Bachelor Happy HourToday on “Happy Hour,” we’re recapping last night’s episode of “The Golden Bachelorette”! With Hometowns next week, this episode went down to the wire and we’re getting into all of it. We kick off with Joe and Serena’s favorite moments from the episode. Next, we discuss the dates this week, including Joan’s decision to not give out date roses. And, of course, Joe and Serena tell us who will be joining us on “Happy Hour” later this week. Tune in to hear all this and more, and be sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode.
Hey, everyone, Welcome back to Betcher Happy Hour. I'm Joe and I'm Serena, and we are back to recap episode five and then later on we have a very special guest coming on. His name, you guys all know him is Gary. He lit up the screen when he was there. He was always in a good mood. But he's an emotionhow guy. So maybe we'll get him to cry.
Maybe you never know. You never know on this podcast, it can go a billion different ways. But we're excited to chat with him. I feel like we saw bits and pieces of his relationship with Joan, but just to learn more about their connection and what they bonded over, and just more about Gary in his life.
Yeah, Joan. Something I'm realizing watching this show is Joan doesn't have the greatest poker face face.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I agree, and I felt that in this episode. Yeah, big time. I feel like it's with some seasons it's very hard to tell where the lead is falling with their feelings, and others it's a little bit easier, which is just you know, it's natural, like some po where their herd on the sleeve a little bit more than others. And yeah, Joan I'm starting to see where things are headed me too, but too, it'll be it'll be good to chat with Gary later. And what do you think about episode five?
I thought it was entertaining.
I thought this episode was good. Lots is happening. We're heading into hometown, so it's always kind of like a pivotable, pivotable, pivotal episode. Yes, what did you think of this episode? Any favorite moments?
Yeah, my favorite, My my favorite moment, this might have been my favorite moment on the entire season, was not Mark leaving, but just Pascal being like Mark's my best friend.
I know, really hard, and you know what, Pascal was such a hype man for him when he was going on his date too.
But I just looked at these two older men at they reminded me of just like innocent twelve year old boys.
Yeah, being like he's my best friend. I can't believe we're in different classes in sixth grade.
Yeah, collegue, some of your best friend and I still do it. We all do it, but it just is.
Yeah, we all have best friends.
It just sounds so childish.
Yeah, but in a sweet way. Yeah, I liked it too. I thought it was a sweet moment. And I thought it was relatable having been a contested on the show.
He goes he's my best friend. That was funny.
He sounded like Sonny a little bit in that moment, which is Joe's best friend's son. But yeah, I feel like it is relatable having been on the show. When the person that or one of the people that you're closest to and you're really confiding and you trust to just kind of vent to and lean on when you're having tough moments leaves, it is hard. Like when Abigail left when we were on Paradise. I was devastated. I was like, I can't do this without her, Like I need her here, I need her to come back.
What was the standout moment for you?
Standing moment for me probably the hummingbird moment with Mark. I just thought that was really impactful, especially having the background information about Kelsey being on the show and talking about her connection to her mom, So just seeing him open up and be vulnerable about that, I thought was really beautiful. I agree there's a lot of reference to symbolism and animals and comfort and that I will see throughout the most recent seasons.
I will say the yacht date was very awkward.
Yes, but let's kick it off at the top and we'll get into all of it all, right, let's do it. Okay, So week starts off, we find out that she is not going to be giving out any group date roses on the one on ones or the group date. What did you think about that?
I'm fine with that.
I'm fine with it too. It's not very common. I feel like we rarely see them say, like, I don't know if we've I can't actually remember a time where they've said we're not going to give out roses until the rose ceremony.
I don't like roses on dates?
Really? Why not?
Because I like I like it saving it all for the end.
I feel like this week, if there's a week, to not give out a rose on a date, because I feel like the roses make things a little bit juicier and it's kind of telling on where the lead is leaning, especially the group date roses. But I feel like at this point it's such a serious week going into hometowns, it makes the most sense out of any other week to be like, I'm gonna wait and give myself time to like think on this until the end of the week.
Yeah, that makes sense.
She had her chat with Trista. Trista has been like the comeback queen of the franchise. She's on every single season.
