The Bachelor/Bachelorette franchise premiered way back in 2002, which is approximately four centuries ago in reality TV years.
After all those years, it can be tough for producers to find new ways to keep the show fresh.
So we suppose it’s to their credit that we are definitely in uncharted territory with Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia’s season.
Never before has the show featured two Bachelorettes for an entire season.
(In 2015, Kaitlyn Bristowe and Britt Nilsson were cast as co-leads, but the first episode ended with the men voting out Britt and choosing Kaitlyn as their Bachelorette.)
During filming, there were rumors that the casting of Gabby and Rachel had created problems that producers had never faced before — and were unsure how to handle.
On Monday night’s episode the show faced one of its first major hurdles, as Rachel and Gabby hosted their first joint rose ceremony.
Guys were sent home last week, but the ladies opted to handle the matter privately instead of handing out the show’s signature flower.
Fans were curious about how the ceremony would be handled from a logistical standpoint.
Would the ladies each hand out their own roses without consulting each other?
Would the men be eligible to receive two roses?
And if that happened, would they be asked to choose between Gabby and Rachel on the spot?
Once again (and probably to the chagrin of producers), Rachel and Gabby went the less-dramatic route and decided that all of their rose-based decisions would be made mutually.
“Rachel and Gabby, they’ve both informed me that the roses they hand out tonight, they’re coming from both women,” host Jesse Palmer informed the men.
“It means that both Gabby and Rachel, they want you around.”
It made for a nice, civil rose ceremony (except for the dudes who went home, obvi) — but it seems that we won’t be seeing another one of its kind.
Earlier this month, spoiler king Reality Steve informed us that the men will soon be asked to make a major decision:
Are they there for Gabby, or are they there for Rachel?
Needless to say, the tone of the rest of the decision will depend largely on how that scene unfolds.
Previews for Rachel and Gabby’s season showed the two women standing on opposite sides of a large room, essentially conducting two separate rose ceremonies at the same time.
Many fans found the teaser footage heartbreaking, as Rachel was reduced to tears when several men rejected her roses and revealed that they were “there for Gabby.”
“It seems cruel for both of us to be put in this place together,” said a tearful Rachel in the preview.
“I don’t know how I’m supposed to fall in love when no one gives a s–t about me. This is not supposed to be like this.”
This led to rumors that the majority of the men chose to compete for Gabby’s affection, but a later preview revealed that Windey faced similar rejection, with one suitor informing her that he was “fully for Rachel.”
“He said he can’t love me. Am I not good enough? Am I too broken for anyone to love?” Gabby is seen asking.
Yes, it seems we’re in for a rather dramatic season with lots of unexpected twists.
Gabby and Rachel have made it clear that they’re not in direct competition with one another — but they’re definitely facing obstacles that no other Bachelorettes have been forced to contend with.
