Previously on Survivor, Butch was on a need-to-know basis, and Matthew was gonna be chain. A chain link. You know, like a chain? Exactly! A chain! Alex and Jenna enjoyed pastries, HeiDDi was bit by a spider, Matthew happily ate a live beetle larva to claim the immunity, and Deena knew that Alex had to go if she was to stay in the game. But Alex didn't go, and so Deena did. Seven remain; who will be voted out tonight?
A backlit tree brings us to Day 28 at Jackée. The wary-eyed croc from episodes past makes an appearance, followed by a second, closer-up appearance. Matthew and Butch are out fishing. And of course they're out fishing, because they spend twenty-three hours out of every day out fishing. In the twenty-fourth hour, Matthew sharpens his machete while Butch presses his "Believe in Yourself" banner. Back at camp, the alliance of Rob, HeiDDi, Alex, and Jenna lies in repose, and HeiDDi pulls her buff over her eyes to block the sun. Alex proclaims the buff a "multi-purpose accessory," causing HeiDDi to lament that she's not yet worn it as a tube top. Jenna groans in excitement and says, "Ah! If you wear it as a tube top, I'll wear it as a skirt," confirming that they are indeed in seventh grade. HeiDDi agrees that dressing alike would be fun, and Jenna calls them the "Bobbsey Twins," which is a total shout-out to the TWoP forums. Not that we want shout-outs from Jenna! Boo! Hiss!
In an interview, Alex tells us that the game is working out so far for the members of his alliance, and that they're having a great time. As the camera pans over HeiDDi's unnaturally erect breasts, Alex explains that as long as they maintain the majority vote and "control immunity," they'll remain in the final four. The members of the group debate whether Matthew and Butch will catch fish today, and Rob jokes that one of them will "get fired" if they don't catch something soon. HeiDDi asks, "In three days?" because she thinks she gets the joke, but isn't sure.
As Rob goes on about how the others are "falling behind in their chores," Christy hovers in the background of the conversation. So either the others are so cocky that they don't care if she knows what they're saying, or they assume she can't understand and rudely conduct the conversation right in front of her anyway. Jenna joins in the mocking, insisting that Butch and Matthew need to get their act together. No kidding -- they need to get their act together and vote off these jokers! Rob whine that he works hard all day thinking of funny things to say, while Jenna claims to exert her energy on figuring out "really cool outfit[s] to wear to the challenge[s]." Alex interviews that he's enjoying the game; although he knew he would meet "cool people," he never thought they would let him hang out with them. Back in the group, Jenna announces that she considers the others to be her best friends, "not just here -- like, at home." Aw. That's nice. Nice and pathetic. She interviews that as an only child, she's very close to her parents, adding, "Like, I just sit at home and chill with them, like, almost every night of the week and just eat and have fun." Unlike Rob, anyway, whose parents don't let him out of the basement. Jenna adds that she misses her parents and explains, "My mom's not well. I left her." We see multiple shots of sad-sack Jenna as she voice-overs hope that her mother is doing well in Jenna's absence. HeiDDi wears a torn-up Flashdance-style t-shirt and explains in an interview that Jenna's mother has cancer. HeiDDi thinks it's scary that they haven't heard from their families in "gosh knows how long," and I think it's scary that she can't count to twenty-eight. Jenna wraps it up by telling us that although she still thinks about her parents, she doesn't have to as much, because other people love her, too.
Butch and a very veiny Matthew hack and gather wood before we cut to yet another shot of Alex, Rob, HeiDDi, and Jenna lying out in the sun. Alex tells us that, although he hates to say it, "it's a little bit like high school." He then launches into an explanation of how his group has the "luxury" of doing less work because they hold the majority vote. And here I was thinking it was like high school because four completely reprehensible human beings are inexplicably lording power over more rightful others! Christy, who carries logs through much of this episode, explains in an interview that she knows she's a hard worker, but sometimes she just wants the others to get off their butts and get wood or do anything at all, but "they just do jack shit."
Matthew throws wood around, while Butch looks over at his slothful tribemates. Matthew finds their behavior "incomprehensible," and points out that in treating him "like dirt," they've essentially guaranteed that he'll vote against any of them in the final two. Except that at this point in the game, it's likely that two of them will be the final two, in which case he'd have to vote for one or the other. Or kill them both, I suppose. We see Alex -- who may or may not be pitching a tent -- stand up, while Butch proclaims the situation "ridicoolous." I could listen to Butch say "ridicoolous" all day long.
