The Bachelor recap episode 11: the 'L' word gets dropped

There are just seven bachelorettes remaining and it's crunch time for the leading ladies.

At the mansion the girls induct Steph 'the intruder' as their own. How flattering.

Osher whips a date card out of nowhere (seriously, where does he keep them?) and ... drumroll the single date gets announced.

Unsurprisingly, Nikki gets the golden ticket. Well, it was either her or Alex, amirite?

Richie rolls up in a truck to where Nikki happens to be standing (somewhere in the country) and says robotically: "You look so beautiful today."

Awkward laugh times a million then they're off driving through woop woop.

Nikki drops the 'b' word - boyfriend, and we can't help but spare a thought for his other six girlfriends back at the Bachie mansion.

They pull up to a pub and talk about their feelings.

"I think you're perfect for me," says Nikki.

#stagefiveclinger

Back at the mansion, Alex pulls out another date card and reads out Kiki, Steph, Faith (the 'group date champion'), Alex, Rachael, Nikki and Olena.... so they're all on the group date.

Richie and Nikki are STILL talking about their feelings when their date is interrupted by a random hillbilly band.

Richie tries to teach Nikki how to dance but they get distracted and start making out on the dance floor.

"If you choose me, you will have all of me" declares Nikki dramatically.

"Well you could be that future," responds Richie. "What we have is real."

(AKA you're one of the better girls in the mansion).

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Then she drops the 'L' word and says she's "falling" for Richie. Whoa. She's in deep.

No surprises she gets given a rose. This is kinda getting predictable.

GROUP DATE TIME

The girls find out they're to complete an obstacle course. Oh, is it Tough Mudder? We can't help but notice the casual product placement EVERYWHERE we look.

The competitive girls (ahem Rach and Alex) are excited, the others, not so much.

Olena takes one look at a high wall they're expected to clamber over.

"SH*T," she yells. So she IS only human.

The girls are then forced to crawl through mud under barbed wire. We heard it was a 'girl prison' but this takes it to a new low.

Olena verses Richie crawling through mud and still manages to look flawless when she emerges covered head to toe in brown muck.

Rachael and Alex literally throw themselves on Richie for the next challenge which has something to do with piggy backs and we've tuned out because it is so sickening to watch.

After jumping into ice-cold water, the girls have to figure out how to get climb up a slippery ramp using each other as ladders. And thankfully that's the last obstacle.

Richie picks Olena, and Rachael and Alex are fuming.

After a quick shower and shave, Olena and Richie sit down on a couch surrounded by fairy lights.

Olena tells Richie she doesn't want to "freak herself out with too much emotion" and wants her feelings for Richie to grow at a steady pace.

Richie obviously isn't listening and can only think about how good she looks because he gives her a rose. Standard.

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At the rose ceremony the girls sit around with their resting b*tch face in full force.

Richie pulls Steph aside and Alex mimes having a fit. Kiki tells Faith she thinks her and Steph will be in the bottom two. We have a feeling she might be right.

Richie puts on his serious face as he calls out the bachelorette's names. Rachael, Steph (CONTROVERSIAL), Alex and eventually Faith's name gets called out.

Until next time...

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