Galang is a big happy peace party and Colton is already sick of it, because he wants to start strategizing and no one else is interested.
The first Redemption Island duel takes place and all of the tribe members get to watch. This means that Marissa gives her entire tribe the stink eye and then tells everyone that she got voted out because Gervase was a dick. Gervase passes on swapping spots with Marissa. The challenge is one we've seen before, where they have to use a long fork to move spools through a wire maze and then stack them at the top, ten high. Candice wins first and is kind of badass about it. And then Marissa wins second! Which means Rupert is going home!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I couldn't be happier about this development, obviously. As the winner, Candice can give a clue to the Immunity Idol to anyone, and she gives it to her husband. The male alliance on Tadhana (specifically Vytas) discusses the idea of voting out Rachel , in the hopes that her partner Tyson will swap places with her at Redemption Island, which will weaken the other tribe. John is nervous about the idea, because that would mean Candice would have to battle Tyson.
Meanwhile, Colton is bored and he starts planting seeds of chaos within the tribe by spreading rumors and instigating fights. No one really takes the bait and hopefully, they are all onto what he's trying to do and will just get rid of him first. As a result of his machinations, an alliance forms with Gervase, Aras, Tyson, Tina and Monica.
The combined Immunity and Reward challenge involves rolling one tribe member in a barrel to various locations so that she (Laura M. and Katie handle it) can hop out and untie a bag of balls. Those bags are then delivered to a bowler, who basically plays skee ball. The tribes are neck and neck, but Gervase manages to pull off the win for his tribe and yells, "This is for Marissa!" The loss was really not one person's fault; it could have gone either way pretty easily.
The guys decide to vote off Rachel for the reasons stated earlier. Then everyone gets nervous that John has found the Idol and is going to use it to save Rachel so that Tyson won't go to Redemption Island against Candice. This is something that is so unlikely to happen that I can't believe they're even discussing it. The guys actually discuss breaking up their alliance already to blindside John. How dumb are they? Really dumb, if they actually follow through.
In the end, they do what they said they were going to do from the start and vote out Rachel in hopes that Tyson will switch places with her. I don't think he's going to, but maybe I'm wrong.
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Immediately after the last Tribal Council, Marissa arrives at Redemption Island, waking Candice and Rupert when she walks in. They greet her and learn her name as she tells them that it was a blindside, and that she got voted out because of her uncle's excessive celebration. I don't think I understand what a blindside is. Marissa interviews that she was pissed off that people wrote a frowny face to her name when voting her out, and I agree. Like have the courage of your convictions and just vote her out, but don't try to add an emoticon. She's not on the jury, so what do you care anyway? I guess she could potentially come back, but do people really think that if they indicated they had mixed feelings about voting her out, she will forgive just them? Is she going to be like, "Well, my entire tribe voted me out, but I remember that some of them (she won't know who) also wrote frowny faces, so I won't be mad at those people." Come on.
After Marissa explains why she got voted out, Candice offers up an alternate theory: Marissa called Brad out for claiming he might throw a challenge, and he was mad at her. I think that's way more logical than the reason Brad told himself, that it was because of Gervase. Marissa regrets being the first one voted off, and Candice reminds her that she's not. They all bond a little bit over the fact that they're all pissed off.
The morning, the members of Galang form a massage train, where they stand in a line and rub one another's backs. Tyson gets the pimp spot in front; Aras gets the asshole spot in the back. I don't know if that means anything, but I thought I'd mention it. Colton doesn't join in, instead choosing to sit nearby and sulk because no one is paying attention to him. Colton complains to Monica that no one is playing the game or strategizing or making moves, and Monica reminds him that it's only day three and they will hopefully be there for thirty-nine days, so he needs to be patient. Colton interviews that he just wants to get to be on Caleb's tribe.
Colton finds Gervase, Aras and Tina and tries to start some shit by talking about Laura M. Aras says that they shouldn't be thinking eight steps ahead and should just keep winning challenges. Colton says that he doesn't care about challenges and would voluntarily go to Tribal. I don't think Colton understands what this game is about STILL. It's like he's continually shocked by the physical demands of the game. Why is he not playing Big Brother? I don't want to see him again, but he would be so much happier there. Gervase tells Colton to "shut it down" and adds that they don't need to talk strategy at all until they lose a challenge. Aras interviews that Colton tried to changes his ways, but the physical demands of the game are such that you can only keep up the charade for five or six days, tops. And that's what's happening here.
