X Marks the Spot

Plot
The episode opens up with Alex, Annie, Lauren, Beyla and Nico laughing at breakfast. Alex cracks a joke, to which Annie laughs.

Alex (CONF): Picking Annie was definitely strategy – we had to keep her away from Colby and Abbey following all this confusion, if this final five pact doesn't stay strong we're fucked

Nico wipes away a tear laughing at a story Beyla is telling about falling into the toilet while they were on the cruise after the cruise hit a giant wave, the contents going everywhere. Lauren follows up with a story about her and Alex nearly jumping out of their basket in Cappadocia after they saw a giant cockroach.

Lauren (CONF): I still don’t fully trust Annie…I guess we’ll see where this goes

Clayton lifts in the workout room while Sofia is on the stair-stepper. The two laugh, as Sofia is struggling greatly to keep up with the fast pace of the machine.

Miller and Ranjitha sit on the front porch, sipping coffee and sitting in the rocking chairs. Ranjitha tells Miller she thinks she needs to bail from Helina. Miller asks why, and Ranjitha says she’s been feeling that way as of late, but really felt it when she was voting for Mary in the confessional.

Ranjitha (CONF): Helina just doesn’t listen to my ideas…like I did not want to vote for Mary, but when I brought that up I got yelled at for “being a traitor”, alliances should be a two-way street

Abbey and Colby sit at the edge of the dock, Colby staring off into the horizon introspectively. He says he is pissed, because his move would have been pulled off flawlessly if it wasn’t for that twist. He could have written off Mary getting voted off as a fluke, but his scramble to take out Clayton in the second half of the previous night’s elimination ceremony made it obvious he flipped.

Colby (CONF): I’m scared I really screwed up my game…

He says he talked to Alex who says things are ok, but he hasn’t received so much as a glance from Sofia, Nico or Clayton since. Abbey tells him she understands, garnering a similar reaction after getting caught feeding Helina’s alliance information then flipping, but she reassures him she feels like people will get over it like they seem to have with her.

Abbey (CONF): Look Colby I love you, but I am so glad you’re in the crosshairs now because people are starting to forget about my little…slip-up earlier in the merge

Townes and Kelsey eat at the mess hall, at first sitting in silence.

Townes (CONF): During the entire team phase, even the new teams, we only lost Kirk and Sam *sighs* then the merge hits and it's been a whirlwind - first Izzy, then Paige, then Phillippa and now Wilson…damn

*flashback to dancing in the beautiful cabin in the Himalayas after the merge announcement, with Phillippa jokingly grinding on Rourke, Paige holding two cups in her hand as Wilson does a very white dance move in the background and Izzy is dancing on a table*

Kelsey (CONF): This is the kind of “I Told You So” you don’t want…if we don't make a big move soon, it's over

Duncan is on a run around the island, needing to clear his head after three of his close friends betrayed Mary, and Helina and Vani chatter away on the porch of one of the regular cabins.

Helina (CONF): Let’s just hope they aren’t working an angle with Ranjitha in the luxury cabin

Chris blows on the air horn and the contestants gather at the wooden amphitheater. Chris and Chef stand on the stage as the contestants sit in the wooden bleachers. Chris is dressed like a pirate, and Chef as a giant parrot.

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

He opens with an “aye, aye matey” causing the contestants to laugh. Ranjitha smirks and asks if she can have a piece of that booty. Chris turns red as the contestants and Chef laugh.

Miller (CONF): Honestly having Ranjitha here is huge, a lot of other light-hearted contestants like Gianna and Mary have been voted out, so having someone so genuinely sweet is refreshing

Clayton (CONF): You just gotta love her

He tells them today’s challenge is a treasure hunt, but, like their challenge in Disney World, instead of searching for the chest, they’ll be searching for the keys. Chef holds a bowl with tons of square wooden slates, and Chris tells them each one has the clue to where to find their key. The first three to return with their keys win both immunity and a stay in the luxury cabin until the next challenge. He then adds that because he feels bad after the other night’s elimination ceremony, he has a present.

Annie (CONF): There’s just no way this is a “present”

He tells them that anyone who finds their key will also win immunity. If all seventeen of them find it, then the last three to finish will be the ones vulnerable for elimination. If sixteen find it, than the one who didn't is automatically going home. He also tells them their key will open one of seventeen chests. An intern pulls back the curtain to reveal giant treasure chests. Chris follows up and says they get to keep whatever is inside. Vani rolls her eyes and asks if it’s just Chris memorabilia, to which Chris turns red again and whispers to an intern who hurriedly pulls one of the chests off the stage.