Well, they love her for Golden, but she was on Gen season two? Was she on Gen?
She came and did the follow the Yellow Brick Road date.
I know Trista has been on the past. I feel like since we've been on Bachelor Happy Hour, I think she's been on every season that we've recapped.
Yeah, she might hold a record for cameos. Yeah, but she's great. I mean, we love to see her. So they have a chat and Trista kind of explains I feel like my biggest regret was not being open enough. And obviously she met her husband on the show, and she said she wished she'd been more vulnerable and open with her feelings about him, and I feel like that's because.
He was with her. But I disagree. I don't. I don't believe. I don't think that's correct.
You don't think that's good advice?
No?
Why not?
Because you know she's been married to Ryan now for so long that she forget I feel like she probably forgets that she did have feelings for other people in at the time and you don't. I feel like the lead doesn't always know which way to go, and if you are if you do tell someone you love them, like in Clayton eckert situation where he told multiple people that he loved them, there ends up being there's always there's always an issue with that, and then your your person potentially watches it back. So I almost think you're better off keeping those feelings close to your chest, and then afterwards, when you do choose that person, you could be more vulnerable.
Yeah, it's such a fine line, and I think every lead would likely have a different take on it based on their experience. Like if you ask Ben Higgins who told multiple people, Clayton ecker who told multiple people, versus some of the people that might have been more conservative with their feelings. I think they're all gonna have different answers.
But I don't be too conservative like Zach who just went out there and was like, I'm not having sex with anymore.
Well, he wasn't conservative at the end of the day. He threw that out the window. But I do agree with you. I think opening up about your feelings too much is a very risky move that doesn't always pay off and being a little bit more closed off is maybe the safer play, but you're less likely to hurt someone's feelings if you change your mind or something happens where you said it to people in that person that you end up with has a problem with that anyway. First group date or sorry, first date is a one on one and it's with Keith, who got the first impression Rose night one from Joan and last week they had a chat at I think it was the cocktail party before the Rose ceremony, and it was quite awkward.
Their relationship has really been on the decline since first and Pressure rows. We see that every so often that the person that gets the first im pressure rolls like if they I feel like the truth is if the person that gets the first impressure Rose isn't top two, like we usually see that relationship like fizzle pretty hard, like it there becomes like all of a sudden, there's just like zero connection.
Well, and I think that there's been this kind of awkwardness between Keith and Joe in the last few weeks where it just feels like the relationship isn't moving in a romantic direction and Keith seems to be freaking out because of that awkwardness, because he wants it to go in that direction. But I feel like what's happened is he wants it to move to be more serious, more romantic, and I just think Jones not feeling it, and I think he's like, why isn't this working? And it's making him feel uncomfortable and anxious. But at the end of the day, I think that's coming from a place of him, like deep down feeling like his emotions are not being reciprocated. I don't think they're being reciprocated. Like I don't think she feels that romantic connection with him. I think it's turned into way more of a friendship on her end at least. Yeah, like there was I was getting like no spark from her on this date. Yeah, I agree, But I mean I thought it was pretty like going to a winery and sitting and drinking wine. Yeah, I liked the activity for ye.
I feel like, yeah, it's hard because that's why, in my opinion, like Paradisis Is, it's a better show because there's just you just have there's just more options, where like it's hard for somebody like Keith who now he's questioning himself.
Yeah, when yeah, he's getting in his.
Head, Yeah, when the answer is kind of just simple, like she's just not really that into you, that she's really into a few other guys. And now you're you're questioning, like, is there something wrong with me? Is this and that? But like, you know, if if the situation situation was a paradise situation, you two may not even have ever.
You never gotten this far.
Yeah, exactly.
And I just think that she gave him that first impression rose because he did make a great first impression. He came out very strong, very confident. They had a lot of fun together, a lot in common, and I think it made for a great base for a friendship for them to get along, and I think his romantic feelings grew and hers just didn't. Unfortunately, in the midst of this one on one, we see a scene with Mark. Yeah, back at the house. He's kind of walking around a side we see clips of a hummingbird, and it cuts to him talking to the men inside, kind of opening up to them about what that means about how his late wife, Denise, he feels connected to her through this symbol of a hummingbird.