Christy, Rob, and Jenna stomp through the woods toward treemail, which is revealed to be a billfold full of money. Jenna is particularly excited and tears back toward camp screaming about the Benjamins, so either she really likes money, or she knows there's an upcoming food auction. After Rob reads the clue ("Easy come, easy go. You're invited to come and play. You will compete to get some treats. But soon the offer goes away"), Jenna asks if it means they'll all get something, or if it's "a joke." Ha! That would be funny. In an interview, HeiDDi tells us that the treemail said "something like you're gonna auction off, you know, make sure you place your bets wisely...for food." We just heard the treemail and it said nothing like that, but whatever. Alex counts his share of the money: $500, and Rob announces that he's tempted to keep the money and "screw the food," because "this is, like, [his] life savings." Having acknowledged his own unsuccessful sex life, I'm sure screwing food is something Rob has tried. Jenna asks if they get to keep the change, and HeiDDi adds, "Ditto." And who says "ditto" after a question? You can't "ditto" a question!
The S7 arrive at the challenge, where a particularly dimply Peachy seats them on bleachers. He welcomes them to the Survivor Auction, but with a good deal less fanfare than he has used in years past. The contestants each have $500 to bid on a limited number of items, some of which will be concealed with covers. But the auction will stop without warning, so Peachy cautions them to bid when they see something they like and not to hold out for something better. Throughout this speech, Rob randomly looks to his left and right, under his seat, and over his head.
The first item is a piece of cheesecake, and Peachy starts the bidding at $120. Only HeiDDi bids, so she claims the cake. As Peachy puts it before her, he announces, "It's all you've ever wanted in life." A piece of cheesecake is all she ever wanted in life? I guess this is HeiDDi we're talking about. Matthew thinks HeiDDi would have bid the entire $500 for the cheesecake, as we see shots of HeiDDi taking teensy bites and chewing them up really small because they have less calories and fat that way. Jenna asks, "Good, girlfriend?"
Butch counts and recounts his money, which is amusing since he hasn't bid on anything yet. Peachy reveals the first covered item -- which looks like a beehive -- and opens the bidding at $40. The S7 jump in and Jenna looks like she's going to take the auction with $220, but Alex snakes her with $240 at the very last second. As he counts out the bills -- and what's the deal with all the bill-counting, anyway? They can't remember how much they spent? Or in the case of all of them (except HeiDDi) at this point, that they haven't spent anything at all? Peachy orders Alex to "hold on" because he wants to make him an offer, before revealing another, rounder, less beehive-y, covered plate. Peachy offers a trade, to which Alex responds, "Why not?" Peachy confirms, "You're gonna trade?" and Alex instead says he'll stick with what he bought. But his mind isn't made up yet as he adds, "You know, Jeff, you're just so tough on me here." He so wishes. Alex continues to flail over the decision until Peachy advises, "Go with your gut, Alex. What's your gut saying?" (Alex's gut is clearly saying it wants some more manioc, because that's what he eventually ends up with.) Peachy reveals that the second covered plate holds lasagna; the lasagna particularly excites Jenna and Christy, the latter of whom makes a series of frantic hand gestures toward her mouth. As Peachy moves toward the other covered plate, he goads, "So odds are what?" to which Alex responds, "I got screwed, but hey -- you never know!" As Peachy unveils the manioc, he says, "But you're familiar with it," and Alex unconvincingly says it's "all good" because he "love[s] the stuff." The others want to know what it is, and Jenna doesn't sound disappointed for Alex as she attempts to commiserate. Walking back to the bleachers, Alex groans, "Two hundred and forty dollars for manioc. I got screwed, but hey -- you know? -- whatever." Jenna seconds Alex's "Hey, whatever," for no apparent reason and then immediately launches into "Aw, lasagna. Lasagna, baby." Peachy doesn't put the lasagna up for auction, however, unless it was edited out because they couldn't show Jenna's winning bid -- puffing on a cigarette with her genitals -- on primetime television.
up is yet another covered item, and since the last one sucked, the odds are that this one might be decent. The S7 agree, and Matthew bids it up to $400, leading Rob to announce, "He doesn't care 'cause even if it's gross, he'll eat it anyway!" Matthew gets a cheeseburger with fries and various condiments. He extends his arms upwards as if praying and announces, "I'm in heaven." Jenna graciously tells him "enough already" and orders him to "move it along."
