I'd Rather Go Blind

Plot
The episode opens up with Team Booty residing in the luxury cabin. Wilson is overlooking the island on the top balcony, the island bathed in dawn light.

Wilson (CONF): I’m so exhausted that this win was a necessity at this point

He smiles as he looks around and sees Nico and Alex passing a soccer ball in between the regular cabins, Lauren reading on the porch of the Glory cabin, Ani and Matt holding hands as they walk down the beach, and Mary, Kirsten and Rourke laughing as Paige tries to run them through a morning absolution on the porch of the Waka cabin.

Wilson (CONF): *sighs happily*

Helina drags Ranjitha to the workout room to run on the treadmill, arguing she has to make sure she’s in top physical shape now that they’re on the downhill to the finale. Kelsey is also down there, lifting weights, grunting and not pleased.

Kelsey (CONF): I have got to step up my physical game

Grant is eating breakfast with Archer, Sofia, Townes and Gianna, all eating and laughing despite existing in different voting blocks. After going through five of the last eight elimination ceremonies…

*flashback to Fiona walking the Dock of Shame, Kirk hugging Townes at the edge of it, Myra putting on her parachute, Yuri being pulled off into the distance by the Boat of Losers and Sam falling down the Drop of Shame*

…they are repositioning their strategy. They want to be more unified, but that doesn’t stop Wilson and Helina from setting up strategies to take the other out.

Colby sits with Annie at breakfast and talks about how it’s been frustrating working with Kirsten, potentially considering shifting the target to her. Annie agrees, but says Kirsten scares her so it has to be something kept on the low. Izzy eats with Garrett, as does Miller with Zach, Beyla, Eli and a recently returned Alex and Nico.

Izzy (CONF): Let’s do this, we're so deep in this game now I feel great

Miller (CONF): Talk of strategy has been weirdly on the low recently

In the boy’s washroom, Matt is washing his face while Duncan brushes his teeth. Matt is telling Duncan that even though him and Ani are pretending things are ok, he’s upset at her for voting for Frances in the last elimination ceremony.

Duncan (CONF): Maybe Frances was right about the threat of relationships in this game

In the girl’s washroom, Ani vents about similar things to Vani and Phillippa, as she’s annoyed that Matt was upset that she voted for Frances.

Ani (CONF): She literally wanted to vote him out, I'm convinced if I hadn't then she'd be here in the washroom with me and Matt would be at Playa des Losers

Suddenly, the air horn they’ve gotten too used to reverberates throughout camp, summoning all the remaining contestants to the beach. Matt and Ani rejoin hands, confusing Duncan and Vani. An intricate challenge is set up throughout the beach.

Matt (CONF): This just looks unnecessarily confusing

But first, Chris tells them they just finished their eighth cycle, and it's time for a tribute. Chef rolls out an even bigger TV, and sad and dramatic music begins to play as it shows Fiona grunting as she rolls a tire up a hill, Kirk yawning atop the crate, Myra sliding down a pole at the Statue of Liberty, Hailey stopping to stretch as she climbs the steps of the Empire State Building, Dan profusely sweating as he army-crawls under the net in Death Valley, Kathryn guarding Glory's pig in the luxury cabin, Yuri lugging a "Clayton" log up the mountain, Sam slipping down through the ice caves, and finally Frances getting attacked by vampire bats in the Amazon Rain Forest.

Everyone looks around nervously, as they are one tribute closer to the finale. Chris proceeds to explain the challenge.

There are three tall platforms, each one of the team’s color, and an expansive “playing field” filled with a ton of obstacles, such as ladders, tires and other miscellaneous structures, all a color of one of the three teams Also scattered throughout, generally at the end of obstacles, are bags that are tied shut, also corresponding to people’s team colors. At the base of the three towers are large wooden tables, looking like they’re fit for a sliding puzzle. Chris welcomes them to the challenge, telling them they’re going to need to have a lot of trust in their team for this next challenge.

Kelsey (CONF): *rolling eyes* Great

He tells them each team is going to assign a “caller”, and there will be four pairs handcuffed together. The pairs will go out into the field and collect the bags of their teams’ color, which are filled with puzzle pieces. They’ll deposit the bags onto the team’s puzzle table. They need to collect ten bags, then the eight have to solve the puzzle, with the caller assisting them with their aerial view.

Phillippa (CONF): This seems suspiciously easy

The twist is – the pairs are all blindfolded.

Phillippa (CONF): Ah yep there it is

He finishes by reminding them that they’ve come too far to be eliminated now, and that Team Glory will need to sit out two people, one boy and one girl, as they have eleven people left in the game as opposed to the other two’s nine.

Ranjitha (CONF): Well that’s…concerning?

The teams break up to discuss who is going to do what. In Team Glory’s huddle, no one wants to be the one who sits out. It’s awkwardly silent when Zach suggests Izzy and Colby, for being perceivably the worst in challenges.

Colby (CONF): Um…ouch?

