‘The Golden Bachelor’: Gerry Turner Makes His Choice – Did He Make the Right Decision? (RECAP)

Scott Fishman November 30, 2023, 9:42 pm

[Warning: The following contains MAJOR spoilers during The Golden Bachelor Finale]

Amid weeks of speculation and sleuthing, Gerry Turner presented his rose during The Golden Bachelor finale. It was down to two Leslie Fhima, a 64-year-old fitness instructor from Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Theresa Nist, a 70-year-old financial services professional who calls Shrewsbury, New Jersey home.

During the penultimate episode, the Golden Bachelor expressed that he had made his decision after spending quality one-on-one time with the two in the Fantasy Suites in Costa Rica. From there, the “Bachelor Nation” was left over the Thanksgiving holiday waiting on who his pick.

The teaser showed the first Golden Bachelor let viewers know he wanted to propose to “the woman I love, and the woman I want to start a whole new life with.” The stage was set for an emotional finale where tears were shed and a heart-wrenching decision was made. “The only time I’ve felt worse in my whole life was when my wife passed away, and this is a close second,” Gerry said on having to choose between the two women with whom he built strong connections.

Disney/John Fleenor

The episode first took us back to Gerry as he saw the end of this journey in sight, torn between two. His daughters Jenny Young and Angie Warner and granddaughters Charlie Young and Peyton Young made the flight to Costa Rica, lending their feedback. The fam started by spending time with Theresa, who opened up about marrying her high school sweetheart Billy until he passed after suffering kidney failure.

The daughters asked her if he were to get down on one knee, “Would you say yes?” She said absolutely as she sees a lot of herself in him. The girls find it amazing how they share a similar story. They then ask Dad if they “knocked boots” in the suite. Gerry didn’t deny it! He said, “We’re not talking about that.” Gerry told Theresa if he did end up proposing to her it would be because he was a thousand percent sure.

Disney/John Fleenor

Next up was Leslie, who felt confident she would be the one chosen after all the time they spent together. Things felt a little lighter with her interaction with the kids. he mentioned how during the overnight he dropped an F-bomb, which further confirmed she didn’t have to be straight-laced. The girls liked how they made Gerry laugh and called her a breath of fresh air. They also asked about her feelings about a proposal. Leslie mentioned she was admittedly scared about the idea given her past relationship history, but that Gerry made her feel safe and secure. That eased things a bit for her. The girls liked the free-spiritedness but saw some potential flags by how emotional she got to the question. Leslie felt something was off after their interaction.

Leslie confronted Gerry during their final date about her intuition. Gerry confessed the weight of the decision was getting to him. They share a hug and cheers to a fresh start coming from their “first down dip” as a couple. Leslie gives him a gift, a book of memories chronicling their time together, leaving a few pages blank to add more. Nice move Leslie! They share one last kiss. Leslie breaks down in tears in Gerry’s arms. “Be happy,” Gerry said staring into her eyes. He then said it was time for him to go. Was the writing on the wall at that moment?

Not liking how things ended, Gerry returned to tell Leslie that it had been difficult but he made a decision. He tells her he has fallen in love with Theresa. That’s the direction he is going to take. Leslie did not take it well, feeling she was lied to.

Ultimately, he proposed to Theresa, delivering an iconic line, “You’re not the person I can live with. You’re the person I can’t live without.” Getting down on one knee, he asked for her hand and also presented her with the final rose to much excitement.

Did Gerry choose the right woman? Let us know in the comments if you agree with his pick.