See Ya Later, Alligator

Plot
The episode opens up with Abbey, Annie, Rourke and Colby sitting in one of the sets of four chairs in first class. The floor-to-ceiling windows are revealing a spectacular view of twilight over the clouds, the sky a mixture of warm orange, pink and purple.

Abbey (CONF): Wow…that was not what I thought was going to happen last night

Colby talks about how much he misses Duncan, and how sad it is going to be to continue in this competition without him. Annie echoes the sentiment, but Rourke rolls his eyes.

Rourke (CONF): Ok please, it’s the final ten, it's not like Duncan died...well actually with that whole Drop of Shame thing...

Annie says she’s just confused how they got the numbers, and Rourke just shrugs, saying he has no idea what happened.

Rourke (CONF): I want to make sure I don’t position this against anyone just yet, not until I need another "get out of jail free" card because I should not have survived the last elimination ceremony but...here I am!

When the foursome wanders into the messhall for an evening snack, they see the remaining six contestants already gathered around one of the tables sipping hot-chocolate. The four join, the messhall’s windows allowing the beautiful combination of lights to leak in. They’re talking about their biggest fears, a conversation prompted when talking about the crazy things they’ve had to face these past few months.

Nico talks about how he was scared spending the night alone in the woods in Aspen, even though his team was with him.

*flashback to Nico high in a tree next to Clayton, Gianna and Sibu*

But that it’s clowns that really freak him out.

Nico (CONF): The shit we’ve had to do on this show…

Ranjitha talks about how nervous she was when she almost died in the ice caves in Juneau.

*flashback to Grant and Kelsey pressing the button to have the interns come retrieve a shivering Ranjitha in the ice caves*

Ranjitha (CONF): I wonder how successful a lawsuit against this show would be

But for her it’s creepy children that do the trick. One-by-one, they go around the circle and state what they’re most afraid of. Alex talks about how it’s pretty much anything you’d find in a horror movie, Colby talks about the slowness of zombies always giving him the chills, Beyla reveals that old women are the creepiest to her and Clayton says that the girl from those Ring movies gives him the creeps.

Clayton (CONF): I feel like they’re always recording this show, and talking about what scares us feels dumb?

Abbey jokes that Donald Trump is the scariest thing that’s happened recently, Annie says wax figurines freak her out, Rourke says the deep ocean is horrifying to him and Vani says she hates real serial killers and not ghosts.

Vani (CONF): I mean come on those are real, none of that fake shit

As they sit and laugh over their hot chocolate, the camera zooms out to show a tiny security camera in the corner with a little red light. The scene flashes to Chris in his classic control room with tons of screens. He begins to laugh, as the scene transitions to the next morning. All the contestants are standing in the middle of a swamp in the outskirts of New Orleans.

Ranjitha (CONF): Oh hell yes

Chris tells them today’s challenge is going to be divided into two parts, one out here in the bayou and one in the city. Each will only have one winner, the winner of the first part getting to avoid the second part. He also tells them they don’t want to get voted out tonight, as Mardi Gras is happening so the night’s events are going to be crazy.

The first part of the challenge is going to be a scavenger hunt through the swamp. Behind him are ten airboats, ready to be driven. In three jars scattered throughout the swamp, are three different colors of Mardi Gras beads – green, purple and gold. First person to get all three wins the challenge.

Annie (CONF): Ok there is obviously more to this than that

Once the contestants get in their boats, he blows the airhorn and they’re off into the swamp. They are in a central location, with three paths diverging from the main area. Alex, Beyla and Annie zip down one path.

Beyla (CONF): I don’t like where this is going

Abbey, Clayton, Ranjitha and Rourke shoot off down the second one.

Abbey (CONF): This just can’t be good

And Colby, Vani and Nico take the third.

