Capture the Greased Pig

Plot
The episode opens up with Team Booty in the luxury cabin for the first time since their winning streak.

Helina (CONF): *sighs* Ah back where we belong

Helina is on the stair-stepper in the gym, having dragged Ranjitha with her on the premise you only really get a good workout if your team gets to stay in the luxury cabin, which doesn’t always happen. Also because Fiona used to go with her before she was voted out. Ranjitha coughs and says "by you" under her breath which Helina doesn't catch.

Grant is also in the exercise room, lifting weights, and Sam is on the treadmill.

Grant (CONF): Honestly I’m pretty impressed by Sam’s workout ethic, he’s actually kind of started doing better in challenges

Gianna is eating a huge breakfast with Townes, Kelsey and Sofia. The four talk about how disgusting they felt after the last challenge, completely drenched in sweat.

Sofia (CONF): It’s like kind of nice but also kind of awkward that you can just sit down with people in other alliances and act like you’re not aggressively trying to eliminate each other

Wilson and Archer sit on the front porch, with Wilson attempting to convince him to join them and make an all-guys alliance to take out Gianna, Kelsey, Ranjitha, Helina and Sofia now that they have the numbers. Archer nods along, but doesn’t really intend on helping.

Archer (CONF): Dude you’ve been gunning for every CK counselor since the night you blindsided Morgan, right when a merge comes you’d get rid of me like that *snaps*

On the girl’s side of Team Glory’s cabin, Alex sits with Colby, Annie, Nico, Miller, Beyla and Eli. Miller says he likes this as a core seven, not fully trusting Kirsten or Izzy and threatened by Kathryn and Zach’s close bond.

Colby (CONF): It’s about time we started some real strategy

After the group disperses, Beyla, Nico and Alex go down to the pier to talk, discussing that they’re unsure if they should turn on Zach and Kathryn because people are still getting targeted because of CK, as shown by Sibu’s elimination back at the Survivor tribute. The three agree to form an alliance the three of them within the big alliance, and swing if necessary. Nico laughs and said it's weird Sibu's not here, as they was the role the two of them played on Team Friendship, helping coordinate some big moves.

*flashback to Sierra walking down the Dock of Shame and Clayton fastening on his parachute*

Kathryn and Zach discuss strategy as they eat “breakfast” (this time Chef claims it’s bacon), talking about picking up Alex, Nico, Kirsten and Beyla to try and target Izzy for turning on the big alliance and blindsiding Dani. Zach is a little more hesitant about Kathryn, but she says they're going to have to trust her if they want the numbers.

In the meantime, Izzy eats breakfast with Rourke and Paige, telling them she’s jealous they are all on a team together and is nervous about getting voted out soon. Rourke tells her they’ll pick her up come a merge, so just try and last until then. They tell her Alex and Kirsten will have her back, maybe even Miller and Colby.

As Team Glory deals with intense politics for the first time, Team Waka relaxes, deciding to focus on winning the next couple challenges because they’re sick of being the smallest team. Garrett is eating with Duncan, Phillippa, Matt and Ani, and Vani is getting to know Frances as they get ready in the gross communal washrooms.

Suddenly, a loud air horn reverberates throughout camp.

Colby (CONF): Is that really necessary?

The contestants meet in between the cabins, where Chris is standing with Chef and Cassy from season one. Alex and Sam run to say hi, both having shared a team with her last season, before she was the sixth person voted out in the first Awake-a-thon. Immediately, the contestants notice a couple things.

Kathryn (CONF): Wait I’m sorry is that girl holding three pigs on a leash?

Grant (CONF): Whatever Chef is holding in that big pot just can’t be good

Ani (CONF): The fact that their leashes correspond with the three team colors is not promising

Ranjitha (CONF): If Chris tries to make us cook these cute little pigs there’s no way

Chris welcomes them to their twenty-ninth challenge – capture the flag. But instead of flags, each team has a pig. The island will be split into three zones: the area with the cabins, communal washroom and mess hall as well as part of the forest will be Team Glory’s zone.

Zach (CONF): If the pigs are out here then what is in the bacon chef was cooking

The area with the dock, campfire ceremony and cliff as well as some woods will be Team Booty’s zone.

Kelsey (CONF): Is Chris seriously making us chase a pig?

And finally, the remainder of the island, the thick of the forest, will be Team Waka’s zone.

Frances (CONF): This challenge is just…odd?

Chris tells them that the first team to capture another team’s pig wins, and whichever team’s pig is captured will be going to elimination. He tells them to avoid the teams ganging up on each other, as much as he loved the drama from last episode, each team will have to assign three groups: defense, offense one and offense two. The defense will guard the pig, while both offenses will go to the other two team’s zones. Anyone tagged in an enemy zone will be eliminated from the challenge, unable to come back in.

