'The Bachelorette' recap: Taiwan, Ashley chooses hometown dates, two men exit

The Bachelorette's Ashley Hebert took her remaining men to Taiwan this week, ahead of deciding which four would receive hometown dates. This week's episode also featured an interview with former Bachelor contestant Emily Maynard, who told Chris Harrison about her split from Brad Womack.

One-on-one date: Constantine

Ashley knows her relationship with Constantine is moving slower than her relationships with some of the other men but she sees something between them that she wants to explore. The pair take a steam train ride to Ping-Shi Village, where the locals are taking part in a traditional lantern painting ceremony which involves writing a wish on a lantern and releasing it into the sky. Ashley and Constantine join in, deciding to focus on wishes of longevity and marriage.

Over dinner, Constantine asks Ashley why she invited him on the date. Ashley says he is everything she is looking for and she loves the fact he is a family man and always holds back a little. Ashley wants to know if Constantine is waiting to "fall" until after hometowns, but he says it's more about when it feels natural: "I realise I might move a little slow but if we're really in love by the end of this then we have as good a chance to make this work as anyone else does."

They share a kiss after releasing their wish lantern into the air. Ashley says that it's been one of the most romantic nights of her life and thinks it was a "huge step forward" in their relationship. Constantine, meanwhile, is ready to introduce Ashley to his family.

One-on-one date: Ben F

Ashley says that she and Ben have shared good times in the past, but acknowledges that she is dating multiple men and she has strong feelings for a couple of them alongside Ben, so she needs to see if there is both an emotional and physical connection with him. Their date involves exploring a local park on mopeds, although they stop to share a kiss on a bridge overlooking the forest. Ben privately confesses that he is falling in love with Ashley but he doesn't want to tell her yet, preferring to wait for "when the time is right".

Over dinner, Ashley quizzes Ben on what would happen if his family didn't like her. He says that their opinions matter to him but he thinks they will know she is good for him. Ben says that he is developing strong feelings for her and he wants them to continue growing with the hometown date. He's cautious about who he says "the L word" to but hints that's where he is heading, particularly after today's date: "Those are feelings I haven't felt in a very long time and I think ultimately my mum and sister will see that if you come home."

The couple share a kiss at the end of the date, both privately admitting that they could be falling in love with each other. Ashley even says that Ben feels like her boyfriend.

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Group date: Ames, Lucas, JP

The boys join Ashley to pose for wedding photos in traditional Taiwanese wedding outfits. Ashley admits that the date is making the whole idea of potentially marrying one of the three men more real, while JP privately confesses that he will find it hard to see Ashley in a wedding dress next to another guy.

First up is the photoshoot between Ashley and Lucas, who is wearing a floor-length gold traditional Taiwanese outfit. One of the pictures requires the pair to share a kiss and it's obvious that a watching JP - who gets a traditional tux - is feeling uncomfortable, particularly when the scenario is repeated in her photoshoot with Ames, dressed in a blue tux with a pink shirt. "He looks like the offspring of an ostrich and Elton John," says JP.

At the after-party, JP is still finding it hard to cope with watching Ashley interact with Ames and Lucas and dealing with the fact Ben F arrived home very late from his date with Ashley, implying he was out all night. Lucas is first to talk alone with Ashley, admitting that he felt "foolish" in his traditional "dress". He goes on to say that he would love to introduce her to his family. Ashley wants to know if it would be weird for him to bring her home given he was married before. He says no, adding that he wants marriage and kids now. He privately says that he feels confident he will be getting a hometown date. Ames uses his alone time with Ashley to show her pictures from his childhood and reveal that he was unpopular as a guy. He says that his family is "very happy" and he knows they will love her and she will love them.

JP tells Ashley that it's been a tough week for him, which surprises Ashley because she thought he was "cool as a cucumber". JP replies that when someone feels the way he does it "changes everything". Ashley says that she can feel his pain because she's been through those feelings. She wants him to get through this slump because good things are on the horizon, adding that she can't wait to meet his family. JP gets the date rose and a kiss. "I feel like I'm back on cloud nine," he says.

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One-on-one date: Ryan

Ryan finally gets his one-on-one date! Ashley doesn't care what any of the guys say about Ryan's OTT personality, she likes him, however she wants to know if there is a connection. Ashley takes Ryan to a temple where hundreds of people are praying and they take part in a traditional brick-throwing ceremony which acts as a gift to the god of matchmaking. Unfortunately, their bricks land with the same side up which signals a less successful match. Ashley seems to reflect this sentiment when she privately confesses that although Ryan is a great guy, she's not sure there is a romantic connection and she doesn't feel ready to meet his family because their relationship hasn't developed enough. Ryan, however, seems to feel the complete opposite, telling us that he can't wait to introduce Ashley to his family.

Over dinner, Ryan initiates a conversation about the environment before launching into an explanation of water heaters, while Ashley simultaneously tells us that she just isn't sure Ryan is the guy for her. Eventually she takes the plunge and tells Ryan that she just isn't feeling the romance with him: "You're a great guy but I don't know if I see you as my husband." She concludes by saying that she respects him too much to put him through the rose ceremony, so a dejected Ryan heads home.

A visibly choked up Ryan tells us: "I'm shocked. I don't want to be alone. I want to share this life with someone. I felt like she was the one for me. I didn't see it coming."

Rose ceremony

Ashley decides that she already knows which men she wants to give hometown dates to, so the cocktail party is cancelled, although Chris tells the men that didn't mean it was an easy decision for Ashley.

JP already has a rose. The remaining roses go to Constantine, Ben F and Ames, meaning that Lucas is sent home.

Ashley tells Lucas that even though there wasn't a "super romantic connection" between them, she feels like she has known him for a long time. After he leaves, she breaks down, telling us that it was hard to say goodbye and she hopes she has made the right decision. She confesses to fears that she might be making the wrong decisions and says that she is ready to come home to the US and meet the remaining men's families.

Lucas says: "I was super close to bringing Ashley home to meet my family. I think I just built a slower connection than some. I want somebody to wake up to, cook breakfast together in the morning, just simple stuff… I wasn't ready for this to be over, I really wasn't.

The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.

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