Colby (CONF): I swear if there are clowns down there…

Abbey and Clayton are the first to reach the end of the path. They see the jar sitting on a rock, seemingly unguarded. Just as Abbey states this looks too easy, her boat is rocked by something underneath the water. A camera eye-level with the of the surface of the water approaches the back of Clayton’s boat then jumps into the air, a wide-shot revealing an angry alligator. More begin to circle as Ranjitha and Rourke arrive and the scene transitions to Alex arriving.

It looks like the boat is going to need to be parked to reach this jar, but it also looks seemingly unguarded. Beyla appears right behind him, when an “oink” sound is heard.

Beyla (CONF): …I think I’m officially losing it

Alex (CONF): Oh wait, hell no I know what this is

Suddenly, swamp boars come charging out from behind the trees. Alex and Beyla, who are now out of the boat, make a run for it, the mud from the swamp making it extremely difficult. When Annie arrives the boars are distracted, prompting her to smirk as the scene shifts to Colby, Vani and Nico arriving simultaneously at the end of the third path. It was a lot windier, and all of their boats look extremely beat up.

Vani (CONF): If I had a dollar for every time I rammed into a tree I would legit have the prize money

This jar also looks inaccessible via boat, so the three get out and warily approach the seemingly unguarded jar of gold beads. They walk in a line extremely slowly, when Nico comments that he never noticed how short Vani is. She says that she’s not that short, and the three look down to reveal the jar is in the middle of a pit of quicksand.

Nico (CONF): Chris cannot be serious right now. Quicksand? Again?

*flashback to Leigh sinking into a pit of quicksand in the X-games*

A montage shows Abbey veering left causing a lunging alligator to ram into a tree, Annie popping open the jar and grabbing a purple set of beads, with boars chasing Alex and Beyla in the background, Clayton fending off an alligator with a stick, Nico reaching for a vine and beginning to pull himself out of the sand and Alex grabbing two pairs of purple beads and throwing one to Beyla before veering back to the boats.

Nico manages to make it out, throwing the vine to Vani almost instinctively.

Colby (CONF): Ok wow, at least I know where I stand now

Once Vani gets out, her and Nico exchange glances and hesitate, before tossing Colby the rope. He gapes at the two, not believing they were going to leave him in this pit of quicksand. He begins to pull himself out, as the scene shifts to Rourke getting the set of green beads guarded by the alligators. They still seem fairly preoccupied with Clayton, Abbey and Ranjitha, giving him time to duck out.

Back at the main area, Chris and Chef lounge on lounge chairs in swimsuits, balancing the cold of winter with interns holding giant space heaters. Alex, Rourke, Beyla, Annie, Nico, Vani and Colby all whiz through, their boats weaving in and out before shooting down different paths.

Alex, Beyla and Colby end up with the alligators. Ranjitha is high in a tree, an alligator physically sitting on her boat. Wanting to help their friend, Alex, Beyla and Colby begin to throw rocks at it. Abbey and Clayton use the distraction as a chance for them to get their beads and get out.

Abbey (CONF): Sorry Ranj but that was exactly the distraction I needed

Ranjitha (CONF): Ok Abbey that was a lil shady

The four work together to get the green set of beads, as Nico, Vani and Rourke end up with the boars.

The boars are even angrier, guarding the edge of the water and not leaving room for them to park their boats and reach the purple beads.

Rourke (CONF): This looks quite impossible

The scene flashes to Annie down to her waist in quicksand.

Annie (CONF): Well I think it’s safe to say that I’m fucked

A flash shows Alex swiping beads from a jar now almost in-between alligator jaws, Ranjitha slipping a pair when they’re distracted, Colby grabbing one and turning his airboat to full blast and Beyla grabbing one through the splashes of angry alligators.

Thankfully for Annie, Abbey and Clayton finally arrive to the quicksand area of the swamp. At this point, it’s to her shoulders, and Clayton immediately tosses her the same vine Nico, Vani and Colby used. In the meantime, both run faster than the quicksand to ensure they don’t get caught, both retrieving gold beads in record time and returning to the boat

Rourke, Vani and Nico are still trying to find a way to maneuver around the boars. Vani suggests one of them getting out of their boat and setting it to “full speed” toward shore, crashing it and scaring the boars away.

