Overwhelmed and Undermined

Plot
The episode opens with Nico and Beyla lifting weights in the luxury cabin. After working out in silence for a little, Nico asks Beyla if she feels super uncomfortable being here with those six and Beyla sighs with relief and is glad he feels the same because she was just about to say that.

Nico (CONF): I feel kind of bad I brought Beyla with me, this is way more uncomfortable than I thought it would be

The other six in the luxury cabin are eating breakfast at the huge table by the fireplace. Similarly, it starts out silent before Rourke points out that it is still so weird how empty the island feels. Wilson nods toward Phillippa, who checks the perimeter to make sure Beyla and Nico aren’t nearby, and the six begin strategizing. Rourke says gauging the reactions from the elimination ceremony, at least Sofia, Clayton, Mary and Nico are in this big alliance. Kelsey points out Eli was also obviously in it. Townes tacks on he has a sinking feeling that the foursome of Colby, Duncan, Abbey and Annie is in it and Grant follows-up telling them not to forget Alex is also more than likely involved.

Kelsey (CONF): How the hell did they discreetly accumulate so many numbers?

Wilson argues that as the numbers wane, the alliance will start to turn on each other but for now they should try and convince them to start picking off Helina and her allies.

Wilson (CONF): Honestly at this point it’s a pride thing

Phillippa argues it makes more sense to join forces with Helina to try and start knocking off members of the big alliance, but Rourke points out Helina will never fully trust Wilson to which Townes agrees. Grant adds that Helina even turned on Archer frequently, who she loves and trusts. Phillippa argues that Helina would trust her or Rourke though, but Wilson remains adamant that Helina is the biggest strategic threat in the game. They continue talking as the scene shifts to Lauren uncomfortably stretching as she wakes up.

Lauren (CONF): Since the merge I have not been in first class or the luxury cabin…once

Abbey is in the space between the cabins doing yoga, as Annie sits on the porch and reads a book and Helina and Sofia lounge in the sun.

In the boy’s cabin, Duncan does a morning ab workout while Garrett groggily tries to wake-up.

Garrett (CONF): This game is exhausting both mentally and physically

The scene shifts to the mess hall, where Alex, Clayton, Ranjitha, Colby, Mary and Miller eat breakfast. The six talk about what happened at the last elimination ceremony. Ranjitha begins questioning the others about the big alliance, that clearly doesn’t include her, but the others just shift uncomfortably and attempt to deflect the questions.

Ranjitha (CONF): Look, I love Helina, but this is a game and it might be time for me to jump ship

Vani walks in and asks Ranjitha if she wants to go with her to the washroom, and when she agrees the other five begin breaking down what happened the previous night. Colby tells them they needed to take out Eli, but Alex says he thinks Wilson and Townes were talking about Grant throwing the challenge, not Eli. Silence falls over the five.

Colby (CONF): Shit...well even if that’s true I need people to think it was Eli or they’re going to start targeting me

Colby argues either way it was good to be sure. They needed to make a move against him before he struck, even if he may have not actually been plotting against them.

Clayton (CONF): Um ok, I understand how brutal it is to get eliminated, so I’m not quite sure I agree with Colby’s logic

Miller steps in and says as long as the five of them, Annie, Abbey, Duncan, Beyla, Nico and Sofia stick together, they are golden until they reach the final eleven. Once they pick off the other contestants, they can start analyzing the threats within the group.

Mary (CONF): Seems kind of naïve don’t ya think?

Chris announces over the intercom for everyone to change into their gear, and meet him in the forest for the day’s challenge.

The scene flashes to the contestants at the start of a clay obstacle course. At first, it dips into a big ditch that meets a giant, metal wall. Then, the path runs into a second wall, and finally, immediately on the other side of the second wall there are three parallel rows of pegs perpendicular to the wall with giant ropes heavily intertwined amongst them. At the base of each rope is a giant wooden Chris-head.

Chris congratulates the twenty-two standing in front of him for surviving the tenth cycle of the game, which means it’s time for their fifth tribute to the previous competitors. The classic sad and dramatic music begins to play, and contestants fall silent, as by this point, most of them have lost good friends and allies along the way. The camera pans across the contestants faces, all deep in thought, some sad and others in disbelief having survived this long, as the music picks up in volume and the scene transitions into a montage that shows Matt stumbling to put together the puzzle with the blindfold, Kirsten firing blow-darts into a wave of smoke at the base of the skyscraper set, Gianna incapacitating the “heroes” with her high-power megaphone, Zach helping carry the boat above his head as Team Glory runs through Santorini, Ani on the Team Waka sled ducking beneath an icicle, Archer getting brain freeze in the pain challenge, Izzy’s boat speeding around the outskirts of Wawanakwa, Paige sword-fighting Beyla for a token in the Coliseum and finally Eli holding Duncan’s hand and running to jump off the Eiffel Tower.

