Road Trip: Journey Japan

Road Trip: Journey Japan	Road Trip: Journey Japan
 	
Season 	13
Genre 	Reality competition
Winner 	Addy Miller
Runner-up 	Erin Boorn
Episodes 	11
Countries Visited 	1
Cities Visited 	10
Starting Point 	Tokyo, Japan
Finishing Point 	Hokkaido, Japan
Production 	Production
Season Aired 	July, 2023
Chronology 	Chronology
Previous Season 	All-Stars II
Next Season 	Latin America
Road Trip: Journey Japan is the thirteenth season of the travel reality competition show devised by SJ productions. The show follows a group of individuals travelling around in a select number of recreational vehicles (RVs) from a starting point to a finishing point across a predetermined route. At each city/town pit-stop, the group compete in either an individual or team-based immunity challenge to win the role of 'tour leader'. The worst performing individual in each challenge is put up for 'repatriation', along with another individual of the tour leader's choosing. Everyone other than the three stated cast a vote in the deliberation for who they wish to repatriate, with the individual receiving the most votes kicked-off the road trip. When only two road trippers remain, a jury consisting of the last seven eliminated players vote for who they wish to win the £100,000 prize. The series is hosted by Big Brother UK alumni Lincoln Mackenzie (Season 1 & All-Stars) and Sinead McGrath (Season 2 & All-Stars).
This season began in Tokyo, Japan and ended in Hokkaido, Japan. The season exclusively travelled throughout Japan, encompassing a total of ten locations. The winner of the season was Addy Miller, defeating Erin Boorn in a 4-3 vote to become Champion of the Road Trip.
Journey Japan is currently the only season of Road Trip that failed to include a team challenge; an oversight by James during its simulation.
==Road Trippers==
			
				
			
Name 	Age	Hometown 	Result
Addison "Addy" Miller 	21 	Melbourne, Australia 	Winner
Erin Boorn 	26 	Bedfordshire, England 	Runner-up
Hiro Ishii 	26 	San Francisco, USA 	3rd place
Morgan Whittle 	37 	Glasgow, Scotland 	4th place
Pedro Cardoso 	24 	São Paulo, Brazil 	5th place
Jermaine DuPont 	29 	New Orleans, Louisiana	6th place
Mika Vasilliev 	30 	St. Petersburg, Russia	7th place
Norma Monroe 	63 	Jefferson, USA 	8th place
Luke Kennedy 	23 	Phoenix, USA 	9th place
Olukemi "Kemi" Adegoke 	25 	London, England 	10th place
Francesca "Frannie" Freeman	26 	Sacramento, USA 	11th place
Kosuke Matsumoto 	23 	Honolulu, USA 	12th place
Selina De Puy 	29 	San Francisco, USA 	13th place
==Voting History==
Ep # 	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	6 	7 	8 	9 	10 	11 	11 	11 	11
Location 	Tokyo	Tokyo 	Kanazawa	Takayama	Hiroshima	Osaka	Kyoto	Kawaguchi	Mount Fuji	Sapporo	Asahikawa	Asahikawa	Asahikawa	Asahikawa
Eliminated	none 	Selina	Kosuke 	Frannie 	Kemi 	Luke 	Norma	Mika 	Jermaine 	Pedro 	Morgan 	Hiro 	Erin 	Addy
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Addy 	NOM 	NOM 	Kosuke 	NOM 	NOM 	Luke 	Norma	Mika 	Jermaine 	Pedro 	WIN 	Hiro 	Winner 	Winner
Erin 	SAFE 	Selina	Kosuke 	Frannie 	WIN 	NOM 	NOM 	Pedro 	Pedro 	Pedro 	NOM 	NOM 	Runner-up	Runner-up
Hiro 	SAFE 	Selina	Kosuke 	Frannie 	Kemi 	Luke 	Norma	Mika 	Jermaine 	NOM 	Morgan 	ELIM 	— 	Addy
Morgan 	SAFE 	Selina	NOM 	Frannie 	Kemi 	WIN 	Norma	Mika 	WIN 	Hiro 	ELIM 	 	— 	Addy
Pedro 	SAFE 	Addy 	WIN 	Addy 	Addy 	Luke 	Erin 	NOM 	NOM 	ELIM 	 	 	— 	Addy
Jermaine 	WIN 	SAFE 	Kosuke 	Frannie 	Kemi 	Luke 	Norma	Pedro 	ELIM 	 	 	 	Erin 	—
Mika 	SAFE 	WIN 	Morgan 	Addy 	Kemi 	Luke 	WIN 	ELIM 	 	 	 	 	Erin 	—
Norma 	SAFE 	Selina	Kosuke 	Addy 	Addy 	Erin 	ELIM 	 	 	 	 	 	— 	Addy
Luke 	SAFE 	Addy 	Morgan 	Frannie 	Addy 	ELIM 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Erin 	—
Kemi 	SAFE 	Addy 	Kosuke 	WIN 	ELIM 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Frannie 	SAFE 	Selina	Morgan 	ELIM 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Kosuke 	SAFE 	Addy 	ELIM 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Selina 	SAFE 	ELIM 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
Key
: This person won the challenge and became the tour leader.
: This person was safe during the episode and cast a vote for who to eliminate.
: This person was safe during the episode but did not cast a vote for who to eliminate.
: This person originally nominated for repatriation, but was made immune with a lifesaver.
: This person finished last in the challenge and was therefore automatically nominated for repatriation and remained on the road trip.
: This person was nominated by the tour leader for repatriation and remained on the road trip.
: This person finished last in the daily challenge and ultimately eliminated in the repatriation vote.
: This person was nominated by the tour leader and ultimately eliminated in the repatriation vote.
: This person voluntarily quit the road trip.
==Game Summary==
# 	Episode title 	Destination 	Tour Leader	Last Place	Nominated	Eliminated	Vote
1 	"Tokyo-A-Gogo" 	Tokyo, Japan 	Jermaine 	Addy 	none 	none 	none
2 	"Fresh Out the Mental Asylum"	Tokyo, Japan 	Mika 	Selina 	none 	Selina 	5-3
3 	"At This Stage" 	Kanazawa, Japan 	Pedro 	Morgan 	Kosuke 	Kosuke 	6-3
4 	"Weeabye" 	Takayama, Japan 	Kemi 	Frannie 	Addy 	Frannie 	5-3
5 	"Dropping a Bombshell" 	Hiroshima, Japan 	Erin 	Addy 	Kemi 	Kemi 	4-3
6 	TBA 	Osaka, Japan 	Morgan 	Erin¹ 	Luke² 	Luke 	5-1
7 	TBA 	Kyoto, Japan 	Mika 	Erin 	Norma 	Norma 	4-1
8 	TBA 	Kawaguchi, Japan 	Addy 	Pedro 	Mika 	Mika 	3-2
9 	TBA 	Mount Fuji, Japan	Morgan 	Pedro 	Jermaine 	Jermaine 	2-1
10	TBA 	Sapporo, Japan 	Addy 	Pedro 	Hiro 	Pedro 	2-1
11	TBA 	Asahikawa, Japan 	Addy 	Erin 	Morgan 	Morgan 	1-0
11	TBA 	Asahikawa, Japan 	Addy 	Erin,Hiro 	none 	Hiro 	1-0
11	TBA 	Asahikawa, Japan 	Jury Vote 	Jury Vote 	Jury Vote	Erin 	4-3
11	TBA 	Asahikawa, Japan 	Jury Vote 	Jury Vote 	Jury Vote	Addy 	4-3
^¹ Jermaine originally finished in last place and was nominated. However, he used his lifesaver, leaving next-lowest performer Erin as the re-nomination.
