'The Golden Bachelorette' recap: Why ‘Golden Bachelor’ lead Gerry Turner showed up on Week 3 of Joan Vassos’s season

Hey, rose buds! We’re back for Week 3 of Joan Vassos’s beautiful, fun, tear-jerking season of Golden Bachelorette. I'm still misty-eyed from that beautiful moment between Charles L. and Guy from last night, so let’s dive in.

Subscribe to get this newsletter in your inbox.

What went down this week ??

Week 3 was bittersweet: Joan scored two dreamy one-on-one dates and watched grown men injure themselves playing kickball, but she also missed her family — and her late husband, John. Here are the episode highlights.

Who got one-on-ones: First, Joan flew to Vegas on a private jet with our high-maintenance king, Pascal, to get serenaded by Wayne Newton. Then she rode horses with Jonathan in a meadow that would’ve made Monet drool. [Entertainment Weekly]

Why Gerry Turner visited: Fresh off his hasty divorce from winner Theresa Nist, the Golden Bachelor popped by to offer some (kinda predictable) advice. No offense, Gerry, but I think Joan’s all set. [People/USA Today]

Who went home: Gregg, Kim, and C.K. went home this week. None of these guys had chemistry with Joan, but with Gregg gone, who will do Pascal’s laundry for $100 a load? [Yahoo Entertainment]

Senior superlatives ??

1?? Best Dressed: Jonathan

Jon’s a certified hottie, and this week, he wore [fans self] a half-unbuttoned shirt in a retro floral print. He might’ve been anxious before the date, but this choice screamed “confidence.” [Parade]

2?? Mr. Congeniality: Charles L.

Of course Charles, an actual angel, ran to the pharmacy for melatonin, ear plugs and eye masks to help the other guys sleep. This, in itself, warrants the title Mr. Congeniality for a second week. [Yahoo Entertainment]

3?? Most Considerate: Gary

After helping Charles buy sleep aids, Gary asked Joan for her sick mother’s name so he could write and frame a prayer for her. I’m sorry — I’ve just got something in my eye… ?? [People]

4?? Class Clown: Mark

Kelsey Anderson’s dad — sorry, I mean, Mark! — showed some real personality this week by wandering the mansion in shark pj’s and taking a playful nap on first base during kickball. [TheWrap]

5?? Most Team Spirit: Guy

This ER doc was the only gent willing to sing the somewhat embarrassing “Golden Mansion Men” song that Kim composed for Joan. We could all use a guy as game as Guy in our lives. [Entertainment Weekly]

How the “Vegas date” became a thing ??

The Bach producers love a Vegas date. Ever since Alex Michel's Season 1 Sin City date, leads Brad Womack, Ben Higgins, Ashley Hebert, Becca Kufrin — and now, Joan Vassos — have kept the tradition alive.

Fun fact: This week also marked Wayne Newton’s second franchise appearance after coaching Becca’s boys through a songwriting challenge in Season 14. “Danke scho?n,” indeed! [USA Today/Time]

Can I steal you for a second? ??

A one-on-one with Tomi Obebe

How are Bachelor superfans feeling about Joan’s journey? This week, I asked pop culture blogger and content creator Tomi Obebe to give her two cents on this season.

Laura: Who's your favorite contestant so far this season?

Tomi: Like most of America, I have fallen in love with Charles L. He just seems so warm and pure, like the grandpa we all deserve.

Laura What’s your favorite Bachelor franchise trope that we see every season — and why?

Tomi: I'm a sucker for a good two-on-one date. The tension, the storylines, the drama, the tears! The sheer absurdity of being on a date with two people at once is some of the most awkward television.

Laura: Who would you love to see get the next one-on-one date with Joan?

Tomi: I would love nothing more than for Mark Anderson to be the next one-on-one date with Joan. The audience wants it, the producers would love it. The man is a smooth talker and has some serious game!

Plus: If you need a good Bach Nation Instagram follow, Tomi (who herself is great on Instagram) recommends former lead Tayshia Adams for her “effortlessly cool” posts.

Golden masculinity moment ??

Golden masculinity isn’t all about grilling and Tommy Bahama shirts; sometimes, it’s about empathy. When Joan tearfully revealed this week that she might never be “100% ready” to give her whole heart to someone new after her husband’s death, the men all gave her the kindness and respect she deserves.

Chock, in particular, melted my heart by looking into her eyes and saying if she ever needs to talk about anything, he’s there. You can tell he really meant it. [Yahoo Entertainment/Entertainment Weekly]

?? This week's cry counter: I counted eight crying sessions in this episode. That might just be enough tears to fill the Fountains of Bellagio! Everybody’s feelings were out in the open this week.

The Golden Bachelorette airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

About In Reality: If Wednesday nights are for watching The Golden Bachelorette, then Thursday mornings are for diving into every detail with Laura Bradley, our Golden Bachelorette correspondent. Sign up.