‘The Golden Bachelor’ Episode 3 Recap: ‘The Women Might Start to Get a Little Bit More Catty’

The date Joan won went swimmingly — until misfortune struck

Gerry was bowled over by Joan’s sincerity and courageous triumph over her vulnerability. Plus, they bonded over how tough it was for both of them to date a year after losing a spouse. He told her, “I’m as excited to be spending time with you as I’ve ever been with anyone, and so here’s to you, and here’s to a future.” Joan told the camera that Gerry is “somebody I could have a future with.”

But then the present intruded rudely. Joan told him she’d had a tough C-section delivery with her child, and right after their date, her daughter called with bad news: Her own pregnancy had complications, too. Joan tearfully bid Gerry, and the show, farewell — she had to put her child ahead of her budding romance. When Joan and the women and Gerry wept over her tough decision, the tears felt deep and healing, dispelling some of the bad vibes of competitiveness earlier in the show. And Joan’s and Gerry’s farewell kiss was the most emotionally poignant we’d seen on the show so far.

“I want him to be happy,” said Joan. “He’s a really, really good guy.”

Ellen made us all feel up, up and away

Retired teacher Ellen, 71, a bubbly person with an infectious grin, dialed the mood back from glum to fun when Gerry chose her for a date. “He picked me! Dang!” she exulted. “She’s a hoot!” said Gerry, accurately. He took her gorgeous-dress shopping, then for a ride on a brilliantly colored hot-air balloon. “Have you ever been kissed at 100 feet?” he asked. She had not, and was not averse to trying.

“She could be the one that I spend the rest of my life with,” Gerry told the camera.

Ellen said, “He leaned in to kiss me and I felt my knees buckle. The fire in that balloon — that’s what I felt, a spark isn’t even close. I got a rose!”

Golden Bachelor smackdown: Kathy vs. Theresa

“We are dating the same man — we are getting a little bit jealous,” mourned retired real estate agent Edith, 60. (She didn’t have to put up with this problem much longer, since she and retired purchasing manager Christina, 73, went home with no roses at the end of the episode.)

The most intense jealousy was between Kathy and Theresa — it was so conspicuous that Florida therapist April, 65, interceded. “If there is an intimate moment with somebody, the only way to handle that is with dignity and respect …keep your mouth shut!” She urged Theresa to hash it out with Kathy.

Kathy tried — and then she let Theresa have it. “I think you and Gerry have a huge connection. Here’s my problem. You have made me feel — let me finish! I feel like you’re dismissing me. Like, ‘He and I are going off into the sunset, go pack ’cause you’re going home!’ That’s how you’ve made me feel.”

“Omigod! I’m so sorry, omigod,” said Theresa.

“Don’t cry!” Kathy snapped. “When you say things like you guys have a huge connection, I think that’s the kind of stuff that sounds possessive, territorial, and get the hell out of my way. That’s not a pretty picture, Theresa!”

“I was just trying to be open and honest,” Theresa protested.

“Nope, I’m not buying that,” Kathy retorted. “What comes out of our mouth is our responsibility.”

“I feel horrible, I feel horrible,” said Theresa.

The contestants met to argue the case’s merits

Later, the other women discussed the spat. “I mean, we’re adults,” said Susan, a perky person who seems like everybody’s friend. “We are not 20-some-year-olds.”

“I feel badly now that she’s upset,” said Kathy.

“I don’t want to hear about it,” concluded Leslie. “I just turn down my hearing aids.”

In another room, radio host Faith, 61, comforted Theresa, who was sobbing harder than if she’d been denied a rose by Gerry. Faith thought Kathy was way off base: “I really don’t think there was ever any evil intent. It’s easy to misunderstand people.”

Gerry rode to the emotional rescue

Gerry walked in on tearstained Theresa. Even though he did not appear to grasp fully the dynamics of female fractiousness, he was totally sympathetic and gently tried to get her to just let it go. Theresa was deeply concerned the whole thing would cost her a rose: “I just need more time with Gerry.”

“I can’t tell you who Gerry’s going to pick,” said Kathy. “But I can assure you of one thing: She is not Mrs. Turner yet!”

The fight almost had a Round 2

Theresa really wanted to regain her friendship with Kathy. But when they tried to bond over what a kind, intuitive guy Gerry was, Kathy’s hackles rose once more. Theresa said, “He’s so nice, he came up to where I was bawling my eyes out in the bedroom — ”

“Up to your bedroom?” exclaimed Kathy. “Theresa, that’s the kind of thing you need to keep to yourself!” Later, Kathy told the camera, “I can’t figure out if she’s dumb as a rock or knows exactly what she’s doing. I don’t want to take the gloves off, I don’t want to be mean, but zip your lip!”

“I hope we can be good friends again,” said Theresa.

We’ll see. Tune in next week!