Survivor TV Show - A Sinking Ship - Survivor Recaps, Survivor Reviews, Survivor Episodes | TWoP

Aired 2010-05-06

So we've got two immunity challenges and two Tribal Councils this week. Rupert can't contain his rage after losing Amanda, so he tells off Li'l Russell in the hopes that it will get a rise out of him and show his allies that he only cares about himself. It doesn't really work, but that's okay because later on, Li'l Russell will prove that all on his own. The immunity challenge has the contestants' arms attached to a bucket full of paint, because apparently the viewers at home really enjoy seeing women's armpit hair. I don't even have HDTV and I could see it. Not cool. Probst is able to lure everyone out of the game with food except for Parvati and Rupert. Rupert knows that if he loses this, he'll be going home , so he … loses it. He stumbled and fell. At least he didn't step down for donuts, like Colby did. And all is not lost, as Probst reads everyone a clue to the stupid idol. Back at camp, everyone desperately looks for it. Sandra finds it and is able to hide it before anyone else knows. Rupert does something intelligent, amazingly enough, and puts a large rock in his pocket so people will think he has the idol in there. Li'l Russell falls for it, and the Villains decide to split their votes just in case he plays it: three for Rupert, and three for Candice. Wait, Candice? Yes, that's right. Colby is freaking useless and pathetic and the female Villains decide that Candice can't be trusted and want her gone ASAP. At Tribal, there are three votes for Rupert and five for Candice, as the Heroes vote for her, too.

Back at camp, Li'l Russell is angry that they voted Candice out and not Rupert or Colby, and decides that the women are too close to each other and not obeying his every word. He wins the immunity challenge and then sets about destroying Parvati and Danielle's alliance by telling each of them that the other one wants to vote her out. Two seconds later, Danielle and Parvati ask each other about that and realize what Li'l Russell is trying to do. All of the female Villains agree to vote for Rupert no matter what Li'l Russell says to them, but at Tribal, Danielle loses her shit and cries about how mean Li'l Russell is being and how he's trying to turn her and Parvati against each other. He denies everything, of course, and then she says that he's underestimating her friendship and alliance with Parvati. Li'l Russell then passes the word around the contestants to vote for Danielle instead of Rupert, and four of them do. And so, much to their surprise, Colby and Rupert are still in the game. And now Parvati is furious with Li'l Russell, so it looks like that alliance is over.

Does anyone think Robin Tunney sounds totally stoned in that "welcome to CBS" message she does right before the show starts? I hope they get rid of that or re-shoot it season. Anyway, Probst makes the entire previously on segment all about Li'l Russell and very little else, which is pretty accurate, really, since both this and last season have been all about Li'l Russell and very little else. Maybe for the two seasons, they can just show us footage of everything else that happened when Li'l Russell wasn't on camera so we'll get a better idea of what actually happened out there.

Night 30 at Yin Yang. The contestants return and Candice is not getting the gratitude she probably expected from the Villains. Jerri says Candice's willingness to flip sides only makes her more of a threat, since she'd be just as willing to flip back to the Heroes. Jerri clearly hasn't spent enough time with the Heroes to know how desperate one would have to be to team up with them. Meanwhile, Rupert and Colby are furious with Candice, and say she's "weak," "pathetic," "self-centered," "manipulative," "pitiful," and "greedy." I can see why they're upset with her, but none of the names they just called her are true. Or not any more true about her than anyone else. If either of them had the chance to sell Candice out to advance his own position in the game, he'd do it in a heartbeat and call it heroic. And Candice knew that when she made her choice. I don't know why she thought she had better odds with Li'l Russell, though. Rupert says he and Colby are the only Heroes left. I believe he is confusing "Heroes" with "Zeroes."

