Can the Blue Team end its losing streak?
A New Leader?
Nelson is back from elimination, but he’s worried. Based on the captain twist, Josh will always be safe, and Nelson will always go to the Arena if the Blue Team loses on a men’s elimination day. Nelson and Cara Maria propose making a woman the team captain, because then there would be two options on both male and female elimination days. It’s a noble idea, but it fails. Anna Leigh and Lete don’t like each other, so they won’t vote each other into the captain role, and Josh likes safety and feels the vets are entitled, so he won’t give up the position.
Put Through the Ringer
The cast shows up for the daily Challenge, and its heights over water. The game is called Trial by Terror. Each team has rows of rings with different colored tape suspended 13 feet above water. They need to cross from one platform to the other by following a specific colored pattern. If they grab a ring outside that pattern, they will fall and be out of the game. Whichever team gets the most players across the fastest wins. Immediately, Tori takes the lead for her team, but she falls into the water. Then, Bananas falls after making errors, followed by Will. Somehow, Leo is the first person across, starting the Grey team with a lead. Nelson almost makes it across, but falls right before the platform. However, his friend Cory becomes the second Grey competitor to traverse the course. After Cory, Chris gets to the second platform, and Justin falls for the Orange Team. Because the other teams have three remaining players or fewer, the Grey Team wins, and no players from other teams were able to complete this challenge.
A Rookie Coin Toss
The cast goes to the club, and Tori sits down with the girls on her team. She says that Michele is her BFF, so she won’t be going into elimination, but she views Izzy and Deb as rookies. So, both girls have a 50/50 chance of being voted into The Arena. Tori warns them to be prepared, but they’re annoyed. Izzy feels she’s been a solid competitor, and Deb thinks she already won an elimination, so she’s helped the team.
Thighs, Lies and Allies
On the bus ride home, Justin calls out Anna Leigh for allegedly caressing Josh’s thigh while at the bar. Anna Leigh says it’s a lie, and Josh denies it, but Justin is certain of what he saw. An argument ignites, and Justin claims Anna Leigh makes it so hard to like her. But Anna Leigh isn’t getting much sympathy — especially not from Lete. People have been noticing a series of lies from her, and they blame her for putting herself in that position by talking with Josh.
Friends and Ends
The next morning, Anna Leigh brings more tears to the table (literally, she’s at the breakfast table). She talks with Tori and Chris, but once again, she doesn’t get much sympathy. Tori reminds her that she’s letting this get to a catastrophic point, and Chris says she’s in control of her story, so don’t put herself in compromising spots. Afterwards, Anna Leigh talks to Leo and says she let their conversation get too far. Leo doesn’t really care — it’s not his relationship getting ruined, but Anna Leigh makes it clear they’re just friends.
Elimination Inflation
We get to the Arena, and for the first time, it feels like we don’t know either competitor going into the matchup. As Orange Team captain, Tori sends down Deb, and as Blue Team captain, Josh sends down Cara Maria. The two girls are playing Air Time. Each competitor has four rowing machines, and when they row, they inflate a column with a code. The girls need to recreate all their codes on a puzzle board, but they only have a short time to memorize the symbols. Cara Maria comes up with a strategy: she puts all of her tiles on the board so she can compare the symbols on her column and the pieces. This visual strategy seems to help her, and she makes progress. Meanwhile, Deb has no idea what she’s looking at. She compares the symbols to dicks and letters, and her teammates echo this gibberish back to her. Cara Maria calls for a check, and she’s wrong, but Deb is still behind. However, this is where Cara Maria’s strategy pays off; she compares her symbols and makes adjustments. Cara Maria calls for her second check, and it’s a success. Cara Maria takes home a win, and the Orange Team has lost its first player
The End? Or Beginning?
Earlier in the episode, Izzy tells Cory she was upset when Nelson confronted her last week. She understands that Nelson was looking out for Cory’s best interests, but it made her feel like she was the only one at fault. Cory understands her frustration, but he feels that they have magnetic chemistry. After the Arena, the two talk on the gazebo at night. Izzy tells Cory they need to be just friends, but he doesn’t think he can do that. Izzy says that she “can’t” pursue a relationship with him, but Cory says, “We could.”
Stop Being Polite 