How Far Does Rachel Lindsay Make It With ‘Bachelor’ Nick Viall? ‘Bachelorette’ Gig In Rachel’s Future? [Spoilers]

The Bachelor contestant Rachel Lindsay received the first impression rose on the season premiere, but her romance with Nick Viall won’t heat up until Episode 5 (January 30) when she goes on her first one-on-one date in New Orleans.

According to her ABC bio, Rachel is a 31-year-old lawyer who hails from Dallas, Texas. She has been a quiet participant during the group dates and cocktail parties that have taken place during the first four episodes, but after her first date with Nick, she will quickly become one of this season’s frontrunners.

The connection between Rachel and Nick will be obvious to viewers who watch them interact during their date in New Orleans, and that will inevitably lead to a flurry of questions about the smart and beautiful attorney.

How far does Rachel make it with Nick Viall? And if she doesn’t make it to the final rose ceremony is there a chance she could become the Bachelor franchise’s first black Bachelorette?

Here’s the scoop on how Rachel’s love story with Nick progresses this season and the latest intel about which contestants from this season of the Bachelor are in the running to become the next Bachelorette.

Warning: The Bachelor Season 21 spoilers ahead!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvPwec1vphg&t=12s

Rachel has been on a number of group dates but her date with Nick on Episode 5 is the first time she’s had the opportunity to spend a good amount of alone time with the Bachelor star. ABC teases that the date “in the Big Easy provides combustible chemistry as the couple sight sees, dances and goes to a Lolo concert.”

In the video above, it’s clear that there Nick and Rachel are attracted to each other, but Nick tells ET that she’s been a front-runner since day one even though she had to wait for a few episodes for a one-on-one date.

“Rachel has been kind of a front-runner since day one… she was one of the easiest ones to talk to. I love a woman who knows how to have a great conversation and just have a strong personality and a great smile. She certainly has all of those, and today I am having a lot of fun with her.”

Nick doesn’t say he’s falling in love with her and states that he only wants to say that “one more time” and that’s totally understandable since he’s been through this process before and failed.

However, it’s clear that Rachel is falling for him, but will she make it to the final rose ceremony?

According to Reality Steve, Rachel will get a rose during her date in New Orleans and will travel with eight other girls to the next stop — St. Thomas, Virgin Islands (Episode 6, February 6).

Although she won’t get another one-on-one, she will be part of the group date and will then move on with five girls to the Bahamas (Episode 7, February 13) where she will get a one-on-one date and a rose.

The rose she received on Episode 7 will make Rachel one of four girls (Corinne, Raven, and Vanessa) who moves on to the hometown dates episode. According to a previous report from the Inquisitr, Rachel’s hometown date goes really well, but things don’t turn out so well for Corinne Olympios. Nick sends her home and Rachel, Raven, and Vanessa head to Finland for the overnight dates.

If Reality Steve’s spoilers are accurate, the Rachel doesn’t make it past the overnight dates episode. Although she reportedly will spend the night in the Fantasy Suite with Nick, he sends her home at the rose ceremony.

Does this make her a top contender to become the next Bachelorette? Rachel is definitely a fan favorite and would finally bring some diversity to the show. ABC’s former chief of entertainment told Entertainment Weekly last year that there is a need to add a diverse lead but, so far, all they’ve come up with is for Bachelor star Juan Pablo Galavis, the man they dubbed the “Latino Bachelor.”

Lee stated that he would be “very surprised” if the 2016 Bachelorette “wasn’t diverse,” but the network went with JoJo Fletcher instead. Granted, her mother is Persian, but that’s stretching the diversity thing just a bit.

It won’t be long before we know for sure who The Bachelor 2017 is. Although Reality Steve thinks that Rachel has a good chance of getting the gig, he also states that Raven Gates, who he says will get eliminated at the final rose ceremony, may also be considered for the role.

Would you like to see Rachel Lindsay as the next Bachelorette?

[Featured Image by ABC Television Network]