50.11-Talking to the Great Wall of China

Previously...

Chris: "Enough! This is going nowhere. All we know is each and every one of us had a part to play in the failure. I think we're done here."

~~~

Philo: "I guess...what I'm trying to say is...would you kill for me?"

Claves: "No. I'm concerned you want to kill someone."

Philo: "It's for the greater good. It's like killing baby Hitler."

Claves: "You want to kill a baby?"

Philo: "That was just an analogy. I realised that sitting around doing nothing won't bring about change. I'm trying to achieve justice. Surely you understand."

Claves: "I do. All too well."

~~~

Brianna: "You must really have upset her if she refuses to forgive you."

Chris: "I...I let guilt crush my wife. Her mental health suffered while trying to help me keep secrets."

~~~

Chris: "Look at you. You're a full-fledged family man."

Noel: "Jealous?"

Chris: "Yeah...your life sounds great."

Noel: "It took me a while to get here."

Chris: "Not as long as I have."

Noel: "Chin up. You'll get to go on your very own road trip one day. All you need to do is to take the first step and admit you were wrong to your daughter. And keep trying like an unkillable cockroach. She'll learn to love you."

~~~

Noel: "I know it's not my place to say anything, but I think you need help. I wonder if there's a futuristic AA around here. There's got to be given the accessibility of alcohol."

Philo: "The last contestant who 'cared' about me tried to fuck up my life. And succeeded. I don't need another one."

~~~

Philo: "I just knew you wouldn't understand."

Noel: "How do you know I don't? Maybe you haven't been up to date, but my biggest regret was aired on international television. You think being played a fool is embarrassing? What about running away to join a circus? What about leaving your heavily pregnant wife to her own devices, after leaving  your parents because you were an idiot? Or nearly, NEARLY, missing out on one of your life's biggest milestones: the birth of your first child? 

Noel: "Abandoned everything? Check. Disappointed everyone? Check. Turned my back on everything because I'm a senseless cuck? Check, check and check. Looks like you're not the only one who made mistakes."

~~~

Brianna: "I've got that covered already, but I wouldn't say no to money. Wait a minute, were you eavesdropping?"

Chris: "Err...no?"

Brianna: "So yes."

Chris: "It's not eavesdropping if you're saying it in public."

~~~

Claves: "Did you really think you could fool me? I know you listened in on Sue and Lloyd's coalition conversations a few times."

Chris: "If you know then why did you even bother asking?"

