The Bachelorette Season 15, Episode 9 Recap: Holy Hometowns!

It’s hometowns with Hannah Brown, y’all! This week, our dear Bachelorette got a whirlwind taster tour of what life might be like with each of her four remaining men: Pilot Pete, Tyler C., might-have-a-girlfriend Jed, and Luke P. And if anyone else at home was wondering just what sorts of families might produce a sweet baby-faced pilot, a suave chiseled contractor, a dorky, brooding musician, and … Luke P. … then this week’s episode definitely answered a good number of those questions — and possibly stirred up some more.

First up on the call list is Peter, whose hometown of Westlake Village, CA is just a small jaunt away from the Bachelor Mansion. And wouldn’t you know it: Pretty much everything about Peter’s hometown, from the flower-strewn fields where he and Hannah first meet up to the private plane that he skillfully flies over both the Mansion and his own house (adorable parents waving from the driveway, of course) is picture perfect.

“When I was little, playing with Barbie dolls, Peter was the guy I imagined myself with,” Hannah says. Same, girl. Same. Who didn’t wish for a partner who can be equal parts sweet, sexy, and sensitive? The guy can’t even stop smiling when he drops a few punny lines about looking for a “copilot for life” and how excited he is for their “relationship to soar to that next level.”

The pair sneak kisses in the air, and Hannah loves it when Peter lands the plane without a single hitch. Peter, meanwhile, is positively giddy over being able to share his passion for flying with his gal. “The happiness that you give me, I’ve never felt this,” he tells her.

Later that afternoon, they head to Peter’s parents’ home, where his mom Barbara engulfs him in a huge hug. His dad, also named Peter, can’t stop smiling from behind a most excellent mustache, and Peter’s (younger?) brother Jack looks like a distant, devilishly good-looking cousin of Dave Franco.

Words like “magic” and “perfect” pepper the duo’s retelling of their magically perfect relationship, and a clearly impressed Peter Sr. nods in approval. Even the lunchtime feast is magically perfect, blessed with a German prayer that’s all about being happy and eating, and an emotional toast from Pilot Pete. “My grandparents would have loved you, too, so it means a lot,” he says with wet eyes.

Hannah’s conversations with the Weber clan go really well, with Barbara essentially goading Hannah to say yes to Peter before he’s even proposed (“I’m really in need of a daughter!” she says) and Peter’s brother Jack calling him a romantic. Both Barbara and Peter Sr. are obviously super into the couple’s reality TV meet-cute, and tear up telling their baby-faced son that they want the world for him.

“I found my person,” Peter tells his pops, to which Peter Sr. replies with tears. “I only want the best for you.” Still, Pilot Pete stops himself short of telling Hannah that he loves her, if only (possibly?) to save it for their inevitable rumble in the fantasy suites.

Next up is Tyler C., who welcomes Hannah to sunny Jupiter, FL, which our girl refers to as “paradise.” The pair take a tour of the town via boat, and Tyler somehow manages to be both suave and not too skeezy when he asks her “where do you want it” in reference to a blob of sunscreen in his hand. Hannah gets all riled up feeling Tyler’s abs, but still admits during a confessional that she’s not sure if he’s ready for the next step in a relationship (unless, of course, she means some horizontal action, in which case, dude seems more than ready for it).

They dock, and back on land the pair rounds out the afternoon with some very sway-y dance moves after a nearby band starts up, with Hannah awkwardly air guitaring onstage as a gathered crowd of silver-haired locals cheer them on.

That night, the pair meet up with Tyler’s family, including his dad, who had gotten sick and needed surgery just weeks before Tyler was to leave for The Bachelorette, so it’s destined to be an emotional night. It is. Tyler’s dad adorably calls him “buddy” and “man,” and in a confessional, our usually stoic guy starts to tear up. “I don’t know what’s going on, but that’s my pops,” he says.

I’ll tell you what’s going on, mister. Your pops is smitten by your love for Hannah and can’t stop calling her “Ms. Hannah B.” which is just about the most charming thing. When the father and son chat together, Tyler’s dad jokes that he’s worried about Tyler, because “oh my gosh, he might be in love.” And indeed, it seems to be a pretty legitimate concern. Hannah’s chat with the man of the house couldn’t have gone better either; at 26, he tells her, “marriage is something [Tyler’s] thinking about.”

This is exactly the affirmation that Hannah needs to hear, and when Tyler walks Hannah to her SUV, he actually climbs into it with her for a few minutes (no doubt awkward for the driver) to make out some more.

“One day, I’ll be able to say, ‘I love you,’” Tyler says during the confessional.

Speaking of dudes who are able to say “I love you” … the third hometown date takes Hannah to Gainesville, FL, where she reunites with this season’s flawless hero, Luke P. As we all remember, the guy took less than a week to drop the “L” word with Hannah, thus kicking off a slow and steady downward spiral in their cringe-worthy relationship.

But boy does Luke work hard to erase the last few weeks from Hannah’s memory. They start their hometown date with not church, but Sunday school before church, where our gal meets “the people that made a Luke.” Sort of.

