There are two immunity challenges and two Tribal Councils tonight. In the first challenge, they have to balance on a wooden pyramid in the water for immunity AND reward, the reward being information about the game. Probst offers up temptations in the form of doughnuts, and Eddie and Erik jump in together to take them. Eddie is an idiot. No one needs immunity more than him, except maybe Reynold. Cochran takes the temptation and gets some hot dogs and soda. They move up to the top of the pyramid and that's when things get really tough. Dawn and Sherri fall down, leaving Reynold against Andrea and Brenda. Reynold makes a few great saves, but ultimately goes down. Andrea and Brenda talk about a deal, but they both ultimately decide that they want to win. They decide to add their own twist to the challenge by lifting up one foot. Brenda immediately falls in and Andrea wins both immunity and information.
Andrea's info is the same clue that Malcolm got about the immunity idol. She tells her whole alliance about it -- since they pretty much know already -- and they all go searching for it together. Erik actually digs it up and he immediately hands it to Andrea, to Cochran's chagrin. Andrea then floats the idea of blindsiding Brenda, since they have to get rid of alliance members at some point, so why not now?
At Tribal Council, Probst tries really hard to make a case for everyone to do something to shake up the game. Instead, the majority alliance split their votes between Reynold and Eddie and since neither of them has an idol, Reynold goes home.
After Tribal Council, Andrea continues to muse on voting out Brenda or Dawn instead of Eddie. Cochran TELLS Brenda and Dawn about it, and then they start musing on blindsiding Andrea. This could get interesting.
The second immunity challenge we've also seen before. They have to thread a buoy through a course, then unlock a chest to retrieve ladder rungs and complete a ladder puzzle. The first person up the ladder wins immunity. It's a blowout as Erik runs away with it and secures his place in the final six.
Andrea tries to convince her alliance to blindside Brenda. But Brenda knows it's happening, so Cochran proposes that they split the vote between Andrea and Eddie in case Andrea plays her idol. Andrea promises final two to Erik and Cochran promises him final three, so it looks like Erik will determine what happens.
At Tribal Council, they do actually blindside Andrea, who goes home with an idol in her pocket. Eddie and Andrea vote for Brenda, Dawn and Cochran vote for Eddie, and Sherri, Brenda and Erik vote for Andrea. She takes it really well, laughing and shaking her head over the idea of getting blindsided AGAIN.
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The tribe members return from voting out Malcolm at Tribal Council, celebrating making the final eight. Reynold immediately acknowledges that he and Eddie are short-timers unless something changes, and adds that he thinks he can go on an immunity run. Eddie interviews that he and Reynold have been up against the wall since about day two, but they're still there, and anything can happen. Well, not anything. Like one of you probably won't win the whole thing, let's be honest.
Cochran and Andrea have a quick strategy talk about the possibility of Reynold going on an immunity run. Cochran interviews that his alliance has all the power, and he wants to "suck up all the power" for himself. Cochran admits that he sounds scary right now. It would be scarier if he were saying this to his alliance-mates; as long as he keeps his power-mad statements to himself, he'll probably be fine.
Day 31. Only eight days left! Cochran and Andrea walk into camp with Tree Mail, and it's something about shaky footing and losing focus causing one to lose a challenge. They are all disappointed that it's not another Reward Challenge, and Erik interviews that now they all need to beat Reynold and then vote him off because Reynold is a threat. I guess Erik is not part of the bro-lliance?
When the tribe arrives for the Immunity Challenge, they find a bunch of colored pyramids floating in the water. Well, they're not exactly pyramids -- they're more like the roofs of doghouses, whatever geometric shape that would be. Probst makes a crack about how Cochran is going shirtless now, which he never thought he'd see. I'm shocked that he's shirtless -- didn't he already get one bad sunburn this season? Why go for two? Maybe they got better sunblock in one of the reward kits.
Anyway, the challenge is to stand on the platform in the water with their feet on tiny boards. At intervals, they have to move their feet up the roof until, finally, they are perched on the top like Snoopy, except standing instead of lying down. So more like Woodstock. Last one standing wins immunity and a reward that is information about the game. Reynold interviews that he's "number one on the hit list" and he has to win or he's going home. One would assume.