Yeah, And when we did interview Mark, He's mentioned like, you know, I lost my wife that was out of my control. We didn't get a divorce, and yeah, I think just the process of dealing with that is just so tough, and we see that.
And just if you guys watched Joey's season, Mark's daughter Kelsey was on it and she talked about the passing of her mom and she feels connected to her mom through the symbol of butterflies. So to see that kind of mirrored and Mark's experience with the hummingbird, I don't know, it was like really sad, and just seeing the depth of his grief for his late wife was obviously heartbreaking because he's in this proble of trying to move on while also missing the person that he committed spending his life with. But simultaneously, there was like beauty and hope in it because the symbol reflected him feeling like reassured that he was here for a reason, he was doing the right thing, and that there is still hope for him to find love again and kind of feeling reassured that that's what his wife would have wanted.
Yeah, and watching it, I think everyone was hoping that Mark was the guy to receive the next one on one, which he ends up being the next guy to receive the one on one because she announces the group date and he's not on it, and it's a bowling group date.
It's a bullying group date. What did you think of the group date?
I mean, okay, so whatever group dates find fun, they bowl?
Yeah, yeah, Secalcal does one with the bullying shit.
Yeah, but he does great. He bowls a strike or close to a strike. But I think the big thing, and this is kind of the first time all season, and we see this so much in the regular seasons. You know, you see Chok kind of just like all over Joan, his arm around her. She's like snuggled up in his embrace.
Yeah. They did a wide shot of it, and you could see the guy sitting like scattered amongst the bench and then they're all like five feet away from each other, and then Joan and Chalk are just like in the corner like cuddling.
Yeah. And like I've always I'm always someone that kind of I'm like, yeah, like, hey, listen, it's fair game, like you do do your thing, really, but I do think when when you are in a room with all the other guys. I think there's kind of like a time and place and if you are going to do that, that's fine, but like let's make it.
Quick and let's make a sneaky.
Yeah, yeah, ye a little more.
You had a bowling date when I was on The Bachelor, and if one of the girls had gone up and just like we're all in a group hanging out and just sat on the Bachelor's lap, I'd be like, grill a friend, You've got to be kidding me, Like pull them off to the side and make out in a dark corner, like I don't care, but you're you're kind of airing it out for all of us to see.
And it's also I mean, it's also a little on Joan. It's a little on the lead because she also kind of needs to be aware that there are other guys and.
Like, you know, I know, but the lead is always in a tough position there of like not wanting to make anyone feel rejected. And I also think that her and Chalcolate really like each other.
Well yeah, like.
He's definitely up there. I also on top of that, though, like we haven't seen a lot of aggressive is a strong word, but like the guys aren't really like pursuing Joan in a strong way.
No, They're more passive.
They're more passive, at least from what we've seen. So if I'm her, I'm like thank you, Like you know, I want to feel pursued. I want to feel like you guys want me like you're coming after me a little bit. Yeah, I think that there's a bit of a chase happening here.
I also think that it comes with like I don't know how many of them were actively dating before the show, but I would say it's they're not as active as your your twenty year olds, So I think it's probably I think it's.
Really like they're not at a bar, like going for a girl who's got like two other guys kind of trying to talk to me.
Yeah, So I just I just think it's a little Yeah, it's probably.
Unfamiliar territory one percent. Yeah, But I thought the bowling was fun. I thought it was fun, honestly to have just like a little bit of tension on the date because I feel like everything's gone so smoothly this whole season, and yeah, I've been very like lovely and sweet to just have the guys kind of be a little bit. Ten. I don't know, is that bad to say? No?
I agree hundred percent. Like right now, I'm just like, it's it's very much like Joan. Joan's favorite is Chalk.
At least from this date, And to me, the.
Only one right now that I'm kind of getting like can't give chalk or run for his money is probably Jordan.
I feel the same way. Yeah.