Peachy reveals a huge slab of chocolate stuck in a mound of peanut butter, causing Jenna to sharply draw in her breath. Do people really eat that as a snack? Peachy announces that it's a familiar sight to Jenna and HeiDDi because "it got their clothes off a few weeks ago." Imagine what a Bud Light and some Tostitos could do. Hey -- my spell check automatically caps the word "Tostitos"! In any case, Christy bids for a bit, before giving up to Jenna. As the Sireny Music of Sex-Weapon-Wielding Bikini Models Who Like Peanut Butter and Chocolate flares up in the background, Peachy hands over the dish and Jenna "mmm, mmm, mmm"s over it. A glazed-eyed Rob looks on wistfully, and proclaims it "the most expensive candy bar in the world."
Scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes are , except the pancakes are rolled up like a burrito, for some reason. It's a whole mess of bacon, though. Peachy announces that it also "comes with something else," but doesn't make them guess, thus avoiding the "pistachios!" and "dried apricots!" and "caramel popcorn" shout-outs he got last season when he solicited their suggestions. Butch wants this lot, and at $380 it's his. Peachy calls it "one expensive meal," as Butch grubs it up double-fisted style, using a fork with one hand and his bare hand with...well, the other. Peachy asks where the best place to have breakfast is, and Butch responds that he loves to have it at home with his wife and kids. Peachy asks all fortune cookie-style, "In bed?" and Butch laughingly responds that he likes to have breakfast in bed, but that it doesn't happen very much. Peachy theatrically announces, "No, it's gonna happen today!" and busts out Butch's very own rolled-up mattress and pillow, "just big enough for one." Butch clutches the mattress and either kisses it or smells it; I'm not sure which act is preferable. He thanks the others, while Alex bitterly continues shoveling manioc into his maw.
The few items move along quickly; Rob wins a protein bar, and Matthew wins a protein shake. HeiDDi then wins a piece of chocolate cake, and boy, is Peachy working that gavel! Rob wonders over HeiDDi's consumption of two pieces of cake and asks, "How does this girl keep her figure?"
Peachy puts yet another covered item up for bid. At $240, Rob pauses, and Peachy asks if it's "too rich for [his] blood?" A possibly teary-eyed Rob responds, "Too rich for my wallet!" and so Alex claims the prize: steak and a baked potato. Alex is even less gracious a winner than he is a loser. He makes victorious gestures at the tribe and showily announces that it's a lot of food. He giggles and digs in: "Now that's some meat!"
up, Peachy announces, is "another slightly different item." He thinks some of them might be really into it, while others might be indifferent. Pulling out a stack of Survivor pouches -- probably soon to be available for purchase -- he announces that each contains a letter from home. Jenna gasps and her eyes bug out while Christy smiles with her twinkly eyes, and the others -- who don't have twinkly eyes -- smile, too. Peachy tells them to take a minute, count their money, and "decide what this is worth to" them.
Back from the commercial, Peachy slaps the pouches down on the auction table. Christy, Jenna, and HeiDDi are the primary bidders, with HeiDDi jumping straight from Jenna's $100 to $200. That's important later, by the way. HeiDDi and Christy keep the bidding going, while Jenna grumbles that she doesn't have enough. Finally, Christy wins with a bid of $340, and Peachy invites her down to claim her letter while Jenna and HeiDDi pout. The tears start to flow into the peanut butter and chocolate and the Dramatic Music of Sex-Weapon-Wielding Bikini Models Who Like Peanut Butter and Chocolate and Don't Get Letters from Home tinkles in the background. HeiDDi wipes her own tears on her breasts -- saline to saline, I guess -- while the other members of the tribe look uncomfortable.
Peachy announces that the auction is supposed to be fun, and that he doesn't see a reason he can't put another letter up for bid, but only if Christy okays it. Christy should also get the difference back on her bid or at least some food, since she wisely saved up, but deaf people clearly should just be grateful for what they get. Nevertheless, Christy smiles beatifically and agrees. Alex tells Jenna to go for it, but Rob wants to know where the bidding starts. Jenna is the first in at $80, followed by HeiDDi with $120. Jenna counts her money and announces that she doesn't have any more, so HeiDDi realizes that she has no choice but to let her friend take the prize, even though in the letter auction, HeiDDi single-handedly bid it out of Jenna's reach. Jenna stumbles over to Peachy as he announces that getting peanut butter, chocolate, and "a little love from home" aren't a bad way to spend the afternoon. Jenna thanks him as Peachy proclaims the auction over while Matthew is polishing off the last of his protein shake. With a knife. Christy appears to be trying to make eye contact with Jenna -- probably in search of a much-deserved "thank you" -- but Jenna is preoccupied with the gloating and the entitlement.
