'The Golden Bachelor': Before Gerry makes his final decision, look back on the journeys of Theresa and Leslie

It’s been an emotional, heartwarming and uncharacteristically — for the Bachelor franchise anyway — undramatic season of The Golden Bachelor and fans are absolutely here for it. But now with just two women and one episode left, it’s time for the golden man himself, Gerry Turner, to make his final decision.

Both of Gerry’s remaining options, Theresa Nist and Leslie Fhima, are fantastic by all accounts with a lot to offer in their own unique ways. And with that, it appears that letting one of them down is not going to be easy for the 71-year-old, whose compassion and sensitivity have endeared him to fans all season.

The finale preview has made it clear that Gerry plans to propose, so let’s take one last look at Theresa and Leslie and their relationships with Gerry to this point, and see why predictions from fans are completely split.

Theresa’s journey

Making an immediate impression on night one was 70-year-old Theresa, a financial services professional, who showed up in a robe and claimed to be wearing her “birthday suit” in honor of her birthday. It turned out to be a nude slip underneath — “I have six grandsons,” she exclaimed — but nonetheless Gerry was impressed.

That was enough to earn her the first first date in Golden Bachelor history. But right off the bat things got a bit tense when the light blue 1958 Corvette convertible Gerry was driving proved to be a tough match-up against a busy L.A. freeway. She ended up making him feel better, and the date ended with a milkshake at a 1950s diner that turned out to be a flash mob.

For the couple’s hometown date, Gerry met up with Theresa in Shrewsbury, N.J., to meet her sisters, along with her daughter and three grandsons. The couple also got in a quick ferris wheel ride in Seaside Heights, N.J., where she told him she was in love with him, and he said that made him feel “special.”

After their fantasy suite date in Costa Rica, Gerry had this to say about their relationship in a confessional:

“Waking up to Theresa this morning, I feel like it’s the first day of the rest of my life. Because last night with Theresa, we started talking about things, and we started sharing observations, and really, hopes and dreams. And I realized that we understood each other on a very fundamental level.”

During a preview for the finale, Theresa is heard saying, “I’m absolutely in love with your dad” to Gerry’s daughters. And she says this to Gerry:

“If I was in the position where it wasn't me, it would be extremely difficult for me.”

Leslie’s journey

When Gerry first met 64-year-old fitness instructor Leslie, she approached Gerry wearing a nightgown, a wig and using a walker, before tossing the walker and shedding the cover-up to reveal a short black dress and long hair much to Gerry’s delight. Viewers also learned the fun fact that Leslie once dated the late musician Prince and even became the subject of his 1979 song, “Sexy Dancer.”

The pair shared a sweet moment early on during the season when Leslie revealed that she wears two hearing aids just like Gerry does, something he found to be “darling” and clearly a breakthrough that meant a lot to Gerry moving forward.

For their hometown date, Gerry met up with Leslie in Minneapolis to meet her three kids and her “concerned” eldest brother. After adorably admitting to Leslie’s grandkids that he loves her, Gerry was able to convince the older brother to give Gerry his blessing if a proposal were to be on the horizon. Gerry followed that up by sharing an “I love you” with Leslie.

After their fantasy suite date in Costa Rica — including rappelling down to a waterfall and also a nice dinner — Gerry recited a piece of advice to Leslie that he got from former Bachelorette Trista Sutter, about finding the woman “you can’t live without, not the one you can live with.” He also had this to say to Leslie after their night together:

“I have to have you with morning coffee, I have to have you when I go to bed at night. Eh, in between you can have your free time. But yeah, I mean, that’s what it is. And I don't know how we would decide where we would live, we’ll have to figure that out. But I think there’s no one else I’d rather figure it out with.”

Gerry also said in a confessional that he is going to be “100 percent in, 100 percent committed” for the rest of his life.

During a preview for the finale Leslie is heard saying, “He is the man of my dreams” and, “I’m afraid that it might not be me at the end of this.”

Viewer predictions

Such as the season has shown with reactions on social media, viewers have loved pretty much all of the women so picking a winner has proven difficult.

Whether it’s Theresa winning but then Gerry changing his mind and going after Leslie, or Theresa winning and Leslie becoming the first Golden Bachelorette, viewers clearly have plenty of theories.

The Golden Bachelor finale airs Thursday, Nov. 30 at 8 p.m. on ABC.