Endurance: Koror Palau

[Cruise meerkat Youssy]

GREEN IS REALLY MY BAE!!! I need them to win (sorry Gray still love y'all). I also like Orange even though they haven't DONE much but I feel like I like them both as people. Also I liked the mission too it reminded me of Survivor!

[kwdrewfan]

I'm glad that you both liked the mission! I was worried it may not have translated well, so it's a relief to hear that isn't the case.

[kwdrewfan]

Most of the teams are shown hanging out in the boys’ hut.
Erin props her head in her hand on a top bunk: “Ace, what’s your real name? Or is it literally just Ace?”
He smiles sheepishly and shakes his head, but doesn’t offer anything.
Amy breaks out into a grin: “Oh my God, what’s your name?!”
Ace: “Noo!”
Kennedy has her arms crossed and is grinning in the corner: “Well now I’m curious, too..”
Ace: “It’s like an old man name… I’ve gone by Ace since I was literally, like, 4.”
Robert laughs: “Aw, come on, we won’t judge!”
Ace hesitates, but finally squeezes his eyes shut and waits for the impact of his honesty: “… It’s Doug. Douglas.”
The entire room erupts in laughter, including Ace, and Erin rolls onto her back between fits of giggles. And then, after the noise has died down a little…
Leo: “Hey, man, don’t feel too bad. Leo is short for Leonard.”
At this revelation everyone applauds and starts laughing even harder, and Ace claps Leo on the shoulder a few times.
Serena: (still laughing) “Oh my gosh, why would you OFFER that!?”
Jackson: “Y’all are awesome, but I’m glad my name is Jackson.”
The camera shows Anna on a top bunk, her jaw dropped as she emits short bursts of laughter while looking around the room.

The next shot is of the kids walking up to JD in the Flatlands, where their next mission is set up.
They come to a stop in front of him and he looks around at the group, now standing in their Superteams.
JD: “Welcome, everyone, to the Superteam mission. How are you feeling?”
The Red-Yellow-Blue team nods and responds with ‘good’, but the Orange-Green-Gray team appears a bit less enthusiastic.
JD: “In this challenge you’ll be selecting three people from your team to run, and three to solve a puzzle. The runners will go out first, one at a time, in search of bundles of wooden puzzle pieces; these are tied tightly with rope and can be found simply by watching where you step. (a quick shot of Leo raising an eyebrow) There are three sets of puzzle pieces for both Superteams, so each runner should only have to go out once. After all of the pieces are back, the remaining three team members will have to work together to spell out a word with your puzzle; however you cannot start solving your puzzle until you have all the pieces you need. (JD nods at the group) Everyone clear?”
Group: “Yeah.”
JD: “Good. You guys have 5 minutes to decide who is going to do what, and then we’ll get started.”
The camera finds the R-Y-B team first.
Amy: “Boys run, girls do the puzzle?”
Patrick shrugs: “I dunno, Erin is pretty fast..”
Erin makes a face: “Not as much as you are, dummy. And I’ll be better at the puzzle.”
Patrick grins a bit and concedes with his hands in the air: “Alright, alright. You’re right.”
On the other end of the field, the O-G-G team is having a slightly more difficult decision.
Jackson: “Seriously, I’m a puzzle master! I’ve been waiting all season for a puzzle challenge and I didn’t get to do the last one. I really want to be on the puzzle.”
Kennedy: “I can run, you guys. Really. It’s probably not even that far.”
Ace watches Kennedy carefully: “Are you sure?”
She nods with confidence.

After the decisions are made, the runners stand in a line in front of the puzzle solvers.
JD: “Robert, Leo and Patrick are running for the 1st Superteam; for the 2nd it is Chris, Ace and Kennedy. On your mark… get set… GO!”
Leo and Chris take off into the field at top speed, watching the grass in front of them to make sure they don’t miss their pieces. They arrive at the first set at the same time, but while Chris picks them up and turns to run back, Leo keeps going.
JD: “It looks like Leo is going for the farthest set of pieces first… will this strategy work out in his favor?”
Chris arrives back with the first set just as Leo finds his.
JD: “2nd Superteam already has their first set of pieces! Kennedy is off to get the second!”
Leo charges back to his teammates and, when he gets there, sends Robert back out. Kennedy picks up her pieces.
JD: “Orange, Green & Gray have a slight lead, but it looks like Red-Yellow-Blue is closing the gap very quickly.”
Robert and Patrick switch out just as Kennedy makes it back.
JD: “This is actually a very close race, but it looks like Red, Yellow & Blue are beginning to pull ahead. Ace has some time to make up for.”
Kennedy cups her hands around her mouth: “Go, Ace!!!”
While Ace heads out, legs pumping as fast as they’ll take him, Patrick reaches the last set of pieces for his team and bounds back to the start. A few moments later…
JD: “GO Superteam 1! Start working on your puzzle!”
The girls immediately grab a bundle and begin trying to unknot the ropes wound around the pieces.
Serena: “Oh geez, these are tight!”
They finally get their pieces untied as Ace starts running back with the last set for O-G-G.
Erin: “Okay, okay, what’s the word? What word are we spelling..?”
Amy connects a few pieces: “I don’t know. I can’t tell yet.”
JD: “And…… GO Superteam 2!”
They have a hard time getting their ropes off, and eventually after Anna can’t get hers to release, Cassie steps in and helps.
JD: “Red-Yellow-Blue is making some progress… the other team has a lot of work to do to catch up.”
R-Y-B has plenty of individual letters matched up, but nothing cohesive coming together.
Anna slides a piece over to Cassie: “Here, here this one goes with the ‘T’!”
Cassie: “Also there’s a ‘K’ in it. Not many words have a ‘K’…”
Jackson’s hands are flying over the table and he says quietly: “Teamwork… I think the word is teamwork.”
A few minutes later, having discovered the same thing herself, Amy yells out: “Teamwork!”
JD: “Red-Yellow-Blue thinks they know what the word is. They are VERY close to solving this puzzle… but so is the other Superteam! This is a really close race to the finish!”
Anna and Jackson connect a few more pieces for their team, and the runners cheer them on from behind. Right when they only have two letters left to finish connecting…
Erin: “JD!”
The three puzzle-solvers from O-G-G look up with sunken hearts as the host checks out the other team’s puzzle.
JD: “……Superteam 1 is right!”
They screech, jumping and hugging one another as the other half of their team joins them!
JD: “You guys win the Superteam mission and the power to send 2 of the 3 opposing teams up to the Temple of Fate!”
Cassie buries her head in her arms on the table, and Jackson connects the very last 3 pieces they needed to win. He lets out a frustrated groan as Ace, Kennedy and Chris come up to comfort the solvers.
Ace: “We tried our best, guys. We were really close.”

Int. Serena: “I really enjoyed the mission today! We had three members of our team run to collect these puzzle pieces, and then the other three had to put the puzzle together. And in the end, we won! I was glad to see another puzzle challenge, even though they may not be my STRONGEST talent. But it was only the second one so far, so. That was nice.”
Int. Kennedy: “Well, our team just lost the Superteam mission… it was really frustrating because all we needed was, like, 10 more seconds and then we would’ve won. I honestly can’t talk about it, it’s so sad.” (she chuckles a bit, though it doesn’t sound very amused)
Conf. Amy: (she tosses her head to the side) “Whooo! Our Superteam won and I am very happy about it! (cut) The only problem is that Serena didn’t listen to me and put Blue on the other team, so now we can’t get rid of them. Which is annoying because I’ve wanted them gone for a long time.”

Int. Erin: “Working with Yellow and Red is not something I ever foresaw for myself in this game, but.. when you’re on their team, and you win, that’s just what you have to do.”
Red, Yellow and Blue are sitting in a circle behind the cabins.
Robert: “Sorry, Blue, I know you didn’t want to send one of your allies…”
Patrick shakes his head: “Nah, I mean. It is what it is.”
Leo: “But so.. I guess, obviously we’re sending Green, right?”
Erin, Patrick and Robert nod in agreement: “Yeah.”
Serena: “Poor Green. They’re so sweet.”
Erin makes a sad face: “I know! I don’t want to send anybody.”
Leo: “Gray is the bigger threat, though. I vote that we send Green and Gray.”
Serena: “Nooo! I don’t want to send Gray!”
Leo: “They’re tougher to beat than Orange, Serena! It’s not smart to keep them..”
Serena: “That’s not true. Did you see Jackson on that puzzle today? He was a beast!”
The camera shows Amy, who is watching them with interested eyes…
V.O. Amy: “Of course my plan to get Gray to switch alliances won’t work if we send them to Temple. –”
Int. Amy: “What Leo was saying today made sense, but it’ll be a lot easier for us to dominate the game if another strong team is with us. It’s actually really lucky for me that Serena has her whole.. (she rolls her eyes a bit and makes exaggerated air quotes) ‘buddy-buddy’ thing with Kennedy and doesn’t want to send her.”
Amy: “I agree with Serena. I think we should send Orange.”
Leo: “What?! Why?”
Serena: “Because she knows that Orange is just as much of a threat as Gray!”
Amy raises her eyebrows and nods, satisfied at this suggestion, while Leo shakes his head.
Leo: “I don’t understand you guys. That is insane.”
Erin: (quietly) “…I would rather send Gray.”
Robert: “Really?”
Erin nods and continues to stare at the grass: “Because of the competition thing. I do think they’re stronger.”
Robert casually throws his arm over his knee: “I’m good with whoever. Whatever you guys want to do.”
Serena sits up on her knees and tugs at the bottom of her shirt: “We have no idea what we’re doiiing…”

Meanwhile the Orange, Gray and Green teams are standing by the cabins, watching the others talk from afar.
Kennedy has her back against the wall: “Who do you think they’re sending?”
Chris comes to a stop next to her, a cup of water in his hand, pointing between the two of them: “Us. Green and Gray.”
Kennedy: “Ugh.. why us?”
He takes a sip: “Because my team is the scapegoat and your team is the strongest.”
Ace nods solemnly: “Yeah… that’s what I was thinking, too.”
Cassie: “Seriously? Serena won’t want to send Gray.”
Chris: “No, but Leo will. And Red probably.”
Anna: “And Blue is also really competitive.”
Kennedy gently hits the back of her head against the wall: “Dang it, you guys. This sucks.”
Jackson: “It does indeed.”

Conf. Ace: (he appears very breathless and eager) “So I was all set, thinking I was certain to go to, uh, the Temple – but then I remembered the deal that Amy tried to strike with me before the Superteams. I was like… (he puts his palms together) ‘Yesss, please let this be our saving grace!’”
Amy is shown walking towards the beach when Ace comes up to her from behind.
Ace: (whispered) “Hey, hey hey – come here.”
He takes her aside: “I just talked to Kennedy about what you offered. About, like, having an alliance?”
Amy’s eyebrows arch and her eyes light up, but she nods silently and waits for him to continue.
Ace: “Well…… we’re in. As long as you can get us out of going to Temple tonight.”
A smile creeps onto Amy’s face: “…Yay!! (she gives him a short hug before pulling back and giving him a serious look) I meant what I said, you know. Final 3.”
Ace: “I know, I believe you. I do. (the camera angle changes) So what, we’re not going up tonight?”
Amy turns to walk away, calling over her shoulder: “Not if I can help it.”
Int. Ace: “Do I really trust Amy? (he grits his teeth) Ehh. But right now, what other choice do we have? We need to survive this round, and if we have to play both sides – which I’m really hoping we won’t have to for very long – we’re going to do it well.”

