Stream It Or Skip It: ‘The Golden Bachelorette’ On ABC, Where Joan Vassos Has 24 Chances To Find Love Again

After The Golden Bachelor was a ratings success with lots of pop culture buzz, you knew that there would be a Golden Bachelorette. And while the choice for this season, Joan Vassos, might have been an initial surprise, the first episode reveals that she may be one of the best bachelorettes this series has ever had. Read below to find out why.

THE GOLDEN BACHELORETTE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: “Malibu, California.” We see a gown hanging off a mirror, then a woman’s hands laying out the bracelets she’s going to wear.

The Gist: That woman is Joan Vassos, the first Golden Bachelorette. As we all know, Vassos was a contestant on last year’s Golden Bachelor, but had to leave the mansion early when her daughter was suffering from post-partum depression and needed her mother’s support. That story must have struck a nerve with the show’s producers, who brought her back to pick from 24 suitors with the hopes that she’ll find love with one of them.

The bachelors are all under 70, which makes sense given that Vassos is 61. We hear her story, which includes her husband’s 2021 death from pancreatic cancer, then she arrives at the mansion, telling host Jesse Palmer, “I feel like Cinderella right now.”

Then we see the limos pull up and the 24 men get out and introduce themselves. A few, like Jordan, seem to be a bit tongue-tied, but others, like Pascal, are confident. Some use props: Chock arrives with a jar of his homemade chicken soup, Keith rolls in driving a fully-loaded Pinto station wagon, and David rides in on a horse that bolts as soon as he dismounts. Jack comes in wearing a pink jacket and crooning “My Way.” Finally, Joan meets the youngest contestant, who just happens to be related to a member of Bachelor Nation.

After the introductions, Joan has individual talks with most of the contestants, gives her “First Impression” rose, then gives roses to 18 more, with five others being eliminated.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? The entirety of Bachelor Nation, including The Golden Bachelor.

Our Take: Unlike some of the jockeying we saw from the first moments of The Golden Bachelor, the bachelor hopefuls looking to win Joan’s heart in The Golden Bachelorette seemed somewhat subdued, and damn near collegial with each other. It could be that, while they all think they have what it takes to catch Joan’s eye, they know the chances aren’t in their favor, and they’re just happy that they’re even getting the chance to find someone again. Or it could be that the producers found a group of guys who aren’t douchebags.

It’s just strange to not see the bachelors peacocking in one way or another. They all seem like decent guys who sincerely want to love again. As the competition gets tighter, we may se some pettiness come out. But for now, it’s actually quite refreshing to see these guys directing their energies towards getting Joan’s attention rather than trying to undermine each other.

Joan might be the Platonic ideal of a bachelorette. She’s down-to-earth, warm, and seems to listen to everyone she has face-to-face conversations with during the long first night at the mansion. She seemed to enjoy the props that the producers put in place for some of the face-to-face talks, like fake land-line phones, cornhole boards and other things. And she made every one of the guys who talked to her feel like they were heard, seen and appreciated.

One other thing happened, or didn’t happen: Joan went through the first night without kissing anyone. That’s certainly more than we could have said about Gerry Turner in The Golden Bachelor, and while that doesn’t make the first night as compelling as it could be, it also led us to give her a lot of respect for her restraint.

Sex and Skin: Nothing, surprisingly.

Parting Shot: Scenes from the upcoming season, which features a guest appearance by another Bachelor Nation veteran.

Sleeper Star: We’ll give this to Chock, simply because of his name, and to Charles L., who seems like a huge underdog, given how shy and unassuming he seems.

Most Pilot-y Line: Jack, a caterer, makes an entire meal for his one-on-one with Joan, which tells you just how much downtime the contestants have on that first night.

Our Call: STREAM IT. A down-to-earth bachelorette and respectful (to her and each other) contestants are going to make The Golden Bachelorette a little more dull than the usual Bachelor goings-on, but you won’t have to take a shower after watching an episode.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.