The Golden Bachelor season 1 heartbreaker Gerry Turner will be paying Joan Vassos a visit during The Golden Bachelorette season 1 episode 3, but his appearance is ruining Joan's good vibes. Gerry, a 72-year-old retired restaurateur from Hudson, Indiana, met Joan, a 61-year-old private school administrator from Rockville, Maryland during The Golden Bachelor. They were forming a very strong connection, but then Joan had to leave the show early to attend to a family emergency.
The Golden Bachelor season 1 ended with Gerry getting engaged to Theresa Nist, a 70-year-old financial services professional from Shrewsbury, New Jersey. They were married a few months later on January 4, 2024, in a live, televised event called the Golden Wedding. However, just three months after the wedding, they announced that they were getting divorced because they couldn't decide where to live because they didn't want to leave their families. As The Golden Bachelorette continues, it was a mistake to include Gerry in Joan's season, which has been a joy to watch so far.
What Does The Golden Bachelorette Preview Reveal About Gerry Turner's Appearance?
Gerry Gives Joan Vassos Advice
The Golden Bachelorette preview showed Joan sitting in the middle of her group of contestants. She shared that people kept asking her if she was one hundred percent ready to have love in her life, but she admitted that she wasn't really ready because her husband, John, was such a huge part of her life. Joan and John were married for 32 years until he passed away due to pancreatic cancer in 2021. Joan was then heard stating, "I'm sorry." In another scene, The Golden Bachelorette contestant Gil Ramirez was shown saying, "She probably wants to walk away."
"Have you considered the possibility that your guy is not here?"
Then, Gerry was seen emerging from a limousine and arriving at the Bachelor Mansion. The next scene revealed that he asked Joan, "Have you considered the possibility that your guy is not here?" Joan was then shown in a confessional letting out a deep breath. After The Golden Bachelorette season 1 episode 2, during which Joan had joyous '80s prom and talent show group dates and a magical one-on-one date with Chock Chapple in Disneyland, the vibe had completely changed in this preview with Gerry's arrival.
The Golden Bachelor Heartbreaker Gerry Is A Reminder Of The Show's Failed Vetting Process
Gerry Allegedly Wasn't Who He Appeared To Be
It was a mistake for the Golden Bachelorette producers to include Gerry in Joan's season. Seeing him on the screen immediately brought down the mood, especially because it was a reminder that he might not have been who he appeared to be. The Hollywood Reporter ran an exposé on Gerry, which alleged that he wasn't the innocent widower who hadn't dated since the death of his wife, Toni, six years earlier that the show had portrayed.
The article stated that, before The Golden Bachelor, Gerry had dated a woman for nearly three years, and she'd even lived with him. Gerry was accused of dumping the woman because she'd gained weight before his high school reunion. These shocking allegations destroyed the image of Gerry as a sweet man who was looking for love for the first time after his wife had passed away, and turned him into a villain. Although viewers already know Joan from The Golden Bachelor, they might wonder what skeletons could be hiding in her closet if these allegations against Gerry are true.
Gerry & Theresa's Fairy Tale Romance Ended In Divorce
Joan Might Also End Up Heartbroken
Gerry's Golden Bachelorette appearance was also a reminder that the first Golden franchise show ended in divorce. His comment to Joan about the possibility that she wouldn't find love during her season was also a wake-up call. It immediately pulled viewers out of the hopeful, inspiring feelings that they'd had while watching such a beautiful episode, and brought them back to the reality that most Bachelor franchise relationships have failed. It's hard to invest in The Golden Bachelorette knowing that Joan could end up heartbroken like Gerry and Theresa.
Gerry shouldn't have made an appearance during Joan's Golden Bachelorette season. Even though Gerry and Joan are still friends in real life, he should've given her advice off-camera. Seeing Gerry was a reminder that, after a wonderful season, The Golden Bachelor was another failure for the franchise. Joan deserved a clean slate, without any reminders that she might not find her happily-ever-after during The Golden Bachelorette.
