There Aren't Set Rules on 'The Bachelor' — Even for Date Roses

The Gist:

• Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner didn't hand out a group date rose on the Oct. 26, 2023, episode.
• Numerous Bachelor and Bachelorettes haven't handed out date roses.
• The Nov. 2, 2023, episode will be hometowns.

Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from the Oct. 26, 2023, episode of The Golden Bachelor.

So far, The Golden Bachelor is redefining what The Bachelor is in the best way possible. It isn't a surprise that Gerry Turner is doing things his way and not following the quote-unquote "rules."

For example, on the Oct. 26, 2023, episode of The Golden Bachelor, Gerry decided not to hand out a group date rose. This has made fans wonder if the Bachelor has to give out a date rose. And we have the answer for you below!

To recap, Gerry took Sandra Mason, Leslie Fhima, Susan Noles, Theresa Nist, and Ellen Goltzer on a group date to the Santa Monica Pier. The date seemed to be a lot of fun, but the stakes couldn't have been higher with a rose securing hometowns on the table.

At the end of the date, Gerry was very conflicted and decided that he needed more time to think and that he would hand out two roses at the rose ceremony the next night. Gerry ended up sending home Sandra, Susan, and surprisingly Ellen.

Naturally, this move made people wonder if a Bachelor or Bachelorette has to give out a date rose. And the answer to that is no, they can do whatever they want.

While we can't remember a specific time that a lead decided not to give out a group date rose, there are plenty of instances where a date rose wasn't given out on a 1-on-1.

Zach Shallcross's season of The Bachelor is a good example. During the night portion of Zach's date with Brooklyn, he told her, "It's not fair to you to have me not be fully confident and fully sure going into meeting your family." He wasn't able to give her a rose.

Taking it back to Andi Dorfman's season of The Bachelorette, Andi didn't give Chris Soules a rose and sent him home during his 1-on-1. During the breakup, Andi says that she wanted to be honest and tells him that she's "trying" but "it's just not there." Chris did just fine and ended up being The Bachelor.

While 1-on-1s are very sought after because time is a commodity in the Bachelor bubble, they are also crucial to see if there's a connection and to build a connection. That rose is literally there to let that person know if they're feeling it or not. After all, there is no ghosting in The Bachelor.

Make sure to catch new episodes of The Golden Bachelor every Monday night on ABC at 8 p.m. EST.