Amy comes up to Robert in the grassy field around the huts and grabs his shoulders excitedly.
Amy: “Guess what guess what guess what?”
Robert widens his eyes in exaggerated amusement: “WHAT?”
Amy: “Gray just agreed to be our third alliance member!”
Robert: “Ohh, nice! Really?”
Amy nods and smiles widely: “Are you excited?”
Robert nods back and slowly removes her hands from his shoulders: “Yeah, I’m glad they came around!”
Amy: “Come on, come with. I’ve got to tell Yellow.”
The camera changes to a farther-away shot of them heading towards the beach.
Robert: “Are you sure we can trust Gray? I don’t want them to backstab us or anything…”
Amy: “Look who your partner is. They won’t betray us.”

The Orange, Green and Gray teams are shown sitting on the porch in front of the huts, while Blue, Yellow and Red stand with JD. He places a hand on Leo’s shoulder and addresses them: “Congratulations to the six of you for winning the last mission, but now, you have a tough decision to make. It’s time to tell us; which two teams are going to the Temple of Fate?”
Amy taps her fingers on her elbow and looks to Leo, as do the rest of the winning team members.
Leo: “Uhh… there were some disagreements over who to send and who to save, but we finally managed to come to a decision. (camera closes in on Leo’s face as he speaks) Gray team……”
Ace and Kennedy are shown holding hands, terrified looks on their faces.
Leo: “…You are not going to the Temple tonight.”
Kennedy’s jaw drops and her head briefly lands on her partner’s shoulder. Ace lets out a relieved sigh.
JD: “We all know what that means. Orange team, Green team –”
Shot changes to the two teams.
V.O. JD: “– You have been chosen to make the journey out to the Temple of Fate tonight. Go ahead and pack your bags, say your goodbyes – and I’ll see you in a couple of hours at the Temple, where one of you will be eliminated from the game. Thanks, Leo.”
Erin immediately runs over to hug Cassie: “I’m so sorry! I didn’t want to send you!”
The rest of the kids give their condolences to Green and Orange as the scene ends.

Anna and Cassie are shown packing their bags on the floor side-by-side.
Cassie pulls out a ring that has a small panda on it: “Anna, here! (she slides it onto Anna’s finger) For good luck.”
Anna: “Aww, thank you! (she glances down at the charm bracelet in her palm and hands it to Cassie) Here’s some good luck for you, too.”
Cassie accepts the bracelet and looks sadly at Anna, before reaching to give her a hug: “I wish one of us didn’t have to go home.”
Anna: “Me too.”
In the boys’ cabin, Jackson is stuffing a white shirt into his bag: “I wasn’t expecting to be sent up this early, y’all. But.. –”
Patrick: “I’m sorry, man.”
Jackson: “– what can you do? (beat) No, it’s fine. It had to be somebody. Technically.”
Chris: (from the bottom bunk) “Well, I expected to go up. (the boys laugh) I didn’t WANT it to happen! But I can’t say I’m surprised.”
The shot changes to a slightly later point. Patrick has his arms around Jackson’s shoulders.
Jackson: “It’s okay, bruh! Bruh! I will try to come back. I really will.”
Patrick releases him: “I know you will. But so will Green.”
Jackson: “Yeah. Well. (he starts to walk outside, but turns his head towards Patrick at the last minute and points at him) I’ll try harder!”

The interviews are played in intervals over shots of the two teams making the trip to the Temple.
V.O. Cassie: “It does stink to have to go up this early – do I want to come back? Of course! I’m not ready to end my time on Endurance. But even if I do, I’m so glad that I even got the chance to make it this far.”
V.O. Jackson: “If I leave now, I will be leaving behind the best experience of my life. I want to keep going, I want to win a challenge, I want to prove that I do have Endurance; but, it’s up to fate tonight. We’ll have to wait and see how it goes.”
V.O. Anna: “I’ve loved my time on Endurance so far, and most importantly the friends I’ve made here. And.. although, as much as that means to me, I would honestly do anything to stay.”
V.O. Chris: “Anna and I have pretty much kept ourselves out of all the ‘alliance’ business, and I guess we’ve been pretty quiet to the other teams. So I’m sure that’s part of why we’re going to the Temple tonight. But I’m ready to do whatever it takes to keep us here a little while longer.”
Both teams ascend the stairs at the front of the Temple, where JD is waiting for them and instructs them both to pick a side. They do.
JD: “Welcome… to the Temple of Fate. You’ll see in front of you are three cauldrons; one contains water, one contains fire, and the other contains wood. You will each pick up a rock and write down one of those three elements, then hand them to me to throw into the burning kettle. The chosen elements will rise, and whoever has the dominant element wins that round. We’ll play to best 2 out of 3. Remember; water puts out the fire, fire burns the wood, and wood floats on water. (he nods to each team) Go ahead and pick up your first rock.”
Anna takes the cap off of their marker as Chris picks up a rock.
Chris: “Any feelings?”
Anna bites her lip and slowly nods. She places the tip of their marker on the rock and starts a downward stroke.
On the other side of the Temple…
Jackson: “Water?”
Cassie: “You wanna do water?”
Jackson: “Yeah. Yeah, go with it.”
Cassie starts writing down their selection.
JD: “Alright, Green team. (he takes their rock) Orange. (he takes theirs as well) I am now going to drop your selections into the burning kettle. (he does, and the camera shows Anna holding onto Chris’ arm) Who has the dominant element?”
There is a long pause before they begin to rise……
Orange: Water
Green: Wood
Anna: “Yess!” (she and Chris hug)
JD: “Wood floats on water; Green team, that’s one win for you guys. (he turns to Orange) Orange, you need to win the next two in a row to stay in the game. (Jackson nods) Go ahead and pick up your next rock.”
Cassie leans over to Jackson: “Okay, so do you think we should do water again? Or switch to wood..? Or we could just do fire?”
Jackson stares into space for a moment, deep in thought: “I don’t know…”
Camera changes to show Green’s rock where ‘water’ is written. Chris flips it over and hands it to JD.
JD: “Alright, Green. (Jackson turns around and gives their rock to JD) And Orange team.”
The rocks are dropped into the kettle, and JD turns back to the teams: “Will the dominant element please rise now?”
……
Orange: Wood
Green: Water
Chris: “Auhh!”
Jackson and Cassie jump to hug each other.
JD: “Green, you chose water; Orange chose wood. The exact opposite of last round. Wood floats on water, that’s 1 win for Orange. You’re tied now; whoever wins this next point will get to stay in the game. The other… will be going home. (shot of a nervous Cassie nodding her head) Please pick up your last rock.”
Cassie grabs a rock: “We can do this, right? We can do this?”
Jackson: “Yeah, yeah, we can totally do this. I think we should go with…”
Anna looks up at Chris with wide eyes: “What do you think we should do?”
Chris rubs at his neck: “Ahh… fire hasn’t been picked yet..?”
The tip of Anna’s marker touches their rock, but the camera cuts to Orange handing in their selection.
JD: “Thank you, Cassie..” (JD turns to walk in Green’s direction)
Anna: “Hurry, are you sure?”
Chris: “Yeah, I mean… just do it.”
Anna writes down ‘fire’ and gives their rock to JD, who promptly tosses it into the kettle before standing back to survey the two teams: “Alright, this is it. Whoever has the dominant element this round, is still in the game. Let’s see what you’ve chosen.”
……………………………………
Orange: Water
Green: Fire
Jackson’s eyebrows raise: “Oh my God!”
Cassie squeals and gives him an excited hug!
JD: “Orange team…! You picked water, Green picked fire; water puts out the fire, and that means you get to continue your time on Endurance!”
Finally JD turns to the Green team. Anna is wiping a tear from her cheek as Chris pulls her to his chest; the disappointment on his face is evident.
JD: “Green team… unfortunately, your journey ends here. But the friendship you guys have with each other is something to hold on to and cherish; you should both be very proud of how well you’ve done. (Anna and Chris both nod, smiling sadly at his words, and JD nods back) Go ahead and stand behind the fire there.”
They grab their bags and their pieces and go to stand behind the fiery kettle.
3, 2, 1… The Green Team disappears into the flames.
The camera changes back to the Orange team, where Cassie is still covering her mouth with her hand.
JD: “Orange team; congratulations, you did it. (he grins) You’re still in the game and on your way to possibly becoming Endurance champions. Go on back to camp; I’m sure everyone can’t wait to see who is coming back.”
They grab their things and Jackson calls over his shoulder on the way out: “Thanks, JD!”

The other teams all sit on the edge of the porch, except for a few who are standing to get a better view of the returning team; finally Jackson and Cassie run into view…
Patrick: “ORANGE! It’s Orange!!!”
Everyone takes off to hug their returning friends, celebrating the Orange team’s victory until they all begin to head inside for the night.

---

"Next time on Endurance! -"
"The remaining 5 teams take part in an Endurance first...!"
An interview with Ace: "JD tells us today that our next mission is actually going to be (he uses air quotes) an ‘auction’…?"
JD stands behind a table set up in the Flatlands: "Okay. This item is gone, in 3.. 2.. 1.. (he hits the table with a gavel) That’s it."
"The first major argument breaks out..."
Erin is on the beach: "I’ve been SO NICE to you this WHOLE TIME. I thought we were friends!"
Amy: "I’M JUST TRYING TO PLAY THE GAME!"
"...And some are concerned about things getting worse."
An interview with Kennedy: "I definitely hope they’re able to settle it soon, because otherwise things could get really bad – not only for the Gray team, but for the entire group in general. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens next."

---

The Red Team - Robert & Amy - Commitment
The Orange Team - Jackson & Cassie - Heart
The Yellow Team - Leo & Serena - Strength, Ingenuity
The Blue Team - Patrick & Erin - Trust, Teamwork
The Gray Team - Ace & Kennedy - Leadership
The Green Team - Chris & Anna - Courage, Perseverance
The Purple Team - Logan & Lydia

[amplify26]

Wow, cannot wait for next episode!

[kwdrewfan]

Apr 9, 2016 23:09:25 GMT -5 @firetruck421 said:

So, I really appreciate the effort in this story you're doing!

Not just the challenges, and alliances, but also the simplistic fun moments. Like, when they were making fun of their names together.

That's the bonding that everyone always talks about, and so it's really cool to watch that here, because in most fictions, that's not there.

Thank you for this comment, it made my morning!! I love all the kids in this story in their own way, so it was important to me to spend as much time with them as possible.

