It’s only week 4 of “The Golden Bachelor,” but things are already heating up. With more than half of the women gone, Bachelor lead Mel Owens’ remaining contestants are competing harder than ever for both his time and his heart.
Episode 4 sees Owens take yet another woman on a very important one-on-one date, while the rest of the ladies have fun with a photoshoot. However, tensions rise when the group starts to wonder whether one contestant may have ulterior motives for being there.
The nine remaining women are Carol, 63; Cheryl, 66; Cindy, 60; Debbie, 65; Gerri, 64; Nicolle, 64; Peg, 62; Robin, 63; and Roxanne, 63.
A One-on-One With Peg at the Orange County Fair
Peg, a 62 year old retired firefighter and bomb tech, earned her first one-on-one with Mel Owens. However, not everyone thinks she’s the right match for the former NFL player, including Nicolle, who has been quite controversial this season.
Their date consists of going to the Orange County Fair, and it’s really the perfect place for Owens to get to know Peg, whom he shares “has a high level of energy,” which is exactly what he’s looking for in a partner. Who doesn’t want to feel young again?
Peg and Owens play games, go on rides, and have a blast on their date. “Today was the perfect day, she makes me happy,” Owens admits.
The two sit down to talk about more personal things, like Peg revealing that she had left her husband because of infidelity. Owens shares that his former wife fell in love with someone else. They bonded over their pasts, and while talking about tattoos, Peg shares that she has a hidden tattoo that Owens may hopefully see in the “fantasy suite..”
The date doesn’t just end there. The two see KC and The Sunshine Band perform. Owens is over the moon with Peg’s energy, calling it “captivating.” They get to go up on stage, and Owens hands her a rose to end the night. “I can see myself spending the rest of my life with this man,” Peg tells the cameras.
A Group Date With a Twist
Before eight of the women head to a group date with Owens, back at the mansion, Nicolle shares some very interesting thoughts with Robin. “I’ve told myself from the beginning, I’m not dating Mel. I’m dating America,” she admits, adding, “I’m dating everybody watching, and not watching. That gives you exposure like you’ve never had.”
Is Nicolle here for all the wrong reasons?!
In a confessional, Carol shares, “Wow, that just rubbed me the wrong way.”
In fact, when Nicolle sits down with a few of the women, she tells them they will have “Housewife status” now that they are on television. She then appears to detail how the show may boost her social media status, like an “influencer.” Wait, what?
Still, there is a really cool group date minus Peg. The eight women meet Owens on the beach, who introduces them to People’s Editor-at-large Janine Rubenstein. The photoshoot consists of the women showcasing “sexy at every age.”
The first woman to take photos with Owens is Debbie, who previously had a one-on-one date in episode 3. She wears a white dress, and it hits her that this could be the real deal. It looks like their wedding photos, as Debbie shares, “I was ready for him to get down on one knee, right there.”
Robin and Roxanne are next, dressed up as pin-up girls alongside Owens. There’s Gerri and Cheryl, dressed as “beach patrol,” and then there’s Carol (who gets stuck wearing a towel?), Cindy and Nicolle, next, but it’s Cindy who manages to steal kisses from him during the shoot.
However, the photographer admits that at the end of the shoot, he witnessed one contestant having the best chemistry with Owens. That person ends up being Cindy!
Owens and Cindy literally roll around in the sand, and the other seven women watch on. Jealousy is definitely kicking in.
Owens then gets some alone time with the women, including Carol, who opens up more and shares a passionate kiss with him. He also meets with Cindy, who also gets a kiss from Owens. In fact, all the women might be making tonight’s rose ceremony harder for Owens, as they’re all smart, charming, and impossible to ignore.
Is Nicolle Here For The Right Reasons?
Things are not sitting right for the ladies when it comes to Nicolle. After her conversation that morning about possibly using the show for fame, Robin approaches Owens to share that some people may not be “authentic.”
Robin did not tell Owens that it was Nicolle, but he admits to the cameras that he has a hard time believing what she’s saying. In a confessional, Cindy shares, “If he chooses someone like Nicolle, it’s scary.”
Owens must give one more woman a rose before the ceremony. He decides to give it to Carol.
The Fourth Rose Ceremony
Before the fourth rose ceremony, the women and Owens have a tailgate at the mansion. He continues to speak to more of the ladies one-on-one, including Cheryl, who calls him her “prince.” Gosh, can these women make it any harder on Owens?
As Nicolle finally gets her alone time with Owens, she presents lemon bars to him, but she wasn’t the one to make them. Owens can already sense that Nicolle is “all about” him, but is it coming off too strong? As they walk off, they joke about jumping into the pool, with Nicolle sharing, “That would make great TV.” Again, what is her agenda?
It’s finally time for the rose ceremony. The women who receive roses from Owens include Peg and Carol (who received roses earlier), Debbie, Cheryl, Cindy, and Nicolle.
Those who did not receive a rose include Robin, Roxanne, and Gerri. He decides to walk Gerri out because he had given her the first impression rose; she made a lasting impression on him, but it seemed like it wasn’t enough.
There are now six women left. Next week, the women and Owens continue to get closer with some of the ladies even using the “L” word. And, it looks like there will be a woman who might go home earlier than expected.
