Previously on Survivor, Rob and Kathy agreed not to "stab" each other as ambassadors for the merge. They also agreed upon a hot pink flag. What were they thinking? Kathy got paranoid, then got immunity. Sean punched his fist and yelled at John, Zoe did a lot of backpedaling, and then Rob was voted off. Nine remain.
A haggard-looking, night-vision Paschal carries a lantern. The tribe stands around the fire, and Tammy says that it's a "somber" mood because they had to vote somebody out, but condescends to the others about being on the jury being a "huge accomplishment" and they should all feel really proud of themselves. Neleh and Kathy both feel "great," while Paschal feels "wonderful, wonderful." In a confessional, Vecepia tells us that she pulled Rob aside to the Tribal Council and revealed that she was going to vote for him. She wanted him to hear it directly from her, because they'd had an agreement "at one time"; she says he was okay about her vote. Now the tribe turns in for the night while Neleh blabs about the weather. They spoon as Zoe explains in an interview that since Rob's departure, it's been much more peaceful around camp. She says there are no more worries that some "wise-ass remark" will be made and set off a new fight. That, and now there's no one left to call her out for being a liar.
Sean enters the tent where the others are sleeping with a t-shirt tied around his head. He dons socks while the others want to know who farted. He owns up to it and then says, "Excuse me. That was the first fart that actually had substance in it." The others laugh uncomfortably. In a voice-over Robert tells us that the island diet has played havoc with Sean's intestinal system and he has a "little flatulence problem." Robert is fortunate because he sleeps "upwind" of Sean at the other end of the tent. Sean apologizes to the others, and claims that he thought he'd left enough time to air the fart out. In an interview Kathy says that Sean will most likely be the one voted off because he doesn't work hard, he complains, and he farts a lot. Hee. I was thinking that the editors had juxtaposed this segment with her confessional to make it look like the other members of the tribe were voting him off because he farts a lot, and as it turns out, they actually are voting him off for that very reason. Sean farts again and grins that he's just "messin' with everybody else." He also may or may not be just "messin'" in his pants. In any case, Tammy wants him to take it elsewhere. Sean tells us in an interview that he's playing the game exactly how he planned to, because, "if you're true to yourself, that's the true game of life." He says the only thing that has changed for him during Survivor is his attitude, whatever that means. Now it's daytime and Sean gleefully moans; he wants everyone to know how happy he is because he's just farted again. This is accompanied by a "fart" sound effect. Sean outstretches both arms and exclaims, "I can pass gas and feel free as a bird!" Now it's nighttime again and they're back in the tent. We, however, are outside the tent and hearing different verbal expressions from within regarding Sean's intestinal distress: coughing, gagging, laughing, and various "Sean!"s. The segment concludes with Sean saying he's got "some nasty ass."
Same night. Lights flicker while the moon peeks through palm fronds. Angels sing because Paschal is thinking of his family. He tells us he was up before daybreak because he couldn't sleep. We see him settling down for a little nap about one foot from the wind-blown fire. Sparks fly all around him, and Paschal rolls around and attempts to cover his face with his buff without catching fire. A tree falls down behind him and he rises looking sleepy and perplexed, but not particularly alarmed.
Morning dawns on Day 22 and a surprisingly non-charred Paschal is still out there. He sleeps on his back, with his knees bent, one foot flat on the ground, and the other leg crossed over. He also has one hand on his chest, and he looks kind of ridiculous. I'd be upset to be caught on camera sleeping in that pose. It reminds me of spring break my senior year of college when we drove to Key West and there was this total Adonis-looking tanned blond man sleeping on the beach in a ridiculous position -- he was spooning, but just one spoon. So we dared each other to get as close to him as we could, and pose in a similar manner. And he never woke up, even while being spooned by Liza. Liza, incidentally, would do anything; and was rushed to the hospital later on during that trip because someone hit her over the head with a chair. She's now a surgeon. Robert explains that it was a rough night and a windy morning at Soliantu, and two trees came down around the camp. He says they were lucky that the trees didn't fall on their tent. Tammy and Vecepia hug and kiss while Tammy whines that -- with a few more feet -- the tree could have landed on their tent. Vee doesn't want her to say that; she just wants to "praise God."