And as for the next episode... it & the one after are arguably my favorites of the season

[Cruise meerkat Youssy]

Sorry it's been a long week. Just now reading this!

BUT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MY LOVE GREEN TEAM </3333333333333

[kwdrewfan]

The next morning, JD knocks on the outside of both cabins and goes to sit on the porch until the kids eventually come out and surround him.
JD: “So. As you all know, the Green team was sent home last night, and believe me when I say it was not an easy elimination. Orange, how do you guys feel?”
Cassie: “Really sad. I’m happy we’re still here, but… Anna gave me her charm bracelet. (she holds it up for everyone to see, and a chorus of ‘aw’s come from the girls) So, yeah, it’s really bittersweet.”
JD: “Jackson?”
Jackson: “Yeah, definitely, it was so hard to actually be there to watch them leave. So I second everything Cassie said. (there is a pause) …Except I don’t have a charm bracelet.”
Everyone laughs.
JD: “Well, they left behind a note along with their two pieces, both of which will be given out to somebody here. Who wants to read the letter? (he turns to the person on his right) Erin?”
She accepts the note and unrolls it to read aloud:
“Dear everyone, we are so sad to be gone but so GLAD to have been there! To the Superteam who sent us up, please don’t feel bad for doing what had to be done. We forgive you all. And to our awesomesauce Superteam-teams, we sincerely hope that one of you is able to outlast your competition and win!
That is why we’re leaving our Courage piece to the Orange team, and Perseverance to Gray.”
Orange and Gray, who are sitting next to each other, smile and low-five all around.
“We both miss you all and hope to stay in touch!
(and because you guys will be glad to know, tonight we are going for dinner and ice cream.)
Sincerely, Anna and Chris”
A couple of “Ohhh!”s arise from the teens who are left, but most just laugh.
JD: “Alright! Gray team, Orange team, here are your new pieces; go ahead and add them to your poles over there.”
They both do as they are told while the remaining teams watch with JD. Gray and Orange shortly arrive back at the porch and sit down.
JD: “Now the Orange, Gray, Blue, and Yellow teams all have 2 pieces each; Red is bringing up the rear with only one.”
Amy lets out an embarrassed giggle and buries her head in Robert’s shoulder.
JD: “So. Moving on to today; your next mission is less of a challenge, and more of a… (he bobs his head from one side to the other) …an auction.”
Kennedy, Ace and Serena’s jaws drop and Erin leans forward with her arms wrapped around her knees.
JD: “You’ll learn more about the game once you arrive at the Flatlands this afternoon. I’ll see you all then.”
JD jogs out while the kids start to stand up and converse.

Int. Ace: “So, JD tells us today that our next mission is actually going to be (he uses air quotes) an ‘auction’…? I’m not totally sure what that means for us. I don’t know how it’s going to be set up or anything, so I’m a little nervous. But I think it’ll be really interesting!”
Ace approaches Kennedy and Serena by the water dispenser.
Ace: “How’re you guys feeling about the whole auction thing?”
Kennedy faces him and adjusts the gray bandana on her head: “Oh, I love it!”
Serena: “I’m not sure about it…”
Kennedy: “Oh, really? I love it.”
Ace nods: “I think I like it. Why, what makes you nervous Serena?”
The 15-year-old shrugs a bit, looking out towards the beach: “I don’t know… I mean, we have no idea how it’ll work. Like is JD gonna be really straightforward with everything, or are we not gonna know what we get until we’ve already bought it? You know?”
Kennedy: “Yeah, true, I can understand that. (she pours a cup of water) I don’t know, I’m still excited for it though. It’s a totally different concept than anything we’ve done so far.”
Ace points at her and grabs a cup for himself: “Right, see, that’s why I’m into it.”
Suddenly Robert rounds the corner, having overheard the end of their conversation: “Are you guys talking about the auction thingy?”
Serena: “Yeah.”
Robert looks a little humorous as his eyebrows shoot up: “Amy is not happy. She’s not happy at all.”
Ace: “Really? Why?”
Robert goes to pour himself some water: “She’s just… she doesn’t feel like it’s an actual challenge, like. It doesn’t take any skill.”
Ace grins cheekily: “It doesn’t require Endurance?”
Robert laughs: “Yeah, exactly.”

The kids are shown arriving at the Flatlands, where JD stands behind a large table cloaked in a white tablecloth with a set of bleachers across from him.
JD gestures towards the bleachers: “Go on, guys, have a seat.”
The teams settle down and wait for JD to explain what they’re doing.
JD: “Welcome to the first-ever Endurance Auction, called: Endurance Auction. (some of the kids giggle at this) Underneath this table I have a collection of small canvasses, each of them decorated with a drawing or a symbol representative of an advantage, a disadvantage, or a game-changing twist. I won’t reveal for certain what anything is until after it’s already been sold, or until time has run out. Deciding whether or not to claim an item should be a team decision, as this is not an individual auction. Other players may not influence anyone’s decision until after an item has already been claimed; however, you will then have the option to go through with your claim, or you can withdraw it. You only have one withdraw, though, and then you’re out of the game. The team that goes the longest without taking any items or withdrawing a claim will automatically win the samadhi and the Discipline pyramid piece. (he briefly surveys the group, giving them a quick nod) Let’s get started.”
Most of the kids look hesitant, and Amy a little annoyed, but they all watch closely as JD retrieves the first canvas from underneath the table. Written on the parchment is simply ‘+1’.
A few of the teams chatter about what it could mean and if it’s worth the risk, until Jackson and Cassie are the first to reach a decision.
Jackson stands up: “We’ll take it.”
JD: “Orange team. Are you sure you want to claim this item? Now is your chance to withdraw.”
Cassie stands and whispers to Jackson, before the latter turns again to JD: “We’ll take it.”
JD lifts a small gavel and taps it on the table: “Alright. Come on up here, you guys.”
They hop down from the bleachers and take the parchment from JD.
JD: “What you just claimed……… is an advantage in the next Temple mission.”
Cassie: “Yesss!” (she and Jackson high five)
JD: “This advantage cannot be taken away from you by the samadhi, and its use will be explained before the mission. Go ahead and sit back down, and I’ll reveal the next drawing.”
Cassie & Jackson return to their seats as JD pulls out the next piece of parchment. This one has the three elements – fire, water, and wood – drawn across its surface.
From the back of the bleachers, Ace leans over and whispers to Kennedy: “Temple of Fate. One free round at the Temple. They did this before.”
Kennedy: “On the old show? Are you sure it’s the same thing?”
Ace nods reassuringly, so Kennedy stands up: “Okay, we’ll take this one.”
JD: “Gray team, you’ve staked your claim on this item; would you like to withdraw or go forward with your decision?”
Ace: “We’ll go forward with it.”
JD knocks his gavel on the table: “Done. Come on down, Gray team.”
They do so, accepting their prize with confidence.
JD: “You guys have just received a very rewarding prize; the next time your team is sent to the Temple of Fate, this entitles you to an automatic 1-round win. Which means you’ll go up there with 1 out of the 3 necessary rounds needed to win at Temple already under your belt. Congratulations, Gray.”
Ace & Kennedy smile widely and share a double high-five, excitedly making their way back to the bleachers as JD reveals the next drawing; this one shows four stick figures, two of which are connected by arrows on the top & bottom. Ace’s eyes widen and he cringes, recognizing the symbol from a past season.
The teams still left in the game chatter among themselves, unsure of its exact meaning, but feeling hesitant to snap it up. Suddenly…
Patrick raises his hand: “Sold.”
Erin immediately grabs his arm, giving him a horrified look.
JD: “Blue team. You are now claiming this item. You only have one chance to withdraw.. would you like to do that now?”
Erin leans in and whispers frantically to Patrick: “Why did you take this one??”
Patrick: “I don’t want to give out the samadhi!”
Erin is about to argue when she looks around at the other kids’ faces and sees Jackson holding his breath, and Ace watching her uncomfortably.
Erin slowly turns back to JD: “……Yeah, we’ll withdraw…”
The gavel meets the table again.
JD: “Alright then. (grins) Partner switch… (he tosses it aside) is officially out of this auction.”
As soon as this is announced, everyone’s jaws drop, and there are many ‘Ohhh!’s and sighs of relief.
JD: “Bad news is, Blue team; you’re officially out of the game and can no longer claim any more items, nor can you win the samadhi.”
They both nod.
JD: “Yellow, Red; –”
A close-up shot of the two teams, who are sitting next to each other.
V.O. JD: “– you two are the only teams left in this auction. Here’s your next item.”
The next piece of parchment to be revealed has a drawing of a man sitting down.
Serena makes a confused face and turns to discuss this with Leo; Amy, whose chin is tucked into her fist, simply turns to her partner and shakes her head ‘no’.
Robert chuckles a little and looks at the drawing again: “But I like sitting down…”
JD: “Okay. This item is gone, in 3.. 2.. 1.. (he hits the table with the gavel) That’s it. No one will be sitting out of the next Temple mission.”
Serena breathes a sigh of relief: “Oh, thank goodness.”
Leo playfully nudges his partner: “Told you it couldn’t be good.”
Amy and Robert exchange a proud smile.
JD: “Next up.” (he shows to the group a drawing of what looks like the Temple of Fate, only there is a minus (-) symbol in front of it.)
Robert, Amy and Leo squint at the drawing, though Serena doesn’t look convinced.
Robert: “That’s gotta be either really good or really bad. Could it be immunity from Temple…? Or something?”
Amy’s eyes light up at the idea of this, and she waits a few seconds to process it: “…Go for it. I don’t want the samadhi.”
Upon her word, Robert stands and lifts an arm: “Hey, uh, JD. We’d like to claim it.”
JD: “Are you sure? Withdraw now, or forever hold your peace.”
Robert: “Yeah, we’re sure.”
The gavel goes down once more: “Alright, come on up here with me.”
He beckons them down and they comply. Robert takes the piece of parchment from their host.
JD: “You guys just won… (an intense close up of the Red team, Amy nervously chewing at her nails) …immunity from being sent to the Temple of Fate! Valid for this round only.”
Amy bounces in excitement and squeezes Robert’s shoulder: “Good job!!”
The Orange and Blue teams, however, look less than thrilled with this development.
JD: “That means Yellow team, congratulations, the Discipline piece and the samadhi is yours! (camera shows Serena & Leo high-five) If you guys’ll come on up here, I’ll give you your prizes.”
They make their way down from the bleachers and come to a stop in front of JD’s auction table.
JD: “Here is the Discipline piece, (which he hands to Leo) and the samadhi (to Serena). You know the drill; you have the rest of the afternoon to decide who you’re going to handicap in the next challenge, but until then, I’m going to give you guys time to relax and take in the new changes this auction brought. I’ll be seeing you all later tonight at The Ledge. Have a good afternoon.”
There is an overhead shot of the kids filing off the bleachers and heading back towards the cabins.

The Yellow team is shown walking up to their pillar and adding the Discipline piece to their collection.
Serena steps back and surveys the new addition: “Does it make you nervous to be in the lead?”
Leo: “Nah. It makes me happy.”
Serena grins as they begin to trudge away: “It makes me happy, too.”

