I also have a bit hard time believing they all would be vasto lordes. Because while it would be normal for Ichigo to fight and ultimately be victorious against overly powerful opponents, I'm a bit hesitant accepting everybody among this group sent to the real world from SS, only one of which is a captain, would be like that. It would be meaningless to say vasto lordes are more powerful than captains and then have a whole group beaten by liutenants and lesser shinigami. Well, assuming they are going to get beaten (and assuming the folks aren't going to be saved by a surprise allied attack).

And on the other hand I find most of these villains either far too amiable or too simple-minded to be such monsters. People like Ulquiorra who are harder to describe and who basically decides for themselves what they are doing (even by seemingly disobeying Aizen's orders) are more likely to be Vasto Lordes. In that sense I wouldn't be surprised if even Grimmjow wasn't a vasto lorde, but a lesser arrancar who just wants to appear high and mighty by attacking everything that moves.

Anyway, it was an interesting episode. Rukia's decision to stick close to Ichigo was highly welcome to me, as well as Inoue's confession. Just like Masa said in his own post...