7 Curveballs Nick Threw on 'The Bachelorette'

The breakup of one of the most talked about couples in Bachelorette history—Clint and JJ, of course!—was quickly overshadowed by the arrival of past contestant Nick Viall. Yep, that Nick. The Nick that publicly slut-shamed Andi on last season’s After the Final Rose special. But if you were thinking Nick had crawled back under whatever rock he came from, think again. Because with another new woman to court and manipulate you can add him to the pack of guys looking to win Kaitlyn’s heart. Below, we’re breaking down the 7 curveballs Nick threw on this week’s episode.

1. Showing up to Kaitlyn’s group date…

With Ashley I. in tow no less. What was the thinking behind this charade? That it would give Kaitlyn a valid excuse to wander into the crowd and unknowingly bump into Nick, who she had supposedly struck up a friendship with on social media? We want to use so many air quotes here. And the idea that producers didn't have a chance to get Nick mic’d up before his chat with Kaitlyn? Yeah, we’re not buying it.

2. Making Kaitlyn strangely excited to see him

This was just our first clue that Kaitlyn’s relationship with Nick might have been a bit more developed than she was letting on. She was awfully excited to see this man she’s never met before.

3. Putting a damper on the group date vibes

Clint had just been accused of monopolizing the guys’ time with Kaitlyn earlier in the evening, but making the group date after party Nick-centric seemed to bother no one. Sure, feelings were hurt, but the gentlemen were more than willing to dish on the villain-to-be.

4. Kissing Kaitlyn pretty much immediately

Before Kaitlyn had even agreed to let Nick stay, he was already kissing her while she snuck out of her date to meet him. And from there, we knew she had already made up her mind.

5. Gifting us the presence of Ashley S.

If there’s one thing Nick did right, it’s bringing the most entertaining Ashley of them all back into our lives. We bet you’re wondering what she has to do with this situation. Well, Kaitlyn needed some advice about Nick, and who better to turn to than her hairdresser? Shocker: she was surprisingly wise and insightful. We’re seeing a pretty promising spinoff in Ashley’s future.

6. This cliffhanger

We shouldn’t be all that taken aback by the guys wanting to beat their chests and threaten Nick before he even walks through the door. After all, they’ve been on some pretty violent dates as of late. But it’s also obvious no one is going to put the smackdown on the soft, sensitive Nick once he joins their ranks. But why not just show us what happens when he walks through the door? Cruel, ABC!

7. Giving Andi the opportunity to speak her mind

We’ve always loved Andi’s honesty, which makes her in a lot of ways like Kaitlyn. So, following her Twitter feed during last night’s episode was a real treat. Needless to say, we’ll be tuning in to get her thoughts as long as Nick’s around.

What other curveballs do you think Nick is responsible for this week, collegiettes?