The inaugural season of The Golden Bachelorette recently premiered, and though it's already a must-watch, Joan Vassos' spin-off will never come close to being as good as The Golden Bachelor. Joan, a widowed 61-year-old private school administrator, made her television debut on The Golden Bachelor season 1, alongside 21 other impressive older single women vying for the heart of 72-year-old retired widower Gerry Turner. Gerry didn't notice Joan at first, but, after her heartfelt performance during a group date talent show, he finally realized what a great catch she was. After the two connected, Joan got a distressing call from home. Her daughter, who had just given birth to Joan's third grandchild, was struggling and desperately needed her mother. Though Joan had a real opportunity to find love with Gerry, she put family first, packed her bags, and left the show early.
Though Joan was only on The Golden Bachelor season 1 for a few weeks, she really left an impression on audiences, who were deeply moved by her love for her daughter. There were several other women from Gerry's season who were considered as potential leads for the female-led spin-off, like 65-year-old Leslie Fhima, 60-year-old Faith Martin, and 67-year-old Susan Noles. The role ultimately went to Joan, and The Golden Bachelorette season 1 recently premiered, with Joan meeting 24 impressive older men vying for her heart. While the premiere episode of the Bachelor Nation spin-off promises a thrilling season filled with love and drama, here are ten reasons it can never come close to reaching the pinnacle of entertainment achieved by The Golden Bachelor.
When Gerry was announced as the first lead of The Golden Bachelor, women from all over the country flooded ABC casting offices with applications. It seemed that every widower and divorcee in the United States wanted a shot at meeting the tall, attractive widower. In addition to being telegenic and charming, Gerry had a poignant backstory. The widower was married to Toni Turner for 43 happy years before she died in 2017, after a brief illness.
According to Gerry, he had been single since he lost his beloved wife, but that turned out to be untrue. While The Golden Bachelor season 1 was airing, it was revealed that Gerry had started dating almost immediately after his wife died, and he even had a serious long-term relationship with a live-in girlfriend. This was just one of many times when Gerry was an extremely entertaining "chaos agent," and there's simply no way that sweet Joan will be able to match Gerry's sheer entertainment value.
Joan Isn't Over Her Late Husband
She's Not Ready
Years before joining the cast of The Golden Bachelor, Joan was married to John Nicholas Vassos for 32 years, until he passed away in 2021 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. In a January Instagram post, Joan shared a family photo of her, John, and their adult children. She wrote that it had been three years since she lost John and that she continued to be deeply shaken by the loss of her beloved late husband.
It is clear from the post that Joan loved her late husband very much and was devoted to him.
The premiere episode of The Golden Bachelorette season 1 opens with Joan talking about how much she loved her husband, and how safe he always made her feel. It will be hard for her to find that again. While Gerry started dating almost immediately after his wife's passing, Joan really has been single ever since, and it's unlikely that she's ready even now.
8Joan Already Said She Wasn't Marriage Minded
She's Already Managing Expectations
Perhaps being influenced by Gerry's failed marriage to 70-year-old Theresa Nist after The Golden Bachelor, Joan dramatically adjusted expectations for The Golden Bachelorette season 1. In a May CNN interview, Joan made it clear that her season would not end with her rushing into marriage. Therefore, fans can forget about another Golden Bachelor wedding special.
On the plus side, this also means fans won't have to endure another disappointing divorce.
The mother of four also explained that while two of her children are excited about the opportunity, the other two don't want to have to see their mother making out with multiple men on TV. While Gerry kissed a lot of women on night one of his season, Joan only kissed one man on the first night of her season.
7Joan's Already Talking About Doing Another Show
She's Eying Bachelor In Paradise
During the same CNN interview, Joan opined about hoping ABC makes The Golden Bachelor In Paradise, saying, “Oh, my gosh. I want to be on it!" She quickly caught herself, adding, "Hopefully, I’ll have a husband and not (be) eligible." The fact that Joan was already talking about appearing on another unscripted dating show before even filming The Golden Bachelorette shows how determined she is to find love in the franchise.
Though Joan probably has the best of intentions, she may not have much faith in the process, and after Gerry and Theresa's divorce, it's hard to blame her. This may not necessarily mean that Joan's season is doomed to fail, but it's certainly not a hopeful sign. While anything can happen, she's already considering the prospect of failure on her spin-off, and mulling over life after that. This possibly doesn't bode well.
6Joan's Men Like Each Other Too Much
It's A Bro Fest
One of the main themes of the premiere episode of The Golden Bachelorette season 1 was brotherhood. After Joan greeted the 24 older single men who were cast so they could vie for her affections, the cast enjoyed the season's first cocktail party. It was clear very quickly that, as much as the men liked Joan, they liked each other just as much. Various men commented on how impressed they were by the other men, and the night turned into a real love fest.