The challenge begins. Probst brings out a plate of doughnuts and a glass of milk for anyone who wants to give up now. Eddie is intrigued, and Erik says he'll take it if Eddie doesn't. Eddie and Erik decide to go together. Does Eddie understand that either he or Reynold is going home tonight, and if he doesn't win immunity, and Reynold does, it will definitely be Eddie? I mean, at least try! I don't think he gets how this game works. Anyway, Eddie and Erik jump off together and eat some donuts. Brenda, Dawn and Andrea all smirk at one another.
After fifteen minutes, Probst tells everyone to move their feet up to the step. Once everyone is settled, Probst brings up hot dogs and soda. Cochran tells his alliance that he's going to take the food because he knows he can't last much longer, so he might as well get the food. Probst points out that no one in his alliance gave him permission or approval to go, and Cochran interviews that it may have been a mistake but as long as Reynold doesn't win, he's cool.
So now it's down to Reynold, Brenda, Andrea and Dawn. Reynold has a bobble but recovers. He taunts the others, "I'm going nowhere!" Reynold is developing cadaverous crazy eyes.
After a total of thirty minutes elapses, everyone moves up to the top. This board looks to be about six inches wide, but with a one inch board down the middle, so you have just over two inches for each foot. Yikes. Sherri is shaking like a leaf. A big gust of wind comes up and Dawn falls off. Shortly thereafter, Sherri falls off. So now it's down to Andrea, Brenda and Reynold. As Sherri swims by, Reynold has a HUGE bobble but somehow recovers. I don't know how he did that. Brenda and Andrea both bobble. Reynold goes to one foot with the other leg up in the air and somehow comes back from it. Reynold bobbles one last time, but he overcorrects and can't recover. He's in the water.
So Reynold is out, and probably out of the game. Andrea and Brenda discuss whether they need or want to continue. Andrea says she's staying but offers to share the clue if Brenda gives up. Brenda says that she will be happy for Andrea if she wins, but Brenda wants to get beat, not give up. They both say they're not worried about being voted out, but they also both want to win.
And suddenly it's been three hours. Brenda and Andrea decide to make it harder so someone will go out because they've been there so long. Their compromise is to both lift up their left legs. Probst gives the okay. Brenda lifts her leg up way too high and it throws off her balance, and she almost immediately falls in. Andrea wins immunity and a scroll with information. Everyone applauds them; that was truly impressive. Brenda interviews that it's mostly exciting because Reynold and Eddie didn't win immunity, so they can split the votes and one of them will go home.
Everyone returns to camp. Reynold interviews that he knows he's probably on the way out, but he has to hope that the majority alliance will realize that this is a perfect time to blindside someone. Andrea interviews that after Reynold dropped out, she figured Brenda would let her win, since Brenda won the last one. But now Andrea considers Brenda a threat. They go off to read the note together and it's the same clue to the hidden immunity Idol that Malcolm got to see last week.
Andrea decides to share the clue with her whole tribe, since she figures they know what it is anyway, and they all head off to find the Idol. They seem to find the spot pretty quickly, so I don't know what Malcolm's problem was (although he had to go from memory), and Erik and Andrea start digging in the dirt. Erik finds it pretty quickly and he holds it up to show everyone, and Andrea oh so subtly reaches out and takes it from him. It all happened so fast; I don't know if Erik meant to try to keep it or if he was going to give it to her all along, but he definitely wasn't handing it to her. Cochran interviews how disappointed he was that Erik let Andrea have the Idol. Andrea interviews that she still plans to vote out Reynold, but now she's also considering a blindside because she thinks something needs to happen before she herself gets voted out. Heh.
Andrea, Cochran and Sherri sit in the water and talk strategy. Andrea makes the case for getting rid of Brenda; she thinks Brenda is too much of a challenge threat to keep around, and she hasn't pissed anyone off so you don't want to sit to her in the finals. Cochran interviews that he thinks this is the end of his alliance, since people are starting to set up their end games. He adds that Andrea wants to get rid of Brenda, which isn't a terrible idea, but the game is all about timing.
Andrea and Dawn talk strategy and ask one another who the biggest threat is now. It could be Reynold, but Andrea continues to make the case that it's Brenda. Dawn interviews that the best move for the alliance would be to get rid of Reynold or Eddie, but it might be the best move for certain individuals to boot off Brenda, and Dawn's mind is so messed up that she's not sure which move to take. We don't see a lot more discussion about it because it's time to head to Tribal Council.
Oh hello Malcolm, with your hair down and wearing a tank top on the jury. Nice to see you! Hope we get a lot of reaction shots from that dude. Anyway, Probst asks Eddie what the fudge he was thinking when he jumped off so early, and Eddie says that he knew he wouldn't be able to stay up there more than an hour. Okay, but try? Maybe you're wrong? I would vote him out on principle.
