'Golden Bachelorette' Joan starts to connect with the men as she goes on her first dates

NEW YORK -- This week Joan started to date her 18 remaining men on "The Golden Bachelorette." The men began by toasting to Medicare and Joan! The guys continued to explore the grounds and were very impressed by Bachelor Mansion. They had a hard time figuring out who would go on the top bunks, but Charles L. said despite being one of the oldest guys, he was perhaps the most fit! Guy said he gets up four or five times a night so it wasn't great for him. Pascal was outraged at the size of the small closet in his room that he had to share with the other men. He also offered $100 a load of laundry to whoever would help him. Pascal also warned them that he also gets up four or five times a night, but he sleeps in the nude. These guys are not used to sharing!

Gina: The Medicare! The bunk beds! The Pergola admiration! The lack of closet space! The laundry negotiations! I loved everything about the guys' moving into the mansion. It was the most perfect few minutes of TV.

Jesse stopped by the house and explained that they would have two group dates and one magical one-on-one date and that each date would have a rose. Then Charles L. asked him to repeat the instructions and everyone laughed and agreed they needed the rules again. The first date card read, "Gary, Bob, Jonathan, Charles L., Mark, Jordan, Guy, Keith, I have a question for you, go to the other room and find out what it is." Oh my goodness, they all cheered for each other as their names were called and it was so sweet. The guys rushed into the other room and there were suits and a huge sign that read, "Will you go to prom with me?" The fashions were from the 70s and 80s and it was very cute. Once they were dressed, Joan pulled up in a stretch limo and a gown to take them to the Senior Senior Prom.

Gina: The tuxes were amazing and brought me way back.

Group Date

At prom, there was a crowd of people there to take part in a dance-off. Taylor Dayne was there to perform! You know she played her hit, "Tell it to My Heart." I wish they would've explained who the other people there watching the guys dance were! But Jonathan did a great job dancing, Charles L. was adorable, and Guy was breakdancing! Then Keith dragged him around, it was crazy! They all seemed to have the best time ever! Guy asked Joan to take a prom picture with him and they looked adorable. Joan took pictures with each of the guys and it was just so wholesome and sweet. Mark spiked the punch with Joan, it was funny.

Gina: My prom was not as fun as their prom, that's for sure! Also, Mark spiking the punch? Kelsey, come get your dad! Ha.

Then, they looked at pictures of each of them from their senior year. Jonathan said that he was the only person of color at his small Catholic school. He asked a girl and she backed out a week before the dance. Joan felt so sad that happened to him! Dr. Bob talked about his daughter who is a lesbian and she loved how accepting and open of a person he is. Jordan went on a date with Taylor Dayne a few years ago, how random. And another interesting fact, Gary is Tina Turner's Godson! Charles L. seemed to be a bit of a wallflower during the prom, but Joan found him and they had a nice conversation in the library. He talked about the shock of losing his wife to a brain aneurysm. Joan thinks men have a harder time dealing with loss due to not being able to share their emotions, so she was so touched that Charles L. would share his feelings about his loss with her. "Today is the first happiest day with me since my wife died," he said. "It's time to seek more happiness." After that, he got on the dance floor and danced with Joan! It was so sweet that he got to call his daughter and share details about his fun evening with her.

Gina: I love that they're incorporating the families into the show more this season. It just gives this whole new layer of goodness. Also, protect Charles L. at all costs! I want him to find all the happiness he deserves.

Back at the house, a date card arrived and it said, "Chock, meet me at the happiest place on earth!" Wow! He's getting a one-on-one! The other men cheered for him and congratulated him, shaking his hand.

At prom, Joan had to pick her prom king! Joan said it was an epic night and she loved spending prom with all of them. She decided that she wanted to pick Jonathan as the prom king because he didn't get to go to his original prom and she wanted him to let go of the pain from that experience. He cried tears of joy and also accepted the date rose. Then, Jesse brought out crowns and everyone cheered as the king and queen were crowned. Taylor Dayne came out and sang her other hit, "Love Will Lead You Back" as they danced. What a great date!

Gina: This might be one of my favorite dates I've seen on this show. It had everything: nostalgia, dancing, fun, great photos, Mark spiking the punch...just a lovely group date.

At the mansion, the men napped because they were having trouble sleeping at night, and they all seemed to snore. Gregg is among the worst of them. Pascal said that he needs silence to sleep, but he'll let it go with Gregg because Gregg is doing his laundry for him. As the guys laughed downstairs, Chock got ready for his big date.

Gina: Gregg talking about being punched by a naked Frenchman for his snoring got me. Oh my gosh, these guys are a trip!

