The Bachelorette featured Jenn Tran eliminating Jeremy Simon after hometowns and Marcus Shoberg admitting he was struggling to turn his feelings of "like" into "love" for Jenn during the Season 21 episode that aired Monday night on ABC.
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Jenn therefore determined her Final 3 bachelors: Devin Strader, a 28-year-old freight company owner from Houston, TX; Jonathon Johnson, a 27-year-old creative director from Los Angeles, CA; and Marcus, a 31-year-old Army Ranger veteran from Raleigh, NC.
The Bachelorette broadcast began with Jenn visiting Devin in Houston, TX, where many of his family and friends currently reside.
"On the first night, if you told me Devin was getting a hometown in Houston, TX, I probably would not have believed you," Jenn told The Bachelorette cameras.
"But as the weeks have gone by, Devin has really surprised me and he's been there for me. That's why he's here with me today, is because I have really strong feelings for him."
Devin first introduced Jenn to his "run club," which was a group of pals he ran with once a week. Jenn suited up and went on a run with the crew, who were all rocking matching blue "Jenn & Devin" T-shirts. Jenn said she could see herself fitting into Devin's life and she appreciated how he understood her.
Devin said Jenn was clearly comfortable with his friends and "seamlessly fit into the group." And with that being said, Devin introduced Jenn to his dog Charlie. Jenn said it was "hot" to see Devin be a "girl dad" to his beloved pooch.
Devin told Jenn that he wanted this to be right so badly because his loved ones never had the easiest time in relationships and he didn't want to add another piece to that puzzle. Devin feared, for instance, his family was going to see a problem or red flag with Jenn that he was missing.
Devin admitted he was "super nervous" to introduce Jenn to his mother Jennifer, dad Temo, grandfather Gary, grandmother Phyllis, brother Pierce, and stepdad Todd.
Devin wanted everything to go right after making bad choices in women in the past, and Jenn acknowledged that Devin's family coming together for them was a huge deal.
Jennifer's "No. 1 concern" was whether Jenn had the right intentions, but Temo could see chemistry between the pair.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWDevin admitted to his father that he loved Jenn and could see himself spending the rest of his life with her. But Devin was apparently afraid to say that to Jenn, only to have her turn around and say those three words to someone else. Devin said he didn't want to be wrong this time.
"When I say, 'I love you,' I want to know that I'm the only one," Devin shared.
Meanwhile, Jennifer asked Jenn what made Devin special, and she called him confident, special and emotionally intelligent.
Jenn said they had similar upbringings and a similar dynamic with their absent fathers. Jennifer admitted she wasn't the best role model relationship-wise for her sons and was a single mom for quite some time; however, she did the best she could and finally found love with Devin's stepdad.
Jenn shared with Jennifer how she felt "so strongly" for Devin and saw a future with him. Jennifer said she could picture Jenn being a part of their family but she didn't want to see her son's heart get broken.
Devin was also fearful of getting hurt, and he told his mother just that.
"I've been to places with this girl in my heart and in my soul that I've never been with anyone else," Devin told his mom.
"So it does scare me that I feel this way about this girl and I want it to work so bad but there are still other people involved. I can't stand that... I love her. I think this is the first time I'm in love, for real."
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Jennifer advised Devin to take a risk, go all in, and express himself to Jenn because he'd never get to the end otherwise.
At the end of the date, Devin embraced Jenn tightly in his arms and kissed her.
"Jenn, I told myself that I was not going to walk in here and make assumptions based on the situation and how I feel, but f-ck, I don't care anymore. I love you. I love you, Jenn, and I want you to know that," Devin told The Bachelorette star.
"I want you to know that I am falling so hard for you," Jenn replied, "and my feelings have grown exponentially for you... It's unreal. I feel like it's not even real, and I want you to know that I really do see a future with you."
Jenn told The Bachelorette cameras that she felt excited and giddy, and Devin lifted a weight off his shoulders by being so honest and vulnerable. Devin said he had never been so happy with a woman before and he felt like he might finally get everything he's wanted in life.
The next day, Jenn embarked on her date with Jeremy in his hometown of Fairfield, CT.
Jenn and Jeremy hadn't expressed their feelings to each other yet, and so Jenn still had questions about whether Jeremy could be her life partner. She was wondering if he was ready for everything that was going to come at the end of this process.
For their date, Jeremy took Jenn shopping since they had made a habit of exploring markets together on The Bachelorette.
Jenn thought Jeremy was going to buy her clothes or shoes, but instead, he took her to a grocery store with smiling avocados, popcorn popping, singing milk cartons and more. The pair danced and laughed "nonstop" together, and Jenn felt like she was spending time with her best friend.
