Last night's episode of "The Bachelorette" began with Ali in Istanbul, Turkey, expressing confidence that nothing can go wrong.
Then, there's a knock at her hotel room door - it's Chris Harrison, and he's not there to ask for extra towels. No, he was there to tell Ali that Jessie from Toronto - who competed with Ali on the Jake Pavelka edition of "The Bachelor" - had something important to tell her, and after watching Chris attempt to master the nuances of international dialing, Ali and Jessie finally connected.
Jessie tells Ali that Justin the wrestler has a girlfriend named Jessica, who just happens to be sitting next to Jessie during said call. Jessica adds that she's been seeing Justin for two years, and that Justin went on the show for the purpose of furthering his wrestling career. Oh, and one more thing: Jessica believes Justin has ANOTHER girlfriend.
Chris then tells Ali that Justin secretly contacted Jessica throughout the taping, and that the other contestants don't know about it. At that point, Ali is (rightly) ready to kick Justin to the curb.
Ali and Chris went over to the guys' hotel suite, where Ali tells Justin that she talked with his girlfriend. The other men express shock, while Justin does his best Snagglepuss impression and exits stage left. Ali and Chris chase him down, but given that Justin has a bum ankle, the "chase" felt more like a police officer trying to stop someone on a lawn mower.
After Justin spent a strange amount of time walking over, up and through the hotel landscaping, he finally speaks with Ali. He denied having a second girlfriend, but he couldn't say that Jessica was lying about all of it. Justin apologized to Ali for "everything," and walked away again. (For a guy with an ankle injury, he sure walks around a lot.) Viewers were also treated to voicemails Justin left Jessica during the show, expressing his love for her.
As for the other guys, Ty and Frank received one-on-one dates and both earned roses at the end. Frank's date was truly memorable, with Ali channeling her inner Barbara Eden in a belly dancer outfit. For some reason, buying a giant carpet played a significant role in Ali renewing her chemistry with Frank. I enjoy my own new carpet, but picking it out with my wife wasn't a decision that affected our marriage.
The group date, which did not have a rose on the line, saw four of the contestants experience Turkish culture in the form of "professional olive oil wrestling." Craig the lawyer earned one-on-one time with Ali by beating the other contestants in a wrestling tournament that resembled the "I Love Lucy" episode where Lucy stomps grapes in a vineyard.
In the end, Ali gave Craig the boot, saying the romance was missing between the two of them.
Next week, Ali and the five remaining contestants head to Portugal, while Chris Harrison chats with the latest failed "Bachelor" couple, Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi.
What did you think of last night's "Bachelorette" episode?