^² Tour Leader Morgan initially nominated Mika. However, Mika used his lifesaver, leaving Luke as the re-nomination.
==Episodes==
===Episode #1 - Tokyo-A-Gogo===
Atop the Tokyo Tower in the midst of a cool evening, thirteen brand new road trippers meet for the first time as they applaud the entrance of familiar hosts Lincoln and Sinead, who welcome the group to the thirteenth edition of their competitive reality competition. Having been told that they will be given several hours to socialise before being moved to an overnight hotel, the players make the most of the opportunity to create positive first impressions, knowing that the twelve others around them will certainly play a role in their winning or losing the game in the pursuit of the £100,000 prize. In a confessional, Jermaine is quick to announce his intent on being “the greatest villain to play this game”, promising to break any alliances or friendships in order to become the Champion of the Road Trip. He goes on to laugh as he admits it would be “funny to see girls cry” and “funnier if they’re the ones who give (him) the votes in the end”. Jermaine’s desire to play ‘the villain’ seems apparent early on, with several others finding his initial presence less than welcoming. Oldest player Norma notes that he’s “got something off about him”, declaring he’s “not the sort of person (she’d) be making iced tea for”. Fellow player Morgan joins Norma as the pair discuss being notably ‘older’ than the other players, although Norma laughs that she has “twenty-six years on (him) too”. Realising that their age could make them struggle with the majority younger group, the pair agree that they should do their best to ‘integrate’ over the welcome drinks, knowing that they have an uphill battle at this stage already. Following her own advice, Norma joins fellow Americans Kosuke and Luke as they look through the array of sushi on offer, hearing Kosuke out as he tries his best to deduce which options are best for vegetarian Luke. Luke explains in conversation that he was recruited for the show after his dance routines to J-Pop songs had gone viral on social media, although both Kosuke and Norma admit to have never seen them. Choosing to open up about his own reasons for joining the show, Kosuke describes growing up as a second generation immigrant in Hawaii to Japanese grandparents, claiming that his family had sought refuge following World War II, and that due to issues surrounding Japanese history on the island that he has “never properly explored (his) identity”, leaving this to be his first time visiting his family’s country of origin. In a confessional, Luke claims to worry that Kosuke may be setting himself up for disappointment, realising that the “experience means more to him than it would most people”, particularly given that it is his first time in Japan, going on to note “I feel I might be more Japanese than this guy… he’s like… out of his element of surfing and chilling on the beach”. Elsewhere, Jermaine, Hiro and Selina stand together as they make their small talk, with Jermaine suddenly asking Hiro out of the blue about his sexuality. Dumbfounded, Hiro casually admits to being gay, questioning Jermaine as to why he is so interested, going on to note “if you’re looking for a road romance… you’re not my type… I like manly guys”. Jermaine annoyedly laughs at the clapback, noting that he was “just curious”, pointing out Hiro’s mannerisms and outfit as “being sus”. Hiro raises an eyebrow as Selina nervously laughs, eventually questioning Jermaine “are you trying to get your moment already? Do you not plan to be here long enough that it can wait a day or two?”. Selina quickly interjects before Jermaine can answer, choosing to mediate the situation by telling both men to “cool it” as she laughs, believing it to be a “miscommunication” and nothing more. Jermaine puts his arm around Selina as she continues to laugh, coldly apologising as he declares he “didn’t mean anything by it”, reassuring Hiro that he has “no issue with anyone being gay”. Jermaine explains in his confessional that he’s “going to do whatever (he) can to get in people’s heads”, insinuating that Hiro is the first of many targets he has set his sights on. Consecutively, Hiro is shown in his own confessional looking around confused, exclaiming “hello? Boarder control – there’s a madman here. Jermaine… rude. I wasn’t sure if he’s a thirty-five year old looking man trying to act like he’s still in his presumably failing high-school, or if he is just homophobic… which would make sense given he’s dressed like a one-hit rap star from 2003. I’m not intimidated by someone like this… I’ve dealt with bigger and badder, and I really don’t need Selina speaking up acting like it’s all okay too or a ‘miscommunication’. Girl, what are you even saying? Eat your sushi and enjoy the view because you’ll both be seeing it from your window seats as soon as possible”.
With the awkward first encounter drinks coming to an end, the thirteen players are escorted from the tower and driven to a nearby capsule hotel where they’ll be spending the night. Each player laughs as they enter their capsules, with some showing restrain as they lay down in the claustrophobic environment. The next morning, Addy and Erin head to the hotel bathroom together as two of the first to arise, confessing that neither had been able to sleep well throughout the night, hoping that it is the last they see of this type of accommodation throughout their stay. Eventually, the girls get talking about their fellow competitors as they apply make-up, referencing Norma as Addy claims she “snores like a bull”, believing that she could hear her through the wall of the pod all evening. Erin laughs as she too suggests that she heard Norma, instead believing that “I think she farted as she walked past me today… I said hi… and she sort of grunted but from both ends?”. Both girls wheeze over their gossipy remarks, with Addy noting “we need to stop because if they see us laughing at them already you know we’ll be the first two gone. I can’t have the Aussie girl being sent home first again”. Downstairs, Norma joins Pedro for breakfast as they wait for their fellow competitors to all arrive, choosing to engage in small talk over two cups of tea. Pedro admits to Norma that he ‘already’ feels somewhat homesick, knowing that with English being his second language that he is “a little out of conversation”, unsure if he made a good impression during the welcoming drinks. Norma assures him that he is a “sweetheart”, suggesting that ‘as a grandmother her superpower is that she knows who is and isn’t a good person’. Feeling relieved, Pedro hugs Norma, telling her that he “hopes (they) can use the superpower to their advantage” to root out whoever isn’t good for the harmony of the tour. Thirty-minutes later, eleven of the competitors wait outside in the two custom made luxury RVs, looking around as they notice that both Kemi and Luke still haven’t arrived. The latter eventually does, apologising for taking so long to get ready, joking that he ”need(s) at least an hour to style everything”, receiving confused looks from the group. Finally, Kemi joins the group fifteen minutes after Luke, remaining quiet as she appears unwell, later blaming this on ‘a dodgy reaction to raw fish’ from the sushi.