Now Kathy and Zoe sit together and Kathy wants to "go over what happened yesterday." She says she was confused and wanted to know if there was an alliance among the Rotus to vote her off first after the merge. Zoe insists that there was not. Kathy wants to know, then, if an alliance was formed with the sole purpose of duping Rob, and Zoe claims that that was always her "intention." She says she tried to express that there was never any intention of voting Kathy off, and that they wanted to get Rotu back together. She's really a poor liar. Now there's someone I can call "shifty" and have no worries about. In a confessional Kathy tells us that Zoe lied to her; she thinks the Rotu alliance had definite plans to vote her off. She says Zoe has been lying since the beginning of the game and playing both sides, but Kathy "can't take that." We see her tell Zoe that whoever wins will win, but she won't be their pawn. She says she'll fight to figure out what's going on, but she's also wary of disrupting friendships. Zoe says she has the same concerns. Kathy tells us she was going to goad Zoe further, but she backed off because she wanted to make her feel guilty "for good negotiations," and she thinks she accomplished that. Kathy and Zoe link elbows and hold hands; they look intimate. And uncomfortable. As the camera pans away, we see that they've been sitting on a big pile of sharp-looking rocks. Kathy tells Zoe that she's happy they got through this difficult beginning, and that after they vote Sean off, they can work on their own relationships. Kathy then calls Zoe "sweetie," which I bet she doesn't hear too much. "Sweaty," maybe.
We -- through the mastery of underwater cameras -- are now permitted to cleanse ourselves metaphorically along with Kathy. She tells us she gets "empowered by those waterfalls," but we all know she gets empowered by anything. The fresh water is invigorating, she says, and she wanted to start a new day in a better direction. She looks so sad and tired and seems so earnest in this interview. There's definitely a huge gap between the way other people perceive Kathy, and the way she perceives herself. In any case, Paschal makes a big fuss out of jumping off a five-feet-high cliff into the water, and Kathy and John give him a score of 5.8, which I think is at least slightly inflated. Neleh giggles her way through a very childlike interview (which I find not one bit charming), about how the waterfall is "cold" and thus "cools [them] off." She insists that no one ever complains about going to the waterfall, and I wonder why she thinks we'd think anyone would complain about that. She says she's "ready to go again after [she] get[s] outta there." And I had no doubt Neleh was "go[ing]" in the waterfall, but she just confirmed it.
Paschal tells us that they checked the treemail on the way back from the waterfall and "sure enough" they had a clue. We see a basket containing colorful sticks, and Kathy thinks they're flags. She also thinks they're umbrellas, but Tammy deduces that they're actually kites. Kathy agrees that they are kites, but does not insist that technically kites could both be viewed as flags and used as umbrellas. John thinks the challenge is "like a picnic thing," and they all agree that it's "cool." The clue reads, "You may be feeling grounded/Now how high can you go/Find the wind under your wings/To see wonders down below/Here's some items to build a kite/Though you're not restricted to just these/Make yours fly the highest first/and you'll explore these exotic seas," after which Paschal appears to roll his eyes. My husband would make some snide comment about "wonders down below." Like, "I'll show you some wonders down below." Actually, that's exactly the comment he would make. Kathy tells us in a confessional that it's "a really cool twist" that they have to fly self-made kites for a reward.