Probst relays the rest of the challenge and then asks why Andrea and Brenda stayed up there for so long if they're in such a tight alliance. Brenda says that she wanted to test herself, and she's glad she got beat instead of winning. Probst keeps pushing and asks Reynold what he thinks, and Reynold says that he hopes that the others will see that they need to make a move and he's there to help. Cochran adds that making big moves in this game is all about timing, and making a move against someone a second before a move is made against you. Andrea looks concerned. Or constipated. Hard to tell.
Probst asks Dawn if it's hard to feel secure, and Dawn says that it is, and the longer she plays the game and the more she plays both sides of something, the worse she feels about her security. She adds that she hasn't been trustworthy at times, so it's hard to trust others. Andrea agrees that it makes you paranoid, and Eddie says that all of the favorites left are major players. Well, not Erik. I mean, come on.
Probst says that they're right on the cusp of the time when you have to start thinking about who you want left in the game. Andrea says that Reynold and Eddie are two votes, and any one of them in the alliance could use those two votes to get out one of their own.
Time to vote. Probst tallies the votes and Andrea doesn't play her Idol since she already has immunity. Reynold and Eddie split their votes for some unknown reason. Anyway, everyone the alliance split their votes between Eddie and Reynold, and Reynold goes home. That was past due. You knew no one was going to take him to the finals because he had too good of a case for winning and also because he was kind of a dick.
Once they return to camp, the alliance celebrates that they finally took out Reynold. Andrea interviews that she's already thinking about what's , and she wants to blindside someone. Andrea and Cochran quietly talk strategy. Andrea makes the case that Brenda is a challenge threat, but Dawn will backstab anyone at any time. Overall, she wants to get rid of Brenda. Cochran interviews that he's glad Andrea wants to make a big move, but he doesn't agree with her strategy; she's talking about getting rid of Dawn, who is his biggest ally.
Brenda and Dawn tell Cochran that they really want to get Eddie out , and Cochran says that Andrea won't vote off Eddie. Then he blurts out that she's talking about voting off Brenda and Dawn. Whoa. Cochran. Dawn, Brenda and Cochran decide to blindside Andrea, maybe. They don't like having her around with an Idol, but they need to make sure Sherri and Erik are with them. And that Andrea doesn't win immunity again.
Speaking of immunity, it's time for another challenge. We've seen this one before. They have to push a buoy along a rope, through obstacles, until they reach the end, where there is a key that unlocks a chest. Inside the chest are ladder rungs they must use to complete a ladder puzzle, then ascend the ladder and raise a flag.
They start. Erik gets such a huge lead in the first few seconds that I thought he cheated and jumped in early. He didn't. It would be funny if Eddie won, kind of? Because then all the whispering about blindsides would be irrelevant. Sherri is useless at this and every challenge. Why is she still here again? Oh, I forgot. She's controlling the game.
Erik and Andrea are the first to get to the final ladder puzzle. Remember when Cochran claimed he was going to win a bunch more immunity challenges? Ha ha ha. Good times. Once they start to build their ladders, everyone is pretty much even for the first few rungs, but then Erik just gets it or something and flies through the puzzle and wins immunity.
After they all return to camp, Erik is pleased with himself and promises us that he's not going to give immunity to anyone else. Andrea continues her whisper campaign against Brenda. She's pushing this a leeeeettle too hard, if you ask me. She tries to rally Dawn and Cochran with the same rationale she's been using: Brenda is a challenge threat, and we need to get rid of her, plus we can get Eddie, Sherri and Erik to vote with us. Andrea interviews that she feels bad for Brenda because she knows what it's like to be blindsided, since it happened to her last time out. Oh, Andrea. Are you listening to yourself? Anyway, Andrea adds that she has an Idol, and she's going to bring it to Tribal Council, but she really doesn't think she'll need to play it.
Andrea tells Eddie that they're blindsiding Brenda, and it was supposed to be him. Eddie interviews that he believes Andrea, and it will be the first time in the game that he goes to Tribal Council with a clue about what's happening. Oh, Eddie. Are you listening to yourself? Like really listening?
