'The Bachelor' Premiere: First Impressions and Spoilers

This season’s Bachelor, fourth season Bachelorette runner-up Jason Mesnick, has already announced that he is now engaged to the winner of The Bachelor, and the first episode hasn’t even aired yet. But when viewers tune in for the first time on January 5, they need not fear that any surprises from the show were ruined by Mesnick’s announcement. BuddyTV got an exclusive sneak peek at the episode, right up to the first rose ceremony, and now we can say for certain: this season of The Bachelor promises to be just as exciting a competition as any other, with lots of twists ahead for the competitors, and a lot at stake for Mesnick and his 3 year old son, Ty.

Read on for our first impressions and some mild spoilers from the episode.

Any Bachelor attracts enthusiastic contestants, but Jason Mesnick seems to have attracted an especially devoted fanbase in his 25 lady suitors. When DeAnna Pappas rejected Jason in the finale of The Bachelorette, their hearts went out to the single dad from Seattle, and many of these women became convinced that they were meant to be the future Mrs. Mesnick. From poems, to dance lessons, to a little bit of MySpace stalking, each woman tries to stand out from the herd and establish the connection that she already knows is there. One even uses “The Hotdog Test,” but you’ll just have to wait to find out what that means.

The usual level of drama ensues when each woman tries to get as much one-on-one time with Mesnick as possible—but the drama level rises dramatically when the host, Chris Harrison, introduces two special elements to the night. The first, we’re familiar with: “The First Impression Rose,” which Jason gives to the woman who impresses him most on the first night. The second is a new twist: Chris asks the women to vote off their least favorite competitor. That’s when the claws really come out.

This season of The Bachelor presents a special twist on the normal formula for the show: not only is Mesnick looking for a wife, but he is also looking for a mother (or mother-figure) for his son. When we meet the 25 women who will be competing for Mesnick’s love, they are all fully aware of the roles that await them if they do win his heart, and each woman is extra eager to prove that she’s able and willing to settle down and become a family with Jason and Ty.

Some of the women do a better job of communicating their readiness for motherhood than others, and an immediate divide forms between the single moms and the childless love seekers. The leader of the single mothers, Megan, a 25 year old single mom from Pennsylvania, even lectures a group of the women about how clueless they are about the responsibilities of parenting. That doesn’t go over too well, and it sets a tone of seriousness that will likely play out the whole season. All 25 women range widely in age, from 23 to 34, and in their backgrounds with children. Some are doting aunts and teachers, while others are former Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders and flight attendants. Who will Jason fall in love with? Who will be the best addition to Jason and Tyler’s family? And, will the answers to these questions match up?

It remains to be seen how Jason will factor in the maternal element in his rose-giving decisions. But it’s clear that it’s always on his mind, because his son is always on his mind. This isn’t just The Bachelor. It’s The Bachelor and Baby, and they’re playing for keeps.