When they return from blindsiding Caleb, Hayden tells everyone that he hopes they will enjoy second place because Tyson is running the game. Gervase semi-jokingly freaks out and says that Tyson would be nowhere if not for him, but Hayden says that Tyson will get the jury votes. Interesting move by Hayden.
Truel. Laura, Tina and Caleb have to build a giant tower of "cards" (actually wooden blocks). We've seen this challenge before, but I don't think the towers were quite this tall. Laura finishes way ahead of Tina or Caleb. There's a time limit. Tina gets close to the top, but part of her stack falls. Meanwhile, Caleb's entire tower falls, so Tina just stops where she is and waits for time to run out so that she can get second place. Caleb goes to the jury. Laura gives the clue to Ciera, who keeps it now that Tyson played his Idol at the last Tribal.
When they get back to camp, Ciera reads the clue out loud to her alliance, so Hayden and Katie decide to spy on them while they search. But they must not be watching Tyson very closely, because he finds the Idol in a tree.
The immunity challenge involves an obstacle course where you have to balance a tiny ball on top of a pole, with the pole being extended as you move through the course. Once through, the contestants have to throw sandbags at targets, knocking down nine targets. Monica and Gervase finish the obstacle course first. Monica keeps it tight, but Gervase hits all of his targets first and wins immunity and an ice cream cart, which he shares with Monica and Tyson.
Hayden makes a play to get Gervase and Ciera to vote with him and Katie and get Tyson out. They listen and seem interested, but we'll have to wait until Tribal to see what happens. At Tribal, Hayden makes a big play to convince Ciera that she's fourth in their alliance and won't be going to the finals and he's pretty convincing.
As a result, Ciera flips and votes for Monica along with Hayden and Katie, while Gervase, Monica and Tyson vote for Hayden, so it's a 3-3 tie. A revote reproduces the results. The voters have a chance to come up with a unanimous choice to go home, but that goes nowhere. That means that Hayden and Monica are now immune along with Gervase, and Tyson, Ciera and Katie have to draw rocks to see who's going home. Katie ends up with the white rock and leaves. Boy, that did not go Hayden and Ciera's way, but I guess they had to try something.
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As they return from blindsiding Caleb, Hayden congratulates Tyson on making a great move. Hayden interviews that he thought they were blindsiding Ciera, but they pulled one over on him. Hayden then tells everyone remaining that he hopes they are happy with second place, because if Tyson goes to the end, he will win based on his gameplay. Hayden manages to make this sound congratulatory instead of bitter; it's smart because that way, no one can argue with him, and they might actually listen to him. Gervase semi-jokingly explodes with trash talk, saying that Tyson wouldn't be anywhere if not for him, and everyone laughs, but you know Gervase really feels that way. Hayden says that Tyson is the one who will get the jury votes. Tyson asks why Hayden is throwing him under the bus, and Hayden says it's the truth, and Tyson deserves to win the game. See? Congratulatory. Hard to take issue with that.
Tyson interviews that he didn't like Hayden blowing up his spot (do people still say that?) and he's sorry now that he played his Idol. I think that's been the one misstep in Tyson's game so far, though I do understand why he played it. Tyson gathers his alliance: Monica, Ciera, and Gervase. They decide to vote out Hayden , and if he wins immunity, they'll vote out Katie. So what happens week when they don't have a back-up person? I wonder if anyone is thinking about that.
Time for the Truel between Tina, Laura, and Caleb. Probst notes that Caleb won't even look at his tribe, and Caleb says that in the South, a man's word means something but apparently in this game and Utah (Tyson) and Philly (Gervase), it doesn't mean anything. Ooh, our first bitter potential juror. Well, I guess Vytas is pretty bitter but I'm not sure who he's bitter at right now. Gervase retorts that they thought Caleb was coming after them, so they took him out first, and now he's a sore loser. Gervase! Not winning any favor with the jury.
Probst explains the rules of the competition. Each contestant will use one hundred fifty wooden tiles to build a house of cards. If their house gets to be eight feet tall, they win. Or, the two with the highest stack after thirty minutes will get to stay. They start building and I'm sure this is a bit time compressed, but Laura seems to get her tower up to eight feet high in like two minutes and she wins.
So now it's down to Tina and Caleb. Laura can't help Tina cheat on this one. Tina is a bit ahead, but she drops some tiles and then she and Caleb are even with about three minutes left. Tina struggles, and Caleb gets close to the eight foot mark. There's only one minute left. Caleb should just stop building and let time run out, but I think he's so focused that he can't stop. Tina loses some more tiles. Caleb's stack is very, very crooked. With thirty seconds, Caleb's entire stack falls over. Tina realizes that she can just sit there and hope her stack doesn't fall because there's no way Caleb can rebuild in time. Tina gleefully counts down the last ten seconds and wins second place. Caleb is going home.
For his exit interview, Probst decides to basically say to Caleb, "No one understands why you are with Colton." And while that's true, it seems kind of rude to say? Caleb handles it well and says that opposites attract, although they are also similar. Probst asks how and Caleb deadpans, "We're both guys." Caleb heads off to the jury to the applause of his former tribe. Laura gets a clue, and she hands it off to Ciera, who keeps it this time.
As they return to camp, Hayden comments that Laura is unreal at challenges. Ciera interviews that this was the first time she really wanted her mom to win, because she wanted the Hidden Immunity Idol clue since Tyson played his Idol at the last Tribal Council. Ciera has decided that they are going to find it and open it as a group, minus Hayden and Katie, and then decide together what to do with it. She's dumb. She should find it and never tell anyone until she plays it.
Anyway, Ciera, Tyson, Gervase, and Monica go to "get water" and Ciera reads the clue to everyone. Tyson immediately decides that it's in a tree and then they all scatter and start looking. I didn't hear any agreement about what to do if it's found. Hayden and Katie finally catch up with the conversation and decide to spy on the others. As the camera operator shows us, Hayden walks right by it without seeing it.
Meanwhile, Tyson is running away from the smoke monster or something. And then he climbs a tree. What is he doing? Tyson interviews that he's just trying to stay in the game, and when Rachel (remember his girlfriend?) left, he promised himself that he has to win because otherwise he feels guilty that he didn't switch places with her. Tyson chokes up and says that he knows he's close to the end, but he still feels like it could get pulled out from under him. I know some people thought those tears were fake, but I thought they were genuine. Never underestimate the power of exhaustion and sleeping outdoors for a month.
Anyway, Tyson probably notices that the camera keeps pointing at one particular tree so he climbs it and totally finds the Idol. Then, because he doesn't have any pockets, he has to shove it in his crotch, which is a detail I didn't need to know. Tyson tells the camera that he's going to keep it to himself and not share it. So now his goal is to keep Hayden from winning immunity. Tyson confesses that this was the diciest time of the game. The approximately twelve hours that he didn't have an Idol in his possession? Somehow I don't feel sorry for him.
Hayden approaches Gervase about blindsiding Tyson, and after Hayden's speech about everyone else playing for second place, Gervase at least appears open to listening. Hayden says he has Katie and he will try to get Ciera. He wonders if Gervase would join them. Gervase says that it has to be a hundred percent and rock solid or he won't switch. Gervase interviews that he doesn't really have plans to switch allegiances, but he's trying to keep his options open.
Immunity Challenge! The contestants have to walk along an obstacle course while holding a pole with a ball balanced on top. At intervals, they will have to add another section to the pole, lengthening it, and making the balancing more difficult. If the ball drops, they have to start over. Once they reach the end of the course, they unlock a box with sandbags inside, and use the sandbags to knock over pillars with balls on top. The first person to knock over all of the pillars wins immunity and an ice cream reward.
Everyone starts, and many balls are dropped early and often. Monica, Gervase, and Tyson get through the first section and add length to their poles. There's a lot of talk of poles and balls here, and I'm kind of tuning it all out. Those three lead after the second section as well. Katie is not just terrible at this challenge, but every time her ball drops, it plonks her in the head. Oh, Katie. Monica finishes the course first with Gervase not far behind.
Monica and Gervase start throwing sandbags. Gervase seems to be making quick work of it, and gets to the point where he only has one pillar left. But he can't quite get that last one. While he and Monica are still tossing, Tyson catches up and starts tossing as well. Monica seems close, because Gervase just can't get that last one. But finally, he does, and wins immunity.
