Survivor

Plot
The episode opens up with the newly formed Team Booty in the luxury cabin. This is everyone on the team’s third time in there, and the new members seem to be integrating well.

Grant is catching up Kelsey by the fire, telling her about all the team dynamics and the feud between Wilson and Sofia’s alliances, with Helina’s kind of jumping back and forth.

Grant (CONF): You know, come to think of it, maybe Helina really shouldn’t be trusted *scrunches up face* Hm…

He tells her he is technically in the big alliance as a means of protection, but no one really ever talks strategy with him so he considers himself a lone wolf. The two of them agree to work together, with Kelsey still scared after Erica, Mahmoud, Chloe and Patrick got voted out early and nearly in succession.

Ranjitha and Helina are eating breakfast at the big table with Sofia, Myra and Gianna. Ranjitha is talking about how excited she is to have Gianna on the team.

Ranjitha (CONF): Gianna is my girl, this is hype

Gianna (CONF): Ok honestly I’m just glad I’m not with Frances anymore because she was starting to stress me out

Yuri is in the workout room doing an insane workout next to Sam, who is dead-focused on doing better in challenges, and Kirk is sitting on the front porch with Townes and Wilson. The three are discussing what to do, given the numbers against them just keep growing. Kirk frustratingly tells them that he thinks they need to pick one of the other alliances and team up with them, before they do the same with each other.

Kirk (CONF): I don't know it feels really obviously to me, Helina and Sofia have knocked out so many of each other's allies that there's still distrust, we just have to actually act on it...

Townes states he has the remnants of a plan, and whispers it to the two of them as the scene starts to transition.

The screen shows Annie, Miller and Nico sleeping peacefully when Alex, Zach, Eli and Kathryn sneak in. Alex and Eli grab Miller, Zach grabs Nico and Kathryn grabs Annie, blindfolding the three. They carry the three out into the woods, blindfolded, with the three former Friendship teammates nervously chuckling. Along the way, Beyla and Kirsten join and start "fake hazing" or "fazing" as they call it, blowing on their necks, occasionally getting yelled out in German by Kirsten and Beyla using the "whip sound" app on her phone. Hailey and Nick join, also screaming, hissing and trying to scare them. Once they're deep in the woods, the three have their blindfolds pulled off to see Izzy and Colby fanning Lauren, who has a flash tattoo on her forehead from the previous night that makes her look like a Greek goddess and sitting on a throne built from sticks and leaves. She welcomes them to Team Glory’s initiation, and everyone begins wildly yelling, and Nico, Miller and Annie laugh as the others encircle them and make-up a chant about Team Glory, “officially” initiating them into the team.

One by one, Lauren dramatically knights the three, and everyone laughs as they head to breakfast together.

Nico (CONF): Wow this is so different than Team Friendship

Zach (CONF): *laughing* I’m not gonna lie, that was pretty fun, if only Kathryn let me haze just a little harder *grins*

Nick (CONF): I get it, I’ll play nice now, but this doesn't change the fact I need to do whatever it takes to stay alive

Team Waka is already at breakfast, also still welcoming Frances, Sibu and Dan into the team.

Rourke (CONF): We really have to work on taking out Frances and Sibu, especially with Suzanne gone

Sibu is laughing as Frances flings little pieces of “pancakes” (at least that’s what chef calls them) at Duncan, who seems oblivious while talking to Paige. Ani is sitting on Matt’s lap, causing Vani to jokingly gag, and Mary talks with Phillippa, who is upset that Suzanne was voted out. Rourke notices Phillippa and Mary talking, and continues to get more paranoid. Garrett is getting to know Dan, as is Brian. Given both are friends with Kirsten, they want to make sure Dan is not trying to play her to further his position in the game.

Chris walks into the mess hall, Team Booty in tow, and tells them he hopes everyone is getting along with their new teams, because they’re about to be put to the test.

Kirk (CONF): I'm nervous, I mean other teams got people like Dan, Annie, Sibu and Nico...we got Gianna

Vani (CONF): *stretching arm across chest* Let’s do this

Chris brings them through the woods to a clearing, where a huge six-tower structure is set up, dividing into three sections – one is Glory gold, one is Waka orange and the last Booty blue.

