Let’s discuss: In the blink of an eye, the season is coming to a close, and Rachel isn’t afraid to say bye-bye without giving out a rose.

Feelings are heating up on The Bachelorette! There are six guys left: Bryan, Dean, Eric, Peter, Adam, and Matt, and they’re now in Geneva, Switzerland. We learned there would not be a rose ceremony this week so Rachel could go on a date with each one and either keep them or send them home right then and there! This meant it was Rachel’s last week before the hometown dates to figure out which guys are worthy enough of being her home someday. As Rachel put it, she is “giving out a rose saying, ‘please take me home and welcome me into your family.’” FIrst, on Rachel and Bryan’s one-on-one, you can tell there’s definitely chemistry between them. Rachel, or ABC, bought them matching watches. But how genuine is he? After Bryan’s date, it was time for Dean. During the entire date, Dean looks so awkward and nervous when Rachel is trying to get him to talk to his family, but Dean can’t help but make jokes.

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During their date, Dean starts asking her questions like about her favorite dinosaur and when he’s out of things to say he just tells her she’s pretty and we screamed with laughter. Eventually, he opens up that he doesn’t have the so-called ‘traditional’ family the other guys have. Next, it was time for Peter and Rachel’s one-on-one date If you recall last week’s previews, it was edited to make it seem like Peter had done something to make Rachel in tears, but that was not the case! -kinda. Rachel and Peter went on a one-on-one again, finally, and hung out with sled dogs and it was adorable. He brought up his last relationship and how he broke her heart and it seemed like he is a little afraid at fully proposing to Rachel at this point, but we’re sure he’ll get over it. Finally, Eric, Matt, and Adam go on a group date. Adam must be crazy because during the little screen time he had, all he said is how he’s for-sure getting the rose. Sorry, Adam, oh and Matt too, because Eric got it. Matt was super sweet though and we may have regretted forgetting his name.

With all of this in mind, let’s meet our Roundtable guests for the week to see what they had to say:

Erica (@ericaeff) – Reality TV enthusiast and live Tweeter

Sophie (@svershbow) – Book Publicist, Writer, Reality TV Enthusiast

Kaitlyn (@bachbrack) – Co-founder of Bach Bracket, an online fantasy league site for The Bachelor franchise

Kathryn (@florencewelches) – Pop culture addict and makeup artist

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1. Rachel and Bryan went on yet another one-on-one date this week, and it seems like they’re still going strong. What did you think of their date?

Erica (@ericaeff): Oh, this “luxurious” date was a perfect representation of their superficial relationship. I don’t think I’ll ever be onboard with this pairing. I must sound like a broken record right now, but seriously all they do is make out sloppily and gush about how perfect the other is.

Sophie (@svershbow): Bryan has done nothing but loudly make out with Rachel, and tell her how awesome she is. I don’t know anything about his family, his job as a chiropractor, where he grew, up, etc. Also, he broke up with a girl because she didn’t like his Mom!? DEAL BREAKER!

Kaitlyn (@bachbrack): Ughhhh, don’t remind me. Rachel is so smitten with Bryan it breaks my Peter-loving heart. Their chemistry is unreal & she just lights up when she sees him. He just feels SO rehearsed, I can’t get over it. I hope for Rach’s sake she can trust her gut.

Kathryn (@florencewelches): Everything with Bryan feels too good to be true or like a nice relationship that would last a while but wouldn’t ever lead to marriage. It was nice and grand, but I don’t feel anything. There’s something missing, like a real depth, missing.

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2. Rachel and Dean went on a one-on-one date this week and she finally got him to open up about his feelings. What did you think of their date?

Erica (@ericaeff): Their date was extremely awkward! I almost don’t think Dean ever expected to make it to hometowns when he signed up for this process. When Rachel offered him the rose at the end of their date, I truly thought he was going to reject it for a second. He seemed really ashamed of his home life and it was clear he’s not ready to delve into all of that yet.

Sophie (@svershbow): Rachel date with Dean felt very real to me. I appreciated his honesty regarding his less than perfect family, and think Rachel did too. I still think that Dean is too immature for Rachel, but am glad that this franchise showed a difficult situation that so many people have had to deal with.

