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To the surprise of no one, Matt beats Sarita in the Redemption Island challenge and wins a place back in the game on the newly-merged tribe. To the surprise of probably everyone, though, Probst informs us that he loves the Redemption Island concept too much to end it now, and so people voted out will still be sent to it and one of them will return to the game at some point. Both tribes want and need Matt's vote, and while he's tempted to flip to Zapato with Andrea and get his revenge on Rob for betraying him, he ultimately decides to follow what he believes his God is telling him to do and stay loyal to the tribe that voted him out. Which is led by a guy who has screwed countless contestants over in the past with absolutely no remorse and is playing the game to entertain the viewers at home more than he is to secure a win for himself at the end. And has the majority of votes without Matt's support. Oh, and then Matt tells Rob about how he considered turning against him but ultimately decided to stick with Onomatopoeia. Guess what Rob does ?
Want more? The full recap starts right below!After voting Sarita out instead of the increasingly unlikable David, Zapato return to camp and talk about how nice Sarita was about her blindside. David decides to make nice with Ralph for voting for him because Ralph is a man and David isn't threatened by his intelligence, unlike Sarita. He says he has no hard feelings against Ralph for his vote and he totally understands why he cast it. Julie, who doesn't seem to realize that this game has a thing called a merge, says they need to win challenges to even the tribe numbers out, which is why they felt the need to get rid of Sarita over David. Has Julie ever had anything new or interesting to add? Maybe she can talk about bad karma again.
Sarita arrives on Redemption Island and says hello to Matt, who interviews that he's happy to see her because he thinks she'll be easy to beat tomorrow. He asks her what's been going on with her tribe, saying he's heard "horror stories" about them, but Sarita decides not to screw over the tribe that just screwed her and says a bunch of nice things about everyone except David, who we don't hear her say anything about at all. She recommends that Matt align with Mike, saying he's her favorite player, and Matt interviews that he's pretty sure the merge is coming and that Sarita's information will come in handy soon. Because even though he was planning on going back with the tribe that voted him out so long ago (idiot), he's now starting to consider joining up with Zapato instead.
I miss the opening credits.
The morning, treemail arrives at Onomatopoeia telling them to bring the entire tribe to the duel. It's obvious, even to the many stupid people on that tribe, that the merge is going to happen there. Rob recommends that they pack up everything in case they don't return to their camp, but Phillip chooses to believe that both tribes will play on Onomatopoeia's beach and thus, nothing needs to be packed. Because Phillip just likes being contrary, I guess. Or he hates packing. And yet, in an interview, he claims that he's "learned a lot" by playing with Rob and he's planning to stick with the tribe that clearly hates him when the merge happens. Over at Zapato, David, the expert, if untested, puzzle-solver figures out that there will be a merge today. Mike interviews that his tribe's plan is to try to lure some Onomatopoeia members into their alliance, which makes sense since it's pretty much the only thing Zapato can really do to save themselves at this point. Mike concludes that he's looking forward to going up against a master of this game like Rob.
Back on Redemption Island, Matt worries that today's challenge will use his foot, which he just cut wide open, as he shows us in a close-up. Ah, but did Matt cut his foot, or did Jesus cut Matt's foot? Meanwhile, Sarita, who is clearly going to lose this thing, says something about how she will be a "worthy opponent." Everyone arrives at the Redemption Island Arena, and Probst informs them all that the winner of today's challenge will indeed be re-entering the game. Rob reminds us that this is bad news for him, since if Matt wins, he'll no doubt be gunning for Rob. Probst explains the challenge: Matt and Sarita must stand on tiny little footholds until one of them falls. Now, when we've seen this challenge in the past, it seemed to favor the female contestants, especially when the male contestant has a cut on his foot. So things are looking good for Sarita except for the fact that Matt simply cannot lose.
