Warning: Major spoilers ahead for “The Golden Bachelor.”
Up until last night, I thought Jewish contestant Leslie Fhima was all but guaranteed to end up with the final rose from Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner.
On their one-on-one date, Leslie and Gerry connect on a playful and vulnerable level, riding ATVs and getting comfortable enough for Leslie to share her feelings that she’s never been chosen in a relationship. From there, their romance blossoms. When Leslie tells Gerry that she’s falling for him in a conversation on a group date to the Santa Monica Pier, he sweetly responds, “You’re my girl.” The next week, Gerry visits Leslie’s family and her protective older brother Stuart calls him a “mensch.” Later, Leslie confesses her love for him and Gerry responds, “A wise man told me, ‘Don’t walk by an opportunity to tell someone that you love them when you love them.’ And Leslie, I love you.” He even tells Leslie that he thinks she’s “the one” during the next week’s Fantasy Suites episode. How could they not end up together?
Last night’s finale proved me — and perhaps the rest of America — utterly wrong and completely flabbergasted. In the episode, Leslie meets Gerry’s daughters and granddaughters who love her. (Because of course they do.) Afterwards, however, is much less pleasant. Leslie once again tells Gerry that she loves him and he responds “That’s such a special sentiment.”
Oof.
He then starts the process of breaking up with her without actually doing it, letting Leslie return to her hotel room before showing up again to finally tell her he’d picked Theresa. Naturally, Leslie is hurt. And she’s pissed. She questions Gerry about leading her on and laments that no one ever chooses her. When Gerry tries to tell her that she shouldn’t think that, her retort is iconic. “Gerry, no offense — I can think whatever the fuck I want,” she snaps back.
Get him, Leslie.
Later, in the live studio finale, Leslie once again confronts Gerry with poise, hard facts and her extremely visible Jewish star necklace. (She also reveals that she was so sure he was going to propose, Leslie wrote her vows!) For his part, Gerry offers an unsatisfactory apology to which Leslie responds, “I don’t know if I accept your apology, but I understand.” Throughout the entire exchange, it was clear that the live studio audience were on her side. Viewers tweeting at home were on her side. The other contestants were even on her side.
And now I have a “Golden Bachelor” take that I know I am absolutely not wrong about: This lovely Jewish woman needs to be the first Golden Bachelorette.
Much like former “Bachelor” contestant Ariel Frenkel, whom I lobbied to be the next Bachelorette after Charity Lawson, Leslie is fun-loving, emotionally intelligent, very cool and has a strong sense of self. And the fans love her for it. Importantly, she has also been proud to show off her Jewish heritage, something “Bachelor Nation” shows have decidedly lacked in previous years. Plus, her compelling storyline is already built in: throughout this past season of “The Golden Bachelor,” Leslie has shared that she’s felt not chosen and even abandoned by previous partners. Why not give this 64-year-old fitness instructor the opportunity to finally find the love she so obviously deserves, and do more Hava Nagila water aerobics along the way?
Your move, “Golden Bachelor” producers.
