Welcome to the excitement of Bachelor Nation as we dive into Hometown Week!

As Mel Owens continues his journey on Season 2 of the Golden Bachelor, only three women remain. Our Golden Guy took off from LAX, likely with a dream in his heart and a cardigan in his luggage, ready to visit the hometowns and meet the families of Peg Munson, Debbie Siebers, and Cindy Angelcyk Cullers.

With just two roses left to give and the prospect of an engagement looming, the tension and emotions were at an all-time high. Romantic dates in cities like Las Vegas, Denver, and Austin offered Mel and his final three a deeper connection. However, meeting the families brought its own set of challenges. Concerned relatives were quick to question Mel’s readiness to commit, a sentiment shared by viewers. The daughters of these Golden Bachelorettes were particularly perceptive, quickly picking up on any of Mel’s hesitations and ensuring he faced tough questions, all in an effort to shield their mothers from potential heartache. We can’t help but applaud their protective instincts.

Curious about what went down in Episode 6 of The Golden Bachelor Season 2? Wondering who was sent home after the Hometown Dates, and who received a rose, securing their spot in the Fantasy Suite/Finale Week as Mel’s final two? We’ve got all the details right here!

Peg Munson‘s Hometown Date Recap: Looking For A Fireplace, Not Fireworks

Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Peg’s Fam: Peg’s mom Dorothy (a proud Bachelor Nation member), her daughter Dakota/boyfriend Kohl, her brother Guy/sister-in-law Brenda

Peg, who worked in the fire department for 22 years on the floor and the bomb squad, turned up the heat by giving Mel a tour of Las Vegas Fire & Rescue HQ. She showed him the pole, the trucks, the equipment, and the bomb detecting robot. But most importantly she opened up about her life, career, and what she wants in a relationship. “I’m not looking for the fireworks, because I had them, and they don’t work. I’m looking for a fireplace, the slow burn that grows. The real deal.” QUEEN! ICON! PEG’S THE BOMB!

For the first time in four or five years, Peg brought a guy home to meet the fam, who wasted no time asking him tough but fair questions. The star of the show was undoubtedly Peg’s daughter, Dakota, the people’s princess! She understood the assignment, sat Mel down, and asked reasonable, fairly basic, but thoughtful questions that this man simply could not answer! How is he feeling about her mom? “Great.” Why? “I love her spirit. A lot of energy.” What about her energy? “Well, it’s alive. Right?” Yeah…so is he in love? “I’m not in love with your mom, yet. Because I’m not at that stage yet.” Does he think he could get there by the end of the journey? “I don’t know.” If he didn’t propose, would he date one of the women after the show? “I don’t know.” YIKES! What the golden hell, dude?! What in the world are you doing here?

“I’m asking Mel some pretty direct questions,” Dakota told cameras. “Mel’s answers are not necessarily what I needed to hear for where they’re at in this process, nor do I think that’s what my mom deserves. And I wish he was more sure of where his feelings were at.” After warning Mel to let her mom go if he felt he was stringing her along, Dakota voiced fears to Peg, saying, “My biggest concern is that you’re not being appreciated as much as you should.” Girl, same! Based on the edit, Mel fumbled that crucial chat like a slippery football. And considering he willingly signed up for this process — well-aware of the expectations and accelerated process — I can’t comprehend him being this unprepared to engage in these conversations and express these emotions.

Debbie Siebers‘ Hometown Date Recap: Let’s Get Spiritual, Spiritual

Location: Denver, Colorado

Debbie’s Fam: Debbie’s oldest brother Ron, youngest brother Steve, sister Judy/brother-in-law Mark, and twin sister Donna

Next stop? Colorado to get spiritual with Debbie, who took Mel to Red Rocks Park for some sight seeing and deep conversation. Debbie, who we knew had never married, revealed it’d been 14 years since she brought anyone home. So she shared the story of her tragic last love to help Mel understand why she’s been single so long.

