Extracted Episode 9 Recap: Banished

When Ryan Heavner asked to be taken out of the competition in episode 8 of Fox’s ‘Extracted,’ it changed the entire vibe of the game as tensions among the remaining 4 contestants rose. It actually became worse when a supply drop had the remaining survivalists go on a hike for their crate, only for three of them to burn a lot of calories yet return empty-handed. What followed was emotions boiling over, which paved the way for further alliances and rivalries in the semi-final of this particularly nail-biting reality series, episode 9, titled ‘Banished.’

Alliances Became Evident As Emotions Took Over HQ

Picking up right from where the last episode left off, we see Abby Hayes try to talk to Woody Kaminer’s son, Blake Kaminer, about why they chose him to receive an empty supply crate. However, he isn’t listening to her explanation or her apology and ends up walking away while accusing her of not seeing the game plan of Jake Denison’s brothers, Austin Legg and Justin Denison. He claims they are targeting his father just so they can make it to the finals with two girls — Haley Lindell and Meagan Delatte Murphy — leaving Abby in tears because she never intended to hurt other’s feelings.

Abby is consoled by everyone, but Austin and Justin go a step ahead and try to talk with Blake and his cousin Collin Hodson to make them see her side, only to be shut down. This escalates to the cousins telling the brothers what they think their game plan is, which further blows over as Austin can’t believe they would accuse them of being so misogynistic and sexist. These two teams had already been gunning after one another’s survivalists, and upon hearing all this, Austin simply asserts he is not even interested in making amends or being cordial with them going forward.

Abby’s friend and Meagan’s father, Gerrad Delatte, then steps into the conversation to speak with Blake and Collin, but it also leads nowhere in particular, and all teams just try to move on. Later on, as they settle into the monitor room, Collin apologizes to Abby for Blake getting mad at her but maintains that neither of them is okay with the decision made. After all, while Haley got to enjoy some food supplies, Woody returned to his camps rather dejected – the same fate as Jake and Meagan, but it was the latter who didn’t even reach the drop as she got lost in the wilderness.

A Supply Drop Suddenly Lifts Up Everybody’s Spirits

As a new dawn arrives, the teams settle into HQ to see how their survivalists are faring, just for Meagan to be a little down owing to a lack of proper food for a while. Nevertheless, as she manages to scour up some mushrooms, Abby tells Justin that when her wellness coach best friend does her morning stretches, he should do it too to see how agile he is. Them backing her up the previous day really strengthened their bond – they had been cordial before and had recently also formed an alliance, yet their actions when she was upset showed her she could wholeheartedly trust them.

But alas, this light mood doesn’t last long as it is announced that another supply drop is imminent, and this time, the teams would have to step outside at once altogether to decide who gets what. There are four closed crates in a circle and each team is asked to pick one randomly, once they do, they are allowed to look inside. After each team has done so, they get one chance to exchange their crate with someone else, not knowing what they had received. As Gerrad points out, it is essentially a game of White Elephants, and they are the ones randomly selected to start it.

Abby and Gerrad get worms in their box, Blake and Collin land a beautiful steak, Austin and Justin get apple slices as well as a small jar of peanut butter, and Haley’s best friends have roasted crickets. The first team decides to switch with Jake’s as they think the worms will be helpful to him as fish bait, whereas Blake and Collin choose to keep the steak for Woody. Jake’s box is then switched with Haley’s, only for it to be switched right back since Karly and Natalie know she has had the bugs before and won’t entirely mind them. This is the first time in a long time no crate is empty, which lifts everybody’s spirits up, especially as they know each survivalist will at least get something they can use.

With Cut-Throat Plans, Some Actions Change the Game

While walking to pick up the supplies, Meagan’s condition goes from bad to worse as she goes from complaining about being nauseous to throwing up, which worries her family greatly. However, she manages to secure it and return to camp, but it’s evident how fragile she is as she opens it while lying down, just to then suddenly burst into tears. It turns out that apples and peanut butter are among her comfort foods and something she regularly incorporates into her meals, so this is like a safe haven to her in a time of desperate need. On the flip side, even Haley is glad to have something to eat after a few days – it’s admittedly not her favorite or what she would have gone for, but she eats it happily.

