The Unexpected Power of Second-Chance Romance

Before the final reveal of any Bachelor season, the franchise briefly halts its frenetic march toward matrimony. During the show’s recurring “The Women Tell All” special, the eliminated contestants gather to dish about the drama that developed as they collectively dated one man. Typically, the women revisit moments both heartfelt and salacious, rehashing their intra-group fights and reflecting on the pain of romantic rejection. They tend to dwell on their past slights, often to the point of utter absurdity; sometimes, they don’t seem ready to move on, whether from the man himself or from their time in the Bachelor Nation spotlight.

, the franchise’s first-ever season led by a man over 40, flips this script. On this season’s installment of “The Women Tell All,” the cast of women—all of whom are 60 to 75 years old—talk, they gamely reminisce on the moments of conflict, hilarity, and connection that emerged during their journeys. But unlike the 20- and 30-somethings of history, the women of look toward the next chapter in their own (off-screen) love stories. “Having met you, I now realize that finding a gentleman in our generation—it’s not just possible, it is ,” one woman, a 75-year-old retired executive assistant, tells Gerry. “I am more motivated now than I was even before to find my guy.”