The day, Li'l Russell has now lost enough weight that his shorts are riding dangerously low. Yuck. Li'l Russell tells Sandra (who clearly doesn't give a shit about any of this) that Rupert and Colby refuse to speak to him because they apparently don't realize they're playing Survivor and people get voted out. Indeed, Rupert interviews that Li'l Russell is a liar and "could be worse than Johnny Fairplay." Hmmm ... what's worse: lying about your grandma being dead or lying about surviving Hurricane Katrina? Honestly, I'd say the Katrina lie is worse because the dead grandma lie was so damn funny and made me want to watch more to find out what would happen . The Katrina lie just made me feel like I wanted to watch anything else. [Also, the Fairplay lie was surprisingly well executed, with advanced planning and everything. You've got to give him some credit for that. -- Angel] Rupert says he can't keep his rage inside any longer and therefore must publicly confront Li'l Russell about his horribleness and hope the Villains see what kind of person they've aligned with. Like they'll really care, Rupert. It's a chance to win ONE MILLION DOLLARS. There are very few people most of us wouldn't align with for that. Hell, Natalie loves Jesus and stuff and she was still willing to align with Li'l Russell. And so, in front of the fire, this conversation happens:

By Sara M

Meanwhile, Rupert realizes that he's not going to find the idol, but has an idea of a way to pretend that he did: he grabs a large rock and puts it in his pocket, thus creating an idol-shaped bulge. Now, how the hell did he think of that on his own? And know that no one else on the Villains already have found the idol so his deception wouldn't have worked? Did Sandra help him out here or did he actually demonstrate some intelligent thinking? He returns to camp, and Li'l Russell says something to him about the idol search. "Yeah," Rupert mutters with a sly knowing glance at the camera. Nice, Rupert. Li'l Russell totally falls for it, staring at Rupert's pocket before interviewing that he's an expert on hidden idols so he knows one when he sees it hidden in someone's pocket. And Rupert, he's absolutely sure, has an idol. No problem, Li'l Russell says; his alliance of six will simply split the votes between Rupert and Colby tonight. Much to Sandra's well-concealed delight, Li'l Russell tells her that he knows Rupert has the idol. "I see it in his pocket ... I know exactly how they look in a pocket," he says, and now his shorts are riding so low that Sandra must be able to see genitalia. We can't, because it's blurred, but that doesn't mean it isn't leaving me with permanent emotional scars. Sandra is so pleased with this development that she doesn't swear about it in her interview, simply saying that she has "the freakin' immunity idol."

By Sara M

Jerri, Parvati, and Danielle discuss tonight's vote. Parvati says they'll split their votes three for Rupert and three for Colby. "Why?" Jerri asks, so out of it. Parvati patiently explains things to her, and then Jerri says she'd rather vote Candice out than Colby. "She will never see it coming," Jerri says. Well, no, she won't, because that wouldn't be a very smart move, to vote out an ally over an enemy with friends on the jury this close to the end. Even though that enemy is useless and boring and won't be making any moves anytime soon. Danielle interviews that it's a tough decision between Colby and Candice; she thinks Candice will stay loyal to them, but Colby isn't any kind of threat, mentally or physically. That's right: Candice is now considered to be more of an immunity threat than Colby.

Colby meets with Rupert and says three votes tonight are going to Rupert and three are going to either Colby or Candice. How does he know Candice is even being considered? Did Jerri tell him? Are they in secret cahoots? Their only hope is that three Villains vote for Candice along with Rupert and Colby, and those five votes send her home. They relish the thought of voting traitor Candice out.

The tribe arrives at Tribal Council. In walk our jurors, Courtney, J.T., Amanda, and Coach. That's right -- I called him Coach! No more Douche for him after I saw the Ponderosa videos on CBS.com this week and witnessed the music video for his band, the DRAGONZ (featuring Courtney and Coach on vocals and J.T. on guitar). If you haven't seen it yet, you need to watch it right now. It's basically the most awesome thing Survivor has ever done. EVER. Probst asks Rupert what the "fall out" was after Amanda was voted out. Rupert sighs that they realized there were "only two Heroes left" in the game. And that would be him and Colby. Not Candice. Rupert makes sure to spell that out as Candice rolls her eyes. Candice says it was "obvious" that Amanda was going home regardless of how she voted. "The numbers were already there," she claims. Rupert and Colby know that's not true and that, with Sandra, they would have had the numbers, but to their credit, they don't sell Sandra out by saying so. Or maybe they just forgot. Colby says he doesn't "respect" Candice's "excuses." Candice says it wasn't going to get her any further in the game to "go down on a sinking ship." Colby says she just should have said that she thought this was her best play to win one million dollars. Um, I think she did just say that, didn't she? And even if she had said that at the time, Rupert and Colby wouldn't be any less furious with her now.