Colton is peeved that he got shut down so quickly and he pouts, "I just want to talk." Tina says that she'll happily talk about anything but strategy, and Aras adds that they should make a pact to talk about anything but the game for the rest of the day. Not what Colton wanted to hear. In an interview, Colton mocks his tribemates' Zen attitude: "We are peace! We are Zen! We are STUPID." That was funny, but I'm a little worried about his anger management between screaming at Kat last week and now this.
Over at Tadhana, Brad is psyched that they have flint, so now they have fire, and they also have started to catch fish. Rachel (Tyson's girlfriend) is worried about her position in the tribe, and realizes that alliances are already forming. Brad wants to know who wrote the frowny faces to Marissa's name, and it was apparently all the women. Rachel decides to cozy up to the guys, especially John, and that catches Ciera's eye. She interviews that she's "seventy-five percent confident that Rachel and John have an alliance." Ciera decides to share that suspicion with some of the others, hoping to put a "red flag" on John and not on her.
The tribes get treemail saying that they should go to Redemption Island to watch the first duel. John interviews that he's feeling really guilty about Candice going to Redemption Island, and he's hoping that seeing her will help assuage those feelings. The two tribes arrive and sit in the bleachers (or as my preschool son calls them, "blue chairs"). Everyone is craning to see who Tadhana voted out and most of the women shed tears of relief upon seeing their loved ones remain. Gervase does not seem at all upset that Marissa is gone; I really think he could give a shit.
Probst invites Rupert, Candice and Marissa into the arena. Rupert smiles and blows a kiss to his wife. Candice winks and smiles at John. She just looks like a badass. Marissa gives some serious stinkeye to her former tribe, and Probst notices. She doesn't deny it and tells Gervase that he's the reason she's there. Gervase promises to continue to rub salt in the other tribe's wounds. I mean, why stop now? They aren't going to vote Marissa out again. I wonder if Tadhana thought about the fact that their actions might light a (badly-needed) fire in Gervase's belly. Probst reminds them that they will get one chance to swap with a loved one, and asks Gervase if he wants to take Marissa's place. Gervase is basically like, "HELL, no." Well, he really tells her to "handle [her] biz," but you know what he means.
The challenge is to use a long pole to move spools through a vertical metal maze and then stack the spools on top. The whole maze is on a spring, so knocking into the walls will cause it to tilt and probably knock the stacked spools over. The first two to stack ten spools for a three-count get to stay, and the third player goes home. In addition, the first-place winner gets a clue to a hidden Immunity Idol to give to any other player.
The challenge begins. Rupert decides to blow through the maze with his first spool, caution be damned, and he can't even get the first spool stacked before it falls down and he has to start over. A glimmer of hope! But he quickly catches back up to Candice, and they are tied with seven spools stacked each. Marissa is one spool behind them. Rupert and Candice place their eighth spools, but Rupert's is way off line, so I'm not sure how well he will be able to finish his stack. And that little bit of added weight plus the wind plus Rupert clanking the metal means that his entire stack falls to the ground. I don't want to get too excited; if the wind made Rupert's stack fall, the same could happen to anyone else. Candice places her last stool, nervously edging to the right balancing spot, and then calls for Probst to count. As soon as she wins, she whips her pole away like a BOSS. I am totally on Team Candice.
And now Marissa is placing her final spool while Rupert is only half done with rebuilding! Could it be? Gervase yells to tell her to get her elbow up, and she does and then Probst counts and holy crap is Rupert going home already? Could all of my dreams be coming true? Rupert goes over and hugs Laura, and assures her that she'll be fine and he's fine too. Probst congratulates Candice and Marissa. Can he start calling Candice by her last name? If she were a dude, you totally know that he would. Anyway, Probst lets Rupert feel all honorable by saying that he loves the game, but he loves his wife more and he doesn't regret taking her spot. Isn't he kind of saying he doesn't think she could hack it on Redemption Island? Like he couldn't? Probst tells him that THIS journey is over, his emphasis. Please don't ever bring him back. Why? He cannot win this game! He never has and he's just getting older. What does he bring to the table? Do people really still love him? I do not get it. I can see not hating him (kind of?), but I don't get loving him. He's such a cornball semi-misogynist. Anyway.
