'Golden Bachelor’ recap: Women tell all as Gerry and Faith have heartbreaking reunion
The women on Gerry's season dish on what happened behind the scenes.
On this week's "The Golden Bachelor," we learn who Gerry says goodbye to after last week's cliffhanger, which saw him leave the rose ceremony when confronted with the difficult decision to bid one of the women farewell.
But first, the women on Gerry's season reflected on their experience on the show for 'The Women Tell All' edition.
"Life be lifing, baby"
The women tell all kicked off with the women reflecting on life after "The Golden Bachelor." Nancy, who ended her journey with Gerry during the third week of the show, said that she feels like her kids "have a new perspective."
"They've always seen me as mom, and now they've seen me as a single woman, someone who's ready for love," she said. "They just have a refreshed perspective, I think. I've had support all around."
The women also spoke about the mantra they all share when Jesse Palmer mentioned how many people across the country the women inspired, giving many hope to someday find love.
"We've lived life, we've been through a lot of ups and downs and life be lifing, baby," Natascha said.
Susan added, "I got to reach people out there watching the show to let them know it's not over. Get back up. If you don't feel good and you feel like you don't look good, then change your outfit, or go take a walk. Just get up and live."
One woman Susan inspired was reality star Kris Jenner, who shared a message for the wedding officiant from Aston, Pennsylvania.
"This has been the most amazing season I have watched in all these years, literally since Trista and Ryan," Kris said. "So thank you for giving us so much joy and so much pleasure. You guys have been such an inspiration to me and my family. We are obsessed with all of you. But me? Susan, you are amazing and I love your style, love the hair, and you nailed it, doll."
"I think we had a good chance"
Joan, whose time on "The Golden Bachelor" was cut short during the second week due to a family emergency, had the chance to take a look back at her journey and share an update about her daughter, who's doing better after struggling with postpartum depression.
"She needed her mom, and I didn't think twice," Joan said. "But as I went upstairs to pack, the gravity of the whole thing kind of hit me and I was leaving for good."
When asked by Jesse what she thought might have happened with Gerry if the circumstances had been different and she had stayed longer, Joan replied, "I think we had a good chance."
"Gerry helped make me feel visible because he looked at me and he cared about what I was saying and he wanted to get to know me," she said. "And it's about that whole conversation about being invisible. Society makes us feel like we've had our chance, and we've raised our children and it's time now to support the next generation and take a back seat."
"Gerry opened my heart," Joan continued. "I did think a couple of times maybe I would come around the corner coming home from work and he would be sitting on my front porch."
"I can't wait to get started"
In addition to Joan, audiences also got a closer look during 'The Women Tell All' at Ellen's journey, which ended in week four in a heartbreaking moment during a rose ceremony, just a week after she told Gerry her true feelings. Ellen said saying goodbye to Gerry was "one of the most emotional and difficult times of my life." Yet despite the heartbreak she endured, she said she has "gratitude for Gerry."
"I can enjoy my life and live it to the utmost and find happiness," she said. "To tell you the truth, I can't wait to get started."
Ellen also remembered her dear friend, Roberta, who pushed her to be on the show. Sadly, Roberta died before the premiere of "The Golden Bachelor."
"Sixty years of continued friendship, like a true sister, I just wanted to make sure I gave her the wish that she wanted," said Ellen, who ended up watching the show with Roberta's daughter, Courtney, after Roberta's death. "It was a remarkable experience just to know that she was watching over me, because I miss her. I miss her a lot."
At the very end, Ellen was surprised by Courtney, who was in the audience. "Thank you for showing us [what] a true friendship, love, loyalty look like," she told Ellen.
Gerry reunites with the women
While each woman's journey with Gerry ended early, they didn't have any hard feelings toward him. Instead, they told him how hopeful they all remained to find love.
"Gerry, having met you, I now realize that finding a gentleman in our generation is not just possible, it's probable," Sandra said. "You are not just a gentleman, you are a gentle man. And that's important to me. I am more motivated now than I was even before to find my guy. Thank you."
Ellen also thanked Gerry for "giving me the ability, confidence and self-esteem to move on and find love."
Faith and Gerry's heartbreaking reunion
After last week's episode, we finally learned during 'The Women Tell All' that Gerry gave his rose to Theresa, and that he had to say a heartbreaking goodbye to Faith, to whom he said "I love you" during their hometown date.
Faith also shared how hard it was to "open myself up for love."
"Going into this, I really thought, 'OK, if I feel anything at all, I'm gonna go all-in,'" she said. "And it shattered me."
While their journeys on "The Golden Bachelor" had ended, the feelings the women still had for each other remained evident when they reunited and shared a tearful embrace on stage.
"I don't know if anyone else could have broke down my walls," Faith told Gerry. "You could have walked off with me right then and I would have been yours for the rest of your life. I felt that safe and I never felt that way."
Gerry told Faith that the love he had for her was "genuine," and that his "heart went out" to Faith the night they said goodbye. Gerry added that the part of their journey that makes him feel bad is that he promised Faith's family that he would protect her heart. "I didn't do that," Gerry said. But Faith assured Gerry that she knows he didn't intentionally break her heart. "I know your heart is true in all the good ways," she told him.
At the very end, Gerry told Faith, "I am a better person for meeting you."
The women that remain on "The Golden Bachelor" are Theresa and Leslie. Up next week: fantasy suites.
"The Golden Bachelor" returns Thursday at 8:00 ET/7:00 CT on ABC, and streaming on Hulu.
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