The camera follows Jackson as he joins Cassie, Patrick, Robert and Serena at the beach.
Jackson: “Hey, guys, does anyone have any idea what the Temple mission is going to be?”
A few shake their heads, and Patrick makes a confused face.
Patrick: “…No, of course we don’t. (he laughs a bit) How could we?”
Jackson grins a little, embarrassed: “Hey, I don’t know. Just trying to figure out our advantage.”
Int. Jackson: “So, we the Orange team – at the auction – won an advantage in the next mission which I am pumped about! Problem is… I have no idea what the mission is going to be, or what the advantage means.”
Camera goes back to the scene at the beach, where Cassie peels some windblown hair off her face and looks at her partner: “Why do you want to know so bad? We’re going to find out.”
Jackson: “I know we are! I’m just, like… impatient right now. (he chuckles a little bit) It’s a bad habit.”
Int. Jackson: “I just get… really, really curious about things? (he tilts his head to the side, making some choppy hand motions) And it’s hard to make my brain shut up about it?”
There’s a short collage of Jackson asking various questions; “Ooh, hey, what’s going on here?” “Is there like a… thing…?” “What kind of bird is that?” “What does that mean? Robert?” “Should I eat it?”
Int. Jackson: (grinning) “I don’t do it to be annoying, but I can’t really help it!”
Int. Serena: (she bends over a bit, her voice laced with humor) “I guess it’s a little annoying, but hey, he’s got a curious mind. (she shrugs and raises her eyebrows) & they say curious minds are the most creative. So there’s that.”

We now see the Red and Yellow teams sitting inside the cove at the beach just as Ace walks past.
Amy yells to him: “Hey, hey Ace!”
He stops in his tracks and turns his head to see who called, before going to stand in front of the cove’s entrance: “Yeah?”
Amy: “So we were just talking about who to give the samadhi to…”
Ace: “…Okay…”
Shot changes to focus on Leo: “We’re going to give it to Blue.”
Ace looks a bit uncomfortable, but he nods carefully, putting on a conceding face: “Okay.. what, do you want my input?”
Leo nods, squinting up at Ace against the brightening sun: “Yeah, we were hoping you could give us your opinion.”
Ace shoves his hands in the back pockets of his shorts: “Yeah, I mean, that sounds reasonable. They’re the strongest team besides you guys, so. It makes sense to give it to them.”
Serena: “And you’re okay with that? I know you guys are close, so we wanted to make sure you were.. okay with it.”
Ace draws his lips together and nods reassuringly.
Conf. Ace: “Of course I don’t want Blue to get the samadhi. But… I knew that if me or Kennedy let them know that, then they wouldn’t trust us anymore. (cut) I told Erin what they were planning, so now it’s up to her to get them out of it. If she’s able to.”

Erin is shown approaching Serena outside of the huts.
Erin: “Hey… Serena, are you thinking of giving the samadhi to me and Patrick? Please be honest with me. I want to prepare myself.”
Serena hesitates: “Uhhh, we still don’t know. We’re not sure yet. I know Amy wants to give it to you, but I mean… that’s no surprise.”
Erin pauses, a look of confusion coming onto her face: “No surprise? Why is that no surprise?”
The shot switches to a different camera, one that’s far away from the girls so they look like mere silhouettes.
Serena: “Because she wants to get rid of you… she’s wanted you gone since the first day, I thought you knew that.”
Suddenly and without warning, Erin turns to leave in search of Amy. When the camera rejoins her she is walking up to Amy on the beach: “Hey!”
The shot changes and the two are now standing face to face.
Erin: (aggressively) “You’ve been targeting me? For the entire game?”
Amy’s eyebrows come together, slightly peeved at the confrontation: “Where is this coming from?”
Erin: “SERENA JUST TOLD ME YOU WANT ME OUT! And now you’re trying to get them to give me the samadhi!”
Amy: “Well if I wasn’t, I’m certainly going to NOW!”
From farther on down the beach, Robert and Leo stop what they’re doing when they hear yelling coming from behind. They lean around each other to see what’s happening…
Erin: “Amy, I’ve been SO NICE to you this WHOLE TIME. I thought we were friends! I don’t know what I did to make you hate me!!”
Amy: “I never said that I hate you!! I’M JUST TRYING TO PLAY THE GAME!”
Robert comes up and lays a hand on Amy’s shoulder: “Whoa, hey, calm down.”
Amy remains unfazed: “I don’t know WHY you’re so upset! It’s not like I was even in alliance with you!”
Erin: “IT DOESN’T MATTER! Everything bad that happens to us – to Blue, even if it’s announced by someone else, I’ll know from now on that it was caused by YOU! By YOU, AMY!”
Amy: “THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!”
They start yelling over each other as the boys try (and fail) to intervene.
Conf. Amy: “Okay, I have nooo idea what Erin’s problem was today? We’ve been on fine terms throughout the entire game – but the thing is, SHE’S the one who’s been targeting ME since the beginning and look. (she points to her eye) You don’t see me crying about it! (cut) If we were already enemies in this game, then Erin had better watch out, because she just made things a whoole lot worse.”

The 5 remaining teams are shown trekking across fields, down the rock staircase on the North East side of the mountain, and finally taking a seat on their team-designated benches at The Ledge.
JD greets them all: “Welcome back to The Ledge. Now before I let the Yellow team hand out the samadhi, I wanted to talk a little bit about what’s been going on since we last met. (he turns to Erin, who looks like she was already expecting the question to go to her) Erin. I heard you, uh – had some trouble with some of your fellow contestants.”
Erin lets out a heavy breath: “Yeah. Ahh… Amy, mostly.”
Camera flips over to Amy, who looks deeply unimpressed.
V.O. JD: “And why is that? What did Amy do?”
Shot switches back to Erin: “Well, I found out that she’s been trying to eliminate me pretty much since the start of the game, so… I guess I didn’t take that very well.”
JD: “Amy, why has she – can you explain, calmly, why you’ve been targeting Erin?”
Amy: “It’s not that I’ve been targeting Erin, I’ve been targeting the Blue team. As a whole. Because they’re a threat to my game.”
Patrick brings a hand to his chest in silly, faux offense while Erin rolls her eyes a little, tucking her hair back.
JD’s eyebrows go up: “So you’re being really candid about this.”
Amy shrugs, nodding: “Yeah. Why not?”
Ace casts an amused side-glance to Kennedy, who returns it and props her chin in her hand.
JD: “Okay, so, Patrick; where do you fit into all this? Do you have an opinion on what’s been going on, or has it pretty much just been your partner getting involved?”
Patrick shrugs: “I mean, it’s really kinda just been Erin butting heads with Amy. (camera shows Erin watching Patrick intensely as he talks) Like, yeah I’m mad, too. I’m mad that Amy’s targeting us. But… as far as I’m concerned, I’d expected that a long time ago. So… I wasn’t shocked when I found out, at all.”
JD: “Huh. Well, a lot of what Endurance is about is keeping your head held high and powering through, no matter what’s thrown your way. A lot of it is also showing an inner strength of character, by treating each other with kindness; and a little apology can go a long way. (he nods his head, finally turning his attention to the Yellow team) Now. Yellow –”
The camera changes to show Serena & Leo; Serena is anxiously moving her knees from side-to-side.
JD: “– regardless of everything your friends have just said, who to give the samadhi to is ultimately your decision. Who is it gonna be?”
Serena passes the samadhi to her teammate, who stands up in preparation to give it away.
Leo: “We’ve chosen to give it to……… the Blue team.”
Erin and Patrick share an unsurprised look.
JD: “Blue team. Come on up.”
Patrick takes the samadhi from Leo, but a tiny grin slides onto his face as he and Erin make their way to where JD is standing.
Patrick hands it to her: “I know you wanna.”
Erin smiles and accepts the samadhi, coming to a stop next to the host with her partner in tow.
JD points to the rock in front of them, but before he can speak Erin winds her arm back and hurls the samadhi forward at full speed, causing the pot to shatter into a million pieces against the rock.
Some of the teens are startled and leaning away from where it was smashed: “Whooaa! Wow, Erin!” etc.
Both Blue team members chuckle lightly and Erin goes to pick up the paper that fell out, displaying it to the group. Written on it is simply ‘-1’.
JD: “That’s minus one. This will have a negative effect on your chances in tomorrow’s game, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for you to win. Now; I would recommend going back to your cabins and getting some rest tonight, because tomorrow’s challenge may take a lot out of some of you. Goodnight.”
As JD leaves, the teams get up from their benches and start towards the staircase, ready to leave the day behind them.
V.O. Erin: “I hope that Amy doesn’t seriously believe she can get rid of me so easily. I have strong ties with the other teams, and I know they have my back; so I’m not going to let her stand in the way of my performance in this game. The Blue team is making it to the top.”
V.O. Kennedy: “The big blowout between Amy and Erin is so unexpected! I definitely hope they’re able to settle it soon, because otherwise things could get really bad – not only for the Gray team, but for the entire group in general. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens next.”
The final shot is a birds-eye view of the teams in the field, trudging their way back to the cabins.

---

"Next time on Endurance! -"
"Another Temple mission is on the way..."
The boys are all lined up on platforms over the water.
Ace calls out: "Kennedy! Get Blue!"
Kennedy: "What? Why?"
"Amy and Erin try to diffuse their animosity..."
Erin is on the beach: "I mean, yeah, I probably said some things that were out of line..."
Interview of Amy: "It feels like we’re just pretending to be more okay than we actually are."
"And yet another elimination is underway at the Temple of Fate. Who will go home, and which four teams will move on in the battle to become Endurance champs?"
An overhead of the Temple of Fate is shown, followed by a series of promotional shots of the 5 remaining teams.

---

The Red Team - Robert & Amy - Commitment
The Orange Team - Jackson & Cassie - Heart, Courage
The Yellow Team - Leo & Serena - Strength, Ingenuity, Discipline
The Blue Team - Patrick & Erin - Trust, Teamwork
The Gray Team - Ace & Kennedy - Leadership, Perseverance
The Green Team - Chris & Anna
The Purple Team - Logan & Lydia

[kwdrewfan]

So at this stage I'm curious... if you were to rank the teams that are left from your favorite to least favorite, what would that look like? And are there any individual characters that stand out to you in any way? Don't feel obligated to answer these questions, I was just genuinely curious & always enjoy seeing feedback from different perspectives

[Cruise meerkat Youssy]

OMGGGG @ THE FIGHT, I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT

Amy is my favorite just cause she's such an instigator, lol. She reminds me of a better version of Sabrina. And I loooove Ace he's so sweet! And Serena too. And Jackson's questions were so funny!

To rank the teams I'd say...