And then other than that, it's yet it's I mean, we and we see who ends up going to hometowns because this is the episode. Yeah, yeah, which I like. Before this episode so before we're gonna we'll get into Mark's yacht date. But before Mark's yacht date, I would have never, never have guessed that Pascal was going to be in their over Mark.
I would agree with you on that. Yeah, because we haven't seen a lot more Jonathan. I thought Jonathan or my Mark, we're going to be that fourth spot.
Yeah.
I think we just haven't seen a lot of Pascal and Jones' relationships since their second week one on one date. And yeah, I just think especially on this group date, we saw Joan and Jonathan have kind of a morning meaningful, in depth conversation. He's showing her, like photos of him and his family and cards and all these things just felt like there might be a little bit more like depth to that relationship and Mar's relationship than hers with Pascal. But it also just might be like Pascal's such personality and like we see a lot of the like fun, silly moments, but maybe they've had more deep moments as well.
Yeah. Yeah, So we cut to March yacht date one on one date.
Yeah, which I don't know why this is. I feel like the yacht dates always get such crap weather, like it's full fog and overcast.
La is like la is sunny three hundred days out of the year, And.
It's like every time they do a yacht date, it's like the helicopter dates, it's like blue sky and then they throw them on a boat and it's like, yeah, it's bumpy and cold.
Yeah, And that's kind of how this date really kicks off, is bumpy and cold. Like they're kind of both just yeah emotionally too, Yeah, they're both kind of just kind of pretty quiet. And I think this is the first time that I've now seen Joan and Mark together where I was like, oh, they actually don't really seem to have a strong connection.
Yeah, and I mean like silence doesn't always mean awkward silence, Like they could have just been sitting there enjoying their time together, but at the same time, like this is your first one on wine, like there should be a little excitement, a little adrenaline, and the convo just didn't seem to be flowing. I would say neither of them are really yappers either, Like Mark is a little more soft, a little more reserved. Definitely great conversationalists, but it doesn't seem like either of them's like propelling the conversation, if that makes sense.
Well, it didn't in that moment.
Definitely not in that moment. So I think that the game, like the Scavenger Hunt game, was absolutely necessary, Like they needed an activity, which is not uncommon, like a lot of people on first dates want to do an activity because sometimes sitting and just having a conversation for three hours with someone you don't know that well is a little difficult.
Yeah, and it's even more difficult when there's cameras in your face.
And who knows, maybe, like the boat was loud, I don't know.
Yeah, yeah, it just it just wasn't It was just overall like overall this date, I don't know, there's not much to say. It was just kind of like, yeah, like I feel like we now know Mark is not the guy.
Yeah. I think what their relationship on the date reminded me a lot of was from last season on the Golden Bauchler Gary and Susan's relationship. They clearly had such a strong connection on a like a friendship bond, and they really enjoyed each other, but maybe they weren't the right fit for each other. As it's not even that there was no chemistry, it's just like I just don't think there are necessarily a fit for each other as partners.
Yeah, I mean we see after their date the next following day, calls Mark to the side to like speak with him and and her Her side of the story is she essentially said like, I think you've grown a lot, but I don't really think that you are ready. Yes, you're ready like when I was ready, and therefore we are no longer on the same pace.
Yeah. I she said I need someone as far along in their journey as I am, which made to me the way I took it was that she was saying, I'm ready to find my partner. I don't know if you're where I am in your dating journey.
Seeah, okay, okay, so let's stop there.
That is what she said, but I feel like I'm misreading that, But that is what she said, and she said, like I wrote the standard said, I didn't see us in our conversations, and it does seem like he talks about his wife and she talks about her husband. And that's majority of their conversations is talking about the bond that they have over the loss of their spouses versus like what their lives would be like together as a unit.
Yeah, that is definitely what But I feel like that's yeah, and I think that's that was her conversation with majority of the guys and I, I don't know. I don't know yet. It's I don't because I want to be like, but I feel like Mark's ready. I'm watching it and Mark's not giving me that like I'm not ready for a serious relationship.