We see them working on their kites. Neleh flosses her teeth with the string and proudly announces, "I got a kite, and a new outfit out of this challenge!" Considering how petite she is, she probably could have gotten a whole new wardrobe out of it. But here's something to consider: if they really aren't given toilet paper, wouldn't they use any spare fabric lying around for that? I mean, who really needs more than two changes of wardrobe, anyway? Kathy tells us that they've reached a new facet of the game, which consists of eliminating the non-Rotus. She says Sean will go first because they're not "voting off power," even though she would love to get rid of John and Tammy. She doesn't know if she can get Paschal to listen to her argument against them because "he likes to make his own decisions about honesty and trustworthiness," as if that's a bad thing. We see Kathy complaining to Paschal about Zoe's lies. Paschal says that Zoe may have been telling the truth, and insists that Kathy get away from "all this negative stuff." She complains that she doesn't want to be used as a pawn and then end up on the jury, telling Paschal that the others are just using the Maraamus to get to the finals. Paschal answers, "So?" Kathy tells us in a confessional that she "needs[s]" Paschal and Neleh to "experience some of this turmoil" because "a couple more pieces of turmoil" might force them to commit to getting rid of those in power. Paschal is not at all excited about the kite-flying mission. He thinks it will be "miserable," and Robert -- wearing a tent of a tank top -- responds, "Aw, go fly a kite." Hee.
Peachy welcomes them to the challenge and explains that the first person to get his or her kite 300 feet in the air wins. They'll know they've reached that height when a purple ribbon clears the end of their spool. Really, though, it wouldn't be 300 feet "in the air." 300 feet anywhere would be fine, I'd imagine, as long as it's not 300 feet on the ground. (We'll see the majority of the S9 attempt this method momentarily.) A deliberate shot of Zoe's armpit reveals that only those women deemed potential of reaching sex symbol status are taken aside and shaved by Mark Burnett. Peachy hopes the reward will bring smiles to their faces. He reveals that it's a Snickers bar, but he says, "Ain't no regular Snickers either, it's a big one!" As he chops it into nine little pieces he explains that it's "freshly chilled, on ice." He first feeds a piece by hand to Zoe, who bites with growly sound effects. Her resulting orgasm face is accompanied by the orgasmic soundtrack. He also feeds Vecepia, but the remaining competitors appear lucky enough to be able to feed themselves. Peachy seems particularly interested in Neleh's response. So the challenge winner will get a king-size Snickers, which he or she will eat en route to a deep-sea dive "in one of the most spectacular places on earth." The circus? Disneyland? Salt Lake City? He says the winner will have the chance to see manta rays, eels, and hammerhead sharks, and that an experienced diver will teach them everything they need to know.
They select spools and tie them to their kites. Kathy's is instantly airborne, and Zoe's -- which is god-awful ugly -- also heads northward. Neleh's kite is airborne for about three seconds, but then takes a dive. Most likely, I suspect, because it likes to be near her. Or perhaps because it was held together by chewing gum, mud, and human hair. Tammy screams at her kite, which is not, I think, the most effective way of winning its loyalty, and Sean runs down the beach with his kite just inches behind him while Peachy chides, "You're gettin' nowhere fast, buddy." Peachy also mocks the flailing Paschal and John. By this point, Vee and Tammy don't even appear to be trying, although Vecepia is lucklessly attempting the oft-successful backwards-running technique. Now Zoe's kite hits the sand, as well. Basically, there's a whole lot of flailin' goin' on throughout this segment, for everyone except Kathy. Her kite string unspools to reveal the purple ribbon, and she shriekingly wins. Peachy says she's on a "hot streak," and wants to know if she dives. She says she does, but if she didn't, would she admit it? Sean tells us to look at his kite because it, "look [sic] like the Little Rascals built it." Hee. Peachy again repeats all the glorious things that await Kathy beneath the sea, and the glorious Snickers bar that awaits her on land. Kathy gets high fives as Peachy sends the others away.