We pan over the treetops to a thug monkey. The tribe walks back to camp, and HeiDDi's head is bobbing around in a very Katharine Hepburn sort of way. (Katharine Hepburn, incidentally, cures her shakes with whiskey.) Christy heads off to read her letter in privacy, while Jenna bitches that she was surprised when Christy outbid HeiDDi. HeiDDi says that she didn't have any money left and Jenna repeats, "I was surprised that she did that. But really. That's okay." Except it's not okay. Not to Jenna, anyway.
Christy settles in with her back to a tree and pulls the letter out, starting to cry as she reads it. Matthew tells us in a voice-over that Christy deserves the letter because she's had a "bumpy ride." He thinks the letter will "really elevate her spirits -- raise her spirits," as if we need "elevate" defined. He then calls Jenna selfish. ["Which she is." -- Wing Chun] Christy cries as she explains that the letter is from her very good high-school friend and fellow "amazing person" Jennifer. Christy reads a part in which Jennifer worries about how Christy is doing with "those hearing people." She writes that if anyone is giving Christy trouble, "there's a whole other world waiting for [Christy] when [she comes] home." Granted, it sounds a bit narrow-minded with the whole "those hearing people" shtick, but it also pretty much exactly encapsulates what it's been like for Christy. In an interview, Christy tearfully explains that after twenty-eight days of being in the game, it's good to remember that "there's people out there that love" her. Yeah, and about 1,243 of them are on the TWoP forums. Christy claims that although she might not be able to trust anyone in the Amazon, she can definitely trust people back home. She reads and rereads her letter.
Now it's Jenna's turn; she surrounds herself with Rob, HeiDDi, and Alex as she opens her letter. A gnat swarms around her eyelashes. Surprisingly, the others do not bat it away while fanning her with a giant palm frond. We see that the letter begins, "My dearest Jenna. Boy do I miss you!" Jenna cries because the letter reveals that her mother's tumor has shrunk by 50%. In an interview, HeiDDi tells us exactly the same information, adding that she cried tears of joy for Jenna. Jenna interviews that hearing from her parents was better than anything she could have asked for because she needed to know that they were okay. This is a four-person interview, by the way, as the other members of Jenna's alliance crowd around her. Jenna concludes, "It really was the best thing," and then Alex gives her a big "mwuh!" kiss, before she thanks all of the others. Well, all of the others except for the one person who really deserves it.
The camera pans over an open-mouthed crocodile that is either fake or dead as we round a corner of the river to join Butch and Matthew who are (what else?) fishing. Butch skins a catch as Matthew creepily announces, "That's a beautiful fish. We haven't eaten that fish yet." He then quickly lowers his voice, smoothly shifting into strategizing about the great shot they have if they work on getting Rob on their side. He tells us in a voice-over that it's a critical time with the "subgroups" that have formed, and cites HeiDDi, Jenna, and Alex as one sub-group, with Rob on the outside. He whispers to Butch that if they can get Rob on their side, they'll have four powerful Tribal Council votes. He thinks it should be obvious to Rob that Alex considers him expendable.
In a rare Butch interview, he makes creepy hands and tells us that he and Matthew don't want to hurry or rush the situation because information could leak out. Matthew then volunteers to approach Christy "very delicately" because she doesn't trust anyone right now. Still, he thinks he and Christy had lots of good conversations. Butch closes the conversation and wants to return to camp: "I don't want them to come down and see us talkin' this close." Hey! I thought Matthew decided when to initiate and end all their conversations! In an interview, Matthew tells us that although they have a great shot at taking over the game, if they don't succeed, he, Butch and Christy will be eliminated in the three Tribal Councils.
Gospel-y, humming music plays as the tribe members bed down for the night. Alex has Butch's pillow. Then, the sun rises. Yes, that's exactly what happened in this segment. Heady stuff, people.
It's now Day 29 at Jackée, and Alex and Rob are awake while Jenna and HeiDDi snuggle up to each other, sleeping. The two men perch on logs, and Alex tells Rob was thinking that if the members of their alliance make it to the final four, HeiDDi and Jenna have sworn never to vote against each other. Alex concludes, "So, the way I see it: if I win immunity, my vote goes for you, and I'm sure if you win immunity, you're gonna vote me out and that's totally cool. I'm down. It's no worries." Rob "mmm hmmm"s back to Alex before telling us in an interview that Alex's revelation was "really kinda curious." Not to mention really kinda moronic. Rob paraphrases Alex's explanation: that they're all best friends, and that if Rob ends up in fourth place, he should be happy that he's lost to three worthy people. Jenna tosses and turns as Alex insists that if either he or Rob wins immunity, it's a different situation, and he doesn't know what will happen then. Isn't that the opposite of what he just said? Since Alex characteristically makes no sense, I'm not surprised. In any case, he insists that since he and Rob have been "down with each other" since the beginning of the game, he wants to be honest and "straight up." Straight up stupid. Alex again says that the other two "swore on their lives," and asks if Rob is "cool with that." We don't hear Rob's answer, which is probably "What the fuck is wrong with you, man?" In an interview, Rob tells us that he realizes he's "comin' off as very sensitive with this group -- talkin' about how much I love them and how much I'm gonna be friends with them after the game," but that he never stopped playing, and over his dead body will he just let someone pass him by. Rob looks sleepy and dejected as he and Alex wrap up their conversation.
