Relationships were put to the test on Monday night's episode.
It's time to meet the families! On Monday's episode of The Bachelorette, Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia had unforgettable Hometowns, all of which ET is breaking down in the recap below.
In New Orleans, Gabby swooned over Jason, while he questioned if he was ready for marriage. Johnny had similar concerns in Palm Beach, but it was full steam ahead for Erich in New Jersey.
Meanwhile, Rachel got her first "I love you" from Zach in Anaheim, before she came to a heartbreaking realization about Tyler in New Jersey. Things only got worse for Rachel, when she failed to win over Tino's family in California.
Keep reading for ET's recap of Hometown week on The Bachelorette.
Jason Isn't Ready to Pop the Question
Gabby and Jason had a day to remember in New Orleans, as the nurse told the cameras that she does "see a future" with him, and he gushed over the "true spark" they share.
The good vibes continued as Gabby met Jason's dad, Michael, who admitted to his son, "I got a little emotional, thinking this could be my daughter-in-law," before telling him, "If it’s the real deal, I want to be the best man at your wedding."
That night, Gabby met more of Jason's family including his mom, Karen, and his sister, Kelsey.
"I could definitely see her being part of our family," Kelsey said in a confessional after speaking to Gabby. The Bachelorette earned Karen's approval too, as Karen told Gabby, "I feel something really good between you."
Jason, though, was starting to develop concerns about the process.
"I could never see myself getting engaged. It’s not realistic to me," he told his mom. "As much as you have feelings for somebody or whatever that’s just not something I could see myself doing at this point... It’s just scary. It’s not her, it’s just wouldn’t feel right to me."
Gabby was none the wiser, as she gushed about Jason and his family in a confessional.
"Seeing him with his family made my heart grow so much. Knowing that they do accept me means the whole world. My feelings for Jason get deeper and deeper every time and I am head over heels for him," she said. "I can see myself with him forever... I am falling in love with him. I’ve never felt this way before, and it feels like I’m in a dream."
Zach Says 'I Love You'
Zach planned a romance-filled date for Rachel, as he took her to watch planes take off, something they both did with their dads as kids. Rachel found the whole thing "really special," and the happiness continued into the evening.
Rachel arrived at Zach's Anaheim home, where she met his mom, dad, sister, aunt and uncle, the latter of whom is Patrick Warburton of Seinfeld fame.
"I just feel sorry for those other fellas," Patrick joked to the group after meeting Rachel. "That’s all I can say."
While Zach's dad, Chapman, gave Rachel his stamp of approval, he admitted to being "concerned" about his son's "emotional side." Meanwhile, Zach told his mom that he "can actually see a future with the pilot."
"For him to feel that confident in what both of you have, we’re going to be right there with him and embrace you as part of the family," Megan, Zach's mom, told Rachel.
In a confessional, Chapman shared, "I got to see my kid, but more importantly I think I probably met his future wife... They just fit. It was perfect."
After the successful date, Zach told the cameras, "Tonight could not have gone any better. Everyone loved her and she loved them. Best case happened tonight. I received a blessing from my family and Rachel’s the one."
He went on to express as much while speaking to Rachel, telling her, "I’m in love with you, Rachel."
"Zach continues to say every single thing I’ve ever wanted to hear. I can’t believe that he feels that way. It just means everything to me," Rachel said in a confessional. "I feel like this journey’s working for me. Zach makes me so happy. My feelings have definitely grown for him. I am falling in love with Zach. He’s so perfect."
Johnny Worries About the 'Commitment' of an Engagement
Gabby traveled to Palm Beach next, to meet up with the "super hot" Johnny who makes her feel "so, so special." The nurse immediately fit in with Johnny's family, which included his mom, dad, best friend, and brother.
"I felt like I had known them for years," Gabby said. "This is how I am with my family. It’s comforting and it’s fun."
Johnny's dad, John, told Gabby he was "all in" on her relationship with his son, before telling the cameras, "I think they would be perfect together."
Johnny, however, had some serious fears.
"I definitely see myself falling for this girl. She’s amazing. She’s perfect," he told his mom. "But my whole thing is not being fully there yet. To get married, that’s a huge step for me. I don’t know if I’m ready for that."
Johnny shared similar worries in a conversation with his dad, telling him, "She’s an amazing person, but the only thing that’s kind of stopping me right now is the engagement at the end. I wanted her to meet you guys and see how you guys felt about her and try to take the next step forward. It’s a big commitment."
After the successful family time, Johnny took Gabby out on a boat. In a confessional, Johnny marveled over how Gabby "fit right in," something that gave him "more affirmation that she could potentially be the one."
"I am falling for this girl, but it’s tough for me to picture myself getting on a knee right now with where I’m at in life," he told the cameras. "It’s confusing in the best way possible."
Meanwhile, Gabby, not knowing about Johnny's concerns, was more into the real estate agent than ever.
"I can definitely see myself falling in love with him," she confessed. "... It feels so good and so easy being with someone who I know is ready for the next step."
Tyler's Hometown Takes a Heartbreaking Turn
In Wildwood, New Jersey, Rachel and Tyler had a fun day on the boardwalk, complete with carnival games, rides and loads of junk food. While Tyler was telling the cameras that Rachel "is the one," the pilot was expressing concern about how she and the small business owner were "the most far behind" in their relationship.
