Terrapin Trials Episode 8: L-O-Y-A-L-T-Y

Zack apologizes for doing the predictable vote, but Terry says things will get interesting once there's a merge. Their wishes are granted the next day as the remaining 9 players are summoned to a bench containing their new buffs and cake. Alex feels good about making the merge, and thinks it's a brand new game.

One big family

The first individual challenge involves them spinning round a pole, jumping a hurdle and throwing an egg at a tree. The first heat is Alex, Foluke and Marissa. Marissa wins, Alex comes second, and Foluke is knocked out. In the second, Eric and Zack beat Victoria to make it to the next round. The third heat sees some hilarious falls from Harry and Terry, but both of them beat out Holli.

The first heat of the next round is Terry, Marissa and Harry. Marissa leads for a while but Harry just edges her out to go through to the final. In the second heat, Alex makes a mistake, allowing Eric to get it. The final showdown is Eric vs Harry, with a basket toss and jenga stacking added in. Harry screwed up breaking an egg, giving Eric a lead into the jenga stacking. Eric stacks carefully whilst Harry is more frantic to make up time. Eric's approach is best and he wins immunity.

Big decisions to be made

Eric winning throws a little wrench in Foluke's plan, but she's still planning on just getting the guys out one-by-one. Zack wants Alex to be the next target, but Alex is talking to Foluke and Victoria as well, suggesting that Zack should go. Victoria sees merit to having Alex as an ally, since he has nobody else. The girls debate whether to go for the easy vote in Harry or the big move in Zack, with things made more complicated by them not knowing who has the idol.

Harry goes to Alex and exposes the Zack/Victoria/Foluke/Terry alliance, suggesting the rest of them get together to take Zack out. Holli lets Foluke know that Harry is targeting Zack as well, and she seems interested in going along with it. Now even Eric is getting in on it...could Zack's goose be cooked?

Zack seems to suspect something is up and talks with Foluke and Victoria to let them know he thinks people are after him. He does have the idol and is considering playing it, but doesn't want to unless he has to. Alex then pulls Zack aside, which annoys Foluke and Victoria, who are getting fed up with him.

At tribal council, both Alex and Marissa curiously claim to feel comfortable, with Alex saying he likes the merged tribe much better than his old one. Victoria is asked if Eric is a bigger threat now for winning immunity, and she says it's obvious he's big, prompting a "that's what she's said" from Harry. Austin asks what they base their votes on, and for Holli, it's a combination of trust and threat.

We get to the vote and not everyone is sure what's going to happen. Foluke throws a vote on Terry, as Alex, Marissa and Eric try to get Zack out. The votes come back and Alex is blindsided. Hilarious given how he felt now he was safe. Still shell-shocked in his final words, he incorrectly picks Victoria and Foluke as the ones who voted with him...damn, they're playing good. Already the merge is taking some interesting turns.