A large, speckled cat rolls around in the water and swims -- we're supposed to think, anyway -- straight into the open mouth of the stuffed crocodile. It's Day 29, and Rob checks the treemail announcing, "Bad news, guys! It's the SATs!" Now that would be funny. Alex voice-overs that they received an interesting treemail, accompanied by a clue instructing them to answer a series of questions and swearing them to secrecy over their answers. We then hear the clue: "This is a confidential document which your fellow tribe members will never see. So please answer honestly." I don't know if I should be happy that they gave up on the clue poems, or if this is supposed to be some kind of poem. Oh, it's free verse. I see. Alex concludes that this game is "obviously" intended to see if their answers match each other's, adding, "We think, anyway." So how exactly does that jibe with the "obviously" part? Regardless, he is interested to see for what purpose their answers are used.
As Christy works on her book, we see that the questions include "Who smells the worst?" and "Who doesn't deserve to win?" (where we see she's written Alex's name) and "Who thinks they're [sic] charming and is not?" and "Who is most likely to backstab another tribe member?" Christy explains in an interview that some question were easy -- like "Who's the biggest drama king/queen?" while other questions -- like "Who needs therapy?" and "Who is the tribe's biggest slob?" -- required more thought. She tells us that the questionnaire heightened her awareness of the other players, and forced her to think about "who's who."
As we see Rob diligently working on his book, he voice-overs that it was "sorta a slam book-type quiz." He cites a question asking them which contestant they'd trust with their lives, and claims that the questions really got him thinking about a lot of things. A snake slithers around, really thinking about a lot of things.
Stomping through the jungle with Matthew, Rob announces, "Matt, this is the most important conversation that I'm gonna have with you in the entire game." In an interview, Matt parrots that he and Rob just had "the most important conversation of the game." Hee. He explains that Rob said him down with the intent of detailing everything that had happened in the past week. We then see Rob coming clean and fessing up about his post-merge intentions. He claims that he is telling the truth now because he knows Matt trusts him, and he doesn't want more lies. Matthew voice-overs that Rob revealed that Matthew had been "in danger" because his assumed allies were plotting against him; he disbelievingly adds, "On several occasions, Rob was included and was stringing me along!" Matthew reiterates that Rob remains the only person in the game he can trust, before adding "and Butch -- because he has no options." Hee. Rob claims that everything is going to change, and then Matthew interviews that although Rob can be underhanded, Matthew still appreciates Rob's honesty. Rob begins talking about how Alex is the "power player" in the game, and wants to get rid of Matthew, whom Alex sees as the biggest threat. Rob tells Matthew of Alex's plan to vote Rob off in the final four, and Matthew incredulously asks, "He said that to you?" Even the crazy thinks it's crazy! Rob tells us, "This is what happens when people stop being polite and start getting real!" Actually, he says, "This is what happens when people start being arrogant," and then throws in the word "hubris" for good measure. Matthew proves he got through the "a" section of his vocabulary book by telling us, "I was appalled...at their audacity." And also that they are ardent adversaries from whom he assumes an awesome amount of animosity, but that the assuredness of Rob's allegiance is ambiguous. He can't believe that the others think they have the challenge wrapped up, and that at this point it's only a question of which one of the four will win the million. Rob proposes that they vote out Alex, which was exactly what Matthew was thinking! Matthew gives Rob his word, claiming it's "the only word I'm ever gonna give in this game." I think Matt's got a little crush on Rob. He is rewarded with a handshake that turns into a handhold as the two men agree that if their pledge falls through, they'll both be out of the game. Matthew flatly tells us in an interview that although he has many survival skills, he is "very ignorant when it comes to the game." He points out that Rob is all about the game, but has no survival skills. Back to their conversation: Rob says he's confident that he can get Christy to join them because she hates the two girls; he thinks she hates Alex, too.