"I’m literally having the time of my life, but this is getting so serious," she confessed. "... I definitely feel like we have a strong connection, but I definitely feel like my last Hometown had a different feel going into the night than I feel today... I care about Tyler so much, but it really kind of hit me today that things are getting extremely close to the end and I just definitely feel like I have other connections that are stronger."
Rachel grappled with her feelings as the realization dawned on her, telling a producer off-camera, "I can’t even look at him. Like, I’m gonna break down... I feel like I’m gonna throw up. I’m freaking out."
A tearful Rachel sat down on a bench to break things off with Tyler, but before she could get there, he admitted, "At this point, I’m not falling in love with you, I’m so in love with you."
"I’ve never met anyone like you who just loves so openly and who isn’t afraid of anything, of being hurt. We’ve had the most incredible day, but I’m still feeling not 100 percent confident," she responded through tears. "I don’t know if I’m ready to meet your family... I don’t want to get to the point where your family is involved if I don’t know if I can ultimately get there with you, because I do care about you."
"That means a lot. You know how much my family means to me. I wouldn’t want to put them in that position," Tyler replied. "... It’s tough, but being with you, you make it easy... That love that’s forever is real. It’s 100 percent real and I believe in it every single day... I know you’re going to have that, and I want that too."
The pair shared a hug, and Rachel told him, "You’re going to find everything you deserve. Truly, I know it."
Tyler went to his parents house alone, and told them what happened, confessing, "I loved her and I still do. All I’ve ever wanted is someone who will feel the same towards me."
Meanwhile, a sobbing Rachel was driven out New Jersey.
"Why can’t I fall in love with him? Why can’t I feel that for him?" she questioned. "This is the hardest thing I’ve had to do, because I feel like my heart is breaking."
Erich's Hometown May Have Changed Gabby's Life Forever
As Rachel left New Jersey, Gabby arrived to meet Erich's family. The real estate analyst's dad, he revealed, had been battling terminal cancer for a while, while his mom had been serving as his caretaker.
"I need you to meet them, and I need them to meet you in order to move forward with this," Erich told Gabby.
Erich's dad was quick to approve of Gabby, but his mom cautioned, "We marry for life. Don’t take it lightly." Gabby attempted to assuage Erich's mom's fears, telling her, "The way he loves you guys, that’s what I look for in a partner."
"Today with Erich was one of the best days I’ve had so far," Gabby said in a confessional. "Seeing him with his family, that really just made my feelings so much deeper for him."
After the family meeting, Gabby and Erich rode off to dinner on his motorcycle, where they got real about their feelings for each other..
"I’ve risked a lot to be here, and it’s all for you, and I’m genuinely happy about it. I know they are too," he told her of his family. "... I’m really falling for you, Gabby. I think now I might even be falling in love with you."
"I think I’ve always wanted to be with someone like you, but just never knew if it was possible," Gabby replied. "After today, I do finally feel comfortable in saying that I am falling in love with you."
Erich called Gabby's confession "the most beautiful ending of the most perfect day."
Gabby was quick to agree, telling the cameras, "I can picture us so easy together, and today is a day that I’ll never, ever forget. After today, I think Erich’s Hometown, it could’ve changed the rest of my life."
Monday night's episode was dedicated to Erich's dad, who died in July.
Rachel Barely Escapes Tino's House Alive
Rachel went into Tino's Hometown questioning if she'd get his family's approval, and, while he tried to comfort her, it turns out she was right to be concerned.
His parents, Sandy and Joe, immediately started to question both Rachel and the process as a whole, especially after Tino told them, "She’ll send the rest of the guys home, and I’ll propose to her in a couple of weeks."
"What are you talking about? After two months?" Joe questioned. "We’re going to have to have a talk."
During that talk, Tino tried to assure his dad that he "knows the important stuff" about Rachel, but Joe wasn't so sure, asking his son if "what you can do on a whirlwind, fairy-tale trip can really prepare you for marriage."
Joe was equally unmoved by Rachel's assurances, telling her, "You’re saying all the right things, and that’s all great, but at least in our minds, from 20,000 feet away, we see it as this fairy-tale thing. I’m looking out for him. It’s nothing against you... I want to see him fall for the right person."
Joe was even more concerned after Rachel admitted that she is "looking for an engagement" at the end of the show.
"This is your second go around," Joe pointed out. "I was asking Tino, 'Is this person just looking to get married, or does this person really like you?'"
"I wouldn’t put him in this position just so I could get married," Rachel replied. "I’m not that type of person. I really want to meet someone that is going to be my partner for life."
In a confessional, Rachel broke down over the situation.
"I just feel shook up by them... I feel like I could do no right... I feel like his dad is like, 'I hope you do not come back here,'" she said. "I don’t know how I made it out of that house alive, if we’re being honest. I almost cried. We’re going to have to really sit down and talk about, is he going to be OK moving forward if his parents just aren’t going to be happy?"
Tino tried to ease Rachel's concerns by telling her, "I am falling in love with you. I don’t want a future without you."
"I feel like I also have been falling in love with you for a while," Rachel responded.
While knowing Tino's feelings made Rachel "feel a lot better," she was still worried about how the meeting with his family went.
"Their opinions hold weight and I’m very, very scared with how that went," she said in a confessional. "What does it mean with him? If I don’t have the approval, can we go forward?... It’s really hard for me to think about an engagement when I know that I don’t have any support from Tino’s parents."
The Bachelorette airs Mondays on ABC. Keep up with the historic season by following along with ET's coverage of the series.
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