“I was with him for a couple years. Right before I was gonna turn 51, I knew he was gonna propose. I knew he had a little bit of depression, but he hid a lot from me. Within six months, I started seeing this behavior, it was pretty heavy,” Debbie explained. “I had tried breaking up with him a couple times, but I could never, because I loved him so much. I couldn’t live with him, couldn’t live without him. I was completely conflicted. We saw a therapist together and she gave me strength to walk away.” Tragically, two weeks after their breakup, Debbie’s ex took his life.”It altered me forever. I felt a lot of guilt. I had to work through a lot of pain. It took me 10 years,” she explained.

Again, I don’t know how dirty the edit is doing Mel here, but my gosh. In terms of reactions, comfort, or bare minimum show of empathy, that man was giving next to nothing in the footage we saw. I heard an, “Oh wow…But you wouldn’t have known that.” And that was that! A heavy, heartfelt confession deserved a heartfelt response, and it would have been nice to see Mel articulate himself a bit better, especially after he bombed his talk with Peg’s daughter. Thankfully, Mel had a successful meet-and-greet with Debbie’s family, but it felt like her date got the shortest screen time, so things weren’t looking good.

Location: Austin, Texas

Cindy’s Fam: Cindy’s daughters (Caroline, Sarah, and Emily), her son-in-law Fred, and her future son-in-law Alex

Last but not least, a trip to Texas, where Cindy took Mel to meet her kids before any substantial one-on-one time. She told her daughters that Mel made her feel safe and secure, and she was having big feelings for him — potentially “the Big L.” After Mel told the guys how important it was for him to find a woman who *checks notes* reacted well to college football on Saturdays, Cindy’s daughter Sarah grilled him like Peg’s daughter, and left similarly unimpressed.

When Sarah asked if he saw forever with Cindy, Mel said, “I don’t know.” When she doubled down and asked if he could see himself with Cindy in 20 years, he said, “potentially.” In a camera confessional, Sarah admitted, “It seems like Mel may either be a little unsure or a little bit tight-lipped about how much he loves my mom and sees a future with my mom. I don’t think that he gave a lot of straight answers. I’m a little bit worried about the long-term relationship that we know my mom wants. I think I really need to have a heartfelt conversation with her before I can be onboard with Mel being a part of the family.” When chatting with her mom, Sarah voiced concerns about Mel not caring for her deeply enough, but Cindy defended his cautiousness. After she brought Mel to her apartment for a tour, however, she tried to scope out his true feelings.

Cindy told Mel she was truly falling for him and asked if the feelings were reciprocated. “Obviously it’s complicated. There’s choices I have to make, they’re difficult. But this brought me closer,” he replied. “I had hoped to get more assurances from him tonight. They weren’t coming, and I’m not gonna push. Right now, I’m still an option,” a disappointed Cindy admitted.

Who Went Home On The Golden Bachelor tonight? The Golden Bachelor Season 2 Episode 6 Rose Ceremony Recap:

The Golden Guy and his Golden Gals traveled back to the mansion for the toughest rose ceremony yet. “I don’t use the word ‘love’ lightly. I’ve only been in love once in my life, and the divorce, it hurt. So it’s complicated,” Mel said before handing out his stems. “When I first spoke with the group about the podcast, I had my own personal mea culpa,” he told the group. “I thought that I wanted a certain type of woman. And I still do, and they’re right here before me. Beautiful. Accomplished. Brilliant. Spiritual. But I have a very very very difficult decision.”

Mel’s first rose went to Peg, and his second rose went to Cindy, which meant Debbie went home after Hometown Week. Mel walked her out, the two had an emotional chat, and Debbie left devastated but proud of herself. (Golden Bachelorette potential, perhaps?!)

Next week, it’s the Women Tell All special event. Then two weeks from now, Mel, Peg, and Cindy are headed to Antigua for the final stretch of the journey.

New episodes of The Golden Bachelor Season 2 premiere Wednesdays on ABC with next-day streaming on Hulu.