Seriously, What is Up With Ashley on 'The Bach'?

Between the drama, the tears, and the booze, there is never a dull moment on The Bachelor, but one contestant vying for Chris Soules' farmer heart is taking it to the next level: potential faux-"crazy" Bachelor contestant Ashley S. In the premiere episode, she went on a rant about an onion (that was actually a pomegranate) that made absolutely no sense whatsoever before she bribed a fellow contestant with a flower (which she called a rose, but definitely wasn't) to get her away from Chris. It totally would have made sense if she was putting on a crazy persona for camera time, or maybe extra attention from Chris, but Monday night's episode has me wondering if there is actually, legitimately something up with Ashley.

Our latest installment finds Ashley on a group date involving a paintball zombie hunt, and from the minute the paintball gun ended up in her hands, I feared for the safety of the other women on the date. At first, she didn't quite get that she was supposed to shoot zombies, not the people she actually came with, and it only got weirder when she stole away with Chris to take a walk. When he tried to hold a conversation with her, she started rambling about "the Mesa Verde dome" and then told him his leather jacket smelled really good. I think at one point she even asked him if he was fake. Wait, what?

I can't imagine that she's faking it, though. Someone who is faking it definitely would have cracked by now, unless Ashley is secretly an award-winning actress. Also, the fellow contestants pretty much substantiate her behavior in their talking heads segments. "People watch the show and see crazy people here and think, 'Is that staged?'" Kaitlyn said. "I’m here to tell you, that is real. Ashley is a crazy girl on The Bachelor.”

More confirmation that Ashley's behavior is the real deal comes from Chris, who actually made fun of her on Twitter during the episode:

And, you know, called her "straight up crazy" during his recent appearance on Live With Jimmy Kimmel. NBD.

Chances aren't good she's going to make it much further in this competition if she keeps acting this way, but is it bad if I want her to stick around for sheer entertainment value? (The producers clearly do.) Ashley S. for Bachelorette, please! You can't deny it would make excellent television.

Image: Rick Rowell/ABC