Probst congratulates Gervase, and tells him that he can pick one person to share in his ice cream reward. He picks Monica, which is a great pick: she came in second, and she also shared her food reward last time. Probst allows him to pick one more person. Gervase mulls it over and then makes a terrible decision – he chooses Tyson. Here's the thing: Tyson needs Gervase, so he's not going to be mad if Gervase doesn't pick him. Also, Tyson doesn't seem the type to be sour about that. Meanwhile, Gervase has now left Hayden and Katie with Ciera, and Gervase KNOWS that Hayden is trying to flip Ciera, because Hayden said that to his face. So dumb.
They return to camp post-challenge. I find it odd that they don't speak to one another at all on the walk back. Do you think they're not allowed, because then it wouldn't be on camera? It's just strange to me that when they return to camp, they always start talking as if they haven't spoken since the challenge ended. Anyway. Gervase interviews that he's in a great position because he's in a secure alliance with Tyson and Monica, and Ciera is their fourth, and they're controlling the game.
Then some poor guy rolls in an ice cream cart and Gervase, Tyson, and Monica partake. It's right in front of camp. That seems awkward. Hayden seizes the opportunity to talk to Ciera and ask her who she thinks will be to go home after him and Katie. Ciera plays it cool, because she doesn't intend to work with Hayden and Katie. Hayden asks her if she would make a move if they had a majority, and Ciera asks what he's talking about. Hayden lays it out: they could either make a stink about Tyson at Tribal to flush out his Idol and then vote out Monica, or they could try to blindside Tyson. Hayden reminds Ciera that she needs to have "a resume" in the finals, and taking out Monica or Tyson would be a big move in the jury's eyes. Ciera says that if she votes with Hayden and Katie, it's a tie and she doesn't want a tie.
Hayden decides to try to get Gervase on his side too, so that they have a majority. He talks to Gervase and Ciera and says that if they don't want second, and they want to take out Tyson, it has to happen right now, at this Tribal. Gervase says he thinks he can beat Tyson, because they've played together the whole time. Hayden points out that Tyson's been the front man, so he will get the credit for all of their moves. Gervase interviews that Hayden's got to go, and then Katie needs to go . I think Gervase has a slightly too high opinion of his own gameplay, and it's understandable. The first time he played, there was no strategy and no alliances. I doubt he's studied the game in the manner of a Cochran or even a Boston Rob. But it will be his downfall – he'll be accused of riding coattails. Ciera points out that Katie and Hayden could beat her in front of a jury, possibly more so because the jury likes them more. Then Hayden flat out tells Tyson that he's trying to convince everyone to blindside him, and it's out of respect for Tyson's game. Tyson just says he understands. I kind of love balls-out honest Hayden. Where's he been all this time?
Tribal Council. The jury enters. Probst reminds everyone of the two alliances: Monica, Tyson, Gervase, and Ciera versus Hayden and Katie. Hayden agrees and says that the others are being controlled by Tyson. Ciera says she's comfortable in her alliance position. Probst tries to poke at that a little, pointing out that Ciera didn't get chosen for reward, but Ciera says that probably had more to do with prior rewards that she's gotten, so it wasn't her turn. Gervase tries to explain why they deserved reward but basically says that he is closer to them. Probst points out that Gervase's speech was probably not great for Ciera, and she agrees. Tyson looks worried for the first time.
Probst points out the obvious, that Hayden needs to try to flip Ciera. Hayden continues playing to the jury and says that Tyson has been running things, and he was the one who decided to vote everyone out, including Aras and Vytas. Ciera corrects him and says that Tyson didn't decide to vote out her mom. Okay, that's one. And he kind of did, but he didn't make it obvious. Probst asks Katie where she fits in and Katie shows why she doesn't deserve to still be in the game because she basically has no idea what's going on and doesn't seem to care all that much and hopes she can sit there and stay unnoticed. Great strategy.
Probst asks Monica why she thinks Ciera should stick with them. Monica says it would be a bad idea to flip, because four is better than six. So is she admitting that Ciera is fourth in their alliance? Hayden asks that, and tells Ciera that if she joins them, they only have three, and no designated order. Gervase says he's wrong, because Hayden and Katie are backstabbers and liars, while everyone in their alliance is loyal and honest. The jury members laugh loudly. I think Aras just wiped tears from his eyes. I wish you could see the look on Tyson's face on this freeze-frame; he's looking at the jury and he's terrified. This has to just convince Tyson that he needs to take Gervase and Monica to the finals because they made all the same moves that he did, so he can't be the bad guy with them.