Candice gets to give a clue to someone, and Probst thinks it will take deep thinking on her part to make a decision. Not really. She doesn't want to give it to someone on her own tribe, because if she returns before the merge, that's someone who could still have immunity. And no one can REALLY fault her for giving it to her husband. Plus, if she returns post-merge, he's the most likely to share it with her. And finally, if she doesn't return at all, of course she wants him to have it. She hasn't bonded with any of Galang, obviously, since they voted her out. This might be an interesting segment in the future, where the winner may have pre-existing alliances to consider, but for Candice, it's an easy choice.
Candice and Marissa take off. John interviews that Candice kicked ass, and she doesn't seem mad at him for not taking her place, plus now he has a clue for the Hidden Immunity Idol. John is pumped.
Tadhana returns to camp and John is still flying high on Candice's win and general well-being. He comments that Marissa is really pissed, and he would rather have Rupert out there. I guess because he won't come back and go after them? They did vote out Rupert's wife. John interviews that he wants only weak people who suck at challenges to go to Redemption Island now, so that Candice can keep beating them.
The Tadhana men's alliance gets water and talks strategy. Vytas brings up a new wrinkle he's discovered this season: whomever they vote out will be given the chance to switch with his or her loved one. Thus, by voting out the right person, they could potentially send a strong player from the opposing tribe to Redemption Island, if the switch takes place. That's a lot of ifs, if you ask me, and I'm not sure if it's enough of a surety to bet a vote on, especially since the only person to switch so far has been the right honorable Rupert. And we all saw how well that worked out for him. Then again, the men's alliance has a few more ladies to vote out, and they don't really have a good reason to vote out any of them.
The practical example that Vytas gives is that they should vote out Rachel, because they all think Tyson will switch with her. And then they get to compete against Galang minus Tyson, one of their strongest members. Everyone is on board except for John. He claims publicly that it's because there are too many variables in the plan, which is true, but in an interview, he explains that he also doesn't want Candice to have to go up against Tyson.
Vytas tells John that he just needs to find the Idol now, because then they will know that none of the women have it. Brad interviews that he likes John, but getting a clue publicly is both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because, you know, you have a clue. But it's a curse because it puts a target on your back.
All five guys agree that they need to keep their alliance going at least until the merge, when they can use John's Idol to keep themselves safe. That's yet another example of this alliance putting the cart before the horse. They don't seem to understand that this game can completely change in one or two days, because people are unpredictable and get paranoid or win immunity or whatever. Anyway, John reads his clue and decides to keep his search for the Idol private for now, because he wants to make sure that no one else finds it before he does. Smart.
Over at Galang, the sad music plays as we prepare to hear Laura Rupert rend her garments over losing her husband. Except, she's kind of okay with it? She explains that at least now she doesn't have to worry about him and she doesn't have a target on her back since it's just her playing alone. Her tribemates gather around her and exclaim at her bravery and resilience -- except for Colton. He pouts in a corner and interviews that he's tired of the campfire chats and loving support. BO-RING! He wants drama, and he wants to win this game. I get where he's coming from, but it's been four days! It's hard to create drama when you haven't even been to Tribal Council yet.
So then Colton goes around to each of his tribemates and tries to start shit. He tells Gervase that Laura M needs to go first. He tells Monica that Gervase wants to get rid of her. While in the water, he tells Tina that Gervase wants to get rid of Aras. When Tina gets out of the water, Kat asks if Colton was strategizing about her, and Tina doesn't give away information while also conveying that she doesn't even want to get into strategy yet, since they don't have to. Kat interviews that she doesn't want Colton to turn against her, because he lives for that shit and she doesn't want to deal with it.
That night, Kat stupidly (surprise!) confides in Colton that Tina said she thought Colton was over-strategizing already. Colton is immediately like, "What did she say exactly? Who was she talking about?" Kat refuses to engage and Colton leaps up to go get Tina and start some drama. Kat doesn't want to make a scene. Good luck with that, honey. Colton gets Tina involved and tries to make it out like Kat was talking shit. It's tough, because she really wasn't, but he doesn't let her get a word in edgewise. Tina interviews that she doesn't want to have to deal with this kind of drama for thirty-nine days.