No, he's not really giving that to me either. I think that it might have felt that way though, because their main topic of conversation was their spouses. Yeah, but I don't necessarily know if that's because Mark isn't ready which maybe he's not, like we could ask him if we hopefully get to chat with him again, or maybe it's just that they didn't really have much in common and that was kind of the thing that they think fell on it. Really I think so too. Like I think that was the thing they had in common, and he is very eloquent in speaking about his experience with that and with his grief, and I think he was almost like a support system for her in this journey, guiding her through that. And I think it stalled the progression of their relationship because that was just like the main topic of conversation that they were having. Yeah, it also might just be something that he's comfortable talking about and she's comfortable talking about, and they didn't really leave that comfort zone together.
So then the question is why did she But my question to you right now is why did she pull Mark to the side and give him special treatment? Why do I not just not give Mark a rose? I just think she liked him more than the other two, Do you think so? Huh?
I think that also they had a special one on one day the day before. I think that of the three guys he sent home, she had the strongest connection with him, Like, I.
Think, do you think if Joan had a rose on that.
Date she would have given it to him?
She would have felt the pressure and just gave him the rose, or because we're going in the hometowns.
No, No, And I think that she knew she was probably having one on ones with Keith and Mark and probably was going into them not sure if she was going to be bringing them to hometowns, and that influenced the decision to not be giving out any roses. Yeah, yeah, because she might have just been like, I don't know, and I might leave the date any more time to think about it before the rose ceremony. Yeah, well, Mark, I mean I think Keith would not have gotten a rose because Keith didn't even get a walk out.
No Keith getting off it.
But I think if but I think that by Keith, sorry sorry, by sorry buddy. But I think that at the end of the oft date, I could have seen Joan being like, I can't give this out. I'm not sure. I have to think on things more. Yeah. I mean their conversation was really heartfelt. They're both very genuine in it. The lighting is so good, it's like Golden Hour. They're outside, I mean like the chocolate and like the most gorgeous way.
Now you were excited, you were very excited about the boy.
Oh my god, lighting was so I really enjoyed that. I really enjoyed it.
So, yeah, Mark, Mark goes home. It's it's a sad departure. All the guys we see. Pascal's like my best friends going home. I know, but Mark was. I feel like Mark was that guy. And I guess this is why it probably makes sense that Joan made a special moment for Mark. It was like you could see like Mark was basically everybody's favorite person in the house, which is which is difficult because he kind of went in there where most guys I think would be a little jealous or envious of the situation that Mark was in. Yeah, and he was clearly Yeah, he was the most likable guy in the house.
I agree. And I also think that it doesn't seem that he has dated extensively, if really at all, since the passing of his wife. And I think it was definitely considerate of her to not be like, let me meet your family, let me be one of the first, if only people you've brought home to your kids and your siblings and all these people after your wife passed. If I know that, I'm not going to end up with you.
Okay, So I do have a quick, a little question. Okay, do we think that because Mark has a history with the show, meaning his history is Kelsey who is now engaged to Joey who was the last Bachelor, do we think that played any part in Joan making a special moment for Mark.
Like, do you we think that she was more sensitive towards sending him home because he has his and his future son a lot within the franchise.
Yeah, not only that, Joan in a way knows a little more about his daughter, Like she Joan has watched Kelly, She's met her, she's watched her experience. So maybe because she has that personal connection to Kelsey.
She was right. It's kind of like if you're a boss in an office and you have to fire three people and two of them are just like employees, and one of them is like.
Your friend or your friend's child or your friends child.
You're gonna handle that one maybe a little bit differently. I see what you're saying, and maybe that played a small role, but I don't think it played a big role, because I do think that he was so vulnerable. I do think that they had a connection. I do think she really liked him. I just think there was a little bit extra. I think she just felt like there was a little extra sensitivity needed in the breakup, especially because they had literally just had their one on one date the day before, so it's always gonna sting. No, Keith was like three days. You know, it's like a year in bachelor World.
I think I played a bigger part than than you think.
Maybe we could ask her.
I mean, we agree to disagreem.
We agree to disagree, and we'll maybe never know the truth. Yeah, but I mean it's an interesting thing to think about, and it's definitely possible, even if it was like subconscious on her part.
So we got we have hometowns coming up.
