Let's go tribe-by-tribe, shall we?
At Matsing, after his scare at Tribal, Russell vows to step back and let others take the lead. Hasn't he said that before? Meanwhile, Malcolm and Angie are snuggling for "warmth" and it's making their tribemates suspicious that they are allied. Roxy goes all out trying to convince the others that they need to ditch Angie as soon as they can. The only problem is that Roxy isn't doing much work around camp, and she's having an emotional breakdown over the weather conditions, so people are eyeing her for possible elimination.
On Tandang, RC finds the Hidden Immunity Clue, so now all three tribes have found the clues. RC shows it to Abi but no one else. Later, Abi gets suspicious of RC and Skupin, and the formerly strong female alliance seems to have some cracks. Lisa is not fitting in with the tribe, and she knows it. While everyone else bonds, she goes off to get some alone time, and the others all assume she's looking for the Idol, and agree to ditch her as soon as possible. Except she was really sitting alone, crying.
Meanwhile, over on Kalabaw, Penner is frustrated because he wants to look around camp for the Idol, but the rain is keeping his tribe in the shelter so he can't look. The rest of his tribe goes to hang out in a cave to try to stay dry and Penner furiously searches, but then he gets busted and makes up a lame story. Penner finally gets another chance and realizes what some people in the forums noticed long ago -- there is a wooden piece on top of the rice basket that seems suspicious. Penner pries it up and he's got the Idol. Although that seems lame, because won't people notice that piece is missing?
The Immunity Challenge involves two people at a time pulling a sled to retrieve puzzle pieces and then they all solve the giant tile-based puzzle with the help of a caller up on a perch. The winners get blankets, pillows, and a tarp along with Immunity. The second place tribe gets a tarp and Immunity. Third place gets bupkes again.
Pulling the sleds turns out to be exhausting for everyone, and because Matsing has fewer men, they seem to bear the brunt of it, and end up having the men pull the sleds while the women push. As usual with these multi-step challenges, it doesn't really matter as long as they stay close, and everything evens up while solving the puzzles. Denise tells Malcolm and Russell what to do, while Lisa has the honors for RC and Pete on Tandang. Dana is allegedly the caller for Kalabaw, but Penner and Jeff Kent stop listening to her and try solving on their own, until they run into trouble and realize she might have an advantage since she has an overhead view, so they start listening. Lisa ends up leading Tandang to the win, and I hope they give her credit for it, because that's two puzzles that she's solved for her tribe. It's a close battle for second, but Kalabaw pulls it out at the end, and it seems that Dana was a big part of the win.
Russell is frustrated after losing the challenge, and he's most upset with Roxy and Angie who he feels didn't contribute. Roxy continues her vendetta against Angie. At Tribal, Roxy says that she thinks they do too much work at camp and it's affecting their energy at challenges. Everyone else is like, "We have to have wood, fire, water, and food to survive and also do well at challenges." Duh. Angie gives a pageant-y answer to a question from Probst and Malcolm pretends like it's a normal answer, so that gets them into the question of Malcolm and Angie's cuddling and possible alliance. Roxy puts it all on front street and states why she thinks Angie needs to go home, and Angie doesn't seem to understand that this is a real threat, not just from Roxy, but from everyone. So whom does the tribe choose when it all comes down to it? They vote out Roxy, but Angie had better watch her back, because I think she's on the list.
Matsing. Immediately after Tribal Council. Russell tells the others that he was worried he was going to be voted out, and no one denies it. Russell interviews that he knows his chief-like actions annoyed the others, so his strategy now is to step back and let the others win or lose on their own. Didn't he say he was going to do that before? I don't know if he's capable of doing that. Malcolm's solution to the whole business is to avoid going to Tribal Council again. Seems like a good plan, although as with Russell, I don't know if they'll be able to follow through.
That night, the Matsing members are sleeping on their really uncomfortable looking shelter floor. Angie cuddles up to Malcolm, and it honestly does look innocent, or at least mostly innocent. I mean, they both have their faces covered up and all hands are on deck, so to speak. Angie interviews that it was just for warmth, and Malcolm interviews that he keeps reminding himself not to get "booty blinded." So I guess it's more innocent for Angie than Malcolm. It seems like on other seasons, the whole tribe just slept in a heap and there were all kinds of snuggling going on. Roxy wakes up and sees what's going on, and describes it in an interview as "full-on cuddling" and decides that Angie has set "literally a booby trap." You can tell she's really proud of herself for that line. Anyway, Roxy doesn't want to see a couple for strategic purposes, and she declares that they need to vote one of those two out.
