Last week, the six former members of Ometepe remained fast to their convictions, dispatching not only Ralph but also Steve to Redemption Island, where they will join Matt and Mike in what looks to be the season’s first four-way duel. This is not an unsurprising turn of events, because Boston Rob has held the reins on this game since about Episode 3, and he hasn’t relinquished it since. The thing is: what happens now? With only Rob and his allies left in the game (excepting whatever happens on RedIsle now), the time has come for that ironclad alliance to implode.
Redemption Island, Night 30. Ralph joins up with Mike and Matt, and after a brief summary of the Rice Wars and Phillip’s part in it, Ralph starts talking about Steve and how much weight he’s lost and how “pitiful” he seems… right when Steve walk up. If Steve heard the “pitiful” comment, he doesn’t say anything. But the group does make a valid point… assuming one of them doesn’t miraculously end up in the final three, there will be five Zapaterians on the jury, which will constitute a majority no matter what else may happen.
And that’s something to think about; who on the Ometepe tribe would the Zapaterians be the most likely to award a million dollars to? They have all uniformly ignored or shunned the Zapaterians’ company, and they have to write someone’s name down… I guess Philip is the only one who has been more antagonistic than the others. And I have to figure Rob has taken that into account as well. He has stated that his plan is to take Philip and Natalie to the end, because Philip is obnoxious and crazy and Natalie is useless. I’m looking forward to this week, because Grant has GOT to know that he has outlived his usefulness to Rob at this point, and with that HII still in Rob’s pocket and only two more TC’s to play it…
As the Ometepes return to camp, Andrea confesses to a heightened sense of excitement now that the game has reached the endgame. Natalie, however, is not so much excited as saddened, and even cries a little. She blames it on homesickness, which, after a month in the wild, would take its toll on anyone. Rob, of course, is the first to comfort her, because he wants her at 100% to go to the end with him. (What a guy.)
The next morning, tree-mail includes a box with the words “Sprint – Open First” on it. Inside the box is a Sprint 4G cell phone, which gives them the message that the next duel is today and that they are all to be in attendance. There are also some brief, encouraging videos from Natalie’s mom, Andrea’s dad, Philip’s sister, Rob’s sister, Grant’s brother-in-law and Ashley’s mom. Most are the usual well-wishes, but there’s also news: Grant is going to be an uncle soon. Mazel tov!
Duel #9: Matt vs. Mike vs. Ralph vs. Steve. The four dueler also were rewarded with videos from home, which is nice. Ralph’s friend, Mike’s mom, Steve’s brother and Matt’s brother also give their support, and Matt’s spirits do a 180 from last week, which is terrific to see. At the arena, Jeff collects both cell phones and announces that the winner of today’s duel will get to spend time with their loved one in person. The challenge: to break four ceramic tiles, placed at increasing distances, with a ceramic weight. Last one standing is on the jury.
Mike is a superstar at this challenge, for he breaks all four tiles without a miss, winning the coveted family-time prize. Matt cracks his fourth tile on his sixth attempt, so he survives again. Ralph does the same thing, and since Steve only managed one hit in five attempts, he is out of the game and in the jury box. He gets a hug from his fellow duelers and a round of golf-claps from the attendees, and off he goes.
Jeff then calls in Mike’s mother Jane, but directs her to stand a few paces away. Then he gives Mike a chance to perhaps further himself in the game by forgoing time with his mom in exchange for letting Matt and Ralph have time with their family, at which point Matt’s brother Burton and Ralph’s friend Ronnie enter the arena. Or, Jeff continues, he has a third option: forgo family time and give it instead to the six Ometepe members. And here come even more people: Andrea’s dad Royal, Grant’s brother-in-law Steve, Rob’s sister Heather, Natalie’s mother Tracy, Phillip’s sister (also Tracy), and Ashley’s mom Teri. So it’s all in Mike’s hands.
Mike says that he was reading Matt’s bible the night before, and a passage that he read involving Jesus made it clear to him that whichever decision did the most people the most good was the right one, and making friends from enemies was also a Christian thing to do. Jeff is shocked, given what the Ometepes did to the Zapaterians, but that’s his decision. Jane says she’s not shocked or disappointed, because that’s who Mike is: a Marine, a hero. So she, Burton and Ronnie wave goodbye and depart. The Ometepes give Mike a sincere collective “thank you”, and Mike half-jokingly responds, “Don’t vote me out again.” He, Matt and Ralph head back to RedIsle, and the Ometepes gleefully embrace their loved ones. Awww.
