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The once vibrant Beast City now stands eerily quiet, its emptiness reflecting the shattered hopes of its recent evictees, Bryleigh and Tyler. The 11 remaining contestants of Beast Games Season 2 are left in a state of anxious anticipation, waiting to see who Nick and Monika will eliminate next. As the numbers dwindle, the game becomes less about strategy and more about the bonds formed amidst the chaos and competition.
Nick’s decision to oust Catey wasn’t taken lightly. “I can’t have somebody gunning for me, or trying to trick me,” he explained, with Monika echoing his sentiments. “I know you don’t open up to people,” she told Catey, emphasizing the importance of trust. It seems Catey’s unpredictable nature was deemed too risky for the duo’s plans. The philosophical debate over trust remains baffling, especially when considering Monika’s own questionable loyalties in previous episodes. As Catey exits, she leaves behind a memorable impression, her parting words a resigned acknowledgment of the game’s harsh realities.
SUP FAM
Trust continues to be the focal point of the competition. MrBeast reminds the contestants that soon, trust will be their biggest asset. But before the tension rises further, it’s time to bring a touch of home into Beast City. Loved ones of the remaining players flood into the city, bringing a wave of emotional reunions. Jim is the first to be surprised by his family, proudly declaring his top ten status to his mother and brother. His enthusiasm is palpable as he introduces Monika, his reality show romance, to his family.
The city buzzes with heartfelt embraces and tears of joy as Tyler and the others are reunited with their families, all donned in the signature Beast Games blue. Auguste describes the joy of seeing his family as akin to winning the entire competition, while Hannah’s father is thrilled to hear about her experiences. Monika, holding the game’s coveted money coin, tells her parents about the complexities of the game, hinting at the unique pressures and decisions faced within the confines of Beast City.
A GRAVE CONCERN
As the day unfolds, the remaining contestants are led into a new challenge, one that echoes the iconic visual of Survivor with torches in hand. However, what follows is quintessentially MrBeast. They are led to a graveyard, where past players’ departures are marked by tombstones glowing ominously in red. The scene, while theatrical, carries a morbid undertone, heightened by the sight of open graves awaiting the current players.
There is Nick’s all-dude alliance, which includes Tyler, Jack, and Auguste. There is Hannah, Kady, Monika…and Jim. And there is Brett and Cory, who Beast calls “the straggler’s alliance.” Inside these factions are their own echoes, of the obstacle course experience, of the Fiji experience, of just being personal ride-or-dies for one another. But no matter the group to which they adhere, inside the sound-wired coffins, they express how sure they are that the remaining Top Ten-ers will all be fair to one another. A million bucks on the line means 100K for everybody.
LONELY ON THE MONEY THRONE
MrBeast reassures the coffin floppers. Kind of. “As a guy who’s been buried alive a ton of times, after a few hours, the terrifying fear starts to subside. A smidge.” But he also crowds into Nick’s headspace with his piercing, social media-branded “Hey guys!” energy. As they stand before the million-dollar money cube, you can feel Beast’s excitement through the screen. Tempting people with greed is what this dude really loves. The challenge is indeed a version of “Split or Steal,” just as the now-buried suspected, but as captain, Nick has exclusive early access. “You don’t have to eliminate anyone, or hurt anyone,” MrBeast tells him. “Nothing is stopping you from taking the full million.”
Earlier, with his mom and sister, Nick apologized for turning down the Captain Bribe million. The financial challenges he has faced in life have become an episodic talking point. And as he climbs into the money cube to rest on the pile like a throne, the physical embodiment of MrBeast’s greed is great ethos, the host continues to badger. Nick can take the whole cash pie, cut it up evenly, or some variation thereof; the other players’ trust is all on him. “You’ve always put others before yourself,” Beast says, and refers to himself honestly as a devil on the shoulder. “Now, for the second time, you have a million-dollar opportunity. Are you going to take it?” Beast City reverberates with the heavy sound of Nick weighing trust against gain.
10 players remain. Only one above ground.
Johnny Loftus (@johnnyloftus.bsky.social) is a Chicago-based writer. A veteran of the alternative weekly trenches, his work has also appeared in Entertainment Weekly, Pitchfork, The All Music Guide, and The Village Voice.