Once the footage ends, Chris proceeds to tell them about today's challenge. He says he likes to call it “Over Under”, and while they’re in the individual portion of the game it’s going to require some teamwork.

Vani (CONF): If this is anything like the boot camp, ya girl is outtie

Chris tells them the contestants will start by running into the ditch and use the clay to build a mound high enough to get them over the wall. Once they do, they run to the second wall and attempt to dig a hole big enough to allow them to squeeze under. Finally, they’ll pick a heavy Chris idol and try and wrangle it down the heavy rope, having to try and untangle the tightly-bound and hard to maneuver rope along the way. Once they clear the third row of pegs, they must run and place the idol on one of four hooks to secure their immunity. The remaining eighteen contestants run the risk of walking the Dock of Shame at the night's campfire ceremony.

Wilson (CONF): We’ll have to be observant in this challenge and see who helps out who

Abbey (CONF): This isn’t quite what I want

The contestants line up, and when Chris yells “Go!” they make a mad dash into the ditch. The big alliance is careful to try and avoid revealing its members, so they split into “random” groups. Alex, Duncan, Abbey, Colby and Annie frantically begin an assembly line from the clay pit to the wall, and Clayton, Miller, Nico, Beyla, Sofia and Mary are a dozen feet down the wall, packing clay as fast as possible. Rourke is working alongside Kelsey, Grant, Wilson, Townes and Phillippa, and Helina is working with Vani, Garrett, Ranjitha and Lauren. As Helina’s group starts to fall behind, her and Alex lock eyes. They both nod, and she directs her five to the other mound.

Helina (CONF): I don’t know why we haven’t been working together before this point, but we need each other to get further in the game

Now with eleven, they make quick work of the first wall, and before they know it they build a mound big enough to help Duncan make it to the top of the wall. He straddles the top and pulls over Alex, Abbey, Colby then Annie. A montage shows Alex hit the ground, Abbey do a little roll, Colby stumble and Annie brace herself with her hands, and the four go to start digging a hole to clear the second wall. Duncan is about to jump when he looks down at Helina, pauses, then extends a hand, helping her, then Garrett, then Ranjitha, then Vani and finally Lauren.

Duncan (CONF): That may have been stupid, but she’s our friend and her group did help us out

Once Duncan helps Clayton up, he jumps down to join the diggers, as Clayton straddles the top and extends a hand to Miller. A montage shows Miller land on his butt, Mary crouch as she lands, Sofia landing heavy on her heels, Nico doing a roll and Beyla landing on her feet then immediately falling to the ground. The five run to help out with digging, with Clayton in tow.

As the group frantically digs, the scene flashes back to Phillippa and Townes packing in dirt, as Rourke runs to get more. Wilson says to wait, and once ample time passes, runs over to the mound everyone else used and catapults up. When he arrives at the top, he locks eye contact with Clayton who tells the group to dig faster.

Clayton (CONF): I honestly don’t know what’s scarier, me losing immunity or Wilson and Townes winning it

Helina is the first to attempt to squeeze under the wall. When she successfully slips under, Nico calls to start digging from the other side, but she immediately darts for an idol and begins frantically trying to untangle the tightly-bound rope from one of the first-row pegs.

Helina (CONF): Sorry but this is an individual game, any of them would have done the same

Duncan curses, saying he didn't have to help her group over in the first part but he did. In the meantime, Wilson begins to help Phillippa and Rourke over the wall, who go and feign digging next to the big group, despite knowing they’re going to just have to use that hole when they’re done. Once the hole is big enough for Garrett so squeeze through, the rest quickly follow.

Kelsey (CONF): Did Grant and I make the right move trying to align with Wilson? Literally everyone else seems to be working together

A montage shows Alex and Sofia slipping under the wall, Townes and Grant being pulled over the first one, and Lauren, Mary and Colby tugging at the ropes wrapped around the first row of pegs. Finally, Wilson pulls Kelsey over and the two join the other four in digging.