The challenge begins. Matt's cut foot may not be such a disadvantage for him after all, as he has a bandage around it that looks like it could help stop his foot from slipping. Some of Sarita's former tribemates cheer her on. Both contestants make it fifteen minutes without falling, so they get to move down to a thinner set of footholds. This is getting boring, so Probst asks Phillip to pontificate about the "booshoodoo" Samurai code for, like, ever. Or at least, that's what the editors want you to think, as they play him talking over shots of bored and/or laughing contestants, the clouds racing across the sun, the elapsed time counter ticking away, the sun setting, pages flying off a calendar, trees growing, and the universe continuing its infinite expansion. When Phillip is finally done, Steve is totally weirded out and the rest of his tribe has almost definitely decided that they'd rather be voted out one-by-one rather than stay in the game longer by attempting to align with this weirdo, and Matt says his usual "thanks, Phillip." With that, he and Sarita move down to their final foothold. Both struggle, and Probst reminds us that this has been a good challenge for women in the past. Indeed, Matt looks to be having pain in both of his feet, while Sarita stays still and seemingly cool. But then, she starts to groan in pain and you can almost see the point where she decides to give up written on her face before she falls. Probst proclaims Matt to be the winner and asks how Sarita is feeling about this. Of course, she's upset. But we don't spend much time with her before she's tossing her buff in the fire and leaving for good. I'm sure she'll have a great time with Krista and Stephanie and Li'l Russell in the Losers Lodge. Hopefully, she'll hang out with Kristina and Francesca or something.
Probst congratulates his little golden boy Matt on his consecutive victories before tossing him a new buff and pointing out that it's black. He has eleven more black buffs where that came from, too, as he announces that they have, in fact, merged. Buffs are put on and the players shake hands and hug each other like they aren't all about to try to vote each other out. Probst has two more surprises for the group: they're going to an entirely new beach and Redemption Island isn't done yet. Yes, that's right: whoever is voted out at the Tribal Council will go to Redemption Island and get a chance to come back to the game, even though it will probably be like three quarters of the way over by that point. But I guess this is their little safety net just in case Rob gets voted out. Probst warns Matt that he may very well find himself back on Redemption Island again, and you can see Rob's face just light up at the idea. Matt begs the contestants not to do that, then interviews about how happy he is to finally be back in the game and what a potential advantage his Redemption Island stay is for him, as he heard from six different people what was going on in the game in both tribes. And I'm sure he'll use that information to his advantage.
The new tribe arrives on its new beach to find the traditional merge feast waiting for them. This pleases everyone, as usual, and they sit down to eat things Steve can't even pronounce, like prosciutto. They then set about coming up with a new tribe name, and someone asks if anyone knows any good Spanish names. Rob suggests "Murlonio," saying it means "from the sea, united." Rob then interviews gleefully that Murlonio doesn't mean anything to anyone except him and Amber, as it's the name of the "ringleader" of her "bunch of stuffed animals." Because Amber is six, apparently. Since no one else on the new tribe knows the least bit of Spanish, they all think Murlonio is a beautiful name with a beautiful meaning and agree to call themselves that. And Rob is very pleased with his fake name like it hasn't been done several times before on this show at this point.
The Murlonio men set about building a new shelter. Matt asks Grant why he was voted out, and Grant, who has no doubt been coached by Rob, says they were "paranoid about Kristina" and that Matt would align with her and flip on them. Meanwhile, Mike waits for a chance to talk to Matt and hopefully win him over to his tribe. Unfortunately, he notes, Matt seems to be very close to Andrea, as the two have seemingly resumed their close bond. While a spider spins its web in fast motion, Mike finally gets his shot and takes a walk with Matt. He tells him that if Rob has his way, everyone on Zapato will be taken out, followed by Matt, Andrea, and Phillip. Mike says that makes Matt and Andrea crucial swing votes, except for the fact that I haven't seen any evidence that Andrea is going to flip to another tribe for Matt's sake. He says he's willing to trust them both to team up with his tribe in exchange for a Final Four promise, even if it means voting out a member of his own tribe before Matt and Andrea. Because nothing says trustworthy like telling someone you're willing to turn against your old allies to win the support of a new one. Matt nods, then interviews that now that he's back in this game, he wants to stay there, and that means doing something instead of waiting around like last time. Mike tries to sweeten the pot by claiming that he has "access" to an immunity idol and would be willing to give it to Matt if he needs it. Matt says this all sounds good, but he has to talk to Andrea before he can promise anything.