Kaitlyn (@bachbrack): Oh man, as an avid Dean-lover the beginning of this date was so hard to watch. Rachel was BEGGING him to open up and say something serious and he just couldn’t do it. But later you really saw how his stress about bring Rachel home ate at him all day long. After they had that tough conversation, he was like a new person. One thing is for sure though, Rachel is so good at bringing out the best in him.

Kathryn (@florencewelches): Really really like Dean and I’m glad they had a very honest convo! Their date was fine but it was great when they were able to discuss their fears and concerns!

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3. During Rachel and Peter’s one-on-one date, he shared that he had thoughts about leaving early on in the season. Were you surprised to hear that he thought about leaving?

Erica (@ericaeff): I’m not surprised. I would imagine many of the contestants think about dipping at some point throughout the season. In a way, it shows that Peter isn’t there for TV time, so maybe Rachel should perceive it as a good thing.

Sophie (@svershbow): I will never forgive ABC for making me think that Peter left the show. That chunky cable knit sweater. Those baby blues. The salt and pepper hair. MORE PETER PLEASE! Oh sorry, was there a question?

Kaitlyn (@bachbrack): Yeah, I’d say I was surprised. He hasn’t expressed any concerns about his lack of alone time up until this point, and I think she’s given him a lot of attention relative to the other men. Let’s be honest, though—if I were her, I would have ended this thing weeks ago and rode off into the sunset with Peter.

Kathryn (@florencewelches): I’m not super surprised cause I can’t imagine how anxious I’d be if I were on the show, myself. His fear was valid but he really stuck it out for Rachel and he’s absolutely my favorite. Whenever he and Rachel are together it looks like they’re both coming home.

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4. Rachel got very emotional and in a heartfelt goodbye, sent home Matt during the group date. She said in another situation she would have been able to build feelings with him. Do you think Rachel and Matt could ever work out outside of the Bachelorette?

Erica (@ericaeff): That whole scene was super strange to me, seeing as Matt has been a non-entity for the entire season. Maybe it was an editing pitfall, but we didn’t see evidence of their relationship progressing at all. That said, Matt seems like a down-to-earth guy, so I can kinda see why she had trouble letting him go.

Sophie (@svershbow): Rachel and Matt couldn’t work outside The Bachelorette because we still don’t know who he is. Seriously, did he get even one minute of air time before this episodes?

Kaitlyn (@bachbrack): Well we wouldn’t really know now would we? I am super bummed that Rachel & Matt’s relationship was completely edited out of the season. I was just like everyone else when she chose him to be in the final 6, like who is this dude!? But the emotion of that breakup really shows how close they got, and it sucks that we spend so many episodes on Lee gaslighting Kenny instead of watching their genuine relationship develop.

Kathryn (@florencewelches): It’s hard to say because I feel like we’ve hardly gotten to know Matt so he honestly is pretty forgettable. Like, the other week I literally had to google his name because I forgot.

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5. During the group date, Rachel felt hesitant about the fact that Eric has never brought a girl home to meet his family. In the end, Rachel gave the group date rose to Eric and sent home Adam. Did you see that coming?

Erica (@ericaeff): I think it was fairly obvious that Adam didn’t really stand a chance here. That said, I don’t see Eric and Rachel as a strong match. It seems like, on an emotional level, he needs her more than she needs him, and I don’t see Rachel taking on a therapist role in a relationship. When Eric was explaining that he “helps” everyone in his life & Rachel asked him “Who helps Eric?”, he said “That’s what I’m here looking for”. I feel like that was a red flag.

Sophie (@svershbow): The Bachelorette producers insulted our intelligence by even pretending like Adam or Matt might go to hometowns instead of Eric. Obviously she was going to send them home, they literally haven’t been on the show until this week! That being said, Eric being 29 and having not brought a girl home yet was a real red flag for me. He also said it so casually, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, and not a major sign he’s a commitment-phobe.

Kaitlyn (@bachbrack): Lol yes because I have been watching this season. I think my boyfriend who sees 30 seconds of The Bachelorette a week when he comes to grab a beer from the fridge saw that coming. These definitely had to be the easiest Top 4 picks in history. That being said, you could definitely sense Rachel’s hesitation with Eric. He’s a great guy, but I think Rachel is looking for someone a little more established.