The sea is very blue. It makes me want to go there. Then Kathy appears and, not so much, now. It's still Day 23 and she stands in the boat alongside the driver and the dive instructor. Kathy tells us that the seas are "crazy" and "squirrelly," and that when you hit a big swell, "it just comes slamming down." She says that it was a lot of fun, but she doesn't sound like she thought it was fun, and admits to some apprehension. She puts on her wet suit and gets coached to relax, which just might be impossible, because Kathy, I imagine, can't relax on her Burlington, Vermont sofa, better yet on the game of Survivor. She is patiently taught the symbols for "okay" and "not good," then she adds a symbol of her own, which kind of looks like someone claiming, "It was that big," but instead is supposed to express that she's "really scared." She tells us that the crew had everything ready to go and was very informative so she felt confident. She says she told herself, "Just keep going, Kathy." I love it when people talk to themselves and feel the need to say their own name in the process. Actually, I don't quite love that, but I do find it amusing, though not in a good way. Kathy and the red-haired dive instructor clutch at each other while they back flip off the boat. Actually, just Kathy does the clutching, and to her credit the other woman does not start swatting and say, "Get your hands off of me!"
Now they're below the water with lots of little fishies swimming around. And a shark! They hold hands and float as Kathy voices over that going underwater is like "going from day to night, only it's going from it to a whole 'nother world under there." Why not just say it's like "going to a different world"? Actually, why not just shut up, period? There are some black fish with white tails, and a cool, squiggly jellyfish. Kathy says she "really, truly feel[s] like a fish out of water," which is a confusing simile to use in this particular circumstance. She claims the sea is not her "abode," and nor is it her commode, but that didn't stop her when she peed on John's hand. She says she's not where she's supposed to be, and she feels like she's "infiltrating" something. Which she is. Still, it's gorgeous. An octopus oozes along the ocean's floor, and a ray passes, which Kathy describes as "kickin' around." She says it's "equal to being in a massive aquarium, and that it's a vacation to spend this time away from the tribe in this stress-free environment." Fish and more fish, moving together. Neleh would think it was very PRETTY.
As Soliantu returns sans Kathy from the challenge, Tammy tells John -- within perfect hearing distance of Neleh, so I guess she's in on it -- that they will approach every Tribal Council with one person to vote off, plus a back-up. In an interview she claims that she, Paschal, Neleh, Robert, John, and Zoe have all decided to vote the same for the three votes, and right now, it's Sean. Now we join Sean sitting beside Vecepia, as he tells her he's "tryin' to leave here playin' the game," but he's frustrated because he doesn't feel like the others are playing. He knows he's definitely , and says he'll still go out trying. He also says something about not being out there for a "vacation" -- which is kind of ironic, since during the initial few episodes he was definitely portrayed as such. He tells Vee that he plans to "bring home the bacon" while a smug-looking John creeps around behind them. Sean says he plans to talk to Kathy and Neleh about the situation. During this discussion we also see Paschal and Tammy hovering in the background, and then Paschal tells us in a confessional that Sean is feeling vulnerable, and trying to determine where he'll stand if he doesn't win immunity that night. Paschal thinks it's "fascinating" to watch. Not as fascinating as minors getting jiggy with it, but he wouldn't know anything about that. Now Vee and Sean hold hands, while Vee prays. I know not why she prays so darn much.
Kathy hauls ass into the boat. Christy Turlington is not flattered trying to climb into a boat, but it does seem to me that the editors love showing Kathy in unattractive positions. She says she feels like "a dead fish." We then get a very obvious product placement shot of the boat's engines. Now, the Soliantu flag reminds us that we're at Soliantu, in case we think the tribe has wondered off, set up camp elsewhere, and renamed itself. Kathy "hey[s]" at the tribe as she returns, telling the others that it was beautiful and exciting. She reveals that she has returned bearing the king-sized Snickers bar. She tells us that her real motivation in bringing it back was for peace of mind, so that if the others had any "beef" about her winning another challenge, they'd have some good feelings toward her as well. Hee -- she says "Snicker bar" instead of "Snickers bar." Kathy admits that sharing the "Snicker bar" could backfire and look like bribery. Each S9 takes their eensy-weensy bite of Snickers and exclaims over it. Tammy lauds Kathy's generosity; she says it must have been hard to share, and the others wouldn't have done so as easily. Kathy just likes to see people happy. Oh, that Kathy. In her spare time, she dresses up as a clown at the birthday parties of terminally ill, homeless, and one-armed children. She also thinks there's "too much tension on the beach," and that a Snickers bar will resolve that. Clearly, we've missed the point, and should quickly send a king-sized Snickers bar over to the Middle East. In an interview, a sullen John calls Kathy's act a "beautiful gesture," but says, "An eighth of a Snicker isn't gonna change my vote." He claims that he appreciates the gesture and calls it "sweet," but he's not terribly earnest.
