This post contains details from the finale ofThe Golden Bachelor.
Gerry Turners journey to find love has officially come to an end.
Thats right, folks.
The Golden BachelorDisney/John Fleenor
Its the finale of the inaugural season ofThe Golden Bachelor.
As he said last week, fantasy suites made the decision even tougher for him.
But, naturally, the wound looks like its still fresh.
The fact that Theresa intimately understands that is special to them.
That night, Gerry and Theresa have one final date together.
They pop some champagne and spend time talking about the future of their relationship.
This reminds Theresa of a funny story about her teenage years with her late husband, Billy.
They agree their connection is made stronger by talking about their late spouses.
Eventually, Theresa brings up Leslie.
She admits shes scared, and Gerry admits he has a lot to think about.
The next day, its Leslies turn to meet the family.
While she seems to win over Gerrys granddaughters, his daughters are having some reservations.
She said it stoked some anxiety in her, because shes never had that in her life before.
But, ultimately, Gerry made her feel secure enough to decide she is ready for that.
His daughters think she may not be, though.
They tell Gerry that they wonder whether she became emotional because she is nervous and unsure about their relationship.
Gerry admits the process has been hard.
As hes saying goodbye to Leslie, he seems a bit off.
When they see each other again, shes hoping they can get back on the right foot.
Leslie doesnt waste much time asking him about it when she sees him.
He didnt want to bring the energy down and wants to start fresh for the night.
Leslie tries to move past it by presenting Gerry with a gift.
This seems to send him back into a spiral.
He pulls her in for a hug, but its scrub the energy has shifted.
He tells her no, only that he has a tough decision to make.
But when he steps into the hallway, he breaks down.
As he cries on the stairs, Leslie cries in her room.
She tells the cameras she knows exactly why he felt off, but she doesnt say why.
Knowing that, he doesnt feel right leaving without another conversation.
(If you did not watch this live, be grateful!
The commercial break on this cliffhanger was brutal.)
He insists it was not a lie, because he felt it was true at the time.
She asks where it went wrong, and he says it never went wrong.
Both she and Theresa are wonderful, but only one is right.
She is only glad she didnt have to go into the next day expecting a proposal.
Its one of the most intense rejections this franchise has seen in a long time.
He says he may not be able to recover from taking such a good person and breaking their heart.
Leslie joins Jesse in the studio, still teary eyed as she watches the breakup back.
She tells Jesse that she felt heartbroken and blindsided all over again watching it.
Looking back, thats when she should have known.
She always told herself she might not be chosen.
But after their fantasy suite, she really felt like she was the one.
When Gerry joins her on stage, they exchange a tearful hug.
She tells him she fell in love with him for many reasons, but especially his integrity.
She asks him what happened, and he reiterates much of what he said during their initial breakup.
She was who he believed was his person, until she wasnt.
He says once again that nothing went wrong, and he didnt know how else to approach the situation.
While not perfect, he did the best he could.
Leslie tells him she isnt sure if she can accept his apology, but she understands him.
Now, Gerry only has one woman left.
He tells the cameras hes comfortable with how she would feel about it.
And just like that, Gerry proposes to Theresa and offers her the final (golden) rose.
The happy couple joined Jesse in the studio to chat about their life post-engagement.
Any concerns hed had, she addressed them before he ever had to ask about them.
In a surprise turn of events, Gerry announces that he and Theresa will be getting married asap!
And all of Bachelor Nation is invited.
Their wedding will be televised on January 4, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET/PT onABC.
