Last night Bentley Williams, the contestant deemed by ABC as the “most villainous bachelor in the show’s history,” made his controversial exit, which I covered in careful and colorful detail in my Bachelorette recap, if you’ve yet to experience that delight yet.
Now that the show has aired, here’s what Ashley, Chris Harrison and more are saying about the big episode, plus sneak peeks at what’s coming next for Ashley’s adventures. It turns out Bentley might not be the only guy who isn’t being honest with the Bachelorette.
Watch Bentley’s Exit Again
Did you miss it, or just want that special, skin-crawling feeling again? Watch Bentley lie straight to Ashley’s face about why he’s leaving:
What Ashley’s Saying
In her blog on People.com, Ashley writes that, “After watching this episode, I can’t help but feel betrayed, lied to, and made a fool of.” But she maintains that she acted the way she thought was right at the time: “The truth is that I always look for the good in people, and I saw that in him. I only knew what he showed me, and I felt it to be real at the time. I can tell you that from the bottom of my heart, I don’t remember ever feeling this depth of hurt and embarrassment.”
Ashley then confirms what some spoilers have already told us: “Unfortunately, it’s not the last you will see of Bentley.”
As for the roast that made her cry, Ashley explains, “It hurt me that William did not use great judgment. I thought he would shine most. However, people make bad decisions, and in my heart I still knew he was a guy with good intentions.” Read the rest of her post for more about her dates with Ben C. and JP.
What Chris Harrison’s Saying
In his blog on EW.com, Chris Harrison lays out exactly which of Bentley’s actions upset him the most: “My issue is he appears to have come on the show with bad intentions, and when he decided to leave, he messed with Ashley’s head by leading her on and letting her believe that there’s still a chance for them to be together. He knew Ashley had fallen for him, and instead of just leaving and letting her go he took one last inappropriate shot by ending it with that ridiculous “dot-dot-dot” garbage.”
He also weighs in on William’s unfortunate “jokes” at the roast: “William got way too excited about fulfilling his dream of becoming the next Dennis Miller and forgot to be a smart, sensible man. The big difference between William and a guy like Bentley is William quickly realized the error of his ways, felt sick about it and apologized many times.”
And hints at the aftermath of Bentley’s exit: “The only problem is she doesn’t get much time to heal her heart and put things in perspective. She has twelve guys still here giving up their lives to find love, and they really don’t understand just how much Ashley had fallen for Bentley. As we move forward this will be the dilemma we deal with.”
What’s Coming Next
If you want the full season’s worth of spoilers, you know where to find them by now, but for those of us who like our Bachelorette with just a sprinkling of tantalizing hints, here’s what we’re hearing and seeing:
Watch the Episode 4 preview again: Next week, Ashley and her final 12 go to Thailand, where it looks like we’ll finally get to know Constantine, Ames and Ben F., and Ryan will become the new “What’s she seeing in this guy?” guy.
Deleted Scene: What’s the deal with Ryan? If it seems like Ryan’s annoying behavior is coming out of left field, check out this deleted scene from Week 3, which shows Ames, Blake and William already discussing how Ryan acts different around them than he does with Ashley.
Shirtless Sneak Peek: Hellooooo, Nick. Ryan may be getting on their nerves, but Nick’s abs are on the guys’ jealous minds when he takes off his shirt around Ashley. Blake even calls him “Adonis.” Now we’re getting back to the show we know and love (to laugh at).
A Happy Ending After All: Last night’s episode ended on a painfully hopeless note, but take heart, because the rumors that Ashley will leave the show “engaged and very happy” are starting to spread. Yay!
(Image courtesy of ABC)
Senior Writer, BuddyTV
Meghan hails from Walla Walla, WA, the proud home of the world’s best sweet onions and Adam West, the original Batman. An avid grammarian and over-analyzer, you can usually find her thinking too hard about plot devices in favorites like The Office, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and How I Met Your Mother. In her spare time, Meghan enjoys drawing, shopping, trying to be funny (and often failing), and not understanding the whole Twilight thing. She’s got a BA in English and Studio Art from Whitman College, which makes her a professional arguer, daydreamer, and doodler.