Paschal tells Sean and Neleh that there's definitely a Soliantu bond, but it's "different." Sean says, "Right," and sounds disappointed. Paschal looks as though he's trying to determine if Sean's being sarcastic. Sean tells us in an interview that everyone keeps insisting they're a family, but that everything isn't "hunky-dory." He says things are "goin' on" and that people can't be trusted; still, while you're in the game, you have to be "vague but still put it out." He says he needs Kathy, and that she may then be able to get Paschal and Neleh. At this point, he tells us, "all gloves is [sic] off," and he wants to "go for the gusto." We see Sean explaining to Kathy that they now have a one in nine chance of winning the million, and will never again have such favorable odds. She answers, "The only thing I can say is, I totally agree with you," which was a total fake-out, because of the way she prefaced it. Kathy thinks Tammy and John are playing the game obnoxiously hard. Sean says if they are in agreement about what they need to so -- and she agrees that they are -- then he, she, and Vee are committed to the same goal. Kathy thinks she can get Neleh and Paschal. She then clutches Sean's upper thigh. Way upper.
We join Kathy and Neleh as Kathy insists that the "alliance stuff" is killing them. Neleh claims there will be alliances no matter what, and that "the bigger stink you make about things, the more vulnerable ya are." Which is exactly how and why insane, power-wielding dictators rise to power, but little half-wit Neleh can't be expected to comprehend that. Kathy tells us in a confessional that Neleh feels fine with being voted out fifth, and advised Kathy that if she speaks further of a counter-alliance, she'll be voted off. Kathy then decides that Paschal is the "pivotal vote," and so approaches him to plead her case. She says she doesn't want to be Tammy and John's pawn on their rise to the top; she wants the game to be "even." Paschal gnaws at something and says he refuses to align himself with Sean and Vee. Kathy wants it to be fair and thus it should be fair, to which Paschal curtly responds, "This game's not fair." He then picks his teeth at her. In an interview, Kathy tells us that if she could have formed the alliance, she would have had "a huge shot at it," but it's not going to happen. She says Paschal wants Sean off, and so does everyone else.
Now John watches with steely eyes as Sean unsuccessfully attempts to hang a blanket. Or something. Who really knows what he's doing? Maybe he's making a distress signal so Johnnie Cochran can find him. In any case, John feels vulnerable because of the "warpath" that Sean is on. He is worried that some of the S9 might believe the "trash [Sean] was talking," and lash out against him. John snits over the situation to Paschal, who responds that it's very important to him that "somebody like Sean" doesn't make it to the finals. He thinks John "deserves it," but Sean "would be an embarrassment." Harsh! But quite possibly true. In an interview Paschal explains that Sean gave John the impression that Pascal, Neleh, and Kathy had allied with him and Vee against John. Paschal insists that it was bad information, and wanted to set the record straight with John. We see him promising John, "When I give you my word, my word is huge." He claims that his "word" is the most important thing to him because at his age, he doesn't have much else.
John greasily reclines and tells us, "Neleh and Paschal, I think, are really supporting my success in this game." Can he really, possibly believe that Neleh and Paschal would prioritize his success over their own? Why would they go on Survivor in the first place if just to help someone else win? He says it's amazing that he can rely on them -- they're "two free passes," -- and he finds that "mind-blowing." My guess is he finds the conclusion of this episode even more so.
