The Golden Bachelorette: Mark Anderson Not Being A Front Runner Proves The Show Doesn't Care About Its Lead

The Golden Bachelorette season 1 is in full swing, and fan favorite contestant, Mark Anderson, hasn't emerged as a front-runner to win Joan Vassos' final rose. Joan and Mark are Bachelor Nation regulars who have appeared on other franchise shows. 61-year-old Joan made her television debut on Gerry Turner's season of The Golden Bachelor and 58-year-old Mark first appeared on The Bachelor season 28. Mark became an instant fan favorite when his daughter, Kelsey Anderson, 25, brought Joey Graziadei, 28, home for her hometown date. Kelsey ended up winning Joey's final rose, and the two are currently engaged.

On night one of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Joan and Mark seemed to hit it off, and he even received one of the night's first roses. Hopes were sky-high for the retired Army veteran and father of five. He was expected to swoop in and steal Joan's heart, but reality fell short of expectations. Not only is Mark not one of Joan's favorite men, but he received her last rose during the latest rose ceremony, barely avoiding elimination. Despite being such a fan favorite since before the season even started, Mark doesn't seem to be winning Joan's heart.

The Producers Haven't Shown Enough Of Mark

He Needs More Screen Time

During the premiere of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Kelsey stepped out of the limousine on night one alongside her father and introduced him to Joan. When Mark stepped out of the limousine, Joan beamed, expressing real excitement over meeting the tall, handsome fellow widower. Though Joan seemed excited about meeting Mark, he hadn't had nearly enough screen time. It's a disappointment, as there were high expectations for the potential relationship.

The Golden Bachelorette season 1's producers haven't given the storyline a chance. Bachelor Nation shows tend to reward contestants who go out on a limb to get attention, and Mark isn't that kind of person. The show's producers should have seen that right away and adjusted their approach accordingly to tell the complete story. With only three episodes of The Golden Bachelorette season 1 aired so far, there's still plenty of time for the show to answer the audience's questions about Mark and Joan's relationship.

Mark Has Shown The Most Genuine Interest In Joan

She Hasn't Reciprocated

While some of the other men of The Golden Bachelorette season 1 seemed more interested in spending time together, Mark showed genuine interest in Joan. During the season's second episode, Mark took Joan aside for some one-on-one time, away from the other men in The Bachelor mansion. He told her he had lived in Germany while serving in the Army, and he learned to speak German. (via Bachelor Nation On ABC on YouTube).

Though Mark's bilingual skills would have been more impressive if he hadn't been reading from note cards, it was still a sweet moment that showed Joan how much he wanted to get to know her. For her part, Joan hadn't seemed to be nearly as interested in getting to know Mark. She has handed out several solo dates, but she hasn't chosen him yet. It's not that she doesn't like him, she seems to like some other men more.

Fans Loved Mark When He Appeared On The Bachelor Season 28

High Emotional IQ

Throughout her time on The Bachelor season 28, Kelsey talked about her father often. She had nothing but wonderful things to say about the man, so expectations were high. When Mark finally appeared on camera, he didn't disappoint the audience. During Kelsey's hometown date, Mark memorably showed Kelsey and Joey a photo album of photos of Mark and his late wife, offering a glimpse into his love story. It was a touching moment that clarified how Kelsey leans on her father for his quiet strength and guidance.

I want all of you to feel that feeling I had with your mother, " Mark later told his daughter.

Since The Bachelor season 28 came to an end, Kelsey and Joey have become prominent social media influencers, and Mark often appears in Kelsey's TikToks. In addition to being a recurring guest star on Kelsey's massive TikTok account, Mark posts to Instagram, where he has 21.5K followers and is growing. In one of his most recent Instagram posts, Mark shared a photo of him and Kelsey celebrating week one of the show. Mark's post has 5.4K likes, and his caption reads, in part, "Such an incredible first episode…"

Mark Is There For Love, Not Fame

He Never Wanted To Be On Television

Before joining the cast of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, Mark was living a quiet life in relative obscurity, which was fine by him. Mark was minding his own business when Kelsey decided to apply to be on The Bachelor. He never expected to be on television, and he certainly didn't pursue reality television fame. He was just a widowed father of five living in Louisiana when television fame came to find him. If Joan is foolish enough to cut him loose, it's her loss, and the producers should cast Mark as The Golden Bachelor.