Vani (CONF): I think this plan could work, but I don’t trust these people as far as I can throw them so we sure as hell ain't using my boat

Nico says they can use his and they do – successfully scaring off the boars from the edge of the muddy swamp water. Vani and Rourke each grab beads, and when Nico asks to catch a ride both apologize and say they’re sorry, before zooming off into the distance.

Nico (CONF): Wow

Rourke (CONF): This is a competition

When Alex, Ranjitha and Beyla arrive at the quicksand, Annie is somehow submerged again, this time to her waist. Alex asks how long she’s been there, and she says she does not want to talk about it. He tosses her a vine, as a side-by-side shows Abbey, Colby and Clayton approaching a purple jar, now devoid of the boar guardians and Vani weaving through some pissed-off alligators.

Beyla runs across the quicksand and tosses a set of beads to Alex and Ranjitha, as Annie crawls out from the vine and finally grabs her own as well. Almost simultaneously, Colby, Abbey and Clayton throw the set of purple beads around their neck and Vani swipes a green pair while the alligators are preoccupied with a bird sitting on a log.

Another split-screen shows the group racing back toward the center – all but Ranjitha with a complete set of three beads.

Colby (CONF): Immunity is so important right now Colby rides his clutch, hoping it will make his boat pick up speed.

Alex (CONF): *crossing his fingers* I need this win, I haven’t won individual immunity since we were in San Francisco for pride

Alex and Beyla whiz by Rourke going the opposite direction, him cursing for falling so behind.

Vani (CONF): Aw man, I shouldn’t have left Nico back there…I feel shitty

Vani gulps as she approaches the common area of the swamp. An airboat arrives and comes to a screeching halt, prompting a huge wave of mud to come up. When the wave comes back down, it’s revealed it was Alex, proudly wearing all three color beads. A muddy (and hence, angry) Chris blows the airhorn, saying Alex wins the first part of the challenge. Alex jumps up and down, giddy with excitement, as the scene shifts to everyone in the French Quarter.

Chris says he’s glad they had a little bonding about fear the night before, because it gave him exactly the material he needed for part two of this challenge. Similarly to their stint in New Orleans in season one, he wants to make sure they’re taking advantage of the more…paranormal facets of New Orleans’ culture. With a rich past in voodoo spiritual possession, where better to have a haunted house.

Alex (CONF): Oh my god, I remember this challenge last season and I could not be happier I’m missing this, it was literally my least favorite part of the entire season

*flashback to Kacvinsky accidentally sprinting further into the house after hearing a horrifying cackle in the pitch-black*

Clayton (CONF): I knew the little “kumbaya” session about fears was going to bite us in the ass

Chris says one-by-one they’ll go into this “house of horrors”, but even better, this season it’s going to change based on the specific thing that freaks out each individual contestant.

Ranjitha (CONF): Great

Whoever can last the longest before wimping out will join Alex both in the luxury cabin and the final nine.

Chris says to keep it fair, they’re going to go alphabetically, meaning Abbey is up first.

The next scene flashes between each contestant’s experiences in the house, strung together in a flowing narrative. It starts with Abbey entering the house, followed by Annie tentatively going up the stairs and Beyla getting chills when a door slams somewhere nearby.

Beyla (CONF): This is my worst nightmare

It also shows Clayton venturing down a dark hallway, Colby immediately turning around at the sound of a groan and Nico’s path leading him into the basement.

Nico (CONF): The basement?!

Finally it shows Ranjitha exploring what seems to be a nursery, before her passing through a door changes to Rourke in a giant, empty room with a spin transitioning to Vani, in a similar situation.

Annie breaks when one of the wax figurines in the “faux wax museum” set up for her comes to life, prompting her to sprint out. The rev of a chainsaw does Vani in and Ranjitha falls victim to two demon-looking twins.

