The Golden Bachelorette's Mark Anderson is a wonderful man with hidden depths, but he may be moving too fast with One Tree Hill's Barbara Woods - another romantic failure could deter him from appearing on The Golden Bachelor. While he hasn't been formally offered that role, he's someone who would make the series amazing. However, the man whose eyes fill with tears when he thinks about the wife he lost (and still dearly loves) may be too sensitive for another reality dating series spectacle.
If Mark keeps having fun with Barbara, it's good news. This man deserves love. He's had such a hard time moving on, and still grieves for the mother of his children. That loss was so great. Mark has a romantic spirit that some Bachelor Nation clout chasers lack. He's not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. If Barbara can understand how sensitive he is, he will reward her with love and loyalty. However, if this possible romance fails following his The Golden Bachelorette elimination, he might find that being a Golden Bachelor is just too much for him.
Mark Is The Ultimate Prince Charming
But Being The Golden Bachelor Isn't Easy
On Instagram, Barbara seemed thrilled to be with such a fun-loving and kind person. She shared an adorable photo of her and Mark in their Disney costumes, joking around about their "baby" - a particularly kooky and hilarious version of the beloved Star Wars cutie, Grogu. Mark, who previously danced in a shark costume on Instagram, isn't just a very sensitive person. He's got a lot of different sides to him, including an enchanting sense of humor.
In many ways, this man, who raised five children alone after losing his wife Denise Anderson, is the ultimate Prince Charming.
The fact that Mark fits the idea of what Prince Charming should be is actually the problem. He's someone who can love one woman - he will be there through thick and thin. He'll never leave the one he loves. However, it needs to be the right woman. Mark is still in love with the wife he lost. His capacity to be a true knight in shining armor for a woman is what makes him so vulnerable. He doesn't fake his emotions. They were right there onscreen in The Bachelor season 28 and The Golden Bachelorette. Mark's not a love fraud.
Mark Is A Good Person
He's Proved Himself Over The Years
Is there a place for a truly decent human being on The Golden Bachelorette, or is the format a better fit for narcissistic men who want to watch a group of women fight over them? That's really an interesting question. With someone like Mark, who honestly seems lonely, and is willing to try again after a devastating loss, it never feels like clout chasing. It doesn't feel like a male ego is running amok. It feels like he honestly wants a wife, but that anyone he would choose on The Golden Bachelor would never compete with what he had.
The player types will never feel it like he does.
So, while watching him manage his emotions onscreen, or just let them out, might be riveting, watching him get hurt would be wrenching. He's someone who can be hurt. The player types will never feel it like he does. If a woman hurts Mark, he's going to hang onto that hurt for a long time. That's why, although he does embody what a Golden Bachelor should be, his sensitivity puts him at emotional risk.
Hopefully, if he's dating Barbara, and they're not just friends, he'll find that the pretty blonde is a safe person to be with - someone who cares about his feelings. He's going to care about hers. If this isn't a real romance, or the relationship ends, and Mark becomes The Golden Bachelor, he may find that the prospect of getting to know so many women, and finding the best, is challenging and triggering.
The Golden Bachelor isn't for the faint of heart. It's a process that inevitably has dizzying highs and lows. That's why people tune in. For that reason, the most emotionally acute human being might be the most damaged by the experience. If Mark feels that he can handle it, he's probably right. Yes, he has feelings, but he's a real man - a father, a man who loves his late wife - a guy who served his country. Mark knows what's right for him. All the same, it's easy to worry about the tender heart of this man.
The Golden Bachelorette airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.