By Sara M

Li'l Russell rolls his eyes. Probst asks Danielle why she's crying. She says she's "exhausted" and "a freaking wreck." Someone in the jury box says "boo-hoo" according to the captions, but I didn't actually see anyone's lips say that. J.T. said something, but it looked like a full sentence and not just a "boo-hoo." Anyway, Amanda is grinning like an idiot about all of this. Danielle recovers slightly and says she's having a "rough day" and doesn't know why Li'l Russell is trying to mess with the alliance they've had since the game began. Probst asks if her feelings are hurt or something. She says they are. Way to have feelings, Danielle. Li'l Russell says he doesn't understand why Danielle is putting the blame squarely on him when she was complicit in this. In the jury, Courtney makes the universal sign for "WTF?" followed by "is anyone else hearing this madness? Just me?" Danielle interrupts Li'l Russell again. "Can I finish?" he Ross Perots. Seriously, what is it about little Texan businessmen and their insistence on finishing their sentences? "No!" Danielle says. And people start looking uncomfortable. Danielle says Li'l Russell could never turn her against Parvati. "It would have happened if I'd've wanted it to happen," he says. Well, that's a stupid thing to say, but before Li'l Russell's allies can react to that, Danielle says something even stupider: "I'm closer to Parvati than you think." "Oh really?" Li'l Russell says. Parvati rolls her eyes in a shot taken from another time. "Yeah, really," Danielle says. "Okay," Li'l Russell says. Parvati chews on her bottom lip. While Danielle says everyone is fine and this conversation can end, Li'l Russell looks over at Jerri and mouths "Danielle." Is this the first time we've seen someone change his vote in the middle of Tribal Council? And tell someone else to do it, too? And does Li'l Russell really think Jerri aware enough of her surroundings to make a choice like this? Of course, Probst repeats Danielle's statement about being so close to Parvati just to make sure the contestants hear it and vote accordingly, i.e. however Li'l Russell wants them to. Danielle keeps digging her own grave, saying she doesn't like her friendship with and loyalty to Parvati questioned. Parvati appears to be sitting there thinking "oh my god, you idiot. Shut up. SHUT UP. YOU ARE DESTROYING MY GAME."

And we vote. Parvati votes for Rupert, saying "second time's a charm, right?" But she seems to know something is up. Li'l Russell votes for Danielle, saying if she's closer to Parvati than he thinks, then she definitely needs to go. We don't see who Jerri votes for, but she says this: "I have absolutely no idea what just happened." Probst returns with the urn and asks if anyone wants to play the idol. No one does, because while Rupert and Colby fight with Li'l Russell and Danielle and Parvati fight with Li'l Russell and Jerri zones out in a pond somewhere, Sandra has been completely ignored. Excellent. Rupert gets three votes. And then, two votes for Danielle. She's probably hoping those are from Rupert and Colby. But then there's a third vote for Danielle. She is pretty shocked. Rupert is hopeful. So, how did Jerri vote? For Rupert, Danielle, or perhaps one of those chocolate cake or chicken tenders? It's Danielle. Wow. Now all Rupert and Colby have to do is win of the two immunity challenges and they could be guaranteed one million dollars. Stupid move by Li'l Russell. As for Jerri, I'm not so sure. I think she saw an opportunity to get in with Li'l Russell and felt no loyalty to Danielle after hearing her go on and on about how she was in a tight alliance Parvati and Li'l Russell and loyal to them. Parvati isn't scared or sticking to Li'l Russell like glue like he thought she would. Instead, she turns to him and whispers, "that's messed up." "Well... " Li'l Russell shrugs. Rupert looks over at the jury, all "how the hell am I still here?" Probst snuffs Danielle's torch. She whispers a "bye" to everyone (let's face it, though, she was really only saying good-bye to Parvati) and leaves.

By Sara M

You can read more from Sara Morrison at L.A.me, follow her on Twitter, or you can email her at saramorrison@gmail.com.

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