It brought me no joy, but for the first time in Golden Bachelor history I screamed at my TV screen in heavy disagreement with America’s 72-year-old Grandzaddy Gerry Turner.
For those who need a recap of The Golden Bachelor Episode 6, aka Hometown Dates, Decider has you covered. But for the purposes of this rant, what you need to know is that the hour-long episode ended on a major cliffhanger and I’m worried Gerry’s about to shatter a certain someone’s heart to pieces. (Warning: Spoilers ahead!)
After giving his first rose of the night to Leslie Fhima, Gerry broke down in tears because he couldn’t decide if his first impression rose winner Faith Martin or his first one-on-one date Theresa Nist should receive the final rose.
Six weeks into his inspiring search for late-in-life love, it’s fully understandable that Gerry would be torn and overwhelmed by his feelings for these three women — especially because they all told him they’re in love with him and every single Hometown Date was a soaring success. (A true rarity within the franchise!) But ahead of Hometowns, Gerry made the mistake of telling viewers that he only wants to say “I love you” to one more person in his life, so he’s carefully sorting his feelings out and keeping quiet as the women profess their love to him.
It’s an admirable strategy that thoughtfully prioritizes the well-being of his Final Three, but only if he sticks to it. And sadly, like Zach Shallcross before him (you know, the Bachelor lead who declared “no sex” during Fantasy Suite Week, only to keep his promise Night 1 and break it Night 2), Gerry kept his feelings to himself on his first Hometown Date, only to say “I love you” to two women on his second and third dates. GERRY!!!
Now, to clarify, Gerry going off book, living in the moment, and telling two women he loves them when he genuinely does isn’t the problem. One of the two women he told was Leslie, and she’s headed to Fantasy Suite Week. But the other woman he professed his love to was Faith, and he did it in such a way that I genuinely can’t fathom how he possibly could give his final rose to Theresa and send her home.
Yet, if Reality Steve’s spoilers are true, he’s about to do just that.
Let the record show that after Theresa told Gerry she was in love with him and couldn’t imagine life without him, the man simply replied, “That makes me feel so special!” Sure, Gerry later told cameras that for the first time since 1968 he knows he’s fallen in love again. “This is the love I’m looking for. I’m in love with Theresa. She could be the person that completes me, and I could be the person that completes her,” he told viewers. But, again, for whatever reason he didn’t tell THERESA. And when her daughter asked him if he was in love with her mom, he said he didn’t know!
What went down at his next Hometown Date with Faith was a complete 180. When Faith’s sons asked if Gerry was falling for their mom, he boldly replied, “Yeah. I think I kinda am.” Then later, when he and Faith were surrounded by her e-n-t-i-r-e family, her sister said she could tell Gerry was in love. In response, Gerry whispered to Faith, “Would you say it out loud?” She replied yes. And he took the initiative. That’s right, people! Gerry Turner, first Golden Bachelor, said “I love you” to Faith, she said it back, and the two kissed. Again, in front of her whole family!
No matter who you’re rooting for as The Golden Bachelor season nears its end you have to admit that’s freaking powerful. Even Leslie, who received the first post-Hometowns rose, said “I love you” first before Gerry reciprocated. So needless to say, Faith was on Cloud 9 after the historic Golden Bachelor declaration. “We’re in love with each other! We said that! It’s official! We’re a thing!” she exclaimed before remembering two other women were still on the journey. “Everything feels so perfect and so right, but as I know about life, it doesn’t always turn out that way.”
Ahead of the rose ceremony, I was sure Gerry’s Top Two were locked down. Surely he’d give roses to the only two women he said “I love you” too, right?! And if not both of them, at the very least the one woman he said “I love you” to first in front of her friend, sister, sons, and grandchildren would be a shoo-in for Fantasy Suites, RIGHT? But when I remembered Reality Steve’s spoilers called Leslie and Theresa as Gerry’s Top Two I couldn’t stop sweating!
If our Golden Guy is gonna send Faith home, fine. But knowing there’s a version of this story in which he didn’t have to get her hopes SO sky high or act like she was his one and only girl on their Hometown Date makes me incredibly sad. While going home would be crushing either way, the stakes certainly would have been lower and the breakup would have hurt less if Gerry had been more careful with Faith and her family’s emotions that day.
As always, Reality Steve rumors are only rumors until proven otherwise. So we’re not confident Faith heads home next week. But if she does, just know everything I just said STANDS — just like senior women at a Golden Bachelor rose ceremony. Gerry has to do Gerry and make the choice that feels right for himself, but the choice that feels right for me — a deeply invested viewer — is giving Faith the rose. Sorry, Theresa.
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