That night, it rains. While Onamatopoeia's members stay warm and dry underneath the tarp, Zapato are stuck on the other side of shelter with its leaky, unfinished roof. Steve says this pretty much shows them that there is still a division in the merged tribe. Meanwhile, on the beach where it is apparently not raining, Andrea and Matt talk. Andrea wants to make sure that Matt knows that she had nothing to do with voting him out. He believes her, and says she is his closest ally in this game right now. And then he tells her that he wants to take out Onomatopoeia. Andrea seems alarmed by this, but that may just be the suspenseful chord they threw on the soundtrack during her reaction shot. Matt reveals the master plan he and Jesus have no doubt been cooking up since he arrived on Redemption Island weeks ago: Matt and Andrea will vote Steve out, then Phillip, and then, when Onomatopoeia have been lulled into a false sense of security (right after Phillip, one of their members, was voted out? Um, okay ... ), they will align with Zapato (who won't be at all angry with Matt and Andrea for voting Steve out earlier? Um, okay ... ) to blindside Rob. "This game respects big moves," Matt says. Andrea agrees, but says she will have to continue to appear tight with Rob and Grant so they won't suspect anything. She says it's very important that they don't discuss this plan with anyone else. Even though she seems to completely support Matt's plan when talking to him, she interviews that while she likes Matt, she's not sure if flipping to Zapato is the best move for her right now.
The morning, Mike is reading over Krista's hot pink bible, much to Matt's delight. Even better, he's reading the gospel of Matthew. What a kiss-ass. Ashley is sitting at Matt's side the whole time, though, to ensure that no inter-tribal bonding happens, and all three of them talk about Bible stories and how Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights, not unlike them on this show. You know, I'm not even Christian and comparing Jesus starving in a desert for forty days and nights while Satan tempted him with all kinds of cool stuff to a bunch of wannabe actors playing Survivor offends me. Unless, of course, Jesus won a million dollars after he got out of the desert. Then the comparison is apt. Matt talks about how he felt like God wanted him to win his way off of Redemption Island and interviews that he thinks he was put on this show for "a reason." Yes, he was: he's young and attractive and some lazy casting person came across him on the beach or in a grocery store and put him on a show that he's obviously never seen before because they think we, the audience, are so stupid and easily entertained that we'd rather see bland good-looking people stumble through this game than actual skilled players who want to be here. But Matt thinks the reason he was put on this show was to honor God, which he apparently couldn't do back at home as a "pre-med student." Thus, he says, he is now "morally conflicted" about turning against his former tribe, whose members he claims to sincerely care about. Idiot, those members voted your ass out once already! Do you think Jesus let Judas betray him twice? NO. He got his revenge on Judas for flipping to Pontius Pilate's tribe by sending his ass down to the lowest circle of hell, according to Dante. But Matt isn't Jesus, so he says his heart is telling him to stick with Onomatopoeia and not screw them over after all.
Meanwhile, Rob listens in on the Bible study, but has nothing to add to it. He mutters to Natalie that it's in his and his alliance's best interest that he talk Jesus with Matt, but he doesn't know what he would say. Natalie giggles. Rob interviews that there's a "Christian Coalition brewing" in his new tribe, and while he has nothing against religion and God, he has a serious problem with other people bonding with each other over a shared interest. Unless, I'm guessing, that shared interest is Rob and how awesome he is. "I want that broken up," he says. His first target: Mike.
