Bop to the Top

Plot
The episode opens up with a shot of the Ultimate Challenge jumbo jet piercing through the starry night sky. Given last episode didn’t have a winner, Chris is letting everyone stay in first class on the way into the second half of the last phase.

 Rourke (CONF):  That last challenge really put things in perspective, and I am not fucking around anymore

In one set of chairs is Rourke, Annie and Abbey. Abbey sits criss-cross on the chair, in fuzzy PJ’s with a mug of tea resting in her lap. She says they’re lucky that Clayton got the boot last episode.

 Abbey (CONF):  Honestly, as nice and, well…hot as he is, I was nervous we were running out of opportunities to take him out

Annie agrees, and says all they need to do is knock out Beyla and Nico and they’ll be in a great position.

 Annie (CONF):  Ok and I’ve been trying to wait for the right time to say this, but Alex is another huge threat and we need to start seriously considering when we’re going to take him out

Rourke and Abbey both nod their heads, eying out the floor-to-ceiling windows.

 Rourke (CONF):  And Alex…

 Abbey (CONF):  We have to get Alex out of here for sure

Alex and Nico sit on the comfortable carpet by one of the windows, looking at the beautiful starry sky around them. Nico says he can’t believe that Clayton is gone again.

 Nico (CONF):  That could have been me…no challenge, no strategy, just literally hoping that you made strong enough bonds with those eliminated

Alex says it’s not a good look for their alliance, but hopefully they’re still up four to three. He says his only concern is Ranjitha.

 Alex (CONF):  Ranjitha is willing to make the tough decisions to propel herself further in this game, which I respect but it also scares the hell out of me

Ranjitha and Beyla sip hot chocolate at the mini bar. Ranjitha swivels back and forth in her chair as she tells Beyla she’s glad she chose to work with them.

 Beyla (CONF):  But did you though…

She says it was a tough choice to blindside Colby in the last Gilded Chris ceremony, but she needed to prove her loyalty once and for all. Beyla nervously agrees, saying now all that’s left is knocking Annie, Abbey and Rourke out one by one.

 Ranjitha (CONF):  Or is that the move?

 Beyla (CONF):  I don’t know what to think man

The scene flashes to the next morning, with everyone standing on a giant runway strip in Gibraltar, Spain. They’re changed into their uniforms, and Chris and Chef stand there with their arms crossed. They welcome them to their fifty-fifth challenge – “Get Off the Rock.”

And he says since the last challenge was a “pansy” challenge, that he’s upping the ante with this one: it’s taking place overnight.

 Rourke (CONF):  Why does he do this to us

Their challenge will be to race up to the top of the "Rock of Gibraltar", the home to a cute little town intertwined with paths and staircases. Halfway up is a checkpoint, where they will receive instructions for the overnight portion of the challenge. When morning comes, they’ll finish the winding climb.

 Alex (CONF):  Aren’t we trying to get on the rock then…what rock are we getting off?

The first person to the top wins the challenge, earning them a spot in the luxury cabin during the flight to their next destination.

Loser goes home. No vote. No immunity. They are eliminated.

 Beyla (CONF):  WHAT

 Nico (CONF):  He’s joking

 Rourke (CONF):  I swear Chris is just making these rules up as he goes

And the final six will move forward. The camera pans across the contestants’ faces, barely capturing the distress.

 Ranjitha (CONF):  *closing her eyes and crossing her fingers*

 Abbey (CONF):  *a little puke noise is heard* I’m gonna be sick

The scene switches to the seven contestants walking toward Chris in slow-motion. He’s at the base of a sloping staircase that winds through the city. He pulls up an airhorn.

 Annie (CONF):  Let’s do this

 Alex (CONF):  Hell yeah let’s get…on…this rock?

And blows it, yelling “Go!” and sending the contestants off. Nico, Alex and Beyla pull ahead early with Abbey right behind them. Rourke, Ranjitha and Annie however, immediately struggle.

 Ranjitha (CONF):  Ok low key would rather be climbing that mountain in Norway or on Boney Island than these fucking stairs

The locals are sticking their head out the windows, cheering the contestants on and enjoying the spectacle.

Not before long, Nico is at the head of the pack.

 Nico (CONF):  I’m honestly kind of glad it’s like this, I trust my physical ability more than I trust Ranjitha in a barfbag ceremony

Alex and Beyla are side-by-side. It shows them running on a paved path, a railing to the right showing a beautiful view of the water and surrounding land.

Abbey is after them, making sure not to let them out of her sight.

 Abbey (CONF):  I will not come in last

Rourke and Annie are encouraging each other, trying to keep ahead of Ranjitha.

