The Golden Bachelorette starring Joan Vassos has premiered, and the spin-off series has sparked hope in Bachelor Nation, after The Golden Bachelor ended in Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist's divorce. The Golden Bachelor starred Gerry, a 72-year-old widower, who found love with Theresa, a 70-year-old financial services professional. Gerry and Theresa were married shortly after the season finale, in a live, televised event called the Golden Wedding. However, they got divorced after just three months of marriage because they couldn't decide where to live because neither one of them wanted to leave their family.
The Golden Bachelorette season 1 star Joan, a 61-year-old private school administrator from Rockville, Maryland, was also a Golden Bachelor contestant, but she had to leave early to attend to a family emergency. Now that Joan's season has begun, it's very clear that her journey will be just as hopeful as Gerry's, but will most likely have a more successful ending for the following reasons.
Bachelor Nation Already Knows Joan Vassos
There Are No Surprises With Joan
One of the most shocking things that happened during The Golden Bachelor was when The Hollywood Reporter ran their exposé on Gerry. They alleged that Gerry wasn't the innocent widower who hadn't dated since the death of his wife, Toni, six years earlier, but rather a villain who'd dumped a woman he'd dated for nearly three years because she'd gained weight before his high school reunion. She'd even lived with him. This bombshell ruined Gerry's reputation and tainted the show in the eyes of viewers, who felt that the producers had done a terrible job of looking into Gerry's past.
Because Gerry was completely unknown to Bachelor Nation before The Golden Bachelor, fans could only believe what the show had told them about him. They were shocked when Gerry's alleged past romance was revealed. However, because Joan was a Golden Bachelor contestant, fans have had a full year to get to know her before her season. There don't seem to be any red flags regarding Joan or skeletons in her closet, so she's giving hope to Bachelor Nation that her journey will be pure and scandal-free.
The Golden Bachelorette's Joan Wasn't Desperate To Get Engaged Or Married
Joan Was Happy To Leave The Show In A Relationship
As Joan met the 24 men competing for her heart on The Golden Bachelorette, she didn't make it her mission to get engaged. In an interview with People after she wrapped filming, Joan explained, "I said all along I didn't need to leave engaged. My goal was to leave in a committed relationship. I wanted to have somebody I saw a future with and that we wanted to see how it works in the real world outside of the Bachelor bubble. I didn't want to go through all of this and be at the same place I was when I came to the mansion."
In addition, in an interview with CNN before she left to film the show, Joan also revealed that she wasn't going to jump into marriage right away, unlike Gerry and Theresa, who tied the knot without even considering where they'd live. Joan explained, "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."
Because Joan is a logical person, and also learned from Gerry and Theresa's mistakes, her journey seems to have a lot more potential for success than Gerry's Golden Bachelor experience. He and Theresa got caught up in the moment and allowed their emotions to take over, which ended up in disaster. They didn't think things through, and so their marriage quickly ended in divorce. On the other hand, Joan is listening to her head as well as her heart, so she will make a more rational decision. She won't allow the fantasy world of the Golden Bachelorette to ruin her real life.
Joan Has A Quality Group Of Golden Bachelorette Men
Both Joan & Gerry's Seasons Had Fantastic Contestants
One thing that Joan has in common with Gerry is that they both had phenomenal people from whom to choose on their Golden journeys. Gerry's women were vibrant and inspiring, including Joan, Theresa, runner-up Leslie Fhima, Susan Noles, Kathy Swarts, Sandra Mason, Faith Martin, and many more. Joan's Golden Bachelorette men seem to be the same way so far. Although some of them have experienced tremendous heartache, they've overcome obstacles and have become stronger because of it.
Joan has so many quality men to choose from that she said during the premiere that she wished that she had more roses to hand out during the first rose ceremony. This, combined with her rational outlook, will help her to make the best decision for her. She's certain to find a successful relationship.
In addition, because fans already know Joan, unlike Gerry, there should be no surprise reveals about her past as the season continues. Joan stated on the show that it was just as important to her to represent her generation of women as it was for her to find love. Hopefully, Joan's season will end with her getting exactly what she wants and deserves, and she and her final choice will live happily ever after.
