Former Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner shockingly pulled up in a limousine and surprised Joan Vassos on Wednesday's episode of The Golden Bachelorette on ABC.
Host Jesse Palmer interrupted Joan, 61, a private school administrator and widow from Rockville, Maryland, who had previously been a contestant on The Golden Bachelor competing for Gerry's affection when she quit in week 3 due to a family emergency, and told her there was someone who just arrived for her.
Joan and Gerry, 72, now divorced from Theresa Nist, had a strong connection and they had both been upset when she suddenly left his show. Joan ran and hugged Gerry when he got out of the car. He asked her how it was going.
'Now I'm a little more scared,' Joan said.
'Take a breath and be yourself,' Gerry said. 'Have you considered the possibility that your guy is not here?'
Former Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner shockingly pulled up in a limousine and surprised Joan Vassos on Wednesday's episode of The Golden Bachelorette on ABC
'I have a couple strong connections,' Joan said. 'But I mean there is that possibility because merging lives is hard and it's about how to honor each other's lives and not ask somebody to give up too much of what's important to them.'
'You know I'm rooting for you here,' Gerry said. 'I will always have a bit of a special connection to you.'
Joan said it was great to see Gerry who she felt was her friend.
When the show opened, Jesse Palmer delivered the first date card and it was for Pascal Ibgui, 69, a salon owner from Chicago, and read 'let's see if we are lucky in love.'
'I'm touched,' Pascal said.
Joan picked Pascal up in a convertible red Porsche.
'Wow!' Pascal said when he saw the car.
Pascal said he was a very bad passenger and wanted to let her drive.
'I have a couple strong connections,' Joan said. 'But I mean there is that possibility because merging lives is hard and it's about how to honor each other's lives and not ask somebody to give up too much of what's important to them'
'You know I'm rooting for you here,' Gerry said. 'I will always have a bit of a special connection to you''
Joan said it was great to see Gerry who she felt was her friend
Pascal Ibgui, 69, a salon owner from Chicago, went on a date with Joan who picked him up in a red sports car for a trip to Las Vegas
'I'm driving,' Joan said.
Joan drove him to a private jet.
'We are going to Las Vegas!' Joan told him.
They got picked up by a limo and drank champagne on their way to the Paris hotel. They walked into a suite where there were racks of clothings for them.
'I feel like I'm the Pretty Woman and I'm Julia Roberts,' Pascal said.
Wayne Newton knocked on their door and then put on a little show for them while Pascal and Joan danced.
They pulled up in style to a private jet
Pascal and Joan kissed while flying to Las Vegas together
Joan and Pascal quickly had fun together in Las Vegas
Wayne Newton knocked on their door and then put on a little show for them while Pascal and Joan danced
'I feel like it's a dream,' Pascal said.
At the evening dinner, Joan and Pascal shared their feelings and their backgrounds. He told her it has always been hard for him to be vulnerable and that he had a very tough childhood. He said his parents never told him that he loved him. He said when he came to the US he didn't even speak English but was determined to become successful.
'I love that you stopped the cycle that your parents started,' Joan said.
Pascal said he had no doubt that he had a connection with Joan. Joan and Pascal went on the Eye above Las Vegas and Joan gave him the date rose.
'I'm feeling on top of the world,' Joan said. 'I'm seeing a future with Pascal.'
Back at the house, Charles Long, 66, a retired financial analyst from Philadelphia, was still pondering the sudden death of his wife that happened six years ago by a brain aneurysm. He asked Guy Gansert, 66, an ER doctor from Reno, why there had been some blood on his wife's mouth.
'When she fell to the ground, she probably bit her tongue,' Guy said. 'If I can give you any suggestion, you need to stop dwelling on the 'why, why, why?'
