I Don't Think Joan Vassos Will Find The Man Of Her Dreams On The Golden Bachelorette (True Love's Elusive)

With The Golden Bachelorette season 1 nearing its conclusion, I remain completely unconvinced that Joan Vassos will find the man of her dreams through this process. True love is elusive, and, from what I've seen, Joan hasn't met her perfect match during the female-led Bachelor spin-off. This wasn't the first time 61-year-old Joan had tried to find love on network television. She had been a contestant on The Golden Bachelor season 1, and was one of 22 single Golden women who had traveled to the iconic Bachelor mansion to date 72-year-old retired widower Gerry Turner.

Though Joan and Gerry hit it off during their first one-on-one time together, Joan received a call from home, and she had to leave the season early due to a family emergency. It seemed like Joan's Bachelor journey was over, but she didn't realize that it had only just begun. Joan was announced as The Golden Bachelorette, and she was soon greeting her 24 single Golden men outside the same Bachelor mansion where she had started her journey. Joan narrowed the field to two men, but I don't think she'll find true love with either of them, and here's why.

Joan Knows What True Love Is

She Found It Once Before

Some say that it's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, and Joan would know because she found true love once. Long before being cast as a contestant on The Golden Bachelor, Joan was a widower living a life of relative obscurity. Joan was married to John Vassos (with whom she had four children) for 32 years before he passed away in 2021. When her late husband was diagnosed with cancer, Joan didn't fully accept the fact that he wasn't going to survive.

The death of Joan's husband, John, devastated her, and it's clear that Joan loved her late husband very much. From the opening moments of her season, Joan has talked about her late husband at every opportunity. She has struggled with survivor's guilt, doubting her participation in the show. Before he died, John sat Joan down and told her that he didn't want her to spend the rest of her life mourning him. He wanted her to find love again, and try to be happy.

Joan's late husband passed away in 2021, which wasn't even very long ago. Considering she filmed The Golden Bachelor in 2022, that means she has been involved in the Bachelor franchise for most of her time as a widower. Joan may currently be swept up in the excitement of being The Golden Bachelorette, but her feelings may change when the cameras stop rolling. I don't think Joan was ready to be the Bachelor spin-off's first female lead.

Guy Has Skeletons In His Closet

Disturbing Allegations

One of Joan's final two men is 66-year-old ER doctor Guy Gansert from Reno, Nevada. According to People, Guy's ex-wife, Heidi O’Gara, filed for a temporary protective order in October 2021. She had the order dismissed a month later, and it was never granted, but some of her accusations are quite disturbing. She accuses her ex-husband of being angry and making threats, and alleges that he "motioned like he was going to shoot me with his hand shaped like a pistol." Heidi dropped the order a month later, but Guy having a contentious relationship with his ex-wife's bad sign.

The Golden Bachelorette season 1's other restraining order involved 60-year-old Gil Ramirez, an educator from Mission Viejo, California. According to People, Gil's ex-girlfriend filed a restraining order against him, accusing him of stalking, claiming he made unwanted contact with her and her family. Gil was eliminated early on in the season.

Chock Struggles With Commitment

He's Gun Shy

Joan's other finalist on The Golden Bachelorette season 1 is 60-year-old Chock Chapple, an insurance executive from Wichita, Kansas. Though Chock is really into Joan, his romantic history makes him a questionable choice. Chock was married to Heather Chapple for 12 years, and they had two children together who are now in their late teens.

After his divorce from Heather, Chock met Katherine Elizabeth White Goree. The couple fell in love and were engaged for nine years before she passed away in 2022. During Joan and Chock's first solo, he tells her that losing Heather was the most devastating loss of his life. Though it's clear that Chock loved his late fiancée deeply, the nine-year-long engagement led to questions about his ability to commit. It's possible that going through a divorce made him gun shy about entering into a relationship, which I think could be devastating for Joan.

Joan Sent Mark Home

The One Who Got Away

While Joan's two finalists come with serious downsides, there was one The Golden Bachelorette season 1 contestant who could have made Joan happy. 58-year-old Mark Anderson made his television debut on The Bachelor season 28. His daughter, Kelsey Anderson, brought Joey Graziadei home for a hometown date, and a star was born.

I really thought Mark was sure to win Joan's heart, but my expectations were quickly dashed. Joan and Mark never clicked, and, after a painfully awkward one-on-one date, she told him there was "something missing" between them, and sent him home before that night's rose ceremony. I think The Golden Bachelorette made a mistake sending Mark home before her hometown dates. His personality would have come through much clearer in a familiar setting, and she may have liked him better than her two current finalists.

The Golden Bachelorette season 1 airs on Wednesday night at 8 p.m. on ABC.