Rob approaches Christy, grinning from ear to ear. She stares at him and grins in return, "What? What are you smilin' at?" They giggle at each other and look away, giggle at each other and look away, and Christy is very flattered by the lighting. Jenna and Christy lie nearby on Butch's bedding and giggle too. In an interview, Rob tells us that although Christy is a "sweet girl," she doesn't fit in with the group. He adds, "I have a feeling that a lot of girls that were like Jenna and HeiDDi were very mean to Christy in her life."
So Christy and Rob finally head off together, and Christy reveals that she expects to be gone within the nine days because of the alliance. Rob volunteers that he no longer trusts Alex, claiming Alex has lied and changed his story a number of times. Christy asks if Rob's thinking about joining with her, Butch, and Matthew to "vote them off," and Rob specifies, "To vote off Alex." Christy interviews that she immediately agreed because she doesn't think Alex plays fair, and then Rob tells us he knew Christy would go along with it. She says she was like, "Dude, I'm with you. I'm with you to get Alex out!" before getting herself all worked up over how little she cares about Alex and how he's always drooling over the other girls. She questions whether she can really trust Rob, though, who might just be trying to stir things up.
Finally, it's challenge time. Peachy snits that at this point in the game, with only the S7 remaining, a lot relies on how well they know what's going on within the tribe. He proposes that the more they know about their tribemates, the better their chances are at succeeding. He announces that he's tallied the results of the quiz, and that today's immunity challenge will test their abilities to guess what the most common response was for each question. The first player to reach five points wins.
Peachy removes the carrot sticks from around Matthew's neck before asking, "Who would you trust with your life?" Alex, Matthew, and Butch each answer their own names, while Christy said Rob, HeiDDi said Alex, and Jenna and Rob both said Butch. Butch it is, and Peachy points out that it's a "pretty big statement." It makes Butch feel good, and he promises that he'd do his best in that situation. Peachy then snits, "And you answered yourself!" Hee. So Rob, Jenna, and Butch each get a point for not letting massive ego nor monumental stupidity interfere with answering the question correctly.
The question is which tribe member "uses sex appeal as a weapon." Peachy makes a big fuss over the "reveal!" before we see that everyone has voted for Jenna except for Rob, Butch, and Jenna herself, who all cast votes for HeiDDi. Jenna groans in response and admits to feeling surprised; she's also not sure whether it means "people think [she's] sleazy, or that's really cool." That there's even doubt in her mind about the meaning of her nomination here says a whole lot about Jenna. Peachy prods that it can't be new to her to be accused of using her sex to get ahead, and she claims that it's not done purposely "to, you know, snake anybody," and if anything, it's accidental. Peachy responds, "Said with an adorable smile." And we all know that "adorable" is a relative term, as evidenced by the popularity of 7th Heaven. In this round, Matthew, Christy, Alex, and a particularly toothy HeiDDi each get a point, so everyone is on the board, tied with one point each.
Peachy questions whose name came up most when asked who was the most honest tribe member. Butch clutches his answer to his chest before revealing that he voted for himself. Was he afraid someone was going to cheat? Rob also votes for himself, as do Matthew and Alex, while Christy votes for Rob and HeiDDi votes for Alex. It turns out that the tribe agreed on Matthew, and so he scores the sole point of the round. So although the majority of them voted for Matthew, the majority of them didn't think the majority of them voted for Matthew. Got it?
The question asks who in the group could never survive on his or her own, and Peachy comments that there are a "lotta 'Jenna's up there" as we see that Christy, Butch, Rob, and Matthew all threw votes her way, while she and HeiDDi both voted for Rob. Jenna pouts that she has no idea why the others would think that, and Peachy snarkily repeats, "You're using sex as a weapon. You couldn't survive on your own." Jenna claims that it's "personal opinion." So now Matthew has three points; Rob, Christy, and Butch each have two points; and the rest of the tribe members have one point each. Why doesn't it surprise me that Alex, Jenna, and HeiDDi have the lowest tribal and self-awareness of the entire group?
Peachy asks who most needs therapy, and everyone votes for Matthew, except for Christy and Butch, who vote for Jenna. Hee. That's funny. Peachy points out that Matthew has once against correctly guessed himself. The rest of the tribe giggles as Matthew announces, "I'm a lunatic. What can I say?" Peachy asks if he's bothered that others think that way, but he says that they joke about it all the time "and everyone thinks [he's] crazy, so..." Matthew holds onto his lead, trailed by Rob, one point behind. They look at each other and exchange shifty glances.
