The morning after Justin's elimination, the air in the Gopher cabin was thick enough to choke on. Ezekiel stood by Justin's empty bunk, staring at the perfectly made bed. The silence was broken by the sharp clack-clack of Heather's heels as she marched in, checking her reflection in a hand mirror.
"Ugh, finally some breathing room in here," Heather remarked, not even looking at Zeke.
"With the 'pretty boy' gone, maybe we can actually focus on winning instead of hair product."
Ezekiel spun around, his face flushed with a rare, burning anger. "How can you be so cold, eh? He was my friend! He was part of this team!"
Heather stopped and finally looked at him, her eyes narrowing. "He was a distraction, Ezekiel. He was a piece of furniture that occasionally moved. You're lucky I saved you from that sinking ship of a 'friendship'."
"Saved me?!" Zeke stepped forward, his fists clenched. "You cheated! You stole that idol from Chef! Everyone voted for you, Heather. Everyone! You should be the one on that boat, not him!"
"But I'm not," Heather stepped closer, towering over him with a terrifying chill. "I'm here, and he's history. And if you keep whining about it, you'll be joining him before the sun sets. Now, get your farm-boy self to the kitchen. Chris has a challenge, and I'm not losing because you're having a 'moment' for your fallen boyfriend."
Ezekiel stood there, shaking with rage. He realized then that Heather didn't just play the game; she destroyed everything in her path. But as they headed to the main lodge, a part of him felt a strange, nagging confusion—she was the villain, yet she was the only one who seemed to acknowledge he was even a threat.
The humid air of Wawanakwa was replaced by the suffocating heat of the industrial kitchen. Chris McLean stood at the head of the long stainless steel table, looking more amused than usual. Beside him, Chef Hatchet sharpened a set of cleavers with a rhythmic, menacing shink-shink-shink.
"Today's challenge is a classic!" Chris announced. "A three-course meal. Appetizer, Entrée, and Dessert. You'll be judged on taste, presentation, and the fact that you didn't accidentally poison me. Each team needs a Head Chef. Gophers, you're up first. Who's leading the charge?"
The Screaming Gophers looked at each other.
Before Ezekiel or Gwen could speak, Owen shouted, "I nominate Lindsay! She looks like she'd know what a fancy salad looks like!"
"Yay! Me?" Lindsay clapped her hands.
"Wait, no!" Heather hissed. "Lindsay can't even boil water without looking for a mirror!"
"Too late!" Chris cackled. "The choice is made. Lindsay is the Head Chef. And just to be clear: No substitutions! If the kitchen burns down, it's on her blonde head."
Over at the Killer Bass, the decision was much more logical. DJ was appointed Head Chef, given his natural talent for "mama's home cooking."
DJ quickly delegated tasks: Duncan and Eva on Appetizers, Bridgette and Harold on the Entrée, and Izzy and Tyler on Dessert.
The Gopher Kitchen: Chaos and Kindness
In the Gopher kitchen, Lindsay was attempting to read a cookbook upside down. "Does 'flambé' mean I should put my lip gloss on the stove?"
Heather took charge through sheer force of will, ignoring Lindsay's "leadership." She grabbed Ezekiel by the arm. "You! Country boy! You know how to handle knives and fire. You're with me on Appetizers. We're doing a seared scallop carpaccio with lemon zest."
"Scallop what-now?" Zeke blinked. "In the farm, we just fry eggs and bacon, eh."
"Just do what I say!" Heather snapped.
The heat in the kitchen was rising. Gwen and Cody were struggling with the Entrée—a roasted turkey that was currently looking more like a charcoal briquette.
Meanwhile, Owen was supposed to be guarding the ingredients for the dessert, but his stomach was growling louder than the bear from the previous day.
Disaster struck during the appetizer prep. Heather was barking orders, and Zeke, trying to keep up with her frantic pace, reached for a searing hot copper pan with his bare hand.
"Ahhh! Eh!" Zeke cried out, his skin instantly turning a painful, angry red as he pulled his hand back.
Heather's eyes widened. For a split second, the cold, calculating strategist disappeared. She grabbed Zeke's wrist with surprising strength.
"You idiot! Don't just stand there, get it under cold water! Now!" Her voice wasn't mocking; it was commanding and weirdly protective. She dragged him to the sink and held his hand under the freezing stream.
"My brothers... the twins..." Heather muttered, her gaze softening for a fleeting second. "They were exactly like this. Always rushing, always burning themselves on the grill. I spent half my childhood bandaging them up because they were too clumsy for their own good."
Ezekiel froze, the cold water numbing his hand, but his mind was racing. Heather was looking at him with an expression he hadn't seen before. It wasn't hate. It was the look of a frustrated older sister dealing with a pesty, accident-prone younger brother.
