The Bachelor

Blame it on editing if you like, but in just four episodes, Courtney Robertson has already cemented her place as one of the great villains in the history of The Bachelor.

She's just getting started, too.

Next week features the already-infamous scene in which Courtney takes things to new depths in her quest to claim Ben's heart (and other body parts) for her own.

Even Ellen told him he's being played, but when a model strips down and goes skinny dipping in the ocean with you, rational thoughts may be on the back burner.

Can she be stopped before it's too late?

Watch Ben Fljanik and Courtney Robertson's nude moment in the promo for Monday's episode of The Bachelor (after this week's DRAMATIC rose ceremony) below:

The Bachelor Promo: Skinny Dipping

The Bachelor's Courtney Robertson ...

Courtney Robertson has Ben Flajnik wrapped around her finger on The Bachelor, according to viewer Ellen DeGeneres, who bluntly told Ben as much today.

If you missed Monday's episode, you missed a good two hours of drama, tears and Courtney pursing her lips and doing whatever it takes to get her way.

Ellen seemed to catch on, and she had a few words for Ben Flajnik regarding that model from Santa Monica who doesn't seem to be popular with fans:

Ben Flajnik on Ellen

"She manipulated you to try and get that rose. She said, 'Oh, I don't know how I feel.' Then you went and got the rose and gave it to her. That was not right."

Judging by the applause, the audience agreed with Ellen, who added:

"She may be a lovely person and you're probably engaged to her, but the thing is, the way that it was edited she came off not nice, and I could be wrong."

"I know it's not fair to judge someone like that, but she was just playing you... man. She was playing you. Saying all the things you wanted to hear."

Damn, son. Ben can't reveal much, of course, but did admit it would have been nice to have a mole telling him what went on in the mansion. Ellen's response:

"All right, I'm going to find you a nice girl because that didn't work."

As for her comment that Ben is "probably engaged to her," see our Bachelor spoilers page for what sources are saying about the season's endgame.

Ben Flajnik's season of The Bachelor is coming on strong after a slow ratings start.

The season launched to franchise-low ratings, but things are looking up after a steady dose of bikini skiing, cat fights and surprising, contrived plot twists.

Averaging 8.2 million overall viewers, and a 2.7 rating among 18-to-49-year-olds, last night's episode marked a season high for the ABC guilty pleasure.

Four episodes in, Ben Flajnik's Bachelor is fast approaching Brad Womack's season a year ago. Just wait until we get to the good stuff a few weeks from now.

How will it end? Read The Bachelor spoilers here for insight on how we believe the 16th season plays out ... or watch in video form below, if you dare.

REPEAT: Mega-spoiler alert for the link above and video below!

The Bachelor Spoilers: How Will It End?

After the return and exit of Shawntel Newton last week, The Bachelor settled back into its normal routine of ridiculous dates, cat-fighting and emotional turmoil Monday.

The Bachelor spoilers we've read actually didn't include much on this episode, including who would get the boot. So it was interesting to watch unfold in that sense.

Ben Flajnik took the ladies on a BREATHTAKING horseback riding date, and later fly fishing, getting the women wet in a way they never imagined. Most likely.

One lucky bachelorette also won a private show from country singer Clay Walker ... but was there a rose in tow? And Courtney Robertson, as always, was insane.

Please, join us for THG's +/- Bachelor recap of week four ...

HE'S ON A HORSE: And Lindzi Cox has never been more jealous/turned on.

Regardless of any rose outcome, seeing these prissy, uptight women put up their hair and step into baggy fishing suits was satisfying in its own right. Plus 9.

This fly fishing endeavor features some of the most fake casting we've seen on this show since ... any girl in Bachelor history was cast on the show. Plus 18.

“Let’s be honest. It’s not really about catching the trout. It’s more about catching Ben.” - Courtney Robertson, using every one of her 75 I.Q. points. Minus 10.

Think the producers rigged it and threw a gimpy trout in there just for the scene of her smugly emerging from the stream hoisting her catch? Probably. Plus 2.

"Courtney caught a fish. [pause] What the f--k." - Lindzi. Plus 20.

Ben tossed a "catch" (named Samantha Levey) back into the sea (of dating!) after she whined about going on group dates. Dude, tell it to Mike Fleiss. Minus 21.

Who knows why she was even there in the first place, after Ben told her it was time to pack it in right there. Somewhat dick-ish, but honest, so Plus 17.

Ben Flajnik said he rejected Shawntel Newton on The Bachelor because it was only fair to the women he'd already met. Sounds nice ... but was there another motive?

Namely the chance to get in Courtney Robertson's pants?

"I'm pissed. It's very unfair to me. It's not what I signed up for," she said after Shawntel's surprise return, threatening to pack her bags if Shawntel did not.

Later, after getting the first rose, she whined to Ben about "What's-her-butt" and said that her return was "a lot." Her displeasure with the events was clear.

THEN, after a fainting spell by loser Erika, Ben nixed Shawntel. Did Courtney's veiled threat - or a more overt one we didn't see during that interlude - influence him? Watch:

The Bachelor Week 3 Rose Ceremony

"There was a connection there with Ben and I and I think he just wasn't being man enough to accept that," Newton said after her dismissal Monday night.

"That's great that he's trying to be fair, but this is about someone you're going to be with for life. I don't think fair comes into play. I just feel so dumb."

Not as dumb as viewers subjected to Courtney Robertson and some of the other women. Wow. Wonder what Ben thinks watching these episodes now.