Izzy agrees, willing to sit out, but Colby seems upset. Zach tells him they can’t afford to sit out anyone else, and when Colby waits for someone to protest, no one does and he reluctantly agrees. They assign Miller as the caller, and break into the following pairs: Nico and Alex, Zach and Kirsten, Lauren and Annie, and Beyla and Eli.

In Team Booty’s huddle, like usual Helina and Wilson are wrestling for control, each wanting to be the team’s caller. They decide to take it to a vote, and Helina wins, with Wilson only receiving a vote from Townes. He groans and steps aside, telling Townes this isn’t a great sign to which Townes agrees. The pairings turn out to be Grant and Archer, Wilson and Gianna, Sofia and Ranjitha and Townes and Kelsey.

Archer (CONF): Alright, being handcuffed to Grant isn't exactly what I thought my day was going to be like when I woke up this morning but here we are?

Finally, in Team Waka’s huddle, everyone comes to the conclusion that Paige should be the caller, given her commanding presence, and the pairs are Matt and Ani, Duncan and Garrett, Rourke and Phillippa and finally Mary and Vani.

Interns surround the twenty-four contestants and blindfold them. Some like Gianna and Rourke try and crack jokes, while others like Matt and Sofia look uncomfortable. Once they’re handcuffed together, they’re positioned on the starting line. Colby and Izzy go to sit on a large bench set up right on the outskirts of the playing field, as Helina, Paige and Miller climb onto their towers. A dramatic scene shows the contestants lined up on the starting line ready, Colby and Izzy leaning toward the arena in anticipation, and Paige, Helina and Miller stretching. Chris yells "Go!", and with a blow of the airhorn, the challenge is on.

Miller starts directing Nico and Alex, now grasping hands, toward the very back of the field. Nico immediately slams into one of the obstacles, bringing both to the ground and causing Chris to chuckle.

Izzy (CONF): Ah yes, gotta love Chris and his not-subtle sadism

Miller is also simultaneously trying to direct Beyla and Eli through a maze of bamboo poles all jutting in different directions. Paige tries to direct Duncan and Garrett through the same, the two pairs also colliding with each other causing Miller and Paige to chuckle. Helina tries to direct Wilson and Gianna up two side-by-side ladders to reach the puzzle bag dangling from the center of a bamboo pole connecting the two. She gets them to the ladder, but Wilson understands her directions guiding the pair up the ladders better than Gianna and he bolts up too quickly, not giving Gianna time and getting jerked back to the ground.

Helina (CONF): This is impossible

Finally, Alex and Nico manage to reach the bag at the far end of the arena, quickly releasing hands to untie the bag then rejoining to journey back to the table. Paige and Helina begin shouting with more urgency, with Helina successfully directing Gianna and Wilson up the ladder and Paige getting Vani and Mary through a tire maze. Once Alex and Nico deposit their bag, they dart back off, with Miller directing them to the ladder while Beyla and Eli return with the second bag and Kirsten and Zach work on army-crawling under an expansive net a foot off the ground. This makes Helina and Paige even more nervous.

Paige (CONF): Alright how do I do this?

Colby and Izzy sit on the bench and cheer loudly, although Colby stills makes snide remarks about Zach's comment.

Grant and Archer are working toward the back while Matt and Ani are left stumped, not understanding Paige. The voices of the callers are starting to meld together, frustrating all the contestants because they are having a hard time following instructions and are getting hurt because of it. A montage shows Nico falling off the ladder, dragging Alex with him, Annie slamming into a jut-out tire, Rourke tripping and pulling Phillippa down with him, Townes and Kelsey ramming into each other, and Ranjitha and Sofia simultaneously running into the barrier forming the playing field.

Annie (CONF): This show must have a fantastic legal team

Another success montage shows, with Alex and Nico securing the bag from the ladder, Grant and Archer tightening their hand hold as they return with a bag, Duncan and Garrett getting the bag at the end of the army crawl, Vani and Mary finishing the tire maze, Kelsey and Townes completing the complex bamboo structure, and Lauren and Annie depositing a bag on the table, rounding out Team Glory’s bags.

The next scene shows the members of Team Glory frantically untying the bags, as Miller starts directing them where to put the pieces.

A few minutes later, Duncan and Garrett return with the last bag for Team Waka, and they begin untying as well. Paige and Miller are vying to get the most understanding from their team, as Kirsten frantically rotates a piece and Garrett shoves one to the other side so Phillippa can slam it into place. The friendly giggling between the two is gone, and it is now a competition to try and snag first place.

Out of the blue, Wilson and Gianna return with the last bag, and Helina triumphantly throws her fist in the air as the members of Team Booty start untying the bags and start to gain headway.

Helina (CONF): We literally have to win or my ass is grass

A montage shows Townes feeling the corners of the piece to check if it’s the one Helina is talking about, Eli trying to jam in a piece that doesn’t fit, Gianna getting one that does and cheering, and Rourke stumped as Paige tries to figure out what isn’t working. Matt just stands there helplessly, as Paige desperately tries to get him to help.