"Uhh... thanks, Heather," Zeke stammered. "That's... that's real kind of you, eh."
Heather immediately let go of his wrist, her face snapping back into its icy mask. "Don't get used to it! I just don't want your blood or blister juice ruining my carpaccio. Now wrap it in this gauze and get back to work!"
While they moved on to the next step, tragedy hit the dessert station. Owen, unable to resist the smell of the fruit tart, had "accidentally" eaten half of it in three massive bites.
"Owen!!" Lindsay shrieked.
Leshawna stepped in, pushing a sobbing Owen aside. "Move over, sugar! Zeke, give me that maple syrup and the oats from your bag. We're going to pivot! We're making a farm-style maple crumble with whatever fruit is left!"
The Bass Kitchen: War and Reconciliation
Across the way, the Killer Bass kitchen was a war zone. DJ was trying to keep the peace, but Izzy and Eva were a powder keg.
As they worked on the dessert, Izzy leaned over to Eva with a wild glint in her eyes. "You know, Eva, I actually voted for you to stay and for Katie to go! But I also encouraged the others to vote Katie out because you were getting too soft. All that 'best friend' stuff was ruining your edge!"
Eva stopped mid-chop. The air in the kitchen turned icy. "You... what?"
"I missed the scary Eva!" Izzy laughed. "The one who throws people! You were getting boring!"
Eva let out a guttural scream and lunged across the prep table. The next 15 minutes were pure carnage. Flour bags exploded, pots flew, and Tyler hid under the sink.
Duncan tried to intervene, but Eva threw a rolling pin that nearly took his ear off.
"I'm staying out of this!" Duncan shouted, retreating to the appetizer station.
After a quarter-hour of intense brawling, the two girls ended up on the floor, covered in flour and sweat, panting heavily. Suddenly, Eva started to chuckle. Then Izzy joined in with her high-pitched cackle.
"You're crazy, Izzy," Eva panted, wiping flour from her eyes. "I guess I did get a bit distracted by Katie. I forgot how much I like a good fight."
"Friends?" Izzy asked, offering a hand.
"Friends," Eva grunted, pulling her up. The team stood in shock; the two most dangerous girls on the island had just bonded through combat.
The Judging
Chris and Chef Hatchet sat at the judging table, wearing bibs.
"Alright, Gophers, show me what the Blonde Boss has produced," Chris smirked.
The Gophers presented their meal. Heather's appetizer was perfect. Gwen's entrée was slightly overcooked, but edible. Then came the dessert—the "Zeke and Leshawna Special" maple crumble.
Chef Hatchet took a bite. His eyes widened. He took another.
"This... this tastes like home," he mumbled, a single tear almost forming.
"The Gophers score a solid 29 points!" Chris announced.
The Bass came forward. DJ's main course was a masterpiece, but Izzy and Eva's dessert was a mess due to the flour explosion during their fight. Duncan's appetizer was okay, but lacked "soul."
"The Killer Bass score... 28 points!" Chris shouted. "The Screaming Gophers win by a single point! Gophers, you get to spend the night in the luxury spa cabin! Bass... I'll see you at the campfire."
The Campfire Ceremony
The atmosphere at the Killer Bass campfire was tense. The "mainstream" group—Duncan, Tyler, DJ, and Bridgette—felt the power shift.
"Eva and Izzy are back together," Duncan whispered to Tyler. "And Harold is... well, Harold. We need to split them up."
The Votes:
* Harold, Izzy, and Eva all stepped into the confessional with one name: Duncan. They wanted to take out the leader of the guys.
* Bridgette, DJ, Tyler, and Duncan had a different plan. They couldn't stand the chaos Eva brought.
Chris stood with the marshmallows. "The following people are safe: Harold... Izzy... DJ... Tyler... Bridgette."
Only Duncan and Eva remained. Duncan looked genuinely worried. Eva looked like she was ready to punch Chris.
"The final marshmallow goes to... Duncan!"
Eva stood up, her face turning purple. "WHAT?! I worked my butt off in that kitchen! I fought for this team!"
"Yeah, you fought with the team, Eva," Chris pointed out. "Literally. And you ruined the dessert. The Boat of Losers is waiting."
Eva didn't go quietly. She kicked the campfire, sending sparks everywhere, and had to be dragged away by two interns. As she was being hauled off, she looked at Izzy. "Keep the chaos going, Izzy! Don't let them go soft!"
As the Bass walked back to their cabins, Duncan breathed a sigh of relief. But he knew the numbers were tight.
Over at the Gophers' spa, Ezekiel sat with Gwen and Cody, feeling the sting of his bandaged hand, but feeling a strange sense of confusion about the "sisterly" Heather.