The tribe arrives at their first individual immunity challenge. Probst does his little show of revealing the new individual immunity necklace, which gets a ridiculous special effect twinkle and a close-up so that we may all marvel at the fake gold paint and not-quite-jade inlay. There are no sharp objects on the necklace this season, so I guess they blew the budget on the Redemption Island arena and couldn't spend three cents on some plastic cocktail swords like usual. Probst describes the challenge: each contestant will have to balance on the long end of a log while also balancing a tray -- excuse me, a "wooden disk" -- in one hand. Small balls will be added to the wooden disk every fifteen minutes, and if you fall off the log, drop the disk, or a ball falls off the disk, you are out of the challenge. Last person standing wins immunity.
The contestants get into position on their logs and put one ball on their disks to begin the challenge. Phillip has trouble immediately, as he wobbles on the log, but he is able to channel his inner Samurai warrior and right himself. "I'm impressed," Probst says. "I got rhythm, baby," Phillip can't help but reply. Also, I notice he is now wearing a Rambo/Samurai headband for challenges. He is out-Coaching Coach. Now I'm impressed. Just as the first round is winding down, Julie loses her balance and is the first out of the game. The rest get to add a second ball to their disks. Despite Ashley's years of heard work at basketball and beauty pageants, she is unable to keep her two balls still and they quickly separate and leap off opposite ends of the disk. David's puzzle-solving skills, of which we have no actual evidence, don't help him and he is the third out. Just as Ralph is having trouble keeping his balls from falling, Probst announces that the round is over and it's time to add the third and final ball.
The remaining contestants release their third balls as the wind starts to blow. Andrea is the to go, and she is pissed about it. Then Grant is out, followed by Matt and, quickly, Rob and Phillip. "EVERYBODY GET YOUR COMPOSURE!" Probst screams at the remaining four contestants. He claims that he's "impressed" by how long Mike, Steve, Natalie, and Ralph have lasted so far, but we all know he's annoyed because he likes it when the challenges are over as quickly as possible and he is done working for the day. Ralph's balls start to wander off his disk, so he whistles and calls to them as if they were chickens. They are not, so they fall. Probst tells Steve and Natalie that they seem to have no chance against Mike, who has been "like a statue" this entire game, and then Steve falls off the log and out of the challenge. This leaves only Mike and Natalie in the game. Clearly, Natalie has some waitressing experience in her past that has given her an advantage in this challenge. Mike's balls are so still on his disk that a fly lands on one. "There's a fly on Mike's ball," Julie mutters, which the editors loved so much that they made sure to caption it for us to make sure we all heard it, too. Just when it looks like Natalie is done for, though, Mike apparently loses his balance and steps off the log. Natalie wins, much to the surprise of seemingly everyone, including her. As the tribe heads back to camp, Mike reminds us that his only hope is that Matt will turn against the people who voted him out.
Back at camp, Mike pretends to be happy for Natalie's win, then interviews that he was very close to winning and certain it was his, but then "it didn't come out right." So now, he figures, he's Onomatopoeia's target tonight. He informs Steve and Julie that he doesn't think the other tribe will go after them yet, as they don't see them as threats. He says it's either Ralph or him tonight, then asks Ralph if he'll give him his idol tonight. Even though he just said he thinks Ralph might be in danger. Ralph says he'll give him the idol if he has to. With that, Mike says he thinks they should vote for Grant, because Rob and his tribe will be expecting them to vote for Rob. As long as they get Matt's vote, Mike says, they'll be okay tonight.
But they won't be able to tell Matt any of that, as he is sitting on a cliff with Rob. Matt is so happy to have people around to talk to again that he can't shut up, and he tells Rob about Mike's Final Four offer to him and Andrea, and how Matt briefly considered it before deciding to stick with his original tribe. Rob thanks him for his loyalty and shakes his hand, then interviews that after Matt had the "audacity" to consider voting Rob out of this game and the "stupidity" to tell Rob this, he has decided that he can't trust Matt and that, therefore, Matt will be going back to Redemption Island. Oh my god. He wouldn't! So mean! But, now that I think about it, of course he would. Rob has probably been planning to send Matt back to Redemption Island since the second Probst told them it was still in this game. Rob knows that this will be incredibly entertaining for the viewers at home to watch, so that's what he's going to do. And it will be.