Mary (CONF): The fuck? This definitely wasn’t here before

The scene shows a few interns lying exhausted on the ground next to the structure, before chef shoos them out of the camera frame. Also standing by the tower is Connor from season one. Alex and Sam look excited, running over to hug him, and him and Myra cordially hug as well. He is also sweaty, and tells them Chris tricked him into helping the interns build the structure. Chris chuckles. He tells them as Myra and Alex may remember, and Connor and Sam won’t for being embarrassingly voted out before this, this episode is the tribute to Survivor.

Ranjitha (CONF): Ooh hype I love Survivor

Colby (CONF): Finally

Paige (CONF): Is this that show that Alex talks about all the time?

It is based on the first challenge in Survivor: Caramoan. They will be assigned into pairs and handcuffed to their partner. The first six pairs have to climb their section of the tower, and once they reach their designated floor push a crate over the side, coming back down to collect the puzzle pieces and running them over to the pedestal. The first pair goes to the first floor, the second to the second and so on and so forth. Once the last pair has climbed all six floors and placed the last puzzle pieces on the pedestal, the final pair will put the puzzle together.

The first team to finish wins immunity and a first class ticket to their next destination, which he tells them is huge because the next challenge is the Christmas special. The contestants cheer, not realizing how close they were to the holiday. He cuts them off reminding them the losing team will be sending someone home in the night’s campfire ceremony. Connor wishes his friends luck, and Chris tells them that every floor will have a special challenge that has to be overcome by every team who crosses it. That means any pairs going to the higher floors will have extra work, just to keep things interesting. He winks as Rourke groans. The teams have time to split into pairs and assign who is doing what, with someone on Team Waka having to be a part of two pairs.

Helina, Wilson, Kathryn and Rourke take charge of their respective teams, and they split as follows:

 Floor One : Lauren & Hailey, Myra & Gianna , and Brian & Phillippa 

 Floor Two : Annie & Colby, Fiona & Sam , and Matt & Ani 

 Floor Three : Zach & Kathryn, Kelsey & Archer , and Sibu & Mary 

 Floor Four : Eli & Nick, Yuri & Ranjitha , and Dan & Frances 

 Floor Five : Nico & Kirsten, Kirk & Grant , and Vani & Garrett 

 Floor Six : Alex & Beyla, Sofia & Townes , and Duncan & Paige 

 Puzzle : Miller & Izzy, Helina & Wilson , and Rourke & Frances 

The first three pairs line up at the starting line, and Connor yells "Go!", causing Chris to shoot him a dirty look and loudly blow the airhorn. Lauren and Hailey are the first to the tower, and climb the ladder to the first floor. They are horrified to see it is crawling with spiders, centipedes, cockroaches and every gross insect imaginable.

Lauren (CONF): Oh hell no

Myra screams at the top of her lungs upon entering, causing those waiting to go to be scared as to what is on the first floor, given they can only see the spaces for the crates to be pushed out and nothing else. Gianna also lets out a yell. Seconds later, Brian and Phillippa yell too.

The bugs inspire Lauren to kick it into over-drive, dragging Hailey behind her as she rushes to find the crate. Once she does, she hurls it out the little slot and it shatters on the ground below. The two navigate to a central fireman’s pole to get back down to the ground, right as the light-orange and light-blue crates come out the side of the tower too.

Hailey and Lauren tag off with Annie and Colby only seconds before Myra and Gianna do the same with Fiona and Sam. In last is Matt and Ani, but not by much, as all three teams head back to the ladder to the first floor.

More screams entail, prompting the others to ask the six what is on the first floor but Chris tells them to zip it or get disqualified. A montage shows Annie stepping on a large spider causing Colby to throw up, Fiona flicking a cockroach off Sam and Matt holding Ani’s hand, guiding her because her eyes are sealed shut. Fiona and Sam are the first to find the ladder to the second floor, where they’re met with pitch black.

Fiona (CONF): How the hell are we supposed to find the crates and push them out?

Fiona finds a wall and starts feeling along the edge of it. Suddenly, she slams into something, and realizes the room is filled with obstacles. She silently swears at Chris and her and Sam grab hands, extending their other arm and reaching for obstacles.

Matt and Ani and Colby and Annie arrive to their second floors shortly after. All three pairs are frantically searching through the pitch black when Annie feels a metal latch. She opens it to reveal how they get their crate out, and the light allows the two to find the crate and push it over the side. They quickly find the exit door to the pitch black which leads them to the fireman’s pole. They slide down and race back to tag Zach and Kathryn before any of the other teams even find their crates.

