This episode is used to show us a little bit more about the background of the contestants. According to Ezequiel, the point of the test for the contestants to let go of their pasts and their fears, to ensure that they are able to properly blend in with the residents offshore. Given everything that we've seen thus far, I'm not at all convinced that people leave the testing area functional enough to create a so-called Utopian society.
The test this time involved the contestants walking down a hallway together. They are warned that they have five minutes to complete the task. Before entering, they see another group which has been eliminated. Some of the eliminated contestants have even wet themselves. Still, the contestants enter the tunnel filled with false bravado. It's not long however before things change.
Ezequiel unleashes the gas into the chamber causing the contestants to start to hallucinate. This is the first time that we actually see Joana lose her cool. When Joana was inland, she was attacked for stealing some coins and determined to get them back, she broke into some mob bosses home. Joanna grabs the backpack which was taken from her and then picks up a gun. Given that Joana was almost raped in an alley, it makes sense to me that she would want the gun for protection. Joana is startled by the sound of a toy car and shoots the weapon, thus killing the mob bosses son. A teary Joana repeatedly tells the dead child how sorry she is before she flees.
Joana seeks help from her friend, certain that if she's found that she will be murdered. Her friend helps her by implanting the chip of a dead woman about her age, thus allowing Joana to enter the competition. Because growing up, Michele had no one who cared for her, she didn't have anyone to register her for the competition. Now we know how Joana was able to recognise Raphael's scar. Once the procedure is done, Joana's friend learns exactly what Joana did to end up in peril and kicks Joana out of her lab, saying that she now knows exactly what kind of person Joana is. Joana tries to explain that it was an accident but her friend will have none of it.
In the hallway, Joana is haunted with taunts of, "murderer". When Joana looks up, she sees a pipe releasing the gas and realises why she is hallucinating. Joana stumbles her way down the corridor and when she reaches the end, she places her hand on the hand print and demands to be let out, only to be told that the entire group has to make it to the end of the hallway for her to pass. A frustrated Joana heads back down the hall.
Joana has to convince the rest of the contestants to trust her. This is a difficult thing to do given the fact that the other contestants are deep in their hallucinations. Michele is so far gone that when she hallucinates Ezequiel, she slips up and accuses him of killing her brother. One by one, Joana gets all of the contestants to the end of the hall just in the nick of time, allowing everyone in the group to pass the test.
The group is told that the effects of the drug will wear off shortly and they are taken to dorms to sleep it off. Agata however seems to be the worse for wear and is still very much acting like she's being drugged. When Michele tries to bring up Agata's condition, she's quickly rebuffed and informed that the testers know what they are doing and have been doing the testing for quite some time.
Michele meets up with Fernando in the hallway and he asks about her brother having heard her talking about him in the tunnel. Rather than answering the question, Michele kisses a stunned Fernando. Fernando is all in and pulls Michele onto his lap and deepens the kiss.
Back in the dorm, Agata is still reeling from the effects of the drug and she attacks Joana. Fortunately for Joana, Raphael intervenes and pulls Agata off of her. We know that they have to thin the herd and therefore more people from the group we are watching are bound to be eliminated. Given Agata's reaction to the drugs, it looks like she is next and besides, they really haven't invested much into building up her character.
Raphael pulls Joana aside and suggests that they become real allies. It seems that their time in the tunnel, allowed him to realise that Joana faked her way into the testing as well. They are both frauds. 3% is really pushing plausible deniability now. Yeah, one person cheating their way into the test I can accept but two? Really? Also if it's easy enough to tell that someone is fraud by looking at the scar behind the ear, why aren't the testers doing that?
After supervising the test, Ezequiel gets a visit from a little boy named Augusto. Ezequiel is forced to lie to Aline about the reason the alarm went off. Ezequiel is clearly happy to see Augusto, even though this puts him in danger. Augusto broke into the testing facility because he's hungry. Ezequiel takes the boy in his arms and brings him inside for food. Augusto is clearly uncertain about how to use the cutlery and so Ezequiel tells the child to eat with his hands as he explains that he won't be able to visit Augusto as often as he used to because he's being watched. Ezequiel makes sure to explain that it's not because he doesn't want to see Augusto. Ezequiel then makes Augsto promise to never break into the facility again because it's too dangerous. Once Augusto is done eating, Ezequiel sees him out and reminds him again that he can never come back.
With Augusto gone, Ezequiel feels fine confronting Aline and letting her know that is aware that she was sent by Councilor Matheus and why.
The next morning, when Joana wakes up, she finds that the entrance way to the dorms have been walled up. It looks like another test is going to start.
In the last episode, I wondered why Ezequiel left the testing area and why he was carrying food. Now we know that Ezequiel is sneaking food to Augusto. Given Ezequiel's reaction to Augsto, I guess it's safe to assume that Agusto is his son. If that is indeed a fact, it means that offshore children are seperated from their parents at a very early age.
There is obviously some tension going on off shore. There is a faction that wants the testing to be easier which makes me wonder if a 3% acceptance rate has been deemed too low by some? Is this why Aline is there? Then there's the counselor whom Ezequiel contacted, who told him to be careful. I think they really need to expand a little bit more on the conflicts offshore to help give a better sense of this world.
