In episode nine of Fox’s Farmer Wants a Wife, it’s about to get real when the farmers leave their homesteads to ‘Meet the Families.’
Last week’s episode left viewers on the edge of their Adirondack chairs and attracted over 2.1 million viewers (wow).
After the farmers went on their penultimate one-on-one dates, a few women took themselves out of the running, and one woman made a surprise return. But before the final two were announced, the show ended, so we are gonna pick up right where we left off.
Hunter has to whittle his four women down to two finalists, so here we go.
He takes Devonne aside, which is not a good sign (also, they have zero connection), and he gives her the “I can’t be the person who cages you in, and I just don’t believe we are going to work out.” They hug, and she walks off crying, saying she really, really, really liked him, but GIRL, YOU BARELY KNEW HIM. She drafts her suitcase through yet another barn and is slowly driven off in a black SUV. See ya, Devonne!
Over at Landon’s farm, he only has to cut one girl, and that girl is Zoe, who I honestly have no recollection of seeing before. It’s all just a blur at this point. She doesn’t look heartbroken about him, just more upset at being rejected. We get it; that sucks. And another black SUV drives away with another woman.
Back to Hunter—and Miss Stephanie gets the heave-ho. His stable now consists of Meghan (we called it last week) and another blonde whose name I cannot remember.
And then there were eight. There’s one more day of work on the farm before they head to their possible wives’-to-be’s houses to meet the parents.
The Meet and Greets
Three days later, Landon lands in Orlando to meet Ashley R.’s home to meet her mom, sister, and daughter Harper.
It’s always tricky when there is a child involved, and I don’t envy his situation, but I also wouldn’t introduce a man I met on a reality TV show to meet my kid, but that’s just me!
He brought Harper a stuffed animal, and they chatted a bit before Ashley’s mom and sister took Landon out into the backyard to grill him on the patio.
Awkward!
Ryan heads to Los Angeles for the first of his two Sara’s, Sara V. Her family owns a bar, which is where the meetup takes place. Alcohol is good! Her dad and mom are there, and Ryan brings them a gift (it’s so sort of branded wood, no idea what it is).
The dad asks what his most traumatic event is (WTF?), and Ryan tells them his younger brother died when he was 9 years old. Then it’s mom’s turn, and she tells him to work on his “vulnerability.”
Even more awkward!
Allen gets to his destination date with Khelsi in Columbus, Georgia, to meet her folks. Her family greets him at a restaurant, and her family doesn’t immediately go in on him with tough questions, so Allen has it a little easier, and it actually makes Allen seem a little more relaxed than his usual stiff self.
But then, her BFF takes him aside and gets to the heart of things. She asks him if he’s over his ex-wife, and he assures her he is. When Allen goes to the bathroom, her fam raves about him. Allen? ALLEN?? I mean, good for him but ALLEN?
Hunter arrives in Nashville to meet Syndney’s (she was the other blonde whose name I forgot earlier) kin, and she is excited for him to meet her people, who are her mom and her mom’s best friend. Sydney abandons him immediately and throws Hunter to the wolves.
Her mom asks if Sydney is going to be his pick and if he wants children, and he looks like if the ground opened up and swallowed him, it’d be preferable to answer these invasive questions.
He excused himself so the girls could dish, and her mom told her she was not so sure if Sydney’s ready to do this—she’s young, and does she want kids soon? And now Sydney looks conflicted because she’s career-oriented. She’s only 22! She tells him she def doesn’t want kids now and doesn’t know if she’ll want them next year either.
Landon gets some awful news— his dad has passed, so he returns home and is not sure he’ll be able to make his next city visit. RIP, Landon’s dad.
And that’s it for this week’s Farmer Wants a Wife! In episode 10, we’ll see the farmers meet their other two ladies’ families.
We know the farmers were anxious about meeting their ladies’ friends and family members for the first time, and if you find yourself in the same situation, we have some tips to help ensure the introductions are less terrifying!
Meet the Parents: Tips to Make a Good First Impression
It’s a big deal when you finally meet your partner’s parents. After all, parents will most certainly play an essential role in the future you and your partner will create together. To make sure you start off on the right foot, the introduction must happen at the right time to give yourself the best opportunity to create a great first impression.
We know you aren’t a farmer on a reality TV show going to meet the parental units of what are, for all intents and purposes, a stranger’s loved ones, so while these tips might not help Allen, Hunter, Grayson, and Ryan, they will most likely help the ordinary dating situation!
How to Prep for the Parents
Getting to know a partner’s parents is an opportunity to deepen your connection with both your partner and their family–your significant other wants to include you more in their lives. The anxiety associated with that first encounter can be lessened with some pre-meeting game strategy where you both express the reasons for this big step.
You shouldn’t Google your partner’s parents or ask a ton of personal questions about them when you meet them for the first time. At this stage in the relationship, you ought to know some basic information about their parents–if you don’t, it may be too early to introduce yourself to them.
The most important thing is to be yourself; doing too much research and preparation might make you seem fake.
While you shouldn’t go digging for information, it’s still important to have a solid foundation on the basics. For example, know their names and be sure you’re saying them correctly. If your MIL-to-be has a nut allergy, you probably shouldn’t surprise her with a gift basket of fancy nuts. Educate yourself just enough to avoid a major embarrassment but not too much that you aren’t being your genuine self.
1. Keep It Real
The pressure we place on ourselves to create a good impression on our partners’ families sometimes backfires, making us seem insincere or ill at ease. Give them a chance to learn about the real you, not just the person you think they want to see.
2. Put Out the Impression You Want to Make
Meeting your significant other’s parents should be handled like a job interview in that you should be yourself while also giving a good first impression–be yourself, but be your best self.
If you know that drinking will have a bad effect on your behavior and that you don’t want your parents’ opinion of you to change because of it, you might want to stay away from alcohol during the occasion.
3. Actively Engage
Take an active interest in learning more about your partner’s parents. Everyone loves getting a sense that they are being heard and that someone actually cares about what they have to say.
Go deeper into what they say, focusing on one aspect at a time, and demonstrate that you’re interested in getting to know them by asking follow-up questions!
4. Be Chill–but Not Too Chill
Don’t try to direct the conversation. If they do not talk about a subject further after you attempt to engage them, move on. Even though you might have things you’d prefer to talk about, if the discussion takes another path, simply go with the flow. Being aggressive or pushy could quickly put someone off.
5. Don’t Arrive Empty-Handed
While a great deal of planning is not required, it is recommended that you learn the parents’ likes so that you can show up with a gift! If you’re having dinner at their place, a bottle of the couple’s favorite wine usually makes an excellent hostess gift, or you could bring dessert (again, check about food allergies).
6. Be Polite and Present
If you’re worried about whether or not the parents approve of you, that’s going to take your mind off the conversation at hand, increasing the likelihood that you will utter something which suggests you’re paying little attention to those you’re supposed to be getting to know.
Regardless of the final result, you need to convey your appreciation to your partner’s parents for making an effort to meet you.
Final Thoughts
It’s fair that you’d want to be accepted by your future in-laws! It’s also common for families to struggle when one or both parents disapprove of their child’s partner. However, it is important to establish boundaries with both of your parents.
Your in-laws’ opinions should not control or dictate your behavior and relationship. Be polite, be genuine, and let them grow to accept you for who you are. If that doesn’t seem to be in the cards, go on with your life–with or without their approval.