What she’s greeted with, ultimately, is a whole lot of Luke’s most adoring fans, who patiently sit through the guy’s detailed retelling of his testimony (which Hannah heard for the first time just one week prior). “I was entangled and caught up in all sorts of sins,” he tells the crowd, who mostly have half-glazed looks on their faces. He ends his testimony by bringing Hannah up to the front of the room with him. “I thank God for you, and for you to open my eyes about how important it is to be real,” he says, and though the Bachelorette looked skeptical at the beginning of his testimony, she’s at this point at least 85% in.

Small group chatter further cements her feelings about Luke, as every person she talks to extols Luke’s many virtues (“A giant bulking man with a smile always on his face,” one guy says.) Hannah notices that it’s a “nice change” to have people actually say good things about the guy she’s so determined to love, and can’t wait to meet his family.

Neither can we — but for very different reasons. (Who are the people who “made a Luke”?) Turns out, Luke’s immediate family, including his dad Mike, his brother Mike, sister-in-law Hannah, mom Elizabeth, grandma, and 96-year-old great-grandma, are all just as enamored with Luke as he is with himself, which means that Hannah is treated to a whole lot of positive chatter surrounding the dude.

“I hate to think of people being critical of you,” Luke’s father says to him right off the bat, which is almost as confusing a statement to make as “if she’s worth it to you.” But in a way, I suppose both those statements do tell a certain narrative. Even Luke’s brother Mike, whom one would assume would have at least one “bad” thing to say about his big bro, only has positive things to say about this season’s most frustrating “douche canoe” (Dylan’s words, not mine).

“He’s one-of-a-kind in a lot of ways,” he says. “His heart is huge.”

All this positive affirmation is exactly what Hannah has been looking for this entire time, and she leaves the Parker home feeling positive. “My heart did a little flutteries,” she says during a confessional after Luke drops the “L” word on her. “I feel confident in him and what he said. … I’m falling in love with him.”

But what about that other dude you were falling in love with, Hannah? That would be Jed, the fourth and final hometown date of the week, who meets Hannah in Nashville, TN, where he has a fun — and music-filled, duh — date planned for the two of them.

“He always has something in his pocket for me,” Hannah says about being excited to see Jed again. A weird choice of words, but possibly accurate if she means a guitar pick, because dude is never too far away from a guitar or two. They casually stroll into a music studio, where Jed naturally picks up a guitar and suggests that they write a song together. Because nothing says Love© quite like an original song, written and scored by Jed Wyatt.

They pen a ditty together that includes lines about their love being “written in the stars” and “cobblestone streets,” and Hannah can’t stop smiling. When they end up hugging and smooching in the sound booth, Jed decides it’s the perfect time to confess his love once and for all. “I love you. I can feel it,” he tells Hannah, and she swoons.

Unfortunately for our gal, however, Jed’s family isn’t so sure about this whole reality show love thing, and aren’t afraid of hiding their doubt and disdain. Jed’s mom Deana and his sister Lily, in particular, share similarly skeptical expressions on their face as they talk to Hannah.

“He’s been good to me and for me,” Hannah tells Deana, to which Jed’s mom nods slowly and says, “That’s nice.” She tries to push Hannah’s buttons a bit when she flippantly calls Jed “just another guy” and sets her skepticism to high when Hannah tells her that she’s falling in love with Jed. “Have you told all of them that?” Deana asks Hannah. Yikes.

Deana doesn’t even give Hannah a straight answer when she asks whether or not she thinks Jed is ready to get engaged, instead talking about how Jed is “on a different path” and randomly, that “you don’t get a diploma to be a musician.” Hm. Okay, received.

Jed’s sister Lily is even more straightforward, however, telling Hannah, “Him potentially falling in love with you, I’m not sure it’s a good thing.” Oh no, Jed! Could it be that Jed’s dour family dynamics will have Hannah sending the musician packing in the end?

We don’t know quite yet, because at the rose ceremony the following week, Hannah breaks down having to decide between Jed and Luke P. for her final rose (Peter and Tyler were easy and obvious picks). Ultimately, she requests Chris Harrison to grant her just one more rose, and like magic, he does. So at least for the time being, it looks like Hannah B. gets her way once more, meaning more time with all four men in the fantasy suites. Go, girl!

While Peter and his dad, Peter Sr., sip wine out back and chat about the possibility of love and marriage, Peter Sr. channels his inner Chris Harrison and asks his son, “Are you prepared for not continuing this journey?” Someone’s clearly been watching a lot of The Bachelorette!

Luke’s uncle asks a most poignant question during Hannah’s hometown visit to Gainesville. After Hannah explains to the Parkers that Luke’s time on the show has been full of trials and drama, he jokes (kind of), “Then why is he here?” We’re wondering the same thing, dude!

Jed’s mom Deana didn’t seem to be a fan of the process or the show, and in a super pointed toast during Hannah’s hometown date in Nashville, proposed a toast to “cheers to everyone trusting your gut and intuition every day.”