Later, everyone is gathered around the campfire. Tyson and Aras are snuggling and it's nice to see two guys so secure in their masculinity, but I would also think it was weird if two women were snuggling like that, unless it's for warmth? I don't know. Anyway, Colton starts going on about how he can't forge ahead in relationships without something and blah blah and Tyson just says, "Look, none of us care about your bullshit. We want a peaceful camp. Shut it." Tyson interviews that Colton wanted to be a different person this time around, but that lasted, like, three days. Anyway, Colton got shut down, so he pouts and then interviews that "these people" need to go to Tribal Council and learn what the game is about. Does he understand that these people, save Laura Rupert, have all played the game before, and some of them even won and none of them got fake appendicitis and went home early?
The morning, Colton can't understand why everyone is acting "sketchy" around him. Gee, I wonder why? You spent the whole day yesterday trying to foment chaos and then, when that didn't work, tried to instigate a fight over nothing. Why would anyone be less than pleased with you right now? Monica assures him that she hasn't heard anyone talking about voting him out, but she'll let him know.
Aras, Gervase, Tyson, Tina and Monica gather around the water source, which is apparently like the water cooler at offices. Tyson suggests that Colton is trying to create an atmosphere of fear and suspicion, so if he tells any of them anything, they should go to the person actually in question and talk about it before making any decisions. Monica says that Colton is wondering if they are going to target him. Aras says that he understands why Monica has been afraid, because Colton is a bully. He calls him "the gay Russell Hantz." Look, I hate Russell, like, a lot, but don't even put Colton into his echelon. Russell -- on his first time around -- was at least almost successful in pulling off his bullying act. Colton is like Russell in that he doesn’t understand the social game, but he also can't win challenges and isn't even that intimidating. Aras interviews that Colton bullied Kat last night, and he will try to do it to the rest of them at some point, so Aras doesn't really want to play with him. Those five (Aras, Gervase, Tyson, Tina and Monica) agree that they want to continue playing together and make a pact. Man, all because they happened to be at the watering hole together. Note to future players: never miss an opportunity to go get water or whatever a group of more than two people are all doing together.
Challenge time! In this challenge, three people will be tied together at the waist and have to roll a barrel containing another tribe member, stopping at four flagpoles. At each flagpole, the person in the barrel has to get out and untie a knot, releasing a bag of balls. Once all four are collected, the rest of the tribe tries to roll the balls into targets, skee-ball style. The first tribe to get a ball in each of six holes wins immunity and a fishing kit. Galang opts to have Kat sit out, and Probst tells her to "take a spot on the sit-out bench." Do we have to name everything on this show? Couldn't it just be a bench?
Tadhana puts Katie inside the barrel with John, Brad and Vytas pushing. Galang puts Laura M inside the barrel with Tyson, Aras and Monica pushing. Interesting that they didn't have Colton or Gervase push. Maybe Monica is stronger than them? I just wish we could have seen a few seconds of that decision-making process. It seems the key in rolling is having people of approximately the same height, since they are tied together, but also have some strong people because you have to roll/lift the barrel up into a cradle at each stop to hold it steady. Tadhana succeeds on both counts, but Katie slows them down with the knot untying. They are tied going into the final cradle, but Galang has some issues and Tadhana hands over the bags of balls first. As with most multiple-stage challenges, the first part ends up not mattering too much, though. Hayden does all the rolling for Tadhana and Gervase does it all for Galang. Not sure why no one else got a chance -- again, a few seconds of this decision-making process would have been nice. Anyway, they trade the lead back and forth a few times, but ultimately Gervase wins and of course he screams, "Marissa! That's for you, baby!" Kat and Hayden, and Brad and Monica exchange glances from their respective mats. You know what would be a great reward? Five minutes with your loved one from the other tribe.
Tadhana returns from the challenge and breaks it down. Brad isn't interested in talking about what they did right or wrong; he is REALLY mad at Gervase and wishes they could have a physical challenge so that Brad could bodyslam him. Whoa, Brad. Simmer down, now. Everyone else seems taken aback and eventually the group breaks up to get water etc. Laura interviews that they don't want to send anyone home, but she can count and she sees that the guys outnumber the girls, so she's going to do what she has to in order to stay. Handjobs in the jungle? I'm just spitballing here.
