That’s right, “The Bachelorette” is back. Is this the most dramatic season yet?

The long-awaited Season 16 of “The Bachelorette” premiered Tuesday, and it was filled with tears, dramatic coronavirus tests and, of course, dramatic men. 

This season took an unexpected turn when the coronavirus hit the United States. Just a couple days before filming was supposed to begin in March, shelter-in-place orders put Clare Crawley’s season as the show’s lead on hold for several months. But we are finally back, and there is so much to unpack for the upcoming season. 

So, who is Clare? Clare’s debut into the “Bachelor” world was on Juan Pablo’s season back in 2014. Since then, she has been on two seasons of the hit spin-off “Bachelor in Paradise” and even had a failed engagement on the not-so-hot spin-off “Bachelor Winter Games” (a fact that ABC completely ignored in Tuesday’s premiere). That’s right: This is Clare’s fifth time looking for love on a television show, and here’s to hoping it finally works. 

Clare seemed to be an unusual choice for this season’s lead, as most bachelorettes are hot off the latest seasons of “The Bachelor,” yet it has been five seasons and six years since she first appeared on the franchise. So, yes, it is clear that Clare has had little success when it comes to finding love on reality television, but her positive spirit and refreshing maturity pull you in to follow her journey one more time. 

She also became the oldest bachelorette in franchise history at 39 years old. This was a welcomed change coming off of previous seasons with women as young as 22 and our last bachelorette, Hannah Brown, who was just 24. After many viewers complained about the show’s generally young cast, which resulted in more drama than lasting romance, the older cast got a more positive reaction. 

Instead of diving into the men’s introduction tapes and the iconic limo arrivals, the show aired about 45 minutes of pandemic content in a two-hour episode, including ABC News headlines and iPhone videos of Clare social distancing in her home after filming was postponed. 

We got to see the contestants fly, with masks, to the new shooting location at the La Quinta Hotel in Palm Springs, where they quarantined for two weeks. Several coronavirus tests later, the men, crew and Clare were all let out of quarantine and into the bubble they created at the resort. While these steps are obviously important for the safety of the people on the show, the presentation seemed a little dragged out and repetitive.

Finally, the limo entrances began, and we met the 31 men vying for Clare’s heart. 

With creative entrances and witty jokes, the men seemed excited, mature and ready to fall in love. While most decided to keep their entrances low-key, often talking about how nice it was to finally touch or hug someone else, there were a few men who had fun and tried to stand out. However, this did not seem to impress Clare, as she had eyes for only one man as soon as he stepped out of the limo. 

Dale Moss, a former pro football player, stopped Clare in her tracks, and after their quick conversation, she said, “I knew it. I definitely feel like I just met my husband. Oh, my God. I’m shaking.” That was quite the introduction.

As the episode continued, we got to see the usual flirtatious conversations, funny confessional interviews from the men and a little bit of drama. The rose ceremony commenced early the next morning, and a few men left the show. While it seemed like a typical first episode for “The Bachelorette,” the preview for the rest of the season featured lots of tears, comments on Clare’s age and maybe even an early departure from the bachelorette herself. 

“The Bachelorette” airs every Tuesday on ABC, and this season is definitely one to watch. Whether you have always been an avid viewer, you need an escape for a couple hours every week or this is your first time watching, definitely tune in for this one. Rumored to have “blown up” the entire season, Clare seems like she is going to follow her heart. But only time will tell whether she’s found love or failed at finding a husband on reality television once again.