Suvechha Sarkar
As the dust settles after the last saving ceremony, the game in season 1 of Fox’s ‘The Snake‘ gets fiercer than ever. Kethryn’s elimination marked the end of an alliance, and now only nine contestants remain. In episode 8, titled ‘Secret Snake,’ each of these players is battling not just the challenges but also the tensions among themselves. This episode is about reading between the lines and hidden danger, which is none other than the Secret Snake. As the new morning rolls in, Jordan is not holding back her anger and remarks that it is directed at John and she wants revenge.
As Hidden Motives Surface, the Players Face a Filthy Battle For Medallions in the Snake Swamp
The focus shifts from Jordan to Frank and John, who are currently discussing Kethryn’s elimination. While the mayor expresses that eliminating her was a no-brainer situation, the hairdresser cautions him that there are many Snakes in the grass. Meanwhile, Maclaine expresses that she likes Jack and remarks before Amanda that he gives her recognition and stands up for her. These have all been the things that she begged for in her previous relationship, but she doesn’t want a target on her back. In her confessional, Amanda notes that romance isn’t a good strategy in this game. She also adds that although her opponents consider her trustworthy, she has actually been deceitful. She reveals that all her moves in the game are calculated.
Brett observes that Amanda is the biggest snake in the game since she is pretty intelligent. On the other hand, Jack feels that Frank pretends to be the weakest player in the house to stay under the radar. He notes that the latter is close with everyone, which makes him one of the best players and a threat. With that being said, the players receive a note from the host, Jim Jefferies, instructing them to come prepared for their next challenge. They also receive a box, which discloses that Kethryn has given Jordan an advantage for the day’s game. Once the players arrive at the location, they are appalled to see a swamp filled with fish guts and heads, with a foul odor. Jim announces it as the Snake Swamp. For the day’s challenge, the contestants have to slither through the dirty water with ropes placed over it.
Beneath the ropes are 100 gold Snake Medallions, and they have to crawl underneath the ropes to find them. As soon as they find one of them, they have to deposit it inside their crates, and this continues till the time runs out. Each of these medallions is worth a Snake Egg, which shall go in the Snake Spinner. It is a version of a lottery, so the more eggs, the better the chance. Jim is going to spin the spinner, and only one of the players will become the Snake. The host then announces Jordan’s advantage: she already receives two medallions in her crate. As everyone dives in with their goggles on, they begin expressing their disgust at the smell and the dirty water. While one by one, each of them discovers the medallions, Jim observes that John is putting his in Frank’s crate.
The Twist of the Secret Snake After the Game Shakes up the Contestants
With the final five minutes left, Alyssa notes that although no one in the house thinks she is a competitor, she is going to beat everyone. As the time ends, Brett states that the chance will depend on who has the most medallions. So, he feels that it may be either he or Frank who got help from John. It turns out that Maclaine, John, and Amanda have collected 18 of them, while Jordan has collected only 13. While Alyssa has found 15 of them, Derek has discovered 20. Among the top three collectors are Frank, with 37 of them, with the help of John, Jack, with 25 medallions, and Brett in the third position, with 22 of them. After Jim spins the spinner, he takes out an egg. However, the twist arrives when he declares that there will be a Secret Snake for this week. This makes Derek uneasy since he often relies on strategy.
Jim is going to inform them who the Snake is just a little while later. In his confessional, Jack divulges that it is frustrating not to know who the Snake is, especially because John gave his medallions to Frank. He realizes that the politician and the hairdresser are a tight-knit pack, but both of them are dangerous. To Jack, Frank is more of a threat, and he hopes the Snake realizes it and sends him home. In the meantime, Alyssa tells Frank that many in the house don’t like John, and she doesn’t want it to be a bad thing for them. Frank quickly adds that the boys- Jack and Brett make him a little nervous. So, Alyssa states that it is better if they take them out first before they do the same to them. Frank selfishly wants to be the Snake because he feels that if Jack or Brett gets the power, they are not going to go for John, but rather for him.
Similarly, Amanda also wants Jack gone based on strategy because she feels the latter holds a grudge. It stems from the time when she made Devonte look like a fool during his elimination. Meanwhile, John takes Jordan outside because she is the person he wants to work with the most. Furthermore, there is always a chance she may be harboring hard feelings against him that she cannot get over. He wants to speak with her because he feels that a successful political strategy, speaking with genuine intentions, can rectify the misunderstanding. John first apologizes and assures her he would have never sent her home. He continues that Jordan is the best player in the house, and he wants to work with her the most. This baffles her because John is the reason her top supporter, Kethryn, was eliminated.
Jack is Crowned the Hidden Snake in Secret and Shapes His Next Move
John tells Jordan she doesn’t have to decide instantly if she wants to work with him. Although she expresses her appreciation for his apology, she has to consider what can be done since he is a strong player. She discloses that when the time comes, she is going to backstab him. When John approaches Frank and Alyssa and informs them about his fruitful conversation with Jordan, all three collectively express hope that one of them becomes the Snake. Unbeknownst to everyone, Jim enters the confessional room, where the Snake will find out right now that he/she is the one. It is revealed to be Jack, who enters the room and is left delighted. When the host tells him that this information is going to be announced later on, and he has to use it to his advantage, Jack reveals that he wants to check what Frank and John are up to.