Kathryn (@florencewelches): Adam just feels like a guy Rachel would date for a little while outside of the show and things would just fizzle out pretty shortly. And his little talk about not like the word difficult because nothing is difficult just challenging? Um, dude? He seems like a sweet enough dude I just don’t see much romantic chemistry between them. Rachel has definitely moved MUCH farther along in her relationship with Eric, and her concern about him never having taken a girl home before is a very small thing.

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6. On Rachel and Dean’s one-on-one date, Dean finally briefly shared a little about some of the problems he has with his family and his concerns about the hometowns. It seems like Chris Harrison may actually be right when he said next week will be the most dramatic yet. What are you expecting to happen when Rachel meets his father?

Erica (@ericaeff): I don’t fully expect it to be the drama & fireworks that the preview makes it out to be. I think Rachel is gonna be respectful and gracious. That said I’m sooo so curious to see the dynamic between Dean and his dad.

Sophie (@svershbow): I AM SO EXCITED TO MEET DEAN’S ECCENTRIC FATHER! Will he wear a Hawaiian shirt? Does he have an accent? Will there be funny hats? Who can say!?!?  

Kaitlyn (@bachbrack): I think Dean’s father looks a little untraditional to say the least, and I was taken aback by the preview because I don’t think Dean’s depiction of his home life really prepared us (or Rachel) for that amount of eclecticness. I can’t imagine it was easy to convince Dean’s father to let ABC film at his house (maybe a teepee, who knows?), but my hope is that he is accepting of Rachel despite the fact that cameras will be invading his space.

Regardless of how he acts toward Rachel, I’m sure Rachel will handle whatever situation is thrown at her with grace.

Kathryn (@florencewelches): I think it’s gonna be really uncomfortable and there are many issues there and he dad seems just aloof and so emotionally unavailable and it’s gonna be real difficult

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7. In next week’s previews, almost every guy is in tears at some point. What do you think we can expect to happen during the hometown dates?

Erica (@ericaeff): The hometowns are great because they shatter the whole fairytale illusion that gets built up in the first stretch of the season, so I can’t wait. I’m most looking forward to Bryan’s hometown because if there’s a fairytale that needs to be shattered, it’s that one! 👏

Sophie (@svershbow): That preview was full of drama, but I have a suspicion most of it goes down further in the future. Hometown dates are usually super awkward, but not actually that dramatic. Rachel is a lovely woman, and I imagine she’ll be delightful and respectful to everyone she meets. My guess is Peter, Eric, and Bryan go to the fantasy suites.

Kaitlyn (@bachbrack): In the words of Chris Harrison, this is about to be the most dramatic episode yet. But really, it seems like each one of these guys has an interesting back story and it should make for very interesting hometowns. I think we’ll get the most interesting hometowns out of Dean and Eric, since they both seemed to have unconventional family lives and have had tough pasts. I expect Peter’s family to be absolutely delightful (let’s be honest, their names are Gary and Lynn), and if Bryan’s anything like his parents, I imagine Bryan’s family will have the entire night scripted before Rachel even walks through the door.

Kathryn (@florencewelches): It’s gonna be A LOT! You have Dean’s eccentric father, questions being raised about whether some of these men are really ready and doubt and skepticism from some family members. It’s gonna be an emotional roller coaster, WHEW boy!

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Final Verdict: The guys are sharing more about themselves just in time for one eventful week of hometown dates.

After a long haul, Rachel was finally able to get Dean to open up. Eric seemed very genuine when talking about the lack of healthy relationships in his family growing up and it made our hearts break for him. Matt on the other hand also grew on us but in the end she chose Eric. It’s super sad that Dean feels like his family is so out of place compared to the rest of the guys. However, next week are hometowns and based off the previews, Dean definitely wasn’t exaggerating. Calling his family dynamic with his father strained is an understatement. Next week it seems like every guy is in tears! We’re down to Peter, Dean, Bryan, and Eric. One thing’s for sure: we have no idea how the season went so fast, but we’re excited to see where it goes next week!

The Bachelorette returns next Monday, July 17 at 8/7C on ABC.