7 Surprising Moments From The Golden Bachelor Premiere

While the first season of The Golden Bachelor received a warm reception from Day 1, Mel Owens’ follow-up Season 2 was swirled in controversy before it even began. ICYMI, the new lead’s comments about planning to “cut” women aged 60 and above — and his desire to “stay away from the artificial hips and the wigs” — led some steadfast Bachelor Nation viewers to skip the season entirely.

Still, others tuned in to see how Mel and the show would respond and move forward. And indeed, the Sept. 24 premiere didn’t shy away from the scandal, and neither did the women. Here’s a recap of The Golden Bachelor Season 2 premiere’s most shocking moments.

Addressing Mel’s Comments Head-On

The premiere didn’t waste any time acknowledging the controversy. First, it replayed Mel’s comments from the podcast before cutting to contestants admitting they were “offended” by his remarks and wondering whether they were wasting their time.

A Puppet Slap

While the contestants seemed to be forgiving of Mel’s comments, they didn’t let him off the hook completely. Diane Firmani, a librarian and hockey player from Alaska, asked Mel straight away: “What the puck was that interview about on that podcast?”

Terri Alani showed up with her dental assistant “puppet” who said, “Hi Mel! I bet you weren’t expecting all these women over 60 to look so hot, right?”

“Correct,” he said.

“And I bet you weren’t expecting this either, buddy!” the puppet said, before slapping Mel in the face.

Mel apologized for his comments at several times throughout the premiere, and with the women slated to roast him on a future date, you can expect the discussion to continue.

One Explosive Arrival

Peg Munson, a retired firefighter and bomb tech, showed up with a fake explosive with a heart on it — and if you thought the gag was going to be some kind of 9-1-1 promo tie-in, you’re not alone. (Surely Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” was going to start playing any second?)

In a confessional, Meg seemed upset that her fake bomb only lit up with a few teeny sparks. But, um... what was she expecting to happen? “If this is any indication of our love, we’re in trouble,” she joked.

Twins!

It was delightful to see Sandra Mason — a standout Season 1 alum — return to Bachelor Mansion to introduce her twin sister, Andra Wicks, to Mel. Sadly, Andra was eliminated on Night 1.

A Splashy Smooch

During the pool party in the second half of the episode, Nicolle Kate and Mel found some time to kiss in the middle of the swim zone — much to their castmates’ dismay. (Carla Kemp even sprayed them with a water gun.) Just like viewers learned with Season 1’s “zip it” episode, the Golden bunch isn’t precluded from a little drama here and there.

Hard Goodbyes

No matter how many times viewers have been through this, Golden goodbyes tug at your heartstrings.

Diane, an early source of joy in the mansion, left in the premiere’s second rose ceremony. As she told the camera, “I wasn’t ready to go home. I was having a great time on this journey, and I’m sad to see it end.”

However, she looked on the bright side. “In hockey, when we lose a game, we’re sad for a little bit but then we remind [ourselves]: There’s always a game next weekend.”

Carla sadly went home, too, but was similarly future-minded. “I’m hopeful, my guy is out there,” she said. “[I’ll] get home, you know... see who’s in my DMs.”

The Warp Speed Of It All

Yes, you read that right! The Golden Bachelor premiere spanned two weeks and two rose ceremonies. However, not every episode will feel so busy. While the season opener was two hours, the show’s timeslot will be at 9 p.m. ET. going forward, with regular episodes running for one hour each.