Joan kisses one fan favorite and rejects another

Joan Vassos' first week Golden Bachelorette Dates brought tears, kisses and cannonballs.

At the beginning of the September 25 episode, Joan's 18 remaining applicants moved into Bachelor Villa. Pascal didn't like the idea of ​​doing his own laundry, so he offered Gregg $100 per load to wash and iron his clothes.

“It's going to be a bit of a challenge. I'm not a cook and I haven't done laundry in over 40 years,” says 69-year-old Pascal about life in the villa. “So I offered one of them $100 to do a full load of laundry for me. I hope I stay long enough to make my money worth it. I'm really demanding.”

FIRST GROUP DATE

Gary, Bob, Jonathan, Charles L., Mark, Jordan, Guy and Keith participated in the very first Golden Bachelorette group date, but before they left, the men had to pick out outfits to wear to what Joan, 61, called “a prom.”

Taylor Dayne opened the prom with her 1987 hit “Tell It to My Heart” and each of the men showed off their skills on the dance floor. Jordan, 61, revealed to Joan that he went on a date with the pop star five years ago, and Gary, 65, said he is Tina Turner's godson and that she is “nothing like she is on stage.”

However, 66-year-old Charles L. said in an on-camera interview that he felt “isolated” at the prom because of his wife’s death.

“You have to allow yourself to be happy,” Joan told Charles L. after he told her his feelings.

Charles L. wanted to try it. “Today is the first happiest day with me since my wife died,” he said.

Joan named Jonathan – who didn't go to his own prom because the girl he asked out turned him down – prom king, which earned him a private dinner with Joan.

FIRST INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATION

Chock snagged the first solo date of the season and took Joan to Disneyland, his first visit to the Happiest Place on Earth in 30 years.

“He's a gentleman. He's nice and I know he cares about family as much as I do,” Joan told the camera about why she invited Chock on the one-on-one date, adding that she wanted to find out if the 60-year-old insurance salesman had a funny side.

R2-D2 paid a visit to Joan and Chock, and the private school principal recalled the first time she came to Disney with her family during the week of July 4, 1976.

Over dinner, Chock recalled how he met a woman in his 30s and was married to her for 12 years, during which he had two children. After that marriage ended, Chock told Joan that he “dated a little bit, but not much” before meeting his fiancée, Kathy. She had a seizure and lived for five months after being diagnosed with glioblastoma.

“I've been through a lot in my life, but no one has ever died in my arms,” ​​Chock told Joan. “It was heartbreaking. It was the only time I ever really showed vulnerability or broke down.”

Chock said that before Kathy died, she told him she wanted him to find love again after her, and Joan said her late husband, John, told her something similar.

“I hid in my closet and cried,” Joan said of how she dealt with John’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

Chock told Joan she reminded him of his late fiancée.

“That was such a compliment,” Joan said to the cameras.

At the end of dinner, Joan gave Chock a rose and the couple ended the evening watching the fireworks over the Magic Kingdom.

SECOND GROUP TYPE

The remaining men took part in the 2nd annual Golden Talent Showcase, hosted by comedian and TV personality Loni Love. Kim, 69, prepared by preparing an original song before her appearance on the show, while Jack recreated life in the villa using a sock puppet.

Christopher performed yo-yo tricks, Gregg tried his hand at stand-up comedy by calling himself the captain of Team USA, which represented untreated sleep apnea, and Pascal cut hair on stage. Michael gave a poetry reading and Dan twirled ribbons, a talent he said he chose because of his tremors.

With his ribbon twirling performance, Dan won the grand prize: a private dinner with Joan.

“It’s a huge affirmation,” said 64-year-old Dan.

At dinner, Dan told Joan that he has diabetes and talked about a health crisis he had been going through.

“Every organ in my body started failing,” Dan said.

Dan's doctor gave him six months to live, and although he made it longer, the private investigator told Joan that he had been cautious about going out on dates because he was worried that his health problems would make being around him too difficult.

“I don't see it that way,” Joan told Dan. “I think as we get older we're all likely to have health problems. Very few people get through life unscathed.”

Joan gave Dan a rose and after dinner they slow danced to the live music of an orchestra trio.

“We kissed a little bit – that’s pretty cool,” Dan told the cameras.

Joan said in an on-camera interview that she “felt comfortable in his arms.” “You don't meet people like that every day,” she added.

BARBECUE AND ROSE CEREMONY

Joan decided to have a barbecue instead of a cocktail party, so the guys grilled by the pool and took turns chatting with the reality star.

“Joan is so hot I was sweating,” Jack told the cameras.

Apparently it was so hot that while talking to Joan, 68-year-old Jack forgot how many children he has. After their conversation, Jack took a butt jump in the pool to cool off.

Joan took a tour of the villa with Pascal, danced hula hoop with Keith, the first rose recipient, and talked to Gil about the death of his wife in 2019.

“I must tell you, she loved The Bachelor “I was excited about the show from the beginning,” Gil, 60, told Joan. “She just loved the show and watched every episode with my daughter. I think she's pretty happy for me that I'm taking this journey, taking this chance, this leap of faith.”

Joan hoped her late husband John felt the same way. “You want us to be happy, don't you?” she asked Gil.

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The mother of four gave Gary a framed photo of them at the prom, which moved the retired finance manager to tears.

“Just the thought that she had when she gave this to me – I said I wouldn't cry – but it means a lot to me, it really does,” Gary said in an on-camera interview.

Kelsey Anderson's father, Mark, told Joan that he was stationed in Germany for 11 years during his time in the Army and had her guess the meaning of some German phrases. Then Mark, 57, used one of those phrases to ask Joan if he could kiss her.

“Yes, you can,” Joan replied. “You could have said it in English. I would have said yes.”

Mark told the camera he felt “amazing” after kissing Joan. “I think I'm going to wear that smile for quite a while,” he gushed.

Joan said she felt “shitty” about going to yet another rose ceremony where she would have to send some men home.

“I'm so grateful. So if you don't get a rose tonight, I'm so sorry,” Joan told the boys before she started handing out roses. “I care about you very much. I can't say that enough.”

Joan gave roses to Mark, Gary, Pascal, Jordan, Charles K., Keith, Gil, Charles L., Kim, Gregg and Guy, which meant Bob, Christopher, Michael and fan favorite Jack went home.

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The Golden Bachelorette airs Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC.