Along with Chapter 17 is a new challenge. I'll reply to other reviews before delving into its content.
amit avrashmi: Your prediction methods have paid off for sure. Brick came close to winning, but didn't have enough luck to surpass Jo in bomb defusion (who was quite determined to claim immunity). I can definitely see why you imagined he would've been victorious. Keep reading to find out whether your suspicions for this chapter's vote were right.
Rockin' D-99: Fitting how you listened to "Bombshell" when reading Chapter 16! I had fun writing the challenge, and am glad you liked that. While our jockette isn't heartless, she still is far from a saint. You'll see how Trent copes with her taking out DJ.
Danicus Green: There were indeed lots of bombs. Chris wanted to mass-produce them to increase the chances they'd blow up in contestants' faces (for his amusement). 40 is a number I more likely would've used for fewer remaining players. Not sure why I didn't think to bring up Max's stroke of luck in "Mo' Monkey, Mo' Problems", but Leshawna figured out he wasn't going to back down no matter what was brought up and didn't see much point in continuing their discussion.
WoollyLamb: Even though you posted your review for Chapter 1, I'm responding to it here. While I don't know how much you read beyond the first challenge, some dialogue has now been trimmed down per your recommendations. Sorry for making that feel too wordy!
Now our final 8 embark on more drama.
The day began with cloudy skies and intense winds. It was loud enough to wake everybody up. Chris knew the day's challenge couldn't take place in such conditions. While eating a breakfast of crepes with Chef and all the contestants that morning, he stated "Once you finish eating, just wait for the wind to die down. I don't care how you spend your time as long as it's indoors, legal, and not at my expense."
Everyone was in smiles except for a certain musician, who still felt saddened over his ally's elimination the previous night and felt worried about upcoming elimination ceremonies. Time off wasn't enough to lift the guy's spirits.
(Begin Confessional: Chef)
"I'll gladly take any downtime that I can get!"
(End Confessional)
(Begin Confessional: Trent)
"DJ was the one vote I knew for sure that I could count on! Unfortunately, when he's now gone, I don't yet know who I could join forces with going forward. I wasn't as good as him with strategizing, so will I go out tonight unless immune?" pondered the guitarist, who nervously gulped before continuing with "Whatever the answers might be, I admittedly wasn't ready to engage in a challenge once breakfast was done, so I guess the wait before it starts will give me a decent chance to think something up."
(End Confessional)
Over in the movie theater, Ella was watching The Princess Bride with Sam and Dakota. In the middle of this, the lookalike of Snow White warned "I wouldn't recommend keeping Jo around for much longer. She's willing to backstab anybody just to get to the finals, and a gut feeling tells me you got the idea for last night's vote from her. Am I right?"
"To be honest, yes you are." the gamer confirmed. "We were told to go for the game's biggest threat and couldn't come up with any better ideas on our own."
"Unless it's a last resort to save Brick, I can't imagine why she'd kick us when we had agreed to vote with her prior to the merge, and that arrangement hasn't been broken so far." Dakota admitted.
"Surely Dawn must've urged you to take caution at some point." the princess correctly surmised. "Having aura-reading abilities was undoubtedly part of the reason she wanted her gone, and before my prince left the game, I learned Jo was the one who gave him a nosebleed during that challenge where we had to race for the best time in an obstacle course."
That made both of their jaws drop in shock. Sam inquired "Are you kidding? I could've sworn that was Blaineley instead!"
"Not joking at all." Ella bluntly answered. "In case you forgot, he also said we needed to take her out at first opportunity, and I don't think I could accomplish this on my own. She can't get away with this."
Ms. Milton's next words were "No wonder you want her gone so badly! Also, your mention of Dawn reminds me that she left a note in my room recommending we vote off Jo at the first possible opportunity before we got used."
"While that chance might not have come up last challenge with her winning immunity, can you now promise that you'll vote for Jo once she loses?" asked the lookalike of Snow White. "At the very least, please don't try to kick me off just for suggesting that. I'd like all three of us to go further in the game."
Both held out their hands and simultaneously assured her "Deal!", forming a joint hand-stack.
"Thank you very much, and of course we should keep our arrangements subtle." Ella gratefully responded. "I'm sure Dave would also appreciate it."
Shortly afterwards, Chef was heard on an intercom requesting "Please get your bathing suits ready and meet outside the hotels in 20 minutes or less. The wind is no longer strong enough to put off today's challenge."
"Well, I'm glad we could make use of this theater first." Sam remarked as they left.
"Me too; it's quite a nice feature." Dakota added in agreement.
After the three had exited, Max popped his head up from behind the seats they used and uttered to himself "There's now more people against Jo than I thought." before getting sidetracked by the movie and stating "Ooh, here's the part where-"
"That means everybody and NOW!" Chris impatiently shouted through the intercom, cutting off the wannabe villain's words and prompting him to comply.
(Begin Confessional: Max)
"I wanted to watch more of The Princess Bride where that EVIL Count Rugen uses a torture device that sucks life away, but oh well, that will have to wait."
(End Confessional)
After every contestant had changed into their suits, Leshawna noticed Trent's sadness hadn't fully gone away as they were walking over. She tried to get him back on track with "Remember how DJ would want you to play your best game. Maybe you could win today's challenge for him unless I happen to get immunity."
"If one of us is victorious, then will you join me in voting off Jo?" he privately inquired.
Her response was an enthusiastic "With pleasure, and I was thinking the same thing!"
Two minutes later, the eight remaining players had gathered. To Jo's delight, her boyfriend had opted not to wear any shirt or tank top with his bathing suit this time, and she gazed at the guy's muscular chest while McLean informed them "Today will involve duels with paddle sticks. Two people at a time will go onto a platform above water, and whoever knocks their opponent off first will advance forward while the other must sit out. The last one remaining wins invincibility. It's just a straightforward tournament event with eight people in the first round, four contestants in the second, and of course a last battle with just two of you."
"Who will go up first?" asked Brick.
The cook's answer of "We'll kick things off with you against Sam. After that, it will be Leshawna vs. Trent followed by Dakota vs. Max, and round one will finish with Ella vs. Jo. Everybody should now grab a paddle before we kick this thing off."
Mr. MacArthur noticed his girlfriend was in the middle of a trance and told her "I hope you were listening and not just focusing on my body."
Embarrassed to be caught in the middle of a lustful stare, she blushed before confessing "OK I was taking in a sexy sight, namely you, but I totally heard what we have to do today. Good luck up there." before sharing a quick kiss.
(Begin Confessional: Brick)
"Does she really think I'm sexy? That's the first time I've heard anybody describe me as such, and it admittedly is flattering."
(End Confessional)
(Begin Confessional: Jo)
"You don't see him shirtless very often, so I took advantage of it while I still could!"
(End Confessional)
(Begin Confessional: Leshawna)
"These dueling arrangements aren't what I had in mind, but the important thing is that Jo loses. I would prefer seeing literally anybody else win today no matter how far I go."
(End Confessional)
The cameras cut to the solider on the platform with the gaming nut. As they waited for a signal, Mr. MacArthur inquired "No hard feelings regardless of who wins?"
"None at all, bud." Sam affirmed.
"Gentlemen, once you hear a horn sound off, you may begin. Just please don't start before that, and the same goes for all other duels." Hatchet instructed.
"You got it!" both contestants affirmed simultaneously.
"That will be very soon." proclaimed the host, who went on to blow an air horn.
The guys each swung their sticks four times, failing to land any hits when underestimating one another's abilities to dodge.
"Show them what military school taught you!" the jockette called out from the sidelines, correctly believing it would motivate the cadet.
Now having the upper hand, the cadet was getting close to victory. Ms. Milton didn't take long to figure out how he gained an advantage. She mumbled to herself "Two can play at that game." before helping her own boyfriend with a cheer of "This is your chance to level up!"
While Sam was hit twice in the middle of that, the encouragement boosted his spirits enough to help him turn the tables. Mr. MacArthur was taken aback by the change. After delivering the final blow and knocking him off the platform, the gamer proclaimed "Victory, my name is Samuel!"
(Begin Confessional: Brick)
"I most certainly underestimated my opponent. On the plus side, losing in the first round means I don't have to enter a boyfriend vs. girlfriend duel today."
(End Confessional)
"That wasn't an outcome I expected at all." admitted the cook.
"Me neither, now it's time for the next battle to start." Chris added.
Upon hearing those words, the musician and his sassy former teammate went up to the platform. The former stated "Ready when you are, I guess."
That got a response of "Just waiting for the horn."
The cook told them "You won't have to wait for long!" before his boss blew an airhorn.
As soon as he did, the dueling contestants approached each other. While neither wished to be pitted against one another so soon, they had no choice in the matter. The two appeared to be evenly matched, and none of their hits over the next few minutes led to knock offs. This bored McLean, who decided to cause disruption by taunting "It's too bad somebody who's proud of their strength can't take out a skinny wimp so easily. The match already should've ended!"
Angered by the mockery, Leshawna impulsively turned for a moment to yell "Shut your trap, Chris!"
While she was distracted, Trent took advantage of his opportunity to push her off the platform with a final strike, quickly apologizing with "I'm sorry but you did leave yourself open."
"It's about damn time!" the host remarked.
(Begin Confessional: Chef)
"My boss really needs to learn some patience."
(End Confessional)
(Begin Confessional: Leshawna)
"McLean can go rot in hell for all I care! Still, I shouldn't have let my guard down even temporarily."
(End Confessional)
The cameras cut to Dakota on the platform with Max. Eager to advance forward, the latter bragged "You'll be no match for PURE EVIL in a tournament."
Rolling her eyes at such smugness, his opponent replied with "Getting overconfident before we even start won't exactly help you."
The cook asked them "Are you ready to begin?"
"Go ahead!" both answered simultaneously.
The showrunner didn't hesitate to sound off the horn. Max lunged forward to snatch Ms. Milton's paddle and dual wielded them while swinging. The wannabe villain proclaimed one minute later "It's double the trouble for you!", though she managed to dodge all the swings.
From the sidelines, Brick inquired "Isn't that cheating?"
To his shock, McLean's response was "Actually, no; there aren't any restrictions against doing that. She's free to take one from him too."
Hearing that prompted her to declare "I'll be sure to do so!" right before grabbing one back and striking the aspiring evildoer's stomach.
Max's next words were "Should've seen that coming."
Wanting to return her favor from earlier, Sam cheered "He's no match for you!"
This encouragement was just the boost his girlfriend needed. Dakota was able to smack her opponent twice before he fell over and complained "Curse you, rotten minion!"
With a triumphant grin, Ms. Milton declared "Glad that's finally over with!"
(Being Confessional: Max)
"It's quite embarrassing to go out in round one. Fortunately, I wasn't the first person to lose today."
(End Confessional)
"OK, time for the last duel of round one. You should know the drill by now." Chef declared, with Ella and Jo obediently climbing onto the platform.
"This shouldn't take long." Chris remarked as he grabbed a box of popcorn and ate a handful of it while watching the battle.
"Where did you get that?" asked Hatchet.
"Don't worry about it and just watch the fight." his boss answered.
"Get ready to eat paddle, princess!" Jo taunted.
"Is that what you told David when tossing a stone at his face during obstacle course challenge?" her opponent asked.
Hearing that prompted the Brick, Leshawna, and Trent to gasp in surprise, not expecting to hear such a question. They were certain that Blaineley had thrown the stone instead. The jockette, whose eyes were wide open with shock, hadn't been prepared in the slightest for it either and sounded nervous when inquiring "I-I beg your pardon?"
"You heard me; I know it was you who gave him that nosebleed!" the lookalike of Snow White replied with rage.
"It's true; I saw that happen with my own eyes." a certain wannabe villain added, feeling now was a suitable time for an exposition.
Chris interjected with "As much as I love the drama festering here, we do still have a challenge to complete here. Let's save the revelations for afterwards." before sounding off the airhorn.
Determined to keep her opponent from winning, Ella lunged forward with an attack while exclaiming "This is for harming my prince!"
Jo blocked it while insisting "You've got it wrong; the old hag actually hit him that day.", not fooling her opponent at all.
(Begin Confessional: Max)
"I bet a certain lady jock isn't so feeling so full of herself now that public revelations have been made."
(End Confessional)
(Begin Confessional: Jo)
"My best guess is that Mr. Clean blabbered to Snow White how I tried to slow him down. Either way, it's a good thing I already got rid of Dawn before pulling off that stunt as she undoubtedly would've exposed me. The big question is how Mr. I-wish-I-was-evil saw what I did."
(End Confessional)
A couple minutes later, both contestants were still dueling. Neither was willing to go down so easily. Through sheer determination to win, they managed to avoid falling off before now. Jo desperately tried to distract her adversary with "Hey, is that a karaoke machine I see Chef setting up?"
It didn't work, and the princess responded with "I'm not tricked so easily."
However, the jockette soon got another idea and kicked Ella hard in the stomach. She groaned in pain from the hit and ended up slipping off the platform. While falling, the lookalike of Snow White chastised "That was completely unfair!"
Jo tried to defend herself with "The only rule was to not fall off the platform, and it's not like Chris said we couldn't use our feet."
"True, I never did, and you win for staying on it." announced McLean, delighting the jockette.
(Begin Confessional: Ella)
"There absolutely should've been a restriction against cheap shots like that! I wish I advanced to the next round."
(End Confessional)
One minute passed before the cook informed the players "Hopefully everyone is prepared for round two, because it's about to start."
"After Sam vs. Trent, we'll have Dakota vs. Jo. Any viewers watching this are free to make their bets on who will win!" added his boss.
Giving her boyfriend a good luck kiss, Ms. Milton added "Go kick some more ass up there!"
"I was already planning to." he added in affirmation.
"No hard feelings about our match earlier?" Trent privately asked Leshawna.
To his relief, she forgivingly replied with "None at all, now we just have to make sure you-know-who doesn't get immunity today. I set myself up for losing by not staying focused."
The guitar-player and the gamer climbed up to the battling platform with paddle sticks at the ready. Chef reminded them "As eager as you might be to win now, you both still have to wait until the horn sounds off before starting your duel."
"We already knew that." the two responded simultaneously.
"You won't have to wait for much longer." Chris stated before blowing his airhorn.
Both contestants promptly charged at one another. It wasn't out of rage or any building resentment, just determination to get first place. Who landed the first blow? The gamer, who proclaimed "Critical hit; it's super effective!" with a chest strike.
Trent wasn't giving up so easily and countered "You'll need more than that to take me down!" before dealing a knee shot.
Sam didn't expect to be knocked off his feet like that or to land close to the edge. However, he quickly got off his back in time to block a torso shot and aimed for the musician's feet. This would get blocked as well. As the guitar player thought again of DJ and his goal to avenge him, he gained more energy and made a stronger swipe at the gamer's other knee. It wasn't particularly painful, but strong enough to knock him into the water.
"With that splashing, Trent goes to the third and final round!" proclaimed Chris.
Smirking with triumph, the guitarist told him "I very much look forward to that."
(Begin Confessional: Sam)
"Things could've been worse; I was lucky to even make it past the first round."
(End Confessional)
One minute later, Chef announced "For the second battle of round two, we've got Dakota vs. Jo. They better get ready soon."
The gamer gave his girlfriend a hug for good luck, assuring her "You're no wimp and have what it takes to go even further!"
Grateful for this, Ms. Milton replied "Much appreciated, and I look forward to getting first place!"
Elsewhere, Mr. MacArthur told the jockette "I don't know what exactly happened earlier, but I have no doubt you'll end up winning today.", sounding a bit suspicious.
She confidently responded with "Thanks, and neither do I." before going up for the duel.
(Begin Confessional: Brick)
"Were Ella and Max really telling the truth about that stone throwing? I know Blaineley did try to mess with opponents during that balance beam challenge, so that makes her a plausible culprit for Dave's nosebleed in the obstacle course. I do hope either way that Jo doesn't stoop to such similar levels in the future. It would be quite poor conduct."
(End Confessional)
The cameras cut to Jo telling Dakota "Don't think I'll hold back here."
Her reply was "I didn't expect you to, and the same goes for me."
Chris sounded off his airhorn before saying "Somebody's about to get splashed, and I very much look forward to it!"
Ms. Milton made the first move, going for her opponent's torso, though failed to land this attack. The jockette managed to dodge and land a face hit soon afterwards. From the sidelines, Sam advised his girlfriend "Stay away from the edges to increase your chances of winning."
Listening to these words, Dakota managed to keep herself close enough to the platform's center while blocking three swings and asked Jo "Defeating me isn't as easy as you expected, is it?" while successfully dealing two stomach strikes.
Her opponent took a moment to recover before answering with "No, but I still have ways to win." and delivering a hit to the face.
Not expecting to be struck like that, she yelped in pain and was too focused on that to notice Jo aiming for the chest until it was too late. The latter sent Ms. Milton towards an edge, who soon afterwards fell off when unable to keep her balance. To the dismay of Ella and Sam, McLean didn't hesitate to declare "As I expected, that's another win for Jo!"
(Begin Confessional: Dakota)
"The quick-succession attack really snuck up on me. Had I been ready for it, I could've won that duel."
(End Confessional)
Before the last battle could begin, the princess privately urged Trent "Please do your best to not fall off in the last round. I really don't want yesterday's winner to get immunity again!"
His response was "Neither do I, trust me on that."
"In other words, you want her gone too?" she inquired.
"Most definitely! The sooner that happens, the better." he affirmed as the two briefly shook hands.
Shortly afterwards, Chef instructed "It's time for the last battle: Trent vs. Jo! Please go up on the platform so we can get it done with."
The two remaining players quickly complied. Except for Brick, who was undecided, everyone else desperately hoped the guitarist would win. Aside from Max, they chanted "Go Trent!" simultaneously.
Such silence prompted the solider to inquire "Do you instead want Jo to claim victory?"
"No, but EVIL doesn't cheer." answered the wannabe villain.
(Begin Confessional: Jo)
"Did Paris Hilton and Seth Rogen actually oppose me winning today? If so, then I suspect she was just sour after losing to me in round two, and he naturally would take her side when they're a couple. I hope they'll get over it by tomorrow morning."
(End Confessional)
The cameras cut to the guitarist glaring at his opponent. Filled with determination to win, he declared "You won't get off so easily with what you did to DJ."
"Bring it on, musical has-been!" she taunted, making him angrily growl.
Chef insisted "Again, wait for the horn."
Shortly afterwards, Chris followed that up with "I'm eager to see what follows, so let's get things going!" and blew the airhorn.
Both players charged at one another. Trent landed the first blow, striking her in the stomach, and narrowly managed to dodge without getting hit. She quickly followed it with a swing to his mouth, knocking out a couple of teeth. The musician spat out a bit of blood and scowled before trying to do the same twice, only for these to be blocked. Chris in the meantime was eating more of his popcorn, very entertained by the ongoing battle. He was too engrossed to notice Chef reaching for a handful until the cook could be heard chewing the popcorn. This prompted the host to yell "Get your own box!" and pull it out of reach, disappointing the cook.
(Begin Confessional: Chef)
"Did he really think I could find a separate serving of popcorn on such short notice? I knew I couldn't, so I went for the quickest option that let me watch the last battle without missing anything. Chris already had plenty of his own anyway."
(End Confessional)
Four minutes later, Jo had a bloody nose while Trent's face had bruises on both cheeks. Somehow, neither had even come close to falling off yet. The two charged at each other once again and landed in a gridlock with their paddles. Pushing back and forth against one another, they simultaneously proclaimed "Victory is mine today!"
The guitarist suddenly got an idea and tried to kick his opponent in the stomach. However, she managed to dodge it and knee him in the crotch. Once he was down on the ground writhing in pain, this allowed her to knock the guy off with a final strike. Chris declared "That's another victory for Jo! If you were hoping to vote her off tonight, then too bad."
After everyone else except Brick groaned, the winner bragged "It goes to show I'm just the best!" while tossing her paddle to the side, unintentionally hitting Ella's face in the process, and subsequently apologizing with "Whoops sorry; I didn't see you there."
(Begin Confessional: Trent)
"After coming so close to winning today, I blew it! Talk about embarrassing. Let's just hope that doesn't mean I'm done for."
(End Confessional)
(Begin Confessional: Jo)
"Nice to have immunity again. It's now highly obvious that others want me gone, so which of them should I take out first?"
(End Confessional)
The cameras cut to Ella talking again with Dakota and Sam. She inquired "This obviously isn't how I wanted things to go, but are you still with me for the upcoming vote?"
"Of course! Just give a name, and assuming it isn't either of us, we'll opt to send them home." affirmed the gaming nut.
The princess followed that with "OK, here's what I had in mind." before inaudibly telling them something within a huddle.
Ms. Milton's response was "While I can't make any guarantees about what will happen tonight, I'm willing to try it."
(Begin Confessional: Ella)
"Jo's lucky to win the most recent challenge, but I should at least be able to increase my advantages of going to the finals by convincing her former teammates to side with me instead. I promise not to vote off Sam or Dakota unless it's just the three of us left in the game along with a fourth contestant who gets invincibility."
(End Confessional)
Elsewhere, Trent was shown outside the hotels with a look of disappointment over losing in round three. Strumming along on his guitar did nothing to help. He sighed to himself and pondered aloud "Who am I supposed to vote for now that Jo won again? DJ would probably have an answer by now."
Max overheard this when walking by and insisted "Had EVIL gone up against her, she would've been a goner with my victory. You're on your own with votes."
Not in the mood for such boasting, the musician's response was an irritated "Your chances wouldn't have been any better."
"What makes you so sure?" asked the wannabe villain.
"For one, you don't have as much body strength as either of us." answered Trent. "That definitely puts you at a disadvantage for challenges like this."
"You obviously didn't factor in how I can perform sneak attacks." retorted the aspiring evildoer, who walked away after adding. "I have no time for your underestimations."
(Begin Confessional: Max)
"He's lucky I don't plan on getting rid of him just yet."
(End Confessional)
Later that night, the contestants could be seen eating enchiladas for dinner. Jo had a smug grin on her face, feeling very proud to have won again. She privately assured Brick "Stick with me and you'll go further in the game. I still want us to reach the finals together."
"You're sure nobody will target me now?" her boyfriend asked with noticeable worry. "People know we're a couple, and it may have been a reason I almost went home last night."
"Completely!" his girlfriend confidently replied. "I already have at least two others guaranteed to not target you, or they'll pay big time. Furthermore, it's not like you did anything today that would warrant elimination in the first place. We can kick more ass together in future challenges."
The cadet requested "Please try not to hurt anyone too badly in the process. While I know that paddle toss earlier today was an accident, I still would like us to play with a sense of honor."
(Begin Confessional: Brick)
"I very much appreciate the sense of voting security, don't get me wrong! At the same time, I know how Jo can get aggressive in competitions, and I hope it doesn't cross any lines or go over-the-top."
(End Confessional)
The cameras cut to the day's winner comfortably sitting on the couch of victory again while every other competitor sat on log stumps. Chris told them "I hope you all know who you want out, because it's time to vote. Remember that Jo has immunity once more. Any votes for her will count for nothing."
(Begin Confessional: Trent)
"Nothing personal with this vote. I'm just going to wing it and hope for the best."
(End Confessional)
(Begin Confessional: Jo)
"Making a choice today wasn't easy. However, I've thought it through, and am sure this is for the best."
(End Confessional)
(Begin Confessional: Sam)
"It feels weird to defy Jo's demands for tonight after following them for so long, but here I go."
(End Confessional)
(Begin Confessional: Dakota)
"While I'm still going with Ella's plan, I feel worried because if it backfires, then we could be screwed."
(End Confessional)
"OK, you've made your votes. Is everyone ready for the verdict?" asked the second-in-command.
"We are." each of the contestants affirmed simultaneously.
"Very well. For winning another challenge, Jo gets the night's first key." McLean announced.
"Music to my hears." the jockette responded happily as she collected said key.
"Speaking of music, our next one goes to Trent because he was the only other player to reach today's final round." the cook added.
"A fitting outcome, and I'll take it." replied the guitar player with a smile upon getting his safety symbol.
"Brick, your service continues beyond tonight. Here's a key for you." said the host.
After one was passed to the cadet, he proudly stated "I feel honored to hear this!"
"Dakota can also relax when safe." Hatchet declared.
Her response was a satisfied "That's quite reassuring." when receiving her symbol of safety.
Chris continued with "You too, Sam; take this."
"Glad my game isn't over yet!" said the gamer in gratitude when collecting one.
Chef's next words were "We've only got one other player who didn't get votes tonight, and to my shock, it is Max."
Upon taking his key, the wannabe villain boasted "Don't look so surprised; I have my ways of surviving!"
Leshawna and Ella were now the only players left without one. Their eyes went wide with fear. The showrunner chuckled while taunting them with "Ladies, you both failed to get passed the first round today. Not a good look for either of you. Maybe it's why you got votes this evening."
This prompted both to angrily scowl and declare "Not funny!" simultaneously while the sassy one also gave him double middle fingers in response.
"There really was no need for the mockery." Hatchet remarked.
"You're a killjoy!" retorted his boss. "Now, getting on with things, I'm giving the last key of the night to…
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Leshawna!"
Upon getting that final key, the named contestant briefly smiled with relief before telling the princess "No hard feelings. I just thought you'd suffered enough here already, and when Jo doesn't seem stoppable yet, this at least gets you away from her and thus you won't get harmed even more."
"Ella, time for you to go home after a 5-3 vote against you." the cook declared.
Following a sigh of defeat, this got a response of "I would've liked to go further, but thanks for the thoughts. Maybe some rest will do me good."
The jockette proclaimed "Damn straight I'm unstoppable, and your vote matched mine tonight, so ha!"
Trent facepalmed before guiltily asking "Are you serious? Shit! That means I did too. Sorry Ella, but I chose randomly and didn't know who was going for who."
To his relief, the newly eliminated competitor assured him "Believe me, I know what it's like to feel uncertain on what to do when someone you trust is out of the game, so I won't hold it against you."
(Begin Confessional: Jo)
"Yeah, I expected Mr. Guitar to be thrown off after losing his ally last night, who seemed smarter. With nobody to consult on voting strategies, I doubt he can think things through as well, thus leading to random picks. It was just a pleasant surprise that the guy along with Leshawna ended up going for the same person as I did tonight." The jockette boasted before pausing and getting an epiphany, continuing with "Wait, a 5-3 vote kicked off the Disney queen? Max fearfully agreed to vote with me in exchange for not kicking him off over the rock throw accusations, so he told the truth when saying she was trying to get game junkie and rich daddy's girl to betray me! I spared the traitors for now so they wouldn't suspect I knew a thing. They'll pay at a later point, though; I'll be sure of that."
(End Confessional)
The cameras cut to Ella standing on a target. While Chris was eager to kick her off, he reluctantly showed a bit of courtesy by asking "Anything left you'd like to say before leaving? This is your last chance, so make it snappy."
"There definitely is." affirmed the lookalike of Snow White. "Trent, don't beat yourself up over tonight's vote when I know you'd never act out of malice. I forgive you. Just please stop Jo from winning this season! Brick, I don't know what it is that you still like about her after what happened earlier today, but don't let down your guard as I'd hate for you to get exploited. As for Dakota and Sam, thanks for all your support, and may you go as far in the game as possible!"
Hearing that prompted Ms. Milton to give a goodbye hug and state "Dave would be proud of what you accomplished, and it sucks to see you go."
"No kidding! You also can take pride in knowing you reached the merge this season and won a challenge after the teams dissolved." added the gaming nut in agreement, who also briefly hugged the princess farewell afterwards.
"Nice to hear, and I hope we can keep in touch after the season ends." she told them both in gratitude.
"Sam, Dakota, please move away from the target." requested Chef. "We need to activate the boot now."
The named players complied to avoid being hit. Five seconds later, the showrunner pressed the button to kick Ella away. He openly admitted "I will not miss her at all."
"Do you ever miss any of the contestants?" inquired Mr. MacArthur.
