Winners At War Episode 8: Lions, Hyenas And Snakes, Oh My!

They're coming for you!

The players on Edge of Extinction get the news that their opportunity to re-enter is here, and now is the time to spend their fire tokens. Natalie picks 1 advantage and an idol. Rob also buys an advantage and an idol, with Amber's fire token. Then they walk off with a badass Reservoir Dogs-esque shot.

The other players are brought together and everybody throws off their buff when Jeff tells them they are merged. Then it's time to find out who the 12th member of the tribe will be as the EoE players arrive for their return challenge. Jeff asks Natalie, Tyson and Rob how their experience on the Edge has been, and they get emotional about it.

Buffs flying like graduation caps

The challenge is to go over nets, use sticks to get a key and then do a ball maze. Tyson and Rob are first to get their bags. Parvati, Amber and Yul are left digging since they couldn't buy advantages. Rob hooks his key and is first to attempt the maze. Tyson and Natalie get it next, and Yul has impressively caught up too. Soon only Amber is left behind. Tyson cuts it close but is still on course. A nailbiting close contest between Rob and Tyson results in Tyson returning to the game.

Drinking the blood of her enemies

The merge tribe arrive at their feast and see the prices for rewards have gone up. Denise tells her "Queenslayer" story, though it's just making her a bigger target. Wendell talks with Jeremy, and Jeremy wants Nick out since then he can be Wendell's number one. Tyson, Ben, Jeremy and Tony are all banding together to try and take out some of the lower profile players.

"I'm so scared"...won't be the last time

Rain hits the Koru camp hard, and that continues into the next challenge, which is to hold onto a pole. Sophie is crying from the cold before she even starts. There'll be a male and female winner of this challenge, and they'll both get a fire token too. Adam looks wobbly, but Michele is out first. Adam, Sarah, Tyson, Wendell and Tony all go down in quick succession. Once Sophie goes, Denise and Kim are the last two women. Both are slipping, but Denise manages to get it. It's Jeremy vs Nick for the men, and Jeremy is staring him down. Jeremy holds on longer, getting the win. Now he can push for Nick, risk-free.

Mind if I drop in?

Ben and Tony agree to the Nick vote, who is being annoying by butting into conversations. Nick wants to vote out Adam as he's tight with Denise. Sophie worries the big guys are taking over and wants to take out Wendell to weaken Jeremy. Ben lets Jeremy know Wendell's in trouble, and now is trying to change the vote to Adam just to save him. Adam is nervous and Sophie tells him not to be paranoid. But how can he, when Ben is so clearly playing dumb?

At tribal council, Tyson says he's not gonna be as loose-lipped as he was before. Sophie says it actually helps Tyson to not have baggage. Adam talks about not getting as many conversations as he would like, and Sophie says you have to be OK being out of the loop. Sarah says everyone's keeping their cards close to their chest. Tony just wants to go with the current.

Adam votes for Wendell, saying it'll be one of them. The votes are read, and it sure looks like Adam is going at first...but Wendell turns out to be the unlucky one. He doesn't know who betrayed him, but decides to give one token to Nick and one (back) to Michele. Good call, as both of them were clearly shocked at the vote.

Wendell becomes the first new school casualty in a while, but now it feels like this game could truly go in any direction. Who's gonna be on whose side by the time we get to next tribal? Anyone's guess.

STAR OF THE WEEK: SOPHIE CLARKE

Sophie demonstrated that she's incredibly perceptive, and managed to get her way tonight. I'm very impressed with how she's played so far and hope it can continue.