The JTrain Podcast — The Rose Rehash

Episode: Jared Freid is on The Golden Bachelor with Mel Owens

Date: October 2, 2025
Host: Jared Freid

Episode Overview

In this lively episode of The JTrain Podcast, Jared Freid recaps episode two of The Golden Bachelor, an episode especially meaningful to him — because he was a guest star, hosting a comedy roast of the Bachelor, Mel Owens. Jared offers his trademark comedic insights and behind-the-scenes commentary on both the show’s on-screen drama and his personal experience being part of the Bachelor world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Recapping the House Dynamics

• Start of Episode (02:00)
  • The women are settling into the house, with their personalities beginning to show.
  • Jared feels the first episode was heavy on apologies about Mel’s previous comments and regrets that it didn’t offer more time getting to know the contestants:
    • “The first episode was so busy apologizing that they forgot to like get to the part that we love so much about the Golden Bachelor…” (01:10)
• Early Contestant Moments (03:00)
  • Personalities surface: Debbie in her robe with coffee, Jerry enjoying the pool, group jazzercise sessions.
• Pool Party Tension: Nicole vs. Terry (04:10)
  • Nicole’s poolside make-out with Mel creates drama.
  • Terry, known for her puppet, confronts Nicole about her boldness.
  • Jared observes that Nicole’s “villain energy” feels new for the Golden Bachelor franchise compared to season one’s lighter conflicts:
    • “Nicole basically says in a very villainous way. She's like, I'm the pioneer, and they're gonna have to follow along…” (06:20)
  • Nicole frames her actions as unapologetically competitive: “I'm here to get my guy.”

Character Archetypes: Debbie's Story

• Debbie’s One-On-One Setup (07:40)
  • Debbie is portrayed as the “never married” woman searching for meaning and a partner later in life.
  • Jared empathizes with Debbie but finds the narrative intense:
    • “She reacts as if she got a good…result from a test. …I guess I won’t be single forever. I won’t have to live with the sickness.” (09:00)
  • Jared worries about how the edit may affect viewers emotionally and about Debbie personally.

The Group Date: Comedy Roast Hosted by Jared

• Jared’s Cameo (10:40)
  • Jared is brought in to help the women prepare for and deliver a comedy roast of Mel.
  • He shares the excitement at seeing his comedy dreams intersect with his Bachelor fandom:
    • “It was unbelievable. I was so excited. This is like the dream of a lifetime coming true.” (11:10)
• Behind-The-Scenes Writing (12:00)
  • Jared, along with comedians Mike Lawrence and Amy Miller, coaches the contestants in joke writing and stage delivery.
  • He applauds their courage, remarking how hard standup is for first-timers:
    • “I give them a lot of credit. It is really hard to do standup when you’ve never done it before, and now it’s going to be on TV in front of an audience.” (13:30)
• Competition Highlights (14:20)
  • The Dome of the Undateables is full.
  • Monica impresses but doesn’t win; Nicole ends up getting the win and a date with Mel, likely influenced by their earlier chemistry.
  • A comic highlight: Amy “goes off the rails,” prompting Jared to riff:
    • “At one point during her set, Amy says, like, right, Jared? And I just, like, was like, you are making me anxious and like, kept going. And that really killed in the room at the time, which was a lot of fun.” (15:50)

Nicole & Mel’s Date: Searching for Answers

• Serious Questions (17:00)
  • Nicole presses Mel on his divorce, sensing there are missing details.
  • Jared finds Mel’s answers lacking:
    • “It’s painted as she found a new life, but that’s not how these things go…I do think his explanation is not good enough…” (18:10)

Debbie’s One-On-One Date: Vulnerability and Worry

• The Date (19:10)
  • Private cooking date with Mel; Debbie is open about her never-married status.
  • Jared is anxious about the show emphasizing her vulnerability:
    • “She’s giving this, like, pump up speech…but I’m nervous…I can’t, I don’t know if I can handle watching her get let down…” (20:30)

Special Guests: Susan & Kathy’s Motivational Visit

• Fun Energy and Advice (22:00)
  • Bachelor alums Susan and Kathy host a playful slumber party, encouraging women to be bolder.
  • They hand out vibrators, prompting mixed reactions among the women and some relatable comedic moments.
    • “They pull out a vibrator with a bunch of 6 year olds…half of them are like, ‘yeah, okay, sure,’ and then half of them are like, ‘what? I can't believe it.’” (23:45)

The Rose Ceremony: Awkward and Endearing Moments

• Kissing Contest (25:00)
  • Women are inspired to be bold, resulting in a “kiss fest” as they each try for Mel’s attention.
  • The moment with Carla, who is shy and awkward, stands out as particularly relatable:
    • “I think she’s like, the most relatable of the Goldens at this point because she goes up to Mel and is like, ‘I’ve had one boyfriend, one husband, and now I’m here.’” (26:20)
• Eliminations (27:30)
  • Amy, Monica, and Terry (the ventriloquist) are sent home.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Nicole’s Villain Energy

  • “I'm the pioneer, and they're gonna have to follow along. ... Nicole's like, as if, you know, people usually get in line. I get my way.” — Jared’s summary of Nicole’s attitude (06:30)

• On Debbie’s Emotional Arc

  • “She reacts as if she got…a good result from bloodwork, and they were like, 'you're gonna be okay.'” (09:00)
  • “Don’t tell us, like, there’s still hope. …I’m nervous. …I can’t, I don’t know if I can handle watching her get let down…” (20:30)

• On Standup Comedy Fears

  • “I give them a lot of credit. It is really hard to do standup when you’ve never done it before…” (13:30)

• On Playing Himself on TV

  • “I’m not mad. They cut out a lot of the jokes I made about Mel… If it was up to me, the whole episode would have been me…” (12:40)

Timestamps: Important Segments

• 02:00 — Recap begins; women’s personalities emerge in the house
• 04:10 — Nicole and Terry's pool party drama
• 06:20 — Nicole’s “villain” moment
• 07:40 — Debbie’s archetype explained
• 10:40 — Jared’s cameo setup
• 13:30 — Contestant standup coaching behind the scenes
• 15:50 — Jared’s comic riff with Amy on stage
• 17:00 — Nicole’s serious date with Mel: divorce questions
• 19:10 — Debbie’s one-on-one and vulnerability
• 22:00 — Susan and Kathy’s motivational visit and vibrators
• 25:00 — Rose ceremony and the kissing moments
• 27:30 — Eliminations

Roses and Thorns: Jared’s Closing Awards

• Thorns:

  • Mel: Not opening up about the divorce; needs to be more emotionally present.
    • “You gotta start opening up, man…right now, he’s not doing it. Thorn.” (28:40)
  • Amy: Aiming for more influence than her arc delivered; participation appreciated.
  • Debbie's Edit: The producers may be playing up her vulnerability to a potentially painful effect.

• Roses:

  • Carla: Grew more likable for her relatable awkwardness.
  • Cindy: Her infatuation with Mel feels genuine and sweet.
  • Jared (himself) & the Audience: Celebrating Jared’s leap from fan to participant.
    • “To go from tweeting about the Bachelor on your couch to being on the show is, like, pretty wild…” (30:00)

Tone and Overall Vibe

Jared keeps an easygoing, self-deprecating, and sharply observant tone throughout — blending sincere enthusiasm with critical Bachelor-verse analysis. He balances behind-the-scenes notes with affection for the show’s personalities and a comedian’s eye for what’s both genuine and absurd. The episode is fun, relatable, and insightful, especially valuable for both Bachelor devotees and comedy fans alike.