Well, it may have felt a little bit different from previous debuts, but the premiere of Matt James' season of The Bachelor reminded us that when it comes to TV's most iconic dating show, some things will never change.
Yes, the circumstances were dramatically altered by Covid concerns, but there were still plenty of jitters, awkward moments, overly competitive contestants, and yes, spoilers courtesy of the spoiler master himself, Reality Steve.
So who takes home Matt's final rose and potentially earns the title of Mrs. James?
Well, the intel may have arrived a little later than in years past -- it's tough to spy on a show that's filmed entirely in a quarantine bubble -- but we finally have the answer.
First, the bad news:
Neither Vibrator Girl nor self-appointed "queen" Victoria winds up in Matt's final four. Tragic.
So who does make it to the Hometown Round?
Well, Steve says he knows the identities of three of the contestants, and he has a pretty good guess regarding the fourth.
First, there's Serena Pitt.
The 23-year-old publicist and self-described foodie from Toronto may not have gotten as much time with Matt as she would have liked during the insanity of the first cocktail party.
But rest assured, she'll get plenty of opportunities for one-on-one interactions as the season goes on.
Next up is Rachael Kirkconnell.
Like Matt, Cumming, Georgia resident Rachael is a down-home southerner with a taste for the old-fashioned.
Kirkconnell says she's never been in love, but we're guessing that will change this season.
The third member of Matt's final four is Michelle Young.
If you don't recognize her, you're certainly not alone.
Michelle is one of five women who were introduced to the house after the second rose ceremony.
While the other women probably didn't appreciate the surprise, it seems Michelle made quite an impression on Matt!
The wild card this season is Bri Springs.
She and Matt hit it off on night one, and Reality Steve believes that she's the final member of Matt's final four, but he says he's unable to confirm that at this time.
The man is nothing if not thorough!
So now that we know the identities of Matt's final four, let's move on to the big question -- who actually takes home the final rose?
Well according to one of Steve's inside sources, “Michelle and Rachael were final 2, and Rachael wins.”
Steve says that intel is backed by reports from the residents of Cumming, Georgia who say there's no doubt that Rachael is Matt's woman.
"All I keep being told out of Cumming is that Rachael won, and all her friends and family know and they’re telling everyone," Steve writes.
He cautions his readers that the outcome is still not guaranteed, and there's "a lot more that goes down this season."
But we suppose if you're the sort of person who bets on the outcome of reality shows, the smart money is currently on Rachael.
As for whether or not Matt winds up getting engaged at the end of this season, that remains uncertain.
Maybe we're just being greedy -- after all, the most recent season of The Bachelorette yielded not one, but two engagements.
But something tells us this North Carolina to NYC transplant will wind up slipping a ring on someone's finger before the season is through!