The Bachelor Episode 17.08 Episode 1708

AshLee's Hometown Date: Sean heads to Houston to meet AshLee's family. They share a bond because his dad is a reverend and her dad is a pastor. AshLee's mom and dad, Bruce and Deborah, want to know all about what his daughter has being doing lately. They talk about the polar bear plunge and their romantic time in St. Croix. The folks aren't thrilled about the latter revelation.

Mom has a chat with Sean. She wants to know if he's going to break her daughter's heart. They talk about how AshLee's sense of abandonment stems from her time in foster homes. Dad wants to know if Sean is in love with his daughter. He also explains how sad he was when AshLee got married at 17. Sean asks if Bruce would be okay with it if he proposed to his daughter. If Sean really loves AshLee, then he'd be welcome in their family.

Bruce gets choked up talking about the first day he met AshLee. She was four-years-old and he fell in love with her instantly. He wants the man AshLee marries to have that same type of connection. AshLee truly believes that man could be Sean. She's fallen in love with him. Her hometown date was magical.

Catherine's Hometown Date: Sean heads to Seattle to catch up with Catherine. They head to an outdoor market where Sean takes part in a fish-tossing routine. Catherine also joins in on the fish fun. She later says her mom can be intimidating. She also says her feisty grandmother will appreciate Sean if he places her hand to his head as is part of a Filipino tradition. Good tip. Grandma likes him.

Catherine tells her sisters that she gets giddy around Sean. Her siblings want to support her, but they feel like Catherine may be trying to convince them to like this guy. Sean gets concerned when the sisters pause when asked if they think Catherine is ready to settle down. Mom, on the other hand, doesn't want Sean to lead her daughter on. She can't quite give her his blessing if he proposes. Sean comes away from the visit unsure of how to move forward with Catherine.

Lindsay's Hometown Date: Sean heads to Missouri to meet Lindsay's family. The fact that her dad is a two-star general in the army has him a tad nervous. Lindsay shows Sean a cool antique shop in her hometown. She feels like he's her boyfriend as they walk around to different places. Sean feels the same way. They share a sweet cupcake and a sweet kiss. Then Lindsay puts Sean through a mini-boot camp before they head off to the army base.

Sean wonders if he should call Lindsay's dad "Mister" or "General." When they show up at the house, Lindsay lets her family know that she first stepped out of the limo in a wedding dress. Her mom asks Sean if he's falling in love with her daughter. She likes his honest answer that he's not going to share feelings of "love" until he's absolutely sure.

General Dad isn't really sure he can give Sean his blessing should he ask his daughter to marry him. The guy has been a paratrooper for 23 years, so he knows all about being decisive. So he actually does give him his blessing as long as Lindsay says yes. He even presents Sean with some army dog tags to serve as souvenir of the day. At the end of the date, Lindsay believes that she's found her future husband.

Desiree's Hometown Date: Sean heads to Los Angeles to meet Desiree's family. The two of them go for a hike where they catch up with each other. Back at Desiree's apartment, an unexpected visitor shows up. Sean initially thinks it's her brother, but it's actually an old boyfriend. The guy tells Desiree that he loves her. They had been together for two years. Sean gets angry when the guy puts his hand on him and makes disparaging remarks. Desiree admits that she has to come clean about this person. She lets Sean know that he's an actor and this was all a setup. Gotcha!

Sean appreciates that Desiree got back at him for the way he pranked her before. He then meets her mom, Roxanne, her dad, Tony, and her brother, Nate. Mom likes Sean, as does dad. Brother Nate, however, has lots of questions. He's very tough and believes this whole thing is stupid. He doesn't believe there's any way this will work out.

Nate asks to have a chat with Sean. He believes his sis is really into him, but he doesn't see any reciprocation. Sean says he's crazy about Desiree, but Nate is not convinced that he's anything more than just a playboy who is having fun. Sean doesn't appreciate that this guy is pretty much calling him a fraud. He wants to tell off Nate, but doesn't want to ruin the hometown date. Still, there's awkward tension in the room when they return. Sean is now having trouble picturing himself as part of this family.

The Rose Ceremony: Sean lets the ladies know how important family is to him, so he truly appreciated the hometown dates. Before Sean can hand out the roses, Desiree pulls him aside to apologize for what went down with her brother. Sean promises her that the two of them are all good.

Sean hands out two roses right away. They go to AshLee and Lindsay. Sean has no idea who should get the final rose. He's so conflicted that he steps out of the room to think about it. He wonders who he will miss the most tomorrow. When he returns to the room, it's Catherine who gets the final rose.

Desiree's last-minute apology wasn't enough to save her from going home. Sean explains that he feels he may wake up tomorrow feeling like he's making a huge mistake. Desiree feels this will truly be the case. As for the remaining three ladies, they are preparing for the last dash to the finish line and some possible trips to the fantasy suite.