 Annie (CONF):  Ok sure this might be harsh, but we need to not come in last and getting rid of Ranjitha literally evens up the numbers

Ranjitha is in last, panting.

 Ranjitha (CONF):  Come on…I’ve played so hard, this can’t be how it ends

*flashback to Ranjitha voting for Patrick in the confessional, crossing the finish line to Dolores in the pride parade to win immunity and blindsiding Colby at the Gilded Chris ceremony*

The scene flashes to Nico running down a long tunnel inside a cave. It looks moist, with dreary ceiling lights that look like they belong in an accounting firm lining the ceiling and bright, ground-level floodlights illuminating the path, making it look like a small runway.

He sees a “turn here” sign, and swings under some metal railings into what looks like an underground army bunker. There are seven rectangles on the ground in duct tape and seven fifty-pound navy chests, each the size of a purse. Finally, a large sign rests on the wall explaining the instructions.

 Nico (CONF):  So basically, we need to be carrying this heavy ass chest for six hours without stepping outside of the tape.

Alex and Beyla arrive.

 Alex (CONF):  I guess you get penalized any time you drop the chest, step out of the tape or fall asleep

 Beyla (CONF):  And we’re leaving in the order in which we arrived, thank the lordt because we worked hard as hell to get here

Abbey runs up.

 Abbey (CONF):  We’ll all start this portion in the morning together? What was the point of growing the lead if it's just going to be slight advantage

Some time passes, as Abbey, Alex, Nico and Beyla sit on the cots and think about how long they’ve fought to get to this moment in the game. They don’t talk, staring blankly at the concrete walls.

Annie and Rourke arrive about twenty minutes after the initial group. Once they read the instructions, they join the others in a solemn silence.

Another ten minutes pass, and Ranjitha comes trucking along, ducking under the metal fence. She looks excited that they’re doing this part of the challenge together.

 Ranjitha (CONF):  Sure I’ll be leaving last, but this will definitely make up for some time because mama was pretty far behind

Once Ranjitha grabs a chest and a square, a horn is heard and the six hours begins.

A montage shows the seven excitedly talking, Rourke adjust his grip on the chest, Nico hoist his onto his shoulder to try and rest his arms, Annie’s arms hanging low as the chest nears the floor, and Alex snapping by Beyla to stop her from falling asleep.

An hour passes.

 Beyla (CONF):  This is reminding me of that horrible awake-a-thon

*flashback to Beyla telling Alex, Kirk, Eli, Ranjitha, Annie and Gianna the paralysis story from the X-games while they attempted to stay awake*

Two hours pass.

 Nico (CONF):  Remember that time we had to stand on those stupid crates all night

*flashback to Nico discussing with Lauren and Hailey the details of the weird chainsaw chase, as they stood atop the crate at 1:00am*

Three hours pass.

 Annie (CONF):  You know, we could be getting hunted down by a serial killer with a chainsaw and a hook so that’s marginally worse right?

*flashback to Annie, Dan, Myra and Clayton entering Chef’s kitchen during the scavenger hunt, then the door shutting behind them and Yunah, Miller, Sibu, Kelsey and Nico running in to find them gone*

At hour four, the contestants are at their wit’s end. Alex keeps running his hands through his hair, Abbey is telling bad jokes and Nico is standing perfectly still, as if he’s meditating. Suddenly, Rourke asks them how they feel about life outside the game.

 Abbey (CONF):  Wait there’s life outside of the game

There’s a few moments of silence, before Alex breaks it and opens up about some of the hardships he’s been feeling in the real world. That opens the door for Beyla to follow suit. A montage shows Ranjitha telling the group something but unwilling to make eye contact, Annie using her arms as she explains her life, Rourke slipping in a joke that makes the other six laugh during his monologue, Nico quietly sharing and Abbey wiping away a tear.

They talk about family, happiness, love, loneliness, depression…basically everything.

 Nico (CONF):  Wow ok that was one of the realest talks I’ve maybe ever had

Morning comes, and no one is hit with any sort of penalty. Intense EDM music begins to build up, as the final airhorn blows and everyone drops their chest. They need to wait for their beep before they can take off. The beat drops as the first chime goes off and Nico takes off.

Beep. Alex is running.

Beep. Beyla sprints forward.

Beep. Abbey goes for it.

Beep. Annie goes running.

Beep. Rourke shoots out.

Beep. Ranjitha jogs along.

Given the night’s toll on everyone, the gaps begin to close. Everyone is fighting to stay out of last place.

 Rourke (CONF):  *rings around his eyes* I can’t let this be how it ends

Nico is maintaining his lead, looking out over the beautiful mountains and water surrounding him.