On the journey to their first daily challenge, Jermaine begins speaking loudly in his RV, joking about those who were late to arrive (both of whom are in the other RV), suggesting that “I thought if anyone was going to be late it’d be the old girl”. Overhearing the remark from the front, Norma turns around and shocks Jermaine as she calls him out, leaving many to suspect that he had in fact not noticed she was in the same vehicle as him. Tired of his behaviour, Norma tells Jermaine “you’re running your mouth all morning, and all last night… I don’t know if you were raised wrong, or if the time difference… or if those cornrows are tied too tight… but something in your head isn’t working right”. Jermaine laughs off Norma’s attack, apologising and instead claiming that he ‘meant someone else’, leaving Norma to reiterate “I don’t care what you meant, I just want you to know that none of us want to hear it”. Yet again, Selina is seen sniggering at Jermaine’s antics, clearly finding him amusing despite his rude exterior, choosing to speak up in his defence and suggest that “maybe he meant me… I’m not young!”. Laughing along, Jermaine yells “yeah, yeah! I meant her”, continuing to rub Norma the wrong way as he tells her to “chill and have fun”. In a confessional, Norma appears annoyed by the pairs behaviour, referring to Selina as “a no brained lap dog”, and Jermaine as “someone who makes me happy I’m not carrying a gun right now. I might be a grandma… but I’m a gangster. He wants to think he’s the gangster? No, son. You haven’t seen nothing yet.” Arriving in central Tokyo, the players are welcomed inside a grand television studio by Lincoln and Sinead, who shock the players by bringing them out in front of a live studio audience, revealing that as part of their first daily challenge they will be undertaking a Japanese Gameshow-style competition, with the winner earning themselves a Golden Fob Lifesaver to spare them or a friend from facing repatriation, whilst the last place finisher will automatically be nominated in this first round. For their challenge, each player will one at a time face a bizarre obstacle course that is reminiscent of shows such as ‘Takeshi’s Castle’ or ‘Wipeout’, with the individual to correctly complete the course in the fastest time being declared the winner.
Whilst prepping for the challenge, Kosuke displays nerves as he suggests he is intimidated by both the Japanese host and the live audience, hearing their simultaneous chanting and the live music in unison and pondering whether he will be able to compete to the best of his ability. Pedro questions Kosuke’s nerves, asking why he chose to join the competition if he “didn’t want to be on television”. Finding the comment unsympathetic, Kosuke rolls his eyes at Pedro, remarking that he ‘doesn’t care about being on tv’, but rather that he doesn’t “want to embarrass (himself) in Japan of all places”. Pedro laughs off the pointed response, ending their discussion by stating “no one wants to be embarrassed anywhere… just try and have fun with it, it’s not that serious”. The players begin taking on the task one at a time, trying to hype the crowd as they make their introductions before competing, each being embarrassed and exhausted as they’re tossed around the course. Oldest player Norma and overweight contestant Mika each are shown struggling with the physicality of the task, clearly panting for breath as they drag themselves through the mud-pool portion, worrying about their times as they clock-in upon finishing. Equally, sporadic personality Addy is seen losing time as she screams at the boxing glove wall, also fearing running past the giant blueberry mascot who attempts to block the players as they cross the balance beam over the ice-pool below. Having stronger performances, dynamic duo Jermaine and Selina whizz through the course, displaying athleticism as they each attempt to claim the first victory of the season. Similarly, anime superfan and self-described ‘weeaboo’ Frannie has little trouble on the course despite her small stature, telling the cameras as she finishes that she has “seen shows like this a thousand times”, knowing the best means of getting through them is “to not stop running”. After collecting the results, Sinead begins reading out that Mika has finished third from the bottom, leaving either Addy or Norma in last place. Somewhat surprisingly, Addy is announced to have finished three seconds slower than Norma, confirming that she will automatically face repatriation, and may continue the supposed trend of Australian girls being booted early in the show. Alternatively, Lincoln names Frannie, Jermaine, and Selina as the fastest times, with Frannie placing a comfortable third behind Selina, giving ‘wannabe villain’ Jermaine victory and the first of two Golden Fob Lifesavers. Additionally, Lincoln announces that Jermaine has earned himself a one week all expenses stay at a top Tokyo hotel for himself and two friends to enjoy after the trip, with Norma muttering “those poor friends” rather audibly. In the closing confessional of the episode, Jermaine gloats as he dangles the lifesaver before himself, yelling that this is ‘his game’ now, and that “it has given (him) the confidence to keep playing how (he’s) playing… everyone’s lives are going to be hell and if I have to get these people so mad that they can’t even think about competing then I’ll do it… Japan is Jermaine’s out here now”.
===Episode #2 - Fresh Out the Mental Asylum===
Reeling from Jermaine’s opening win, Norma remains irritated in her RV as the group are driven to a nearby hotel where they’ll be spending the night, having been informed by Lincoln and Sinead that the group will remain in Tokyo until the first repatriation has taken place. Choosing to confront Norma for her snide remarks about Jermaine’s victory, Luke leans over to Norma, advising her to remain ‘positive’, seemingly blaming her for any awkwardness following the victory rather than ‘villain’ Jermaine. In a confessional, Norma is shown questioning the consistent defence of Jermaine, calling the others “strangely afraid of him”, believing that his earning of the lifesaver and proving himself in challenges has spooked the other players into “condoning all his bull”. The conversation between the pair continues to sour, with Norma displaying a lack of care for Luke’s advice, leaving the latter denoting in his own confessional that he “can’t see a player like (Norma) surviving too long in this game”. Arriving at the hotel, the players are broken up into pairs (and one three) by gender in order to share rooms, with oldest male player Morgan becoming roommates with Pedro for the night. The initial conversations between the pair seem positive, revealing their mutually compatible personalities, and ultimately enable both men to feel more secure knowing that there are others in the game that they could potentially work with. Morgan goes on to detail his years of practicing Zen Buddhism, which had been passed down from his grandmother; a Japanese immigrant to Scotland in the 1950s. In a confessional, Morgan details his experience of Zen providing him with a calm and collected approach to life, hoping to utilise this to engage with the others and propel himself forward in the game. He names Pedro as somebody he would be interested in working with, believing that “the journey we’re all on right now is spiritual… and I just want to ensure that whichever of us win and grow from this… are the right sort of people”.
The next morning, the players all once again meet downstairs to grab takeaway breakfasts to eat enroute within their RVs. In the first RV, Mika and Pedro discuss their getting used to the Japanese cuisine, with both men noting that being from Russia and Brazil respectively that they feel ‘a world away from their home comforts’, particularly with so many of the other players being from the USA. In a confessional, Mika discusses his fears that players like himself and Pedro could be easy targets due to their backgrounds making it harder to integrate, hoping that winning a lifesaver could offer the means to protect himself and force others to start reaching out to him for deals and alliances. In the second RV, a conversation takes place between Hiro and Frannie, with Frannie being questioned about her ‘weeaboo’ status, particularly in relation to how she dresses and speaks. Frannie claims that her love for Japan (namely cosplay Anime) began as a result of being an outcast at school, suggesting that being a ‘weeaboo’ has found her a group of friends and provided a safe-space to exist. Despite Frannie’s supposed good intentions, Hiro openly questions how genuine her adoration for Japan is, drawing on her persona as “almost being a caricature of Japanese girls”, calling her occasional put-on broken English “well-beyond bordering on an insult”. Frannie assures Hiro that she means no harm, once again slipping back into her exaggerated persona as she begins holding up a peace sign and speaking Japanese Anime lines, much to everybody’s confusion. Selina begins wheezing with laughter as Frannie does this, and is ultimately heard exclaiming “she’s gone loco get the fork away from her”. In a confessional, Hiro sits dumbfounded as he retells Frannie’s behaviour, stating “I don’t know where you found this group of people, but they’re crazy. Frannie wants to be fresh off the boat but she’s fresh out the asylum. I can’t deal with white women sometimes…”. Morgan calmly speaks up in order to draw the fight to a close, speaking support for Hiro’s reservations, telling Frannie that occasionally those with Japanese heritage see non-Japanese individuals appropriating the culture via means that are not always accurate, such as her speaking purposely broken English when she is in fact from Sacramento. Frannie backs down after both men vocalise their opposition to her, realising that to continue would further alienate her from the group.
Both RVs arrive at Ryōgoku Kokugikan; the sporting arena that is considered ‘the Home of Sumo’ in Japan. The players all take their seats as they watch several rounds of Japan’s most popular and infamous sport, amazed by the sheer size of the wrestlers taking the stage. Following the matches, Lincoln and Sinead both take to the stage, informing the contestants that for their next daily challenge they will each be taking on one another in gendered sumo match-ups. Rather than wrestle properly, the players are told they may only push and lift during the challenge, with the goal being to remove their competitor from a circled ‘in-zone’, with the first player of each match-up to exit the in-zone being declared the loser. Due to the fact that only five women will be competing, Sinead tells the girls that there will be a singular round of three, with only one ‘loser’ from that round being produced. Lincoln and Sinead begin alternating in drawing names to decide the match-ups for the competition, with each player simultaneously changing into their mawashi gear. First up, Frannie, Norma, and Selina are drawn as the trio match-up for the ladies. Quickly into the round starting, it becomes apparent that Frannie and Norma are working together, using their combined bodyweight to push Selina backwards, easily forcing her out of the circle and saving the two of them from repatriation, with Norma miraculously beating Frannie as the round continues and putting herself in the running for a Golden Fob Lifesaver. For the second round, Erin and Kemi are left to face-off, with Kemi’s illness again causing her to appear weaker than expected, with Erin getting her out of the circle after less than one minute. The men are next to have their initial match-ups, with Morgan comfortably beating friend Pedro, Kosuke removing Luke from the circle with ease, and Mika using his size advantage to lift and carry Hiro out of the circle. For the final four rounds, the players are told that they will determine a singular winner of the challenge, as well as a singular loser. In order to determine who between each round winner/loser will be credited, Sinead explains that it will go off the basis of who is able to win or lose their rounds in the fastest time. Before the final rounds, Morgan announces that he is opting to drop-out of the next male round, noting that he has injured his hand and wouldn’t want to further exacerbate any injury, instead accepting his position as safe. For the final female match-up, youth conquers age as Erin is able to get Norma out of the circle after several minutes, with both women locked together for some time as their strength seems almost identical. Oppositely, Mika is able to almost instantaneously and aggressively push Kosuke backwards, all but confirming that he has become the victor of the day’s challenge. The bottom two rounds then take place, with Kemi surprising everybody as she uses her last ounces of strength to beat Selina despite her sickness, quickly and forcefully spinning Selina out of the circle. Lincoln then commences the final male match-up, with bottom trio Hiro, Pedro, and Luke facing-off. Luke quickly appears to have been selected as the target by the other two men, who try their best to come together to push him from the circle. However, Luke is able to wrap a leg around Hiro, tripping him and holding him down as he also simultaneously fights-off Pedro. Despite his efforts, Luke is eventually removed from the circle, but is confident that he was somehow able to last longer than fellow bottom loser Selina. Sinead confirms Luke’s hopes, announcing that Selina is officially the second nominated player that will face Addy in repatriation, whilst Mika as the daily winner has earned himself a Golden Fob Lifesaver, as well as the identical Japanese getaway prize that previous winner Jermaine was rewarded with.
Addy and Selina begin their campaigning around the arena, having been told they’ll be given just one hour before the nine eligible players cast their votes for who they want to repatriate from the game. Erin and Luke join Morgan as he gets his hand tended to by the medical team, initially hoping to make sure that he will be okay moving forward in the game. Eventually, the trio begin talking about their thoughts on nominee Selina, with Erin putting forth an argument that in the past few days it seems as though “Selina is someone who is a lot more of a threat than Addy is… I don’t think we need to worry about Addy like we would Selina”, going on to remind the two men that Selina was one of the best performers in the first daily challenge. Morgan adds that he hasn’t seen ‘kindness’ from Selina, sceptical that she is the right sort of person to leave in the game when tensions have already started amongst the more argumentative members of the group. Luke agrees with the pair’s assessment on Selina, but admits he has had positive interactions with her, being the only member of the conversation not to announce that he’ll likely be voting her out over Addy. Later on, Luke joins nominee Selina as she talks to Kosuke, hearing her pleas to remain in the game, in which she promises she will ‘fight’ for anybody who keeps her in, instead focusing on her challenge ability as a strength that would enable her to take power and keep her allies safe in the game. Kosuke gladly accepts this offer from Selina, confident that they can formulate their own alliance as a three (possibly alongside the two lifesaver holders) to take over the game. Trusting this deal a lot more, Luke declares his loyalty to Kosuke and Selina, believing they can get the votes needed against Addy. Moments before the vote, lifesaver holders Jermaine and Mika pull Erin to one side, discussing their mutual desire to see Addy voted out over Selina, trying to coerce Erin into believing that their potential influence over the game would be mutually beneficial if she were able to vote the way they want. In a confessional, Erin questions the two men’s desires, especially as neither have votes at this first repatriation. Instead, she reiterates her desire to save Addy, noting the ‘bad vibes’ off Selina being something that she “hope(s) is enough to get four others on board to send her home”. The players gather around the sumo ring, with the votes tied up 4-4 after Kemi, Kosuke, Luke, and Pedro vote for Addy, whilst Erin, Hiro, Morgan, and Norma vote for Selina, who they all dislike. The final vote comes down to outcast Frannie, who decides to eliminate Selina in a narrow 5-4 result, much to the dismay of her ally Jermaine. Selina says her goodbyes, undoubtedly surprised to be the first eliminated from the game, completely unaware at the feathers she ruffled in the past forty-eight hours. The anti-Selina voters hug a relieved Addy, who had voiced her concern at being another Australian girl booted first in ‘’Road Trip’’. The twelve remaining players leave Selina in the stadium, boarding their RVs as they proceed to be driven overnight to their next destination. 