Jake’s reaction to his supplies is much different than anybody anticipated because instead of using them to fish, he goes on to boil and eat the worms as is just to see how they taste. He claims they are like tasteless noodles. Woody, though, isn’t happy with the steak despite arguably getting the best option, but that’s because he has no way to cook the beautiful filet. His son hopes he eats it raw because it’s protein and something he desperately needs, yet the former cop chooses to throw the entire piece of meat in the lake without even trying to have it raw after failing to light a fire.

Back at HQ, as Blake refuses to watch his father’s actions, Austin asserts this is immature since he actually forces himself to see things that make him uncomfortable in order to grow and learn. Then comes the private conversations of Blake and Collin with Haley’s team, Karly and Natalie, wherein they form an alliance and ultimately decide to go after Jake or Meagan together so as to move forward. The girls were initially hesitant since Haley had formed a pack with Megan during a previous trial to make it to the finals, but they knew they had to put their survivalist first.

A New Twist Emerges While a Team is Still Walking on Eggshells

With another day bringing about new energy in HQ, most teams are thinking through their strategies while Abby and Gerrad are still doing their best to play an honest, empathetic game. Therefore, when the latter hears Haley mentioning her pact with his daughter and her hope that their families have formed an alliance, he seeks them out to reiterate the same. However, they then go directly to Blake and Collin, with whom they come to the conclusion that it is all gameplay, so they come up with the idea of having signals for when the time comes to target either Jake or Meagan.

These two teams pinky promise that 1 means Jake, whereas 2 means Meagan, so they move ahead with this set plan, with Karly making it clear that she takes such promises very seriously. What neither they nor any other team realizes at this point is that there is a crate hidden in plain sight in the HQ’s relaxation lounge, which could give them a big advantage moving forward. Austin and Justin actually take a nap right there that afternoon but fail to notice it, so it is Gerrad who ends up finding it by mere chance hours later while looking for a book he has been reading.

Curious, he opens the wooden box immediately, just to find an envelope with a big “X” in front and a letter inside that tells him that his team has earned a “Blackout Card.” This means that he can use it to cut the live audio-video feed of any survivalist for 4 hours during the day – they wouldn’t know it, but their team won’t be able to track anything within his period. However, instead of keeping this significant advantage to himself, he decides to share it with the entire group, making it clear he knows it’ll be a difficult decision that he and Abby would have to make.

An Exciting Survival Trial Raises Anticipation, Joy, and Exasperation

Yet, before Abby and Gerrad have a chance to even talk, there’s the announcement of a survival trial, wherein the teams have to make a torch for their survivalists to help them light a bonfire. From the items in the survival room – bear fat and cotton, pine resin and pinecone, or vegetable oil and burlap – they have to make a torch and send it to their family in the wilderness. There, the contestants will have to light it with tools also sent to them before having to hurry north to light a bonfire in an open field for a “game-changing” prize – therefore, burn time and speed are of utmost priority.

Nevertheless, before the teams can begin, another twist is announced – one of them will have to forfeit this trial, or all will lose the opportunity to maybe walk away with this mysterious prize. That’s when the alliance between Woody and Haley’s team comes into play, with the latter deciding they will step back in the hopes that Meagan will burn herself out. Since she was already feeling unwell the day before, their thinking is that she will use up a lot of energy and maybe not even be able to complete the challenge, which will benefit them in the future – they are thinking steps ahead.

While Meagan and Jake’s team subsequently choose the bear fat and cotton, Woody’s team goes with the vegetable oil and burlap, not realizing the oil would leak and dull the flint. Haley is not happy when this trial is announced in the wilderness, and she learns she has to sit out owing to decisions made in HQ, but she takes it head on and returns to camp. Ultimately, Jake is victorious, with Woody and Meagan reaching the bonfire not much later. But while the ex-cop is mad about losing, the wellness coach is over the moon about just having completed this task. She is competitive by nature, so these challenges bring her energy out, and it is evident. In other words, Karly and Natalie’s plan backfired.

