Golden Bachelor host Jesse Palmer believes Gerry really 'was in love with all 3 women'

Each week during The Golden Bachelor, host Jesse Palmer will answer a few questions about the widower's "journey" to find love. Today Jesse shares his thoughts via email about Gerry's hometown dates with Theresa, Faith, and Leslie, and his realization that he's in love with all three women.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: This first question requires a visual aid. Look at this guy!

How is it possible that such a sweet, pickleball-loving grandpa is also so effortlessly cool???

JESSE PALMER: Don't let the sweet grandpa exterior fool you. Gerry is a trained and calculated bon vivant with loads of panache in disguise, posing as the Golden Bachelor.

As Gerry mentioned, these hometown dates looked different because rather than meeting parents, he was meeting the women's children and grandchildren. How would you describe the dynamics on Gerry's hometown dates versus a typical Bachelor/Bachelorette hometown?

Normally, a Bachelor/Bachelorette goes into these dates hoping to blend into a new family. Gerry is prepared to welcome new children and sometimes grandchildren into his own family. I think that unique dynamic made his hometown visits feel momentous.

During his first hometown date with Theresa, Gerry told her daughter that he wasn't sure if he knew "what it feels like to fall in love again." But then he surprised himself by telling Faith he loved her on the next hometown date, and he also said "I love you" to Leslie. What do you think changed for him over the course of those three dates?

I believe Gerry was very present at each hometown visit and was feeling each moment uniquely and individually. I don't think he was confused or falsely expressing his feelings. I really do believe he was in love with all three women at those precise moments in his journey.

Gerry was obviously very emotional at the rose ceremony, and even as a viewer you could almost feel the tension in the room through the screen. How would you describe the mood in the mansion that night?

That was a rose ceremony unlike any I've ever witnessed at the mansion before. As we've seen along his journey, goodbyes are very difficult for him, but that particular night was weighing heavier than any of the previous rose ceremonies. He knew what he wanted to do, but dreaded actually doing it, and his demeanor throughout the night really demonstrated that. He looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Leslie's grandkids really grilled Gerry with some tough questions. Are you worried they're coming for your job?

Leslie's grandkids gave a masterclass in pointed, no-nonsense questioning, and as a result, they might be hosting Gerry's live After the Final Rose.

The Golden Bachelor airs Thursdays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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