‘The Golden Bachelorette’ Episode 2 Recap: Who Went Home? And Who Got Joan’s First One-On-One Date?

The Golden Bachelorette premiere welcomed 61-year-old mother, grandmother, and Golden Bachelor alum Joan Vassos back to the Bachelor Mansion to meet 24 eligible suitors in hopes of ending her journey with a lasting love.

Now that the Golden Guys got their first impressions out of the way, it’s time for the first dates of season. Several standout men emerged on Night 1 — including first impression rose winner Keith Gordon , chef Jack Lencioni , French salon owner Pascal Ibgui , Kelsey Anderson’s smokin’ dad Mark , and soup connoisseur Chock Chapple . But in The Golden Bachelorette Episode 2, everyone got a chance to shine during two fun group dates and a romantic one-on-one.

Wondering who Joan invited on her first one-on-one date of the season? How The Golden Bachelorette ‘s first group dates went? And who went home during The Golden Bachelorette Episode 2?

Decider’s Golden Bachelorette recap breaks down all the romance, laughter, fun, and heartbreaking farewells of Episode 2.

Before the dates kicked off, the Golden Guys got settled in the mansion and toasted to 401Ks, medicare, and their Golden Gal. The Golden Bachelorette producers correctly predicted how much Bachelor Nation would enjoy watching senior men explore a gorgeous mansion, so we followed the guys around the property in the daylight and watched them argue in favor of the bottom bunks. As a reminder, we at Decider think the franchise is doing these seniors dirty by not accommodating them with beds at floor level! They have knee problems! Hip replacements! They go to bathroom several times a night! Figure out a better living situation!

Anyway, men (angels) like Mark, Jonathan, and Charles L. were volunteered to sleep on the top bunks (like Joan did during The Golden Bachelor ), while the admittedly high-maintenance Pascal requested the bed closest to the bathroom because he sleeps naked. On top of that, he complained about lack of closet space and even paid Gregg to do his laundry for him ($100 per load!) because he hadn’t done his own in over 40 years. (Oh to be Pascal!) Aside from a small beef over snoring and a garbage disposal that briefly died before Captain Kim fixed it with an Allen wrench, everything was running smoothly in the house.

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After franchise host Jesse Palmer tried (and possibly failed) to give the Golden Guys the rundown about date roses, the first group date was announced. Gary, Bob, Jonathan, Charles L, Mark, Jordan, Guy, and Keith were instructed to go to the other room where Joan hung a big “Will you go to prom with me?” sign and assembled a selection of colorful jackets, boutonnieres, and all the makings for fabulous 80s prom fits.

The date was an exciting trip down memory lane for Joan and most of the guys, but for Jonathan, who never went to his prom, it was an extra special day to rewrite history. Pascal helped the precious Charles L. look “a little bit handsome” in a bow tie and baby blue suit. Gary dressed in all gold, Mark suited up in dark blue velvet, Jonathan was pretty in pink (with no shirt), and Keith made a statement in red and black. Joan picked up her eight dates in a white stretch limo, and just like that, they were off to their SENIOR Senior Prom.

Joan and her Golden Guys headed back to high school and embraced their inner teen (in the presence of random prom attendees) by dancing under a disco ball to the musical stylings of Taylor Dayne, who performed “Tell It To My Heart.” With Prom King and a group date rose from Joan on the line, Gary, Jonathan, Charles, and Guy let loose on the dance floor, Joan and the boys headed to the photo booth, and Mark even stole her away to spike the punch. During the party, Joan slipped out for quiet one-on-one time with the fellas, which is when she learned that during Jonathan’s senior year he asked a girl out to prom, and a week before the dance she decided not to go, leaving him “shattered.” He shared his insecurities with Joan and said the night meant a lot to him because it helped his heart heal.

Joan also bonded with Bob, Jordan, and Gary, who revealed he’s Tina Turner’s godson and said the iconic singer is “nothing like she is on stage.” While mostly everyone was having fun, the cameras caught National Treasure Charles L. sitting on the bleachers alone because “prom is a little bit new to me.” Charles reflected on how his wife’s death made him isolate, but he said he’s “really lucky and grateful” for a chance to find the second love of his life. He opened up to Joan about his wife’s unexpected death, explaining that she had a brain aneurysm on one of his business trips. She bonded with him and shared her own story of loss. And after admitting that the prom date was the happiest day of his life since his wife passed away, Charles called his daughter on speaker phone and she encouraged him to keep putting himself out there.

Who Got The Group Date Rose? Though Charles L. laid his heart out on the dance floor, Joan crowned first-time prom goer Jonathan king 43 years after he missed his own prom. He accepted the first group date rose of the season and the future looked bright!

That Chock-a-noodle soup worked like a charm, because Chock Chapple , a 60-year-old insurance exec from Wichita, Kansas snagged Joan’s first one-on-one date of the season: a trip to Disneyland! Though Chock told cameras he was “a quiet, reserved guy,” he was ready to have fun, let loose, and try out some scary rides in the name of love. After he met Joan at the park, the two popped their Disney ears on, met Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and set out to see if their serious connection could had potential for fun.

As the two walked around the park they bonded over fishing, vacation spots, and shared values. They chomped on churros, said hi to R2-D2, and even rode a roller coaster. Joan revealed that she invited Chock on the date to ensure he was still in touch with his childish side, and he passed the test. When the two met back up for a special dinner at Disneyland Resort, he impressed Joan once more by opening up about his past and sharing his hopes for the future.

