by David McAlpine

We're back for week three of The Bachlorette (yes, it's only week 3) and there's been a lot of build-up. Last week, Bentley was a complete jerk and Jeff didn't get to take his mask off. Meanwhile, no one that we actually knew off the top of our heads or cared about got eliminated. Does that meant that will all change this week?

The first guy under this week's microscope (or, I guess in Ashley's case, very bright white dental light) is Ben C., the lawyer from New Orleans who also speaks French. I remember liking him week one, but since then he's faded from the radar, so I'm glad to see him get some one-on-one time with Ashley. And, of course, so is he.

At least, until he goes on the date. Ashley drags him to a dance studio to randomly learn some moves to "Like a G6" by Far East Movement, which Ben is clearly not grooving with (no pun intended). I have several friends who are painful to watch dance, and Ben is just like them: you give them a shot, and then they sit down.

But the pain continues. Ashley and Ben and lunching in a very wide open park when Ashley decides to ask Ben to do the dance with her. Ben knows something is up, but he can't say no, right? Of course not! So along with Ashley and Ben comes a huge crowd of other people to do this dance with them, and Ben still looks incredibly uncomfortable, as highlighted by his really, really fast confessionals.

All of a sudden, Ben becomes a chatterbox and Ashley can't kept up with what he's saying. It's like half fantasizing, half nonsense, so she just decides to shut him up with the date rose. Way to go, Ashley.

Before the next date, we have some business to attend to: the mask. Jeff has wanted to take it off for a while now, and now he finally has the chance. And when he takes it off…he's just another white guy. Really. The only thought Ashley has: he's older than he looks with the mask on. Strike on Jeff's part!

The group date is Ames, Ben F., Chris, Blake, Jeff, Lucas, Nick, Ryan, William and Bentley, and they're all going to throw a comedy roast for Ashley. If we rewind to last season of The Bachelor, you can recall that Ashley is perhaps one of the the most insecure people ABC has ever had on this show. Ever. So why put her through this torture? Because it's The Bachelorette, and they can.

The only person who seems really nervous about the roast is William--but not necessarily because he wants to impress Ashley. Famed roast-master Jeffrey Ross is in the house, and he wants to do well so he can score something out of this. Sounds like William is walking on thin ice.

And the guys before him really don't help build him up. There's a lot of jokes about Ashley's tiny boobs and the fact that she was third on the last season of The Bachelor. But then comes William, who is so excited to be at the podium that he lets it fly: "I thought I signed up to be with Emily or Chantal, and then Ashley's here. Really, who gives a sh**?"

Ashley's laughter turned into choking back tears, and there was no turning back for William. It was however, another golden opportunity for our resident villain Bentley to console her, though he prefers to call it "messing with her head." Oh, Bentley, you just keep getting worse and worse.

But the flub-ups keep coming on William's part, as he tries to make her fell better. Instead, he turns it into The William Show and says he's too toxic to be around, so she should talk to other people. Double ouch.

And none of the guys can seem to turn her night around, either. Instead, Ashley starts to head down the very, very dark path by telling Bentley about the texts she got before the show from Michelle Money. Bentley doesn't exactly deny it, but also calls into question Michelle's judgment of character (of which he has a point), and Ashley buys it. Still, it's not enough to get him the rose, as makey-outy Ryan S. scores it instead.

An angry Bentley proceeds to pack his bags the next morning because he misses his daughter, even though I guess he's really just done keeping up the charade. Apparently he's proud that he was an a-hole on national television, but he's not going to let Ashley down too hard.

He plays up the daughter card and makes Ashley feel real special before he walks out the door for good, leaving her a crying mess in her bed. Just to make sure this is absolutely clear: Ashley seemed to genuinely believe that Bentley was going to the end. To the end! And instead, she has a dozen other nice, hunky guys. What to do, what to do…

Unfortunately for JP, his date is in a few hours. But he's there to pick up the pieces and spend a nice night at home with Ashley, which wins him major brownie points and the date rose.

Before the rose ceremony, Chris Harrison tries to coach Ashley into thinking that she wasn't in love with Bentley, but moreso the idea of Bentley (i.e. it wasn't her fault she was completely blinded and opted not to listen to her friends). She's still upset, but she knows who she wants to kick off, so she just wants to cut straight to the rose ceremony.

Constantine, West, Mickey, Ben F., Blake, Nick, Ames, Lucas and, finally, William end up with roses after the night is over, leaving Chris (still falls under the "don't know, don't care" category) and our masked-man-no-more Jeff. He bared his face and she sent him packing! Harsh.

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

(Photo courtesy of ABC)

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