===Episode #3 - At This Stage===
The remaining twelve road trippers are driven six hours eastward overnight to the city of Kanazawa. Throughout the journey, all the players bed down in order to get as much rest as possible, knowing that they will undoubtedly be facing their third daily challenge upon reaching their next destination. Rather than sleep solo, Frannie joins previous daily winner Mika in the double bed at the back of the RV, cuddling into him in what others perceive to be a somewhat romantic kindling. Despite the perception, Frannie is shown in a confessional denying having any romantic interest in Mika, instead claiming that “he is protection for me in this game, I don’t really like… fat… geeks...”, laughing after her cruel analysis of Mika’s appearance. Frannie goes on to admit that Mika having the Golden Fob Lifesaver is of interest to her, particularly as it offers a means of her being safe should he believe that there is a possibility of romance between the pair. In the other RV, Addy and Morgan sit up as the only two players not in bed, discussing Addy’s survival of the first repatriation vote. Addy voices her gratitude to Morgan for being one of the five players who voted to keep her safe, promising that she will do what she can to repay his loyalty moving forward in the game. Morgan is honest with Addy that at this stage he hasn’t had anybody make any formal proposals of an alliance, but that at this moment he feels best about working alongside those that voted against Selina, as well as his perception that Pedro is “somebody (they) can trust”. Although unsure as to how she should feel about Pedro, Addy maintains that she is simply glad to be in the game, and is “ready to accept any alliance we can put together” to prevent any of them falling victim to an early exit.
The next morning, the players arrive in Kanazawa, where they’re given a short time to freshen up and enjoy the Ido era architecture that still stands around the city, mainly thanks to the fact that the city avoided destruction via World War II air raids in the same fashion that other areas of Japan had. Whilst walking around the Higashi Chaya geisha district, Morgan takes the opportunity to speak with fellow Selina voter Hiro and friend Pedro, choosing it as the right moment to recommend that the three men consider coming together to form some sort of alliance alongside other players (dropping Addy, Erin, and Norma’s names at this stage). Having been worried about voting in the minority, Pedro almost instantaneously accepts the offer, telling Morgan and Hiro that they are the two players that he feels “the most secure” with, a sentiment shared by Hiro, who believes that a six person alliance would be “virtually unstoppable”. Elsewhere in the district, Erin and Luke sit together to grab a quick bite to eat, spending their time further bonding and additionally talking over Luke voting against Addy in spite of being part of the conversations about sending Selina home. Luke tells Erin that he doesn’t explicitly regret the vote, instead hoping that it doesn’t impact the bond between the two of them, naming Erin as “the person I trust the most in this game”. Erin reiterates the same mindset to Luke, promising that she will do what she can to protect him moving forward, instead believing that the group will be looking at players like Frannie who are “drawing the wrong kind of attention”.
Sometime later, the players are told to meet Lincoln and Sinead by the Ninja Weapons Museum, where a tour guide shows the group around and introduces them to an abundance of ninja practices and weaponry, as well as the true history of ninja agents, and how such history lead to fascination in folklore. Towards the end of the tour, the players are brought to an outside courtyard where they see a large target board in place. Lincoln explains to the players that in the spirit of the ninja, they will each be given three ninja throwing stars (shuriken), and will have one round to throw all three stars at the target board, attempting to score as highly as possible based on how the board has been divided. The player with the highest score will be crowned the Tour Leader, earning the opportunity to nominate another player for repatriation, whilst the lowest scorer will automatically find themselves nominated. In the interest of fairness, all the players throw their stars privately, not allowing the others to have an idea of how highly they need to score to avoid placing last. Shockingly, oldest player Norma appears confident with her throws, as do Erin and Pedro, all landing their stars and believing that their total could be enough to propel them to victory. Alternatively, lifesaver holders Jermaine and Mika have a less successful time, as does Addy, who only manages to land a single star, fearing that she may yet again find herself nominated. After injuring his hand at the previous challenge, Morgan equally has a poor showing, instead using his weaker left hand in the challenge, believing that based on his score he “may likely be in danger” tonight. Sinead tallies up the scores, revealing that Morgan has in fact placed last, leaving him automatically nominated for repatriation. She then reveals that Pedro has beaten Erin and Norma, earning himself the right to select who will face ally Morgan in repatriation. Whilst Pedro considers, Frannie quickly steps forth and requests to pull him to one side, something which Pedro accepts. The pair are seen whispering as Frannie pleads for her safety, knowing at this stage she is the ‘easy target’ in the group, hoping that her ‘friendship’ with Pedro will be enough to keep him safe, and instead that he can “focus on getting who (he) wants out” rather than what others have told him. Taking this into account, Pedro decides to spare Frannie, stating in a confessional that he feels insulated enough by his ‘new alliance’ to make his own move, selecting Kosuke to face-off against Morgan after reasoning that “the two of us haven’t really bonded in the three days we have been here”. Lincoln confirms to Kosuke and Morgan that they will have just one hour to campaign for their safety before one of them becomes the second player to leave the road trip.
Luke is quick to show disappointment that his ally Kosuke has been nominated, making it no secret that he will help his friend campaign to get Morgan voted out and preserve what little standing he has in the game at this point. Alternatively, Morgan’s strong social bonds leave him feeling somewhat confident, quickly being assured by Addy, Erin, and Hiro that he has their votes to stay in the game. After speaking with Morgan, the trio head over together to discuss Pedro’s decision to nominate Kosuke, in particular wondering what it was that he and Frannie talked about. Erin calls Frannie “a bit of a weirdo”, with Hiro also agreeing that he doesn’t like that she was able to convince Pedro to go after somebody else, leaving him unsure whether Pedro is “getting good with too many people”. Addy insists that whilst she has faith in their alliance, that she too finds Pedro the hardest person to believe when talking about loyalty within their group, namely because he had tried to vote her out the previous evening. The three agree that they won’t let their paranoia destroy their alliance before it has even had a chance to flourish, but promise to ‘keep an eye on Pedro’ and not let him have too many avenues and options in the game. As the campaigning continues, Morgan hams up his social game as being a means of keeping him around, whilst Kosuke instead talks about how much the journey means to him, believing that he hasn’t had an opportunity to show his true personality and really get settled amongst the group. The players travel a short distance to a nearby Ninja temple, standing ceremoniously around a fire as the eligible players begin casting their votes for either Kosuke or Morgan to leave the game. In the end, Kosuke is repatriated in a 6-3 result, after only Frannie, Luke, and Mika cast their votes to send Morgan home. Kosuke reservedly accepts his fate, undoubtedly shattered at seeing his experience end so soon after such high expectations. After Kosuke departs via taxicab, the remaining eleven players come together to head back to the RVs, knowing that the game and exits are only getting more difficult and intense with each passing day.