As the clouds race by, the tribe eats and Paschal martyrs that he didn't get any food. Tammy brags about what she cooked, but I didn't hear anyone compliment it. Sean tells us that the pervasive attitude around Soliantu is "we're all in the jury, and good luck to everybody." He knows that the others really mean "good luck to Sean," and claims that "every man for himself is really Sean is for himself swimmin' upstream." Sean swimming downstream would be equally challenged, however.
They check the mail for the clue, which John thinks is "pretty simple," and I think his turquoise skirt is simply pretty. Footage closely follows his skirted ass, here, so it's not just Kimp from last season who gets such lascivious treatment by the camera people. Sean reads aloud, "You've had time to learn this place/I hope you've prepared well/If you've done your homework/Soon we all will tell/Use your information wisely/You can choose who you cut down/Hope you've played nicely/It will help you stick around." "Soon we all will tell?" Kathy cackles and Neleh thinks the challenge will be "process of elimination." Sean tells us in a confessional that if he wins immunity, he's not giving it up, because he doesn't trust his competitors. He says if he loses, he'll salute and wish them good luck, because that's the way they wanted it. He's on his own, and wonders aloud why he would trust them now, since he hasn't been able to trust them at any point during the game.
The members of Soliantu arrive at the challenge. While the soundtrack chants, we see nine colorful, lettered blocks, and a clump of colored coconuts falls to ground. Peachy reclaims the immunity necklace from Kathy, and explains that today's immunity challenge will consist of a series of questions about life and survival on the Marquesas Islands. Each of the S9 has a station with three coconut clusters strung up at the top of a coconut tree. I'm amazed -- based on the usual logic of this show -- that they are coconuts attached to a coconut tree, instead of mangos strung up on a coconut tree, or coconuts strung up on a banana tree. Or even little shrunken heads strung up on a lollipop tree. In any case, every time members of the S9 answer a question correctly, they get to chop down a competitor's clump of coconuts, and the last person left with any of their three coconut clumps remaining, wins. Peachy explains that if they all answer correctly, then they all get a turn to chop. I'd like to point out at this point that they really, really, really need those big, stupid colored blocks to express their answers. The producers of this show welcome any chance they get to create more "authentic" props that they can later auction off on eBay. At least Peachy didn't say, "Your colored, lettered blocks are just like those used by ancient Marquesan tribesmen to determine which member of the tribe to eat ."
But onto the questions. True or false: drinking large quantities of coconut milk helps combat dehydration. False, sillies! It has a "laxative effect," and Sean, Tammy, and Robert all get it right. They pull little tiki figures from a basket to determine the order in which they'll cut down their tribemates' coconuts. Sean makes a fuss over eliminating one of John's coconut bundles, and John tries to act like he has a sense of humor about it, exclaiming, "Surprise, surprise! Shock of all shocks!" Zoe congratulates Sean on his "good form." Robert says, "Go Rocky!" as Tammy takes out Sean's first bunch of coconuts, and Sean says he "see[s] what's going on." Robert takes out Sean's second bundle of coconuts, prompting Peachy to declare Sean a "marked man."
On to the second question. Cannibalism was common in the Marquesas for which of the following reasons: (a) as a means of purging the sins of the tribe; (b) as a protein source; (c) for tribal sacrifice; or (d) to "seize the power of the person being eaten." It's all about the power seizing, and John, Vee, Zoe, Sean, and Neleh all agree. Vee loves Kathy but takes down her coconuts because Kathy's on a roll; she insists that it's "no hard feelings, though." Sean takes out John's second bunch. Zoe jokes that it was a tough choice, and insists, "Payback's a bitch," as John's turn is . He determinedly struts past Sean and blows him a kiss. Actually, he desperately tries to blow Sean a kiss, but he can't catch his attention, so then he has to whiningly call for him, and it loses its effect. Still, Sean pretends to catch the kiss and then slap it on his ass. Hee. Vee looks kind of sad. John skittishly chops down Sean's last bunch, so Sean heads off to the sidelines. Neleh is , and she gleefully takes out Vee, which causes Robert to exclaim, "You're really crackin' some nuts." Zoe also takes out a Vee bundle, and Sean proclaims it a conspiracy. Sean threatens to call Johnnie Cochran "if somebody hit[s] Vee."