The S7 are asked what the tribe's majority response was to the question, "Who would you most like to see pose nude in a magazine?" There's definitely a Dog Fancy joke in there somewhere. Peachy is "very curious" to see who they'll say. As they reveal their votes, Jenna's eyes shift around manically as she tries to make sure she got the majority vote. It's not to be, though, as the majority of the S7 vote for HeiDDi, and HeiDDi it is. Jenna tries to smile, but looks more pissed off. Alex explains that he had a good view of Jenna "when they got naked last time," but HeiDDi was too far away for him to see. Ew. That's kind of creepy. HeiDDi giggles and gloats as Peachy asks if she's surprised to have been chosen. She answers that she is, because Jenna is "gorgeous." When asked if it makes HeiDDi "wanna strut [her] stuff a little more," she emphatically responds "no." Well, as emphatically as a babbling idiot like HeiDDi can, anyway. Jenna jumps in to deadpan, "She's. Just as. Gorgeous." So she just called herself gorgeous. It turns out that everyone except for HeiDDi and Matt (who both voted for Jenna) answered correctly, causing Peachy to hysterically announce, "Here's who got it right: HeiDDi, you didn't." So Matthew and Rob are now tied with four, and one point away from immunity.
Peachy asks, "Who in the tribe do you have a crush on?" Rob rolls his eyes upwards and back before closing them in anxiety. They reveal, and we see that everyone including HeiDDi guessed HeiDDi, except for Matthew, who went with himself. As Peachy proclaims Rob the winner, we see Matthew and Rob exchanging more furtive glances, further convincing me that Matthew indeed threw this challenge. I mean, himself? There are three women and four men in the game, and to our knowledge they're all heterosexual, so odds were already strongly in favor of a female player being the majority's crush. But then, the whole crazy thing?
As Rob dons the veggie necklace, the others applaud with varying degrees of enthusiasm as HeiDDi yells, "It's about time, baby!" Rob announces that it's the "best day of [his] life," or maybe second to the time he saw a girl who looked just like an acned Pamela Anderson at the Wantagh Mall. Peachy asks, "Who knew you would be the most in touch with the tribe?" and Rob majestically responds, "These are my people!" Peachy adds, "You are their leader now," before realizing that he's just rambling and explaining that Rob is no one's leader, he just won immunity. Rob is a happy boy.
On Day 30 at Jackée, Alex and HeiDDi bathe and discuss their mutual relief over Rob's immunity. HeiDDi scrubs her stinky armpits as they celebrate Matt's imminent exit, before Alex interviews that the alliance has decided Matt needs to go because he's such a physical threat. The camera cuts over to Rob, who looks uncomfortable at the conversation. Alex announces that Matt knows he's not getting beyond fifth place, and Rob asks if Matthew came right out and said that. Alex responds, "Pretty much," and he should know by now that in this game there's a big difference between "yes" and "pretty much." Alex thinks Matt will be happy with fifth or sixth place, and has just been planning on coasting by on his immunity challenge victories. He snits, as if Matthew is there to hear, "You should've tried a little harder last night." And didn't Deena say exactly the same thing of Alex last week?
In an interview, Rob tells us that tonight's Tribal Council could "signal" one of the most "important power struggles in the game." ["Man, for someone who was complaining about how arrogant Alex is, Rob sure thinks every single damn thing he does is monumentally important." -- Wing Chun] Rob explains that if he votes with his alliance, he assures himself a "solid position" in the final four.
We rejoin the group as Alex tells them that when it comes to the final four, "two of us are just gonna...you know, whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen." Rob wonders whether the game will get evil with people "cutting side deals and stuff," but Alex thinks they've been honest with each other to this point, so why would they stop now? Rob announces, "That's how I'd like to keep it!"
We then cut back to his interview, where Rob proposes "the more intriguing option" of voting with Matthew, Butch, and Christy, with the unfortunate potential side effect of losing the trust of the group he's been with for so long.
We return to the group discussion, where Jenna insists that it's possible to play the game without any of them getting hurt. It's apparently not possible, however, to play the game without picking one's nose. The alliance members all stare at each other as Rob voice-overs that he's considering turning his back on three potential jury members -- none of whom would then vote for him in the final two.
We close up on a little pointy-toothed fish, as Matt admires "the mouth on this baby." Christy gingerly walks over as Mathew proclaims it "like a prehistoric, uh, fish." As Christy drops her head down to more closely examine it, he quickly whispers, "So you spoke to Rob. It's gonna be good. Keep it quiet." Hee. He's a sneaky one. But then I'd guess most serial killers are. That's how you get to the "serial" part.
Jenna paints a red sun on HeiDDi's face as the tribe members ready themselves to leave for Tribal Council. Matthew voice-overs that it's going to be a great night, because he has a strong agreement with Rob, who is the "linchpin" in the plot to "dethrone Alex." Still, he acknowledges that Rob is devious, and has betrayed many people to achieve his current position in the game.
