By Jennifer Harrington
Last night on ABC’s The Bachelorette, the gang traveled to the ancient city of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Ashley Hebert was optimistic that it was “the perfect city to fall in love” and she hoped the change of scenery would mark her new beginning with the bachelors.  Here’s what happened during this chapter of her love story:
This week, there was a one-on-one, a group date and the dreaded two-on-one, which Ashley herself was on last season. Ben F. snagged the one-on-one, which was apropos, since feelings between our bachelorette and the winemaker started developing last week.  The pair enjoyed a low-key day of exploring the city and a candlelight dinner amidst an intricate floral arrangement.  Their attraction to each other was apparent, and Ashley even said that she could “see a life with Ben F.” The Sonoma-native also said he felt “giddy, puppy-dog love” and gladly accepted the rose!
The group date card read, “Love is worth fighting for.” While most cards are figures of speech, the guys literally spent the day training in Muay Thai, a native boxing style.  Although she initially said the date was a “hot way to see the men,” Ashley quickly changed her opinion during the sparring matches where the men were pitted against each other and said the date was getting too dangerous.  The boxing ring victim was Ames, who admitted he’d never been in a fight before. Though he gave it his best effort, his day ended with a concussion and an ambulance ride to the hospital.  Luckily, he got himself to the after-party that evening looking good as new, even though he was still recuperating from the match!  While it seemed that Ames would surely take home the group date rose, Blake made his move, acknowledging that although his relationship with Ashley was slow to develop, he believed “love is like a marathon, not a sprint.” The couple took their first steps towards romance with a sizzling kiss, and the fellow dentist took home the rose!
If you guys calculated correctly, the two-on-one date was between Ben C. and William.  Ever since the roast we’ve been skeptical of William, and this date certainly didn’t help repair his image.  Boasting that it was time for Ben C. to go home and it was “not going to be a pretty sight,” William told Ashley that his competition was “ready” to leave, hoping to test his luck in the online dating world ASAP.  Ashley didn’t even give Ben C. a chance to explain before she said goodbye. But rather than sharing a cozy evening with William, the bachelorette realized that the special spark she felt during their memorable Vegas date was gone.  And with that, she sent him home as well.
At the rose ceremony, Ashley confessed to Chris Harrison that Bentley was still on her mind. Realizing she needs closure in order to truly move on, the host offered to “make something happen for her.” In the meantime, she had to hand out the roses and send one unlucky man home.  The Adonis of the house, Nick, was sent home in a state of shock and eight men were left standing.
Thailand’s journey is over as we’re headed to Hong Kong next week.  Not surprisingly, Bentley will make his dramatic return in this glamorous city, and it looks like his presence is going to stir up serious trouble between Ashley and the other guys!  Check back later to see what our Bachelorette expert, Jesse Csincsak, has to say about Bentley’s ongoing drama, as well as his take on Chiang Mai! But first, let us know – what did you guys think of Ashley’s snap decision to send Ben C. home? Should she have given him more time to explain himself?