1. Gray: Ace is such a gentleman PLUS the fact that he's a superfan and Kennedy is quiet but sweet
2. Orange: They play lowkey but for some reason I love them both
3. Yellow: I loved Serena since day one! And she and Leo are so supportive of each other
4. Blue: I also love Patrick and Erin at least is spicing things up with the drama
5. Red: I know I said Amy's my favorite but as a team I'm just not rooting for Red... I really don't know Robert that well either

[kwdrewfan]

Not sure if I'll be able to post a chapter today, but we'll see if I have time this afternoon. If not, it will definitely be up tomorrow!

[kwdrewfan]

Varying shots of the beach, sunrise and wildlife are shown at the start of the episode.
Conf. Robert: “So, the next Temple mission is today… but I don’t think anybody’s really been thinking about it because of all the drama at camp. –”
B&W flashback shows Erin and Amy arguing at the beach… “SERENA JUST TOLD ME YOU WANT ME OUT! And now you’re trying to get them to give me the samadhi!” “Well if I wasn’t, I’m certainly going to NOW!”
Conf. Robert: “– It’s weird, it’s been quiet all day. No one really talks about it but I think it’s.. kinda been weighing on everyone’s minds. Especially Amy and Erin.”
Scene shows Robert, Ace, Cassie and Leo playing a card game by the cabins. In the distance, they notice Amy walk up to Erin on a bench…
Leo: (pointing) “Hey, hey is that –”
They all look up and stop what they’re doing to try and get a better view. Shortly thereafter, Erin nods slowly, puts down her book, and the two of them start walking off together.
Cassie turns back to the boys: “I wonder where they’re going…?”
Ace: “I wonder what they’re saying.”
There’s a pause before Robert begins dealing out cards again: “I hope apologizing.”
The camera changes to Erin and Amy walking on the beach.
V.O. Amy: “Today I got tired of waiting on an apology from Erin, so I went ahead and was the ‘bigger person’ and decided to say sorry first.”
Amy is now standing in front of Erin, who rubs at her upper arm.
Amy’s voice is slow and calculated: “Listen. I wanted to say sorry if I… did anything that made you feel upset; that wasn’t my intention, and I don’t want there to be any more animosity between us.”
Erin, whose eyes are trained on the sand, finally lifts her head and nods: “I don't, either. Thanks for apologizing. I was going to do that myself but I wasn’t sure what to say.”
Amy raises her eyebrows, but melts into an agreeable smile with a nod of her head.
Int. Amy: “You ‘couldn’t figure out what to say’? How about ‘I astronomically overreacted to something that is just a part of the game’? I can figure out what to say for you! It shouldn’t be that hard!”
Erin: “I mean, yeah, I probably said some things that were a bit out of line too.”
Amy: “…So is this over now?”
Erin smiles slightly and nods: “Yeah. It’s over.”
Int. Amy: “She didn’t really apologize to me, but. I guess we’re okay now. Or we should be. I’m okay, at least. Although it feels like we’re just pretending to be more okay than we actually are.”
Int. Erin: “I seriously did intend to apologize first, but Amy beat me to it. I was glad, though, because we really don’t need all that extra noise. –”
Slo-mo shot of Erin pulling her hair into a messy bun in the girls’ cabin, then of her and Patrick walking down the boardwalk together.
V.O. Erin: “– Now I can actually get back to working with my partner and figuring out a way for us to Endure, and.. well, win!”

The camera pans to show a series of team-colored platforms out over a large lake of water, then lands on JD. He greets the teams as they come to a stop in front of him.
JD: “Are you guys ready for today’s mission?”
A chorus of “yeah!”s ring out from the kids.
JD: “It’s called Hit and Hang, and here’s how it works; you’ll send one person out to stand on your team-colored platform over the lake, while the other stays here. See those little targets to the left of each platform? (he points) Those of you on who are on the ground will be trying to take out other teams by aiming your colored balls at their targets. 3 hits to one target will make your platform fall out from under you, and your only hope after that is to hang on to the bar above your head until everyone else drops. (camera switches back to JD) Orange team, because you got an advantage in this challenge from the Endurance Auction, your target requires 4 hits instead of just 3 to make your platform drop. And Blue team, your samadhi means your target needs only be hit twice. The winner of this Temple mission will receive not only the power to send two teams to the Temple of Fate, but also, the Friendship pyramid piece. (Serena raises her eyebrows in surprise) …Everyone get into position.”
They do so. Every team except for Orange has the girls aiming for targets, and the boys out on the platforms.
JD: “Is everybody ready?”
Some kids nod, others flash a thumbs-up.
JD: “Alright. On your mark… get set… GO!”
The aimers take off toward their ball bins, most grabbing two at a time, and almost everyone starts going after Yellow.
Leo grabs onto the bar above his head: “Wow! Rude!”
JD: “It looks like everyone wants Yellow out of this game – oh! Kennedy just put a hit on their target!”
Leo shakes his head: “Why?!”
Jackson starts going after Red, and Serena & Amy target Orange. Erin soon joins the latter.
JD: “It looks like a lot of the teams have switched and are now going after Orange!”
Erin: “It’s only because you have an advantage!!”
A bit of time passes…
Team Standings – Yellow: 1/3 Blue: 0/2 Gray: 1/3 Red: 1/3 Orange: 3/4
Ace: “Kennedy! Get Blue!”
She stops for a second, confused: “What? Why?”
Ace: “They don’t have any hits yet!”
Patrick: “Uhh, yeah we do! Don’t listen to him!”
Kennedy goes for Blue. Jackson & Erin target Yellow again, while Serena & Amy continue going after Orange.
Cassie: “Oh no.. oh no oh no oh no.. God! Aahh!”
Cassie grabs hold of the bar above her head just in time before her platform drops out.
JD: “Orange is the first team to lose their platform! Can Cassie hold on to her bar long enough to win?”
Cassie mutters: “Probably not…”
Time Elapsed: 7 mins 31 secs… 32… 33…
Team Standings – Yellow: 2/3 Blue: 1/2 Gray: 1/3 Red: 2/3 Orange: 4/4
In the midst of Kennedy’s attempts to make the Blue platform drop, Amy runs over and hurls a ball at their target… WHAM!
Patrick lets out a yelp and misses the bar above his head, consequently falling into the ocean below.
JD: “Ohhh, that’s it. Blue team is out of this challenge.”
He resurfaces with a frustrated smack to the water, and Erin shoots a sharp glare over at Amy before sitting down next to JD.
JD: “Only four teams are left. Who is going to win the – (he gets interrupted by a loud scream from Cassie, who loses her grip on her bar) Oh no! Cassie just fell; now it is down to 3!”
Jackson claps for his partner: “Good job, Cassie! You’re still a beast!”
JD: “We’re down to (the boys are shown standing on the platforms as their team color is mentioned) Yellow… Gray… and Red. Which team will be able to outlast the others and win?”
Leo looks past Ace to see Robert: “You guys are already immune from Temple. You don’t need to win!”
Suddenly, Kennedy hits the Red team’s target right on the nose. Robert just barely manages to grab onto his bar before the platform below his feet drops out.
JD: “And just like that, Robert manages to hold on, keeping the Red team in this game!”
Amy hits the Gray target before turning to Robert: “Yess! Keep holding on!”
Team Standings – Yellow: 2/3 Gray: 2/3 Red: 3/3
JD: “This challenge has been going on for over 10 minutes now. Gray and Yellow are looking good, and Robert is left trying to hold on.”
WHAM!
Kennedy hits the Yellow target, causing Leo’s platform to drop.
Leo: “Ohh crapsack!” (he manages to grab onto the bar with only one hand)
Serena: “Oh my gosh, LEO!”
JD: “Woow! A remarkable recovery from Leo, grabbing onto their bar with one hand only! This is going to be a tough race!!”
Leo’s other hand finally finds the bar, and right as Ace reaches up to hold onto his own… WHAM! Amy hits his target and releases the platform.
Ace laughs a little: “Great timing!”
JD: “Girls, come take a seat with me – all 3 boys are now hanging on for their life in this challenge.”
Leo turns towards Ace and Robert again: “Listen; whichever of us wins, you guys are both safe from Temple tonight. I’m not!”
Robert laughs awkwardly: “Yes, you are! –”
Leo: “No, not really!”
Robert: “– Blue and Orange are going to Temple!”
Ace doesn’t say anything, but scrunches up his face when the other two aren’t looking.
Leo doesn’t notice his fingers starting to slip: “But I don’t wanna risk it!”
Robert: “You really think I would send you?”
Serena: “LEO!”
Leo: “No! But I –”
He gets cut off as he loses his grip and falls into the ocean. Ace’s mouth forms into a perfect ‘O’.
JD: “Ohhh my gosh. That’s it, Leo’s out. The Yellow team will not be getting their fourth win in a row.”
Leo makes his way up to shore, looking extremely unhappy with himself.
JD: “We’re down to Gray and Red. Gray has won once before, and Red, while touted as a strong team, has yet to win a single mission on their own. Can Robert finally do it for them now?”
Amy: “GO ROBERT! You’ve got this!”
Time Elapsed: 24 mins 37 secs… 38… 39…
JD: “We’re coming up on 25 minutes since this mission started. You guys must really want it.”
Ace now has his eyes closed, but he briefly peeks one open to see how Robert is doing. Robert stares straight ahead, breathing heavily in perfect rhythm, virtually unmoving.
That is, until he looks up to get a better grip with his right hand………… SPLASH!
Robert falls.
Kennedy jumps up and screeches!
JD: “Ohh, Gray team! Wins the mission, the Friendship piece, AND the power to send two teams to the Temple of Fate!”
We skip forward a bit to when Ace and Kennedy are standing together next to JD. Ace is wrapped in a towel, holding the Friendship pyramid piece.
JD: “Gray team, congratulations on your second mission win. It must feel good, right?”
Ace nods wholeheartedly: “Oh yeah!”
JD: “But now you have to pick two teams over there (he points) to send to the Temple of Fate at sunset, where one will return to the game, and one will go home. Keep in mind the Red team has immunity from the Temple for this round, so you cannot send them up. Otherwise, the decision is yours. I’ll see you later this afternoon to hear it.”
JD lightly squeezes Kennedy’s shoulder and jogs away, leaving the kids to talk about the mission and what’s to come.

Ace and Kennedy are shown patting their new pyramid piece into place on their pillar.
Int. Ace: “So now we’re in a tie for first place with the Yellow team.. we both have 3 pieces each. It makes me excited, but also a little nervous just because… I don’t want to become a target. –”
Camera shows Ace & Kennedy looking at their pole before Ace reaches out for a low-five.
V.O. Ace: “– I think we’ve done pretty well in not being a target for this long, but (shot changes to the Gray team walking away from the piece poles) I’m especially worried about this round, since we have to send two people up to Temple again.”