The contestants boat into the challenge, accompanied by unusually aggressive soundtrack grumbling. As they arrive, I notice that Christy in particular appears all packed up to go. The members of the jury come in, and Davey Rockett looks just like Davey Rockett, while Deena appears to have had a haircut. And a meal or two.
Peachy congratulates the S7 on lasting thirty days, but cautions, "Sadly, for one of you, thirty days is as good as it's gonna get." He asks if Matthew is surprised by his success in the game, and Matthew admits to having low energy for the first couple of weeks, but claims to have come back with his "health still intact."
Peachy calls out a typically gape-mouthed HeiDDi, whom he also suggests is doing well, despite "a few spider bites and things like that." She agrees that the first week was rough, but that she's "feelin' really, really good" now.
Peachy also thinks Alex must be feeling good about himself because he still looks good and has a smile on his face after thirty days. Alex admits to his rough spots, but feels great about where he is in the game and how he feels.
Lastly, Peachy points out that Christy -- who is wearing her hair in two fetching braids -- has weathered the entire month, and she responds that the nine days will be a "piece of cake! I can totally do it."
Peachy switches the conversation around: "Let me bring up something I'm noticing, sitting here." He points out that HeiDDi has a "star -- I think a star -- on [her] face," while Jenna has a heart. The girls giggle because Peachy can't tell the difference between a sun and a star. That Peachy! Alex pissily looks away because he wanted a matching moon. Peachy asks whether they think "tattooing yourself" with only one other member of the tribe announces, "I'm tight with Jenna. Just know that." But then maybe the whole swearing-not-to-vote- against-each-other thing tipped the others off first. Jenna isn't concerned: she thinks it's natural that certain people have bonded more closely with others, and she can't resist the urge to get in a little boast about the alliance, adding that it's not just her and HeiDDi, but "a couple other people, too." Peachy questions whether it's risky to make a "demonstrative display" on your face like that. As opposed to the non-demonstrative kind of display. Butch responds that he usually might think so, but in this case, HeiDDi and Jenna are "just together." He insists that, although "they're in there talking a lot to each other," Butch is sometimes actually included in casual conversations, and even on occasion permitted to "make comments."
Peachy asks Rob if it's important in the game for players to know all of their tribemates, or only those with whom they are aligned. Rob claims that the most overlooked part of the game is "interpersonal relationships," and not just with your own set of friends. He says it's important to know what's going through the heads of everyone in the game.
Peachy finally asks whether HeiDDi would be "somewhat surprised" to be voted out. She would, as would Alex. Christy, however, says that if she were voted out, she would not be surprised at all.
So the voting commences with a filthy-looking Jenna.
Mathew votes for Alex: "He crossed me once, I forgave him. He crossed me twice, I offered reconciliation. His reign is over."
The tribal trill sounds as whooshy sound effects accompany a flame.
Alex votes for "Matteo [sic]" because he's too big of a threat and so it's time for him to go.
That's all we see, and Peachy returns from arranging the votes for maximum suspense. The first and second votes are for Alex, followed by three votes for Matthew and a third vote for Alex. Alex probably still feels pretty comfortable here, while Matthew looks more curious than anything else. A final vote for Alex makes him the tenth person voted out of the game and the third member of the jury. HeiDDi is expressionless, while Matt rolls his head around to look directly at Alex, Jenna plays with her mouth, Rob hides a smile, and Christy grins openly. Of all the players, she always looks like she's enjoying the game the most. Rob may also be enjoying playing the game, but mostly he just looks constipated. In a rare display of sportsmanship, Alex wishes the others well, and Jenna silently mouths, "Bye, Alex," as he exits. Peachy concludes that, judging by HeiDDi's and Jenna's pissy expressions, the vote was a surprise to at least a few of them.
time on Survivor, the sun rises. Rob doesn't care about personal relationships, and Jenna can feel free to write "R-O-B" on her parchment. Also, Peachy stands against a very fake-looking ocean backdrop.
As the credits roll, we see that the votes came down as expected: Butch, Christy, Matthew, and Rob voted for Alex, while Alex, Christy, and Jenna voted for Matthew. Alex admits that he was duped, and suspects that it was Rob who "flipped on [him]." He thinks he played as best as he could and takes the typical sore-loser party line: "Apparently I was the biggest threat at this point." He concludes, "So I'm gonna go get a shower, get some food, and get some Shawna." Okay, so he doesn't say the part about Shawna, but you know that's what he's thinking.