The Bachelor host Chris Harrison believes bachelorette Kacie Boguskie's shot at a happy ending with Bachelor Ben Flajnik came crashing down on her as a direct result of her hometown date during Monday night's episode.
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"I can't recall ever seeing such a strong front-runner like Kacie falling so far so fast after a hometown date," the host wrote on his Entertainment Weekly blog.
"I can't remember a more pivotal hometown episode. These hometown visits were definitely a game changer for Ben and these women."
Harrison said Flajnik saw red flags before he even officially met the family of Boguskie, a 24-year-old administrative assistant from Clarksville, TN.
"From the moment she started talking about her family to Ben you knew there was going to be a bit of a culture clash. Ben summed it up best himself when he said, 'Kacie's dad doesn't drink, and I'm thinking to myself, Well that's great -- I'm a winemaker.' Of course that isn't the reason this didn't work, but all joking aside it did point out some of the distance between them," he explained.
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Harrison noted that maybe Boguskie -- who broke down into tears following her elimination, cursing about how it could have happened and questioning why she wasn't good enough for Flajnik -- and the former seventh-season The Bachelorette bachelor's ideals and backgrounds just didn't match up.
"Ben comes from a very different world than Kacie does and this wasn't a good fit for him or her," Harrison said, referencing how Boguskie's father was hesitant to show his support of the couple's relationship and her mother had expressed disapproval of the pair potentially moving in together before marriage.
"Kacie's departure was easily one of the most emotional we've seen in a while. We've all gotten to know and love her so much, so it was tough to see her so confused and brokenhearted. I'm sure, upon reflection, Kacie can now see the great divide that was between them, but that doesn't mean it still doesn't hurt."
Although Boguskie was clearly crushed when Flajnik -- whom she told her family would be her "future husband" -- denied her a rose, Harrison suggested the bachelorette's experience on the reality dating competition wasn't entirely negative.
"Kacie has a newfound perspective on life and love, and this experience has definitely changed her. She has an amazingly loving family, and while things didn't go smoothly with Ben, she should be grateful for the love and wisdom her parents shared with her. This is a great example of why the hometown dates are so important," he added.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski