Still Thinking About Rachel

Tuesday morning update: It's official, Rachel is the new Bachelorette. Nick put a gracious comment on his Instagram, acknowledging this early announcement was a bit of a spoiler for the end of his season: 

• Bachelor Nation doesn't know how it all goes down yet, but as you'll surely see saying goodbye to Rachel was one of the most heartbreaking moments of my life. 
  I have met very few people who possess as much beauty, grace, and charisma as Rachel and after hearing that she'll be the next Bachelorette I couldn't be more excited.
  
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  Bachelor Nation is so lucky to have her but not as lucky as the group of men who will have a chance at winning her heart. No one is better prepared to show Bachelor Nation, and the world, the beauty of embracing diversity. Good luck Rachel, not that you'll be needing it. I'm so proud and happy for you, I'm honored to be able to call you a friend. I can't wait to watch your journey!! 
  
  
  • Note that this post got more than 10,600 comments.
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  • Rachel commented on her Instagram too: 
  • So happy for this moment!!! Thank you so much for the love and support!!!! Can't believe I am the new bachelorette...still feel like I'm dreaming 
  • I checked Rachel's Instagram yesterday afternoon, just at the news started to come out, and she had 64,400 followers. At 9.00 Tuesday morning? 111,000.
  • (I'm not sure why the line spacing and font size is a little out-of-whack in this post. This is the first time I've copied/pasted text from Instagram and I'm having trouble getting it to line up right.) 
  • Original post:
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Warning: spoiler ahead

It looks like it's really happening. ABC has cast its first African-American lead, naming Rachel Lindsay as the new Bachelorette. The franchise has taken some heat over the years for its lack of diversity and it's way past time for a change. Most seasons had a few men or women of color but none of them made it to the final four, which is almost always the pool of candidates from which ABC selects the next lead.

(Here's the spoiler:) Word on the street in Bachelor Nation is that Rachel comes in third on the current show, being sent home at the end of the Fantasy Suites episode. Given that Ben H, Kaitlyn, Chris Soules, Andi, Sean Lowe and Ashley Hebert all came in third on the season where they were contestants, it's been a pretty good bet all along that Rachel would get the job, except for one tiny detail: She's black. She's also savvy, charming, level-headed, whip-smart and gorgeous. And an attorney. (And her father's a federal judge. Really hoping we get to meet him during Rachel's hometown date.)

Yes, it will be weird to watch the next three episodes, knowing what we now know. I'm even wondering if editors are frantically re-editing the show as I type, for less of a focus on Nick and Rachel together and less talk from Rachel about how she can see herself with Nick. And yes, Rachel's fantasy suite date, in particular, may feel strange.

If ABC hadn't selected Rachel, it would be hard to frame it as anything other than a racial issue. (Or really, a "we're afraid we'll lose viewers if we cast a black lead" issue.) For the record, I'm cheering. I think Rachel will be a badass Bachelorette. (And I mean that in a good way.) I certainly didn't want to see Corinne in the role. She belongs on Bachelor In Paradise and I'm glad to see ABC doing the right thing. Go Rachel!