The Golden Bachelor is halfway through the season, and leading man Gerry Turner must choose which woman he can’t live without after forming connections with several great candidates. The Golden Bachelor is in its freshman season and is a spinoff in The Bachelor franchise. Gerry is a 72-year-old Indiana native who lost his wife in 2017. He is active, multi-faceted, empathetic, and compassionate. His charming qualities seem to have won the hearts of every woman he met on the hit reality show. After starting out with 22 senior women vying for his love, he now has six women left.
Gerry has only gone on three solo dates but has spent time with the remaining women in group date settings. Gerry has made it clear that he does not want drama during the selection process and has endeavored to make the experience meaningful and special for all the women he’s been dating. If The Golden Bachelor follows the standard Bachelor timeline, this pilot season will have 8-9 episodes, which means Gerry needs to narrow it down even more than he already has. There are several front-runners who have the potential to see the experience through with Gerry.
Theresa Nist
69-year-old Theresa was the first contestant to win a solo date with Gerry. She was giddy with excitement about how well the date went. The pair drove in a vintage convertible, had a diner-style dinner complete with live-action dance performances, and shared several passionate kisses. However, Theresa’s boastful behavior about her relationship with Gerry toward the other women in the mansion specifically rubbed Kathy Swarts the wrong way, and friction was apparent between the ladies. Gerry expressed disdain for the tension that was going on and was turned off by the drama.
Theresa is hopeful she can put that souring experience behind her and Gerry and get back to the pace they were at during their first date. Theresa has fierce competition among the other women contending for Gerry’s heart. However, Gerry and Theresa have bonded over losing their spouses and feeling lonely, and their flirtatious sides seem to be compatible.
Faith Martin
Faith, 60, immediately impressed Gerry when she rode into their initial meeting on a motorcycle. Then, during their second interaction, Faith played the guitar and sang a song for Gerry. The pair also shared their first kiss. Based on their introductory moments together, Gerry gave Faith the first impression rose and said she received it for making him feel “very special.” Faith took the rose and spoke about how it signified “hope” that they could build on what they had started.
Gerry is looking for an emotional connection, and one where he can feel supported by his partner, and Faith has started her romantic journey with Gerry by giving him just that. If she can continue that narrative with Gerry when she gets more face time, it may solidify Faith’s position closer to Gerry’s heart. But every minute counts now with Gerry, and she will have to make herself stand out more since they haven’t had much time together since the first night.
Ellen Goltzer
71-year-old Ellen seems to be the strongest contender for Gerry’s affection because she has been the most vocal and honest about her feelings, and Gerry has appreciated her transparency. Ellen became a fan favorite early on when she shared that she and her best friend, Roberta, of 60 years, loved The Bachelor show and decided Ellen should go on it while Roberta was battling cancer. Roberta has since passed away.
Ellen went on the second one-on-one date with Gerry, and the pair had a palpable romantic connection. They shared kisses in a hot-air balloon, and Ellen has strived to leave a positive impression on Gerry in each of their interactions since. They seem to have a warmness and comfortability with each other that Gerry doesn’t have with the rest of the women. Based on the upcoming trailer, Ellen will continue to make it known that she is all in on Gerry, saying that she’s fallen in love with him.
Leslie Fhima
64-year-old Leslie has admitted that Gerry is everything she is looking for in a man. Leslie, a talented dancer and fitness instructor, has captivated Gerry with her charisma and sex appeal. Like Gerry, Leslie wears hearing aids and tried to show Gerry that they have other, more emotional, things in common.
Leslie revealed that all of her past relationships were not good and that she’s been single for a long time. During his confessional, Gerry remarked that if things progressed, Leslie had the potential to be the woman he left with. Leslie was selected for Gerry’s latest one-on-one date. The duo rode ATVs and connected deeper when they spent time talking and kissing in an outdoor hot tub.
While Susan Noles, 66, and Sandra Mason, 75, are also still in the running for Gerry’s love, they have not made as much of an impression as the other ladies. Gerry said that Susan has qualities that remind him of his late wife, but they don’t seem to be forming a romance. Sandra makes Gerry laugh, and she even missed her daughter’s wedding to be participating in the show, but they seem to have more of a friendship.
Gerry Might Bail On The Golden Bachelor Experience
It looks like Gerry will break down during the next episode because of how overwhelmed he feels. He expressed that he had strong feelings for multiple women and was having trouble reconciling his emotions. Gerry needed to collect himself and questioned whether he could even go through with the process and end up breaking the hearts of good women. Gerry has proven that he has the best intentions in this process and truly wants to find the next love of his life.
A former Bachelor Nation alum advised him to choose the woman he couldn’t see himself living without. Although, Gerry’s dilemma is that he has found more than one woman who could be the apple of his eye. This experience could be weighing on Gerry’s sensitivities too much, and he may be showing signs that the decision may not mentally leave him in a good place. However, with Gerry having clear front-runners as his final rose ceremony nears, The Golden Bachelor fans should buckle up to see how it all plays out.
The Golden Bachelor airs on Thursdays at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.