question, true or false: in a survival situation at sea without freshwater, you should refrain from eating. Yes, you should -- not even the king-sized Snickers bar, which would really satisfy you. John, Robert, Paschal, Zoe, and Tammy are correct. Paschal takes out Vee's final bunch, and I have no idea why. Sean rants some more about Johnnie Cochran, while Vee looks pissed. Tammy takes out Kathy's second bundle, and Robert follows, telling Kathy it's because she "looks tired." So now Sean, Vecepia, and Kathy make up the gallery. Then Zoe takes out Paschal, and John takes out one of Neleh's. The coconuts almost land on him, which of course is followed by the requisite "gay man flailing about" shot. Neleh looks sad, but then Tammy pats her arm. All better now! Paschal takes out a Zoe bunch "with authority," according to Peachy. Paschal barely raised his arm, though, which makes me wonder if the ropes are rigged to the coconuts at all, or if -- more likely -- the coconuts fall when Mark Burnett pushes a button. The peanut gallery is getting more and more pissed off, and Sean grumbles that they could "take 'em." Vee points out that they'd need Paschal and Neleh to do so. Zoe strikes another Paschal bunch, then Robert takes John out of the game, which was an unusual choice, I think. Still, John gets a last shot, and instead of hitting Robert in return, he goes for Paschal. Neleh looks perplexed, then takes out one of Tammy's. So the competition now stands as follows: Robert has all three coconut bunches remaining, while Zoe, Neleh, and Tammy each have two.
Peachy asks what a "horse" is in the Marquesas Islands. The answer is not "a lagoon sea creature," but instead, it's "a horse like any other found all over the world." Oh, that tricky Peachy. He explains that Spanish explorers introduced horses to the Marquesas so "a horse is just a horse." The remaining competitors all get it right except Zoe. So Robert takes out a Zoe bunch; Neleh takes out a Robert bunch; and then Tammy goes for Zoe -- thus eliminating her from the challenge with the reasoning that one less person in the game increases her own odds of winning. Zoe says not to worry, but warns that she'll remember. She jokingly claims to have needed a rest anyway. Robert takes out Neleh's second bunch, and then asks Tammy if he should "leave it out," thus acting as if Neleh's elimination was a foregone conclusion. Tammy makes it so, with the reasoning that Neleh "wacked" her first, and that's "fair play."
So it's down to Tammy and Robert, and Peachy wants to know whether the sea cucumber can be deadly to humans. Tammy thinks it can't be; Robert thinks it can be, and Tammy's right. Peachy reveals that while the sea cucumber can cause burning, it can't kill you. So eat those puppies up! Dramatic music swells as Tammy ceremoniously chops down Robert's last bunch and gets necklaced by Peachy, who oddly caresses her back during the process.
I just don't need to see Martha Stewart rolling around in bed.
The tribe walks back from the challenge on Day 24. Gong! Vecepia rambles on about how people always say everything is not perfect, and that when they returned from the challenge they discovered just how everything was not perfect in their tribe. Robert and John congratulate each other. Robert says, "Took care of business right off the bat!" Which I think is kind of ironic, since he personally took care of John. They hug each other. John pats Robert's back and says, "Thank you, baby." Vee tells us that Tammy, Zoe, Robert, and John were cocky at the challenge. We see Zoe telling the other cockies that she almost took out John because she hated taking out Paschal. Robert snarks, "It didn't seem to bother you that much." A shot of Paschal reveals that it did bother him, exactly that much. John tells us that Sean, Vee, and Kathy went first in the challenge. He was satisfied by cutting Sean's last rope, and hopes that will be "an omen" at tonight's Tribal Council. And maybe it was an omen, but not the omen John was hoping for. Sean tells us that "everyone" was talking about the arrogance of the four at the challenge; he says it rubbed "people" the wrong way. How many of them are out there, anyway? Even Neleh and Paschal are outraged over what happened. Paschal complains that the Rotus "were never gonna give [them] any consideration," and Neleh says, "No way!" Paschal tells us that the "coconut choppin' and all" revealed a distinct pecking order. He sounds surprised when he concludes, "And we was [sic] included in it," even though they'd been assured otherwise. Neleh insists that she's been completely honest throughout the game. She says she'd be "lying to [her] heart" and to herself if she voted against Sean. She insists that they have to vote off John, and would be fools not to. One of the two might technically be a fool anyway, but we get her point. She tearfully says she's worked too hard to go out like that. In a confessional, Neleh tells us that seeing Paschal's coconuts come down so fast showed her that something around Soliantu had to change.
