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By: Sam Simons
Media Writer
The first season of “The Golden Bachelorette” has left fans shocked for all the right reasons. Following “Bachelor” spinoff “The Golden Bachelor” – starring an older man – it was only fitting that there had to be a Golden Bachelorette as well.
However, the news of the new show made some longtime fans of the franchise roll their eyes, dreading the idea of the male contestants being anything like the men on the regular “Bachelorette.”
In true reality-TV fashion, the Bachelor franchise has hosted its fair share of dramatic contestants, as some were more interested in fame than love. Yet, the first season of “The Golden Bachelorette” has thankfully broken away from these narratives, instead tugging on fans’ heartstrings.
During Gerry Turner’s season of “The Golden Bachelor”, we met Joan Vassos, a private school administrator who came in looking for a second chance at love after the passing of her husband in 2021. Turner and fans alike fell in love with Vassos’s wit and vulnerability in sharing her late husband’s battle with pancreatic cancer. While the two were slowly starting a strong connection, Vassos chose to leave during week three of the show to be with her daughter who had just given birth. After taking care of everything, Vassos was offered her own season for a third shot at love.
On night one, we met an assortment of elder suitors. Some were nervous, while others had a gimmicky entrance up their sleeve. Still, compared to many past Bachelor and Bachelorette entrances, these men didn’t have any crazy or annoying introductions. (Except the guy that arrived on a horse which then ran away – but some intern probably took care of that.)
Fans who watched the last season of “The Bachelor” might have recognized the now-Golden contestant Mark Anderson, as he is the father of Kelsey Anderson, who is engaged to the most recent Bachelor, Joey Graziadei. I guess you could say this makes him the first nepo-father of the series.
Throughout the night, the men got to know Joan better in many ways, including by playing pickleball. All the contestants ended up joining, which was a nice change of pace. In Bachelor history, contestants are often greedy with the time they get with the Bachelor or Bachelorette – some have gone as far as to interrupt their competitors’ time and “steal” the star away – but these suitors were more polite.
At the end of the night, Joan ends up connecting the best with Keith, whose occupation is simply listed as “Girl Dad” – so, naturally, he got the first-impression rose.
Throughout the season, viewers got to see a camaraderie between the men develop like never before, but this left no time for host Jesse Palmer to tell us how this season would have the most dramatic and never-before-seen ending ever.
In a divergence from the typical Bachelor infighting, there wasn’t much drama between the men. The most “dramatic” moment was when contestant Jack seemed like he was just there for the zipline and cannonballs. He absolved himself of these accusations by making burgers for everyone during the Men Tell All, so we can forgive him. For perspective, there have been grown adult men on the traditional “Bachelorette” who join as a contestant despite being in a relationship DURING FILMING. So yeah, less drama.
Speaking on behalf of the Golden Bachelorette herself, Joan did a great job, especially considering that she is navigating finding love again while still recognizing the love she had with her late husband. Also, she is not trying to find love again with not just one man but multiple, and she has to consider the experiences of the other men as well.
Joan’s personality shines throughout the season as she navigates finding love again while appreciating the love she had with her late husband. Specifically, her decision to remove the beds during the Fantasy Suites episode showcased her desire to focus on emotional connections, which was a common theme of the season. Even before that, Joan’s kindness and connection with the men helped them all grow and feel more comfortable, as many were also processing the loss of a spouse.
In the end, it came down to insurance executive Chock Chapple and ER doctor Guy Gansert. Yes, those are their real names. Needless to say, the final date was meeting Joan’s family. Chock hit it off with them immediately, and the day went great. As for Guy, Joan went to him beforehand and ended things, as her connection with Chock was just stronger. But she still cares for Guy, even if he wasn’t meant to be her guy.
Now that the first season of “The Golden Bachelorette” has wrapped up, let’s hope future seasons in the franchise can contain the wholesomeness that we saw this season, and producers don’t try to brew drama. Instead, maybe they can find room in the budget to get Chappell Roan to perform at Chock Chapple and Joan’s future wedding. If they even know who she is.
