‘The Golden Bachelor’: Joan Tearfully Self-Eliminates, Kathy Wonders If Theresa Is ‘Dumb as a Rock’

Drama has officially descended on Bachelor Mansion. During Thursday’s episode of The Golden Bachelor, the first fight between the women broke out, with Kathy and Theresa on opposite sides amid the quest for Gerry Turner‘s heart.

The week started on a positive note, with a group date talent show that featured skills such as singing, whipped cream catching, dancing and teaching sex ed to middle schoolers. It was Joan’s poem that caught Gerry’s attention, though, and she was rewarded with a one-on-one date with the franchise lead.

Joan and Gerry’s meal together couldn’t have gone better, and the private school administrator walked away with a rose. The next morning, though, she received a call from her daughter, who recently had a baby, that made her decide to head home.

“My daughter just had a baby. It wasn’t a normal, everyday delivery at all. Things go wrong. Even if everything went right, you need your mom,” she told the cameras. “My family will always be first. Once you become a mom, you’re always a mom, even when your kids are older. Nothing is more important.”

After breaking the news to the ladies, and admitting that her “heart is breaking” with the decision, Joan told Gerry about her impending departure.

“For the first time I was envisioning a life with somebody else, which is just amazing. It healed my heart, honestly,” she told him. “… As much as I don’t want to leave, and I don’t want to leave our journey, I’ve got to be a parent and I’ve got to come home to my kids.”

While Gerry understood, he was admittedly “disappointed,” telling Joan, “I was thrilled we had a conversation like we did, but there’s a moral compass that we both share. And sometimes the right thing to do is the hardest.”

Gerry was left in tears as Joan was driven away, but quickly turned his attention to his one-on-one date with Ellen. After she was treated to a gown, Ellen set off with Gerry for a romantic afternoon, complete with a hot air balloon ride and a rose.

“Every minute with Ellen today was a gift,” Gerry told the cameras. “… She could be the one that I spend the rest of my life with.”

Things took a turn the following day, as Kathy became annoyed with Theresa for “boasting” about her connection with Gerry. April waded into the drama by warning the women to “keep your mouth shut” about private time with Gerry. Theresa read between the lines and realized that statement was directed at her, and went on to find out that April had been speaking on Kathy’s behalf.

Kathy had a tearful conversation with Gerry amid the drama, and admitted to him that she had “just had a lot of daggers today.” Gerry felt for her and opted to give her a rose ahead of the rose ceremony.

When Kathy came back into the mansion with her rose in hand, Theresa pulled her aside. During that conversation, Kathy accused Theresa of being “possessive and territorial” over Gerry, and Theresa apologized, saying she was just trying to be “open and honest.”

Theresa left the conversation to cry in her bedroom, which is how Gerry discovered her. He encouraged her to “let it go” if her conscience was clear, but did tell the cameras of the drama, “That’s not what I’m here for. That’s the one area that I think could be a real stumbling block for us.”

Even so, Gerry awarded Theresa a rose, also handing out flowers to Faith, Sandra, Leslie, Nancy, Susan and April. After Christine and Edith made their exit, Theresa again decided to speak with Kathy. They initially bonded over how nice Gerry was, before Theresa told her, “He came up to me and said the most wonderful thing. He came up to where I was bawling my eyes out in my bedroom.”

“He came up to your bedroom?!” Kathy questioned. “Theresa, that’s the kind of stuff that you need to keep to yourself.”

In a confessional, Kathy blasted Theresa for not thinking before speaking, stating, “I think Theresa’s a nice person. I can’t figure out if she’s dumb as a rock or knows exactly what she’s doing… Zip your lip.”

From her perspective, though, Theresa was looking for peace.

“Kathy’s a good person. I’m a good person,” she told the cameras. “We’re all good people here, so I hope we can be good friends again.” 

The Golden Bachelor airs Thursdays on ABC. Follow along Gerry Turner‘s journey for love with ET’s coverage of the show. 

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