===Episode #4 - Weeabye===
The morning after Kosuke’s repatriation, the remaining players are awoken early to undergo a two hour journey southwards to the city of Takayama, their next pit-stop for their Japanese journey. For breakfast, each RV is gifted with an assortment of Japanese milk buns and tea-based drinks. In the first RV, Hiro, Jermaine, and Luke sit together and eat, quietly talking out of earshot of Norma and Kemi who are sat up-front. Luke is open to the pair about his sadness at losing Kosuke at the last repatriation, believing that they may have missed an opportunity to “vote somebody out who is going to be an underlying threat in the game”, alluding to Morgan and his supposed social prowess. Jermaine agrees with Luke’s concerns, but claims to have voted Kosuke because “his campaign kinda sucked… I don’t care… nobody cares… that you’re Japanese… Morgan’s like half Japanese or something… we’re not playing some ethnic identity games here because then my black ass is finished in Japan”. Hiro and Luke laugh at Jermaine’s comments, with Hiro joining in on the joke hoping that “you aren’t so quick to vote out anyone else who you think might be Japanese… I swear I was born in Cali!”. In continuing their discussion, the men come to terms with the fact that Morgan is somebody who undoubtedly poses a threat, and that to write him off as nothing more than a ‘Zen/peaceful player’ would be a gross mistake on their parts. In a confessional, Hiro notes that although he is aligned with Morgan, that he is happy to “see the eyes and daggers going towards somebody else”, believing it will benefit him if others are perceived to be more threatening. In the second RV, Erin lays across ally Pedro as she eats her breakfast, allowing him to play with her hair as the pair act in a flirtatious manner. The two are teased by the others for their ‘flirting’, leading Erin to then begin giving Morgan an impromptu backrub, helping him overcome sore back muscles that have been ailing him after spending a few nights sleeping in the RV. Both Morgan and Pedro appear to enjoy the attention off Erin, seemingly believing that it is bringing them closer both alliance wise and personally. However, in a confessional Erin smirks at the flirting, before cringing as she admits “I don’t think… any of these men are really aware that back home… I am in a relationship. I have been for two years now, we’ve got a cat… we’re putting down for a flat… and that’s a big reason I’m here to try and get the money. My girlfriend is the only person I think about when working out how to advance in this game, but she told me you do whatever you have to. So, if I’ve got to stroke the egos of a few men and make them feel wanted by a red blooded female… then that’s what I’m going to do”.
Arriving in Takayama, the players are given carte blanche to explore the city before their next daily challenge. The entire group opt to take on a walking tour of the city, allowing them to visit nearby temples, shrines, and the cities famous food stall marketplace. Whilst walking around, Mika and Erin trail behind the others, discussing their thoughts for who would likely be targets in the upcoming repatriation. Both are quick to name Kemi, identifying her as somebody who hasn’t integrated well into the group due to her illness, with neither suggesting that they have had any meaningful discussions with her since the start of the journey. Erin jokes that Kemi is “boring” in comparison to the others, believing that nominating her would ultimately be the safest decision that anybody could make, particularly now that initial target Frannie is seemingly being protected by Pedro and ‘romantic interest’ Mika, who is unaware that Frannie is in fact using him to remain safe. By the street market, Hiro joins ally Pedro and the latter’s ‘new friend’ Frannie as they purchase beef skewers. Frannie and Hiro take the time to seemingly make amends after their earlier disagreement surrounding cultural appropriation, knowing that to have ‘enemies’ in the game at an early stage isn’t ideal, particularly after one argument led to Kosuke’s early repatriation. In a confessional, Pedro discusses wanting to extend their alliance to include Frannie, believing that somebody “so crazy” would be good to have as a number on their side, confident she would remain loyal to him over the other members of their group. Pedro announces to the pair that ideally they should hope that one of them can win the next challenge, also suggesting that Morgan, Addy, or Erin would have their backs, subtly pushing for Kemi to be the individual that they can all target in the upcoming vote.
Mid-afternoon, the players arrive at the base of the Shinhotaka Ropeway, an aerial lift system that runs up and down Mount Hotaka of the Hida Mountain range. Lincoln and Sinead greet the players, confirming that this will be the location of their fourth daily challenge. Broken up into groups, players will take the fourteen minute journey up the cable car lift system, with the car coming to a halt midway as it lays parallel to a descending lift. The players will at this point be shown a Japanese-related image on the side of the opposing cable car, with just three minutes being given to study said image. The car will then continue, pausing again at another descending car, at which point they will be shown an almost identical image for a further three minutes. In this time, players must identify the eight changes to the new image that did not exist on the original, writing their answers down on supplied notepads before ‘locking in’. The individual to get the most correct changes will be crowned the winner, nominating somebody to face-off against the individual with the least correctly identified changes. However, Sinead informs the players that any working together in this challenge will result in disqualification and immediate nomination, as otherwise time ‘locking in’ will be taken to break tied scores. Erin, Frannie, Jermaine, and Norma are the first four to ascend in the lift, shocked at the complexity and detail seen on the initial image, knowing that this challenge will be more difficult than anticipated. Norma laughs as she declares her “eyesight is going to be an issue” here, doing her best to push-up against the glass to study the puzzle. The second group consists of Hiro, Kemi, Mika, and Pedro, with the three men secretly having it in their mind at this point that Kemi will be their target going into repatriation. Finally, Addy, Luke, and Morgan take on the challenge, with a slight mechanical issue causing their cart to stop two minutes into the journey before they are able to see the opposing puzzle car. The trio remain confused, with Addy quickly entering a panic attack as she looks down and sees the immense drop below as they dangle in the air. Joking around, Luke begins to shake the car, causing Addy to humorously scream as he wheezes in amusement. Addy continues to have her panic attack, with Luke soon also becoming claustrophobic at the situation they find themselves in, whilst Morgan quietly meditates on the side, choosing ‘not to let the fear get to him’. After a short while, the car continues moving, giving the trio a chance to complete the challenge. In a joint confessional, Addy and Luke joke that they deserve a “do over” for the stress they were put through, with Addy exclaiming “I was sweating, I could barely hold my pen… I’m terrible at these challenges enough without the mountain spirits interfering and seeing that I come last… again!”. The group hug a shaken Addy and Luke as they rejoin the others, with everybody taking a seat and grabbing some tea as they wait for Lincoln and Sinead to tally the results. Minutes later, Lincoln announces that four players scored a perfect eight out of eight; Addy, Jermaine, Kemi, and Pedro. Alternatively, only one player is declared to have failed to identify a single change; Frannie, leaving her automatically nominated for repatriation. In a confessional, Luke laughs as he questions how Frannie was unable to notice a single change, pointing out “one image the mountain had snow… the second… it didn’t… I’m not trying to be funny but if you can’t notice something like that? Maybe it’s time to remove the green contacts and see an optician”. Sinead then announces that based on locking in times, Pedro and Addy have finished in third and fourth place respectively, whilst Kemi has beaten Jermaine to become the day’s Tour Leader. The group remain somewhat silent and dumbfounded that their quietest member has managed to win the challenge, thwarting the ‘consensus’ that she would be the one leaving this round. Kemi stands, taking a moment to consider who she’ll be nominating, with everybody unsure as to where her head is at game-wise. Surprisingly, Kemi selects Addy as her nominee, giving little reason beyond “one of the people I didn’t get to speak to”, with Addy quipping “one being everyone”. Addy and Frannie stand side-by-side as Sinead informs them that they will remain atop the mountain for the next hour to campaign, before one of them becomes the third player to leave the road trip.
