Summary
The Golden Bachelorwas a tremendous hit for ABC, but I’m convinced that leading man’s Gerry Turner’s alleged lies about his past and his divorce from Theresa Nist have made it likely thatThe Golden Bachelorettewill be the last that fans see of the reality dating series for seniors. Joan Vassos has been cast as theGolden Bachelorettelead. She got her start onThe Golden Bachelor, during which she and Gerry were developing a very strong connection. However, their time was cut short because Joan had to return home to her daughter who had postpartum depression.
Now Joan is ready to continue her journey to find love onThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1. Although the spin-off series was one of the most-anticipated reality shows, after Gerry’s experience took a turn for the worse, I thought that it might not even happen.The magic was gone, and, likeThe Bachelor,The Bachelorette, andBachelor in Paradiseoften do,The Golden Bachelorended in heartache. I think thatThe Golden Bachelorettemost likely will be the last of the “Golden” reality dating series for seniors for many reasons.
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Gerry Turner Ruined The “Golden” Series
Gerry’s Alleged Lies About His Past & Divorce From Theresa Nist Ended The Magic
WhenThe Golden Bachelorpremiered, Gerry, a 72-year-old from Hudson, Indiana, was presented as a widower who hadn’t dated since the sudden death of his wife Toni six years earlier. Gerry and Toni had been together for 43 years.However, an article fromThe Hollywood Reporteralleged that Gerry had had a years-long relationship with a woman after Toni passed away. In addition, his career was listed as a retired restaurateur, but the exposé revealed that Gerry had still been working as a handyman before the show.Gerry disputed these allegations, but the damage was done.
I found these bombshell allegations to be disillusioning, butthe magic ofThe Golden Bachelorwas completely lost when Gerry and Theresa Nist, a 70-year-old financial services professional from Shrewsbury, New Jersey, announced their divorce after just three months of marriage. They split up because they couldn’t decide where to live because neither one of them wanted to leave their family. At first, I was shocked that they were getting divorced so quickly, but then I realized that they were both in their 70s and dedicated to their homes and their families. They were caught up in the fantasy ofThe Golden Bachelor, but they didn’t stop to think about how their relationship would translate to the real world.
Fans like me were tired of watching couples get engaged on theBachelorfranchise shows, knowing that they’d be announcing their breakups shortly afterward.Gerry and Theresa’s Golden Weddingmade it seem as though the “Golden” series would be completely different, especially because the contestants were supposed to be older and wiser.Their divorce confirmed that theBachelorfranchise only works for a select few couples, and even seniors are susceptible to getting caught up in the moment.
I think that the producers promisedThe Golden Bacheloretteso they have to deliver it, but they might end the “Golden” series there, especially if Joan ends up engaged and happy. She’ll redeem the series, and then they’ll end it on a high note.The novelty of seniors dating has worn off by now, and it doesn’t seem to be a sustainable idea, since they’re even more settled into their lives than younger cast members are.
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Joan Vassos Isn’t A Captivating Lead
Joan Won’t Bring The Drama
Joan is the perfect personto be the first-everGolden Bachelorettelead. She’s calm, kind, and dignified. Joan is a 61-year-old mother of four and a grandmother of three from Rockville, Maryland. Her husband, John, passed away in 2021 due to pancreatic cancer, and she’s ready to find new love. However, in an interview withCNN, Joan shared that she’ll"never"leave her family. I completely understand why Joan would say this, and it’s admirable that she’s so devoted to her family, butI worry that this will lead to her having the same problem that caused Gerry and Theresa’s divorce.
However,Joan isn’t rushing into engagement or marriage. She explained,“If it ends up in engagement, I’m open to that. I do believe this process works. I’ve seen it work for so many couples on The Bachelor, so I believe in the process. If it ends up in engagement, that’s great. If it ends up in, you and I are going to get to know each other better in the outside world, that’s perfect also.”
Joan added,“I probably won’t rush into a marriage right away – and not only because of what happened with Gerry and Theresa.I think it takes some time to really get to know somebody. Out in the wild, in the real world, you need to spend some time there.”
Joan seems to be very practical and has really thought through what she wants out ofThe Golden Bachelorette, which I think is essential for finding success on the show. However, while I think that all of these factors makeJoan the ideal Golden Bachelorette, they also could make fans find her a bit boring.There’s no real potential for drama here, which is what makes for entertaining television. I understand that being realistic about love is important in the real world, but for reality TV, fans want the chaos. Otherwise, the shows end up being forgettable. Unfortunately, it’s the drama that creates the buzz, which leads to higher ratings.
I’m excited to see Joan’s journey to find love onThe Golden Bachelorette, even if she is considered boring by others. Zach Shallcross, Charity Lawson, and Joey Graziadei were all considered boring choices by fans, but they’re the ones who found true love and had lasting engagements to Kaity Biggar, Dotun Olubeko, and Kelsey Anderson, respectively. However, I understand that it’s the drama and chaos that bring the ratings, andJoan’sGolden Bacheloretteseason might fall flat.
Joan might find the next great love of her life and even get engaged, but that won’t necessarily leave fans wanting more from the “Golden” series. They might lose the little interest in it that they have left after Gerry and Theresa’s divorce.The Golden Bachelorettemight be the happy ending that the “Golden” series needs, and then it will ride off into the sunset.
The Golden Bachelorette Shouldn’t End With An Engagement After Gerry Turner’s Disastrous Ending
The Golden Bachelorette will be a very romantic series, but it should avoid the mistakes of The Golden Bachelor, and not end with an engagement.
The “Golden” Series Films Only Once A Year
Fans Could Lose Interest In the Reality Dating Series For Seniors
UnlikeThe BachelorandThe Bachelorette, which air one after the other every year,the “Golden” series airs only one season per year in the fall. WhileThe Golden Bachelorettelead announcement was much-anticipated because whoever was chosen would be the first star of the show, I think the second go-round ofThe Golden BachelorandThe Golden Bachelorettewill be less compelling.
The novelty has worn off, and now we know what a reality dating series for seniors looks like. And, unfortunately, it’s really not much different fromThe BachelorandThe Bachelorette, which, more often than not, end in failure. If fans have to wait a whole year to seeThe Golden Bachelorseason 2, there’s a good chance that they won’t bother watching at all because they’ll lose interest. I was so excited to see what a dating show about older people would look like, but now I’m already bored of the concept. Also,there are so many reality dating series to watch thatThe Golden Bachelorwill be lost in the shuffle.
I believe thatThe Golden Bachelorettehas the potential to be another major hit for ABC, but it could also simply fade away as people lose interest in the concept of a reality dating series for seniors. While Joan was the perfect choice for the lead because she’s such a lovely woman, her season will most likely be calm and quiet, which could make it forgettable. I feel thatThe Golden Bachelorettehas to make a splash in order for fans to become interested again.
If Joan doesn’t have a happy ending, I think that the “Golden” series definitely will be over. However, if she ends up happy, in love, and engaged, I believe that the producers will still end the series because they’ll want to finish on a high note. Either way, I’m convinced thatThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1 will be the last that fans see of the “Golden” series.
The Golden Bachelorette
Cast
The Golden Bachelorette: This reality series offers one woman in her later years the opportunity to find love, as a group of seasoned men compete for her affection. Participants bring diverse romantic histories, seeking a meaningful connection and a chance to build a promising future together.
