'Bachelorette' Andi proves "normal" isn't "boring"

That last season of The Bachelor was... well, a lot to take in, right? The awkward kissing and the "sex" and the blondes, so many blondes. Impossible though it may be to believe, it was just over two months ago that we were sitting in discomfort on that ABC stage, watching as Juan Pablo Galavis conjured new versions of his "me no speak English good" defense and Chris Harrison struggled to keep the greed demon inside of him from prematurely evacuating the human replica suit he'd had forged in the depths of Hell. Memories!

And now we're back for the female version of the same thing, which really just amounts to more metrosexual cat-fighting. Yup — it's The Bachelorette, everybody, and like herpes we will never truly be rid of it.

Monday night we (re) met Andi Dorfman, a gun-toting Atlanta criminal lawyer who is not okay with the word "okay." Which, on reflection, is more of a pre-packaged reference on my part. The show didn't harp at all on her time on The Bachelor, or Juan Pablo, or anything to do with last season. Good! Because it turns out, and I wasn't expecting this at all: Andi is kind of a sweet, awesome woman.

We already knew that she was an accomplished litigator and down-to-earth human on a TV franchise filled with space cadets, but Monday's premiere episode proved — to me, anyway — that neither of those things has to be synonymous with boring. That's the big concern with The Bachelorette, anyway, especially after Desiree Hartso-

Sorry! I just fell asleep.

Andi seems cool and chill and all those great frat guy synonyms for "exceedingly dateable." And sure enough, a bunch of former frat guys practically fell over themselves describing her in similar terms before they even got out of their limos. "What a great smile." "Look at that woman!" "She just looks so natural." "I'm on board." Etc. Andi backed up the compliments in her one-on-one interactions to follow, conveying optimism and fun in a way that never seemed prodded by ABC, but totally authentic.

All of which is to say: I wasn't excited to see Andi chosen as the latest Bachelorette, but I am now.

Granted, we're probably due for a mostly anti-climactic season when the most dramatic thing to happen in the premiere — an ex-Bachelorette and Bachelor Pad contestant trying to crash the mansion — didn't even involve Andi. But if the past 10 weeks of Dancing with the Stars or my own experience with life have taught me anything, it's that (contrived) drama is mostly overrated. I'd be happy just to watch Andi navigate the ups and downs of this journey sans embellishment or music cues, and it looks like this season may grant at least one of those wishes.

Image: ABC