 Nico (CONF):  This is unreal

It shows him shoo away a monkey. Alex nearly stops to pet it, but carries on and Beyla actually does stop to pet it.

The gaps are beginning to close, when Ranjitha catches up to Rourke and Annie. This gives them the push to pull ahead again, but Ranjitha is right on their tail.

 Ranjitha (CONF):  *making shark fins on her head with her hands* I’m coming for ya!

A montage shows Abbey stopping to throw up, Alex taking a second to catch his breath, Nico flicking sweat off his brow, Annie starting to fall behind Rourke, Ranjitha keeping a steady pace and Beyla focusing intensely on her breathing.

It ends with Nico crossing the finish line, winning himself first class to the next destination and his spot in the final six.

 Nico (CONF):  Holy shit this is amazing

Chris pats him on the back, prompting him to vomit. Chris awkwardly chuckles and slowly backs away, as a nearby Chef bursts into laughter.

The sloping path to the finish line disappears around a bend, and Nico anxiously awaits who is going to round it next. After a few minutes of intensely watching a rolly polly crawl into a crack in the concrete he hears panting, and Alex and Beyla nearly simultaneously round the corner. Once they finish, the three collapse on top of each other, nearly crying with relief.

 Beyla (CONF):  What an insane past like nine hours

Rourke, Annie and Ranjitha are still in the back, but the three turn a bend and see that Abbey is still in sight, giving them hope.

 Abbey (CONF):  Just have to keep pushing

Alex, Beyla and Nico silently eye the bend as they chug water. Next to round it is Abbey, sweaty but not losing speed. She charges for the finish line, safely passing it and earning herself one of the coveted spots in the final six.

This leaves Rourke, Annie and Ranjitha, gaps beginning to widen between the three. Ranjitha begins to slow for a second, before realizing what she’s doing and kicking it back into high gear.

 Ranjitha (CONF):  *nearly on the verge of tears* I can’t…I can’t have this be it

Annie stares ahead with laser focus.

 Annie (CONF):  I’ve worked so hard I just, I can’t even imagine…I can’t even imagine

Rourke eyes the girls as he runs, periodically shifting his gaze to the beautiful view.

 Rourke (CONF):  I’m so close I can taste it

Beyla grabs the other three and points to the bend, where Rourke emerges, chugging toward the finish line. They all cheer, excited to see their friend so motivated. He crosses and immediately starts crying with relief. He also briefly vomits.

 Rourke (CONF):  Ok I’m crying and vomiting and I’m not blackout drunk?

While they’re distracted, Abbey gets their attention and points that someone else is coming around the bend. They gather around Abbey, to see that someone is…

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Ranjitha.

She makes a mad dash for the finish line. Annie comes into sight behind her, but is too late as Ranjitha soars across and earns herself the last spot in the final six. Annie angrily kicks a rock over the side.

 Annie (CONF):  Ok wow ok this can’t be it *waving her eyes and tearing up*

Everyone cheers as Annie crosses the finish line, but she looks away, holding back tears. Alex walks over and puts a hand on her shoulder and she smiles at him.

The scene flashes to everyone in the elimination ceremony. Annie is there with a parachute strapped on. Chris says it’s time for her to say her goodbyes, and she thanks everyone for this incredible experience. One-by-one, the contestants hug her, before she sadly takes the Drop of Shame. Abbey, Alex and Rourke stick their head out and watch her go, not believing it’s actually happening.

 Annie (CONF):  I’m so lucky to have played this game and made it as far as I have…I mean I’ve gotten to adventure around the world with some of my best friends, formed new relationships and grown a lot…I’m thankful

 Rourke (CONF):  Every elimination feels even weirder now…like we were with these people for weeks and weeks and now they’re…gone

Chris asks Nico who he’d like to take to first class, and he chooses Beyla.

With that, Chris says it's time to hit the streets of Gibraltar for their night out. It flashes to the six getting ready in the jumbo jet.

 Alex (CONF):  Ok it feels really weird having this just be the six of us

They are in the larger bathroom (that doesn't hold a confessional), and Alex is coming his hair, Rourke is putting gel in his and Nico is putting on deodorant. Ranjitha is doing her makeup, Abbey is straightening her hair and Beyla is slipping on heels.

It then flashes to a cute bar with an outdoor seating area, dance floor and good music. The six laugh, drink and enjoy the fleeting days of the competition. It ends with the six in a circle, reminiscing on all the fun times they've had.

 Beyla (CONF):  We have come a long way

And the camera zooms out, cutting to black and ending the episode.

Trivia

 * This is the second challenge after Come Sail Away where no elimination ceremony is held and someone is automatically eliminated
 * Those eliminated both times have been female: first Izzy and then Annie