"The Bachelorette" Recap: Concussions and Confusion by Megan Gibson | @meganjgibson | 21 June 2011 | + Tweet Image via ABC. Ashley is working some aggression. Click here for a recap of the June 28 episode, bidding returning contestant Bentley farewell. This week's episode of *The Bachelorette* saw Ashley showing a bit of restraint (good!) and then overcome with uncertainty (bad!). Our dwindling group of suitors was still in Thailand this week, and as the episode begins, Chris Harrison announces that this is the dreaded two-to-one date week. That means Ashley has to take out two men at a time, which not only complicates things inherently but adds extra pressure: one man must be sent packing by the end of the day. Unfortunately for the men, great for the audience (and eager recappers). But first, lucky Constantine Ben F. (they look more and more alike as the weeks go by) gets the coveted one-on-one date (more: see previous *Bachelorette* recaps). Maybe last week's date-planner Annie was busy elsewhere, but this one-on-one date was decidedly lackluster. The two head to a Thai market (which, if you watched last week, you'll remember was the backup plan for a rained-out romantic date with Constantine), where they paint paper umbrellas and then sit in front of a holy temple and stare at it. Despite bad Ashley proclamations about it being the most romantic place on earth, buzzkill Ashley Ben informs us that they are not allowed to kiss because the area is so holy. Instead, the pair shares a "mental kiss," which seems like it's meant to let the viewers know how warm they are towards each other, but really it's just boring. Then comes dinner, where Ben F., a winemaker from Sonoma, brags about his job saying, "it's the coolest job ever." (Ha, we bet!) So he bores our blue-blooded bachelorette with a string of clichés about finally being ready for love and looking for someone to grow with – which she, of course, loves ("Ben says everything I want to hear"). So, in front of a group of brand dancers, they share a non-psychic kiss, and Ashley hands him a rose.Group date time, and it seems Ashley has finally decided to get back at all the guys for the now infamous steam from an earlier group date. This time, she has the guys focus their negativity towards each other instead of her, with a brutal round of Muay Thai boxing. First up, Constantine, Ames, Nick, Lukas, Blake, Ryan, JP, and Mickey all get some boxing lessons as Ashley hops from guy to guy offering perky encouraging words while not-so-secretly ogling the shirtless men. After the men are unceremoniously trained in the art of kickboxing, they vie for their matching colors. "Every color of the rainbow" has been laid out for them according to Ames, who doesn't grab his favorite color with gusto like the other guys and ends up with the warm pink ensemble. He hovers not too mindfully over MBT Sini Men Shoes, which is quite telling, because just in the heels of the color battle is a real battle, something Ames runningly claims he's never done before (listen: 32 Epic Reality TV Moments). But there's no time for pacifists when it comes to a love war, so the men square off for a series of public battles. First up is Blake the dentist versus Lucas, two men who when they're on camera can't help but wonder, "Who's that guy?" Blake in earnestness must realize how nondescript he's been because he declares that he needs to win this fight to show Ashley that he's "more than just a dentist." Luckily he does, showing Ashley and the world that beyond being a dentist, he's also very aggressive. Good get, master! Next up is Mickey and JP, and despite a rocky start for JP, the self-proclaimed littlest guy there, ends up winning the fight. Lastly, it's time for Ames to battle Ryan, and it's not kind. For the happiest guy in the group, surely Ryan understands throwing a punch, and he throws several Ames' way right off the bat. After Ryan is declared the winner, Ames stumbles out and sits smiling, showing even fewer signs of life than normal. It's clear Ashley is concerned, so much so that she doesn't even notice the final fight between Nick and Constantine. Instead, she rushes out to find some help for Ames (Constantine wins). As Ames crawls into an ambulance, still looking dazed, Ashley tells him that she's "really sorry about it" and tells the camera that she "had no idea it would go this far." (Um, really?) So the ambulance goes, sirens blaring, which seems a bit unnecessary -? but I'm not a doctor or reality TV producer, so