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Chock told Joan that he got married in his 30s and had two kids, but that he and his wife separated after 12 years. Three years later, he met and fell in love with Kathy, with whom he spent nine happy years. The two were engaged and planning to spend the rest of their lives together, but one day Chock got a call from her son and learned Kathy was in the hospital suffering from glioblastoma (aggressive brain tumors).

Kathy lived another five months and four days before she died in Chock’s arms. “It was the only time I really showed vulnerability, or I broke down. I started crying, and you go, ‘Why couldn’t it be me? Why is this happening to you?'” Chock said. Just like Joan’s husband, before Kathy died, she encouraged Chock to go on with his life and search for love again. After hearing his story, Joan said, “I think we have a lot in common” and opened up about some of her own struggles since her husband died. Chock told Joan that she reminded him of Kathy, and the two ended their date kissing in front of a Disneyland fireworks show.

Did Chock Get The Rose? You bet! Both Joan and Chock ended their one-on-one with renewed hope in the Golden Bachelorette process and a deeper understanding of and respect for each other.

For the second Golden Bachelorette group date, Joan invited her remaining guys to partake in the second annual Golden Talent Showcase. Those who watched The Golden Bachelor will recognize the date, which led to a pivotal leap forward in Joan and Gerry’s relationship . You can read the full episode recap here , but essentially Joan spent the day spiraling over her lack of special talents only to recite a hilarious original poem called, “I Just Hope I Don’t Vomit On Your Shoes,” and win the whole dang thing.

After Jesse Palmer welcomed Emmy-winning host and comedian Loni Love as a guest judge, the guys competed for the Golden Talent Showcase title and an intimate one-on-one dinner with Joan. Captain Kim came up with a song to sing weeks ago, so he felt confident he would emerge victorious, but other guys like John, who performed a sock puppet show, were clearly winging it. Gregg cracked some jokes, Charles K. broke a wooden board (and punched Gregg in the process), Christopher showed off his yo-yo skills, “Pascal Scissorhands” performed a $175 haircut in three minutes, and Kim sung his heart out only to be bested by an underdog.

Going into the date, Dan shared with cameras that he was self-conscious about his hand tremors, but when it came time to pick the perfect talent, the 64-year-old private investor from Naples, Florida decided to acknowledge his tremors, lean into what set him apart from the group of guys, and do a ribbon dance to make perfect use of his shaking. Joan loved Dan’s ability to have fun and be vulnerable, so he won the competition and the dinner date, which left Captain Kim feeling “pissed.”

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During his alone time with Joan, Dan opened up about his struggle with diabetes and other health issues, which got so bad that his organs started to fail and his doctor told him he had six months to live. Dan explained that he left work and focused on his health, got educated, saw excellent doctors, and found his way out of the near-death danger zone. “I still have diabetes, and I have to manage that. But all those other problems are basically gone,” he told Joan, sharing that he’s been cautious of dating because of his health and if it’s too much for her to deal with he fully understands.

Who Got The Group Date Rose? Joan assured Dan that very few people go through life unscathed and she appreciates his fortitude, positivity, and vulnerability. Dan accepted her rose, and the two happily danced the night away.

Instead of another cocktail party, the Golden Guys cooked up a feast and hosted Joan for a pre-rose ceremony barbecue at the mansion. Joan made the most of her time with the men and had standout chats with Jordan, Pascal (who showed off all the Prada, Gucci, Hermes, and Tom Ford in his closet), and Kim. She gave Gary a framed photo of their prom pose and revealed they call each other Goldie and Sunshine. (Sobbing!) And she shared some sweet smooches with Mark after he politely asked if he could kiss her in German. (Super smooth move, Kelsey’s dad!)

Something worth nothing is the Episode 2 screener featured more than a few shots of Gil Ramirez, who recently made headlines because his ex was granted a restraining order against him several days before The Golden Bachelorette production began. A source close to the show reportedly told Entertainment Weekly that the restraining order was granted after The Golden Bachelorette completed background checks, which was why Gil was allowed on the show, and that producers “further edited his already limited screen time and minimized him in promotional assets moving forward.” Leaving in shots of Gil juggling in the talent show and having a teary heart-to-heart with Joan felt like a real choice, so we’ll see what Bachelor Nation thinks of the edit.

Joan’s first rose of the night went to Mark and the last went to Guy. So who went home on The Golden Bachelorette Episode 2? The following four men left the mansion:

• Bob, 66, a chiropractor from Marina Del Ray, Calif.
• Christopher, 64, a contractor from West Babylon, N.Y.
• Jack, 68, a caterer from Chicago, Ill.
• Michael, 65, a retired banking CEO from Charlotte, N.C.

Let the record show that all the men clapped and cheered for Chef Jack on his way out, and Joan told the early fan-favorite, “You’re so much darn fun and the guys I can tell are gonna miss you as much as me.” When Jack walked outside he told cameras, “I have no complaints at all. I had a ball in this place and it was a beautiful thing. I did my cannon balls in the pool today. I had a couple cocktails, and you know what?” Just then Jack brought things full circle and belted “My Way,” just like he did Night 1.

“Take care guys, twas a slice! A slice of pie, it’s like good,” he said. And with that, we’ll see you back here next week for another glorious Golden Bachelorette recap.

New episodes of The Golden Bachelorette premiere Wednesdays at 8:00 p.m. ET on ABC. Next-day streaming is available on Hulu.

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