Stupid Matt is still talking, now telling Rob all about the plan he came up with to blindside him out of the game and how relieved he is that he decided not to go through with it. Andrea approaches, and Matt tells her that he just "came clean" to Rob and told him all the stuff they were planning to do to him. Andrea is just like " ... shit." Andrea interviews that Matt was the one who came up with all this stuff (which, you'll remember, she wasn't totally set on doing in the first place), and now he's getting her in trouble with Rob and possibly screwing her over. And that is how Matt sabotaged his chances with the tribe he insists on re-joining even though they voted him out once and alienated his only real ally at the same time. With that, the three discuss who to vote for tonight. Rob wants Mike, but Matt says he'll probably get an idol from Ralph, so they should go for Steve instead. Rob agrees to this because he has no intention of voting for Steve or Mike, so it really doesn't matter.
Rob runs over to Natalie and greets her with this: "you know what's going down. Can you figure it out?" She can't. "Voting for Matt," he says. Natalie giggles. Rob says they have to do it now before Matt turns Andrea against them, then tries to convince Grant of the same thing. Grant is reluctant, saying that Matt is "such a good Christian guy." "He can still be a good Christian guy," Rob begins. "On Redemption Island," Grant finishes. Ashley agrees, saying she likes Matt, but he's "too nice" and he's doing the same friendly, playing all sides thing that got him voted out the first time.
Or is he? For Matt suddenly notices that everyone in his alliance is off discussing strategy without him, and it enters his head that this might not be good for him. "I'm kinda feeling ostracized here," he says to Mike, who sees his opening. He repeats that if Matt sticks with Rob, he'll be at the bottom of their pecking order. Meanwhile, Rob tells Phillip the plan to vote for Matt. "Okay," Phillip says simply. And then Rob returns to the camp to whisk Matt away from Mike before he can give him any ideas. He puts Matt to work on the shelter, and Mike returns to his alliance and says Matt may be ready to flip to their side, but he can't talk to him alone. So he's going to write him a note instead, because those are always such a good idea in this game. He does, and manages to slip it to Matt without anyone seeing. Matt immediately goes off to read it. It promises him a spot in the Final Three if he votes for Grant tonight. "Final Three, huh? Not bad," Matt says, showing it to Andrea. He interviews that he doesn't know which alliance to go with just as Rob notices that both Matt and Andrea are gone. He interviews that if Matt and Andrea turn against him, then he's screwed. But Rob can't be too worried about that because he pulls Andrea aside and tells her to vote for Matt tonight. Andrea interviews that the last time she trusted Rob, her closest ally was voted out. But she doesn't know if she should side with Matt either, as he's proven to be flighty.
The twelve arrive at Tribal Council. Probst asks Ralph what camp is like now that there are twelve people in it instead of five. Ralph says it doesn't really feel like one united camp, since the two tribes have their areas to sleep in and don't really associate with each other much. Rob agrees, saying he's "never seen anything like" the division between two alliances. Even though he's probably the reason why there is such a divide. He's not going to let anyone on his alliance talk to anyone on the other alliance and start getting any ideas. David mentions that the former Zapato members are being forced to sleep on the tarp-less side of the shelter, and Ashley interrupts to point out that her tribe won that tarp, so why shouldn't they get to enjoy it? David can't help but say that they only won the tarp because he "didn't try very hard" in that particular challenge. Probst asks if David is confirming that his tribe threw that challenge. David admits that they did. Rob laughs. Why shouldn't he, now that Zapato merged down in the numbers and without a precious tarp?