what do I know Later, the somber group gathers for drinks, but Ashley says morale is low. "With Ames in the hospital, I almost feel like there's a dark cloud over the night," she says. Which would seem like a reflective mood except for the "almost" part, but hey, there are still seven more guys left, so the night isn't a total bust. As Ashley chats and flirts with the guys, a still-smiling Ames ambles into the room, where he's met with a round of handshakes and well-wishes. Ashley whisks him off for a private chat, wanting to hear all she missed by not going to the hospital with him. And Ames, bless him, still smiling and dazed, but manages to still charm, saying he'd happily said, "I'm completely in love, and I have a mild concussion." And though Ashley is charmed, and he made light of the brain trauma for her feelings, the group moment goes to Blake the dentist, probably to finally show her that he's "more than just a dentist" (list: Top 10 Twitter Controversies). Two-to-one date time, where Ashley comes to take out Ben C. and William on a river-raft (tomfoolery?) cruise. As these two sorrowful guys seem to have absolutely nothing in common, the date point seems even more difficult than expected. As the guys steer the raft down the river with Ashley quietly sitting between them, William decides he's had enough of sharing and when they're back on land takes Ashley aside. "I'm not throwing the guy under a bus," he starts, cluing us all in to the fact that that's exactly what he's doing, so he continues to tell Ashley that Ben C. has told the guys he looks forward to online dating when he returns home. "Some people have you on their mind, and some people don't," he adds, to clue Ashley in on where it hurts. Just like that, her uncertain hat is back on and this time, it's angry. Marching back to Ben C., she declares mid-two-to-one date, telling Ben that it's time for him to go. Even William looks shocked by this and Ben looks downright bewildered. Though Ben C. doesn't deny William's accusation, you can't help but feel a little sorry for him as he drifts away on the river raft. But Ashley's warpath is not yet finished as she continues the date with William. He attempts to charm her but totally falls short by admitting that he's "not quite ready to grow up" and that he noted to William he's "just looking for a girl to have fun with": not the best thing to say to a bachelorette who's gone on two reality shows looking for a man. So Ashley tells him that she doesn't think they can go back to the way they once were, and she sends him home too. Phew! Despairingly, ruthless Ashley is only a mask for uncertain Ashley and as she moves onto the pre-rose ceremony party, her lack of confidence is palpable. Telling the group, "I know some of you might not necessarily fall in love with me," she then proceeds to take each man aside and essentially grills them about their intentions and feelings towards her. Uncertainty has clearly reared its ugly head, as she questions Constantine if he feels closer to the guys on the show than he does to her, which is equally odd. All the guys do their best to reassure, but she doesn't seem to listen. Why, one might ask? Ah, it's because she's still thinking about Bentley. (I imagine audiences across America also pulled their hair out in frustration over this, yes?) During her sit-down with Chris Harrison Manolo Blahnik Online Store Europe, Ashley tells him that she cannot stop thinking about Bentley, and she will not move forward with any of the guys until she resolves her feelings with him. Noting that Bentley is always on her mind, she admits, "It's not normal." "No," Chris Harrison deadpans (because he's the best), but he promises to find a way for Ashley to resolve her feelings with Bentley. But first, she has to send one more guy home, and that guy turns out to be Nick Manolo Blahnik Booties, which is a surprise to everyone but Nick himself, who says that he has "withdrawn." What an episode! And according to the teaser for next week (which ABC unfairly teased last week), Bentley will finally make his comeback on the show. So tune in next week and be sure to catch up on next Tuesday's recap.List: Best Blogs of 2011Megan Gibson is a reporter at TIME. Find her on Twitter at @meganjgibson. You can also continue the conversation on TIME's Facebook page and on Twitter at @TIME. Should women be barred from combat? This last rest of Pat ABC cancellation status read Ber flies online welcome after six weeks hiatus , allowed for Ai Weiwei