While the women from The Golden Bachelor seemed friendly enough, there were plenty of strong personalities and a lot of conflict between them throughout the season.
By contrast, the men of The Golden Bachelorette season 1 seem to like and admire each other too much to ever engage in conflict, which may make for a much less exciting season. Some emotional fireworks are needed to add spice. This season could be a very bland dish.
5The Novelty Has Worn Off
It's Old News
In addition to being endlessly entertaining, The Golden Bachelor season 1 made history. The show broke ground as the first unscripted dating show that centered around the love lives of baby boomers, and it was consequently a big hit with a rapidly aging television audience hungry for stories about themselves. For many older people, the show represented the idea of finding love later in life, which is something that everyone wants to believe in, which is why Gerry and Theresa's divorce has been so disappointing. The show was instantly beloved - there was no question that there would be a female-led version of the show. No matter how good The Golden Bachelorette season 1 is, it will never be able to touch the sheer excitement created by the newness of The Golden Bachelor season 1.
4Joan's Men Aren't As Serious
Some Just Came To Party
While Gerry's women on The Golden Bachelor season 1 seemed to be a group of serious singles looking for love, some of Joan's men on The Golden Bachelorette season 1 appear to be more interested in a party lifestyle. Several of the men expressed awe at the luxurious house and its various accoutrements.
The biggest personality of the group is Jack, a gregarious 68-year-old caterer from Chicago, who offered a hilarious tour of the house and grounds.
Jack seemed to be most excited about the mansion's impressive swimming pool, and scenes from future episodes feature Jack doing multiple cannonballs into the pool when he's supposed to be wooing Joan. To be fair to Jack, he did cook Joan an elaborate meal in the mansion's incredible kitchen. This seemed to impress her, as she decided to give Jack a rose at the end of the first episode.
3Joan Is Too Nice
She Seems Like A Genuine Person
During The Golden Bachelor season 1, Joan set herself apart from the other women during a group date with Gerry. The date included a talent show element, and each woman was expected to go up on stage in front of a live audience, and show off a talent. The woman with the best performance would win a highly coveted one-on-one dinner with Gerry. Joan wanted time alone with Gerry, but she was nervous, feeling as if she didn't have a talent and wasn't as outgoing as the other women.
While the other women each put on a wild show, a shy Joan read a poem that Gerry loved.
To her surprise, Joan was crowned the winner of the talent show, and she didn't have to pretend to be someone she wasn't. Her poem wasn't the most entertaining performance of the talent show, but it was authentic and heartfelt. The thoughtful authenticity that Joan is sure to bring to The Golden Bachelorette may not make for the most entertaining television experience, though it could help Joan clean up Gerry's mess.
2Too Much Pressure
Joan Has A Lot On Her Shoulders
Gerry and Theresa's short-lived marriage really hurt the credibility of The Golden Bachelor brand, and Joan is expected to save the show's reputation. It's not just the fact that Gerry and Theresa didn't last, it's the fact that they rushed into the ill-advised marriage, only to rush out of it soon enough. In hindsight, hurrying into marriage before getting to know each other was a mistake, but they got carried away by the massive success of the show and the sky-high expectations.
In hindsight, the wedding was probably more of a ratings grab than a celebration of true love.
Joan appears to be more grounded than Gerry and less impulsive, so she's unlikely to make as many entertaining mistakes. She has already made it clear that she has no intention of rushing into getting married, so she's less likely to further sully the brand with a second divorce. It's unfair to expect Joan to save the tattered reputation of the Bachelor spin-off, and it's an expectation that she likely won't be able to meet.
1Producers Haven't Learned From Their Mistakes
They'll Try To Rush Another Wedding
Gerry and Theresa weren't the only ones getting carried away during The Golden Bachelor season 1. Soaring on good vibes and intoxicated by the show's success, ABC and the show's producers wanted to give fans more of what they wanted. Knowing it would be a while before they could produce and air The Golden Bachelorette, they decided to capitalize on the show's success by televising a wedding instead. Gerry and Theresa's Golden Bachelor wedding was a lavish event attended by the who's who of Bachelor Nation.
Gerry and Theresa's union was a dream wedding, and no expense was spared.
The star-studded event aired on ABC in January, just a few weeks after the final rose episode had aired. When Gerry and Theresa's marriage fell apart only three months later, it should have taught the producers a lesson about forcing a manufactured love story, but chances are unlikely. The Golden Bachelor season 1 was such a massive hit that producers will likely try to do it all over again with The Golden Bachelorette season 1.