The contestants gather at the base of the stage as Chef walks by with the bowl, holding it above their head so they don’t see as they pull it out.

Nico (CONF): Oh how bad could it be?

On Nico’s wooden slab is a carving of a bear.

Nico (CONF): Shit

Clayton pulls a slab that has a rickety wooden bridge carved onto one side, with an alligator underneath.

Clayton (CONF): This just can’t be good

A montage shows Helina, Kelsey and Colby all pulling slabs, and Townes turning to Chris, asking why his has a toilet on it. Chris gleefully tells him that his is somewhere in the septic tank of the communal washrooms.

Townes (CONF): I’m sorry…what?

Once everyone has their slab, Chris tells them to disperse, and to be back at the stage by 6:00 pm EST with their keys. Chris slams the ground next to an blonde, pony-tailed intern sitting on the edge of the stage asleep with a clipboard. She jolts awake, and Chris introduces them to the head intern and says she will be keeping track of who finishes when.

Rourke (CONF): Our other challenges have involved things that could literally kill us, who came up with this challenge? It seems stupid

The scene flashes to Kelsey looking at her card while standing at the edge of the Dock of Shame. On it is a shark, and she looks out into the water where three sharks swim around the buoy where the key is tied. She dips her foot in the water causing all three sharks to charge her. The camera flashes to Kelsey in a nearby tree, cursing.

Kelsey (CONF): What the hell am I supposed to do?

It then shows Colby, whose key is in Chef’s refrigerator, tiptoe into the kitchen. He tiptoes up to the refrigerator and opens it, only to see Chef inside with a giant butcher knife and wielding an evil grin. Colby slowly closes the door and, with a look of fear on his face, tiptoes out.

Rourke is next shown trudging up the cliff.

Rourke (CONF): I can’t believe I have to climb this stupid cliff…again

Sofia is entering the mines.

Sofia (CONF): I just really wish challenges stopped involving the mines

Alex’s is at the tallest branch of the highest tree in the forest.

Alex (CONF): I’m not exactly the…strongest climber

Lauren’s is somewhere in the graveyard, kindly patrolled by a scrawny intern dressed as the psycho-killer with the chainsaw and the hook. Lauren laughs.

Lauren (CONF): Oh please, bring it on

The intern suddenly charges her, revving a fake (hopefully?) chainsaw, causing her to scream and run as the scene flashes to Abbey. She’s holding a slab with “Sasquatchanakwa” carved onto it. She approaches the cave where he sleeps, seeing he is gripping the key as he gleefully snores.

Abbey (CONF): Ok...this could be insane but I’m going to try a “monkey see monkey do thing” here, cause you know why not?

She quietly tries to yank the key from the sasquatch's grasp, causing it to awake in a rage. But before he can charge her she enters “warrior pose”, to which the confused sasquatch follows suit. She then switches to the "tree pose", and the sasquatch follows. Finally, she makes a throwing motion with her arm as she enters "ninja pose", opening her palm. The sasquatch does the same, unintentionally chucking the key at her. She catches the key and cheers, causing the angry sasquatch to roar and begin to chase her.

The scene flashes to the bored intern looking as Abbey charges her. She frantically tells her she needs help, and she asks what she’s talking about before hearing a roar and seeing the angry Sasquatchanakwa charging toward the two. She lets out a code word and three interns appear with tranquilizer darts, knocking Sasquatchanakwa out and officially awarding Abbey the first immunity of the challenge.

Abbey (CONF): This could not have come at a better time

The scene flashes to Ranjitha, whose wooden slab has a skunk on it. She enters a hilly part of the island filled with skunk burrows.

Ranjitha (CONF): Has this always been here?

She looks at the task with confusion, as quick flashes show Alex breaking a sweat as he climbs the tree, Townes putting on a snorkel and entering a gross sewer-looking entrance, Kelsey with a bucket of fish throwing them into the distance to try and distract the sharks and Sofia looking around a cave with glowing diamonds in the mines, before ending on Miller looking at his slab. On his slab is a raccoon.