And here comes Phillip. "That's the distinction between the two tribes," he begins. "Oh, please," David says. Probst looks at David like, "oh, you are in for it now. We will be here all night." Phillip scolds David for interrupting him before resuming his speech about how his tribe plays with honor and integrity and would never lose a challenge on purpose. That's because they lost plenty of them by accident. But Phillip isn't done yet. "There are some in the tribe who like deceit, which can be beautiful and glorious. But as you know, when it proceeds outward, it sometimes leaves a stench so great you know that it is probably carrying something parasitic. And therefore, you don't want to approach it." Zapato is speechless, because what can they really say to all of that? They'd have to know what the hell Phillip is talking about first. Onomatopoeia, on the other hand, is used to this, and openly laugh at Phillip. Probst asks what's so funny, and the two mean girls say "whatever Phillip just said!" And here's where Zapato could make a play for Phillip's vote, pointing out that his allies think he's ridiculous, but they still seem to be trying to figure out what is going on and remain silent. Ashley says she has no problem with the members of the other tribe personally, but everyone seems to be sticking with his original tribe.
Probst then asks Matt what he thinks about coming back into a game with all of this going on. Matt says he certainly didn't have to deal with this kind of stuff on Redemption Island, and he laughs and seems to think he has nothing to worry about and there's no chance he'll be going back there. Probst points out to Mike that with five former members of Zapato and six from Onomatopoeia, Matt's vote will be very important tonight. Mike agrees, and states the obvious that after this Tribal Council, everyone will know where everyone else stands. Probst asks Ralph how he can convince Matt to side with his tribe over Onomatopoeia. Ralph says they can promise Matt they'll take him further in the game than the other tribe will, and point out that his old tribe voted him out once and so chances are pretty good that they'll do it again. Probst asks Matt if he agrees with that, and Matt says Ralph's argument is "fair," since his tribe moved on and continued to bond with each other after he was voted out. Voted out BY THEM. Why doesn't he understand that? He claims to know that he's at the bottom of their totem pole if he sides with Rob's club. Probst says it's time to see if that will play a role in how Matt votes tonight.
They vote. We don't see who anyone votes for. Matt hovers for a while over the urn before finally making a decision and casting his vote. Probst leaves to get the urn, and Mike nods at Matt, who nods back but doesn't look him in the eye. Probst brings the urn back and asks if anyone wants to play his idol. Ralph stands up, and Rob starts giggling, which probably tells you right there that his alliance didn't vote for anyone on Zapato and Matt is freaking screwed. By his allies. Again! Ralph approaches Probst and says he wants to use his idol to save Mike. He thinks this is his shining moment of glory and that all the votes Onomatopoeia cast against Mike will not count and thus, Grant is a goner for sure. Probst reads the votes: five votes for Grant, all of which are spelled correctly. I'm disappointed in you, Ralph. And then, much to everyone on Zapato's surprise, there's a vote for Steve. Steve and his tribe look very, very worried, but then there's a vote for Matt. He laughs. I don't think he realizes what is about to happen to him. When the second vote for him pops up, though, he gets an idea. He just shakes his head sadly and disgustedly as the rest of the votes -- all for him -- follow. Yes, even Andrea voted for him this time. "Let the fireworks begin," Steve mutters. "Genius is what that was," David says admiringly. Probst snuffs Matt's torch and sends him back to Redemption Island, which may not have been Rob's best move strategically (although it wasn't a bad move, either), but is freaking hilarious. "Oh my god, that poor kid," Julie mutters. Yeah, well, this time, that poor kid dug his own grave. Either that, or Jesus has an amazing sense of humor. And a bit of a mean streak.
Matt sadly walks down the stairs. "What the hell, guys?" he says to himself, still having no idea what he did wrong and why he is such a terrible, terrible player of this game. Probst wraps things up with the remaining contestants, saying that the problem with voting Matt out AGAIN is that he may well win his way back on the show and may not be so eager to forgive this time. Really? Because I think if Matt comes back on the show, he'll run right over to Rob's side and ally with him again. As he's walking back to Redemption Island, he says he has "no idea" what just happened and that he "likes" and wants to "be friends" with his former tribemates, but they obviously don't want to be friends with him. No, they don't, because you are not playing Jesus Friendship Circle. You are (sort of) playing Survivor. Don't turn the other cheek time, idiot.