Wilson (CONF): I think this challenge is going to be a lot harder than people think it’s going to be

The breakdown is as follows:

 Team Booty:   Team Glory:   Team Waka: 
 * Offense 1: Wilson, Gianna, Sam, Archer
 * Offense 2: Helina, Ranjitha, Grant, Kelsey
 * Defense: Yuri, Townes, Sofia
 * Offense 1: Alex, Eli, Annie, Izzy
 * Offense 2: Colby, Kirsten, Lauren, Zach
 * Defense: Kathryn, Nico, Beyla, Miller
 * Offense 1: Mary, Rourke, Duncan
 * Offense 2: Paige, Phillippa, Garrett
 * Defense: Matt, Ani, Frances, Vani

He gives those on offense headbands and warpaint of their team’s color. He gives those on defense bandanas to put around their neck and warpaint of their team’s color. A montage shows them laughing as Garrett splashes light orange paint all over Phillippa and Paige, Rourke paints a light orange arm-band onto Matt's arm, Eli tightens Alex’s headband, Zach splashes gold paint all over himself, Kathryn and Miller adjust their bandanas, Yuri ties Sofia’s bandana around her neck, Archer is getting light blue face-paint courtesy of Gianna and Ani draws war lines on her face.

Once everyone is geared up, Chris gives them five minutes to get ready, telling the offense teams that they may not enter another team’s zone until the starting horn. He also tells them Chef has a gift just to spice things up. He motions to chef, who empties the pot onto the pigs, covering them in grease.

Matt (CONF): Hey now it looks a lot more like the bacon we ate this morning

He tells them this may make it slightly more challenging to catch the pigs. Cassy releases the them and they go bolting away. Chris tells defense they're up, and they take off after the pigs. Once the teams are amply spread out, a loud horn echoes throughout the island, and the challenge is on. Cassy yells after Sam and Alex as they run off, wishing them luck. Especially Alex, telling him to bring it home for the "new" Team Victory.

Miller grabs the pig best he can and tells Kathryn, Nico and Beyla they should go to the luxury cabin, given it’d be the easiest to defend in there. They all agree and head that way. Wilson, Gianna, Sam and Archer come into the zone running, but because the zones are so big, Team Glory is already out of sight. They run into Mary, Rourke and Duncan, agreeing to work together to increase their chances.

Mary (CONF): We’re not technically teaming up against Team Glory, we both have offensive groups going after the other's pig so that doesn’t count right?

Matt, Ani, Frances and Vani are searching frantically through the woods, with Frances having tackled it earlier but let it slip due to the grease. Alex, Eli, Annie and Izzy, as well as Helina, Ranjitha, Grant and Kelsey are also all frantically looking for the pig in the enormous woods, hoping to find it before Team Waka has a chance to find it and hide it.

Yuri manages to secure the pig for Team Booty, and they begin making their way up the cliff, determining that once they get to the top it will be easy to defend. Townes and Sofia take the rear, keeping a lookout. Zach decides to climb a tree to find them, with Kirsten, Colby and Lauren encouraging him from the ground. Paige, Phillippa and Garrett just wander around, first checking the dock and the campfire ceremony.

Phillippa (CONF): Alright this is actually ridiculous this pig could be fucking anywhere

A montage shows Kathryn and Nico trying to shove the pig under the bed in one of the bedrooms on the fourth floor of the luxury cabin, Miller and Beyla trying to stealthily move around the first floor on the lookout, Team Waka’s pig sporting the light orange collar darting one direction, with an oblivious Alex, Eli, Annie and Izzy moving the other direction, and Helina, Ranjitha, Grant and Kelsey not too far behind. Then it shows the pig breaking free of Yuri’s grip, but Townes and Sofia tackling it, and Zach seeing the commotion from the top of the tree and sliding down to tell Kirsten, Colby and Lauren to head toward the cliff. The montage ends with Matt, Ani, Vani and Frances finding the pig and cornering it.

Vani (CONF): We are not losing this challenge because of a damn pig

Zach, Colby, Kirsten and Lauren run past Paige, Phillippa and Garrett. The three ask if they’ve seen anything, and just as Lauren is about to say something, Zach cuts her off and says no and Kirsten encourages the group to run. Colby looks at Lauren apologetically, and Lauren shrugs to the three Team Waka members and follows her team.

