The Season 23 premiere features Colton Underwood. Among the women vying for his affection: a pageant star who calls herself the "hot-mess express"; a confident Nigerian beauty with a loud-and-proud personality; a deceptively bubbly spitfire who is hiding a dark family secret; and a California beach blonde who has a secret that ironically may make her a perfect match for Underwood.

True love (or a TV facsimile thereof) gets the reality treatment in this long-running dating game.

Eight women arrive at the arena that showcases the swashbuckling show "Pirates Dinner Adventure." Capt. Colton greets them in full pirate regalia and introduces them to the professional performers, who dress the ladies appropriately from head to toe and then supports them through a challenging pirate tutorial. But it is nothing compared to Caelynn and Tracy competing for the position of Colton's "first soul mate,"] as the cheering crowd urges them on.

The group travels to Singapore; Tayisha and Colton bungee jump; Colton takes Caelynn shopping.

Colton's search for his soulmate moves on to the tropical paradise of Khao Lak, Thailand. Thirteen determined women see this lush destination as a great opportunity to advance their individual love stories with the Bachelor. Heather is the lucky woman to get Colton's first one-on-one date: a scenic boat ride along Thailand's coast, which lands them at the "floating city" of Ko Panyi.

Oneyka and Nicole's showdown continues as Colton tries to find an escape from the ordeal. After the rose ceremony, the remaining bachelorettes travel to the lush, tropical paradise of Vietnam's Cam Ranh coast.

The pressure mounts as Colton and the seven remaining women return to the U.S. and his hometown of Denver. He meets with popular Bachelor Ben Higgins for his advice, sharing his fear of being blindsided by a bachelorette who is not as serious as he is. Tayshia and Colton escape to explore Denver, and she shares earthshattering news that shakes his world. Caelynn meets Colton on the ski slopes; and country music star Brett Young builds the romance with a surprise concert for the couple.

Colton made it through an extremely challenging week, questioning which women were really ready for commitment. In the end, he found four amazing bachelorettes he cares about who have his confidence: Caelynn, Cassie, Hannah G. and Tayshia. A visit to Caelynn's hometown of Fredericksburg, Va., turns emotional as her protective family needs convincing that Colton is serious about his desire to be married.

Colton and the three remaining women embark on a journey to the Algarve region of Portugal. It's a trip full of major surprises, high anticipation and extreme anxiety.

The women who hoped to win the hand of Colton Underwood reflect on their experiences.