Andrea then goes to Cochran and asks who would win if the two of them went to the final three with Eddie. Cochran thinks Eddie would win, which is obviously not the answer Andrea was hoping for. Do they have a final three deal? Have we seen that happen? I don't think so. Andrea is getting a little presumptuous. Just because Cochran likes to talk strategy with you doesn't mean he wants to go to the finals with you. Anyway, Andrea again suggests getting rid of Dawn or Brenda before Eddie. Cochran interviews that Andrea has been promising that Eddie is harmless and they don't need to worry about him, and now Cochran understands that she's planning on taking him to the finals, and that's why she wanted to keep him around.
Cochran meets up with Brenda, Dawn and Sherri and tells them that Andrea is obviously planning on taking Eddie to the finals. They all agree that Andrea has got to go. Cochran interviews that he's finally figured out that he's not part of Andrea's game plan, and he adds that he wants to be a part of everyone's game plan. He concludes that if he's not a part of your game plan, you've got to go. Sounds harsh, but at this stage in the game, it's actually a good way of figuring who to keep and who to jettison.
Later, Cochran talks to Dawn, Sherri and Brenda about whether or not they should split their votes between Andrea and Eddie since they know that Andrea has an Idol. It's tough though; they don't have the numbers they once did, so splitting the vote is scarier than ever. Assuming Erik is with them (big assumption), they can vote three for Andrea and two for Eddie. If Andrea plays the Idol, presumably Andrea and Eddie voted for Brenda and it's a tie. So they vote out Eddie, which is not a big deal, but it would totally expose their ploy to Andrea, who would still be in the game. It's a big risk. And if one person flips, then Brenda goes home and they are still exposed.
Cochran goes to Erik and explains the plan. Erik agrees, but Cochran interviews that given Erik's doofy history with voting and making dumb moves for no good reason, he's a little nervous. Andrea then tells Erik that they're blindsiding Brenda, and that she would love to take Erik to the end. Erik agrees that "we" have the Idol. Um, dude, you've got jack and shit. Andrea has the Idol, and don't make the mistake of thinking she's going to share that with you. Erik interviews that he kind of believes Andrea will take him to the finals, and Cochran hasn't made any such promises, so he's tempted to shake things up. Erik adds that he actually feels in control of the game, and he has to do what's best for him. And we all know how great Erik is at determining what's best for him, right? You know, the first guy to give up immunity to someone else and then get voted out?
Tribal Council. Probst asks Eddie about his position in the tribe, and how Eddie is on the outs, but he's also all alone so maybe taking him out right now isn't a huge priority. Eddie agrees that tonight's the perfect night for a blindside. Probst asks Brenda what happens if they go with the obvious and get rid of Eddie tonight, and Brenda says that there will be a lot of lying and hurt back at camp once they have to bust up the alliance. Sherri and Cochran both agree that people have already started lying, and Cochran is more specific: he thinks people have lied to him about going to the finals with him, and he's probably lied to people on the same issue. Andrea admits that's worrisome to hear, but also confesses that she probably has several final three alliance, just like everyone else.
Probst wants to hear more about Andrea's information that she won in the challenge. Andrea starts to be vague but then realizes it's useless and admits that she has an Idol, since everyone but maybe Eddie already knew that. Cochran says that it's a big deal that Andrea has an Idol, and adds that usually you can only plan an Idol up until the final five, so Andrea won't have many opportunities to play it. Heh, Andrea should have sniffed out the blindside right there; Cochran was basically telling her to play it now. Not to help her, but maybe subconsciously admitting what was going on. I do get why Andrea wanted to keep it for the round, though.
Time to vote! Andrea votes for Brenda and gives a big speech about how that immunity challenge made her realize how big of a threat that Brenda really is. Brenda votes for Andrea and calls her "a sneaky, sneaky little girl" but says she's not ready for this blindside.
Probst tallies the votes. Andrea doesn't play her Idol and everyone but Andrea and Eddie starts grinning. When the first vote for Andrea is read, Andrea looks a bit worried. Then there is a vote for Brenda and a vote for Eddie, and Andrea starts to realize that not everyone was on board with her "blindside Brenda" plan, because in her plan there should have been no votes for Eddie. When Probst reads another vote for Andrea, Andrea starts grinning, realizing that she's been fooled. I will say, Andrea takes a blindside better than any other contestant I've ever seen. She realizes that she got outplayed, and just kind of shakes her head and laughs. When the final vote is revealed, she laughs and says, "Oh, you guys. That's good. That's really good." I mean, she's obviously disappointed, but she's not freaking out. Cochran and Brenda look really, really pleased with themselves. So now what happens?