The Golden Bachelor Is the Palate Cleanser the Franchise Needs

Could The Golden Bachelor reinvigorate the Bachelor franchise? Tonight's premiere certainly teases the possibility.

The inaugural episode of this spin-off wastes no time introducing viewers to retiree Gerry Turner, the first senior citizen Bachelor to look for his second chance at love. He’s jumping back into the dating game six years after the death of his wife and high school sweetheart, Toni, so his decision to simultaneously date 22 women (thankfully, all age-appropriate) who are vying for his affection comes with an added weight. Luckily, he’s got the support of his daughters and granddaughters, and seems genuinely excited at the prospect of finding the second woman of his dreams.

There’s a lot to like about Gerry — he’s a respectful family man who wants to experience the thrill of romance again with a life partner — and his worries about being the Golden Bachelor aren’t trivial at all. It’s a lot to reconcile the end of one chapter of your life and the beginning of another, all while having the entire journey chronicled on national television for all to see. When Gerry promises that his late wife will never be replaced, even if he were to find the “woman of his dreams” on the show, you can’t help but believe him.

When it’s time for Gerry to meet the bachelorettes in front of the mansion, the scene has all the classic Bachelor elements. There are the outlandish limo exits, like 69-year-old Theresa, who almost gives Gerry a heart attack when she flashes him with her “birthday suit” (it’s really a flesh-colored bodycon outfit), or 65-year-old April, a therapist who “clucks'' her way like a chicken up the cobbled walkway to greet him. Then there are the memorable introductions, like 75-year-old Sandra, who can’t help but drop a swear word or two, or 61-year-old Faith, a leather jacket-rocking high school teacher who captures Gerry’s attention when she rolls in on a motorcycle. Even Jimmy Kimmel’s Aunt Chippy (real name Concetta Potenza) makes it onto the show in a wink-and-a-nod cameo meant to add levity to the group, though it’s really not needed.

The first night in the mansion is a busy one for the man of the hour. Moments after he gives his speech to the group and toasts to the future, Gerry is whisked away for the first of many impromptu one-on-one “dates” as the women jockey for position (and the coveted first impression rose). They may all be elegant, poised and have decades of life experiences, but there are some things that simply don’t change — even with age — when it comes to competing on any Bachelor dating show. As several of the women get private time with Gerry, others resort to gossiping and even light spying.

There are a few frontrunners that emerge; it’s easy to tell who producers want audiences to invest in based on the screen time they’ve devoted to specific women. Among the early contenders are Faith, who performs a song for Gerry on the guitar, and Theresa, who receives a birthday kiss from Gerry to ring in her 70th. Theresa admits in her confessional she would feel slighted if she didn’t receive the first impression rose after their conversation together. In the suavest rejection ever (or really good editing), Gerry enters the room Theresa is in. But he’s not there to offer the rose to her, he’s there to retrieve it and give it to someone else.

That lucky lady is Faith. Based on what’s been shown so far in the first episode, she’s the best candidate for the first impression rose. Gerry’s reasoning is also sound: It wasn’t her motorcycle entrance or her impressive song performance that catapulted her to the top of the list, but the intangibles. She made him feel special. They kiss in the dark, but not before the other women catch wind of their makeout session. Up until this point, there’s been no cattiness or drama between the later-in-life bachelorettes, but the tide is starting to shift, especially when the first rose ceremony comes around early the next morning. The majority of the women who had camera time are handed roses, leaving six women — including Patty, the mother of former Bachelor Matt James — to say goodbye as quickly as they arrived.

For Gerry, his road to a second chance at love is only just beginning, and it appears he’s going to have the highest highs (lots of extravagant dates) and the lowest lows (lots of tears) from the glimpse ahead for the rest of the season. Scenes of Gerry tearfully proclaiming that this is the second worst day of his life (only to his wife’s death) to him walking off mid-interview after declaring, “I’m done,” prove it’s going to be a wild ride. Hopefully by the end of it, he’ll get the happy ending he’s looking for.

The Golden Bachelor airs Thursdays at 8:00 PM ET on ABC. Join the discussion about the show in our forums.

Philiana Ng is a Los Angeles-based writer covering TV, celebrity, culture and more. Her work has appeared in The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, Entertainment Tonight, TV Guide, Yahoo Entertainment, and The Daily Beast, among others.