Chock's One-on-One Date

Chock was whisked away in a limo to meet Joan at Disneyland! He said he hadn't been to Disneyland in 30 years. He wanted to let loose and go on rides and get to know Joan better. "She's mine today! Joan is mine today!" he said. Joan and Chock put on some Mickey ears and they were off. Joan thought Chock looked super handsome in his light blue shirt and she said his hugs put her right at ease. They held hands as they walked around and Chock and Joan talked about where they like to vacation, and what they like to do, they seemed to really get to know each other quickly! They rode on the Dumbo ride and Chock was like, "Look at your smile! Pretty lady!" He seems really sweet.

Then they ventured to Star Wars land and R2D2 met up with them. It was adorable. They rode the Big Thunder Mountain rollercoaster in Frontierland. Joan said that she has always wanted to bring her grandkids to Disneyland, but thinks that would be difficult to do alone. Now she thinks she might not have to be alone after all and can picture a future with him. "He was fun, he was really fun!" Joan said.

Gina: I actually got to meet them at Disneyland for part of this date and to have a chat with them. First, I talked with Chock, who joked that he had to make sure to set R2D2 straight and let him know Joan was his lady for the day! He told me that he's just a regular guy from Kansas, that his daughter signed him up for the show, and he's been thrilled to get to know Joan and blessed that he got some one-on-one time. Chock said he thinks they're a good match because she likes adventure and he is an adrenaline junkie, so they could have a lot of fun together, something they are both looking for at this stage in their lives. I talked to Joan just before the dinner portion of their date and she told me Chock caught her eye when he walked out of the limo with the chicken soup. She asked him on this date to see if they could have fun together and he passed that test. She laughed about the R2D2 flirting and revealed that he's her favorite Star Wars character. She liked that Chock was playful and could act like a kid.

That evening, Joan met Chock at Cinderella's castle and she was dressed just like Cinderella! Chock arrived in a tuxedo and he looked incredible. He took her to dinner in Royal 21 and she found him to be a gentleman, just like her father was. They toasted to many more occasions together and Chock complimented Joan on how beautiful she looked. He said he often has to be a rock so it was fun to let go and be a kid again. Chock said that he was married for 12 years, and had two kids, but it didn't work out. Then he got engaged to Kathy for nine years, and after a seizure, they found she had brain tumors. It was glioblastoma. She lived for 5 months and 4 days beyond that, and she died in his arms. It broke his heart. They had a conversation about how their partners both told them they wanted them to find someone else and live their lives in the future. Joan said to Chock, "I think we have a lot in common." I don't think it's possible for me to watch this show and not cry.

They covered a lot of ground. They talked about honesty. "She reminds me of you," Chock said to Joan. Joan was floored and really touched that he compared her to someone he loved so much. She said she felt safe again putting herself out there. Joan offered Chock the date rose and he accepted! Joan and Chock went outside and watched the fireworks, danced, and kissed! It was beautiful!

Gina: Were those fireworks or were those sparks flying as Joan and Chock kissed? I know it's early, but I could see these two having a really solid connection. The commonalities are there, the ease and comfort was on full display. They are really sweet together. Also, Jen - I cried too when they were talking about the loves of their lives. What beautiful moments.

Bachelor Mansion

Inside Bachelor Mansion, Kim decided to fix the garbage disposal. He seems handy to have around. "As captain of the ship, you want to fix the things that are broken. Plus it gives you something to do," he said. Chock walked into the room and read the date card. It said, "Gentleman you are invited to the second annual golden talent showcase today." Kim was excited and said he had already prepared a song. Some of the guys are very nervous. Dan has a tremor and hopes it doesn't reveal his nerves.

At a theater in town, Jesse Palmer served as MC. He introduced Loni Love to help serve as a guest judge. The winner of the talent show would get a one-on-one dinner with Joan. The men are starting to feel the pressure! Gregg did a comedy set and it was actually funny! Charles K. broke boards and did karate. Christopher did a yo-yo act, Gil juggled, Michael read a poem, Jack did a sock puppet act and it was hilarious, and then Pascal gave a mannequin a haircut. "He can do a lot in three minutes," Joan said. Kim sang a special song he wrote for Joan and it was very sweet and she was definitely impressed. The audience went wild and the guys were very supportive of Kim. Dan was nervous to follow Kim but went up on stage and did a ribbon dance. It was funny and cute all in the best ways! It was just wonderful to see how supportive everyone was. "It was invigorating!" Dan said. Then, he won the whole talent show! Some of the guys were a bit jealous, and Kim was sad, but they all tried to be supportive.