Miller (CONF): Too easy

He approaches a raccoon in the clearing, a key around its neck. When he approaches, the raccoon suddenly calls to other raccoons and they begin stacking on top of one another, eventually about two feet taller than him.

Miller (CONF): You know what? No. No no no no

The normally calm Miller punches the raccoon team square in the 2nd raccoon (the neck?), knocking the whole combination down. He rips the key from the leader’s neck, and makes a run for it. The raccoons reassemble and charge after him.

The scene flashes to the intern, asleep again on the stage, awoken by Miller’s frantic screams. He similarly tells her to hurry, and she again asks why before seeing the raccoon monster charging them. She lets out a different code word and suddenly ten interns appear with blow-darts, tranquilizing all of them with one of them accidentally hitting Miller.

Miller (CONF): *drooling* yay…win…immunity!

Intern (CONF): *covered in scratches* This was supposed to be a fun college resume-booster

He passes out on one of the bleachers, causing the clipboard-wielding intern to shoot the others angry looks as they all point at one another.

Annie’s slab shows a duck, and she tries to slowly approach it. When she gets to close, it quacks then zooms off at lightning speed away from her. She curses and runs after it.

Annie (CONF): So I’m not convinced ducks can move this fast in nature

The scene flashes to Lauren sneaking from grave to grave, trying to avoid the crazed intern. She sighs with relief when the coast is clear. She begins to explore, constantly turning to ensure he doesn't sneak up on her. Suddenly she freezes when she feels a presence behind her. Too scared to turn around, she slowly backs up, running into a squishy surface. The camera extends its shot, showing the intern rev his chainsaw and Lauren scream and make a run for it.

The scene flashes to Rourke, soaking wet and swinging the key around his finger. The intern high-fives him and asks how he did it, and the scene flashes to him looking at the journey to go all the way back down the cliff, shrugging and running and diving over the side into the water.

Rourke (CONF): I never thought I’d say this, but I’ve become totally desensitized to jumping off cliffs to my potential death – also my first win, go Rourke!

That secures the last spot in the luxury cabin, but given it’s only around 1 pm EST, the challenge is still in full swing. Rourke walks over to Miller and curiously pokes his passed-out body, as the scene flashes to Kelsey. She rips the key from the buoy, but a shark rips it out of her hands with its jaws and swallows it.

Kelsey (CONF): *kicking the side of the outhouse* Are you fucking kidding me?

She storms up to the intern and asks what she can do, and the intern just shrugs and tells her she can either give the shark the Heimlich or go see what’s up with the other contestants. That gives her an idea.

Kelsey (CONF): Look, if everyone else manages to get their keys, I'm screwed, and there's only one way to guarantee that doesn't happen...

Vani holds up her slab, a honeycomb carved onto it, before lowering it to reveal she's looking at an enlivened beehive hanging from a tree in the woods. She pokes the beehive with a really long stick, and when thousands of bees come out she screams and makes a run for it.

Clayton’s wooden slab showing the rickety bridge takes up the whole camera, until he lowers it to reveal he’s looking at the rickety bridge connecting a gap over water. A stone rests in the center of the water, his key resting in a chalice resting on the stone. Unfortunately for him, two alligators circle the little island.

Clayton (CONF): I must have really screwed up in a past life

He gulps as he goes on the rickety bridge. When he reaches the gap in the middle, the alligators begin jumping up and trying to bite him through it, causing him to straddle the gap and do some weird high knees to try and avoid it.

The camera then pans across the island, showing Colby hiding outside the mess hall, Alex taking a break high in the tree, Lauren wandering the graveyard and Ranjitha by the skunk holes, before landing on Duncan eying a snake wrapped around his key on the far side of the island.

Duncan (CONF): I hate snakes

He throws rocks at it, but it doesn’t seem to notice or care. He curses, trying to come up with another strategy when the scene flashes to Clayton, torn clothes and covered in scratches, approach the intern. He has his key in hand and smirks, as he notices only three have finished before him which at least secures himself immunity.

A montage shows Helina jump through a flaming hoop over a gaping chasm to get her key, Vani smack the beehive with a stick then throwing a jar of honey, causing the bees to chase the jar and her to safely get the key, and Townes proudly approaching the intern, a visible stench coming off his body from the dive in the septic tank.

Intern (CONF): *turns green and passes out*

Townes (CONF): *stench visible* Oh come on it can’t be that bad can it?

