The Bachelorette returned on Tuesday night with a new episode, a new series lead...

... and a brand new villain.

Let's get to the recap, shall we?

"I'm here for all of you," Tayshia Adams told the 16 remaining suitors upon meeting them.

"So I'm excited, you guys. I have to say, if you could've told me a week ago that I was going to be right here standing in front of all of this, I would've been like:

'No way!'

"But I cannot share my gratitude enough and thank you guys for staying here."

Clare Crawley, of course, got engaged to Dale Moss on air last week, leaving her contestants hanging and prompting ABC to swap in Adams.

"I know you guys have been through a lot. I know exactly what it feels like to be in your position," Tayshia continued.

"I'm really nervous, too. Because I haven't been in this position, you know?

'I know you guys have put a lot of yourself out there already but I really, really hope you guys don't close off. I want to lean into this and I want you guys to also lean into it.

"First of all, we've got to have a bomb summer, so cheers to that, but also, I want to find love — do you? If this is what's coming, I can't wait, so if you're ready to start the journey, cheers!"

How did the guys feel about this switcheroo?

"I like her way more than Clare already," Ivan said. "I can say that honestly. I'm way more attracted to her. This gave me new life."

Blake felt the same way:

"This feels so much more real in just one interaction with Tayshia than it was in four interactions with Clare."

These guys were given competition, however, as Chris Harrison introduced a new batch of potential husband from whom Tayshia will choose.

This included Spencer Robertson, a 30-year-old water treatment engineer.

"He is hot," Tayshia said after they met. "Like hot, hot, hot."

"So which one of you guys scared away Clare?" Spencer then asked Crawley's crew, making a bad impression via his attempt to break the ice.

Spencer also grabbed Adams as soon as the cocktail party got underway -- and earned the first impression rose in the process.

"The second you got out of the limo, my heart did kind of skip a beat," Tayshia admitted to him.

"You're a person I want to keep around and I'm really interested to get to know.”

Thankfully for the other fellas, they'd all have a chance to compete with Spencer because Tayshia also said there would be no rose ceremony that evening.

View Slideshow: Tayshia Adams Pictures: This Bachelorette is a Bombshell!

Cut to the first group date (featuring Blake, Riley, Zac, Jordan C., Noah, Peter, Kenny, Jay, Eazy and Spencer) and an intense game of pool basketball.

It didn't take long for blood to be drawn, either, as Riley popped Spencer in the face at one point.

"Spencer might've needed a little shot in the mouth," Kenny joked to the cameras. "He's had a little attitude since he got in the house. It was fitting.”

In the end, though? Spencer scored the winning hoop for his squad.

Once they changed back out of their swimsuits, the men confronted Spencer about what they perceived as cocky attitude.

"We call you 'Lunch Meat' because you like to talk a lot of s—," Riley told Spencer.

The newbie was unimpressed and unaffected, though.

"I've got this in the bag," he even said to the camera.

Not on the group date he didn't, we should note: Because this rose went to Eazy, who said he had just met his "wife" in Adams.

Back at the villas, Jason felt the complete opposite.

He approached Adams to discuss how he didn't believe he could continue.

"I let my walls down and I think I fell in love with Clare," he said.

"Unfortunately, she chose somebody else and my feelings for her were real. You deserve someone amazing and you deserve someone who's all in and unfortunately, I can't do this anymore."

Watch The Bachelorette Season 16 Episode 5 Online

After Jason left, and assured Tayshia that the other guys really were into her, the new Bachelorette embarked on her first one-on-one date with Brendan.

They rode horses and kissed in the pool and Tayshia came right out and stated:

"I am ready to go home with this man. I am telling you right now Brendan is everything.”

Whoa there! Get a room, Tayshia! (Oh, you have one and you want Brenda in it? Got it. Nevermind.)

Brendan and Tayshia proceeded to bond over both having been married before.

"There was no cheating, there was no abuse or addiction or any of those crazy things," he explained.

"We really fell out of love. I didn't really know who I was without her and she didn't really know who she was without me. We did counseling.

"It was definitely hard for me knowing I failed to a certain extent."

Does Adams choose Brendan in the end?

You can visit our section of The Bachelorette spoilers to find out.

But she was pretty darn smitten on her premiere.

"Kissing Brendan feels like I'm kissing my person," she said in an on-camera interview.

"Like, I feel really connected to him. I don't know -- I think I could marry him, which is so bizarre.

"I don't even think I've felt this way, ever. Today was just really magical."

View Slideshow: Bachelorette Spoilers: Who Does Tayshia Adams Pick? Who Drops Out of the Competition?

The Bachelorette airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on ABC.

What do you think so far of Tayshia versus Clare?