We join Kathy and Neleh as Kathy insists that the "alliance stuff" is killing them. Neleh claims there will be alliances no matter what, and that "the bigger stink you make about things, the more vulnerable ya are." Which is exactly how and why insane, power-wielding dictators rise to power, but little half-wit Neleh can't be expected to comprehend that. Kathy tells us in a confessional that Neleh feels fine with being voted out fifth, and advised Kathy that if she speaks further of a counter-alliance, she'll be voted off. Kathy then decides that Paschal is the "pivotal vote," and so approaches him to plead her case. She says she doesn't want to be Tammy and John's pawn on their rise to the top; she wants the game to be "even." Paschal gnaws at something and says he refuses to align himself with Sean and Vee. Kathy wants it to be fair and thus it should be fair, to which Paschal curtly responds, "This game's not fair." He then picks his teeth at her. In an interview, Kathy tells us that if she could have formed the alliance, she would have had "a huge shot at it," but it's not going to happen. She says Paschal wants Sean off, and so does everyone else.

Now John watches with steely eyes as Sean unsuccessfully attempts to hang a blanket. Or something. Who really knows what he's doing? Maybe he's making a distress signal so Johnnie Cochran can find him. In any case, John feels vulnerable because of the "warpath" that Sean is on. He is worried that some of the S9 might believe the "trash [Sean] was talking," and lash out against him. John snits over the situation to Paschal, who responds that it's very important to him that "somebody like Sean" doesn't make it to the finals. He thinks John "deserves it," but Sean "would be an embarrassment." Harsh! But quite possibly true. In an interview Paschal explains that Sean gave John the impression that Pascal, Neleh, and Kathy had allied with him and Vee against John. Paschal insists that it was bad information, and wanted to set the record straight with John. We see him promising John, "When I give you my word, my word is huge." He claims that his "word" is the most important thing to him because at his age, he doesn't have much else.