Love has officially broken out on "The Golden Bachelor," and it's a raging three-headed beast. Before Thursday's episode, widower Gerry Turner, 72, took great pains to avoid saying "I love you" to the steady drumbeat of love directed at him. He had his reasons: "I only want to say 'I love you' to one more person in my lifetime," he explains in Episode 6.

Yet during his three hometown week visits, Gerry finally unleashed the "love" word. Not just once, but about (or to) all three remaining contestants — Theresa, 70; Faith, 61; and Leslie, 64.

This outpouring culminated in the most painful rose ceremony for guilt-consumed Gerry, who broke down before making the final choice over who would stay and who would go home.

The distraught Gerry even bolted from the Bachelor Mansion ceremony room rather than choose, sending one camera crew scurrying after him like it was TMZ at an airport. What happened?

What happened in 'Episode 5'?'Golden Bachelor' recap as Gerry Turner, reluctant heartbreaker, picks his final 3

Theresa's hometown visit, like the others, featured Gerry meeting the grandkids

We get it, Gerry. Bachelor Nation hometown weeks and family meets are emotionally loaded enough when the contestants are in their 20s and 30s. But in this case, the three visits included concerned daughters and sons worried about their mothers' hearts. And grandkids.

During the packed meeting with Theresa's close-knit family in Shrewsbury, New Jersey, one of her cherubic grandsons adorably blurts out, "I just think you should be the new Pop Pop for us." Those sentiments should be a needle-screech TV moment, considering "new Pop Pop" might never be back. But the YouTube-ready scene earned laughs from the assembled group.

"It doesn't feel that weird, for some reason," Theresa's daughter Jen says to the camera later, wiping away tears. There was real emotion and concern etched on her face over her mother. Powerful stuff. But the sensitive Gerry tried not to let the rush of real sentiments in the artificial environment consume him. Being the star of a reality dating show means exploring strong feelings, sealing them up inside and moving on to two more hometowns, and two other families.

Theresa ended the evening professing her love to Gerry on a carnival ride, just as she did only last week. Gerry returned the sentiments afterward, but only to the camera.

"I've fallen in love again," Gerry says. "I'm in love with Theresa."

Gerry promised Faith's big sister that he'd protect her heart

Next stop was rural Benton City, Washington, for the visit with radio host Faith, who rides her horse to the local grocery store. Faith instructs novice Gerry on basic horseback techniques, which ended in a short ride. Gerry ends it with the mandatory horseback-to-horseback kiss moment. The trickier-than-it-looks lip lock was successful, but Kevin Costner need not worry about Gerry taking his "Yellowstone" saddle perch.

Meeting with Faith's family ‒ especially her protective older sister, Beth ‒ brings Gerry's emotions to the next level. "I love that you've made her feel safe," Beth tearfully tells Gerry. "I hope you take that very, very seriously."

There were no verbal gymnastics around that. "I am and I will," Gerry responds.

Gerry and Faith's mutually whispered "I love you" moment and movie kiss follows shortly thereafter, regrettably in front of the entire seated family. But as the squirming grandkids will attest in future therapy sessions, that kiss had passion.

Gerry howled with delight after telling Leslie he loves her, drops 'future wife' term

Onward to Minneapolis, where "full-on conflicted" Gerry perfects the art of dealing with a potential new family on a reality dating show. The conversation feels more informed, more clear of the odd rules at play. And it all takes place in the downtown social club, Brick X Mortar, which is stunning but lacks the emotion of a real home.

Stuart, Leslie's older brother and father figure, is the Big Gerry Get: He's the family member voicing the most pointed Gerry objections.

"I think it's very strange talking to a guy who is dating my sister, and also dating two others," Stuart says during their moment together.

"Believe it or not, it feels strange to me, too," Gerry responds, before talking of the burden of causing "severely hurt feelings."

Stuart understands and passes on a highly conditional, carefully worded blessing for any possible Leslie-Gerry union. Gerry is so elated he uses the term "future wife" when ruminating on Leslie possibilities to the camera.

His "I love you" speech and final kiss with Leslie is a rom-com perfect moment on a Minneapolis street (and grandkid-free, thank you!). There are many streetside "I love you's," as the dam just broke. Gerry signals his joy with a whoop to the sky.

Who received a rose? Why no one went home on 'Golden Bachelor'

If you didn't understand Gerry's conflicted end-of-week feelings, there's great camera work to help. The Scorsese-style SUV backseat shot of Gerry's perturbed face, seen only through the fleeting, passing street lights, sums it up. That visage screams dread over the looming rose drama.

Looking spent before the ceremony, the unshaven Gerry is able to hand out one red rose to Leslie. Then it's Runaway Golden Bachelor, as Gerry exits and emphatically breaks his no-cursing rule (which is bleeped). With hands on his knees, he discusses throwing up over the gut-wrenching decision.

Gerry utters one more curse before host Jesse Palmer's voiceover interrupts with details of next week's "Golden Bachelor."

Holy Han Solo In carbonite! ABC is making audiences wait another week to reveal Gerry's eventual decision over the still-standing roseless duo of Theresa and Faith. Which of them receives the final rose? And who goes home? We'll find out next week.

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