The Bachelor returned with Peter Weber on Monday night, and the Delta pilot from California narrowed his cast of women down from 30 to 22 during his first rose ceremony at the Bachelor Mansion.
But the premiere didn’t end there. The three-hour kickoff to Weber’s 24th cycle featured his first group date — an unusual move for the long-running franchise — that was interrupted by the return of his ex, former Bachelorette star Hannah Brown.
After showing up during the first night for a brief moment, Brown makes her second appearance during the premiere episode when she again surprises him on a stage to retell their now-famous windmill story for Weber and his potential girlfriends. (Brown revealed during her live finale that she and Weber had sex four times in a windmill-themed room during the Fantasy Suites week of her competition.)
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Brown and Weber end up having an emotional conversation about their potentially unfinished relationship (he placed second runner-up on her season and they hadn’t talked since), but the private sit-down between the exes ends on a cliff-hanger note leading into the second episode.
Though Brown’s return took time away from Weber’s new suitors, first impressions are always important when it comes to The Bachelor franchise. Weber gave his coveted first-impression rose to another Hannah: Hannah Ann, a model from Knoxville, Tenn. And, as is tradition, Jimmy Kimmel revealed his Night 1 prediction for who will win the season on Monday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!, also picking Hannah Ann to beat out Madison, who earned the first one-on-one date, and Kelley, who had met Weber briefly before filming.
When speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, host Chris Harrison called Weber’s ending a “wild” and “turbulent” one, and Weber himself promised that no one will be able to spoil his finale.
Based on the first episode, which of the remaining women will be the one standing at the end? Share your vote with THR below.
