Pirate Master: Episode 12

Ben learned the hard way that it's better to work with Jay than against him.

As soon as the crew had fallen asleep on the night of Kendra's ouster, Ben pulled Christa into the galley for a chat. He told her that Jay was planning to get rid of her -- failing to mention that he, too, had talked about getting rid of Christa.

The two agreed to do whatever it took to keep Christa in control of the game, and their task was made easier the next day when Jay joined their Black Crew, leaving Laurel and Louie as the lone members of the Red Crew.

The challenge was of the typical Pirate Master swim/run-uphill/dig-up-treasure format, with the obligatory directional blunder by the lead team -- which was again the Black Crew. Christa, Jay, and Ben found the treasure first and split $30,000, leaving Louie penniless for the fourth week in a row.

Back aboard the ship, Christa confronted Jay about Ben's accusations, and Jay did what any sensible pirate would do: he blamed everything on Ben. Christa brought both of them in to her quarters for a chat, and instead of clearing things up, Ben and Jay's bickering reduced Christa to tears.

Christa was troubled as she sat deciding on which pirates to assign the Black Spot. She liked Ben, but, as much as she didn't trust Jay, she felt guilty about the prospect of taking money away from his kids. Giving Jay the Black Spot would undoubtedly put him out of the game.

Christa's decision became a little easier when Laurel spoke with her. Laurel said that she'd been approached by Ben about finding a way to get rid of Christa.

Suddenly, Ben found himself branded with a Black Spot, despite all of his efforts to make Jay the target. He'd have to face off against Laurel at Pirates Court, and Louie had already made it known that he would never cast a vote against Laurel.

So Ben sucked up his pride and went to plead his case with Jay. He promised to do anything Jay told him -- even give up his share of the food -- if Jay would agree not to vote against him.

When it came time for Pirates Court, Jay went out of his way to make Ben, Laurel, and Christa as nervous as possible, giving them all meaningful glances while casting his vote. Ultimately, he voted against Laurel, forcing a tie and putting the decision in Captain Christa's hands.

Christa reasoned that, while she was unsure of her relationship with Ben, she'd rather lose to a good competitor than keep someone around for an easy victory. Laurel was cut adrift, and she was happy to leave the cutthroat game and return to living in her van.

Next time, Ben and Jay go back to what they'd been doing before this week: plotting Christa's demise.