Jenn and Jeremy were eating lobster rolls together when Jeremy's aunt suddenly walked by in the store, and then Jenn decided to make Jeremy's mom a bouquet of flowers.
Later that day, Jenn met Jeremy's mother Karen, stepfather Michael, older sister Lindsey, Lindsey's fiance Alex, and his younger sister Emily.
Karen could tell Jeremy and Jenn had a similar sense of humor and they looked sweet together, but she admitted that when Jenn was named the Bachelorette and revealed what she was looking for in a guy, that description was not Jeremy.
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Jeremy told Emily that Jenn made him really happy, but Emily warned him that Jenn thought he had some walls up. Jeremy didn't agree with that sentiment because he claimed he had been completely confident in his relationship with Jenn all along.
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Jeremy then told Karen that he wasn't trying to rush into deep stuff with Jenn, but Karen countered, "This isn't a game; this isn't a show. This is your life!" Karen asked Jeremy to think long and hard about what he wanted because The Bachelorette was going to end in a commitment.
"If it's love, it definitely shouldn't be an engagement," Karen told The Bachelorette cameras.
Jenn admitted to Karen that sometimes she and Jeremy got too comfortable in the fun, and Karen confessed she was worried about Jeremy getting engaged more than once. Karen didn't think Jeremy was ready for this, and that raised a red flag for Jenn.
"I'm feeling a little conflicted," Jenn said in a confessional. "I'm wondering if something is missing for us."
After the date, Jenn asked Jeremy if he was ready for an engagement, and he said he'd be ready for it with the right person.
Jeremy let Jenn know that his feelings for her were strong and he was "falling for" her. Jenn smiled big and kissed the suitor, and Jeremy said he couldn't imagine for being with Jenn. Jenn, however, seemed to leave the date with some concerns.
Jenn's next stop was San Diego, CA, for Jonathon's hometown. She was hoping Jonathon would start opening up to her because she really wanted to see him as her future fiance.
Jonathon made a jersey for Jenn and they played lacrosse together in a wide open field. Jenn loved showing Jonathon this athletic side of herself, and she said she could picture playing the sport with their kids one day.
Jonathon gushed about how there was a "special" and "unspoken" energy with The Bachelorette star, but since an ex-girlfriend he lied to him in the past, he was afraid to jump into love too quickly with Jenn.
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Jenn hoped Jonathon could learn to let go and trust her so she could figure out where he was at with her, but Jonathon acknowledged that the stakes were "massive." Jonathon was optimistic that Jenn spending time with his family would give him clarity.
During the family gathering, Jenn met Jonathon's mother Lisa, father Mitch, brother Zach, sister-in-law Emily, and sister Kristy.
Zach could tell that Jonathon and Jenn were a good match, but he noted that Jonathon was "a slow mover."
Jenn confessed to Zach that she was falling for multiple guys but she could see herself falling in love with Jonathon on The Bachelorette.
"I do think we're on the cusp of that," Jenn announced.
Zach wanted to protect Jonathon and so he got a little emotional during his conversation with Jenn.
Jenn then told Lisa that Jonathon really saw her for who she is but their relationship was a challenge for her because he was still holding back. Lisa called Jenn "adorable" and thought she was smitten with Jonathon, even though more work had to be done.
Kristy advised Jonathon to play big because that's the only way he could win big. Kristy told Jonathon to take a risk for love if Jenn was who he really wanted to be with.
When Jonathon spoke to his mother, Lisa pointed out how he had been cautious with Jenn on The Bachelorette.
"I have worries, like, during this time I've spent with her, is this the Jenn she wants me to see or is this what she really is?" Jonathon questioned.
Jonathon then asked Lisa if she could see him with Jenn long-term, and Lisa replied, "Honestly, absolutely."
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Jonathon subsequently told Jenn that his family loved her.
"And I love so much about you that it's," Jonathon began. "Am I getting there? 100 percent. When I said this would be the thing to open my eyes, it would be impossible for me not to say that I am... Jennifer Tran, I am falling for you."
"Jonathon Johnson, I am also falling for you," Jenn responded with a big smile.
The Bachelorette star said she and Jonathon were on the track "for something real" and he "could be" her husband at the end of this.
The final hometown date of Jenn's season belonged to Marcus in Tacoma, WA.
Jenn said she could really see herself falling in love with Marcus but it had been hard for him to open up to her. She could tell that her feelings for Marcus were further along than what he was feeling for her.
Jenn was going to meet Marcus' little sister Gabriella, who was the "most consistent" person in his life, but not his adoptive parents. Instead, Marcus told Jenn that she was going to meet Scott and Sue, who had been mentors and parental figures in his life. Marcus said his friends in Tacoma were pretty much his family.
