SEAN JOINS THE FOUR REMAINING BACHELORETTES IN THEIR HOMETOWNS, ONLY TO HAVE THEIR FAMILIES QUESTION HIS INTENTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR DAUGHTERS' FUTURE HAPPINESS, ON ABC'S "THE BACHELOR"

"Episode 1708" - Back in the U.S. after a whirlwind trip from Los Angeles to Montana to Canada to St. Croix, the stakes are high as Sean crisscrosses the country on an exciting, emotionally charged journey to visit the final four women's hometowns. AshLee and Sean enjoy an emotional afternoon with her family in Houston. The Bachelor isn't received with open arms by all of Catherine's family in Seattle. Lindsay's intimidating father meets Sean on his turf - Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where he is a two-star general. And when Sean hits Los Angeles, he is blindsided by Desiree's ex-boyfriend. The rollercoaster ride ends when he must make a gut-wrenching decision to narrow the field to three women - one of whom he believes will be his wife -- on "The Bachelor," MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18 (8:00-10:01 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

This week is extremely important to Sean, as family is a crucial part of the relationship equation for him. His journey starts in Houston, meeting AshLee for a romantic picnic. She has already shared that she is madly in love with him, but how will her adoptive parents feel about it? The emotional connection between AshLee and her father is so powerful, Sean wonders if he ever will be able to gain this man's trust.

Catherine and Sean spend a relaxing day tooling around her hometown of Seattle. He even scores points with her family when he offers her grandmother a traditional greeting from the Asian culture. But not everyone is won over. Will Catherine be able to convince her mother and sisters that her feelings for Sean are for real - or will they try to scare Sean away?

Sean journeys next to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, where the ebullient Lindsay takes him on a tour of the small town while answering his questions about her father, a two-star general who runs the entire Army base. In preparation for meeting her dad, Lindsay runs Sean through a battery of basic training drills. All prepped to meet the current main man in Lindsay's life, Sean wonders if the general will welcome him into the family ranks, or if his disapproval will cause an abrupt about-face in Sean's future hopes for his daughter.

Finally, Sean stops in Sherman Oaks, California, for a day of hiking and cooking with Desiree. Everything is going well until - uh oh - Desiree's ex-boyfriend shows up and demands to have a word with her. Then Sean also must withstand a withering attack by Desiree's brother, as he insults and disapproves of him. How will his belligerent behavior affect Sean's decision?

Headed to the rose ceremony, Sean still needs to decide which woman to send home. One woman, fearing that she might be the one to leave, makes a desperate move, snagging Sean for a talk. Will it be enough to save her? One devastated bachelorette makes a heartbreaking exit. Although he needed to make a painful decision, Sean and the final three women toast to heading to their next exotic and romantic destination: Thailand.

The four women are:
AshLee, 32, personal organizer, Houston, TX
Catherine, 26, graphic designer, Seattle, WA
Desiree, 26, bridal stylist, Los Angeles, CA
Lindsay, 24, substitute teacher, Fort Leonard Wood, MO

Hosted by Chris Harrison, "The Bachelor" is a production of Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Television. Mike Fleiss and Martin Hilton are the executive producers.

This episode of "The Bachelor" will be available on ABC.com the day after airing on the network for users to watch online. For more information on "The Bachelor" visit ABC.com.

"The Bachelor" is broadcast in 720 Progressive (720P), ABC's selected HDTV format, with stereo sound. This program carries a TV-PG,L parental guideline.