Ranjitha (CONF): Nope

Rourke begins to freak out as his room slowly fills with water, Beyla can’t help but feel like something is watching her and Abbey passes out at the sight of a zombie Donald Trump.

A montage shows Clayton bursting out of the house out of breath, Nico coming out saying “holy shit” and throwing his hands on his knees and Abbey running out on the verge of tears.

Abbey (CONF): The scariest part is…we are living in that reality right now

Rourke gets spooked when something brushes by his leg in the now waist-length water, Colby is eliminated when a trip-wire allows a horde of zombies to catch up prompting him to cry “uncle” and finally Beyla is taken out by the appearance of an old woman in one of the bathroom mirrors.

The scene flashes to everyone sitting in the messhall, muddy from the swamp and spooked from the house. Chris has Chef project a giant screen on one of the metal walls, showing the scoreboard. Names start to appear, starting with ninth.

9. Abbey, 5:01

Everyone asks what could have been so scary, and she just mumbles “reality.”

8. Beyla, 5:06

7. Clayton, 6:51

6. Ranjitha, 7:00

Everyone is laughing and exchanging stories, with Alex looking a little uncomfortable he didn’t have to compete in this part of the challenge. Nico assures him it’s ok as they all went through a similar torture during the crazed nighttime scavenger hunt.

5. Nico, 7:14

4. Annie, 7:24

3. Vani, 7:55

That leaves the winner of the challenge either Rourke or Colby. Rourke is crossing his fingers, knowing his time could be coming to an end if he doesn’t clinch this victory. Chris draws out the suspense, before revealing the top two times…

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2. Rourke, 8:01

1. Colby, 8:10

Rourke (CONF): Nine seconds? Nine seconds could be the reason I am voted out of this game…

Chris tells them he’ll see them that night, as the scene flashes to dinner. Nico is telling Alex, Beyla and Ranjitha about how Vani and Rourke just left him hanging out to dry back in the swamp. Alex can’t believe it, Rourke being one of his closest friends.

Alex (CONF): Dude that’s sketchy

But Beyla says it’s Vani they should be more concerned about. She says Vani is riding the middle – obviously she voted to blindside Duncan back in Tokyo, but she acts as if she’s working with them. Ranjitha nervously sweats, still working with Vani as her number one ally. Right on cue, Vani walks up to the table with a tray and sits down, with Alex quickly saying Rourke is the target. Vani agrees.

Colby, Abbey and Annie sit a table over, with Annie talking about how she’s ready to work with them after what the big alliance did to Duncan.

Annie (CONF): That was the last straw, I mean it obviously wasn’t Rourke’s doing…

Rourke comes up with a tray, and the four talk about going after Nico again. The other three agree, saying Nico is a threat to win.

Ranjitha pulls Alex aside, saying they need to swing someone else, and make sure that Vani never figures out they’re targeting her. Alex apologizes, knowing Ranjitha and Vani are working together, but Ranjitha says this is the best strategic move right now. They talk about who to swing, when Rourke approaches Vani telling her they need to take out Nico.

Vani (CONF): How am I always the swing vote, but I mean I’ll take it

Beyla overhears on her way to get seconds, and returns to the table with the news. That gives Alex and Ranjitha an idea. The two eye Abbey, as the scene shifts to the elimination ceremony.

~*ELIMINATION CEREMONY*~

Chris welcomes the contestants to another of many barfbag ceremonies. He says it’s time to go into the confessional to vote.

Rourke (CONF): You are easily one of the biggest threats in the game right now *stamps Nico’s passport*

Beyla (CONF): If we don’t get rid of you now, it’s never going to work *stamps Vani’s passport*

Vani (CONF): Wow…having this much power…Nico is a strong challenge threat but Rourke’s social game will carry him to the end *studies the two passports closely, before stamping one offscreen*

Nico (CONF): You leave me no choice *stamps Vani’s passport*

Annie (CONF): This is for Duncan *stamps Nico’s passport*

Abbey (CONF): …I have no idea what to do, I mean Nico is one of my best friends, and Vani literally voted me out after the blow-up soccer challenge…

Chris returns with a plate filled with nine barfbags filled with airline-issued peanuts. He tosses the first two bags to the two immune.

