Just three weeks into his stint as the first-ever Golden Bachelor, Gerry Turner has already established himself as one of the most beloved leads in the history of Bachelor Nation.
That’s why it’s hard to understand how he’s been so unlucky in love on the show so far. Oh, sure, plenty of the series’ senior contestants are fond of the dashing 72-year-old widower—so much so that the friendly and jealousy-free vibe back at the mansion started to slip away during Thursday night’s episode.
But while those eligible ladies seemed ready to fight for a golden opportunity with Turner, for the second episode in a row, one woman choose to pack her bags and quit the competition instead.
The wasted rose
Early in the episode a talent show saw all the contestants vie for a private date with Turner. Their impressive skills ranged from sexy dance moves to stand-up comedy, but it was the shy Joan Vassos who won him over with a poetry reading.
The pair hit it off during their one-on-one, sharing stories of how they’ve both tried to pursue relationships after losing the loves of their lives and bonding over other big life events.
“I’m as excited spending time with you as I’ve ever been with anyone,” Turner told her in a tender moment before presenting her with a rose.
But things suddenly changed for the couple the next morning.
Despite describing the previous evening as “one of the best nights” of her life and calling her connection with Turner a “deep” one, Vassos told him that she had to leave in favor of an even deeper connection.
Just like Marina Perera quit the show (off-screen) last week to attend her family’s needs, Vassos was doing the same. The 60-year-old’s daughter had just given birth 15 days earlier, and she received a text informing her she was needed back home for “mom duty.”
With teary eyes, Turner told her, “I get it. I understand. But I can’t tell you how disappointed I am.”
The pity rose
At the mansion, Vassos’ fellow competitors seemed heartbroken on her behalf, especially since she’d already made a connection and gotten a rose.
Of course, she wasn’t the only one who’d made a connection with Turner.
During the first episode, he and Theresa Nist hit it off during their own one-on-one time, something Nist had raved about to Kathy Swarts, a fellow 70-year-old whom she considered a pal.
Swartz didn’t feel the same.
Nist learned there was an issue when April Kirkwood called her out just before cocktail hour, telling her, “If there is an intimate moment with somebody, I think the only way to handle that is with dignity and respect for him and you. Keep your mouth shut.”
Why would Kirkwood do that on Swarts’ behalf? Because they both belong to an friendship alliance mentioned earlier in the episode (“’A’ for April, ‘S’ for Susan, ‘K’ for Kathy and ‘N’ for Nancy—ASKN: Our motto is, ‘You’re askn’, and we’re telling.”)
While Nist and Kirkwood spoke to each other, Swarts spoke to Turner and turned on the waterworks, claiming she had to deal with “a lot of meaness” recently, clearly referencing Nist. Turner handled the emotional outburst by giving Swarts a conciliatory rose of her own before the big ceremony.
The final rose (of the night)
As for Nist, she tried to hash things out with Swarts later but got a chilly reception from the woman who wasn’t interested in excuses or apologies (for doing the sort of mild bragging that Bachelor Nation participants have long done).
That confrontation left Nist emotional, sending her running off to bed in tears.
Later, at the rose ceremony, tension grew as it seemed uncertain if Turner would give Nist a rose at all—but he did. She scored the last rose of the night.
Then she quietly scored a swipe at Swarts.
After Swarts whispered to her that Gerry is “such a great guy,” Nist agreed, whispering back, “He came up to me and said the most wonderful thing. He came up when I was bawling my eyes out in the bedroom…”
“He came up to your bedroom?!” Swarts gasped. “Theresa, that’s the kind of stuff you need to keep to yourself.”
Nist simply looked off dreamily.
Read the full article here