Kathryn screams and jumps on Zach’s back upon encountering the bugs. Hearing the scream makes the other two pairs realize that a pair must have finished and the next leg is encountering the bug floor, and with increased energy, both find their respective crates. Matt and Ani are the first to slide down the pole and the first to tag Sibu and Mary, who head off. Fiona and Sam are right behind them, tagging Kelsey and Archer.

A montage shows Zach climbing up the ladder to the second floor with Kathryn on his back, Sibu crushing a bug, Kelsey latching onto Archer as he feels through the pitch back to find the exit door to the ladder, and Mary and Sibu entering the darkness.

Zach and Kathryn are the first into and out of the second floor, first accidentally coming across the exit door to the fireman’s pole but eventually finding the one to the ladder. It was pitch black again, as the exit-point for the crate was sealed shut.

Zach (CONF): Wait weren’t these things open when Annie and Colby pushed the crates out of them?

The scene cuts to an intern lying on the ground in the darkness, trying to avoid behind stepped on.

Intern (CONF): I can't believe I'm doing this unpaid

Once Zach and Kathryn reach the third floor they learn that it is strung up with electrical wires everywhere. They begin carefully maneuvering through them, but Zach sneezes knocking them both into wires and causing both to get electrocuted.

Kathryn (CONF): Ok Chris needs to chill with the electrocution thing, first the eels from Thanksgiving and now these damn wires? Back with the other contestants, Miller, Nico and Annie cheer with enthusiasm alongside their new teammates, still excited after the morning’s fake initiation. Gianna and Frances look on, confused as to why they are so enthusiastic about their new team.

Sibu finds the door to the third floor for Team Waka, and begins climbing the ladder with Mary right behind her. As they maneuver through the wires, the handcuffs keeping them together touches a wire, causing both to be electrocuted. Sibu loudly curses, causing Colby and Duncan to chuckle.

By the time Kelsey and Archer begin through their section of the electricity floor, Zach and Kathryn had already found their crate. Together, they heave it off the side and begin working toward the fireman’s pole. Maintaining Glory’s lead, they are the first to exit, sliding down the fireman’s pole and tagging off with Eli and Nick. Two more crates fall, and two more teams down the fireman’s pole. First Mary and Sibu come to tag off with Dan and Frances, then Kelsey and Archer send Yuri and Ranjitha onto the course. The teams are working their asses off, with those who have gone drenched in sweat.

A montage follows of Yuri screaming when a centipede falls on his head prompting Ranjitha to laugh, Nick and Eli holding hands as they maneuver through the pitch-black room, and Dan and Frances carefully stepping over and ducking under the web of electric wires.

Dan and Frances manage to overtake Eli and Green, and are the first to reach the fourth floor: a mirror maze. They begin running through it, repeatedly slamming into mirrors that they think are paths.

Dan (CONF): This is so fucking confusing

Eli and Nick are not far behind them, and reach the mirror maze floor.

Eli (CONF): I’m no Survivor expert, but this seems a little different than what I imagine the show to be like

Eli and Nick grab hands again and begin through the maze, as Frances and Dan similarly grab hands and begin moving more cautiously.

Frances (CONF): This is weird because merely days ago he was my biggest rival on Team Friendship, and here we are holding hands *shrugs* that's the game I guess

By the time Yuri and Ranjitha make it to the fourth floor, Dan and Frances had found their crate and pushed it off the tower, with the large drop obliterating it. Yuri and Ranjitha clasp hands and begin frantically trying to feel their way through the maze. Hearing the sound prompts the other two pairs to hurry as Dan and Frances come across the fireman’s pole and slide down to the bottom, tagging off with Vani and Garrett. Frances quickly unhooks from Dan and goes to join Rourke at the puzzle pedestal, ready to help.

A cheer is heard as a Glory gold crate comes crashing into the ground. And as Eli and Green slide down the pole, a Booty blue one follows it. Ranjitha and Yuri zip down the pole as well. Nico and Kirsten and Kirk and Grant head up the tower, hoping to catch up with Vani and Garrett.

A montage follows of Nico wiping a spider off Kirsten before she notices, Grant and Kirk grabbing hands as they maneuver the pitch-black room, Vani getting electrocuted by a wire, Kirsten slamming into an obstacle in the pitch black, Kirk carefully stepping over one of the wires as Grant stands nearby with bated breath, and Vani and Garrett, hand-in-hand, reaching another dead-end in the mirror maze.

