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‘The Bachelor’ Recap: Ben Higgins Introduces Woman to His Parents — Then Promptly Cuts Her

Ben Higgins took his six remaining prospects on a romantic trip to known-paradise Warsaw, Indiana, during the Monday, February 15, episode of ABC’s The Bachelor, a town basically populated by super enthusiastic middle-aged people, all of whom are obsessed with Ben. Plenty of drama went down in ye olde Warsaw, including two eliminations that left Ben with a mere four women. Um, that barely counts as polyamory — what is even happening?!

Lauren and Ben Explore His Hometown, aka Each Other’s Mouths

Ben personally asked Lauren B. on the first one-on-one of the week, and they took a romantic tour of Ben’s favorite places in Warsaw — including the movie theater where he had his first kiss, plus a youth center where Ben worked before becoming a reality TV star. Adorable!

Related: PHOTOS: Failed Reality TV Romances

This stud basically spent his date comforting some random weeping child and making out with Lauren (or as the kids call it these days, “smooshy-smooshy”), but they did engage in some real talk. Lauren confronted Ben about comments Leah Block made last week, and he was more than supportive. “You know that I care about you enough that one thing somebody else says about you wouldn’t change everything,” he explained.

While neither Ben nor Lauren dropped the L-word during this conversation, Lauren’s feelings were more than clear. “I’m not in love with Ben the Bachelor,” she told cameras. “I’m in love with Ben from Warsaw, Indiana.”

JoJo and Ben Play Ball With Their Emotions (and Actual Balls)

Welcome to the Windy City! JoJo Fletcher scored Ben’s second one-on-one, and spent most of the day trolling around Wrigley Field playing #sports instead of making out. Honestly, Ben should probably just reject all his girlfriends and marry a baseball diamond, because it’s clearly his one true love.

Related: PHOTOS: The Bachelor Season 20: Meet Ben Higgins' Bachelorettes!

Weird sports theme aside, Ben and JoJo definitely had a strong connection and made huge strides in their relationship. Ben even admitted that JoJo’s the person he’s most “comfortable” with, though he also questioned her guarded nature. “I’m trying,” JoJo assured Ben when he raised concerns. “I feel scared, and the easiest thing to do would be run and just remove myself … [but] I can confidently say that I care about you, more than anything.” 

Amanda and Ben Go to McDonalds (Yes, You Read That Right)

Time for the most awkward group date in Bachelor history! Caila Quinn, Becca Tilley and Amanda Stanton joined Ben for a ménage à quatre wherein they paddled up a random river (like The Notebook, only with a few extra girls thrown in), flew kites for literally no reason and partook in awkward conversations where everyone felt really tense. So, yay!

Related: PHOTOS: The Bachelor After the Final Rose: Broken Engagements, Weddings, Babies, and More!

Ben was well aware of how strained the date was, so he made things better (aka so much worse) by rejecting Caila and Becca and giving Amanda a rose. This girl had the thrilling opportunity to hit McDonalds for a night of greasy romance with Ben (because there’s nowhere hotter than Micky D’s), and yes, they totally had a Lady and the Tramp moment with a french fry.

See Ya, Emily!

Ben took Emily Ferguson on the third one-on-one of the week, and — womp — he promptly rejected her. Ben brought poor Em home to meet the parents, and let’s just say she didn’t give off wife vibes. This is possibly because she uttered the sentence, “If I could sit around and watch movies all day long, that would be my favorite thing in the world.”

Ben Higgins and Lauren B.
Ben Higgins and Lauren B. ABC/Jean Whiteside

Ben’s dad noted that Emily “seems a little young,” while his mom confirmed that “he definitely has a lot to think about.” Turns out Ben didn’t have that much to think about after all because he broke up with Em a few minutes later. “I just don’t think I can see you being my wife,” Ben said while his other girlfriends watched from a window. “It’s so hard because I don’t necessarily want to say goodbye, but I know that it’s the best.”

Deuces, Becca!

Becca was crazy-disgruntled when she landed the group date, and confronted Ben about her feelings. “At the very least, I deserve someone who really wants me and wants to be with me, so if it’s not that way for you, it’d be really hard, but at the very least I deserve that,” she explained.

After not getting the group date rose, Becca complained some more: “He’s done nothing to really make me feel like there’s something different about me,” she told cameras. “Why would anyone want to keep putting themselves out there for someone who gives nothing in return?”

Jojo and Ben Higgins
Jojo and Ben Higgins ABC/Jean Whiteside

Ben ended up sending Becca home during the rose ceremony, and apologized after she accused him of “blindsiding” her. “Even a second ago, I wasn’t certain about this,” Ben explained. “I’m sorry.”

Hmmm, Becca looked pretty displeased on the ride home, so to answer Justin Bieber‘s question, it is too late to say sorry now.

Tell Us: Did Ben blindside Becca, or did he do the right thing?

The Bachelor airs on ABC Mondays at 8 p.m. EST.

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