Chris Harrison’s “The Vow” explores faith and commitment in dating

Chris Harrison is back on reality television with a dating series built around Christianity, commitment and traditional values. The first two episodes of “Chris Harrison’s The Vow” premiered Wednesday on Fox Nation.

The opening episodes follow Jace Cates, a 30-year-old mortgage loan officer from Oregon, as he meets 10 women who hope to marry him. The introductions begin with prayer and talk of shared values, but the search turns emotional as two women leave the show.

Harrison says the series is meant to offer a different kind of dating experience, without roses or elaborate elimination ceremonies. He believes modern dating has become quicker and less meaningful, and wants the show to focus on relationships that can last.

Before meeting the contestants, Jace talks about an engagement that ended painfully. He says the breakup was one of the lowest points in his life, but his faith helped him work through it and think about what he wanted in a partner. He says he is dating because he hopes to meet his future wife and build a life together.

When the women arrive at the Texas Hill Country property, they discuss marriage, motherhood and what being a wife might mean to them. Alexis Wyborny pushes back on the idea that a traditional wife is simply someone who spends all day cooking. She describes herself as financially independent, while Kierstin Zankl says she would like to be a stay-at-home mother someday.

Sierra Wood says she plans to wait until marriage to have sex. Mya Draper, meanwhile, says she hopes to become a wife and mother and raise a large family.

Jace greets the group with a prayer. Then Harrison reveals their first task: getting the property ready for the evening. Instead of a cocktail party, the women help Jace arrange furniture, prepare food and set up the outdoor space.

Jace seems to connect with Sierra, who discovers they live about 20 minutes apart in Oregon and attend the same church. But later that night, he takes Kierstin aside and tells her he is sending her home. Nine women remain.

In the second episode, Jace chooses Mya for the season’s first one-on-one date. They go horseback riding through the Texas countryside and share some difficult parts of their pasts. Jace talks about his broken engagement, while Mya tells him her father died in a car accident two years earlier. Jace appreciates her openness, and the two kiss.

Mya later says she has not let herself fall for someone in a long time, but thinks she may be falling for Jace.

At a group basketball outing, Jace introduces the women to his former college coach and spends time with children. He says having a family is important to him and that he is interested in seeing how the women interact with kids.

The outing also brings some disappointment when Jace chooses Marley Alexander for a dinner date overlooking Austin. Their conversation reveals that they have different ideas about when to settle down. Marley, who has been single for seven years, wants to travel before having children and would prefer to stay near her family in Texas. Jace says he feels ready to start a family sooner.

He decides their timelines are too far apart and sends Marley home. She accepts his decision, saying she trusts God’s timing.

With Kierstin and Marley gone, eight women remain as Jace continues his search for a wife.