Reality dating shows have notoriously centered on hot, young singles – many of whom seem to be looking for anything but love. But as the traditional formula of six-pack abs, bikinis, and booze-fueled drama has grown redundant, the unspoken rules about who can be on a dating show have been changing. One of the most notable departures from these standards in recent years is the “golden” theme – that is, the dating experiences of senior citizens – which was first introduced by The Golden Bachelor and the subsequent Golden Bachelorette.

Though they shift the focus to singles in their golden years, The Golden Bachelor spinoffs are not all that different from other current reality dating shows. They follow the same one-size-fits-all formula for dating seen across The Bachelor Franchise and focus on generating rushed life-long commitments and the resulting drama, like Love Is Blind or Married at First Sight. While Netflix’s The Later Daters was undoubtedly inspired by The Golden Bachelor in centering on singles in their late 50s to early 70s, it takes redefining reality dating shows a step further. In place of contrived engagements and pressure to find a love that lasts in a matter of weeks, The Later Daters sets more realistic expectations for its cast members, prioritizing self-growth, family, and joyful experiences over drama.

‘The Later Daters’ Takes a Refreshing Approach to Dating in the Golden Years

Similar to other reality dating shows, The Golden Bachelor’s premise hinges on cast members finding a life partner in the span of a single season while largely being separated from their support systems back home. This pairs unreasonable expectations with unrealistic circumstances, which can particularly be the case for seniors, who are often more settled in life and around their families. The result is engagements and marriages that seem bound to fail – as was the case with Gerry Turner’s hasty marriage to Theresa Nist following the premiere season of The Golden Bachelor. The pair announced their divorce just three months after their televised wedding, citing their living situations and commitment to family as factors in their decision to go their separate ways.

Where The Golden Bachelor mirrors other reality dating shows, The Later Daters takes an entirely different approach. The Later Daters follows six golden singles as they go on a series of blind dates, the goal simply being to find someone they’d like to see again. This effectively shifts the focus of the show away from rushing into marriage to starting at the foundation for making meaningful connections. It also puts far less pressure on the cast members throughout the process.

Instead of being separated from their families, the singles on The Later Daters are joined between dates by their loved ones – a son, a granddaughter, an ex-girlfriend – who know them best. They also work alongside dating coach and author of How to Not Die Alone, Logan Ury, so the daters are well-supported throughout the experience. The stars of The Later Daters lean on their loved ones and, in turn, the loved ones help provide Logan – and the viewers – with deeper insight into the daters’ priorities, challenges, quirks, and even past dating history. As a result, The Later Daters trades in pressure and drama for interesting, and sometimes hilarious, juxtapositions between the modern dating scene and dating in earlier decades – like when 63-year-old Suzanne Kimmons Doty and her daughter, Allison, discuss the hidden meaning of the eggplant emoji.

‘The Later Daters’ Prioritizes Self-Growth and Joy

Image via Netflix
The Later Daters dating coach knows there’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to dating. Instead, Logan helps each of the daters better determine what they’re looking for in a partner as well as some of the ways they may be holding themselves back. As each of the singles faces a different set of obstacles throughout the process, the help and support they receive from Logan and their loved ones is tailored to their specific journeys on the show. This is unique as compared to shows like The Golden Bachelor or Love Is Blind, which follow a set structure that seems geared more toward generating drama than benefitting cast members.With less pressure and more support, the cast members of The Later Daters are better able to learn about themselves and what they’re looking for at this stage of life, whether that be long-term commitment or just a good reason to go out dancing, make some new memories, laugh, flirt, and connect with others – none of which has an age limit. Of the six “later daters,” just two of them entered into a couple that lasted beyond the show. Yet all of the cast members had positive things to say about the experience and the ways it helped them grow as individuals, improve their dating skills, and strengthen the already existing connections in their lives.

Pam Marriott Land, a 70-year-old retired flight attendant who had started to form reclusive habits, reflected on her dating experience in The Later Daters finale saying, “There’s just such good people out there. When you live here and watch news and stuff, you start thinking there’s no nice people in the world,” followed by, “I learned that I need a new community, and I need some purpose, and I was looking for that.” The other cast members shared similar sentiments, like Nate Brown, an army veteran, who said going through the process on The Later Daters helped him to be more open and vulnerable with others about his military injuries – something that has held him back in past relationships.

By centering on self-growth and joyful experiences – and allowing lasting connections to form from there – The Later Daters proves that reality dating shows don’t need rushed weddings, tons of drama, or hot, young singles to feel like a success. With its more nuanced approach, the show provides viewers with a more realistic glimpse at the joys and difficulties of dating later in life. And all of the humorous and heartfelt moments that arise between cast members and their loved ones throughout the process make The Later Daters a truly feel-good watch.