Phillippa (CONF): I know I should want our alliance-mates to win, but I also know we’re being targeted and that could increase my chances of being eliminated so...I'm not quite sure

Duncan is the last person to slip under the hole for the big alliance, and suddenly everyone is working on unwinding their rope loose enough to get their idol to the end of the course. It's tougher than it looks though, as the rope is so closely hugging the pegs that even bursts of pulling don't loosen the ropes very much. Helina, having had a big head start, has finally broken her idol free of the first row of pegs and begins lugging it toward the second. Alex is right behind her. Abbey, Miller and Beyla follow.

Eventually, Phillippa slips under the hole, meaning everyone is officially working on the third leg of the challenge.

Garrett (CONF): It’s time to kick it into high gear. There’s no way after making it to the final twenty-two am I getting sent home next

A montage shows Ranjitha dragging her idol to the next row of pegs, Lauren desperately trying to free the rope connected to hers from a peg, and Wilson cursing when he ends up entangled with Vani and the two don’t know how to progress forward. Grant, having found a particularly easy rope, is starting to make headway and catch up to the group.

Phillippa, Rourke, Sofia and Kelsey are stuck at the first row of pegs, frustrated. Rourke kicks his peg, as Kelsey puts her hands on her head and Sofia sweats and keeps pulling.

Suddenly, the camera shows a slow-motion Helina bursting free from the third row and dragging her idol along toward the end. She rips it off the rope and hangs it on the first hook, securing immunity.

Helina (CONF): *wringing sweat out of her hair* Bless up, with this mysterious alliance at work who knows what’s going to happen next

Almost immediately afterwards, a slow-motion Alex also breaks free, profusely sweating as he lugs his idol down the rope and heaves it onto the second hook, securing the second spot of immunity.

Alex (CONF): *covered in dirt and sweat* This could not have come at a better time

A montage shows a frustrated Rourke trying to pull his idol from the starting point, Lauren still trying to break past the second row, Duncan lugging his onto the third and Nico taking a break, exhausted. Colby and Annie are side-by-side trying to figure out their rope puzzle together, and Grant wipes sweat from his face on his shirt.

Everyone outside of Wilson's alliance keep eying him and Townes, horrified at the prospect of the two of them being invulnerable for the vote.

Abbey (CONF): Wilson is a terrifying player. He’s been in kind of a tough spot this whole game but is still going strong

Suddenly, Beyla breaks free from the third row of pegs. Alex and Helina cheer as Beyla lugs her idol down the last rope, hanging the idol on the third hook next to Helina’s and collapsing to the ground.

Beyla (CONF): *wiping sweat off her forehead* Lordt I thought that challenge was going to be the death of me

The scene flashes to Townes trying to break his free from the second row of pegs, Abbey fighting to loosen the final peg, Grant lugging his to the third row and Phillippa finally making it to the second. After noticing Wilson making his way toward the third row of pegs, Annie stops what she’s doing and runs over to help Abbey loosen her ropes. Rourke, noticing, does the same for Wilson. As Annie and Abbey battle Wilson and Rourke, others come to each group’s aid, with Phillippa making a run toward Wilson and Sofia desperately trying to loosen Abbey’s rope.

Suddenly, in the background, Grant frees up his idol and begins slowly making his way toward the finish line. Everyone is so wrapped up in the battle between Wilson and Abbey that they barely notice Grant hanging up his Chris-head on the hook, securing the last immunity.

Grant (CONF): *lying on the ground so out of the camera frame and panting* Immunity win? Check

Chris congratulates the four, and tells everyone he looks forward to seeing them at the campfire ceremony that night.

At dinner, things return to their usual hectic nature. After what happened to Eli a few days ago in Paris a few days ago, no one feels safe. The eleven sit together outside and decide whether to go after Helina or Wilson’s alliance. Clayton is arguing Helina betrayed them at the end and that’s the only reason she won immunity so they should go after Vani, one of Helina’s close allies who’s a threat in the game, but Alex argues Rourke, Wilson, Townes and Phillippa are all vulnerable right now and every one of them is a threat for a different reason. Nico agrees saying that Wilson is the strategic mastermind of the group, with Beyla following up that Phillippa is playing an incredible social game.

Clayton (CONF): The game has really amped up since my elimination

Abbey argues Townes is the biggest all-around threat, while Annie joins Clayton and says now would be a great time to get rid of a physical threat like Garrett or social threat like Ranjitha. Miller stands and tells everyone to shut it, saying they need to work together or this is never going to work. He then says they need to get to business – an elephant that no one has been addressing is how Helina and Ranjitha know who is in their alliance. Things get tense as the scene transitions to Wilson, sitting at a table inside with his alliance.

