I’m days late again in watching my favorite version of a Bachelor Nation show in this first season of The Golden Bachelorette. There’s just seven men left for Joan with hometowns coming up next week.

The week begins with Joan, the first Golden Bachelorette meeting with Trista, the first Bachelorette for some advice. Joan tells Trista that she doesn’t know how to go all in with Trista telling her that her biggest regret was not being as open as she could have been, and to not overthink things. Joan still struggles a bit with her loss of John and moving on from her marriage.

Joan decides to not give out roses during the dates this week, waiting until the end of the week to decide her four hometown dates.

The first date week of the week is with Keith, who had received the first impression rose. Their date begins with the signature helicopter ride and they land at a winery and then talk afterwards.

Meanwhile back at the mansion, Mark struggles with his loss of his wife from six years prior. He tells the other guys about a hummingbird reminding him as a sign from her, similar to his daughter Kelsey seeing a butterfly as a sign of her mom on The Bachelor. 

The group date this week is bowling with Joan. On the group date, Chock is all snuggled up with Joan and the other guys get a bit annoyed with not getting time with her. The first little bit of drama we’ve seen all season. He’s also clearly Joan’s favorite.

Mark gets the final one on one date before hometowns. They have the connection of both having lost their spouses. Their date begins with Joan driving them in a Porsche convertible to a yacht. Joan says that she needs to see Mark open up and build their connection farther, since it is a bit behind. You can tell as they sit on that boat ride that there’s a bit of a disconnect. Jesse gives them a note to do a scavenger hunt on the yacht to get them to open up and have fun a little bit. They have a good time together but Joan says as the date ends that it still feels like there’s something missing.

Prior to the cocktail party, Joan pulls Mark aside and talks to him about how comfortable and supported she felt with connecting to him about the loss of their spouses. She said she found some clarity in their connection and that the something that was missing between them is that she felt like she didn’t see them together and that the timing might have just been early for them in their journeys. Joan sends Mark home and he thanks her for the growth that he got throughout this journey. Sad to see him go.

Onto the rose ceremony with four of these last six guys heading to hometowns. The first rose goes to Pascal. The second one goes to Chock. No surprise there. Guy gets the third one. And with the final rose of the evening to go to hometowns…

“Jordan, will you accept this rose”

That sends Keith and Jonathan home. I thought that the rose was going to Keith, but I’m not totally shocked. Interesting that both guys that got the last two one on ones went home.

Hometowns next week!

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