Lauren (CONF): I don’t love the way Kirsten and Zach play this game

While searching for Waka’s pig, Grant sees an opportunity to better his game. He tells Helina and Ranjitha that it was Yuri and Archer who flipped yesterday, as well as admitting to flipping and Kelsey chimes in she did as well. Helina asks why she’d believe him, but he tells her to do the math. It had to have been seven or more votes to send Myra home, because only Myra and Townes got votes, and with him, Kelsey, Wilson, Sam and Townes, that leaves two open spots. Ranjitha chimes in it could have been Archer, Sofia and Gianna, and Grant admits that he told Archer and Yuri to watch out for an all-girls alliance that could happen once Wilson, Sam and Townes were voted out, but there's not real reason Gianna and Sofia would have flipped. He asks her why he would risk confessing he also flipped if this wasn't actual information.

Helina (CONF): Ugh this makes an annoying amount of sense

Helina says she does things straight up, so will ask Yuri directly, and Grant shrugs and tells her to go ahead.

In the meantime, Sofia, Townes and Yuri reach the top of the cliff.

Townes (CONF): Honestly I’m not sure if this was the best idea because I feel kind of stuck, and no way in hell we're jumping off again

This time, Matt lost grip of Team Waka’s pig and the four have to chase it down again. This time, however, Alex, Annie, Eli and Izzy, now teamed up with Grant, Kelsey, Helina and Ranjitha, catch sight of them and decide to chase after them.

Wilson and Archer yell that the boy’s side of Team Glory’s cabin is clear, with Gianna and Sam confirming the girl’s side is as well. Mary calls out from the girl’s side of Team Waka’s cabin the same, as do Rourke and Duncan from the boy’s side. They all look at the luxury cabin at the same time, and walk toward it. Miller, who is still on lookout duty with Beyla, sees them coming and runs up to warn Kathryn and Nico.

Colby, Kirsten, Lauren and Zach look exhausted as they climb up the cliff. About halfway up, they notice that Paige, Phillippa and Garrett were following them, causing them to pick up the pace.

Paige (CONF): Hm it doesn't look like they "haven't seen anything"

Colby (CONF): I mean come on Kirsten, it's Paige, who cares if Team Waka gets to stay in the luxury cabin as long as we aren't sent to elimination and Booty is

Vani points to a clearing in the woods, where the pig is happily rolling around. They decide to split up and corner it. Matt, Ani and Frances all find positions encircling the clearing, but the eight from the other two teams come charging and the pig makes a run for it.

A montage shows Zach pointing they’re close to the top of the cliff, Duncan checking around the dining area of the luxury cabin, Archer going through the workout room, the pig running between Grant’s legs and zig-zagging causing Izzy and Annie to dive into each other.

In the chaos, people start getting tagged out of the challenge. Beyla pops out from behind the counter in the kitchen and tags an unsuspecting Wilson. Townes and Sofia chase down and tag Kirsten and Colby. Frances loops around and tags Ranjitha and Eli. It also shows Alex duck out of the way of Matt and Ani, Zach climbing a tree to avoid Townes, and Archer, Mary and Rourke working together to hold a door shut from Miller and Beyla trying to break in and tag them.

Archer (CONF): Gotta do what you gotta do

In an instant, Yuri loses grip of the pig and it goes running. Immediately, Zach jumps down from the tree and joins Lauren and the newly arrived Paige, Phillippa and Garrett to chase it down. Right away Sofia dives and tags Paige's ankle and Townes attempts to chase down Garret and Phillippa. Almost simultaneously, Team Glory's pig slips out from under the bed and goes bolting around the luxury cabin, prompting Miller and Beyla to stop trying to open the door and go help Kathryn and Nico secure the pig. Unfortunately, that releases Rourke, Mary and Archer to join Sam, Gianna and Duncan in chasing it down.

In the chaos, Kathryn tags Rourke, Miller tags Gianna and Beyla tags Mary, but Sam and Archer dive out of the way. Right as Kathryn and NIco corner Duncan, Team Booty's pig runs straight toward Zach. He grabs it, but the momentum from the pig sends him over the side of the cliff.

Zach (CONF): *soaking wet* I am definitely eating bacon for dinner tonight

As he frantically swims to shore, Team Glory's pig darts toward Duncan. He grabs it, and busts open a window, diving out. The pig slips out of his hands, but starts running toward Team Waka's zone.

As Alex and Helina curse after diving after the pig and missing, Townes and Sofia tag Phillippa and Lauren while Yuri dives over the side of the cliff to go after Zach and Kathryn, Nico, Beyla and Miller frantically run out of the luxury cabin to chase down Duncan (and tagging Sam in the process), another air horn reverberates through camp. The scene flashes to Duncan standing in his zone, triumphantly holding Team Glory's pig in the air.

