The Golden Bachelor Premiere: Look, Mel, Seniors Can Be Sexy, Too! — Plus, Do We Have A Villain Already?
Mel Owens had a lot of apologizing to do in The Golden Bachelor's season premiere — and his ladies proved that looking good is the best revenge.
Mel made some waves when he revealed he told producers he'd eliminate any woman over age 60 (were you not familiar with the concept of the show, Mel?), and he's predictably contrite as Wednesday's premiere opens, admitting: "I messed up. I was wrong." Some of the women are "offended" by what Mel said, but others want to give him a second chance. We get a quick rundown of Mel's life story: He played in the NFL for the L.A. Rams and now works as an attorney, and his wife filed for divorce in 2020 after "she had found someone new." He hasn't dated much since then, but he's ready to dive back into the dating pool, and he emphasizes that "age doesn't matter." This man has been well-coached!
At the mansion, Jesse makes fun of Mel's dorky shoes — hey, they're comfortable! — and then the limos arrive, with redhead Cindy first out to meet Mel. She makes a good impression, too; he's ready to call the whole thing off and declare her the winner. Carol is MLB star Freddie Freeman's aunt and family manager, and she comes decked out in a bedazzled Dodgers jersey. Diane, a librarian from Alaska who plays hockey, confronts Mel about his comments: "What the puck was that interview about on that podcast?" He also takes a slap from a puppet operated by cosmetic dentist Terri, who tells him: "That was for all women over 60." Carla the model gets a "wow" from Mel, and she wants the world to know that "people that are in their 60s are having sex, they are having orgasms, they're doing some things." Um, noted!
Peg used to work for the bomb squad, so she comes out in her full gear with a bomb to detonate... but it meekly pops with a whimper. ("If this is any indication of our love, we're in trouble," she quips.) Gerri the health care CEO shows up in a nurse's outfit, and Robin the vineyard owner brings Mel her best bottle of wine. Plus, Sandra from Gerry's season of The Golden Bachelor is back — but she's just there to introduce her twin sister Andra. Cheryl pulls up on a dirt bike, telling us she's always been a tomboy and is looking for someone who "would roll around in the dirt with me." Mel is very happy with his options (even though most of them are over 60!), and he offers the ladies a sincere apology for his podcast comments, asking for their forgiveness and a second chance. Well, OK, Mel, but only because the mansion looks nice.
Cindy pulls him aside first, and they bond over their kids. ("I think good dads are the hottest," she tells us.) Carol tells him she used to go to L.A. Rams games in the '80s when he was playing, and the kooky Alexandra shows him she already has "Mel picture as screensaver on my phone." (Oh, we've got a live one here.) Mel is really impressed, though, with Gerri, who tells him about raising her three kids by herself after her husband died and shares heartwarming letters from them. The first kiss goes to Cheryl the dirt bike girl, who plays "Would You Rather?" with Mel and asks him, "Kiss now, or kiss later?" (Sly move!) But Mel hands the first impression rose to Gerri, and the rest of the roses go to Peg the bomb squad gal, Carla the model, Terri, Cheryl, Nicolle, Cindy the redhead, Amy, Alexandra the kook, Monica P., Mylene, Carol, Roxanne, Monica B., Robin, Diane the librarian and Debbie, with Andra among those saying goodbye.
In the premiere's second hour, Mel takes Cheryl on a one-on-one date, picking her up in a Rolls-Royce and whisking her away to the Queen Mary. There, she tells him about her dirt bike racing trophies — and about the trauma of her baby's father walking out on her and then coming back to run off with the baby for a week (!). She got her child back, though, and she gets a rose from Mel, too. Then he takes the rest of the ladies on a group date at the L.A. Coliseum, splitting them into two teams for a cheerleading competition. (I guess there's too much risk in making these ladies play tackle football?) Joining them is pop legend Paula Abdul, who helps coach them up and choreograph their cheer routines — and wouldn't she make a great Golden Bachelorette, ABC? Just sayin'.
The winning team gets alone time with Mel, while the losers are sent back to the mansion on a bus. Mel spends some quality time with Cindy, and she's shaping up to a be a frontrunner after getting the group date rose. The next day, Mel throws a pool party at the mansion — and Nicolle the yoga instructor gets on the other ladies' nerves by hanging all over Mel and making out with him in the pool in front of everyone. ("I don't share very well," Cindy admits.) At the rose ceremony, Mel hands roses to Roxanne, Debbie, Gerri, Monica P., Monica B., Carol, Peg, Nicolle (of course), Robin, Amy and Terri, with Alexandra the kook among those going home. Too soon!
We also got a trailer for the rest of the season, with Nicolle emerging as this season's villain, as she declares, "He's mine. He's going to be mine. So you know, get out of the way." OK, then! We also see Mel mourning the fact that one of his women left the show, but Jesse tells him, "I know for a fact she's still here." And he do see him with a ring in his hand by the end, so it looks like we'll get another proposal. Let's just hope it lasts longer than Gerry and Theresa did.
Alright, Bachelor Nation: Who's your early favorite to win Mel's heart? And do you think he'll actually pop the question? Hit the comments to share your thoughts!