He tells the other five he spoke with Clayton, who told him to vote Vani so he thinks that should be their plan. Phillippa still thinks they should team up with Helina, but Townes comments that Helina helped the other group in the challenge so likely wouldn’t work with them.

Townes (CONF): I’m starting to worry Phillippa is going to jump ship. I know her, Helina and Alex and all them are friends...not to mention Abbey, Annie and Duncan…but we can’t afford to lose one of our own we're already struggling with numbers

Townes and Rourke talk, and have an idea that may save them last-minute. Rourke pulls Mary to the front porch of one of the loser cabins and tells her he’s scared Phillippa is going to turn on their alliance and join Helina’s, so that’s who they are targeting. Mary asks why she should trust him, and Rourke says because they're still close and need to have each other’s backs to ensure the other makes it far in the game. Mary nods, and reveals they’re alliance decided to target Vani, if he wants to swing that way. Rourke later goes and tells Helina to target Phillippa, with Rourke's reasoning being he's scared Phillippa will swing to Alex's alliance.

Rourke (CONF): Look I love Phillippa, but there are only a handful of us left and now at least I know Wilson, Townes and I will be safe tonight

As people return their dishes to chef, Chris uses the intercom system to summon the contestants to the campfire ceremony.

~*ELIMINATION CEREMONY*~

Chris tells everyone that it’s time for yet another elimination ceremony. Once the contestants vote, he reappears with a plate that holds twenty-one marshmallows. As always, the first four go to the four immune.

Alex. Beyla. Helina. Grant.

The four catch their marshmallows gleefully, walking up to join Chris by the campfire. Everyone looks around nervously. Mary mouths to Sofia, asking who she voted for, which Nico picks up on, confused since the alliance had come to a decision.

Garrett. Colby. Abbey.

A rapid flash of scenes shows all three grinning and walking to join the group at the campfire.

Annie. Mary. Sofia.

Mary is still eying Sofia, as Annie lets out a huge sigh of relief.

Ranjitha. Clayton. Rourke. Nico.

Rourke looks shocked he was called so early, as Nico and Clayton share an embrace that Ranjitha crashes.

Lauren. Miller. Townes. Kelsey.

Townes and Kelsey sigh with relief, both scared their name would be tossed into the ring. Miller however, looks nervous for a different reason, scared about the outcome of the vote. Lauren grins at Alex.

Wilson.

Another huge sigh of relief, a staple of elimination ceremonies ever since the first one that sent Connor packing. Some confused looks are exchanged due in part to the fact that no one took advantage of Wilson's vulnerability.

That leaves Phillippa and Vani as the bottom two. Miller, Nico, Mary, Sofia, Colby, Alex and Beyla are all exchanging glances and whispering. No one is quite sure what’s going to happen. Ranjitha looks on, and her and Abbey lock eyes. Chris hands the last marshmallow to…

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Vani.

Phillippa sadly hangs her head, devastated that her journey is ending.

Phillippa (CONF): This has been a crazy adventure. I’ve made some great friends, some great memories and grew so much. I…damn it, I should have allied with Annie…especially after Paige got the boot...I should have allied with Annie…

The scene flashes to the Dock of Shame. Phillippa is rolling a little purple suitcase, and stops to hug everyone on her way down. At the end she hugs Helina, and apologizes for not working with her and wishes her luck in the game. Everyone gathers at the end of the dock as Phillippa is pulled off into the distance.

Sofia (CONF): Phillippa was such a light in this competition…even when it's a win for your alliance, it still sucks

When they return, they find for the first time the party is set up in the luxury cabin. Chris tells the four winners to choose partners to join them for the night. Alex picks Nico, Beyla picks Mary, Helina picks Ranjitha and Grant picks Townes.

The night begins, and the change of scenery ignites a spark in the contestants. Music begins to pick up in the background, as a montage of partying ensues. The scene shows Alex, Abbey, Colby and Helina gleefully jumping on the couch, as Ranjitha and Annie jokingly grind and Townes and Kelsey take shots that are lined up on the table. Clayton is pounding his fist as Rourke does the worm and Duncan and Mary hysterically laugh and dance as they watch. Garrett lifts Vani in the air, who is hammered in celebration of the fact she wasn’t sent home, and even Grant cuts loose, dancing around with Wilson, Sofia and Nico.

During the party, Ranjitha is talking to someone off screen, thanking them for their help and informing her about the big alliance, agreeing to do her best to keep them safe as the scene fades to black.