Paschal rubs mud all over his body while Neleh squats and most likely pees in the water to him. He's scrubbing and scrubbing and scrubbing, but he's not getting clean. Or is he getting technically clean, but not metaphorically clean? Because we're definitely supposed to take this as Paschal finally "getting dirty." He tells us in a voice-over that he has no clue how to play the game, and he doesn't want to know, either. He explains that he tends to lay back and figure out the "lay of the land" before taking any action, and that he's like that in the courtroom and in life. He also believes himself to be fair and consistent, and to his credit, we haven't yet seen anything to disprove that. Just wait a few minutes, though.
The tribe packs up their stylish thatched bags, now available at Payless. Tammy starts packing and then stops, perhaps realizing that she's sticking around no matter what. Or perhaps she's debating giving away her immunity, and thus she'd be as much at risk as any of the others. Sean explains that he's packing up all his stuff because he's fully prepared to go tonight. He says he doesn't want to go out "like a wimp," thinking fifth, sixth, or seventh place is the best he can do. He says he wants to go out having given it his best and if it's tonight -- in ninth place -- at least he will have tried. John and Sean have a conversation, and John acts like they're buddies and gives Sean a chump punch on the shoulder. Neleh and Paschal make perplexed faces, and then the tribe hikes around the side of a little mountain.
Jabba the Tribal Council Hut. Tribal Trill. Tribal Trill again. Peachy stands at attention, and welcomes them. He doesn't b.s. around this week, and gets straight to the issues. He asks Vecepia whether the elimination order of the challenge was suspicious to her, and then answers his own question by saying that Sean was "clearly marked," Vee was , and then Kathy in a "boom, boom, boom" order. He wants to know if that's the way the game goes, or did she "reflect upon that and go, 'Hmm'?" Vee says several members of the tribe noticed the gloating of John, Zoe, Robert, and Tammy, and that it caused them alarm. Peachy asks about "the godfather kiss" John blew to Sean, noting, "Sean received it good-naturedly and put it on his ass." John says he was only "taunting" Sean because they're friends, and that friendship allows for an understanding of the game, and they have no hard feelings toward each other. Sean smirks his "understanding." Paschal's objective was to be as honest as he could be "given the framework of the game." He says didn't start playing the game until very late -- maybe even today. John says he wanted to be "Mr. Integrity, Mr. Honesty," (hey! My cousin is the newly crowned Miss Rhode Island. Shout-out? Most certainly), but when he started building alliances, doubts began accumulating. He doesn't think he flat-out lied to people, but he definitely "adapted to the half-truths" necessary to play Survivor. He says he's done his share of lying, wishes he hadn't, but still thinks it's just part of the game. Sean is one hundred percent proud of the way he's played the game, and insists that he hasn't lied to anyone. He says, "The people I kept my word to, I kept my word to up to this point." I'm not sure that's the way Sean meant for it to come out. Still, he insists that integrity is important to him and his credo is, "Stand for something or you'll fall for anything." He then dumbs down the expression -- as much as that's possible -- most likely for Neleh's sake. Tammy didn't "give a shit" about winning the challenge because she wasn't worried about her position in the tribe, but now she is worried, and realizes how valuable the necklace is, so she's keeping it. John looks a little upset by this, and Kathy's hair looks shaggy and stylin'.