We are approaching the finish line of the first season of The Anonymous,

We are approaching the finish line of the first season of The unknownThis means that the remaining players are struggling to stay in the game. They are also desperate to add money to the money pot, which is currently less than $50,000.

Last week, Dani caused some twists in the story and sent players into a series of Anonymous Mode events. She also left us in a state of intense anticipation as we waited to see what Marcel’s future would be like in the game.

In episode eight of The Anonymous, “Divide & Conquer,” we learn Marcel’s fate and see the power in the house slowly shift. Only one person is safe this week, and by the end of the episode, seven players are on the chopping block.

What’s in the box?

After the results of last week’s matchup remained a mystery, Dani left us all wondering what would happen to Marcel in the matchup. She confirmed that The Anonymous tried to send him home, but what was in the matchup box? Surprise! He had the safe, which is lucky considering he only had that particular box after Chris stole his original pick.

When Marcel revealed that he was safe and there would be no elimination, the other players’ reactions ranged from excitement to confusion. Then the camera panned to Nina, who gave us her most adorable face of the season. She simply said, “Wow.”

Then in a flashback, we learn why Nina seems so angry about Marcel’s safety. She finally won the power of The Anonymous, but her choice was invalidated by Danny’s trick! What a disappointment. She fired, but she missed, but once things started to settle down, Nina realized that maybe this wasn’t a missed opportunity after all.

Basma catches the heat

Some of the most interesting conversations on this show happen in the moments after an elimination. Everyone is desperately trying to figure out who has the power of The Anonymous, while that person tries to keep their cool. Some players are better at this than others. This week, Nina gave us a great lesson.

Most of the players assumed that Basma was the one who shot Marcel because of their past disagreements. It was no secret that she wanted him gone, and Dillian, Christopher, and even Marcel felt confident that she was the one who did the shooting. Meanwhile, Nina decided to move on. She realized that she could use Basma as a shield to survive another week.

“The more people who think they want to target Basma, the better for me,” Nina explained.

With all of this said, things don’t look good for Basma. What’s worse is that many players have correctly guessed that she is the Eagle. This means that the chances of her turning into the unknown are very slim.

Fortunately, not everyone could guess Basma’s avatar. Chris thinks it’s Cactus, even though everyone in the house knows Cactus is his girlfriend Victoria. You have to appreciate the irony.

Another day, another mystery.

After taking a break from challenges last week, Dani brought players back into gameplay mode this week. She presented them with another puzzle, and thankfully, this one didn’t involve any math.

Instead, they were presented with a giant puzzle made up of eight pieces. Players had to connect themselves to the pieces while one player stood on the sidelines, giving commands to help them move into the correct position. The lone player would win the game, and if they finished within ten minutes, they would receive an additional $8,000 to the prize pool.

After Marcel got eliminated last week, he really wanted to be the lone player and get safe. Would he be good at it? The rest of the players weren’t sure. So they nominated Nina instead, and she was definitely the right choice. Let the Survivor alumna do what she wants, and you know she wouldn’t mind getting safe for two weeks in a row.

Although it took a few minutes for everyone to get on the same page with this moving puzzle, Nina quickly figured out a quick way to communicate with the players. They worked together like a well-oiled machine and finished the puzzle in time. Nina is very happy now, and this isn’t even just a play on words about her secret username.

All eyes on the robot and the lovebirds

With Nina winning, all eyes suddenly turn to Robot, who has been nominating her consistently for the past few episodes. At home, we learn that Robot is Lily, but the logic behind her voting record is a bit hard to follow. At the same time, she acts like she wants Nina to stay in the game and seems committed to the girls’ alliance. Then, in the safety of her hideout, she nominates Nina over and over again. With Nina safe, who will Robot vote for? Spoiler alert: she’s still targeting a girl.

Meanwhile, Jack tries to convince his allies to turn their attention to the couple: Chris and Victoria. He describes it as a “couple disaster,” and honestly, that’s too easy to describe.

When Jack talked about eliminating the couple, he suggested they target Victoria first. He told Andy, Basmah, and Nina that he felt more confident in Chris because he was more forthright. He had also been in the game longer, and they didn’t know what Victoria would do if Chris went home first. All this chatter set the stage for the most dramatic unknown situation yet.

After they gathered as a group to solve the puzzle challenge, they immediately returned to violent gameplay in Anonymous Mode. Jack started playing and said he wanted to be “a little bit evil.” And he achieved that goal.

“I think Victoria is taking advantage of Christopher,” he wrote under the guise of Flamingo. “Who else would think she has a boyfriend at home?”

Oh my god! This got a huge reaction from everyone, but some smart players correctly guessed that the player was Jack. It’s just another example of how over-hitting can cost you your anonymity.

As Cactus, Victoria tries to ease the tension by saying, “One of the girls has to be eliminated.” She later adds, “I think we should let the girls attack each other.” At home, we learn that this is already happening.

Not only was the chat in anonymous mode chaotic, the sounds it produced were also wild:

• The robot and the snake voted for Basma.
• Fire and lipstick voted for Lily.
• As Lightning, Andy voted for himself. It was a desperate attempt to become a member of Anonymous, but Xavier advised him against such tactics.
• Eagle voted for Chris.
• The lollipop voted for Jack.
• Katkus voted for Marcel.
• Flamingo voted for Victoria.

For those following the results, that means that Dillian and Nina were the only two players who were unscathed this week. The fact that Dillian was able to come out of this round without making a mistake is surprising, but it is commendable. Next week, we will see which of these vulnerable players will be cut, and who was able to hide their identity to gain power in the game.

The Anonymous continues to air Monday nights at 11/10c.

Tell us – what did you think of episode 8 of THE ANONYMOUS? Who do you think will go home next week? Which player do you think has the best chance of winning the entire tournament?