The Golden Bachelor was 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 that The Golden Bachelorette will be the last that fans see of the reality dating series for seniors. Joan Vassos has been cast as the Golden Bachelorette lead. She got her start on The 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 on The Golden Bachelorette season 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, like The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise often do, The Golden Bachelor ended in heartache. I think that The Golden Bachelorette most likely will be the last of the "Golden" reality dating series for seniors for many reasons.
Gerry Turner Ruined The "Golden" Series
Gerry's Alleged Lies About His Past & Divorce From Theresa Nist Ended The Magic
When The Golden Bachelor premiered, 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 from The Hollywood Reporter alleged 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, but the magic of The Golden Bachelor was 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 of The 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 the Bachelor franchise shows, knowing that they'd be announcing their breakups shortly afterward. Gerry and Theresa's Golden Wedding made 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 the Bachelor franchise only works for a select few couples, and even seniors are susceptible to getting caught up in the moment.
I think that the producers promised The Golden Bachelorette so 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 person to be the first-ever Golden Bachelorette lead. 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 with CNN, 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, but I 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 of The Golden Bachelorette, which I think is essential for finding success on the show. However, while I think that all of these factors make Joan 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 on The 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, and Joan's Golden Bachelorette season 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 Bachelorette might be the happy ending that the "Golden" series needs, and then it will ride off into the sunset.
The "Golden" Series Films Only Once A Year
Fans Could Lose Interest In the Reality Dating Series For Seniors
Unlike The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, which air one after the other every year, the "Golden" series airs only one season per year in the fall. While The Golden Bachelorette lead announcement was much-anticipated because whoever was chosen would be the first star of the show, I think the second go-round of The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette will 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 from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, which, more often than not, end in failure. If fans have to wait a whole year to see The Golden Bachelor season 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 that The Golden Bachelor will be lost in the shuffle.
I believe that The Golden Bachelorette has 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 that The Golden Bachelorette has 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 that The Golden Bachelorette season 1 will be the last that fans see of the "Golden" series.
