This week’s The Golden Bachelorette bring us the first portion of the Finale! With the cold opening, we can tell that something has taken place that has shaken Joan Vassos. Until then, we see her in the airport in LA making her way to Tahiti to be with the remaining men. She has Guy, Pascal, and Chock and while she sails a cruiseliner, she’s excited that her fellow The Golden Bachelor contestant, Nancy is there with her. They catch up as they talk about her experience so far.
We know that Guy told her that he was falling in love with her and she wonders if he is ahead of her in terms of the feelings that he has. She likes Pascal, but she knows that he is guarded, but he lives big just like her husband. Then she knows that Chock is amazing; however, she wonders if he is too good to be true!
Nancy and Joan talk about the importance of Fantasy Suites and that being off camera allows her to have those deep conversations that she is looking for. Nancy listens to her and she also boosts her feelings to let her know that she is where she needs to be. She lets her know that she will stay with her this week as she navigates these next few days while she makes her decisions.
Her first takes place in Moorea with Guy. We see him getting ready for his date and we know that he is excited to meet with her and the fact that he will get to spend all this time with her. He believes he is falling in love with her and he can see a future with her as well.
She can see a future with him and she acknowledges that they are not in the same place in this relationship. So she is looking forward to getting where he is and wants to keep an open mind about him. She talks about their Hometowns and how she enjoyed meeting his family. They enjoyed lounging on a boat and diving underwater.
As they get closer, we see Chock and Jesse Palmer chatting about what the experience has been like thus far. He acknowledges that Guy and Paslcal bring a lot to the table, but he is willing to put his best foot forward and to give it everything that he has.
The evening portion of the date begins and she lets them know that they made good memories together. She lets him know that the overnight of the Fantasy Suites will be about being off-camera and talking. But it will not be about being physical and that she doesn’t want to do that with 3 people and wants to do that with her final person. He lets her know that she respects that and isn’t surprised that that was what she wants to do.
We see Guy leaving his overnight and stating that he had intimacy on an emotional level and he was able to say and got what he needed from the experience! He feels great about where things are between them.
Chock is making his way to Joan for their date. He is excited as he told her he was falling in love with her at his Hometowns in Witchita. Their date is on an HTV as they driving fast throughout the greenery around them. She trusted him and felt safe with him. They had a great dinner and they went to the Fantasy Suites. Chock lets us know he had a great time, it was everything he wanted, and that if Joan wanted to say what went down, she could, but he was just going to keep it to himself.
Jesse and Pascal sit down and chat and they talk about the conversation he had with Joan in Chicago during his Hometowns about opening up to people. He tells Jesse about a previous relationship that he has been involved with where he was in love, but that they couldn’t go forward. He wants to work on bringing his walls down and wants to open up with Joan.
Their date begins and they enjoy a buffet of foods and they are enjoying this. He is excited to have an easy day and then to be able to have serious conversations later. Pascal enjoyed the beginning of the date and they head into the next part, the bonding ceremony which is a traditional one that takes place in Tahiti. They both have to be vulnerable when you are talking about things. Although he thought the ceremony was beautiful, he was surprised about the seriousness of it as he was looking for something light. She feels that the experience has been great for both of them. He feels that he was not ready for this part of the date and he feels scared and he wasn’t ready for all of that.
While they sit down to dinner, Pascal asks the things that he has been thinking about - why she likes him, letting her know about his previous relationship, and he shares that the date scared him and he doesn’t want to hurt her. He doesn’t think that he can get to the place that she needs him to be. He tells her that he knows what love is and that he cares about her as a friend, but he is not in love and he can’t be there. He lets her know that no matter how much fun they have and the care he has for her - the spark is not there. She lets him know that she wishes he was ready and available, but she realizes that this is where they are. He knew that she was hurting and he felt awful that he did this to her. We’re sad to see Pascal go, but there is something to be said about people being honest in where they are at.
Next week, we have the Men Tell All and the week after, we have the second part of the Finale.
JOAN DIDN’T GIVE ROSES OUT THIS WEEK | Chock, Guy
GUYS WHO LEFT THIS WEEK | Pascal
Each night during this season, we will tweet about The Golden Bachelorette and you can chat along with us (@AthleisureMag + with our Co-Founder/Creative + Style Director, Kimmie Smith @ShesKimmie) to see what’s taking place!
Each week we will let you know who our faves were from the last episode and if we’ve changed up since then as it pertains to who we think should go to Hometowns.
We also suggest a podcast that we’ve become obsessed with over the past few seasons, Wondery’s Bachelor Happy Hour to get their feedback!
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