Sharp Spears, Broken Spirits

In “Sharp Spears, Broken Spirits,” the elimination cliffhanger resumes with Australia and USA South locked in the raised fire platform challenge. The task is to keep a fire burning on a platform sitting in the water, boil a suspended pot, then remove and replace the pot to prove the structure is secure. Australia suffers an early setback when they spill their water and have to start over, refilling the pot and gathering more tinder. With 23 mph winds whipping through the challenge area, both teams use hides to shield their fires.

The race stays neck and neck as Teal begins to panic under pressure. Australia reaches bubbles first and successfully removes and replaces the pot. USA South also gets a boil, but struggles to safely remove the pot from its platform. Australia wins the elimination challenge, knocking out USA South and reducing the field to four teams. With the first three eliminated teams all coming from the United States, Matt and Gabrielle are left as the last American team in the competition.

After the elimination, Mexico tries to use its raft for fishing but comes up empty. On day 27, the next scroll sends the remaining teams on a three-and-a-half-mile walk to a new challenge. They must build and bait a catfish corral, then craft two spears to spear the fish. First place earns 150 points, second earns 100, third earns 50, and fourth gets nothing, with another elimination looming the next day.

The corrals require four walls and a narrow opening to guide fish inside, with pungent watermelon used as chum. USA East and Australia show strong teamwork, while Brazil struggles with poor communication. USA East finishes its corral first, followed by Brazil, Australia, and Mexico. Matt and Gabrielle also finish their spears first and move on to fire-hardening, with Australia and Mexico close behind and Brazil falling to last.

Once the fishing begins, Gabrielle quickly spears a catfish for USA East. Alexa lands one for Australia, Fernanda scores for Mexico, and Rene gets Brazil on the board after Marina’s spear breaks. Tension rises as Rene grows frustrated and shuts down instead of helping Marina. Pablo lands the next catfish, giving Mexico the win, and Matt follows to secure second place for USA East. Australia finishes third, leaving Australia and Brazil to face the next elimination challenge.

A cold, rainy night makes things worse. Australia’s roof collapses in the rain, while Brazil’s team chemistry hits a low point before Rene apologizes to Marina for being a bad partner. On day 28, in pouring rain, the scroll reveals the elimination task: create a device to retrieve a displaced fish trap from shore while staying dry. The teams improvise hook-and-line tools, with Rene building a treble hook.

Brazil hooks its fish trap first, but Australia hooks theirs moments later, turning the finish into a race to pull the traps in. As Australia hauls theirs toward shore, their fish basket breaks, and the episode ends on a cliffhanger before revealing which team survives.