
“I feel like I lost a part of myself during it all, I really do.
I haven’t been this happy in the longest time…
I didn’t know I was going to fall in love with you; I didn’t know that.
And I am in love with you…
I see it with you.
This is real; this is real to me.
Honestly, I haven’t been this vulnerable with anybody in my life.
I don’t know what else to show you at this point, or what else to do…
I’m not going to get down on one knee twice.
It’s a one-deal thing for me.”
And we’ve reached the moment when Greg starts to spiral.
Girl, say something!
When Greg prompts her for a response, Katie keeps grinning.
“I just love looking at you,” she says.
Survey says: GIANT RED X.
This was not what Greg was hoping to hear, rose lovers.
“You know how I feel about you though, right?”
“We’re almost there.
Just hang in there, I keep telling you that.”
“You’re just not happy right now,” sighs Katie, stating the obvious.
Of course, I have no idea what she could say now that would keep Greg from melting down.
Or maybe, “I can’t wait to start our life together”?
On their way outside, Katie and Greg stop for a “private” conversation in a darkened hallway.
Greg says he doesn’t think she understands how hard this is for him.
“I do,” she insists.
Still, Greg is not convinced.
Katie’s response is very telling:
“I promise”???
Why would she say that if she wasn’t planning to pick him in the end?
No, Greg never explicitly asks her to do this.
Instead, he talks around it.
“I just don’t understand how you don’t know at this point,” says Greg.
Ultimately, the fight goes nowhere.
Frustrated and sad, Katie and Greg share a subdued goodbye hug before parting ways.
The next morning, Greg is still a mess.
and “We’re almost there,” but it wasn’t enough for Greg.
“It’s clear to me that she’s not feeling the same,” he sighs.
“It’s clear.”
“On our date, I told my mom that you were the one.
I was telling my whole entire family that,” Greg begins.
Once again, Katie’s response is… less than emphatic.
Learning about Katie’s self-imposed rule doesn’t do much to make Greg feel better.
He’s still extremely hurt that Katie accused him of “giving up” on their relationship.
“I even feel like right now you’re giving me a surface-level response,” he says.
“You already told my family that I’m getting a rose this week f— the rose!
I don’t give a s— about the rose!
I was just telling you that you filled a hole in my heart!”
“There’s obviously, like, a disconnect here,” says Greg.
“I’ve reached my breaking point with this.
I gave you everything.
“Are you not wanting to stay anymore?
Are you done?”
Short answer: Yep.
“And you didn’t even acknowledge it!”
Otherwise, take this relationship behind the shed and put it down.
Anything else is just cruel.
Rose lovers, she does neither.
“I, like, don’t even know what to say,” says Katie between sobs.
“I just feel, like, so helpless.”
My God, are there really 15 minutes left in this episode?
“If it’s not real, it’s not real.
I just wanted something real!”
If Katie does in fact love Greg, the sensible response is simple: “This IS real!”
Instead, she plays it coy: “You don’t think that this is real?”
Greg is understandably defeated.
“You think I care about a rose next week if it wasn’t real between us?”
“I thought that we were more than that.
I thought that you thought of us more than that…
I’m not a number here.”
Ugh, poor Greg.
Having hit his on-camera limit, he abruptly leaves the room.
But Katie is not far behind, and she finds him sitting out on a patio.
“I am so sorry…
I don’t even know what to say.”
Neither of those things happens.
That, rose lovers, is not enough.
“All I do know is…
I deserve more than what I’ve been given,” says Greg sadly.
“I’m done here.”
With that, he walks away.
Soon after, Katie storms off as well.
Holy Lord, how is this episode not over yet?
Eventually, Katie opens the door and lets Kaitlyn in and they continue their heart-to-heart behind the closed door.
Greg left,” whimpers Katie.
“At this point, the confidence and strength that I thought I had is just destroyed.”
next week’s three-hour (!)
The credits sequence, meanwhile, plays like an In Memoriam reel for Greg and Katie’s relationship.
Welp, rose lovers, that happened.
Do you think Greg will be back?
Or will Katie just move on to another guy, like Desiree did after herteary breakup with Brooks?
And have you ever cried into a salad?
Post your (spoiler-free) thoughts below!
