Note: This story contains spoilers for “The Golden Bachelor” finale.
“The Golden Bachelor” Gerry Turner found his happy ending in Thursday’s Season 1 finale, after a tumultuous season of surprise exits and whirlwind romance.
First kicking off his journey of love with 22 women at the “Bachelor” mansion on the ABC reality dating show, Turner narrowed down its future partner to two women ahead of the Thursday finale: Leslie Fhima and Theresa Nist. After spending the night with both ladies during Fantasy Suite dates, Fhima and Nist met Turner’s family as he mulled over which woman the leading man determined he couldn’t live without.
The finale revealed that Turner decided to propose to Nist, prompting him to say goodbye to Fhima ahead of the proposal on their last date.
After meeting his family, Fhima noted Turner wasn’t quite acting like his usual self and later asked him if he had anything to tell her when they were alone. Turner dodged the question and left the room, before eventually telling Fhima he had fallen in love with Nist and decided to choose a future with her.
The next day, Turner proposed to Nist and she said yes.
Both women were present at the live telecast of “After the Final Rose,” and Turner and Fhima saw each other for the first time since parting ways on the show, and Fhima told Turner she was “blindsided” by the decision.
Turner apologized for his actions and Fhima said she understood his apology, but said she didn’t know if she accepted it. At the end of their conversation, both Turner and Fhima wished each other happiness.
At the end of the finale, Palmer announced that Turner and Nist would tie the knot in a live wedding special premiering Jan. 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
After sending home fan favorite Faith Martin — who earned his first impression rose on Night 1 — following their hometown date, Turner discussed his approach to compartmentalize his experiences with both women as he sorted through a potential future which each of the frontrunners, asking, “Where does my future live?” “Where’s my happiness?”
“When you’re down to two people and you’ve gone through all the sacrifice, all the turmoil and all the joy [to get to that point], I start unpacking that Leslie box, and I unpack the Theresa box,” Turner said. “I look at all the things that I’ve accumulated on those two people through the whole journey — the reactions from their families, the feelings that I had with them at different times, the adventure — all of those things.”
The finale of “The Golden Bachelor” will stream on Hulu beginning Friday.
