‘The Golden Bachelor’ Recap: Gerry Is Devastated When A Blossoming Romance Gets Cut Short
SPOILER ALERT! This post contains details from Thursday’s episode of ABC’s The Golden Bachelor.
Tensions are rising during Week 3 of The Golden Bachelor.
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With 12 women remaining, all of whom are beginning to feel that they are forming real connections with Gerry, it was only a matter of time before a tinge of jealousy made its way into the Agoura Hills mansion.
Thursday’s episode opens on a somber note, with Gerry sitting outside the mansion crying. It’s not immediately clear what’s made him so emotional, but it does hint that perhaps the happy-go-lucky nature of the first two episodes will no longer be the case moving forward.
As the women prepare for a new week, Leslie mentions that they are still very much focused on “camaraderie,” but they also have learned that they might need to keep some distance between each other to protect their own feelings. Well, not everyone agrees with that sentiment apparently.
The ladies of ASKN (April, Susan, Kathy and Nancy) have formed an alliance of sorts. Or, at the very least, given themselves an outlet for some good ol’ fashioned gossip sessions. Their motto is if you’re askin’, they’re tellin’.
What could possibly go wrong there?
Jesse arrives at the mansion to let the ladies know they’ve all been invited to a group date with Gerry. They’ll be performing in a talent show in front of a live audience — so they better be ready to show off their skills! Former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe is there to join Gerry and Jesse at the judges table. Whoever wins will get a special one-on-one dinner with Gerry later that night.
Sandra tells jokes. Susan does karate. Ellen says her talent is teaching sex education to middle schoolers. Several women show off their singing and dancing skills. But ultimately, Gerry chooses Joan for the one-on-one after she recites a sweet, unassuming poem for him about their first few interactions together.
Joan certainly didn’t expect to win, considering her performance was one of the least flashy of the bunch. But, she’s ready to make a lasting impression on Gerry.
And that she does. The pair enjoy a romantic dinner together where she shares that, like Gerry, she also lost her spouse. It’s been just over two years, and she finally feels ready to open her heart to love again. She also shares that taking the leap to come on the show was difficult, especially because it meant leaving her postpartum daughter at home. Gerry doesn’t hesitate to offer Joan a rose.
Sadly, their journey is short-lived. Joan wakes up the next morning to a message from her family, and it seems her daughter is really struggling. As Gerry arrives at the mansion for another date, Joan intercepts to let him know she’ll be leaving immediately.
Now we know why Gerry was crying. It shouldn’t be surprising that Gerry is incredibly understanding of Joan’s circumstances, but he becomes quite emotional as he tells her how disappointed he is that they won’t be able to explore their connection further.
While Gerry takes some time to regroup, fashion designer Michael Costello whisks Ellen away to get ready for a one-on-one date with Gerry. He dresses her to the nines and sends her off for a romantic picnic with Gerry. The pair share a glass of champagne, and Ellen dives right in with the serious questions. What was Gerry’s wedding like?
He remembers his wedding fondly, though he explains that he and his wife didn’t have much money and couldn’t afford a honeymoon. He volleys another hard hitting question right back. How did Ellen meet her husband? Turns out, they were children at camp.
Gerry surprises Ellen with a beautiful pair of earrings to complete her outfit, but she is naturally much more excited when he offers her a rose.
These one-hour episodes are starting to feel awfully short. Before you know it, it’s time for the cocktail party. This is where things get a little hairy.
It turns out that Kathy has been feeling a bit threatened by some of Teresa’s comments about her connection with Gerry. She thinks Teresa is being boastful, which she mentions to some of the other women. April takes it upon herself to discreetly stick up for Kathy, telling the other women that she thinks everyone should keep their intimate moments with Gerry to themselves. Well, Teresa senses this may be about her, so she confronts April.
April is quick to wipe her hands clean of the situation, letting Teresa know that she was only trying to defend Kathy. Before Teresa can speak to Kathy herself, Kathy is already confiding in Gerry about the rough time she’s been having. To her credit, she doesn’t name names, even after Gerry asks her to.
To cheer her up, Gerry offers Kathy a rose, which she happily accepts. When she returns, Teresa finally pulls Kathy aside to have a conversation, but it really doesn’t go well. Kathy explains how she feels, and she doesn’t let Teresa off the hook when she insists she had no intention of making anyone feel threatened. Kathy isn’t sure whether she’s being honest, but either way she thinks Teresa needs to be more aware.
Teresa leaves the conversation in tears. As Faith is comforting her, Gerry finds the two women in one of the bedrooms and tries to get to the bottom of the situation. However, once he finds out that it was Teresa that Kathy had a problem with, he’s a bit off put. He thought he had a great connection with Teresa, but he is now questioning whether she’s been genuine or whether she really is being somewhat mean to the other women in the house.
He leaves that conversation a bit confused, but he doesn’t have much time to sort through his feelings because it’s time for the rose ceremony. Only two women go home, since Joan already self-eliminated.
Gerry offers roses to Faith, Sandra, Leslie, Nancy, Susan, April and (surprise!) Teresa. That means Edith and Christina were sent home. Remember, Kathy and Ellen already have roses.
You’d think all’s well that ends well, but that’s not quite the case. As Gerry is saying his goodbyes, Kathy and Teresa strike up a conversation where Teresa lets it slip that Gerry comforted her in her bedroom. Kathy goes on the offensive, explaining this is exactly the type of information she thinks Teresa should be keeping to herself.
Looks like this tension isn’t getting better any time soon.
The Golden Bachelor airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
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