Gina: I loved watching these guys do their best to make a good impression. Joan has been there, she talked about her own moment on that date during Gerry's season where she made up a poem called "I Just Hope I Don't Vomit On Your Shoes." Their talents were fun and original and definitely made Joan and Loni take notice!

That evening Dan and Joan returned to the stage where a private dinner was waiting. Joan loves having men pull out her chair for her! Take notes guys! As they toasted, his hands were really shaking. Joan told him that she loved how brave he was and how silly too. As she held his hands, he stopped trembling, and he even leaned in for a little kiss. Dan told her that at one point he couldn't get his diabetes under control, and his organs started to shut down. They told him that he only had six months to live. So he retired and just focused 100% on his health. He's now very healthy! However, he's cautious about dating but when he does he wants women to know the full picture of what they're dealing with. He admitted that now he's more sensitive and life is more meaningful after having that near-death experience. Joan said that she felt that they had a great connection and that she really wanted to keep getting to know him, so she offered Dan the date rose! He accepted and they shared a kiss! A string trio then began performing in the balcony and Dan asked Joan if she would dance with him. As he held her, Dan said, "You fit just right." It was so romantic!

Gina: Are you tearing up again? Just me? Goodness, this is just the sweetest.

Barbecue instead of Cocktail Party

At the house, Kim is feeling the pressure of not getting a date rose and another rose ceremony creeping up. Hopefully, he can reign in his nerves and not let this unusual situation get the best of him. Keith, Jonathan, and Mark prepared a BBQ. Christopher grilled the meat! It was funny hearing all the dad advice being passed around. Jack hated that the burgers were well done and had barbecue sauce on them. Jack demanded one without barbecue sauce. Simmer down!

Joan showed up and thank goodness because I could not take it anymore, haha! Gina: SAME! These guys need a lady around to save them from themselves and their eccentricities. Jordan sat with Joan and they connected over the fact that he was a high school wrestler and Joan's son was a wrestler too. Joan was sad to miss her son's 28th birthday as they were there that day. Aw! They seemed to connect a lot talking about their families.

Jack and Joan talked about their kids a bit and then he got his suit on and jumped in the pool. "Jack's just here for the cannonballs." Pascal showed off his room to Joan. Player move, Pascal. Joan has to see right through that right? Guy did a magic trick with Joan, Keith did some hula hooping with her, and Gil talked about his wife's passing. They cried as they talked about their spouses loving the Bachelor franchise and how maybe they are together watching them and waiting for them.

Gina: "Jack's just here for the cannonballs" might be the line of the episode. So funny, because it might very well be true!

Joan gave Gary a framed picture from prom of the two of them together. Gary felt like it meant so much for her to give him a gift. "That's me, who would have thought?" Gary said. "Just the thought that she put into giving this to me as a gift." He cried!

Kim showed off his wife, his granddaughter, and family memories. They cried talking about meaningful moments with their husband and wife. But they still have lots of room in their hearts for more love!

Gina: Jen, have you lost count of how many times you've teared up in this episode? Because I sure have.

*Same, Gina! I mean, at least 5 times?

Mark pulled Joan aside and wrote a phrase in German for her to guess what some of them meant. One said, "Can I kiss you?" Joan said, "Yes and you should have said it in English and I would have said yes sooner!" Cute!!! Love them. "The kiss was right because we kissed again!" Mark said.

Gina: Mark Anderson for the win with that creative move!

Rose Ceremony

1) Jonathan (Group Date rose)
2) Chock (One-on-One date)
3) Dan (Group Date rose)
4) Mark
5) Gary
6) Pascal
7) Jordan
8) CK (Charles K.)
9) Keith
10) Gil
11) Charles L.
12) Kim
13) Gregg
14) Guy

That meant Bob, Michael, Christopher, and Jack were eliminated. Darn! I could have enjoyed at least one more week of Jack having fun on this show, but alas, Joan's the boss. He sang "My Way" on his way out, so classic.

Gina: What a perfect bookend to his time on the show. Jack, we love ya, big guy. We'll miss the cannonballs into the pool and the late-night meals you cooked up. See you at Men Tell All.

Next Week

They play kickball and I can really sympathize with these guys, I'm in a kickball league and it's not easy. Joan and Pascal spend some time together and she loves his zest for life. She also makes some big connections with some other guys. We also see Joan have a breakdown about not being ready to date or more on again and Gerry shows up. I have never wanted a week to speed up more so I can see what he has to say!

Gina: Same here! They are good friends, so I'm sure he will do his best to advise her. Joan's moment with the guys was so vulnerable and I am sure they all have those same sorts of questions. I can't wait to see how it all plays out. See you next week!

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