Seconds later, Zach returns to Team Glory's zone and collapses with exhaustion, with Yuri collapsing behind him.

Yuri (CONF): Well it's a good thing I dove off the cliff for nothing

The scene flashes to everyone standing in between the cabins, with Cassy looking worriedly at Alex. Chris announces Team Glory loses the challenge for having their pig stolen, and that Team Waka wins immunity and a trip to the luxury cabin.

At dinner, Team Glory sits around the table together. Miller suggests that it be him or one of the other three on defense, because they were the ones who lost the pig, but Lauren counters that no one else successfully wrangled a pig anyways so it's no one's fault.

Kathryn (CONF): Hey Miller that's noble and all but maybe don't offer us up as sacrifices yeah that'd be great

While in line for pork (tofu of course), the three decide who they want to swing with. Nico asks if the others have been approached, with both nodding their heads. Alex tells them that Izzy approached him wanting to vote out Kathryn, since Zach does better in challenges. Beyla tells them that Kathryn approached her about voting out Izzy, for not trusting her. Nico argues that it would be better to take out Izzy, because she isn't as good in challenges, but Beyla counters that Kathryn could be a physical threat in the merge, and her bond with Zach is a huge threat. The three discuss as the scene fades to the elimination ceremony.

~*ELIMINATION CEREMONY*~

After the votes are cast, Chris walks out with a plate full of eleven marshmallows. He tells them this is a juicy one, loving that the team unity was "totally" (in his words) destroyed after Nick's elimination. This causes some of the contestants to look upset. He passes the first marshmallow to...

Beyla.

She sighs with relief, nervous about the chaos surrounding tonight's campfire ceremony.

Alex. Annie. Miller.

The three hug tightly, catching their marshmallows.

Colby. Kirsten. Nico. Zach.

More cheers and hugs are exchanged.

Eli. Lauren.

Similarly, Eli and Lauren look excited, with elimination ceremonies making Lauren nervous Ryan's elimination back at the Great Barrier Reef and Myra's recent elimination in New York City. That leaves Kathryn and Izzy as the bottom two, both girls looking extremely nervous, with the last marshmallow going to...

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Izzy.

Kathryn looks distraught, and Zach loudly curses, given he's the only one left now out of the threesome of him, Hailey and Kathryn. Holding back tears, she tells her team to go all the way and that she's super thankful for this experience. In the meantime, Izzy is shaking, not believing that she's still in the game. The scene flashes to the Dock of Shame, as she rolls her suitcase toward the edge and hugging Zach, Alex, Beyla and Nico along the way. Izzy hugs her tightly, with Kathryn telling her she doesn't take it personally, but to stop playing shady or she'll be voted out. The team waves as the Boat of Losers pulls off into the distance, taking Kathryn out of the game.

Kathryn (CONF): Damn this sucks, I really wanted to finish this thing out, but this game is hard as fuck, and I did damn well and had one hell of a time

That night, the contestants sit around a bonfire cooking s'mores, exhausted the past couple challenges involving not sleeping, partying all night and the crazy obstacle course in bazillion-degree weather.

Garrett is on graham cracker duty, while Helina hands out marshmallows and Ranjitha hands out chocolate, eating one for herself between every time. Everyone laughs as Gianna flips after accidentally setting her marshmallow on fire, and Beyla chuckles at Zach looking at his s'more lovingly.

Helina, while handing Yuri a graham cracker, asks if he flipped and voted for Myra instead of Townes back in New York City. He looks taken aback and nervously asks who told her that, but she tells him not to change the topic. Yuri nods, telling her he was nervous about the gender balance on the team, but Helina looks hurt. He tells her he was sorry for being paranoid, but Helina doesn't look convinced. She says that Myra is gone now because of him, and Yuri just nervously sweats, hating confrontation.

In the meantime, Cassy is telling the group a story, while Ani is sitting on Matt's lap, and Colby, Phillippa and Annie whisper commentary to one another. Kelsey throws a marshmallow at an unsuspecting Alex, talking with Townes, Frances and Archer, Mary, toasting a marshmallow and Nico, talking with Wilson, before Sofia notices and leads a retaliation effort.

The scene zooms out as the contestants laugh, eat s'mores and throw marshmallows at each other, with Chris saying that they are officially halfway, so things are about to get interesting.

Trivia

 * As of Kathryn' s elimination, exactly half of the contestants have been voted out
 * This is the second "Capture the Flag" themed challenge, the first occurring in the second episode of the first season, Walk Like An Egyptian