The Bachelorette

Bentley Williams was cast as this season's villain on The Bachelorette - sort of like a Wes Hayden / Justin Rego hybrid - before he even got out of the limo.

Before the night began, Ashley Hebert explained she had been warned about Bentley by someone from last season (Michelle) who loosely knows him.

According to this Deep Throat, he was coming on the show promote his company and not find love ... a.k.a. NOT THERE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS!

Bentley admitted to the producers he wished Emily Maynard was The Bachelorette, then acted ambivalent about Ash ... who gave him a rose anyway.

Despite all the warning signs - Chris even begged Ashley to cut him - she went with her gut, and from the looks of this season preview, she may well regret it.

"He reminds me of every bad guy in all the John Hughes movies. His name should be Blaine and he should drive a red Porsche or something," Harrison says.

"Everyone says the producers are jerks and how could [we] do that to her, but she always has the final decision, she can always get rid of this guy."

"You didn't even see how much I begged her to bag this guy right there on Night 1. She said I'm going with my gut and she gave the guy a rose."

More reflections on the premiere from Chris after the jump ...

There's baggage and then there's what West Lee brings to the table.

On The Bachelorette premiere Monday, Lee, a South Carolina-based prosecutor, discussed how his wife Sarah, "the true love of my life," drowned in 2007.

"She had a history of seizures," West recalled of his wife of seven years, getting noticeably choked up on screen. "One day she went and got in the bathtub."

"I found her face down ... [I] pulled her out and I called 911."

WEST WIN: Will Ashley Hebert be moved by Lee's story?

Sarah's death "hurt more than anything I've ever felt in my life," he said. "That part of my heart, that trusting part, the loving part, it just vanished. It died."

According to a lengthy police investigation, West was not responsible for his wife's death, but the story is more complicated than he presented Monday.

There were allegations of drug use by both West Lee and his wife and signs Sarah had mental health problems. Her mom, Dianna Sapp, was suspicious.

Tim McCormack getting drunk on The Bachelorette season premiere made for an awkward situation, but looks tame in comparison to what's up next.

With the field slashed from 25 to 18, Ashley Hebert made her first round of cuts Monday. But as we know, it only gets more gut-wrenching from here.

There's the matter of Bentley and his true intentions. There's emotional turmoil and hard decisions. There's a great deal of heartbreak on the horizon.

Check out The Bachelorette spoilers here to read how it plays out. Now, here's an extended preview, which aired last night, for the rest of the season ...

This Season on The Bachelorette (Preview)

On The Bachelorette season premiere, everyone tried to leave their mark.

With 25 guys vying just to get their foot in the door before they can even attempt to woo Ashley Hebert, standing out from the pack proved to be difficult.

The good news for Tim McCormack? He succeeded in this regard, after a display that truly was a Bachelor/ette first. The bad news? He's gone as a result.

Dude got so drunk that he not only made a fool of himself in front of Ash, he passed the eff out at the cocktail party! Some dudes can't handle an open bar ...

Watch the intoxicating, awkward hilariousness unfold below:

Tim McCormack Gets Drunk On The Bachelorette

It's that time of year again. The Bachelorette is back and cuter than ever!

Our relationship with the ABC franchise is complicated as always. Neither love-hate, nor unbridled love, nor unfiltered hate, it's hard to put a finger on.

What we do know is this. Ashley Hebert captured our hearts last season when she was rejected by Brad Womack, and is ready to "do it right this time."

We have no idea what that means, but despite the contrived nonsense this show throws at you, Ashley comes off as your classic American girl next door.

NO MORE REGRETS: Ashley Hebert is looking forward, not backward!

For all the scripted scenes, cue cards, misleading promos and manufactured drama, we were excited to see the season premiere, and it didn't let us down.

Will the Maine native find the man of her dreams and fall in love? Will there be heartbreak along the way? Will someone be there for the wrong reasons? 

Possibly, definitely and almost certainly, and we can't wait.

Follow this link for The Bachelorette spoilers that we know so far. Then follow the jump for THG's patented +/- Bachelorette season premiere recap!

The Bachelorette returns this evening and in keeping with tradition, THG has a deluge of Bachelorette spoilers for you before the season premiere even airs.

Who gets engaged to Ashley Hebert? We're fairly certain we know.

We'll update this post with any additional intel we come across, but we've got a bunch of spoilers already. Turn back now if you don't want to see them.

Nice. So are you ready, Bachelorette lovers? Let's do this ...

To learn nearly everything that happens between The Bachelorette premiere this very night, and the final rose ceremony, just follow the jump ...

Safe to say The Bachelorette star Ashley Hebert has moved on from Brad Womack.

Now that the tables are turned, the 26-year-old dental student gets to choose from 25 guys vying for her affection when her season begins Monday.

How do they measure up to the previous guys on The Bachelor? Wednesday, Hebert gushed that they're "the best guys [the show] has ever had."

So what was Ashley looking for going in?

"Coming into it, I just wanted a good man who's loyal, a family man," she explains. "But through this experience, I realized more things that I wanted."

"I want someone who makes me feel."

Feel what? Just feel. Presumably a great many things. The competition this season features "a variety of men, different personalities, different jobs."

She adds: "Physically, they were gorgeous! I didn't expect all of this to be so difficult. I really found that I don't like breaking up with someone."

She was The Bachelorette who let fear get in the way. Or something.

We're not sure that's the best hook for Ashley Hebert heading into the new season of The Bachelorette, given how things went for her on The Bachelor, but ABC has to try something splashy for the promos, we suppose.

Whatever you want to call her, the third-place finisher on the most recent season of The Bachelor is calling the shots now, and begins her quest for love May 23.

Here's your first look at Ashley Hebert in action ...

The Bachelorette Season Premiere Preview

The Bachelorette premieres Monday, May 23 on ABC, and the adorable Ashley Hebert is almost done filming the new season of the hit show in Asia!

According to Bachelor franchise shot-caller Mike Fleiss, who spoke about the upcoming season, the journey has taken six men and Ashley to Asia.

The series has been traveling to exotic locations more frequently of late, and Ashley is used to that, having made it all the way to the end last time.

Last season of The Bachelor ended with Brad Womack in South Africa, where he let Ashley Hebert and Chantal O'Brien go in favor of Emily Maynard.

Numerous reports that Brad and Emily broke up for good have surfaced in recent days, but so far have not been confirmed by the couple or show.

In any event, it's Ashley's turn to dole out roses this time around, and the pride of Madawaska, Maine, could not be more excited to find true love.

What do you think: Will Ashley make a good Bachelorette?

[Photo: Sports Illustrated]

Ashley Hebert is the fourth straight Bachelorette star (DeAnna Pappas, Jillian Harris and Ali Fedotowsky) to emerge from the previous season of The Bachelor.

But Mike Fleiss, creator of both shows, says Ash is a "different kind" of star.

He calls choosing the dental student, who failed to find love with Brad Womack this winter, and who will graduate later this year, a "good step" for the show.

"I think it's a cool lesson for young ladies out there to see an accomplished woman still struggling to put the personal side of her life together," Fleiss told EW.

"That's something a lot of women can relate to. So she will be a different kind of Bachelorette." Host-pimp Chris Harrison also says she'll "do great" in the role.

Ashley Hebert is "a spitfire," he says. "If you get to know her, which you will, she has great charisma and charm that just puts everybody at ease."

Says Chantal O'Brien, who Brad Womack rejected on Monday's finale:

"She definitely has a spunky personality and a ton of energy so, if anything, I think those guys will have to step up their game to keep up with her!"

What do you think? Will Ashley Hebert make a good Bachelorette?

[Photo: SI.com]