The Survival Trial is Followed By a Few Crucial Hours

With Jake’s win making his standing as arguably the strongest competitor even more prominent, teams can’t help but notice he is physically, mentally, and emotionally just having a great time. While others are struggling with the cold, the food, or the loneliness of the harsh Canadian wilderness, he seems to have adjusted very well, which paints a hard target on his back. However, when Abby approaches her friends Austin and Justin to ask if they would be affected by the Blackout Card being used on them/Jake, they know for a fact she is not doing so out of malicious intentions.

Because she and Gerrad are still not on the best terms with Blake and Collin and are unsure where they stand with Karly and Natalie, Abby asks the brothers as a backup/safe choice. They respond by stating they would obviously not prefer it because it is not a good thing by any means, but they honestly understand her position and would be fine if it is used on them. Then comes another seemingly relaxed night for all survivalists as well as family members, only for an alarm to suddenly ring out at HQ for a live animal threat – there is a mama bear and her cub near one of the camps.

Gerrad, who had been asleep, decided to go to the monitor room to check it out, where some other team members were already there, just for his heart to suddenly get caught in his throat. The bears were right beside his little girl’s camp, and he could do nothing but stare as they roamed around the place – thankfully, Meagan had awoken from their sounds and managed to scare them away. Then comes the next morning, and right as Jake is about to receive his prize – 16 ounces of meat – the Blackout Card is used to disconnect his audio-video footage at HQ, shocking the remaining two teams. They didn’t expect Jake to be chosen owing to the alliance between their teams, but they still think of it as gameplay once Gerrad tells them they simply couldn’t pick either of their survivalists owing to their past history.

Unable To Reach a Unanimous Decision, All Teams Go Back to Square One

Despite the blackout, it is evident that Jake and Meagan’s team are still an alliance, especially as Abby quickly runs to do a Gratitude Shout with Austin and Justin upon returning to the monitor room. However, all of their peace of mind and regard are short-lived as another twist soon comes to light – it is announced that the four teams have 5 minutes to make a unanimous decision. They have to pick one survivalist who will leave their camp behind with nothing but the clothes on their back and merely three supply items to then move deeper into the forest and set up a new base there. If they fail to reach a verdict agreed by all teams, all 4 survivalists will have to move and start from the beginning.

While Woody and Haley’s team almost immediately nominate Jake owing to how well he has been faring, asserting he has everything, Austin and Justin point out he has earned it. They elucidate that their brother is the one player to receive the most number of empty supply drops, so most of the things he has, he won fair and square during the trials. In a confessional, they also state that since they are so close to the finale now, they can not take any risks or volunteer to back out as they had once previously done. They know they have to stand up for Jake to ensure he has the best chance of winning later on, so they do, resulting in all 4 players being forced much deeper into the cold wilderness.

While no one is happy about this, they move ahead. Jake decides to take his sleeping bag, tarp, as well as matches as his supplies, whereas Meagan chooses her sleeping bag, tarp, and a knife. On the other hand, Haley goes with her blanket, tarp, and rope in the hopes of making a quick shelter, and Woody chooses to take his blanket, tarp, and a can of peaches, which frustrates Blake. No one except Jake picks up anything with which they can have a fire, making things a lot more complicated and dangerous for them since deep wilderness means a much colder and wetter environment.

Haley Lindell’s Deteriorating Health Raises Literal Alarms

As the survivalists find new campgrounds, Woddy decides to conserve his energy and lays down on just his tarp with his blanket covering him, whereas the others scramble to build some sort of shelter. The former does get cold and wet rather quickly, but he still hopes there is no rain at night because otherwise, it could be detrimental for him. On the flip side, Jake, Meagan, and Haley all manage to assemble a relatively safe camp, but the latter is evidently exhausted by the end of it. She eventually even asks her team to possibly stay with her at night in the monitor room, and they are glad they do because, by 6 am, they are called to the medic for an emergency. They are told that Haley’s heart rate is a steady 30-something beats per minute and not rising despite her now resting, which is a cause of concern, but still, whether or not she is to be extracted remains up to them. Karly and Natalie are in tears upon hearing this, yet with the finale fast approaching, they wonder if they should power through, leaving us right at the edge of our seats for next time.