~~~

Chris: "I've been around the block, Claves. I know there's more to you than an ex-spy turned civil servant. Nobody would ever admit they were a spy."

~~~

"Chris Winters, unfortunately, you have been executed. Please pack your bags and leave."

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Noel: "Who's a cute little alien thing? You are!"

Noel: "Snuggle-wuggums."

Philo: "Er...did I walk in on something I shouldn't have?"

Noel: "Do you hear anything? Yeah, me neither."

Philo: "Oh come on. Surely you're not that petty?"

Noel: "Aren't I the most selfless creature? You agree, right?"

Philo: "Err...I'll just get going."

Noel: "...Wait."

Noel: "I don't want to leave things so awkwardly, like what happened with Lloyd, so let's just start afresh."

Philo: "I...I owe you an apology."

Noel: "Apology accepted."

Noel: "I should say sorry too. I lost myself back there. Didn't mean to yell at you."

Noel: "I guess my point was that I know you're hurting inside there. We all screwed up big time."

Philo: "At least you managed to come around in time."

Noel: "You mean Noah's birth? Honestly, I barely made it. If Paige didn't get the hospital to call me, I would still be drifting and freighthopping."

Philo: "Freighthopping? I thought you joined a circus."

Noel: "So did I. I must've missed the fine print. Someone decided to steal our car. Only child-hating monsters would steal a circus car. So we had to make the rest of our tour on foot and train."

Philo: "Why did you even join a circus?"

Noel: "I was foolish, that's why. No, seriously. I wanted to run away. I screwed up by screwing her. I wasn't ready to become a parent. I had so much to live for, so much to do. How does one even parent? I didn't want to let Paige down. I didn't want to screw things up. This is a life we're talking about. The circus thing just came at a convenient time."

Noel: "It's really embarrassing now that I think about it. And what's worse is that my then-girlfriend was pregnant with our son at that time. Luckily she was smart enough to return to her parents during the few months I was gallivanting."

Philo: "Her parents accepted you back?"

Noel: "Surprise, right? It took a whole lot of convincing and work. But they were conservative peeps. They didn't want Paige to be a single mother, or for Noah to end up fatherless. I know Paige felt the same way, or she wouldn't have wanted me to witness the birth of our child. She knew me better than I did."

Noel: "Honestly, I was so scared that I would miss it. When I got that call, I froze. Like, whatever I've been doing wasn't worth missing his birth. When I got there the doctors were already halfway. I was lucky to be only one state away. A minute too late and I would have lived a lifetime of regret."

Noel: "There. You now know my life story. Go ahead and laugh if you want."

Philo: "Why would I do that?"

Noel: "I know I would. Sometimes you just gotta laugh in the face of the world, and at all your problems and screw-ups."

Philo: "I'm glad things turned out okay for you in the end."

Noel: "Me too. I know things will turn out okay for you too, as long as you don't drown yourself in vodka."

Philo: "We'll see."

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Noel: "Final four guys and gals! Can you believe it?"

Brianna: "It's so fast."

Claves: "It's not confirmed that we will be a part of the final four. Anyone could return."

Sue: "Hey everyone. Missed me?"

Noel: "Sue! You're back!"

Sue: "Sorry it took so long."

Noel: "I thought you were never gonna make it back."

Claves: "Does that mean Sydney didn't make it?"

Sydney: "Is Sue badmouthing me?"

Brianna: "Both of you made it back?"

Lloyd: "Don't forget about me."

Philo: "All three of you? Chris must really have flubbed his quiz."

***

Sydney: "I'm back, bishes. I just didn't expect that Sue and Lloyd would come back together. They may have gotten here by luck but I know who the Mole is now. I spent my executed days trying quizzes with only one suspect in mind. Why hurry when you can get confirmation from the comfort away from the game? Since I'm back, I know exactly who the Mole is now."

***

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The solar panels in Oasis Landings are not your ordinary solar panels. They are able to harness light to create images. Today, contestants will try to decipher a cryptic futuristic language. There are 55 9-letter words that must be deciphered within 45 minutes, with each correct word worth 2 points. This mission is worth 110 points, and the contestant who deciphered the most words would get a normal green exemption.

Each set of solar panels forms a word, which is read from left-to-right, top-to-bottom. To lock in a word, contestants must manually key in the word at the corresponding location.

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Lloyd: "So in the future, metros have been rebranded as ZEPHYRs."

Lloyd: "Wow, that was quick. It's like a high-speed rail."

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Claves: "We decided to split up to speed up. It took a while before we realised we had to work together if we wanted to get things done in time. It was impossible to fill in the legend with only 9 letters."

***

Sue: "There are a lot of hearts and phones."

Brianna: "This one repeats itself. Which word repeats its letters in the same order?"

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Claves: "Diamond, phone, heart, crown, saturn, diamond, diamond, sun, crown...S,X,X,N,X,S,S,X,N...no, it doesn't make sense."

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Noel: "This is tough. The only picture that repeats here is the crown. I see it quite a bit."

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Lloyd: "If Wheel of Fortune taught me anything, it's RSTLNE."

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Philo: "Where do I even begin? There are way too many words."

Sue: "What could this word represent? If the crown is E..."

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Claves: "What nine-letter words can you think of?"

Noel: "Nine...nineteen...nineteens?"

Claves: "Nevermind. This won't work."

Noel: "Hey Sydney, got a word yet?"

Sydney: "I think I have a few."

Noel: "Sigh, 50 seasons and we're all still running like headless chickens. We never learn, do we?"

Noel: "Dilligent...different...malignant..."

Noel: "Wait, 'different' fits!"

Noel: "Then the crown is E, the droplet is D, the snake is F, the heart is N and the apple is T. I hope this wasn't a fluke."

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Lloyd: "Hearts and crowns, telescopes, squares and cylinders? I noticed them too. I suspect that they are our most common letters."

Sue: "This is so hard to commit to memory."

Lloyd: "Indeed."

Sue: "Do you think we can help me?"

Lloyd: "Of course. I want this mission to succeed."

Sue: "Not just that. I was hoping to resume things where we left off. You know, the coalition..."

Sydney: "She doesn't understand Simlish, Lloyd. Talking to her is like talking to the Great Wall of China."

Brianna: "'Blackjack'! That must be it. That's the only 9-letter word I can think of that repeats."

Brianna: "Going systematically, this is my next word. The telescope was B right? If I match this to B...what words begin with B?"

Brianna: "Oh. 'Beginning' starts with B. It fits too."

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Claves: "What words did you manage to get, Philo?"

Philo: "None. I'm still trying to work it out."

Claves: "Let's see what we have. I worked out that the apple represents the letter T, so that is something we can keep in mind. he surrounding words have a lot of apples and planets as well. I suspect that the planets represent E or R."

***

Lloyd: "The hardest part is making a mental note of which images represent what. If we could record them things would be a lot easier."

***

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Noel: "Maximised? The question is if it's American or British."

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Sydney: "Need help?"

Brianna: "Do you know what this could be?"

Sydney: "I solved something similar in Season 31. I should be able to do it again."

Sydney: "Hmm, I don't remember seeing that X."

Brianna: "I have _A_I_ERM_."

Sydney: "Taxidermy?"

Brianna: "That fits. Thanks."

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Claves: "Let's lock that word in. It should be right."

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Lloyd: "Noel, how's it going so far?"

Noel: "Slow but steady."

Noel: "I'm struggling a bit with this one though. I swear I saw this symbol before."

Lloyd: "Hmm...I don't have a clue."

Noel: "How about you, Sue?"

Sue: "I don't know either. Hey, I see Philo and Claves. I could ask them."

Sue: "Do you guys need help?"

Claves: "Perfect timing. Help Philo. I'll see if I can solve more words."

Philo: "I can handle myself."

Sue: "Won't hurt to have an extra Sim to help."

Sue: "By the way, Noel and Lloyd need help over there."

Claves: "Noted."

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Noel: "Blackjack. This is such an easy word."

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"Your time is up. Altogether, 39 words have been locked in, so 78/110 points have been earned. Sydney locked in the most words, so she earns an exemption."

Sydney is safe, but not the rest. Who will be executed next?

Pot: 403/702

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Do you believe in fate?

Sue: "Do you believe in fate?"

Lloyd: "I only believe in controlling our fate."

~~~

Noel: "I'm trying not to spook myself out but we all saw what happened to the last coalition in this house. So, what do you say we work together?"

~~~

Claves: "I'm curious if Chris said anything to you before he left."

~~~

Philo: "I notice you occasionally do something to the time portal. I'm curious as to what you were doing."

~~~

"Contestants, it has been a while since we had such a full house. Three of you returned at Chris's expense. Tonight, one of you must leave."