The Golden Bachelorwas revelatory forBachelorNation when it began airing, butthe controversies behind the show have been so shocking that I’m struggling to understand what’s next for the more mature side of the franchise. Throughout the last year,The Golden Bachelorseason 1has been the biggest buzz inBachelorNation. Gerry Turner, who led the first season of the new iteration of the original series, was brought into the spotlight as a struggling widower who was looking for love in his 70s. Flanked by an Emmy-award-winning cast, Gerry got the opportunity to find his true love.
Gerry, whowonBachelorNation over quickly with his sweet persona and his tragic backstory, took on the challenge of becoming the firstGolden Bachelor,which didn’t prove to be as simple as he expected. Instead of Gerry having the luxury of getting to know his cast of women over a standard-length season, which is already quick, he had six weeks to see if he could find love with someone on the series. Aftermeeting and getting to know Theresa Nist, Gerry knew he’d found something special. Despite some controversy, the pair got engaged and then married within a month.
Even though Gerry and Theresa’s story was a short but sweet look at two older people finding a second chance at love,BachelorNation was already beginning to struggle with the couple before their engagement aired on screen. After finding out thatGerry’sBachelorpersona had been pushed by producers throughout the season, viewers were finding it hard to trust Gerry or the series. With theGoldenwedding behind them, the couple began to face everyday issues, but a shocking diagnosis ended their relationship in secrecy, and many viewers turned on theGoldencouple when they announced their shocking divorce.
WhileThe Golden Bachelorwasn’t considered a failure, it wasn’t considered a success, either, so it was surprising whenThe Golden Bacheloretteseason 1was announced quickly after Gerry and Theresa’s wedding. With several women from Gerry’s season in the running,BachelorNation was surprised to find out that Joan Vassos would be the show’s first lead. Joan, who left Gerry’s cast after the first few weeks of the season to tend to a family emergency, was a great pick, butcontroversies with her cast plagued the second iteration of the mature series, leaving me struggling to comprehend what’s next.
The Golden Bachelor Has Pushed Viewer’s Limitations
The Series Has Lost Viewer Trust
AlthoughThe Golden Bachelorwas one of the most highly-anticipated shows of the year in 2023, the series wasn’t something that necessarilylived up toBachelorNation’s expectationsin the long term. While Gerry was a charismatic lead, he struggled once the series ended, and though he was dealing with personal struggles in secrecy behind the scenes, viewers didn’t allow him to catch a break. During the show’s run, it was clear that the series was landing well with viewers. As it continued, however,BachelorNation had a tough time believing in the mature love story being told on screen.
The Controversy From The Golden Bachelor Is Still Following Gerry Turner
He’s Still Being Blamed For Bachelor Producers’ Blunder
AlthoughThe Golden Bachelorwas agreat way to boost Gerry’s profile initially, as the series continued and he became more popular, more people were hoping to see his downfall. When Gerry and Theresa leftThe Golden Bachelorengaged, the couple shared quite a bit of content online and prepped for their wedding publicly, which turned a lot ofBachelorNation fans off. After the wedding, the couple went radio silent, which many found strange. AlthoughBachelorNation wasn’t aware,Gerry was diagnosed with an incurable cancer just months after the wedding and ultimately chose to call off his relationship.
WhileGerry was dealing with the unimaginable, his relationship with Theresa crumbled andThe Golden Bachelorstar struggled to deal with the waves of hate he was receiving from viewers who blamed him for their inability to acceptThe Golden Bachelormarriage coming to an end.BachelorNation continued to shade Gerry despite sharing his most authentic self online, pushing him to take time away from social media to move forward. WhileBachelorNation blamed Gerry for his poor perception,The Golden Bachelorproducers should be held responsible instead. Gerry’s still getting hate for the show’s mistakes with his persona.
Joan Vassos' Season Of The Golden Bachelorette Was Difficult
She Was Faced With A Flurry Of Issues
After Gerry’s difficult season ofThe Golden Bachelorcame to a close,BachelorNation wasn’t sure what the future ofThe Golden Bachelorettewould be. While the series was something viewers were interested in seeing,they weren’t sure that they could trustBachelorproducers to move forward with the seriesafter Gerry and Theresa’s marriage imploded. At the time,BachelorNation wasn’t aware of what had happened between the couple, and speculation was running wild as most were blaming Gerry for the split. Regardless,Bachelorproducers announced they’d move forward withThe Golden Bachelorette,choosing Joan to be the lead.
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Joan may have seemed a safe but great choice after the controversy of Gerry’s season, but when it came down to actually seeing things play out on screen, it was clearBachelorproducers hadn’t picked someone dynamic enough to fill the leading role. Two of the men who were vying for Joan’s heart,Gil Ramirez and Guy Gansert, were exposed to have had restraining orders against them. While Gil was an early boot who didn’t have much time on screen anyway, Guy was one of Joan’s finalists.BachelorNation felt they couldn’t trust producers at all, shocked by the news.
Can The Golden Bachelor Season 2 Succeed Without A Perfect Season?
There’s No Real Blueprint To Work From
Although I thinkThe Golden BachelorandThe Golden Bachelorettewere both great starts for the mature side of the franchise, seeing the seasons play out leaves me with a lot of big questions. WithThe Golden Bachelorallowing its lead to take the fall for production’s mistakes whileThe Golden Bacheloretteallowed Joan’s safety to be compromised, the series has yet to have a “perfect” season, wherethe leads are able to move through the experience without a hitch from production or casting. I’m skepticalThe Golden Bachelorseason 2 can succeed without major change or some unnecessary blunders.
The Golden Bachelor
Cast
The Bachelor returns to TV with The Golden Bachelor, a romantic reality competition series created for ABC. The show will focus on an older generation of hopefuls, with one senior male hoping to court and win the heart of one of several older female contestants.