"No, not really." replied McLean. "Sending them away via elimination feels satisfying."
"That sounds quite EVIL to me. I love it!" Max added with noticeable pleasure before all seven remaining players exited.
Wanting a break from his typical routine, the cook quickly opted to follow suit. He didn't go far before the host asked "Huh, where are you going?"
The question was answered with "To get drunk and get laid. You got a problem with that?"
"Yeah; sex on camera would create a scandal and probably end our whole series! Besides, I already hid the remaining alcohol in a place you'll never find so I could keep you sober during challenges, and we already agreed that remaining celibate would help increase our focus on the show. Once the finale ends, though, feel free to bang anyone who's not me, a contestant, a family member, or a minor." said Chris.
His aid confessed "I completely forgot about that temporary abstinence pledge, though you can rest assured I would've found a private spot for any action."
(Begin Confessional: Chef)
"Are there no drinks left on the island? I don't know how much longer I can go without one."
(End Confessional)
The cameras cut to Brick and Jo watching The Sandlot in the movie theater. They each had their own boxes of popcorn and were eating from those. Mr. MacArthur remarked "You know, I doubt any of these characters would've been able to top us in that baseball swinging challenge from this season."
"I'm sure their leader Benny would come closest, but yeah; his gang has nothing on what we can do." added the jockette in agreement.
Two seconds later, Max suddenly peered in and asked them "How much longer until this movie ends?"
"Go away!" both demanded in unison, annoyed that he interrupted their private time together.
(Begin Confessional: Max)
"That'll probably be the only instance they get any time in the theater to themselves. Other people like me will surely plan to watch movies there in the future."
(End Confessional)
Chris was seen all by himself when he sighed off the episode with "11 contestants are now out, and only seven remain. Will Brick stay with Jo? Can she get Sam and Dakota to vote with her again? What is everybody else going to do? Answers will follow in the future. Keep watching to learn what follows here on Total. Drama. Generation Showdown!"
Another one bites the dust. While it wasn't at all easy to eliminate a character I very much enjoy, the lookalike of Snow White has reached the end of her road. I always knew she was going to make the merge, but couldn't think of a plausible way for this girl to reach the finals without being targeted. The third aftermath follows next chapter, and you'll see Dave, Blaineley, DJ, and Ella get interviewed there. For anybody who has something they'd like Cameron and Lightning to ask these four, you must submit them on August 10, 2022 or sooner. I'll accept question entries via reviews or PM. As for why the princess opted to vote off Leshawna, it's because she perceived this player as the next biggest threat with her first choice already having immunity.
Reason for elimination: After finding out Ella knew the truth about Dave's nosebleed, Jo realized this was someone whose smarts and gameplay potential she had underestimated, and thus opted to discredit her by deflecting blame to Mildred. Seeing how long their duel lasted also showed signs of being a threat and contributed to the voting outcome. The jockette otherwise would've gone after Leshawna (for being a tough player in general) or taken an easy route by getting others to vote out Max (who could get on their nerves). While also considering the idea of kicking off Trent, Jo ultimately decided to spare him for the moment when suspecting his distress over DJ's elimination would make him cast random votes that ultimately worked in her favor (a gambit that paid off in this chapter). Brick of course joined in when they're dating, and Leshawna's vote was out of pity without knowing of such plans. Once the wannabe villain let it slip how he overheard the Snow White lookalike getting Dakota and Sam on her side, our lady jock knew that trying to eliminate one of those former allies would make the other target her. This revelation was what made Jo firmly decide the safest move would be to take out the one responsible for severing the alliance.
Voting results:
Leshawna: 3 votes (Dakota, Ella, Sam)
Ella: 5 votes (Brick, Jo, Leshawna, Max, Trent)
Elimination Order:
Sugar (18th place), Justin (17th place), Rodney (16th place), Anne Maria (15th place), Eva (14th place), Beardo (13th place), Dawn (12th place), Dave (11th place), Blaineley (10th place), DJ (9th place), Ella (8th place)
Remaining Players:
Brick, Dakota, Jo, Leshawna, Max, Sam, Trent
Chapter posted: July 30, 2022.