9 Things The Golden Bachelorette Should Learn From The Golden Bachelor

The first love story from The Golden Bachelor ended in divorce, with Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist announcing they’d be going their separate ways in April — just three months after saying “I do” at their televised wedding.

It wasn’t a matter of falling out of love, Gerry said on Good Morning America. Rather, it proved too difficult to mesh lives, especially with his and Theresa’s families being based in different states. “I still love this person,” Gerry said. “There’s no doubt in my mind, I still am in love with her. I root for her every day.”

The announcement left Bachelor Nation heartbroken and curious about whether the upcoming season of The Golden Bachelorette would fare better. Fortunately, there are a few changes that could make the next Bachelor Nation spinoff more successful.

Cast By Location

Location is always a potential obstacle on reality dating shows, but it’s even trickier on The Golden Bachelor and The Golden Bachelorette. These shows revolve around people who have cultivated full, complex lives over the course of 60, 70, or more years. Children and grandchildren are often part of the picture, but even when they’re not, it’s asking a lot of someone to leave a community they love.

Fortunately, this Golden Bachelor problem isn’t too hard to fix, but it would require retooling the show so that the next lead has a pool of contestants who live in her same general area. Many fans suggested region-based casting à la Love Is Blind in order to give couples a better chance at long-term success. There are no guarantees, of course, but at least contestants would be able to make realistic decisions about their future without factoring in a life-changing move.

Get Families More Involved

Casting suitors from the same general area might make Hometowns look a little different. But why should Golden contestants wait until Hometowns to meet their prospective love interest’s family, anyway? Several contestants on Gerry’s season made sudden exits to support their families, and his final few women made it clear that children and grandchildren were major parts of their lives. It would make sense to involve loved ones at multiple stages of the process so they can get to know each other — and their worlds — better.

Take A Different Approach To Dates

Retro diner flash mobs and yacht hot tubs are amazing dates, but they’re not great predictors of what a real-world relationship might look like. (This isn’t a problem exclusive to the Golden branch of Bachelor Nation.) Marriage at this stage is a unique commitment, and it’s important for couples to get real about things like loss, estate planning, and the financial implications of the life you want together. It’s wild that Theresa’s career only came up during Fantasy Suites of Gerry’s season!

While The Golden Bachelorette should keep the fun dates, it should also leave more time and space for discussing logistics that get lost in the whirlwind of rose ceremonies and mansion drama. Maybe there could be a group date where the next lead’s contestants present their five-year financial plan. Romantic? Not so much. But important? Extremely.

No More Bunk Beds

The Golden Bachelor women got real about the practical implications of bunk beds, bladders, and knee replacements — in short, the Bachelor Mansion sleeping arrangement wasn’t the most comfortable. For The Golden Bachelorette, it’s time to supply this season’s suitors with a restorative environment where they can truly thrive.

Chairs, Please!

As Natascha Hardee famously put it on Gerry’s season, “You have people in here 60, 70, and above. Do the rose ceremony in the chairs.” Like proper beds, this simple furniture change could make The Golden Bachelorette a better experience for all.

A Thorough Casting Process

Gerry was open about the background checks, STD tests, and psychological evaluation he had to undergo before being cast on The Golden Bachelor. However, he also acknowledged a series of “dating failures” following a Hollywood Reporter article that made controversial claims about his relationship history.

Thorough research into contestants’ relationship histories could help the show avoid unwanted surprises. In the case of the Golden Bachelor divorce, Theresa said Gerry’s dating history had nothing to do with their split — but still, having more insight would empower the contestants to make informed choices about their future.

Enlist The Help Of Real-Life “Golden” Couples

The Golden Bachelor welcomed former leads like Kaitlyn Bristowe and Trista Sutter to join in some of its activities. While it was fun to see their familiar faces, it could be even more impactful to feature real-life examples of other couples their age! After all, in a series of Bachelor Nation questionnaires, several of Gerry’s contestants pointed to pairings like Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell or Denzel and Pauletta Washington as “relationship goals.”

Sure, The Golden Bachelorette might not be able to book an A-list celebrity couple for a group date. But it could certainly strive to find ways to celebrate the show’s unique era of romance.

Don’t Rush It

Between the rapid pace of filming and The Golden Wedding in January, Gerry and Theresa’s love story moved quickly. Theresa even told Bustle that they originally eyed a wedding date “six to nine months” into the future, but didn’t want to pass up ABC’s offer to host their nuptials.

That isn’t to say Gerry and Theresa would still be together if they waited, but a slower filming timeline and nixing the televised wedding could help potential pairings process their connection in a more organic way.

More Contestant Interactions, Please

At the end of the day, only one person can “win” The Golden Bachelor, but as Gerry’s season proved, some of the best things to come out of the experience are the friendships and hilarious behind-the-scenes memories. Instead of relegating water aerobics and meatball drama to brief blooper-y scenes, The Golden Bachelorette could lean into friendships and give viewers a chance to get to know the cast even better.