Oh you know what Mark said? That was really sweet when he left, though, he did say I'm leaving here a better human being, a better man, and a better father, and I thought that was really a nice thing to say.
Yeah, and I believe him. And we we have hometowns next week. So Keith and Jonathan ended up not getting a row yeah.
Which Jonathan I was like, he Keith, I was pretty sure wasn't gonna work out. As much as I really like him, I just didn't see them together. Jonathan, I thought might sneak in there over Pascal or Guy.
Yeah, I mean, I don't know. After interviewing John then I don't think that.
Just you don't see him with Joan.
Yeah, and just the way he talked about his whole experience on the show.
I wonder if people. I wonder if Joan thinks about like the ages of the kids and like the jobs, like if if she's looking at people. I mean, it sounds unromantic, but.
It's a practical thing to think about.
Yeah, it's like, Okay, if you know, one person is if she's retired and the other person's retired and they have grown kids, and that gives them more flexibility and their lifestyles can match up, versus if it's someone that's like maybe a little bit younger and working still and they have young kids, where it's like there's still a lot of parenting and involvement happening. Like, I wonder if that's something that she thought about throughout this process. Yeah, I think you kind of have to a little bit because it is going to drastically impact your lifestyle, and she does say she doesn't want to move. So someone somewhere with young kids, they're probably not picking up they're you know, fourteen year old and dragging him to where Joone lives.
Love love is great.
Right, totally, We love love love. We're a dating show recap podcast.
Love love is love is a wontherful thing, and I think love on this show is the main driver comes first when you're choosing the person that you want to end up with. But you do have to consider everything if you're gonna if you're serious about making the relationship work after the show, Yeah, you have to put everything into consideration. Where they live, how old they are, how many kids.
They have, are they moving?
You know, all that shit's gonna matter when you get off of.
The trum retirement, how much you know there's spending habits are like everything.
Yeah, because you're not you can't. You're not going to be able to live in bachelor Land forever.
And I also think when we look at Bacher or Bacher at Bachelor in Paradise and we're dealing, you know, with early twenty to mid thirty year olds, it's a little bit easier to like I would all away for love, whereas when you're sixty five seventy, I mean, depends on the person. But from what we've seen the past two seasons, there's much less of that than there is in the season of like, well, we got to figure out where to live, but we'll figure it out. You know, I'm willing to move, he's willing to move. We're both going to take a year off work, and then you know, there's just a little more flexibility, especially when kids aren't involved. I think kids really change everything.
Yeah, so we have we have our final four, our final four men.
Yep, we have Jordan Chalk those are my two. Those I think they're going to be top two.
Me too.
And then we have Guy Guy, and we have Pascal Pascal.
I love that Pascal slo.
I can't wait for his hometown. I'm so excited me to it's in Chicago. Oh yeah, they're gonna have two of the towns in Chicago because it too.
Yeah, what's what's what are our final fours looking like? How do you have left? I have two in there?
Okay, so your predictions were Guy, who's in the final four, Jonathan fortunately just missed out, Jordan and then Dan and then mine. I had, uh Chalk still there, Yeah, the chocks.
Honestly, Chalk's the heavy hitter right now, he's the favorite.
Yeah, I think Jordan could really sneak up from behind, not behind, he's not far behind. If anything, they're close.
Sequel, you you have the doesn't matter if I have two losers, you have the you have the favorite.
You don't know that though you're basically up one cuddle session, not a bowling alley. Well, I have Chalk, I have Charles k who is left earlier on Mark who's now unfortunately gone, and Keith who'sunfortunately go. So I have one and you have two.
Two. I have two horses in the race and you have one.
And unfortunately it only takes one to win.
Though it only takes one to win. It's a Kentucky Derby, and I think you might have the winner.
All right, Well, we will have to see next week. We have hometowns, so be sure to tune into that, and then we will have our recap and a special guest interview as well.
Yep, and make sure you check out our episode with Gary coming up. You won't want to miss it. Thank you for tuning in and listening to Bachelor Happy y'all, all.
Be sure to listen and subscribe. We have new episodes every single week, with recaps and exclusive interviews coming your way. Thanks for listening, Bye bye,