Despite their difficulty with the maze, Vani and Garrett manage to maintain their lead entering the fifth floor – and instead of the usual wooden walls, there are rock-climbing walls, with the crate and exit-point perched on a platform at the very top of the room. Also up there are the ladder to the sixth floor and the door to the fireman’s pole to get back down. Vani and Garret look at each other, groan, and begin attempting to climb the wall.

Garrett (CONF): *drenched in sweat* Yeah no this is fine this is great

Nico and Kirsten are the next to arrive, and begin to move at an incredibly fast pace. Kirk and Grant however, are struggling.

Kirsten and Nico reach the top at approximately the same time as Garrett and Vani, and the gold and orange crates go crashing down almost simultaneously. A split screen shows Nico and Kirsten sliding down the fireman’s pole on the left, and Vani and Garrett doing so on the right.

Nico (CONF): Ok this challenge is way harder than I thought it would be

As Alex and Beyla and Duncan and Paige head into the tower, Sofia looks extremely nervous. Finally, after a couple minutes, the third crate comes crashing down and Kirk and Grant appear from the bottom, sending Townes and Sofia off into the course.

A final montage shows Paige screaming as Duncan steps on a giant tarantula, Alex trying to guide Beyla through the darkness, Sofia stepping over a nest of fire ants, Paige getting electrocuted, Alex and Beyla sliding under a wire, Townes running into a reflection of himself in the mirror maze, Beyla cursing as she and Alex reach another dead end, Paige falling off the rock-wall but Duncan being strong enough to hang on, allowing her to get back on, and finally Alex and Beyla finishing the climb and beginning up the ladder to the sixth floor. On the sixth floor, the crates are at the end of extremely long planks hanging twenty feet off the side of the top of the tower.

Hailey points up as Alex and Beyla grab hands and begin inching toward the crate. She begins cheering in support, as the rest of the team follows suit.

Beyla (CONF): Ok does Chris realize that we can actually die up here?

Chris (CONF): *giggling hysterically*

Brian yells and points out that Paige and Duncan are also inching out toward their crate. Sibu and Rourke begin leading a cheer for their team, trying to show more support than Glory is for Alex and Beyla.

Suddenly, the Glory crate comes crashing down. Alex and Beyla quickly squirm back onto the tower, as the orange crate goes towering down. As the four slide down their poles, Townes and Sofia grab hands and begin to head to the edge of their plank.

Alex and Beyla are the first to collect their pieces and put them on the pedestal, and Miller and Izzy immediately begin the tangram-esque puzzle. Soon after, Paige and Duncan tag off Frances and Rourke, who quickly begin arranging pieces and trying to figure out what image they are trying to make.

After around five minutes of the other two pairs tinkering with the puzzle, Helina and Wilson get to start when Sofia and Townes come sprinting out and tag off with the two.

Connor watches nervously, hoping that Team Waka loses so his friends are safe.

All three teams are struggling to figure out what the image is, until Helina looks up and notices Chris looking at himself in a mirror. She whispers something to Wilson, and the two start quickly rearranging their pieces. It clicks for Izzy right after, and she starts instructing Miller to start moving pieces.

A horn blows, as Helina and Wilson stand proudly over the completed image – a picture of Chris’s face. Despite the deficit at the beginning, Team Booty wins for the third time in a row, causing the other twelve to swarm Helina and Wilson and toss them in the air.

Izzy and Miller aren’t too far behind, prompting the twelve from Team Glory to also swarm them, excited to avoid elimination. They engage in a group hug, excited they get to stay together for another two days.

Hailey (CONF): We’ve gotten weirdly…lovey since we've picked up these new Team Friendship people

Rourke curses and Frances chucks a piece, both frustrated they couldn’t figure out the puzzle in time despite having a fairly big lead over Team Booty going into it. Chris walks over and wishes them luck in deciding who they are sending home that night.

At dinner, Team Waka is extremely frustrated. Vani tells Garrett and Brian that they need to take out someone from Mary’s alliance, to keep in line with their plan of keeping both alliances small, and Mary’s now has two extra thanks to Frances and Sibu. Garrett, after being approached by Matt in the previous episode, is still unsure as to what to do.