Marcus thought it was impressive how well Jenn fit in with his loved ones, but he was hoping for clarity and wisdom from his friends. Marcus was trying to stay open to the possibility of falling in love with Jenn, but the love apparently wasn't coming easy to him.
"I think I'm kind of stuck somewhere between really, really liking someone and loving them," Marcus explained to Scott. "I don't know, maybe I'm beating myself up a little bit because I'm not in love with her yet. I still do have hope that that can happen."
Marcus felt like he and Jenn were both waiting for the other person to express love first, and Marcus began wondering if he was just afraid, and so he hoped seeing Jenn with his loved ones would propel him in the right direction.
"It's really hard for me to let people in, and I think Jenn can sense that I'm struggling to let her in fully," Marcus admitted.
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Sue then asked Jenn if she could see herself getting engaged to Marcus on The Bachelorette, and Jenn essentially said "yes" except the pair hadn't discussed being in love yet. Jenn said she was scared because she didn't know how Marcus was feeling about her and she didn't want an unrequited love.
Jenn tried to dig a little deeper with Gabriella, who could tell that Jenn had pure intentions. Gabriella mentioned how Marcus had been through a lot and so it was difficult for him to fully commit to someone.
"I can picture myself being in love with him for sure, but I've been holding back a little because I'm scared," Jenn explained, before breaking down into tears.
Jenn told Gabriella that she was afraid to get her heart broken, but Gabriella said she had never seen her brother Marcus smile around a woman like that before. Gabriella thought Jenn could balance Marcus out and keep up with his stubbornness as well as his overly clean house.
"And his big heart," Gabriella quipped.
Marcus then explained to his sister how an engagement was "a really big deal" to him and he wanted to get engaged to "the right person." Marcus insisted his feelings for The Bachelorette star were real but he needed to connect with her on a deeper level before professing feelings of love.
"Let's say you make it to the end. What are your feelings on that?" Gabriella asked.
"It's hard for me to picture right now. I set a lot of goals for myself... but the thing I want more than anything else is to be a father," Marcus said.
Marcus got choked up as he spoke about his dreams for the future, and Gabriella said he'll be "one hell of a father" because he loves so big. In that moment, Marcus said he finally felt "worthy" of being with Jenn.
After the gathering, Jenn said she really wanted to be a part of the picture. Marcus assured Jenn that his family loved her, and he added, "I want you to know that I am falling for you. I know that just because of how happy you make me, and I hope today meant as much for you as it meant for me."
Jenn admitted she had been "waiting so long to hear those words" and she was incredibly excited.
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Marcus told The Bachelorette cameras that Jenn was everything he ever wanted and everything that led up to that moment had been worth it.
Before the Rose Ceremony, the Final 4 guys caught up with each other at a bar. The men discussed how they really cared for Jenn and had great hometown dates, and hearing all of this confidence and positivity shook Marcus a little bit.
Marcus could tell these men had no reservations about potentially proposing marriage to Jenn at the Final Rose Ceremony, which made him feel "a little bit behind" the pack in his feelings for The Bachelorette star.
"I'm trying my best to understand why," Marcus explained in a confessional.
"There is this feeling of shame of not being there yet. Why am I incapable right now? It does make me feel like there is something wrong with me. Going into this Rose Ceremony, there is no reason why I should be feeling the way that I'm feeling."
Marcus added, "Jenn deserves to have guys here who are certain. It's scary that something that is bringing so much joy and happiness into my life could be gone."
Marcus said he didn't want to sabotage something that could be really good but Jenn could sense he was struggling to meet her on the same emotional level.
"If I go home tonight, it's because she's run out of patience," Marcus noted to The Bachelorette cameras.
Meanwhile, Jeremy admitted he couldn't even rationalize going home in his head but it could've been "delusion."
Before the Rose Ceremony, Jenn confessed to The Bachelorette host Jesse Palmer that she was "definitely falling in love" with all four of her remaining bachelors.
When Jenn approached her Final 4 bachelors, she said she was looking for trust, an equal partnership, and emotional vulnerability in her future husband. She said this was going to be one of the hardest decisions she had to make yet.
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Jenn therefore eliminated Jeremy and walked him out.
"Obviously it sucks, but I had the best time," Jeremy told Jenn.
Jenn thanked Jeremy for so many laughs and good times, and Jeremy confirmed he had been himself the entire time.
"Even though it's ending like this, I'm at ease with [this decision] because I know whoever is in there will take care of you," Jeremy said.
"That means a lot," Jenn replied.
"I've been confident in us the whole time and I thought we were on the same page, which sucks. But I just want you to be happy, and you will always have a place in my heart," Jeremy concluded.
Jenn explained that Jeremy's final words made her question if any of her Final 3 guys were not on the same page with her.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