Helina (CONF): Honestly that challenge was kind of…*sniffs, then turns green and passes out*

As Clayton is walking back to the cabins to join Rourke and Vani on the rocking chairs, he notices Ranjitha off in the distance. When he approaches, she is fully inside one of the holes, digging around and occasionally sniffing. At a hole on the other side of the area, Kelsey dumps a bucket of water in. Clayton looks confused, until he sees skunks and Ranjitha’s key flush out. She snickers and makes a run for it.

Kelsey (CONF): Look, it’s just a gam- *turns green and passes out*

He considers confronting Ranjitha and telling her to chase her, but decides he has a better idea.

Clayton (CONF): You know what? First Wilson, Annie and Abbey screwing over Garrett and now this? Fuck this, I’m sick of people playing the game this way. And to someone like Ranjitha?

Clayton sneaks off in search of the other contestants.

The scene switches to Abbey helping Colby with his challenge. The two stand on the roof of the mess hall and remove a little wooden pane. Colby has a rope tied around his waist, and Abbey slowly lowers him down. She chuckles, causing Colby to shush her as he lowers down next to Chef, asleep but clutching the butcher knife like it's his child. She suddenly sneezes and loses control of the rope, causing him to sharply drop but she catches him last minute. He grabs the key, and motions for her to pull him up.

The scene shifts to Nico. He approaches three bears sleeping in the cave, the key around the biggest one’s neck. He curses, as Clayton walks up and whispers something in his ear.

Nico (CONF): Are you kidding me? That shit pisses me off

Beyla hides behind a tree, as a horde of angry bunnies with giant teeth circle her key. She tries to throw her wooden slab at them, but they just tear it up within seconds. She screams, suddenly a hundred feet further away and hiding in a thick bush, when Clayton appears and begins whispering in her ear.

Beyla (CONF): Kelsey? Man I thought she was one of the good ones

Lauren is sweating and hiding from the psycho intern when Clayton comes up and whispers the news.

Lauren (CONF): Come on dude – that’s low, and to Ranjitha?

A montage shows Alex shimmying down the tree, with Clayton appearing on a low-hanging branch and whispering in his ear causing Alex’s face to turn angry, Duncan in a pond (having been chased there by the snake) and receiving the news, causing him to pound his fist into his hand, Annie stopping to catch her breath when Clayton delivers her the news and looking annoyed, and finally Sofia emerging from the mines key in hand and cheering, when Clayton pops up from behind a bush and tells her.

Clayton (CONF): Now let’s just hope karma kicks in

As the sun sets, the contestants gather around the stage. On the left hand side sit those who finished their challenge: Rourke, Abbey, Miller, a still-bruised Clayton, a gross-smelling Townes (sitting noticeably apart from the rest of them), Colby, who keeps receiving dirty glances from Chef, Alex, Vani, covered in bee stings, Sofia, Beyla, also covered in scratches and bruises, and finally a slightly singed Helina. Chris laughs and tells them he hopes they enjoyed the challenge.

Sofia (CONF): Chris is literally sadistic

On the right hand side sit the six who didn’t retrieve their keys: an upset Kelsey, feeling cheated after the incident with the shark, a gross-smelling Ranjitha (also sitting a ways apart from the others), an exhausted Annie, a dejected Nico and Duncan, and finally Lauren, who keeps shooting dirty looks at one of the interns who nervously avoids eye contact.

Lauren (CONF): Oh now you’re nervous *rolls eyes*

Chris says the winners can open their chests, and they excitedly approach them. As they pop open, disappointed sighs fall over most of the contestants. Beyla’s produces an antique lamp, as Alex pulls out an accordion and Vani pulls out a bag of plain Lays chips.

Vani (CONF): Plain Lays? That is literally an insult

Duncan chuckles as Abbey pulls out a terrifying hand-puppet, and Miller rolls his eyes when getting a giant pillow of Chris’s head.

At dinner that night, everyone sits together outside. Talk of strategy is kept to a minimum, confusing some and scaring others. Kelsey and Rourke laugh and talk about the food, and when they turn to Lauren for a comment she rolls her eyes and looks away. The two look at each other confused.

Colby, Duncan and Alex toss the gross slob into each other’s mouths, as Helina and Vani shoot Kelsey dirty looks to which Ranjitha slinks away from as she talks to Beyla. Sofia, Nico and Clayton are engaged in conversation, and Townes talks to Abbey and Annie about the day’s challenge. Miller is still delirious from the tranquilizer dart, just kind of stumbling around prompting the others to laugh.

