Ryan is suddenly standing behind HRWEG, asking if he can talk to Trista's dad privately for a moment "if you don't mind." Mom deadpans a quick "Oh, we'll miss him terribly," which I like in the same way I've enjoy every embittered quip she's made. Ryan and HRWEG walk into an empty den-like room and sit, Ryan starting right in: "If there's some sort of proposal involved, or if marriage is broughten [sic, and a big one] up, then I just want to feel comfortable accepting that or making that proposal without talking to you first." Sixteen triple negatives later, Ryan asks HRWEG for his daughter's hand in marriage, though it's possible he may have asked HRWEG to marry him instead by accident. HRWEG notes that they "share one thing in common." Giant glasses? Oh no, that's only Dad. "Our love for Trista." Oh. HRWEG speeches back, "I would welcome you." They smile, and HRWEG calls himself all of "stunned," "floored," and "impressed" in an interview. Well, if you can't get them with personality, you can always go for sincerity. And I'll remind you that I'm not reacting negatively to sincerity on its own merit; I'm merely saying that it may not be the emotional state that best suits his future bride. But anyway, she drops him off at the limo and she...

...returns to the house, where Trista's family is ready with the carefully coded lies lies lies, yeah. They crowd around the living room and Mom announces that "I have a definite opinion, but..." She tells us in interview that Charlie has an "outwardness" and that Ryan is an "introvert," but ultimately she "connected most with Charlie." Ding ding ding ding ding, as the Rehns have been known to say. "It started a little slower for me," HRWEG says of Ryan. But he's "sincere." Which, again, meh. Back in my younger, truly evil days, we had an expression for people like Ryan, and that expression was "heart of gold." The expression is nice. The sentiments behind it are nice. The implications are nice. But we totally didn't mean it in a nice way at all. NotMom also says Ryan isn't "the kind of person I would picture Trista choosing," but she makes the best point going here, noting that the difference between them "aren't the kind of differences that would make her choose one over the other. They're just differences." Exactly. So why not take some time, get to know each of them better, and decide if one of them really makes the right guy for...oh, you say it's because of the game-show rules? You're saying it's because sweeps is practically over? Very well, then. When people say they're "getting married on a schedule," I didn't realize it was this rigid or controlled by Michael Eisner. Live and learn, I always say. HRWEG cops to the fact that Ryan asked him for permission to marry her, and Mom starts bawling and has to leave the room, and Trista insincerely notes that she's crying as well. In an interview, Mom tells us she's crying because "it was really good to see my daughter in the place she's in right now." And I don't know what place that is, exactly, but I'm not going to bust on Mom. She might be the best person this show's got going for it right now. NotMom likes Ryan. Mom likes Charlie. HRWEG sees clearly (natch) that it's not his decision to make.