You don’t need to read The Bachelorette spoilers to know that this season has already been one of historic firsts for the ABC franchise.
Rachel Lindsay is its first African-American star.
She is also the oldest, at the age of 31.
She was the first Bachelorette to be announced before the season of The Bachelor was over … and before she was eliminated from it.
Why should fans expect things to be any different now that the beautiful, charming and funny Dallas lawyer has taken over the reins?
As such, Lindsay can’t help but gush about her recent engagement on The Bachelorette … even though doing so is a major shift in protocol.
“I am a rule breaker. But, I mean, I am so excited,” Lindsay told ET. “I cannot stop smiling, and normally I have a good poker face.”
“But not with this. This is new to me. I have never been engaged before and [the ABC powers that be] were like, ‘Just say it!"”
“I think [the decision to share] was kind of mutual.”
“They are like, ‘You know what? Just do it, because I think a lot of people will be more invested to know this worked for her.”
“You know, she so was not a believer. [She was] hopeful, but it actually happened.’ And so I think people will really, like, tap into that.”
Plus, “I love saying I have a fiance!” she added.
As for who that lucky man is? Don’t expect to know right off the bat, she says (seemingly unaware that Bachelorette spoilers exist).
“You won’t be able to figure it out. Like, you will see me go along and struggle with it and back and forth and it was a hard decision for me.”
“So I think that the way that I fell in love with him, America will too. I’m so excited, it’s just exuding from me … I can’t hide it!”
Lindsay said that the man of the hour “asked my parents, he got down on one knee … yes, all the traditional things happened.”
Rachel says she’s wearing a temporary engagement ring in public lately, because, “You got to be surprised with the Neil Lane bling.”
We’re guessing it won’t be small. No spoiler alert needed for that one. As for whether she’s already in wedding planning mode?
“I’m focused on the engagement right now. I think I want a big family, I have a huge family and I want everyone to come,” she said.
“I wouldn’t throw [the idea of a TV wedding] out. I am willing to do it,” Rachel adds, though that’s putting the cart before the horse.
Before we even get to meet her fiance, there are two dozen men left vying for her heart and over two months of TV drama to come.
Who stood out on The Bachelorette season premiere this past Monday night? Lucas, a.k.a. Whaboom himself … for better or worse.
“In his defense, I said I wanted to be entertained, and I think the guys got the memo with that,” Lindsay said, diplomatically.
“So, you know, everyone had their own interpretation of that [directive] and his was in Whaboom-style. But he was interesting.”
“I gave him points for being different, and so now, I just want to get to know Lucas. You’ll get to see how that all plays out.”
Bryan snagged himself a rather hot first kiss with Lindsay, despite her claims that she was not going to kiss on the first night.
Rule breaking once again!
Says Lindsay of that romantic moment:
“I said, ‘I’m not going to kiss the first night,’ and no one tried except for Bryan. And he tried in the most passionate way and I just embraced it.”
“I said, ‘You know what? He’s bold enough to do it, I’m going to go for it,’ and I’m glad I did, because it was a really good kiss.”
Peter also made a good impression:
“He walked out of the limo and I said, ‘OK.’ I mean, he is very, very handsome, and, you know, we had the same smile and he was nervous.”
“That’s what I appreciated.”
Then there’s Jonathan, a.k.a. The Tickle Monster. “I laughed the hardest the whole night with Jonathan, because he tickled me! I’m ticklish.”
“So, I mean, it was weird, it was different, but I laughed. I was entertained and there’s more to Jonathan. I mean, he is a doctor.”
Rachel cops to kissing more than one guy on the same group date at one point, as well as saying “I love you” to two different people.
Don’t expect smooth sailing, in other words. As for the million-dollar question, this attorney is pleading the fifth, so don’t bother.
Whatever happens, or doesn’t, in the Fantasy Suite stays there, people. Unless you’re Nick Viall and talk about lovemaking.
Anyway, it’s “the end” that Lindsay said Bachelor Nation should really watch out for – and we won’t be disappointed either.
“Its a journey,” she revealed.
“Yeah, it’s a journey.”
We can’t wait.