While getting water, the guys discuss who to vote out tonight. Brad and Vytas are pushing for Rachel, in the hopes that Tyson will switch places. John points out that might not happen and wonders if Rachel is really the weakest woman left. Vytas says that even if Tyson doesn't switch, knowing Rachel is on Redemption Island might weaken him. Or it might not -- maybe it will light a fire in him to avenge her or whatever. John keeps trying to argue his point, but he gets shouted down by the others. And here's an unexpected twist: the guys don't put together that John is worried about Candice, but now they think he must have a secret alliance with Rachel.
Hayden and Vytas go to Katie and say that they're voting out Rachel. Katie immediately wonders how John feels about that, so apparently the John/Rachel secret alliance is an idea that's gotten traction. Vytas isn't worried because they have the numbers to get rid of Rachel even without John. Katie remembers that John might have the Idol and worries that he will use it to save Rachel. Really? They think he's that into Rachel that he would give her his Idol? That would be idiotic on his part. I mean, people have done dumb things on this show, but that wouldn't make any sense at all. Have Rachel and John been making out on the sly or something?
So they plan to vote out Rachel, but they're going to tell Rachel that they're voting out Ciera. John breaks this news to Ciera, who is immediately freaked out that she's the dupe in this scenario. Ciera and Katie discuss this in the woods, because they're worried that everyone will vote for Rachel, Rachel will vote for Ciera, and then John uses the Idol to save Rachel and Ciera goes home with her one vote. Katie suggests that she and Ciera throw two votes to John as in insurance policy. Seems wise. This also seems like a whole lot of scheming for this early in the game.
John tells Rachel that they're voting for Ciera and she doesn't have to worry. He interviews that he doesn't want Rachel to go, but he needs his alliance. He continues looking for the Immunity Idol with no luck. He seems to know the importance of his alliance-mates having faith in him, but he might be too late because they're already expressed doubts.
Tadhana sits around eating rice. Ciera notices that John has wandered off alone and wonders where he's going. No one answers her, but they're all obviously thinking that he's looking for the Idol. Hayden interviews that John hasn't shared the clue and it "makes you a little weary." Oh, Hayden. I think you meant wary. Although it reminds me of Bull Durham when Nuke thought the first line of "Try a Little Tenderness" was, "Oh, she may get wooly." He meant weary; Hayden means wary. They're both big galoots with lots of muscles and very little brains.
Vytas, Hayden and Caleb watch as John and Rachel take a swim together. They discuss how John was really against voting out Rachel, plus he might have the Idol. They don't think that he'll use it on her, but they are worried about his loyalties. Vytas interviews that maybe they should blindside John now, before he can use the Idol. Hmm, then he would compete against Candice on Redemption Island. I don't know if that would be the best strategic move for Tadhana, but it would be interesting to watch.
Tribal Council. Probst starts out by pointing out that they only have three women left and wonders if this worries the female part of the tribe. Ciera says that she's noticed that the men have banded together. Hayden gives a mystery answer that amounts to, "We hang out together and we've bonded informally or maybe formally, but yeah." Katie says that they're still trying to figure out how to manage this situation. Keep on figuring, Katie, and soon there will be no women left.
Now Probst brings up the clue that John got to the Idol, and asks Caleb if it's made John a target. Caleb says that it obviously has. Brad says they're assuming John has it, and now it's up to him whether or not to share that information. Probst doesn’t push this, uncharacteristically. Instead, he reminds John that whoever they vote out tonight will be going up against Candice. John adds that there could also be a loved-one switch before the duel as well. Hayden says it's twisted that they could potentially weaken the other tribe by voting someone out tonight. Rachel looks like she just figured out that she's the real target; based on Hayden's statement, they're not going to vote out Katie or Ciera to get rid of Tina or Laura M. Probst says that there are more layers to votes this season than ever before. That's definitely true; these early votes were usually quick and easy, and now they require a lot more strategy.
Time to vote! No one plays an Idol because no one has one. John gets votes from the two women, and Ciera gets a vote from Rachel. Everyone else votes for Rachel, so she's out. After the credits, we see her arrive at Redemption Island, where she tells Marissa and Candice that her tribe split the votes, and John seemed surprised to get votes, so she thinks their close alliance might be splitting up.
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