By Jennifer Harrington
Ashley Hebert was devastated last week, after Bentley’s departure and William’s cutting remarks during the “roast” group date. After having a few days off to mend her broken heart, our bachelorette was back in action and ready for a “fresh start” – in Phuket, Thailand! Here’s how the guys fared this week on ABC’s The Bachelorette:
As usual, there were two one-on-one dates and a group date. The first one-on-one went to Constantine, and the duo’s plan to enjoy a romantic boat ride was cast aside because of rain. Undeterred by the sudden change of plans, the Atlanta native was easygoing as they spent the day chatting and exploring the city together. At dinner, Ashley said she has “definite chemistry” with the restaurant owner and was blown away by his “realness.” After declaring that she “loved today,” this contestant received a rose.
The next day, our bubbly leading lady and 10 of the guys fixed up an orphanage that was home to children affected by recent tsunamis in the area. The men got into the project, especially Ben F., who stood out from the pack by painting a mural for the kids (despite his admission that he is not artistic!). After a full day of giving back it was off to a celebration party, where the winemaker continued to impress Ashley with a “really, really good kiss” – and it was no surprise when he was rewarded with the group date rose! However, the heat really intensified when she chatted under an umbrella in the rain with J.P. Talking turned into smooching and Ashley said, “Kissing J.P. is magical…J.P. is one sexy man!”
The final date went to Ames, who the bachelorette noticed has a hard time letting loose during group settings. On their kayaking excursion through sea caves, Ashley was delighted to learn that this New York-suitor is spontaneous and witty. After noting that he’s traveled to 70 countries and has lots of “depth,” Ashley said he’s “different” from the other guys in the house. Although this date went sans-kiss, Ames returned to the villa with a rose.
At the cocktail party, the bachelorette asked “serious questions” – if West thought she could fill the “big shoes” left by his deceased wife, why Lucas fell out of love with his ex-wife, and even about Ryan’s growing rift with the other contestants in the house. After Ashley was confident with their answers, she spoke with Chris Harrison about her lingering Bentley thoughts and asked if she could add an extra rose – meaning only one guy would go home instead of two. Her wish was granted, and everyone received a rose but West. Though he was one of our early favorites, it didn’t seem like he much spark with the bachelorette, and Ashley wasn’t sure if he was truly ready to move on.
Be sure to return later today to read Bachelorette expert Jesse Csincsak’s take on the action in Thailand! We’ll be back Friday to preview next week’s episode, where it appears Bentley’s back to stir up trouble. Until then, let us know: What do you think about Blake’s decision to confront Ryan during the cocktail party? Do you think Ryan is genuine or another potential heartbreaker?
