I’m Struggling To Understand What’s Next For The Golden Bachelor After The Show Betrayed Viewers’ Trust (They Need A Perfect Season After Recent Disasters)

The Golden Bachelor was revelatory for Bachelor Nation when it began airing, but the 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 Bachelor season 1 has been the biggest buzz in Bachelor Nation. 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, who won Bachelor Nation over quickly with his sweet persona and his tragic backstory, took on the challenge of becoming the first Golden 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. After meeting 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, Bachelor Nation was already beginning to struggle with the couple before their engagement aired on screen. After finding out that Gerry’s Bachelor persona had been pushed by producers throughout the season, viewers were finding it hard to trust Gerry or the series. With the Golden wedding behind them, the couple began to face everyday issues, but a shocking diagnosis ended their relationship in secrecy, and many viewers turned on the Golden couple when they announced their shocking divorce.

While The Golden Bachelor wasn’t considered a failure, it wasn’t considered a success, either, so it was surprising when The Golden Bachelorette season 1 was announced quickly after Gerry and Theresa’s wedding. With several women from Gerry’s season in the running, Bachelor Nation 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, but controversies 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

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Although The Golden Bachelor was one of the most highly-anticipated shows of the year in 2023, the series wasn’t something that necessarily lived up to Bachelor Nation’s expectations in 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, Bachelor Nation 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

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Although The Golden Bachelor was a great 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 left The Golden Bachelor engaged, the couple shared quite a bit of content online and prepped for their wedding publicly, which turned a lot of Bachelor Nation fans off. After the wedding, the couple went radio silent, which many found strange. Although Bachelor Nation wasn’t aware, Gerry was diagnosed with an incurable cancer just months after the wedding and ultimately chose to call off his relationship.

While Gerry was dealing with the unimaginable, his relationship with Theresa crumbled and The Golden Bachelor star struggled to deal with the waves of hate he was receiving from viewers who blamed him for their inability to accept The Golden Bachelor marriage coming to an end. Bachelor Nation continued to shade Gerry despite sharing his most authentic self online, pushing him to take time away from social media to move forward. While Bachelor Nation blamed Gerry for his poor perception, The Golden Bachelor producers 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 of The Golden Bachelor came to a close, Bachelor Nation wasn’t sure what the future of The Golden Bachelorette would be. While the series was something viewers were interested in seeing, they weren’t sure that they could trust Bachelor producers to move forward with the series after Gerry and Theresa’s marriage imploded. At the time, Bachelor Nation wasn’t aware of what had happened between the couple, and speculation was running wild as most were blaming Gerry for the split. Regardless, Bachelor producers announced they’d move forward with The 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 clear Bachelor producers 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. Bachelor Nation 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

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Although I think The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette were both great starts for the mature side of the franchise, seeing the seasons play out leaves me with a lot of big questions. With The Golden Bachelor allowing its lead to take the fall for production’s mistakes while The Golden Bachelorette allowed Joan’s safety to be compromised, the series has yet to have a “perfect” season, where the leads are able to move through the experience without a hitch from production or casting. I’m skeptical The Golden Bachelor season 2 can succeed without major change or some unnecessary blunders.

Source: The Golden Bachelorette/Instagram