Kennedy is shown talking with Cassie and Erin at the back of the cabins. The three of them are sitting criss-cross in a small circle, and Kennedy won’t look up from where she’s playing with the bandana around her wrist.
Kennedy: “So… as you guys know… we have to send one of you to Temple tonight because Red is immune and everything… and I don’t want y’all to, like, not be my friends anymore or something…”
Cassie: “Of course I’ll still be your friend! This decision isn’t your fault.”
Erin shakes her head: “Do you know who you’re sending yet?”
Kennedy: “No. I mean Yellow, obviously, but we don’t know out of you two.”
V.O. Kennedy: “It’s hard to send some of my closest friends up to the Temple tonight; that’s something I never wanted to have to do going into this game –”
Int. Kennedy: “– and on top of that, now we have to somehow convince Red that sending Yellow up is actually the smartest move to make. Well… we have to convince Amy. That will be the hard part.”
Camera follows the Gray team as they approach Amy and Robert, who are stretched out in the sand, watching the tides roll in.
The shot changes and Ace is now crouching next to Amy, while Kennedy sits by her partner with her legs crossed.
Ace: “Listen. We have an idea that you guys aren’t going to like.”
Amy stares at him pointedly for a minute: “What is it?”
Another long pause.
Ace: “…We want to send Yellow up to Temple.”
There is a noticeable annoyance in Amy’s voice: “Oh my God, why?”
Ace: “Because, listen. Sending Orange is pointless. (camera closes in on Amy’s face) If we send up Orange and Blue, and Orange goes home, we haven’t accomplished anything. But if we send up two strong teams, we’ll be getting rid of our competition no matter what.”
Amy shakes her head and lays back on the sand: “Nope. If Yellow wins, they won’t send us. It’s stupid to send them to Temple.”
Kennedy: “But Amy, you haven’t even won anything yet! You haven’t proven anything! Would you really rather make it to the finals having ridden on Yellow team’s back the entire time?”
Amy keeps her eyes closed, but doesn’t say anything.
After a moment, Robert looks up at Ace: “…We’ll talk about it.”
Ace stands up and wipes his hands of any sand: “Alright. Thanks, man.”
Int. Ace: “I’m literally terrified right now. If we can’t get Red and Yellow to understand why we’d send up the Yellow team to Temple, then… I guess we’ll just have to stick with it anyway and pray that Blue comes back.”

JD meets the kids at the cabins’ front porch, where the Gray team stands beside him.
JD: “Alright. Gray team, you won the last Temple mission, which means it’s time for you to announce the two teams you’re sending up to Temple. Red has immunity, so they are exempt from being chosen for this round only. Which two teams have you decided on?”
Ace takes a deep breath: “We’re really sorry, you guys. This was the hardest decision yet, but we’re getting towards the end, and we’ve got to start thinking about our own game.”
Kennedy: “We’re sending………………… Yellow…”
Ace: “…and Blue.”
Erin hangs her head in her hands, and Leo looks more surprised than anybody.
JD: “Blue team. Yellow team. You four will be meeting me in just a few hours at the Temple of Fate, where only two of you will get to return to the game. Pack your things, say goodbye to your friends, and I’ll see you at sunset.”
Some of the teens hug as JD leaves the scene and the camera zooms out.

Leo and Patrick are talking while they pack.
Leo: “Did you have any idea they were sending us?”
Patrick pauses, not really wanting to answer the question: “Uhhh, yeah. Everyone knew.”
Leo: “I didn’t!! (he zips up his pack and slings it over his shoulder) I can’t believe it. No one told me.”
In the girls’ hut, Amy waits for Serena to finish fiddling with her bag’s zipper before giving her a hug.
Amy: “Please come back. Please, please come back.”
Serena: “I knoow, I’m going to try.”
Amy: “Please! You’re my best friend here!”
Erin quietly picks up her bag in the corner and slips outside to join the others, where she hugs and says goodbye to her friends, especially Cassie and Kennedy.
The kids’ interviews are played in between shots of them making the trip to Temple.
V.O. Leo: “The Gray team just sent us to the Temple for the second time. Honestly, I’m reeling. But uh – all it really means is that we have to come back. And then hopefully we'll start winning more challenges so this will never happen again.”
V.O. Patrick: “It’s tough to be angry cause, I mean, the Gray team had to send either us or Orange, and we’re the bigger threat. I’m not happy about it, but I’m going to try my hardest to come back.”
V.O. Erin: “I’m sad. I’m so, so sad to be going to Temple, especially having been sent by the Gray team, because I don’t want to leave in 5th place. Patrick and I are a good team, and it would just be a shame if we don’t make it back tonight.”
V.O. Serena: “I really thought that Gray was going to send up Blue and Orange, but in a way it doesn’t surprise me that they didn’t. I just hope that Leo & I can conquer the Temple once again and become Endurance champions!”
The two teams arrive at the Temple and pick a side, where they drop their packs and place their pieces behind them.
JD: “Welcome… to the Temple of Fate. Yellow team, (camera shows a nervous-looking Serena & Leo) you’ve been here before. Good luck to you guys. And Blue, good luck to you, as well. In front of you are three cauldrons; one contains water, one contains fire, and the other contains wood. You’ll each pick up a rock and write down one of these three elements, and then you’ll hand your rock to me to toss into the burning kettle. Your choices will be revealed, one team will win the round, and we’ll play to best 2 out of 3. Remember: water puts out the fire, fire burns the wood, and wood floats on water. (JD nods to the two teams) Go ahead and pick up your first rock.”
They both obey and turn their backs on the other team.
Erin looks up at Patrick: “Should we do fire?”
Patrick: “Fire… that’s actually what I was thinking. Yeah. Write it down.”
On the other side of the Temple..
Leo: “Last time we were here Purple went with water first. Should we stick with wood?”
Serena bites her lower lip: “…I don’t know.”
JD: “Alright, Blue team. (he takes their rock) Yellow. (Serena nervously hands it in and rejoins Leo, linking their pinky fingers together) I will now toss your selections into the burning kettle in front of me. (he does so, and stands back to give a sweeping glance around the Temple) Will the dominant element please rise now?”
…………………………………
Blue: Fire
Yellow: Wood
Leo sighs and looks up at the sky, while Erin and Patrick give each other a double high-five.
JD: “Blue team! You picked fire, Yellow picked wood; fire burns the wood. That’s one win for you guys. You only need one more to stay in the game. Go ahead and grab your next rock.”
The camera joins Yellow first this time as Serena yanks the cap off of their marker.
Serena: “Okay, I think we should do wood again.”
Leo briefly looks back at the other team: “Are you sure?”
Serena nods and begins to write it down…
Patrick whispers to Erin: “What are you thinking we should choose?”
His teammate is silent for a minute, before finally starting to speak: “I think… we should do…”
JD: “Thanks, Yellow team. Blue. (he takes both of their rocks and tosses them into the kettle once again) Which one of you has chosen the dominant element? Let’s find out now.”
………………
Blue: Water
Yellow: Wood
Serena gasps, using both hands to cover her mouth: “Yesss!”
JD: “Yellow team chose wood, Blue team chose water; wood floats on water, and with that, we’re all tied up. Only one more round to go; whoever wins this next one will be returning to the game. Grab what may very well be your last rock.”
Leo: “Oh my God, okay. We did it. This is the important one.”
The camera angle changes a bit, and Serena glances up at Leo with uncertainty: “…Fire?”
Across the way, Erin leans her head into Patrick’s shoulder and stares blankly at the rock in her hand.
Erin: “I don’t know what to do. Do you know?”
Patrick wiggles the marker between his fingers: “…Yeah. Yeah, I have an idea…” (he whispers to Erin, who nods and motions for him to write it down)
JD: “Alright, you guys. (he takes both rocks and throws them into the fire, backing up to look around at the two teams one more time) This is it. Good luck to the both of you, you’ve all four played a fantastic game.”
Erin squeezes Patrick’s arm, and Serena gives a soft smile as Leo watches the cauldron with intense eyes.
JD: “Who has… the dominant element?”
The hesitation this time seems marginally longer…
Blue: Water
Yellow: Fire
Patrick puts his hands on top of his head in utter shock: “Whoaa!!”
Leo tosses their marker to the ground and wraps an arm around Serena’s shoulders.
JD: “Blue team chose water, Yellow team chose fire.. water puts out the fire. That means Blue team; congratulations, you’re still in the game! (he turns to the Yellow team) Yellow… you guys were the first team put together, the first sent to Temple, and yet you still managed to dominate so much of the game up until this point. This is, truly, a surprising elimination. But you should both feel very proud of everything you have accomplished, and the friends you’ve made here are surely going to miss you. Go ahead and grab your things.”
Serena and Leo grab their bags & pieces before heading over to the fiery kettle.
Erin calls out: “I’ll miss you, Serena!!”
3, 2, 1… The Yellow Team disappears behind the flames.
JD turns back to Blue: “Congratulations, Blue team, you’re still in it! (they both grin widely and nod) You just defeated who was arguably the strongest team of the season, and I’m sure there are lots of people back at camp who can’t wait to see you. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
Patrick: “Thanks, JD!”
They grab their things and go to exit the Temple…

Back at camp, the three other teams sit on the edge of the porch with eager eyes, waiting to see which of their friends would be returning through the forest.
As soon as Erin & Patrick run into view, they yell up to the others: “IT’S BLUUUEE!”
Gray and Orange immediately stand up and cheer! Amy is the only one who appears less than thrilled, but her face looks more in disbelief than anything.
Everyone hugs the Blue team before slowly starting to head in for the night, wondering what the next round of gameplay would bring without the Yellow team.

---

"Next time on Endurance! -"
"The contestants will compete in another returning mission..."
An overhead shot of the teams working on a large triangular puzzle.
"The Gray team's wavering loyalties come to light..."
Amy sits with her partner in the cove by the beach, chewing on her lip: “I told them. ...About our alliance with Gray.”
Robert’s eyes widen: “Why? Why did you do that?”
"And a different type of samadhi changes up the pace of the game."
JD: "There's one thing that I forgot to tell you guys about this samadhi. This isn't like all the other samadhis."
A few players' jaws drop at this announcement.

---

The Red Team - Robert & Amy - Commitment
The Orange Team - Jackson & Cassie - Heart, Courage
The Blue Team - Patrick & Erin - Trust, Teamwork
The Gray Team - Ace & Kennedy - Leadership, Perseverance, Friendship
The Yellow Team - Leo & Serena - Strength, Ingenuity, Discipline
The Green Team - Chris & Anna
The Purple Team - Logan & Lydia

[amplify26]

Wow, just wow. As I read Yellow's elimination, I was actually pretty shocked. I wanted them to win the whole thing!

On the other hand, I could understand Gray's logic on sending them, even though a part of them suggests they shouldn't have done that to their alliance. Then again, we did see some alliances uncovered in the previous episode...

All in all, go Gray!

[Cruise meerkat Youssy]

AMY IS SO SNARKY I LOVE HER
This mission is great! It's like a mix of previous missions and OMG AT THE PIECE IN A TEMPLE MISSION

I'm surprised Yellow went home so early. They were strong but SUCH a target because everyone perceived them as strong (perhaps they were a little overrated?). I'm still rooting for Gray and Orange (although I'm afraid Orange's time may be up soon if they don't prove they can win). I wouldn't mind seeing Blue go next, but I can see them having potential to make it to the top 3.