Garrett (CONF): I guess now is when I decide whether or not I turn on Vani and Brian and take Matt’s offer

Rourke decides to switch targets and take out Sibu, arguing that she is more likable than Frances and ergo will give them more trouble down the line. Paige agrees with the logic, but Dan counters saying Frances was a strategic mastermind during their time together on Team Friendship and is a much more immediate threat. Phillippa starts to agree with Dan's logic, saying Sibu is also great for team morale and may be a bad asset to lose this early on.

Mary discusses eliminating Rourke with Sibu, Frances, Duncan, Matt and Ani, citing the same logic that sent their alliance after Suzanne at the previous elimination. Similarly to the discourse within the other voting block, Frances argues that Dan is a more immediate threat, given his athleticism and strategic prowess. Sibu counters, thinking Rourke looks like the leader of the other alliance and Ani reaffirms it, saying no one questioned him when he booted her out for her relationship with Matt.

The other two teams all eat together outside on the grass in between the two cabins with paper plates, laughing and thanking the heavens they get to avoid their second elimination ceremony in a row. Myra starts poking fun at Gianna for crying during the bug part, Kirsten starts telling a story about how she thought the electrocution gave her a psychic vision, and Nick and Ranjitha compete over who they think was the most scared. A brief silence falls over the group as Chris announces over the intercom that it's time for the elimination ceremony. They watch as a Team Waka exits the dining hall, tensions obviously flying high.

~*Elimination Ceremony*~

As Team Waka files into the campfire ceremony, Chris is standing there holding his signature plate of marshmallows, this time with twelve, telling Team Waka he’s disappointed that they've lost back to back challenges…again. He gives them time to cast their votes. As one by one they rise to go vote in the confessional, Dan and Frances eye each other, Sibu looks nervous and Rourke's left leg bounces up and down. Paige tries to give him a comforting look, but he's avoiding eye contact. After the votes are cast, Chris proceeds to hand out marshmallows, with the first one going to…

Paige.

She cheers and walks up to collect her immunity.

Duncan. Mary. Phillippa. Garrett.

The four walk up to get their marshmallow as their name is called.

Matt. Ani. Brian. Vani.

Matt and Ani lovingly hug, with Vani and Brian mocking them by doing the same.

Frances. Dan.

Both look shocked, expecting to at least be in the bottom two. They turn and hesitantly hug, the tension clear. That leaves Sibu and Rourke as the bottom two, both looking scared out of their minds, with the last marshmallow going to…

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

Rourke.

Sibu looks wrecked, given she thought that they had the numbers with Vani, Garrett, and Brian. Matt eyes Garrett, knowing he had to have flipped for the numbers to have fallen the way they did, but Garrett avoids eye contact. Sibu tells everyone she’s disappointed to leave, but thanks them for how nice they were when she joined the team. She gives a few people hugs as she makes her way down the Dock of Shame and onto the Boat of Losers.

Sibu (CONF): I am just so upset right now, this was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and *snaps* taken away, just like that

Chris calls in the other two teams, having set up another beach party in preparation to take them to an extremely cold destination for the Christmas special. Gianna looks shocked that Sibu is gone, and Kirsten, Kirk, Colby, Alex and others are sad to see a friend was the victim of the elimination ceremony.

Chris yells for the contestants to stop moping and shoots off a confetti cannon, causing people to laugh and for the party to start ramping up. Connor, Alex, Myra and Sam laugh and build a sand castle together, reminiscing on the good times from season one like running with the bulls in Spain and climbing the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Beyla, Gianna, Frances and Kelsey dance by the fire, as Hailey, Brian and Kathryn make s’mores and Colby and Annie are locked in conversation.

Ranjitha, Yuri, Phillippa, Paige, Mary, Archer, Helina and Rourke are splashing around in the water, as Zach, Dan, Eli and Nick play football in the shallow part of the water against Garrett, Matt, Wilson and Kirk. Townes sits on the edge of the pier with Izzy and Ani, apologizing to Izzy if she felt like he was manipulating her, and Nico sits there with Lauren and Kirsten, getting acquainted to all the different things regarding Team Glory. The two girls tell him what went into Graham's elimination in Norway and Rice's in Thailand.

Grant and Fiona play corn hole against Vani and Dan, with Duncan chilling with them, beer in hand, and watching.

Everyone is giddy for the Christmas episode, but in the background, Chris says they shouldn’t be as the scene fades to black.

Trivia

 * This is the second episode that is a tribute to Survivor, the first being the one completed in I'm a Survivor
 * That challenge, however, was during the merge stage of season one
 * This challenge is based off the first immunity challenge in Survivor: Caramoan