Addy is quickly comforted by friend Erin, who assures her ally that she will “survive it again” in relation to the vote, believing that Frannie still remains an easy target that any of them would be able to survive against. Equally, Frannie seeks refuge amongst ‘allies’ Mika and Pedro, telling them that she is “terrified” that she will not survive the vote, despite assurances from Mika that they will be able to get four votes against Addy, leaving Kemi with the sole decision to “eliminate her clear target (Addy) from the game”. In a confessional, Pedro mentions feeling trapped between both candidates for repatriation, feeling that he is closer to Frannie, whereas “the rest of (his) alliance is completely pulling for Addy”. Confirming Pedro’s words, Erin, Hiro, and Morgan are all again shown to be protecting Addy, believing that they will have Pedro, Norma, and potentially Luke’s votes to make this a ‘near clean sweep’. However, as time progresses, Mika is shown aggressively campaigning to Jermaine and Norma separately, reminding them that Frannie is no threat, whilst Addy has “too much support not to take a chance” at voting her out. Discussions continue to take place between Erin and Pedro, as the two ‘leaders’ of the alliances appear on different pages, as Pedro slowly reveals that he is currently leaning towards ousting Addy, promising Erin that it “wouldn’t change (their) alliance” to lose Addy. In a confessional, Erin curses Pedro’s wavering loyalties, declaring that she is “pretty much sold on the fact that Pedro is looking out for Pedro… way too quickly and way too slimy”. Feeling nervous, Erin decides to approach ‘friend’ Luke to discuss the vote, knowing that as a less connected player he will be key in determining which way the result goes. Luke tells Erin that he isn’t too bothered who leaves the game, but that he worries leaving Addy in could “cause (him) problems”, particularly as Addy is aware he was one of the players who voted against her at the first vote. Erin assures Luke that nobody is worried about past votes, instead promising that this could “be the start of a new bond” between the two of them and Addy, who she calls “loyal to the core”. With time up, the players gather inside the mountain lodge, casting their votes to send either Addy or Frannie home from the game. Mika, Norma, and Pedro’s votes all go to eliminate Addy, whilst Erin, Hiro, and Morgan all stand-by their ally to vote to repatriate Frannie. The final two votes from Jermaine and Luke join the ‘alliance’ in ousting Frannie in a 5-3 result, ultimately deciding that her difficult personality and the benefits of keeping Addy outweigh the opposition’s arguments. Frannie begins breaking down as she is eliminated from the game, rebuffing a hug off Mika as she heads to one side before falling to her knees, leaving Addy wide-eyed as she awkwardly hugs her allies who kept her safe. In spite of pleas from her supporters, Frannie asks Lincoln and Sinead ‘where to go’, following their instructions to board the aerial lift and descend down the mountain, disappearing into the distance as her wails fall silent. Lincoln and Sinead confirm to the players that they’ll remain atop the mountain overnight, bedding down in the hotel lodge before moving on to their next destination. In a confessional, Erin declares victory over Pedro, claiming that although she intends to work alongside him, that she “won’t trust him to stick by our alliance”, further adding that he can “count his days because I’m not granting him a third strike”.
===Episode #5 - Dropping a Bombshell===
The remaining players all sit together in their mountaintop hotel lodge for dinner, cordially discussing the day’s events following Frannie’s emotional repatriation. Over dinner, Morgan gives a speech about harmony and friendship on the tour, offering to lead the group through a meditation later to “bring positive energy” back to the environment. In a confessional, Morgan reiterates his mantra of hoping positivity will prevail, but also candidly admits that he is aware that his mindset could serve well for him at formulating bonds and popularity within the game. Morgan’s tactics appear successful, with several players shown in confessionals that they think highly of Morgan, certain that his popularity would make him an unwise individual to target within the game. However, as the night continues, the players begin retiring to bed, enabling conversations surrounding threats in the game to commence as groups break off in privacy. Roommates Kemi and Norma invite Luke to their room, with Kemi formulating discussions surrounding the three of them being the ‘outsiders’ in the game, believing now that Frannie has gone that they will certainly be the next ‘at risk’ players when it comes to group mentality. Norma supports Kemi’s assertion, claiming that whilst she is fond of players like Morgan, that “the other players need to see that he’s got them all wrapped around his finger”, asking “did we all fly out here to just write Morgan a cheque?”. Deciding to take a risk, Luke reveals to the ladies that he has had conversations with Erin, detailing that it is apparent that there is some sort of alliance going on with the other players, and that their best bet would be to highlight the threat level that others are presenting over themselves. Both Kemi and Luke agree that should either win the next challenge that they need to target Morgan, whilst Norma claims to still want to see “Jermaine lose his lifesaver”. The trio stay up talking for a further hour, trying to frame a plan to ensure that the three of them are able to not only survive the next repatriation, but ensure that the others in the game are forced to turn on one another.