[kwdrewfan]

JD approaches the cabins with the Yellow team’s pieces tucked under his arm, note in hand.
JD: “Knock, knock.”
The kids all come join him outside on the porch.
JD: “So you all know that the Yellow team was eliminated last night; and I don’t know about you guys, but I was shocked. They were the frontrunners in this competition for so long, and to see them get eliminated (he snaps) just like that… it really puts things in a new perspective. (he looks around at the group and holds the letter out to the Red team) Amy. Since I know you’re the most upset about Yellow leaving, why don’t you read out their letter for us?”
Amy smiles sadly and unrolls the parchment:
“Hey everyone, three cheers for the final four! We’re crushed that we didn’t make it to where you are but we’re happy for each and every one of you. Blue; Erin you have such a lovely heart, and Patrick is one of the funniest guys we know. Orange; you guys are the underdog team! Go you! Gray; we’re a little surprised that you would send us up not only once, but twice. Not cool. –”
Camera shows the Gray team share a conflicted look with each other.
“– And Red; you guys were of course our closest friends while we were out there. That is why all 3 of our pieces are going to you. Take care of them and make it to the top for us. See you all soon!
Love, the Yellow Team
(Serena & Leo)”
JD: “Alright. There you have it. Red team; Yellow’s three pieces are all yours, which puts you guys in the lead with a total of four pyramid pieces. (he hands them the pieces) Go ahead and hang them up over there.”
Amy and Robert gladly take their reward up to the red pillar; Robert hangs the Strength and Discipline pieces while Amy crouches to add Ingenuity. They smile and head back to their seats.
JD: “Well guys, today you’re going to be playing in another mission from the old show; this one is from Endurance: Hawaii. It will require a lot of communication and brain power, so take the afternoon to get prepared for your next challenge. I’ll see you all later in the Flatlands.”
Cassie: “Thanks JD.”
The teens stand up and begin heading off in different directions.

The Red team is shown sitting together on a bench; Amy dips her head onto Robert’s shoulder.
Amy: “I’m so upset Yellow went hooome.”
Robert chuckles sadly: “I know you are. I am, too.”
Amy sighs, and when she speaks again her voice sounds tired and slow: “I miss my frienddd.”
Int. Amy: “Yeah, I really miss the Yellow team! I miss Serena. She was my best friend out here, and now I’m not really all that close with anyone except my partner. –”
Amy stands up from the bench and extends her hand to Robert: “Come on. Let’s go find the others.”
Int. Amy: “– Buut, on the bright side; maybe now with Yellow gone, Robert and I will actually be able to win something?” (she gives an exaggerated, hopeful shrug)
Int. Robert: “I’m really sad about the Yellow team leaving, I mean.. everyone knows Amy and Serena were best friends, but Leo was my closest friend out here, too. –”
Camera shows Robert & Amy walking away from the benches and towards the cabins.
V.O. Robert: “– But hey, I’m hopeful that maybe now we can take over the competition and win. For Yellow.”

Patrick and Jackson are standing by the water dispenser; Patrick’s eyes are fixed on the piece poles while Jackson pours a cup of water.
Patrick: “I don’t like it.”
Jackson: “Hmm?” (Patrick directs his gaze to the poles)
Patrick: “I don’t like Red being in the lead.”
Int. Patrick: “Since the Yellow team left behind their pieces to Red, Red is in the lead now with 4, uh – 4 pyramid pieces. And that displeases me greatly.”
Jackson: “Well, the natural balance of things says they probably won’t keep it for long. So I’m not worried about it.”
Patrick: (shaking his head) “I don’t care. We need to catch up.. & we need to catch up now.”
Conf. Jackson: “I mean, hey Patrick, I totally agree. It would be nice for any team other than Red to be in the lead. But that’s why I’m more determined than ever to win this next mission, especially since my team is the only team that still hasn’t won anything yet. (he leans forward, squinting his eyes seriously) So it is absolutely crucial that we win the Endurance mission today!”
Camera shows Jackson find Cassie standing in the shallow part of the ocean, where he joins her.
Jackson twists at a piece of twine in his fingers: “Do you feel good about today?”
Cassie: “Oh, yeah. I feel awesome.”
Jackson: “You do? (she nods and sticks her hands in her pockets) Good. So do I. Let’s do this thing.”
Cassie looks over at him and grins before walking away from the water’s edge.

The final 4 teams meet JD in the Flatlands, where there is a triangular puzzle on the grass for each of them. Jackson’s eyes light up when he sees that it’s a puzzle mission, and he goes for a subtle low-five with his partner as all the contestants come to a stop.
JD: “Welcome to your 4th Endurance mission; Try Tri Again. This is a game that was last played 12 years ago on Endurance: Hawaii. If you’ll see each team has a large triangular platform, along with a series of smaller triangular puzzle pieces. On these pieces there are fragments of many different colored dots along the edges. Your goal is to place all of the pieces so that every dot is lined up perfectly and matches in color. The puzzle will only fit one way. First team to figure out what way that is will win the Knowledge pyramid piece, and the samadhi. Think you can handle it?”
Group: “Yeah!”
JD: “Then let’s get started.”
The teams get in position to compete just before JD announces: “Alright, on your mark… get set… GO!”
And they’re off; everyone runs to pick up their pieces & begin figuring out the puzzle.
Cassie drops a piece onto the Orange team’s platform: “Oh my gosh, these are heavy.”
JD: “It looks like everyone’s off to a good start… I don’t see any one team with an obvious lead yet.”
Amy: “Look, there there – put that one.. here.” (she pats an edge piece into place)
Erin and Patrick lay a few pieces next to each other on the ground, looking at them comparatively.
Patrick then points at a place on their platform: “That one’s got a blue dot, and then yellow…”
Erin: “Yep. You’re right.” (she picks one of the pieces up and places it in the top part of the triangle)
Ace looks at a piece for a moment before sliding it into the bottom left corner.
Ace: “No, that one’s not right.”
Kennedy: “Really? I thought it would be…”
JD: “Keep going, guys, you’re all doing a good job so far.”
A bit of a time jump…
Time Elapsed: 4 mins 44 secs… 45… 46…
JD: “You’ve been going for almost five minutes. It looks like Orange and Gray may have taken a slight lead over Red and Blue…”
An overhead shot reveals that the Orange team only has one empty space on their board, Gray has two, and the other teams have about 4/5 each.
Jackson goes to put the last piece in, but two of the dots don’t match. He immediately picks it back up and Cassie starts to rearrange the surrounding pieces.
Jackson: “Yeah, we’ve got to move stuff. Come on.”
Meanwhile…
Kennedy points to two pieces along the right edge: “Here, switch. Switch those and I’ll put this one here.” (she grabs another piece as Ace does what she said)
Amy drops one of Red’s pieces on the board in frustration: “Ugh!”
Robert: “Don’t give up, Amy. We can do it. We’ve just gotta keep… movin’ things aroound…” (he bends over and removes two pieces)
Erin stands looking at their puzzle with her hands on her hips, while Patrick places their last piece, seeing that it’s incorrect, and walks around the side of it.
Erin: “I think… what if we just… (she sighs and runs to tear the puzzle apart) Okay, let’s just start over.”
JD: “Blue is taking everything out, gonna start again from the beginning… this may end up hurting them in the long run. Everyone else seems to be making some progress.”
Kennedy places a piece and stands up straight: “I can’t believe that’s still not right!”
Ace rubs at his head: “I know, I kinda thought we’d be done by now..”
JD: “This puzzle is not as easy as it sounds; it looks like the Red team has overtaken Gray, but it’s hard to tell.”
Kennedy groans and starts shifting their pieces again.
Jackson, who is holding a piece with both hands, pauses and stares at the puzzle: “Oooh, ooh, Cassie! I think we need to move that one…”
JD: “It looks like this is coming down between Red and Orange. Who’s gonna find the solution first?”
Robert points for Amy to place a piece along the left edge: “Yep. Yep, put that one there…”
Cassie: (under her breath) “Switch the two at the bottom.. and then this one connects yellow – oh my God, –”
Jackson & Cassie: “JD!! JD!”
JD walks over to their puzzle: “Alright, let’s have a look…”
Amy looks up and glares across the way at the Orange team’s platform, while the others watch with a certain intensity…
JD: “…Orange has it!”
Immediately Cassie screams & hugs her partner, and they both jump up and down with glee!
JD: “Orange team wins their first challenge! Which means they will have the power to hand out the samadhi, and they also win the Knowledge pyramid piece, which brings their total up to 3. (he reigns in the Orange team and places a hand on Jackson’s shoulder) Congratulations, guys! We’ll meet up again tonight to hear which team you’ve decided to give the samadhi to. But – there’s one thing that I forgot to tell you guys about this samadhi.”
He holds the gray pot up for all to see, and Cassie mumbles “What…?” under her breath.
JD: “This isn’t like all the other samadhis. This one………… holds an advantage for the next challenge. Not a disadvantage. (a couple of the players’ jaws drop) So Orange team, I hope you’ve made some really strong friendships out here because you’re going to give one of the three remaining teams over there something that will actually help them in tomorrow’s Temple mission. You cannot give it to yourself. So I’ll leave you guys with this… (he hands the samadhi to Jackson) …and I’ll see you all this evening at The Ledge.”
JD walks away as Jackson shakes his head in surprise before meeting up with the other teams to discuss the surprise samadhi.

Int. Erin: “The mission today was this really big.. triangular puzzle, and you had to line up all the pieces the right way. And the pieces were a lot heavier than they looked!”
B&W shot of Erin carrying a piece to their board, but dropping it due to the weight.
Int. Erin: “– We didn’t win today, but the Orange team did, and I’m so glad they finally won something! I know that’s been a goal of theirs for a long time now.”
Scene shows the boys hanging around inside their hut.
Patrick is folding one of his blue t-shirts: “How stoked are you that you won that mission?!”
Jackson smiles brightly: “I am stoked! I am so stoked. (he pauses for a moment) Although I wish we had won a normal round and not this advantage-samadhi thing.”
Int. Jackson: “I don’t know, I’m really not excited about the.. (he puts up air quotes) ‘advantage samadhi’ because it feels kind of like we won a disadvantage for ourselves. But uhh – luckily, we do have some strong ties with two out of the three other teams, so I think we might still be safe from Temple this round anyway.”

Shot of Jackson, Cassie, Kennedy, Erin and Patrick sitting at the edge of the ocean.
Kennedy gently rubs her hand in the sand and looks at Jackson: “Do you know who you’re giving it to?”
Jackson: “No, we do not. Obviously not Red, but.. other than that we don’t know yet.”
Patrick stretches: “Well I think you should give it to your good buddy Patrick!”
Erin smiles and holds out a finger: “And his partner, Erin.”
Patrick: “Mhmm. I think that’s a great idea, don’t you, partner?”
Erin nods and stares expectantly at Jackson, who shakes his head good-naturedly and tosses a rock into the ocean.