In his confessional, Jack opens up that although he does a rewarding job at a non-profit organization, he does not make money from it. So, he is happy to be back on top again because it is one step closer to the $100,000 prize. He then approaches Derek, Frank, and Alyssa, where Frank states that he wants to become the Snake at least once. This is because it can give him experience, but he also notes that Jack can become the Snake since he got 25 medallions. As everyone in the house completely immerses themselves in the discussion as to who the Snake can be or how it is going to be revealed, Jack follows John to understand his strategy. John admits that he has been waiting for someone to figure out who everyone wants to get rid of. Although no one understands, he asked everyone about it for a reason, so that he knows where the others stand.
Excited to figure out who wants him gone, Jack asks John about Amanda. Although John doesn’t mention any names explicitly, he tells him there were seven votes for Kethryn and three for Jack. Upon hearing this, Jack assumes that Amanda is the one targeting him and decides that he is going to do the same to her. John explains to him that he is a neutral, honest person, and people who give him trust get his trust, along with information. So, the politician is curious to see who the Snake is. In his confessional, John discloses that he never mentioned that Amanda said Jack’s name because he merely implied that some people wanted him out. The focus shifts to Amanda, who feels that in a competition, becoming closely bonded with someone like Jack and Maclaine is not a good decision since it can put a target on their back.
Jack’s Power Forces Him to Analyze the Threats Before the Saving Ceremony
As everyone can be seen chatting outside, sitting in groups, Jim arrives and stirs up the peace by finally revealing Jack to be the Snake. This leaves Frank underconfident since Jack targeted him before, and he is a formidable opponent. Similarly, Amanda also doesn’t feel good about this and decides she is going to do everything to secure her safety. However, Jack reveals that he is going to send Amanda home because Devonte got eliminated because of her. While everyone departs to sleep in the room, Jack and Maclaine spend their time together at the Snake Lair. When the morning rolls around, Maclaine reveals that her and Jack’s relationship is paused because they are afraid of putting a bigger target on their back. So, it feels good for them to spend some alone time together without hiding.
In the Snake Lair, John discusses with Maclaine that although everyone wants John out of the game, he never once targeted him. On the other hand, Amanda has been doing so, and Jack’s strategy has been to get the ones out who are gunning for him. He also observes that Frank is the most lovable person, which makes him the biggest threat on a social level. In the meantime, John expresses his contentment that Jack took his bait to go for Amanda so that he may remain safe for the week. However, Derek feels that if Amanda gets eliminated, it can harm his game. It is also revealed that John offered Jack the chance to work together and take people gunning for him and Maclaine. She tells Jack that John is telling the truth, but who would he choose to eliminate in this case? Ultimately, Jack’s options come down to Amanda, Frank, and Alyssa.
Jack is torn between whether he should save John, who is a big threat, but is willing to work with him. While the politician believes that if Jack decides to get rid of Amanda, it can benefit him, Amanda is afraid of the group getting smaller and hopes she is not blindsided tonight. Similarly, Frank feels he has a good chance of going home since Jack wants John to be gone. However, the hairdresser would want to save the politician, making the former a liability. Finally, the contestants arrive at the Snake Pit for the Saving Ceremony, and Jack takes his position right beside Jim. Amanda reveals that she wants to win the competition because her father has dementia and her mother is his caretaker. So, winning the competition is going to mean a lot for her family.
In a Tense Saving Ceremony, John Gets Sacrificed to the Snake
Once the Saving Ceremony begins, Jack chooses Maclaine, stating that she has proven to be a warrior and is yet to stand on top in the first position. When she takes her position, Jim playfully asks her if she came to play the game or find love. She smiles and lets him know that maybe it is for both. Maclaine next saves Brett, revealing that they all call him an “onion” because of his many layers that go beyond what meets the eye. He proceeds to pick Derek, revealing how they have nothing but honor and respect for each other. However, in his confessional, the detective discloses that Brett made a big mistake by not taking him out because he is a good competitor. When Derek saves Amanda, Jack realizes they are a strong duo, and to win the game, they must break up these solid duos. When Amanda’s turn arrives, she notes that John treated the players as competitors when he became the Snake, not housemates.
Hence, Amanda picks Jordan to support someone who lost her best friend. John says politicians like him are made to do the dirty work while people like Amanda can act virtuous and righteous. He opens up that Amanda revealed herself to be someone who would help him do dirty work. However, she gets instantly defensive, claiming that when he asked her to commit deception, she asked for more details only because she has a strategic mind. She also denies agreeing to backstab Jordan by lying to her face. Amanda reveals in her confessional that she can do anything to win the prize and is a cutthroat player. However, John realizes that Amanda doesn’t like getting caught, and it makes her defensive. Following that, Jordan saves Alyssa, leaving Frank and John in the bottom two. John pleads to Jack that he can choose someone honest and willing to work with him, or save Frank, the most powerful person in the house.
Frank states that he is grateful for the adventure he gets to experience with everyone and hopes to experience it for one more week. After much contemplation, Jack declares that he is taking John’s advice to remove the person everyone trusts the least to gain trust from everyone else. Hence, he saves Frank, eliminating John, since everyone wants him out of the game. In his exit interview, the politician notes that Jack made the wrong decision because he offered him the opportunity to help him. However, John feels that Jack got cold feet, and everyone else, like Jack, is overthinking it a little bit. He adds that it is probably unusual for people to deal with an incredibly honest politician who is capable of having tough conversations. At this point, Amanda can almost touch the prize money and observes that no players know that she is actually a snake who is willing to do anything to win.
Read More: The Snake Episode 7 Recap: Nowhere to Hide