Back at the house, Charles Long, 66, a retired financial analyst from Philadelphia, was still pondering the sudden death of his wife that happened six years ago by a brain aneurysm
He asked Guy Gansert, 66, an ER doctor from Reno, why there had been some blood on his wife's mouth
'When she fell to the ground, she probably bit her tongue,' Guy said. 'If I can give you any suggestion, you need to stop dwelling on the 'why, why, why?'
The group date card came and it was for Guy, Charles L, Charles 'Chock' Chapple, 60, an insurance executive from Wichita, Kansas; Gil Ramirez, 60, an educator from Mission Viejo, California; , Dan Roemer, 64, a private investor from Naples, Florida; Charles 'CK' King, 62, a portfolio manager, from Rancho Palos Verdes, California; Gary Levingston, 65, a retired finance executive from Palm Desert, California; Gregg Lassen, 64, a retired university vice president from Longboat Key, Florida; Kim Buike, 69, a retired Navy captain from Seattle; Jordan, 61, a sales manager from Chicago; Mark Anderson, 57, an Army veteran from Leesville, Louisiana, and Keith Gordon, 62, from San Jose, California and read 'Let's play the field together.'
Jonathan Tone, 61, a sales manager from Riverwoods, Illinois, was excited but also nervous that he would go on the one-on-one. He started crying and said actually wanted to go on the group date and was worried about being sent home.
Joan had two professional football players - Eric Dickerson and Andre Reed - join the men on the field for the group date. They told them that they would be playing kick ball and that winners of the game would be heading to the after party with Joan.
'Nobody wants to lose,' Gary said.
Mark scored for the red team, but so many people got minor injuries at the game. Gil scored for the blue team.
'Gil's impressive,' Joan said.
The blue team won and Joan met them wearing a blue dress for a cocktail party.
Joan got a call from her 92-year-old mother Mary who she learned had been sick. Joan said she was doing her best to try to juggle everything. At the end of the date, Joan gave the group date rose to Gil who she said really touched her talking about his daughter.
'I don't want someone to get old with, I want someone to stay young with and it could be Joan,' Gil said in a confessional. 'She sees me.Tops off a perfect day.'
Jonathan got ready for his one-on-one date with Joan. He worried about being 'totally exposed' and not getting the rose. Jonathan and Joan went horseback riding and rode together through the fields.
Jonathan told her he had been divorced nine years and that said one Sunday morning his wife out of the blue woke him up and said she wanted a divorce.
Jonathan told her he had been divorced nine years and that said one Sunday morning his wife out of the blue woke him up and said she wanted a divorce
'I always had this feeling that I wasn't enough,' Jonathan. 'So I want to be as open as possible with you.'
'Just being here shows that you are good enough,' Joan said. 'I like you enough that I want to take you on a one-on-one date. We only have so many of those. So you've won again. I hope you never, ever feel like you are not good enough again.'
Joan then gave him the date rose and they kissed.
Later Joan told the men about what was happening with her mother.
'Being strong is exhausting and I'm tired,' Joan said. 'First thing is, I miss my family terribly. And I miss my kids and my mom is sick and she's 92. Any little illness worries the heck out of me.'
Joan also said that people kept asking her if she was 100 % ready to have love in her life.
'I keep saying yes because I think that's what I'm supposed to say,' Joan said. 'But I'm not really, to be honest with you. And I don't know if I ever really will be because John was a huge part of my life.'
'I keep saying yes because I think that's what I'm supposed to say,' Joan said. 'But I'm not really, to be honest with you. And I don't know if I ever really will be because John was a huge part of my life'
Joan said she felt appreciated and cared for by the men in the house. At the end of the night at the final rose ceremony, Joan told the men she had a connection with all of them.
'But to get to the end of this journey, I have to let people go,' Joan said. 'Because in the end, only one person can be left.'
Joan told them they made her feel safe. She then gave out roses to Guy, Dan, Gary, Jordan, Chock, Charles L., Keith and the final rose to Mark. Greg, CK and Kim didn't get roses and were sent home.
The Golden Bachelorette will return next Wednesday on ABC.