On a side note, The Bachelor spoilers reported earlier this winter accurately predicted Shawny's return and exit. Will the supposed winner be correct too?!

"A classic case of mean-girlism." Ashley Hebert on The Bachelor

The effervescent Hebert, a former contestant on The Bachelor herself before going on to be The Bachelorette, weighed in on the current season's craziness this week.

"I have so many thoughts on last night's show," she told E! "First of all, how mean can these girls be?! It was a classic case of mean-girlism, that's all I have to say."

Of the other girls' "below the belt" comments, Ash says, "I cannot believe the way Shawntel was treated by some of the other girls. It absolutely blows my mind."

Ashley Hebert feels the women exercised "bad judgment" and urged them to "have a good experience, get to know the other girls, form friendships, you know?"

"That's probably what you're going to take away from all this."

In other words, there's only one winner. Get used to the idea.

After all, "What guy wants to be with a girl that's nasty to other people?" Hebert mused.

"You want the girl that you're with to, you know, get along with your friends, get along with your family ... it's not really a good indication of that."

"It's almost as if they're being competitive. If you're in this to be competitive and to beat everyone else, then you're kind of wasting everyone's time."

In other words, no one wants to be with Courtney Robertson.

Wow.

That's what many viewers are saying after last night's Bachelor episode in which Shawntel Newton, from Brad Womack's season, entered the game unexpectedly.

Ben Flajnik, the star of this season, was caught at the center of the "$h!t storm" last night, and reacted similarly by the big twist designed to rile up the women.

In a new blog post, he explains why he sent Shawntel packing:

"So I have heard from everyone that makes this show happen that this was truly the craziest cocktail party and rose ceremony in Bachelor history," he writes.

"Having only seen one other season, I would have to agree. Wow. Nothing in my life would have ever prepared me for the $h!tstorm that happened that night."

"After watching, I didn't realize that the women were so mean to Shawntel and I was a bit taken aback," Ben reflects in the understatement of the year. "I mean I knew it was a bold move on Shawntel's part, but some of the women took it a bit too far."

The Bachelor really cranked up the absurdity this week, with girls skiing in San Francisco in bikinis, a contestant leaving voluntarily, one from last season inexplicably returning only to be rejected the same night, one fainting during the rose ceremony (!) and more.

In the end, Ben Flajnik narrowed the field to 15 women, with the rest of us wondering what lengths this awesomely terrible "reality" show will go to next.

Follow this link for The Bachelor spoilers we know so far to see what we think comes next, then join us for THG's +/- Bachelor recap of week three ...

BEST SKI TRIP EVER: Kudos to the story editors for conceptualizing this one.

Lindzi, Kacie, Courtney, Emily and Jennifer get mentions when Ben talks to his nice sister Julia about the journey so far. Sorry, other dozen girls! Plus 12.

For reasons unbeknownst to human kind, Ben thinks his sis would hit it off with Courtney. Doesn't he know his own sister? Isn't Julia normal? Minus 15.

Emily gets the first date card which says that "love lifts us up." Cue obligatory climbing / skydiving / bungee jumping date and associated metaphors! Plus 5.

It actually is! They are climbing the Bay Bridge! Plus 8.

We realize sharing an intense experience is a great way to get to know someone, but they seriously recycle the same cliches every single season. Minus 4.

The girls spy on them via telescope. That's classic. Plus 7.

Ben stops to give a petrified Emily a kiss and the courage to go on. Plus 6 for the Top Gun reference ("Talk to me, Goose!") and for being a good guy.

For whatever reason, after last night's episode, The Bachelor decided it would unveil the mystery woman in red who makes an appearance in next week's installment.

Shawntel Newton, the mortician from last season who made it all the way to the final four and earned a hometown date with Brad Womack, enters the contest!

Apparently, fellow Northern Californian Shawntel made no secret of wanting to date Ben Flajnik after The Bachelorette and talked the producers into this stunt.

How long will she stick around? That we'll have to wait and find out. Or read The Bachelor spoilers we've compiled thus far and read Reality Steve's best guess.

Either way, check out the promo for next week's episode below:

The Bachelor Promo: Shawntel Returns

It's that time of the week again.

The two hours we love to hate, or unabashedly love, or violently hate (but should really be condensed into one hour in any case) are upon us. It's Bachelor time!

On last Monday's season premiere, Ben Flajnik met 25 women dying for attention and 15 minutes of fame his affection. Now just 18 remain ... but for HOW LONG!?

Not long. Soon, two will get the chop. Follow this link for The Bachelor spoilers we know so far, then join us for THG's +/- Bachelor recap - LIVE - of week two!

BEN IS BACK, BABY: His hair needs no introduction.

We're in Sonoma already? With 18 of them? Don't they usually go to The Bachelor's hometown much later? Eh, at least it's a cool town. Plus 6.

Looks like our favorite Bachelor drinking game starts seven weeks early. Take a sip every time they say "hometown." Prepare to get plastered. Plus 5.

Photo montage of Ben and his dad? Too soon. But poignant. Plus 3.

A giddy Ben Flajnik opines that he's lucky to be surrounded by "18 beautiful, smart women." He misspoke. By smart, he meant "white." Minus 7.

Kacie Boguskie just HAPPENED to think up of twirling a baton town the street. How spontaneous, free-spirited and geeky in a sweet way! Minus 14.

Girl's got skills, though. Plus 4.

Courtney says Kacie is "kind of annoying." Minus 11, because she seems like the least annoying girl ever, and Court has known her all of 12 minutes.

Why is nobody in Sonoma? Minus 9.