Gervase thinks that the jury is laughing because they tried to backstab and got voted out. Hey, way to win jury votes there, Gervase! I'm starting to think that Gervase would have been voted out a lot earlier if he had talked. Then he counts off their alliance members and Ciera is number four. Freudian slip? Probst points that out and Gervase tries to pretend like it was a coincidence. He adds that Ciera can stick with them and stay or split with them and end up on the jury sooner.
Probst says that if Ciera does flip, it could be a tie vote and they could end up drawing rocks. Tyson says he doesn't think Ciera is four. Probst says that if she's not, then Monica is. Monica says maybe and Honest Hayden lays it out: "There's no perhaps about it. If Ciera's not four, then you are four." Hayden says that Tyson and Gervase are one and two. Tyson makes his pitch to Ciera and says that he's protected her and worked with her all along, and that's not going to end now. Hayden says that she can be happy with fourth place or come with them and draw rocks, which is a big move. Gervase thinks Hayden is wishy-washy because he had said earlier that he was voting Tyson. Who says he's not still voting Tyson?
Hayden and Katie (she speaks!) argue that they were only talking about blindsiding Tyson to "rustle feathers." Tyson interrupts Hayden and says, "Ruffle feathers." And then they argue about whether or not there is such a word as rustle. At first, I thought this was another dick move on Tyson's part, because who corrects grammar (the saying is typically ruffle feathers, to be fair) during Tribal? But then wiser minds than mine pointed out that Tyson was really just trying to derail the argument because he was losing. Everyone laughs, but the subject does get changed for a second. Hayden tells Ciera that she could make a big move and win the game, or she could end up in fourth. Tyson reminds her that she could go home tonight if they draw rocks.
So they vote. Tyson doesn't play his Idol. And it's a tie between Hayden and Monica. Tyson asks Ciera what she's doing. Probst announces the revote, where Hayden and Monica don't vote, and everyone else can only vote for Hayden or Monica. Ciera stays strong and votes for Monica, so now it's a two-two tie.
Probst announces the rules, since we haven't had a tie like this in many, many seasons. They can discuss amongst themselves and try to come up with a unanimous vote. If they can't, then Hayden, Monica, and Gervase are all safe, and Tyson, Katie, and Ciera will draw rocks. One of them will get the rock that means he or she is out. Ciera tells Tyson, Gervase, and Monica that she knows she's fourth, and they have to stop bullshitting her. They spend one second trying to dissuade her and then Gervase is like, "Fine, then draw rocks." Ciera says she's drawing rocks unless they all agree to vote with her. Tyson won't vote out Monica (proving Ciera's case that she's less important in the alliance than Monica), and they decide to draw rocks.
You guys. I can't believe they are drawing motherfucking rocks. This is like a Survivor nerd's wet dream.
Probst tells them that he has three rocks; two are black, and one is white. Whoever gets the white rock is voted out and will head to Redemption Island. Katie, Ciera, and Tyson all take a rock. Tyson looks like he wants to puke. They finally reveal and Katie has the white rock. So after all that, Katie's going home. Tyson asks Katie if she wants a hug and tells her loudly that it was a dangerous, ballsy move, and he didn't think she had it in her. And then he whispers that her chair is over there, and points to the jury. Well, what was that for? Hayden apologizes to Katie, and she says it's okay. She knows they had to try something. Man, can someone write an alternative reality fanfic where Tyson got the white rock? I mean, what would have happened? The rest of this season would probably have been more interesting, for sure. Tyson glares at Ciera, and she tells him not to glare at her. He denies that he is, but he totally was.
Probst snuffs Katie's torch and sends her to Redemption Island. Ciera looks amused, like she's not sure what just happened. Probst says that there are no words for what just happened. I am just praying for Hayden and Ciera to win immunity or pull something off, or for whomever returns from Redemption Island to do something, because otherwise it's going to be pretty boring watching Tyson run the board.