Team Glory is still ahead, but Team Booty is seemingly catching up with Team Waka, who slowly seems to be falling out of the competition (which Chris loves to repeatedly point out). Duncan throws a piece aside, frustrated, and Matt and Garrett collide when trying to follow the same order from Paige. Colby and Izzy sit on the edge of the bench, anxious to see their team claim the win.

Suddenly, Nico slams a piece into place, and Miller calls for the judge to come check. The intern checks that the “Ultimate Challenge” logo is fully constructed and tosses Chris a thumbs up, causing the team to go wild. They all crowd beneath the tower, including Colby and Izzy, and Miller jumps into their arms, everyone cheering and screaming that he won them the challenge.

Beyla (CONF): That challenge was ridiculous

The camera zooms out to show Helina and Paige sweating anxiously, trying to jostle out of last place. Both girls are eying Team Glory's puzzle, trying to see what their teams are doing wrong. Paige looks especially nervous, given they started with such a big lead on Team Booty.

Things start to click for Team Booty, as Grant seamlessly passes a piece to Sofia for her to put in and Archer and Gianna high-five when they get a fit. Despite Matt doing nothing, Team Waka seems to be finding their groove too, as Ani puts together two pieces, Phillippa secures a piece, and Garrett rearranges an area Paige figures out is wrong. Right as Ani slams a piece in place, the horn goes off.

An intern runs over to check, and shoots a thumbs-up to Chris – Team Booty’s puzzle is correct. Helina collapses to her knees with relief, as Team Booty gets in a group hug. Wilson lets out a sigh, confessing to Townes he secretly hoped that Helina cost them the challenge so they could garner traction to vote her out, but Townes shushes him and tells him to enjoy the victory.

Townes (CONF): Jesus Wilson and you wonder why people want to vote you out

Paige curses, sitting at the edge of the tower and throwing her head into her hands. Phillippa and Rourke climb up, reassuring her that she can't take sole responsibility but Duncan and Mary can be seen whispering in the corner below.

At dinner in the dining hall that night, the usual talk of elimination ensues. Fingers are being thrown left and right at Paige, for costing them the challenge for the second time, but nothing seems set in stone.

Matt expresses his distrust of Ani to Duncan, after so readily flipping on Frances despite not knowing how valid the source was telling them she wanted to flip. Ani on the other hand, is talking to Mary and fully intends on helping them vote out Paige, despite being friends, in hopes of breaking up Rourke's alliance.

Ani (CONF): Look girl you know I love you, but this is the second challenge in a row that you got us sent to elimination

Vani and Garrett meet in secret, debating which direction they should swing. Garrett says he isn’t sure who Rourke is gunning after, and Vani tells him that she heard the plan, and leans in to whisper it to him.

Matt starts to get nervous when he sees Ani talking to Rourke and Phillippa while in line to get more food. Duncan tells him everything is going to be fine, but Matt gets up and goes outside for some air. Ani eventually comes out, assuring him she would never flip on him. Matt asks if his name was brought up, and Ani nervously pulls at the collar of her shirt. The two kiss, and she tells him that it's a possibility, but also that she talked to Vani and Garrett and everything is going to be fine. Matt sits and throws his head in his lap, with Ani rubbing his back.

~*ELIMINATION CEREMONY*~

Chris walks out with a plate full of eight marshmallows. He tells them the teams are getting scarily small, and it sucks for one unlucky loser who will be joining the other thirty-five eliminated contestants at Playa des Losers. He hands the first marshmallow to…

Duncan.

He lets out a “whoop” and runs to claim his immunity.

Garrett. Vani. Mary. Rourke.

Mary and Rourke secretly smirk at each other, attempting to maintain their hidden alliance, as Vani squeezes Garrett, given they’ve grown closer through playing the swing vote together. Ani and Matt grab each other's hands nervously, with Phillippa and Paige next to the two doing the same.

Ani. Phhillippa.

Both seem relieved, turning to their respective partners and hugging them. Ani kisses Matt before going to receive her immunity, prompting Phillippa to jokingly gag. The seven safe stand around the fire, leaving just Matt and Paige, her second visit to the bottom two in the past two elimination ceremonies. Chris draws out an extremely long dramatic pause before handing the last marshmallow to…

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Paige.

Matt looks absolutely shocked, as does Ani. He gives her a hurt look, but she tells him she genuinely didn’t vote for him. He doesn’t believe her, and ignores her as she tries to hug him goodbye. He hugs Duncan and Mary, before wishing his team luck and walking the Dock of Shame to the Boat of Losers. Ani looks devastated, frantically trying to explain she wasn’t a part of it but Matt won’t hear it as the boat pulls him off into the distance.

Matt (CONF): This was the time of my life but damn…how could she do that to me? Telling me everything was going to be fine?

Vani looks at Garrett with a look of guilt, as Chris thanks them for one of the most dramatic elimination ceremonies yet. There’s a usual rager set up between the cabins for the night, and the scene fades to black as Team Waka solemnly goes to join.