After bringing a combined 55 seasons of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise to television screens, the franchise is breaking free from the tired, predictable, ubiquitous reality dating show mold — one that favors youth, catty competition, and physical appearance. The result? The Golden Bachelor, where 72-year-old father, grandfather, and seasoned stud Gerry Turner courts 22 experienced women ranging from 60 to 75 years old.
The highly-anticipated, long-overdue series premiered on ABC Thursday, September 28, and by the end of the hour-long episode my eyes were filled with tears and my cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. From the very first scene — in which the retired restauranteur and pickleball player buttons his shirt, adjusts his bowtie, and fastens his hearing aid behind his ear — to the eventful look at the season to come (set to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'”) the series felt fresh, invigorating, and incredibly hopeful.
As Cat Stevens’ “The Wind” played, Gerry Turner opened the show by holding a framed photograph of his late wife of 43 years, Toni, and sharing snippets of their love story. He married his high school sweetheart, they had two daughters, retired together, and bought their dream house by the lake in Indiana. But shortly after closing on their home, Toni fell ill with a bacterial infection that spread to her kidneys and liver. Through tears and gasps for air, Turner told cameras he took his wife to the emergency room on July 7, 2017 and she passed on July 15. Six years later, though he knows no one could ever replace her, he’s taking his second shot at finding lasting love with the support of his family.
Wondering if Gerry’s first night in the Bachelor Mansion was a success? Which woman got his first impression rose? And who went home during the first Golden Bachelor rose ceremony? Decider’s Golden Bachelor premiere recap breaks down the limo exits, cocktail hour, kisses, and surprises of Gerry Turner’s historic Golden Bachelor debut.
As Turner’s 22 women toasted champagne in their limos, the first Bachelor on Social Security chatted through nerves with host Jesse Palmer outside the mansion. “I’m feeling a little anxious and a little nervous, I’m not gonna lie,” he said. “I’m going to meet the woman of my dreams very shortly. I hope I recognize her, number one. So it’s huge.” But when Gerry’s golden girls arrived, his fears melted away.
First up? Edith, a 60-year-old retired realtor who brought Gerry confetti to get the party started. 71-year-old Ellen, a retired teacher, followed and gave a shoutout to Roberta — her bestie of 60 years who has cancer and encouraged her to go on the show. Sandra, 75, loosened Gerry up with a zen practice of deep breathing and humming the word “FUCK.” And 69-year-old financial services professional Theresa celebrated her perfectly-timed 70th birthday by dropping her robe and letting Gerry glimpse her “birthday suit.” (A flesh-colored dress, because she has six grandsons watching at home!)
Over the course of the night, the sprightly group of seniors bonded over “ear candy,” lifted each other up, and exuded personality, pizazz, intoxicating energy, and youthful spirits. As one contestant said, “We’re all breaking the stereotypical view of what seniors look like or act like” — especially Faith, a 61-year-old “funmonger” who enjoys rollerblading, horseback riding, swimming, and anything that looks fun. She rolled up to the mansion on motorcycle, whipped off her helmet and leather jacket, and told a giggling Gerry, “I’m proof that you can live fast and not die young. And if you leave here with me, it’ll be the ride of your life.” In her intro video, Faith reminded viewers, “We may not be as tight-skinned or as good of shape. But I’m not dead yet.”
And in true franchise fashion, before Gerry headed in to toast his lovely ladies, a special surprise guest made a memorable entrance: Jimmy Kimmel’s hilarious Aunt Chippy.
“The most fantastic experience I’ll ever have,” Turner said following intros. “Every door that opened was like the best Christmas ever.” After a heartfelt toast, the first-ever (but hopefully not the last) Golden Bachelor cocktail party commenced. And to say the golden girls brought their A-game would be a serious understatement.
April kicked off a night of phenomenal flirting by gifting Ger Ber a personalized April-only calendar. Natasha broke out the yoga mats. Sandra and Gerry laughed over the word “FUCK” again. Patty, Bachelor Matt James’ mom, got a great hug. And Faith pulled out her guitar to sing Gerry a song. There were smooches left and right and a mansion-wide dance party. And the golden man of the golden hour even got a little frisky with Theresa, who changed from her birthday suit to a dress and read Gerry a letter from her daughter. Ger gave her a 70th birthday cupcake, she made a wish, and he asked if she’d help clean his mouth off if he took a bite of frosting. GERRY!!!!!!! That, Bachelor Nation, is how we got our first make-out of the season.
The immaculate vibes dimmed a bit when Jesse Palmer returned and placed the momentous first impression rose on the table. So who left the biggest mark on Gerry’s mind Night 1? The motorcycle-riding musician, Faith Martin.
During their one-on-one time together, Gerry told Faith, “you’re really very attractive” and she complimented his calming presence. After singing her song, she asked him how he wants to spend his next 30 years, and he replied, “A little bit of this would be just about right.” GERRY! You’ve got game! When handing out the first impression rose, he told Faith, “I want you to know that you made this impression not because you rode in on a motorcycle or have a beautiful voice and sang a song to me, but because of what you’re doing right now — making me feel very special.” Faith accepted the rose, said it represents hope that they could create something beautiful together, and the kissing continued.
Gerry’s stay on Cloud 9 came to an end when he remembered he had to host his first rose ceremony, something he’d admittedly been “dreading doing for many months.” His first two roses went to Ellen and Theresa, and his final rose went to Susan. So who went home on Night 1 of The Golden Bachelor? Here are the six women who said goodbye:
After staying up later than he has in his entire life, Gerry and his remaining 16 women toasted to the journey ahead as Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin'” played over clips of kissing, tears, and adventurous dates still to come. See you next week for another Golden Bachelor recap.
New episodes of The Golden Bachelor air on Thursdays from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET on ABC. Next-day streaming is available on Hulu.