Robert sits on the front porch playing solitaire when Amy approaches from afar. She calls out to him: “This doesn’t look good for us, Robert!”
He briefly looks up: “Yeah, I know.”
Int. Robert: “With Orange winning the last challenge, I don’t think it’s likely that they’ll give the advantage to Red, just because… they’re in closer alliance with Gray and Blue.”
Amy sits across from her partner and tucks her hair behind her ear: “I want to talk to Orange. Do you think I should talk to them?”
Robert shrugs, placing another card on top of a stack: “I don’t think it would hurt. Just be lowkey about it, you know, don’t like.. freak them out or anything.”
Int. Robert: “In a way, though, this advantage samadhi is kind of a good thing for us, because otherwise we would be getting a disadvantage. (he laughs a bit) So I’m glad that’s not happening!”

Camera shows Amy walking along the boardwalk with Cassie.
Amy has a hopeless-looking grin on her face, eyes glued to the ground: “So I guess there’s nothing I can say to change your minds? You’re not giving it to us?”
Cassie comes to a stop, looking out at the ocean for a second: “Yeah, probably not.”
Amy nods slowly, but is silent for a short time. The gears are turning… she looks over her shoulder.
Amy: “..Are you at least giving it to Gray, I hope?”
Cassie: “We don’t know yet between Gray and Blue. It’s up in the air. Why?”
Amy: “Well, because Gray won’t send us.”
A moment of silence; Cassie lowers her eyebrows: “What do you –? Gray.. won’t send you guys? Red?”
Amy has her hand on her hip and is looking at the mountain in the distance: “Yeah, no, they’ve been in alliance with us. For a while, actually.”
Cassie stares at the wooden planks beneath her feet: “That doesn’t make sense…”
Amy: “Yeah I know, I couldn’t believe it. I thought they were super tight with you and Blue, that’s why I was really surprised when they wanted to align with us.”
Without another word, Cassie starts to trudge away: “I’ve got to talk to Jackson.”
Conf. Cassie: “So… Amy told me today that the Gray team has been in a secret alliance with them all along… (cut) I don’t know how deep it goes, so I’m waiting to hear all sides of the story before I totally freak out. But I am really, really upset right now.”

The Orange and Gray teams are shown sitting across from each other in the girls’ cabin.
Cassie: “So.. we know about your alliance with the Red team. And I think all we want to know is, why?”
Camera pans to the left side of the room, where Ace is sitting with his hands between his knees & Kennedy is criss-crossed next to him.
Ace: “It was during the Superteams. We only agreed to it because we didn’t want to be sent to Temple that round.”
Jackson: “Okay, so, you were happy to let us be sent instead?”
Kennedy scratches at her leg: “No! It was just a self-preservation thing. It had nothing to do with y’all.”
Ace: “Yeah. It’s not like we were trying to kick you off or anything, but we had to protect ourselves.”
Cassie: “Okay, wait; Amy said she was surprised that you asked them to be in alliance. Did you ask them or was it the other way around?”
Ace’s eyebrows come together: “No, they asked us first. They wanted us –”
Kennedy: “It was right after Purple left, so they wanted to replace them with us.”
Ace points at Kennedy with his thumb: “Yeah.”
Jackson: “…Okay then…”
Cassie: “But you guys have still been an alliance with them this whole time?”
Both members of the Gray team nod slowly.
Ace: “Yeah.”
Cassie crosses her arms and stares at the floor, somewhat solemnly: “Well. (she glances over at her partner) I guess we’ll give the advantage to Blue, then?”
Jackson’s eyes briefly land on the Gray team, but he looks back at Cassie and nods: “Yeah. Sounds good.”
Ace and Kennedy both stand up.
Ace: “Alright. I guess that’s fair.”
Kennedy: “Are y’all mad though? We never wanted to do anything bad to you..”
Jackson: “Yes. (he laughs a little) I mean, I guess not really, but, kinda yeah.”

The Red team is sitting in the cove by the beach.
Amy chews on her lower lip, whispering: “..I told them. I told the Orange team about our alliance with Gray.”
Robert’s eyes widen: “Why? Why did you do that?”
Amy: “Because now they’re mad at Gray! Which means better odds for us!”
Robert gives her a serious look: “No, it doesn’t, Amy. They still have Blue. At this point that’s all that matters.”
Amy furrows her eyebrows: “What are you talking about?”
Robert: “They can only give an advantage to one team this round; Blue. If Orange wins the next mission, they can only save one team from Temple; Blue. Do you see what I’m saying?”
Amy’s look of confidence falters a bit: “Yeah, but they probably won’t win the next mission…”
Robert: “It doesn’t matter. Like, if anyone besides us wins, we’re going to Temple. (shot changes to a close-up of Robert’s face) Telling them doesn’t bring us up, it only knocks Gray down.”
Amy pushes her tongue against her cheek and looks outside the cove: “We have to win tomorrow.”
Robert: “Yeah. We do.”
Conf. Amy: “I don’t necessarily feel guilty for outing our alliance with the Gray team; I mean it was their choice and the others deserve to know. But Robert made some good points, and so I’m pretty sure we’re on the bottom now. (cut) My game face is on. I thought I was playing before, but this is the final 4, and the stakes are higher than ever. This girl… (she points at herself) …is here to win.”

The teams make their way down the side of the mountain to The Ledge, where JD greets them with a nod. They all take their seats and look expectantly at the host.
JD: “Welcome back to The Ledge. Now before we hear the Orange team’s decision regarding the samadhi, I hear that some things have been exposed since I last saw you guys… Amy?”
She laughs a bit: “Uhhh… yeah, you could say that.”
JD grins: “Why? What happened?”
Amy: “I guess you could say that I happened. In a moment of desperation, I kind of told Cassie that Red and Gray are in an alliance.”
Suddenly Patrick’s eyebrows go way up, and Erin sharply turns her head towards Ace & Kennedy.
JD: “Wow. Blue team, you look surprised; did either of you know about this?”
Patrick fervently shakes his head.
Erin: “No, not until just now. (she looks at Gray again) Seriously?”
Kennedy nods sheepishly: “Yeah.”
Ace: “We’re sorry, you guys.”
Erin shakes her head, turning back to look at JD: “Wow.”
JD: “Gray team. What do you have to say about all this?”
Ace: “I want to make it clear that it was merely… a game move, and not a personal one. We haven’t done anything to hurt the Blue team or the Orange team, and we don’t want to if we can help it.”
JD: “Right. But you’re in the final 4 now. Don’t you think hurting somebody’s feelings is inevitable once you’re this far into the game?”
They both nod.
Ace: “Maybe so.”
Kennedy: “Yeah, everything from here on out is purely strategy. It has to be.”
JD turns to the Orange team: “Alright, well now that that’s out in the open; Orange team. How has this affected your decision on who to give the samadhi to?”
Cassie turns to Jackson, who straightens his back and props the samadhi higher on his lap.
Jackson: “It’s affected a lot… I mean, it made the decision easier.” (he laughs dryly)
Kennedy shoots Ace a resigned grin, which he reciprocates.
JD: “Okay. I don’t think I need to ask, but; Orange, who is going to be receiving the advantage samadhi?”
Jackson nods and holds it out: “Blue team.”
Immediately a smile spreads across Patrick’s face, and Erin claps her hands a little.
JD: “Alright Blue. Go ahead and grab the samadhi & bring it up here to the rock.”
Erin takes the samadhi from Jackson on the way up: “Thanks, guys.”
Jackson: “No problem. You’ve got this.” (he reaches up to pat Erin on the shoulder)
Amy watches this with her chin in her hand, letting her eyes dart up to meet Robert’s when he glances over at her.
After Patrick and Erin arrive next to JD, he nods and points: “Go ahead and smash it open.”
This time Erin hands the samadhi over to Patrick, who breaks it open on the large rock and collects the square piece of parchment that falls out. He shows it to the group; illustrated on it is a minus symbol next to a flag.
JD: “This means you guys will have one less flag than everyone else in tomorrow’s game. This is actually going to make things a little easier for the two of you, but it doesn’t mean you won’t still need to bring your A-game. Tomorrow’s challenge is a tough one that will require teamwork, stamina, and a good sense of direction. I’ll see you all then. Goodnight.”
The teams get up to leave, but as they’re seen heading up the mountain back to camp, we hear some interviews from the players.
V.O. Kennedy: “I’m really worried now that Blue and Orange maybe don’t trust us as much as they once did… I never thought I’d say this, but I’m actually going to feel the safest if Gray or Red wins tomorrow.”
V.O. Patrick: “I never would’ve guessed that Gray team was, uh, paired up with Red. All I can say now is game on, baby. Orange and Blue are taking this thing to the top.”

---

"Next time on Endurance! -"
"The winner of the next mission will move on to the Final 3..."
A few varied running shots of the remaining teams, each tied together with a length of rope around their waists.
Patrick pulls out a blue flag from a board that's nailed to a wall.
Jackson taps Cassie on the arm and points: "Cassie, over there!"
"...But one of the remaining teams will be saying goodbye to the competition forever."
JD speaks, though we can't see to whom: "You’ve had all afternoon to decide who isn’t safe, so let’s hear it; what is your final decision?"
Various shots of the players looking surprised or nervous, followed by a panorama of the Temple of Fate.

---

The Red Team - Robert & Amy - Commitment, Strength, Ingenuity, Discipline
The Orange Team - Jackson & Cassie - Heart, Courage, Knowledge
The Blue Team - Patrick & Erin - Trust, Teamwork
The Gray Team - Ace & Kennedy - Leadership, Perseverance, Friendship
The Yellow Team - Leo & Serena
The Green Team - Chris & Anna
The Purple Team - Logan & Lydia

[Cruise meerkat Youssy]

I really like Amy. Even though she's a little bit delusional and has drama-queen tendencies, she seems really genuine about herself though. She's just out here playing the game and playing to win, even if she is making mistakes. But man did she make a mistake by telling Orange about their alliance with Gray. :/ Poor girl lol.

Jackson is the cutest I literally love him.

Can I just say I LOVE how you write this? Like I can HEAR these people talking in my head when I read it! And I can watch their facial expressions in my mind! The speech is just, so, spot-on and vivid.

[kwdrewfan]

May 2, 2016 22:28:37 GMT -5 Cruise meerkat Youssy said:

I really like Amy. Even though she's a little bit delusional and has drama-queen tendencies, she seems really genuine about herself though. She's just out here playing the game and playing to win, even if she is making mistakes. But man did she make a mistake by telling Orange about their alliance with Gray. :/ Poor girl lol.

Jackson is the cutest I literally love him.

Can I just say I LOVE how you write this? Like I can HEAR these people talking in my head when I read it! And I can watch their facial expressions in my mind! The speech is just, so, spot-on and vivid.

THIS IS GENUINELY THE BEST COMPLIMENT I'VE EVER RECEIVED ON MY WRITING! Thank you so much & I'm so glad you're able to picture everything in your head! That's always my top priority in anything I write, so to hear that means the world to me.

I'm also glad you're enjoying Sass Queen Amy. She's one of my faves.