Alex. Colby.

The two catch their barfbags and warily eye one another.

Ranjitha. Beyla. Annie.

The three girls loudly sigh with relief. Ranjitha gets up and hits a whip, her heart pounding, as a nervously sweaty Beyla and Annie laugh.

Clayton. Abbey.

Abbey barely catches the barfbag, too busy eying the three without immunity. Clayton however, jumps into the air and cheers. Vani looks confident she’ll be the next name called.

Rourke.

Rourke looks absolutely shocked. He turns to Alex who winks at him. Vani begins to look extremely nervous, eying Ranjitha who is avoiding any sort of confrontation. Nico doesn’t look shocked, but has his gaze locked in on Chris. He is leaning a bit forward, his desire to receive that last barfbag apparent. Chris takes a long breath, before giving the last barfbag to…

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Nico.

Vani looks absolutely shocked. She is trying to do the math in her head, as Chris tells her it’s time to say her goodbyes. She tells everyone she’s bummed, but that this was a blast and she couldn’t have done it with better people.

Vani (CONF): Blindsided doesn’t begin to describe what just happened man, like I went in thinking I owned this shit then I’m sent home?...it’s whack

Vani turns and waves to her friends, sad she’s leaving the competition but glad to have made it so far. She takes one last look at the nine people she’s spent so much time with, before taking a deep breath and jumping over the Drop of Shame.

Chris tells Alex and Colby they each can bring a guest to the luxury cabin with them. Alex and Colby eye one another warily, before Colby chooses Annie and Alex chooses Nico.

Chris tells them just like he promised, it's time to throw-down for Mardi Gras.

Abbey (CONF): It's kind of sad Sibu isn't here for us to completely lose her this time...*sighs*

Ranjitha (CONF): It's weird to think last time I was here was spring break, and Helina, Yunah, Yuri and Connor were all here...and Vani...

Immediately, the contestants move to take advantage of the open container law and enter a trashy convenient store. A montage shows Clayton tossing Alex and Annie a Four Loko each (to which they promptly gag), Ranjitha chasing Colby down the aisles with one of those "alligator chomp" toys, and Abbey, Nico, Beyla and Rourke with their arms filled with alcohol. They pass it out, and as the nine walk down the street, they relish in the moment.

Annie (CONF): Ok there are nine of us right now

A walking montage shows Alex and Nico exchanging drinks to try, Rourke twerking on a pole with Ranjitha smacking his butt (and a nearby Clayton laughing and joking trying to get her to stop), Abbey and Annie arm-in-arm drinking a bottle of wine each and Colby and Beyla in the back taking turns slapping the bag.

Once they reach Bourbon St., the atmosphere is absolutely wild. People line the balconies, the unique architecture popping with gold, green and purple. Alex and Ranjitha run and compete to see who can get the most beads, while someone drops a two-story funnel for Clayton to use.

At one point, they lose Ranjitha, but as they pass a bar Rourke peaks in and sees her on stage making a "U-N-C" with her body and the crowd cheering along.

Clayton (CONF): *laughing so hard he falls off the toilet*

The other eight rush in, the bar packed and music popping. They circle up and lose it, trying not to let the thought of the game interfere with this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

The night ends with a beautiful parade, panning down Nico, then Beyla, then Clayton, then, Annie, then Alex, then Abbey, then Ranjitha, then Colby and finally Rourke sitting side-by-side on the curb and smiling, cheering and celebrating before their nine becomes eight.

Trivia

 * The second-half of the challenge is an intensified version of the challenge in Down by the Swamp