The Golden Bachelor Recap: A Big Photo Shoot Leads to Big Emotions
Gerry is getting to know his golden girls a little better this week on The Golden Bachelor… but that brings up some powerful emotions, too. (Remember: Gerry is a crier.)
Thursday’s episode opens with a flash-forward to one of the women sobbing on a group date — but first, Gerry’s girls move into the Bachelor Mansion and do a double-take when they see they’ll be sleeping in bunkbeds. (Sandra can’t be in the top bunk: “I’ve had my knees replaced. That’s a lot of climbing.”) Theresa scores the first one-on-one date, and Gerry pulls up in a vintage convertible to whisk her away. The drive gets bumpy, though, when the old car’s headlights don’t work, and Gerry is forced to navigate fast-moving California freeways at night. The horror!
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But Theresa comforts him, and they safely reach their destination: an old-fashioned diner where they order a chocolate milkshake to share. Theresa tells Gerry about her late husband — they were high school sweethearts and married for 42 years — and Gerry is touched by how closely it matches his own story. “I really like you a lot,” he tells her, and when Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” comes on the jukebox (look out, Tony Soprano!), Gerry and Theresa join the retro waiters in a joyous dance, with him planting a kiss on her before handing her a rose.
Then Gerry takes 12 of the women on a photo shoot group date where they recreate romance novel book covers. (Gerry wears a flowing Fabio wig and a pirate shirt straight out of Seinfeld.) There are glimmers of conflict when Natascha grabs a flower-child hippie outfit before Leslie can claim it, but they all giggle and have a good time together anyway. (On The Bachelor, that drama would last for two episodes, at least.) One of the photo setups has the women in bridal gowns, and we see that it’s Nancy who got choked up in the opening flash-forward because the dress reminded her of her wedding day. (Her husband passed away a dozen years ago.) Gerry comforts her, though, and the high emotions give them an opportunity to bond. Gerry pulls Leslie aside for a chat, calling her “a very sexy woman,” but Leslie shows him she has a sensitive side, too — and she wears a hearing aid like he does! The group date rose, though, goes to Nancy. Awww.
The next day, Gerry heads to the mansion where the ladies throw him a surprise birthday party. (Susan even pops out of a cake! She also brags to Gerry about her amazing Italian cooking.) He and Joan share a private moment where they talk about their late spouses, and he gives Ellen a framed photo of them together from the romance novel shoot. So emotions are running high when it’s time for the rose ceremony: Gerry hands out roses to Leslie, Joan, Edith, Ellen, Sandra, Susan and Christina. Faith is a little worried, but she gets one, along with April. The last one goes to Kathy, which means Jeanie, Natascha and Peggy are heading home, and Gerry is an emotional wreck. But at least Jeanie was encouraged by the time she spent with Gerry: “There’s nice guys out there. There’s hope.” (And did you notice Marina was missing this week? Find out why here.)
Alright, Bachelor Nation, it’s your turn: Share all of your Week 2 thoughts in the comments below.
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