Overall, Joey Graziardi’s Hometown is a success. The Season 28 star strengthened her relationships with Kelsey Anderson, Rachel Nance and Daisy Kent and made the difficult decision to part ways with Mariah George.
While these family dates can get pretty rocky (Joy knows this from Charity Lawson's season of The Bachelor ), the suitors' families have made positive comments about their relationship with Joey Respond – even if they are cautious about their blessings. As Rachel's father said, "If that day ever comes, she'll have my phone number. You can call me one-on-one."
But that's it. Bachelor Nation puts families in the somewhat uncomfortable position of asking them to give their hypothetical blessing to a proposal that has a 75% chance of never happening.
This awkward setup prompted Reddit user u/AlwaysAngry101 to propose a new hometown schedule in a March 5 post.
New form of hometown
One potential solution, they suggested, would be to ensure that the final three suitors for the lead play one-on-one before home. Then, one of them is eliminated - leaving two families for the protagonists to meet instead of four.
"When feelings get stronger, have them meet with the family because there's only one person involved so the conversation is more meaningful and can go deeper," the Reddit user wrote.
Under this plan, Fantasy Suites will still follow Hometown, but there will be two overnight dates instead of three.
Many commenters supported the proposed schedule transition. "Yes! You were hired," one user wrote, while another noted that "four [hometowns] feels so over the top and dishonest."
"I think this really helps relationships succeed," one fan commented.
There is already a golden precedent
In fact, there's pretty compelling evidence that cutting back on hometown routines—and, by extension, fantasy suites—might result in a happier couple. Just look at Gerry Turner and Theresa Nestor on The Bachelor. The series' premium spinoff features three Homecoming episodes instead of two, but it still supports u/AlwaysAngry101's theory that meeting less of the family would give the protagonists a clearer picture of their remaining connections.
Meeting your significant other’s family is already a big deal. Of course, meeting four of them in one week requires a lot of time and effort—in an environment where both are limited. So maybe the trip back home can be shortened?
Plus, if the series is looking for ways to shake things up, it's sure to bring drama. Do you remember the shocked reaction of Joey's women when there were only three roses up for grabs in Montreal?
If "Hometown" is launched, such a change will be even more impactful.
