Though many Bachelor Nation fans were disappointed by Mark Anderson's elimination, it was time for him to leave The Golden Bachelorette. The bottom line is that 61-year-old Joan Vassos sent 57-year-old Mark home because she saw the red flags. Hopes were high for the retired Army veteran and single father of five who was expected to swoop in and easily steal Joan's heart. Unlike the other contestants on Joan's season, Mark was already kind of famous. He made his television debut when his daughter, Kelsey Anderson, brought her boyfriend, Joey Graziadei, home during The Bachelor season 28.
Though Mark's screen time on The Bachelor was brief, he left a big impression on fans, who instantly fell in love with Mark's warmth and quiet strength. When ABC announced that Mark would be a contestant on The Golden Bachelorette season 1, expectations were high for the retired widower who was expected to crush the competition. Sadly for Mark, that's not how things ended up going. Though Joan seemed excited after meeting Mark, any chemistry that existed between them fizzled quickly. Joan had recently sent Mark home, and it couldn't have happened a moment too soon.
Mark & Joan's First One-On-One Didn't Go Well
Awkward Silence
Though Joan and Mark initially hit it off at the start of The Golden Bachelorette season 1, there were several other men that Joan liked much more, like 66-year-old Guy Gansert and 60-year-old Chock Chapple. Not only did Mark not receive Joan's first impression rose, which went to 62-year-old Keith Gordon, he didn't receive any of the early solo dates. Just when it seemed like Mark would never get a highly coveted one-on-one date with Joan, he finally got his chance.
Joan picked Mark up for the date in a red convertible and drove along the coast, where they boarded a luxury yacht and set sail on a journey of romance. The voyage hit choppy waters when Joan and Mark ran out of things to say. They sat in long, awkward silences, just staring out to sea, with nothing to say to each other. The next day, in a clip posted to YouTube by Bachelor Nation, Joan told Mark something was missing between them and sent him home before the next rose ceremony.
Joan Knew Mark Wasn't Ready For Marriage
She Saw The Red Flags
Mark had the best of intentions when he joined the cast of The Golden Bachelorette season 1. He had watched the process work for his daughter when Kelsey and Joey got engaged at the end of The Bachelor, so he felt confident the process could work for him. Despite his high hopes and good intentions, reality set in as time went by, and it became clear that Mark wasn't ready to move on from the untimely death of his late wife, Denise Anderson.
Like Mark, Denise was an Army veteran, and the two met while serving their country overseas.
Mark said when he first met Denise, she had hair down to her calves, and he fell head over heels in love with her. They were married for 18 happy years and had five children together, including Kelsey. In 2018, Denise was diagnosed with cancer, and she passed away two months later. A devastated Mark had to be strong for his five children, and he hadn't moved on from the loss.
Mark Shouldn't Have Joined The Golden Bachelorette
He Wasn't Ready
Mark's awkward solo date with Joan during The Golden Bachelorette season 1 wasn't all saltwater, seagulls, and silence. The only time they did speak was when Mark started talking about losing his late wife. He told Joan that he and Denise had a great life together, experiencing as much of the world as possible before they ran out of time. Mark's poignant words prompted Joan to talk about her own loss and the date turned into a bereavement support group instead.
Trauma bonding is when people are brought together by shared pain, and that's what happened between Joan and Mark.
Like Mark, Joan found love once before. Joan was married to her late husband, John Vassos, for 32 years before he died in 2021. Though it was great that Mark and Joan understood each other on a deeper level based on shared loss, it wasn't a healthy start to a relationship. Joan may not be completely ready to move on from her late husband, but she's farther along than Mark is. It's too bad Mark took a spot from a man who could've been perfect for Joan, but at least she sent him home before it went any further.
Could Mark Be Ready To Be The Golden Bachelor?
It's Not His Time... Yet
The Golden Bachelorette season 1 wasn't the first time Joan tried to find love on national television. She made her television debut during The Golden Bachelor season 1 when she competed against 21 other women for 72-year-old Gerry Turner's roses. Due to a family emergency, Joan had to leave Gerry's season early, and she was later cast as The Bachelor spin-off's first female lead. The Golden Bachelor season 1 was a big hit, and many Bachelor Nation fans have been clamoring for Mark to replace Gerry as the show's lead for The Golden Bachelor season 1.
Though Mark could make him a good Bachelor lead, if he's not ready to date Joan, he's certainly not ready to date dozens of women.
On the other hand, when Joan eliminated Mark from The Golden Bachelorette season 1, he said he was grateful for the experience because it made a big impression on his life. Hopefully, being on the series showed Mark that there was an entire world of possibilities out there. Hopefully, Mark will realize that though he may never completely move on from his beloved late wife, it's never too late for a second chance at true love.
