The Cataclysm: Resurrection II

**The Cataclysm: Resurrection II** is the 33rd season of the fictional reality competition series *The Cataclysm*. It is the eighth overall season to feature returning players on the cast. It is also the first *Resurrection* season in 10 years. Taking place in Guatemala, 11 men and 11 women compete in the ultimate test of strength, endurance, and intelligence in order to be the "last one standing" and claim the $2,000,000 prize.

## Format

* **Exemption Challenge:**The Cataclysm's immunity challenge. The winners of this challenge are exempt from elimination.
* **Commander:** Prior to an exemption challenge during the faction stage, each team must select a member to be the team captain. This player becomes the Commander for that challenge. The Commander of the winning faction gets to nominate three players from the opposite team to face the voting ballot.
* **Final Challenge:**The finalists are determined in a Final Challenge, where the remaining contestants compete in a multi-level final competition that determines who advances to the end. In this season, the remaining five contestants compete to earn one of three final spots and the losers become the final members of the jury.
* **Ballot:**The Cataclysm's elimination round. Those nominated to face the ballot risk being eliminated.
* **Medallions:**In addition to the **Resurrection Medallion**, the other medallions available to use are: the **Fire Medallion**, which allows the holder to instantly nominate a player for the ballot, and the **Chaos Medallion**, which allows the holder to erase the ballot nominations and leave all the players up for elimination, excluding the holder of the chaos medallion and the exemption challenge winner.

## New Twists/Changes

* **Second Chances:** The returning contestants are all competing in their second chance at the prize. These players are looking to redeem their previous losses.
* **Purgatory:**Previously eliminated contestants are given the opportunity to return to the game. Following each elimination during the faction stage, the cast-offs are taken to a secret island known as *Purgatory*. After the first ten eliminations, these contestants compete to earn their place back in the game. The two players that survive purgatory are re-entered into the game.
* **Reward of Redemption (ROR):** Returning from *The Ultimate Cataclysm*, the Reward of Redemption this season is bequeathed to a player still in the game by the most recent eliminated player. This reward gives an advantage to a player in finding a hidden Medallion.

## Episode Progress

Legend
 Runner-Up
 2nd Runner-Up
 SAFE
 LOW
 BTM
 ELIM

## Notes

* On Episode 5, Hayes played the **Chaos Medallion**, thus adding everyone eligible into the voting ballot while removing his own.
* On Episode 6, Angela played the **Resurrection Medallion**, thus removing her nomination from the voting ballot.
* On Episode 9, Heath played the **Fire Medallion** and nominated Rachelle for the voting ballot.
* On Episode 11, Cici and Hayes re-entered the game after surviving Purgatory. Also, Curtis played the **Resurrection Medallion**, thus removing his nomination from the voting ballot.
* On Episode 14, Heath played the **Chaos Medallion**, thus adding everyone eligible into the voting ballot while removing his own.
* On Episode 16, Angela played the **Fire Medallion** and nominated Bianca for the voting ballot.
* On Episode 17, Lauren played the **Resurrection Medallion**, thus removing her nomination from the voting ballot.

## Season Summary

The 22 contestants are welcomed in Guatemala to begin their second chance at the game. They learn the factions would be split between men and women. On Cante, alliances formed between friends Angela and Jessica along with Ayla. There was also an alliance between Bianca, Cici, and Jeanna who bonded over being the sole representatives from their seasons long ago. On Topoxte, major voting blocs formed between Artem/Brad/Duncan and Blake/Curtis/Ilias/Heath with Austin and Alex reforming their alliance from Malaysia.

Topoxte won the first Exemption Challenge with Ilias as Commander. In order to not target potential allies from the other guys, he targets Bianca and Cici along with Asia. Angela's alliance initially attempted to vote out Bianca, however others felt Asia was a weaker competitor leading to her being the first eliminated. When Cante won next with Cassidy as Commander, she decided Austin and Alex of Malaysia along with Rowan, much to the dismay of Angela. This led to Alex being voted out next. The men won the next challenge with Rowan as Commander. He nominated Cassidy for her nomination last round along side a strong physical player in Cici and a weak physical player in Ayla to push the vote onto the former. Ultimately, Ayla was blindsided and voted out. With Angela winning as Commander for the women, she targeted Cassidy's fellow Socotra castmate in Brad along with Curtis and Hayes. An outsider alliance formed between Austin, Hayes, and Rowan which was kept secret. They ultimately decided to side with Curtis' alliance and voted out Brad. The women won again with Lauren as Commander with initial nominees of Curtis, Hayes, and Rowan. With Hayes playing a Chaos Medallion, the target shifted with Artem/Duncan being focused on. As a result, Duncan was voted out. With the men winning next with Commander Hayes, he targeted Angela and Lauren for nominating him as well as Cici. Angela saved herself from the ballot with a Resurrection Medallion. Feeling Lauren was a better asset for their team, Cici was therefore voted out.