On the sixth day of the road trip, the remaining ten players descend from Mount Hotaka, being escorted in their RVs from Takayama in order to catch a bullet train destined for the city of Hiroshima in southern Japan. The eight hour journey time is cut in half by the bullet train, giving the group an opportunity to rest and socialise as they enjoy the marvel of Japanese public transport and infrastructure. Throughout the journey, much of the group conversation centres around the infamy of Hiroshima being synonymous with the atomic bombings that brought an end to World War II; with Hiroshima being the first military target of a nuclear weapon in human history. Remaining respectful, the players discuss the debate around the justification of the bombings, and whether such weaponry use can be deemed irresponsible or more seriously a ‘war crime’. Morgan voices his own opinions on the matter, believing that the use of such weapons would never be justified, disregarding arguments that others put forth that many cite the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as ending the world’s bloodiest conflict. Despite it being clear that nobody is interested in drawing the matter out, Morgan posits that nuclear weapons are “mankind’s greatest error”, preaching that they could to this day bring about the destruction of the world as we know it. In confessionals, several players are shown to be ‘tired’ of Morgan’s utopian ideals, with Luke claiming that “he says a whole lot of nothing for somebody that has to give a peace talk every five minutes… I’m bored of it”. Equally, Kemi speaks up requesting that Morgan “let it die” in relation to the conversation, instead reminding him that “everyone just wants to rest right now”.
Upon arrival in Hiroshima, the group are given a short break before being transported in a private bus to Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Museum; dedicated to the victims of the Hiroshima atomic bombings. The group are given a tour accompanied by Lincoln and Sinead, hearing of the museum’s goals at promoting a peaceful international community to avoid such horrors ever taking place again in future geopolitical conflict. Following the tour, the players are informed that they’ll each be given two hours to complete a piece of ‘art’, with recommendations ranging from poetry, performance art, and drawings/paintings, enabling each player to make their own decision as to what they can put together to best fit the brief of ‘artwork in-line with the museum’s values’. Several players are quickly seen deciding to select what will best suite their own fortes, whilst others are left dumbstruck as to what avenue they should go down in order to at best win the challenge, or more simply avoid falling into last place. During the two hours, Erin is seen painting, believing that her art skills will give her an edge on the competition. In a confessional, Erin gloats that her confidence is high prior to presenting to the local judges, going as far to critique those that she sees struggling. Elsewhere, Norma begins struggling as she deems her own painting to be of little worth, changing last minute to instead put together a performance poem based on an anti-nuclear stance. With time up, the players begin presenting their artwork to the three local judges one at a time, with Lincoln and Sinead then receiving the results to update the players on who has won this challenge, and who will automatically face the fourth repatriation. Secret ‘allies’ Erin and Luke are deemed to be the top two finishers in the challenge, with Erin’s artwork and Luke’s dance routine both capturing the favour of the judges, whilst Morgan’s artwork and Jermaine’s own dance number are deemed appropriate enough to be given safety at this stage. Additionally, Hiro, Kemi, Mika, and Pedro are also named as being safe, with Addy’s misunderstanding of a Haiku and Norma’s last minute poetry entry named as the bottom two performers of the day. Yet again, Addy is selected as the last place in the challenge, leaving her nominated for her third repatriation in just four rounds. Addy laughs in bemusement, remarking in a confessional that she may be “setting the record for the worst person to ever step foot in the RV” when it comes to challenges. Providing a sense of comfort, Addy’s closest ally Erin is named as the winner, giving her the sole decision as to who will face her friend in repatriation. Erin barely hesitates before selecting Kemi, scathingly commenting that “you haven’t made a lot of effort with people, and I know you’ve been sick, but I think after six days it isn’t much of an excuse… I just don’t think you fit in here and I want to pick someone who won’t have their friends mad at me when they go home”. Kemi shakes her head, stating back that she ‘isn’t surprised’, going on to name Erin as “the cold head of a group who think they’re running this entire game”. Kemi continues by criticising the players for allowing “a small group to run this thing”, asking if everybody is “happy just to say they came to Japan” rather than winning the game. Both Erin and Hiro are heard mocking Kemi in return, pointing out that she ‘hasn’t spoken for five days’ and ‘suddenly found her voice’ now that she is on the backfoot. The back and forth continues between Hiro and Kemi, as the pair argue about whether or not there truly is an alliance, with Hiro calling Kemi “bitter and delusional”. Sinead breaks up the fight by interjecting that both women will have an hour to campaign, leaving Erin to again comment “there’s already four votes for Kemi so she may as well just get her things”.
In spite of Erin’s arrogant remarks, Kemi continues her best to campaign for her safety, again speaking with ‘outsiders’ Norma and Luke, with the latter particularly swayed by what he saw take place at the results ceremony. In a confessional, Luke notes that whilst he is aligned with Erin, that he feels no security working alongside Hiro, Morgan, and Addy, instead believing that his best bet would be to see Addy finally leave the game, and instead blindside the alliance that at this stage have the most power. To do this, Luke approaches Pedro, with the two men talking frankly about Addy’s mistrust of the latter after he had voted against her twice, stating that this night is an opportunity to ‘remove that awkwardness’ and reshape the group that are in control. Pedro nods as Luke talks, clearly feeling as though his points are valid, speaking in his own confessional that he is confident that Kemi remaining in the game “may do more good for (him) than Addy”. Alternatively, Addy’s campaign mostly sticks within her own alliance, also feeling confident that based on Erin’s cockiness that she already has enough votes to stay. However, Hiro still takes the opportunity to speak with floating voter Mika, explaining to him that he finds the certainty of Erin foolish, and that they still need to convince players like Mika that it is the right move to send Kemi home. Mika explains to Hiro that at this moment he feels little care for either Addy or Kemi, instead hoping that “the better pitch” will win him over. Hiro tells Mika that if they vote Kemi out, it will instead keep players like Morgan and Erin believing they have power, ultimately providing a safety net a the ‘top’ of the game, as well as Addy who “will probably lose any challenge she competes in”. In a confessional, Mika appears unsure, admitting that for his own game he would like both Addy and Kemi out soon, instead naming Jermaine as the only player he trusts at this point, stating that “my vote will go wherever his does”. With time up, the remaining ten players gather outside in order to cast their votes to eliminate either Addy or Kemi from the game, with Hiro and Morgan again voting to keep ally Addy safe. Oppositely, ‘outsiders’ Luke and Norma are joined again by dissident Pedro, all of whom vote to eliminate Addy, wanting to flip the game in their favour against Erin and Morgan. The final two votes come down to floaters Jermaine and Mika, who save Addy for her third repatriation by instead voting to eliminate Kemi, claiming that her attempts to mix up the game simply came too late. Kemi sighs in disappointment, knowing that she was one vote away from causing her desired flip in the game, softly criticising Jermaine and Mika for a “weak move”. Kemi hugs both Norma and Luke goodbye, also wishing Pedro luck as she remarks that “you’ll need it now”. Erin drowns out Kemi’s words by applauding her exit, clearly glad to see the back of her in the game, leaving Addy to rest her head on Hiro’s shoulder as she realises just how close again she has come to leaving the road trip. After Kemi departs, the final nine players are congratulated on reaching the jury stage of the game, knowing that at this point they will all need to play not only to progress, but to also ensure that those leaving do so with the intent of crowning them Champion of the Road Trip.