Over the intercom, Chris calls everyone to the elimination ceremony.

~*ELIMINATION CEREMONY*~

Abbey (CONF): Honestly I'm just glad this keeps the target off me

Colby (CONF): You messed up

Alex (CONF): You leave us no choice

Beyla (CONF): Come on man

Kelsey (CONF): I feel like I’ve been playing such a good game, but have also made so many friends…maybe after this elimination I should try and break away from Rourke and Townes and join the majority

Chris gives the remaining seventeen contestants the spiel, and pulls out a plate with sixteen marshmallows on it. Miller is recovering, but still a little loopy from the tranquilizer dart. Chris hands the first three to the winners.

Rourke. Abbey. Miller.

Rourke and Abbey sigh with relief, while Miller just kind of groans.

Alex. Townes. Colby. Vani. Sofia. Beyla. Helina. Clayton.

All catch their marshmallows, intently eying the six vulnerable. Chris gives the first real marshmallow of the night to…

Annie.

She sighs with relief, never sure where the votes are going. Chris quickly reads the next three, dramatically whipping them their marshmallow as he says their name.

Duncan. Lauren. Nico.

All three are extremely relieved, given how few were actually up for elimination that night. That leaves Kelsey and Ranjitha as the bottom two, both trying to hide their nerves, with the last marshmallow going to…

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Ranjitha.

Kelsey looks shocked, asking what happened. Clayton shrugs, saying that is what she gets for playing the game dirty. She angrily points to a few others and says everyone else has done so much worse, to which Clayton shrugs in response. She dejectedly apologizes to Ranjitha, and makes her way down the Dock of Shame.

The scene flashes to everyone standing at the edge of the Dock of Shame, with Kelsey giving Alex one last hug before getting pulled off into the distance on the Boat of Losers. She throws one last wave goodbye at the contestants, and the camera shows all sixteen in a bunch at the end of the dock sadly return it.

Kelsey (CONF): Honestly this comes down to shit luck, first the shark and then getting caught…damn it…oh well, this was a blast and I wouldn’t take any of it back, well except maybe this part getting voted out and all, this part kind of blows

The scene flashes back to the campfire ceremony. Pulling up to the dock is a giant pirate ship, to which Chris says the night’s celebrations will be taking place.

Vani (CONF): Oh hell yeah

He tells the three winners to each pick one person to bring with them to the luxury cabin. Rourke picks Townes, Abbey picks Annie and Miller mumbles "Colby." Alex and Nico eye each other, nervous Colby, Abbey and Annie will be alone with Rourke and Townes.

After everyone thoroughly showers, gets ready and changes for the night, they load onto the ship and the night's festivities begin. Lined up on the side of the ship facing the water are four cannons. Ranjitha approaches one and pulls the cord, noticing it shoots out a firework. She giggles maniacally.

Ranjitha (CONF): *a scary look in her eye* Play

Helina watches on from the bar by the steering wheel, as Alex, Colby, Abbey and Annie join Ranjitha, taking turns pulling the different cords and laughing as the fireworks go off. Helina turns to Vani and says they are going to need to keep their eye out.

Lauren walks the plank and finds out it's a diving board, catapulting into the water and laughing. A montage shows Townes screaming, Clayton cheering and Sofia laughing as they dive into the waters below.

On the side opposite the ship, a fireman's pole takes you down the different layers, and Beyla and Nico keep sliding down it then climbing up the stairs to do it again.

Rourke, Miller and Duncan climb up to the crows nest, then beckon for the other contestants to come. They climb up a giant cargo net, Alex jokingly pushing Ranjitha, Helina yelling for people to wait up, and Vani getting tangled, before joining and looking out over the island that's become their home for the past few months. Only a dozen or so more challenges stand between them in the finale, and people are ready to compete.

Ranjitha at the top thanks Clayton for having her back and standing up for her. He laughs and says it's no problem, he was sick of that style of play. A nearby Abbey and Colby shrink away.

Abbey (CONF): You're talking a big game now Clayton, but there are sixteen people left...sooner or later, you're gonna have to fuck someone over or you're gonna get fucked

The camera zooms out until the ship becomes a dot in the ocean, before the scene fades to black.