A faction draft occurred on Episode 7. On the new Topoxte, Curtis and Ilias remained aligned with Artem, Elodie, and Lauren forming a reunion New World II alliance. On the new Cante, Rachelle and Rowan reunited with the two forming an alliance with Hayes. Blake and Heath ultimately decide to target that new alliance by forming bonds with separate players in Angela and Cassidy. When Cante won with Cassidy as Commander, Blake and Heath made a deal with her to target the New World II alumni in hopes of eliminating Artem. Topoxte decided to keep Artem and Lauren as stronger competitors and voted out Elodie as a result. Ilias as Commander for the winning Topoxte led to him directly asking Blake/Heath on who to nominate, learning of the new Hell On Earth alliance. Ilias decides to nominate Rachelle, Rowan, and Hayes. Unable to find a Medallion, Hayes was voted out for being a potential threat.

When Jeanna became Commander following Topoxte's win, she decided to approach Artem and Lauren about aligning. They agreed and chose to target Blake and Heath. Jeanna nominated Angela as well as they were on opposite sides to begin with. In order to save themselves, Angela, Blake, and Heath worked together to find the Fire Medallion and chose to target Rachelle as they felt they could work with Rowan if reunited with Austin later on while Rachelle was a wild card to them, and thus the plan was successful. Rowan became Commander next and immediately targeted Ilias and his alliance with Blake. He also nominated Jeanna, which nearly sent her home. However, Ilias was viewed as a potential long term threat and was voted out 4-3.

With 12 contestants remaining, they were informed that the Solo Stage was to begin. Prior to that, the eliminated contestants in Purgatory competed to re-enter the game. The challenge was won by Cici and Hayes - thus re-entering them into the game. Alliances were drawn between Bianca/Cici/Jeanna, Artem/Lauren, Angela/Jessica, Blake/Heath, Austin/Hayes/Rowan with blocs formed between Angela/Jessica/Blake/Curtis/Heath and Artem/Lauren/Bianca/Cici/Jeanna. Rowan won the first individual Exemption Challenge and targeted the Blake/Curtis/Heath alliance. Following Curtis playing a Medallion, the vote came down to Blake and Heath. Heath's stronger relationships led to him staying and Blake being eliminated. Angela winning next led to her once again targeting Bianca, Cici, and Jeanna. Everyone decided to vote Cici out feeling she was a bigger competitive threat of the three. Jessica winning continued the target on Bianca and Jeanna. Her nominating Cassidy led to the Austin/Hayes/Rowan and Artem/Lauren alliances deciding to work together to blindside the other and voted Cassidy out. Rowan once again winning led to Angela, Heath, and Jessica being targeted. With Heath playing a Chaos Medallion, Angela convinced Austin to work with her and target Artem. In a 6-4 vote, Artem was blindsided and next eliminated.

Curtis won the next Exemption Challenge and decided to target the Austin/Hayes/Rowan alliance with intentions of getting rid of Rowan. Feeling Rowan would retaliate later on, outsiders Bianca, Jeanna, and Lauren made a deal with Hayes and Rowan to vote out Austin. As a result, Austin was next eliminated. Rowan would win next and as expected, targeted Angela, Curtis, and Heath. Angela playing a Fire Medallion led to Lauren making a secret deal with Curtis and Heath to convince Angela to stay away from her in exchange for her vote. As a result, Angela nominated Bianca and she was voted out. Jessica won the next Exemption Challenge and nominated Jeanna, Lauren, and Rowan. Fearing Rowan being spared to retaliate again, Lauren saved herself with the Resurrection Medallion. In the end, Rowan was voted out. Curtis winning next led to Hayes, Jeanna, and Jessica being nominated. With the exception of Lauren, everyone else voted out Jeanna. In the final Exemption Challenge, Lauren won and secured a secret final 3 deal with Curtis and Heath by sparing them of the voting ballot. Fearing Hayes was a threat to make final and win, he was voted out.

In the Final Challenge of the season, Angela, Curtis, Heath, Jessica, and Lauren competed in the multi-stage challenge to earn a spot in the final 3. Curtis, Heath, and Lauren worked together throughout to make it to the end, which enrages Angela and Jessica who learn that they've been blindsided by the men. In the second stage, Jessica was eliminated. In the final stage, Angela was eliminated and became the final member of the jury.

Curtis, Lauren, and Heath faced the 11 Jury members and plead the case as to why they deserved to win. All three were well received, with a split vote between Lauren and Heath from their tenacity during the season. In the end, Heath Finch won in a 6-5-0 vote.