Tandang. The tribe is trying to keep their things dry in the face of frequent rainstorms. RC sticks her hand in the bag of rice to see if it's getting moldy and finds the Hidden Immunity clue, but Lisa is right there, so RC can't do anything about it. Finally, Lisa wanders off and RC digs out the clue. Abi walks up and sees RC digging in the rice, and RC tells her to meet her by the well and she'll show her. They meet up and read the clue together. It's not really clear if Abi busted RC or what. It seems like she did. Abi and RC agree to keep the existence of the clue a secret. RC interviews that she hopes sharing the clue is proof that their alliance is strong. It's also proof that Abi busted you and you really had no choice, though, right? Abi interviews that she did totally bust RC finding the clue, and that she still feels like she needs to be careful.
Cut to RC and Skupin on the beach. Skupin has a new cut and RC is examining it. Abi is swimming and creepily watching them, and she stalks up and demands to know what they were talking about. RC and Skupin claim that they were talking about the rain, and it seems like they were, but Abi isn't buying it, and vows in an interview that if RC screws her over, she's dead to Abi. Cut to Abi and RC alone on the beach, and Abi is just laying into RC about how close she is getting to Mike. RC's defense is that she likes Mike and she likes talking to him. Abi accuses RC of changing conversations when people join her and Mike, which is an obvious sign that they're talking strategy. RC insists again that she's being loyal to Abi, and Abi has no proof that's not true. Abi very sternly says that if RC fucks her over, they're done. I think Abi thinks she's on Real Housewives of Philippines because who talks like that on day four? RC rolls her eyes and is obviously wondering about the wisdom of forming an alliance with a crazy person that she only knew for half a day.
Over at Kalabaw, Jeff Kent admits that the constant rain is getting to him, but he played a long season in baseball, and he knows it's going to take stamina to make it to the end of this season. He also knows that more rain means more time for him to sit around and let his knee heal. The entire tribe sits in their shelter and they decide to create a makeshift checkerboard to pass the time. Penner watches them and then interviews that the constant rain means that everyone just hangs out in the shelter, which is really affecting his ability to search for the Idol, which the clue said was right under their noses. It's kind of killing me that Penner is hanging out shirtless with a sweater or something tied around his neck like he's in the Hamptons.
Moments later, the members of the Kalabaw tribe decide to head to a nearby cave to try to get out of the rain. Penner claims that he wants to go for a swim, but instead uses the free time to dig around under the shelter, on the beach, and everywhere else, looking for the Idol. I like Penner and I think he's handsome, but I don't know that I needed the close-up shots of his butt in his soaking wet boxer shorts, thanks very much. As Penner continues to dig under the shelter, Dawson runs into camp and asks what he's looking for. Penner lies and says that he lost his contact lens in the rain so he was looking for his glasses, which he knows is a terrible story. We don't hear his tribe's reaction to that story, although we already know they think he's spending his free time looking for an Idol.
And it's about to pay off as Penner explains that he thought back to how he found the clue in the rice and remembered that there's a wooden bolt on top of the rice basket. So he pries it off and guess what? It's the Idol! Won't someone notice that the bolt is gone? That seems like a terrible Idol. Isn't half of the fun of the Idol when people don't know for sure who has it, if anyone, and have to try to strategize their voting around it? Anyway, Penner is elated that he actually found it, and while he admits that it's not a free pass to the finals, it will help. He runs out of camp yelling, "I'm on fire!" and passes Dana, who doesn't even flinch. I don't get what the rest of his tribe thinks. Do they know he has the Idol and they don't care? That was weird.
Over at Matsing, Roxy is still pissed that Malcolm and Andrea are cuddling at night. It seriously is so innocuous; maybe an arm around a shoulder or a leg slung over another. I do get why Roxy might think it's a threat, but she seems to be blowing it out of proportion, especially before an Immunity Challenge. Maybe wait until you lose a challenge, and THEN bring it up when everyone is casting about for a reason to eliminate someone. Anyway, Roxy goes to Russell and tells him her rationale: that they need to break up a strong couple and the tribe needs Malcolm more than it needs Angie. Russell interviews that Angie's got nice boobs but Malcolm needs to resist temptation. I get why the tribe wants to keep Malcolm around for challenges, but it kind of bugs me that they're all framing this with Angie as the temptress and Malcolm as the typical guy who can't help himself. That whole trope is gross. Also weird is the new night vision cameras (or maybe it's a function of it being almost light outside during filming) where the pictures are a weird sepia tone, so all of the shots of Malcolm and Angie flirting look like an Instagram filter has been applied.
, Roxy goes to Denise and makes her case for ditching Angie. Denise listens but doesn't say much, and then interviews that she has an alliance with Malcolm so she's not sure how to proceed. Roxy continues to argue her case, and makes a good point when she says that if it comes down to Malcolm, Angie, and third person, the third person is obviously going to get ditched. Look, Roxy is making really good points. She's just way too manic about it, like she's desperate to sell something and no one is buying. Plant the seed, Roxy. Let it grow on its own. Malcolm senses that something's up, and he suspects that people are threatened by his flirtation with Angie, which is a problem.
Over at Tandang, it's raining and they're chatting about their favorite foods. Lisa is having trouble dealing, so she wanders off into the jungle. She interviews that she's an introvert, and really shy, so she has trouble with the chit chat of the tribe. I get that. I would want to stab myself or someone else if I were stuck with the same five people, especially if half of them were super annoying extroverts. This is part of the reason why I'm a freelancer. My current co-workers take naps and go to bed early. The problem is that this is a social game, and Lisa's tribemates think that she must be hunting for the Idol every time she takes off to get some alone time. Abi interviews that Lisa seems sneaky and like an outsider, and she's not trying to connect with the other tribe members. Meanwhile, Lisa is sitting on the well, crying. She interviews that she doesn't feel like she's fitting in. How does Lisa look like she's wearing full eye makeup right now? Is it tattooed? The rest of her tribe concludes that she must have found the Idol, because she keeps looking for it. They all agree that Lisa will be the first to go. Lisa returns to the shelter as we hear her tearfully voiceover that it's hard being on the outside, and she might not be cut out for this game. I feel for her a bit, but she really has to suck it up if she wants to stick around.
Matsing. Day 6. Can you believe they've been there less than a week? With all the entrenched drama, you'd think it has been much longer. Anyway, it's still raining. Russell reminds them that they have to keep the fire going, or they're in big trouble. Russell hustles around, and Roxy asks him if he's cold as she huddles in their meager shelter. Russell says that's why he's moving around -- to stay warm. Malcolm interviews that Russell is on fire duty while he and Denise try to shore up the shelter, but Roxy's doing nothing and people are noticing. He didn't explain what Angie's doing either. Besides cuddling.
Russsell tries to keep everyone's spirits up. Roxy interviews that she thought seminary school and her faith would give her the strength to get through this, but the rain and cold are breaking her down. She starts crying and Russell tries to buck her up. Roxy interviews that she's alone and sad. And then the sun comes down and everyone rejoices. And Roxy rejoices by speaking in tongues but it kind of sounds like a chant of some sort. Denise and Russell discuss their misgivings with Roxy given her emotional weakness. Then Denise makes a lot of people happy when she says that Roxy can pray for sunshine all she wants if it makes her feel better, but Denise won't be praying for anything because she knows she alone can get herself further in the game. Note that she doesn't say she doesn't believe in God or whatever; she just says that she thinks it's all up to her. I like that attitude. Denise interviews that she won't be asking God for help in their upcoming challenge, because she knows that she needs to make it happen herself.
The three tribes report for Challenge duty. Probst explains that they will have to pull a sled across the sand in order to pick up puzzle pieces, and then others on their team will assemble a giant puzzle as a caller on a platform gives instructions. The first place team gets immunity and blankets and pillows and a tarp. The second place team gets immunity and a tarp. The third place team gets a trip to Tribal Council. The teams strategize about who will take which roles. Kalabaw and Tandang seem to agree quickly but of course, Matsing is a mess. Someone has to pull the sled twice. Angie doesn't want to. Roxy says that she drank less water than anyone else, so she can't do it. Didn't it rain all day and night? Why aren't they trying to collect rain water if water is scarce?
Probst calls the start and the first three pairs run out and grab sleds. Russell and Angie are pulling for Matsing and they're pretty far behind. They also don't get their sled turned around and pointed back to homebase before loading it up, which is a tactical error. And they struggle with the weight, of course. Malcolm and Roxie are the second pair out, and they make up some time, mostly thanks to Malcolm. Russell and Angie struggle on the third round, so they are last to start solving the puzzle. The other two tribes start out fairly even.
