With 11 men left, Joan Vassos saw things start to get serious on The Golden Bachelorette.
The Oct. 9 episode began with a group date with Jonathan, Pascal, Dan, Charles, Gary, Mark, Gil, Chock and Keith. Joan, 61, told the men their date would be “a little revealing” and brought out former Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe to help explain what the guys would be doing. From there, Kaitlyn, 39, introduced three of the original Chippendales dancers who would help the Golden Bachelorette men prepare a striptease of their own.
“This is my biggest fear,” Chock, 60, said.
But then Kaitlyn announced that the proceeds from the strip show would go towards Stand Up to Cancer, which meant a lot to Joan because her husband John died of pancreatic cancer.
“The instant change in every one of our attitudes was, ‘Oh, let’s get this going,’” Mark, 57, told the cameras.
The men dressed as sexy cowboys, teachers, professors and construction workers before taking the stage as a group.
Jonathan, 61, broke out of the group first for a solo moment in his Army outfit and ripped his shirt open for Joan. Pascal shot a money gun to the crowd, Charles L. felt like he performed even better than “anticipated” and Joan cheered loudly for Chock as he took off a suit.
“I got the booty moves,” Chock said in an on-camera interview. “I got a nice little booty because ladies like the tush.”
Joan ultimately found herself impressed by everyone. “I thought that this was going to be really uncomfortable for the guys, but I was totally wrong because they knew it was for something important,” she said.
At the afterparty, Joan thanked the guys for making the day “so special.”
Chock checked in with Joan about the status of her mom’s health and how the private school administrator felt about everything. When Joan said she felt better, she and the insurance executive moved on to discussing their relationship. “I need to see more of you and I do believe that there could be a future with us,” Joan told Chock.
Chock agreed. “I’m crazy about you,” Chock said to Joan.
Keith, 62, confessed to Joan that in his 20s, he wanted to be a Chippendales dancer and she made his dream come true. Jonathan gave Joan the gold underwear he wore during this performance, and she and Gary, 66, FaceTimed his son to tell them about that day’s date.
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In the end, Joan gave the date rose to Chock. “Chock is the first person I can see a future with since John has passed away,” she said in an on-camera interview.
But the following day, Chock found out his mom died and he needed to leave the show to be with his family.
“My heart’s breaking for him,” Joan said after learning the news.
ONE-ON-ONES
Joan had her first one-on-one of the week with Jordan and took him ice skating at a private indoor rink. The senior sales executive, 61, opened up to Joan over champagne about his divorce and living with his three kids in a two-bedroom apartment after the split.
“There was some serious breach of marital trust,” he said.
The date ended with Joan giving Jordan a rose and the pair taking in a private performance from REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Droinin and Dave Amato, who sang “I Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore.”
“We laughed a lot. It was like super romantic,” Joan said of the date with Jordan. “He’s very fun to be with. Like, it feels good in his arms.”
The mother of four rounded out the week with a one-on-one cooking date with Guy. They made lemon-baked ziti together, and Joan thought Guy’s zesting skills could use some work.
“Guy’s an ER doctor, I’m a little worried,” Joan told the cameras.
When Joan and Guy sat down to eat, the 66-year-old told her about what happened to end his 34-year marriage.
“You sure do not expect to have a marriage to end after 34 years,” Guy said to Joan. “I think we fell in love, we got married and then when our youngest went away, all of a sudden, we were like semi-empty nesters. I thought we had a really good marriage for about 30 years, but when we would talk, I think that we didn’t have open and honest communication.”
Guy explained that he “was feeling almost unhappy” in the marriage, and that his wife decided to call things off when they were in couples counseling.
Now, “I’m as happy as I’ve been in several years,” Guy told Joan. “I didn’t know I could actually feel this good again.”
Joan gave Guy a rose, which caused him to feel that “dopamine is just exploding out of my ears right now.”
COCKTAIL PARTY AND ROSE CEREMONY
At the beginning of the cocktail party, Joan told the men she spoke to her mom Mary that morning, and her mother’s health had improved.
When she chatted with Pascal, 69, she expressed that he’d been somewhat passive in spending time with her during the group date. “A little effort would’ve been good,” she said to the salon owner.
Pascal explained that he wanted to keep getting to know Joan over time.
“There is a lot more chapter[s] in that book and I would like to go over more chapters with you,” Pascal said to Joan.
Joan realized, “What I perceived as indifference is just his style.”
Jonathan gave Joan a personalized box of Cheerios and Mark gifted her a fire engine — a nod to his outfit during the group date — to help Joan “remember the fun of this week.”
“I will always remember that outfit you had on,” Joan said to Mark.
Then Gary shared a dance with Joan. “I’m kind of getting to a comfort level with everybody,” she told the cameras.
Chock returned to the mansion before the rose ceremony and talking to him made Joan realize, “I see a future with more than one person.”
Pascal, Jonathan, Mark and Keith received roses from Joan at the rose ceremony, which meant Gary, Gil, Dan and Charles L. went home.
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The Golden Bachelorette airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
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