Hello everyone! Once again, I’m Laura Bradley, cultural critic, and I’m summarizing Golden Bach for you all season long. Between this week’s prom and pool party, things are heating up for Joan Vassos, so let’s dive right in. Spoilers ahead.
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What happened this week 📺
It’s week 2 and Joan has taken her men out for a dance, a talent show and, in the case of one lucky guy, a one-on-one date to Disneyland. Here are the episode highlights and best social reactions.
The first group date: To coin a golden phrase, Joan’s prom was “outta sight.” The men wore sparkly suits, Taylor Dayne sang “Tell It to My Heart,” and Jonathan took home the date rose after telling Joan a heartbreaking story about how he got dumped before his prom. If only we could all have a second chance. [Entertainment Weekly]
The first one-on-one: Chock’s chicken soup must have been amazing last week because he and Joan went to Disneyland and shared their first kiss. (Eventually Golden Bachelor Winner Theresa Nist got the first one-on-one last year. Will history repeat itself for Chock and Joan?) [Glamour/Yahoo Entertainment]
Who went home: Bob, Michael, Christopher and Jack all said their goodbyes, and yes, Jack and Chris sang “My Way” one more time on the way out. Could a world tour be the next step? [People]
Senior Superlatives 🏆
1️⃣ Mr. Fun: Charles L.
He may have lost Prom King, but he stole our hearts. At this week’s dance, Charles L. opened up about the loss of his wife, tore up the dance floor, and threw a round of (arcade) basketball. Keep it up, Charles. [TheWrap]
2️⃣ Most likely to go into plumbing: Kim
Kim not only wrote and sang his own song on the talent show, but he also found the time to fix the Bachelor Mansion’s garbage disposal. Oh (retired) captain! My captain! [Today]
3️⃣ Best Dressed: Charles K.
Charles K., aka “CK”, surprised us this week by pairing a cerulean jacket with a salmon polo and a yin-yang pendant. Something tells me you’ll never see Mr. Martial Arts in a basic cargo short. [Deadline]
4️⃣ Most maintenance intensive: Pascal
This is not an insult; Pascal is calling himself high maintenance. His closet is full of Gucci and he paid Gregg $100 to do his laundry because he doesn’t know how to do it himself. Pascal, if you ever need more help with your laundry, my email is… [Entertainment Weekly]
5️⃣ Most Likely to Work for the CIA: Gary
A shout out to my friend Gary for confirming that he is Tina Turner’s godson, telling us Nothing furthermore, she is different IRL than she is on stage. Duh, Gary, give us some real gossip! [Yahoo Entertainment]
Golden moment of visibility ✨
Just as Gerry Turner spoke openly about his hearing aids on Golden Bachelor, Joan and her men normalize their aging journey. In this week’s episode, those moments of visibility include the iconic toast “To 401K’s, to Medicare, to Joan!” and the men who divided up the beds based on whose knees could climb to the top bunk.
My favorite though was when Dan dominated the talent show with a ribbon dance and joked about his shaky hands. Later on their date, he opened up to Joan about his diabetes. These moments brought tears to the eyes of Bachelor Nation — including me! [Yahoo Life/Us Weekly]
Can I steal you for a moment? 💬
A one-on-one with Jessica Radloff
This week’s Bachelor expert, Jessica Radloff, senior West Coast editor at Enchanting, who has been following the franchise for ten years, provided valuable information: She was actually present on Joan’s date with Chock. Of course, I was eager to exchange gossip.
Laura: What was it like being Joan and Chock’s third wheel on the Disneyland date?
Jessica: It was fascinating to be at Disneyland for Joan’s first one-on-one date — until it was time to watch her and Chock share their first kiss. I was standing 10 feet away, behind a tree, when I wanted to give them some privacy. You just feel bad — like you’re spying on something you shouldn’t!
Laura What do we think of Disneyland as a location for a first date?
Jessica: It was really cool. It really let Joan and Chock’s inner childish enthusiasm come out, which was exactly what Joan wanted. But I really don’t get why Joan decided to wear flip-flops. Where were her sneakers?! Disneyland is a lot of walking!
Laura: You also interviewed Joan after the kiss. Where is her head now that she’s coming out this week?
Jessica: I interviewed Gerry during his first group date for The Golden Bachelorand he was like a kid in a candy store. Joan seems a little more toned down. She had a great time with Chock and really liked all the boys back at the mansion, but she wasn’t afraid to admit that she’s not romantically interested in all of them. She has an openness that I really admire.
Go deeper: Read more about Jessica’s trip to Disneyland with Joan and Chock.
Golden moment of masculinity 👴
It’s scientifically proven that by the time a man reaches his 60s or 70s, he’s convinced he’s the only one who knows how to grill a burger properly. To press or not to press? That’s the question every guy at this week’s pool party thought he had the right answer to. [Entertainment Weekly]
😢 This week’s cry counter: We only cried once this week, when Kim told Joan that he had given his granddaughter a letter from his late wife to read. It was a welcome change from the ten letters last week. [Yahoo Entertainment]
The Golden Bachelorette airs Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.
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