Penner and Jeff Kent are solving the puzzle for Kalabaw with Dana calling. When they get to the second puzzle, Penner and Jeff Kent kind of go rogue and stop listening to Dana, even though she doesn't seem to be making mistakes. Lisa is calling for Tandang as Skupin and RC do the solving. Denise is calling for Matsing with Malcolm and Russell solving, since Angie and Roxy are nearly dead from pulling the sled. All three tribes are on the final puzzle but Tandang manages to finish their puzzle first. Penner and Jeff Kent actually listen to Dana again and she leads them to second place, so Matsing has to go to Tribal Council again. Probst notes that Russell seems frustrated and asks about it, and Russell says he's sick of his tribe members giving up on themselves and saying that they can't do the challenges before they've even started. The first time I saw this, I thought Russell was being a jerk but now I see that he's talking about Roxy being unwilling to put in some effort, and I think he has a point.
Back at camp, Russell interviews that he's frustrated with Angie and Roxy and their inability to contribute during challenges. He thinks Roxy is an asset for him, though, because she keeps him informed on the camp gossip. Later, Russell and Roxy are in the water and Roxy is going off on Angie and how she's useless. Roxy's main complaint seems to be that Angie has no game so she's just using her boobs to sway Malcolm to her side. Isn't that a game, though? If it works, it's a game. Roxy's game seems to be, "Complain all the time and pray a little." That's not a game at all, mostly because it's not working.
Malcolm and Angie notice that Russell and Roxy are talking in the water. Malcolm says that Roxy is probably going to call them out for sleeping all snuggled up, but Angie thinks it's ridiculous. Malcolm interviews that, strategy-wise, he probably shouldn't be snuggling with Angie but it's cold at night and she's cute. He's concerned that it's going to bite him in the ass. Angie, who should be concerned, doesn't seem concerned.
Russell and Denise go to get water and discuss their tribal situation. Russell says that Angie plays innocent but she's a gamer, and Russell knows that if Roxy leaves, he's the one on the chopping block. Denise doesn't disagree with that assessment, and interviews that the tribe seems to be set up with Russell and Roxy aligned, and Malcolm and Angie aligned, and she's stuck in the middle. She does have an alliance with Malcolm, but she's not sure he would pick her over Angie if it came down to it.
Matsing reports to Tribal Council. Russell starts out by saying that he had an emotional outburst after the challenge and it's because he takes the game seriously and gets annoyed if others don't. Denise acknowledges that Russell's diatribe was kind of accusatory but adds that she gets why he's so frustrated, because they're been working hard around camp and it's not paying off in challenges. Roxy rolls her eyes and Probst asks her what she would change if she could. Roxy says she thinks her tribe invests too much energy in working around camp. What? They barely have a shelter and fire. I can understand feeling that way in past seasons, where it felt like some tribe members just needed busywork and expended energy unnecessarily, but they don't even have the basics down, so they need to work MORE, not less. Denise explains that they have to do the work so they can get strong for challenges.
Probst asks Angie what she would change about the tribe, and Angie thinks for a while and then says that she'd want to have cookies. Everyone rolls their eyes or acts outraged, including Probst. I think she was trying to give a pageant answer that wouldn't offend anyone, but instead just gave a dumb answer that makes her look out of touch. Malcolm tries to defend Angie's answer and Probst can't believe that he's actually claiming it's a decent answer. Probst asks if Russell can believe this shit, and Russell says that Angie is nice, but she's not really giving the game her all.
Roxy sees this as an opportunity to bring up Angie and Malcolm's friendship/alliance/romance/snugglefest. I truly believe that Roxy has a good wedge to use to get rid of Angie, but she's so defensive and annoying in the way that she talks about it, no one wants to listen. Roxy thinks that the way to convince people is to talk nonstop about the issue, loudly, and to whoever will listen. Malcolm tries to explain it away as snuggling for warmth. Roxy gets loud about it again, and Probst asks why it bothers her so much. Roxy thinks it's "a booby trap, literally." Roxy is coming off as really bitchy and awful here.
Probst is very, very upset that Roxy just accused Angie of having a secret alliance, and he can't believe Angie isn't more upset. Angie just shrugs it off and Probst starts yelling at her and telling her that this is enough to get her voted off. Angie doesn't cry or whatever Probst wants out of her, so he claps his hands at her like a dog and tells her to wake up. Here's what I think is going on: Angie knows she's not going home. She's not worried. Why waste energy arguing with Roxy when Angie knows Roxy's leaving in a few minutes? So calm down, Probst. And don't clap at people like they're dogs. It's fucking rude. Roxy tries to get one last shot in at Angie by warning her tribemates not to let Angie and Malcolm take them down and then the voting happens.
And Roxy gets voted out, and no one looks surprised, including Roxy. Even Russell voted for Roxy. That makes me think the writing was on the wall before they went to Tribal, and that's why no one was answering Probst's questions or responding to his pandering. They just didn't want to come right out and say that Roxy was going home in order to avoid a scene before she left.