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‘Bachelorette’ Recap: Rachel Lindsay Meets Her Men, a Penguin, and a Terrifying Puppet

All is fair in love and war, but you already knew that. On the season premiere of The Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay reminded viewers why she was the chosen one, met a slew of handsome men, got a surprise kiss, and sent several guys packing. Watch all the highlights in our video recap above!

Related: ‘The Bachelorette’ Season 13: Meet Rachel Lindsay’s Bachelors!

The Monday, May 22, episode began with Rachel’s video package, in which the 31-year-old attorney described herself as “sassy yet classy” and admitted that when she had been on Nick Viall‘s season of The Bachelor, she’d probably waited too long to tell him how she felt. Now that the tables were turned, she was determined to just be herself without any pretending — well, except for a weird (obviously staged) clip where she pretended to “object” in court. Other than that, she is determined to be 100 percent real.

Meeting Some of Her Suitors

Next up came the videos showcasing some of the suitors. There was Kenny, a pro-wrestler with a 10-year-old daughter, Alex, a Russian fitness enthusiast who loves nerdy things like coding, and Mohit, who runs a startup and loves competitive Bollywood dancing. 

Next came Blake E., another fitness buff who mostly talked about how kinky his last relationship was, and Diggy, a guy from Chicago who owns more than 500 pairs of sneakers. Then there was Josiah, a 28-year-old prosecutor, who told an awful story about having to cut his brother down from a tree after he committed suicide. It was an eclectic mix to say the least, and it only got even more memorable when the men met Rachel face to face.

Best Entrances

We use the term “best” loosely. Determined to stand out, Blake E. arrived with a full marching band, which Rachel weirdly seemed to like. A guy named Adam showed up with a rather large puppet called Adam Jr., which seemed to freak Rachel out. Someone named Matt came dressed as a penguin. Lee, a songwriter from Nashville, sang her a song … and Jonathan — determined to make her smile — tickled her. She seemed OK with it, but it was pretty painful to watch.

Nothing was as painful as Lucas‘ entrance, however. He will forever be known as “Whaboom Guy.” He arrived with a megaphone and as much energy as a toddler who had just finished 15 candy bars and a 60 oz. soda. His signature phrase was “whaboom” and he wasn’t about to let anyone forget it. Of course, shortly after he arrived at the house, Blake E. — the guy with the kinky ex — decided he was there to be on TV and had already started plotting to take him down.whaboom” and he wasn’t about to let anyone forget it. Of course, shortly after he arrived at the house, Blake E. — the guy with the kinky ex — decided he was there to be on TV and had already started plotting to take him down.

First Kiss

Bryan, a 37-year-old chiropractic physician (err … is that a doctor? Almost a doctor?) said he wasn’t going to waste her time – and he meant it. Within moments of pulling her aside from the other men, Bryan had taken her face in his hands and planted a kiss on her. “I was not ready for it, did not want to kiss anybody tonight, but boy did I love it,” Rachel giggled to the camera later. “I enjoyed it!”

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Rachel was also struck by DeMario, however. “I’m going to go deeper with DeMario,” she told host Chris Harrison. “And see if there’s some sincerity there.” (She had already been warned that he was not here for the right reasons.) Later, she commented to the camera that he had a “very good presence” and was “also very handsome.”

First Impression Rose

Apparently Rachel really liked the sneak-attack kiss, because she gave Bryan the first impression rose. Josiah was crushed because he really thought he was the front-runner (wah wah!).

“From the moment you walked out of the limo, I felt something that was unexplainable and that I just connected with,” Rachel told Bryan. “There was something there.” She added that she loved how direct he had been and how he had taken control of the conversation.

Rose Ceremony

Then came the first rose ceremony. Bryce received one, along with DeMario and Josiah. Other lucky men included Peter, Will, Jack, Jamey, Iggy, Eric, Jonathan, Kenny (the wrestler), Dean, Matt, Anthony, Brady, Lee, Diggy (the sneaker guy), Fred, Adam (puppet guy), Blake E. (kinkster who is also apparently an “aspiring drummer”), and … drum roll please … Whaboom! That’s Lucas, in case you forgot.roll please … Whaboom! That’s Lucas, in case you forgot.

Related: 'Bachelor' and 'Bachelorette' Engagement Rings Through the Years

That means she said goodbye to Rob, Kyle, Blake K., Grant, Jedidiah, Michael, Milton, and the Bollywood dancer, Mo.

Tell Us: Do you think Rachel kept the right guys?

The Bachelorette airs on ABC Mondays at 9 p.m. ET.

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