RedIsle, Day 31. Ralph is fuming at Mike, and cynically accuses him of simply trying to further himself in the game by giving away his family-time, regardless of whatever religious connotations he cited. Both Ralph and Matt agree that they wouldn’t have given the Ometepes “(expletive)” after the way they’ve treated them, and Matt adds that he’s glad he didn’t have to make the decision. But Mike sticks by his convictions, replying both to Matt and Ralph and to us (in interview) that he believes the motivations behind his decision were God’s will, not strategy. Whatever.
At Murlonio, the population has doubled since this morning, and much of the day is spent giving tours of the vicinity and catching up on the last four weeks. Rob outlays his whole strategy to his sister, and notes that he’s pretty much promised all of them a spot in the Finals. Which means, if they ever started really talking to each other, Rob’s plan would fall apart, but so far it hasn’t happened. Rob also notes that even though he’s played a perfect game so far, it’s all for naught if he fumbles on the goal line. Then, after a few short hours, the loved ones leave, and that’s that.
Immunity Challenge. Day 32. Rob is sincerely hoping that Andrea doesn’t win Immunity, because she’s clearly the next one to go. The challenge: to complete a staircase by placing boards on missing steps. The trick is, the boards have different holes cut in them, and will only fit one particular step. First to get all the steps in place and make it to the top of the staircase wins immunity. As expected, Rob and Grant take an early lead, but Andrea also makes a move. The three finish the second of three tiers together, which makes it very exciting. It’s a very hot day, and you’re only allowed to carry one board up the stairs at a time, and there are a LOT of steps. A couple of mistakes put both Grant and Andrea a hair behind Rob who, thought looking completely exhausted, is able to haul himself to victory. Wow, that was an effort. He collapses with relief, and eschews medical attention though it is offered. After a brief respite, he gets his wind back and gleefully accepts the Immunity Necklace again.
Back at camp, the rain has started again. Rob is understandably ecstatic about being doubly safe. He indicates to Natalie and Ashley that Andrea is next, and they seem ready to play ball, given her abilities in challenges as well as her previous relationship with Matt. Of course, they all tell Andrea that it’s going to be Phillip, and if she’s naïve enough to buy that, then she deserves to go.
Of course, we can’t go one damn episode without Phillip being Phillip, can we? He starts pulling fronds from the roof of the now-empty Zapaterians side of the shelter and throws it in the fire, an action that seems to disturb a family of wasps, who chase Ashley from her spot. Phillip then interviews that his “crazy” moments are all planned, as in “crazy like a fox”, stating that by acting the villain, he’s made himself a perfect candidate to take to the finals. Yeah, that was Russell’s strategy too, and it didn’t work out for him either. But he says he has an “oral argument” that he would love to present to the jury that might sway their vote over anyone else, even Rob. Hmm. Okay, I’m intrigued. A little. He seems to believe it, even to the point where he believes he can win. It’s about this time that Rob starts having second thoughts. He knows that under all the bluster and rhetoric is some actual intelligence, and wonders if Phillip may be “playing him”. So now he’s torn: vote out a staunch competitor that could very well beat him at the end, or vote out the loose cannon who could be a lot smarter than anyone has given him credit for?
Tribal Council. The now three-strong jury takes its place, and Jeff begins the deliberations by stating, once again, that the moment 32 days in coming is finally here: time for Ometepe to turn on each other. He asks Andrea if she feels safe, and she confidently states that she does. (Uh-oh.) Jeff asks Natalie how she feels, and Natalie says that this TC feels way different than all the others; it’s “scary” and “not fun”, and also not a foregone conclusion like the last five have been.
Jeff then reminds Phillip about how he confessed to being the “low man on the totem pole” in the Ometepe alliance, and how Phillip stated he was fine with that status, but that might logically mean that he should be the next to go. Jeff also mentioned that both Phillip and Natalie made a total dog’s dinner of the Immunity Challenge, perhaps in an effort to not look like a threat, and Phillip retorts that it was the heat and his age combining to overwhelm him more than game-play.
Jeff then goes back to Andrea and asks how being competitive is grounds for being voted out because one could conceivably win enough challenges to make it to the end, and she replies that even though it’s an individual game now, they still need to keep their tribe strong so they can defeat whoever rejoins the game from RedIsle. Jeff then asks Phillip if one can make it to the game being completely honest, and he says yes, because he’s done it. I suppose that’s true: he hasn’t had to betray or backstab anybody. He’s been a nuisance, a problem even, but he hasn’t been dishonest, unless all those unclarifiable stories he’s told about his life aren’t true. Jeff then throws it open, and asks anyone if they feel like they’re in danger, and no one speaks up. Interesting. Jeff then tells Rob that this speaks to the strength of their alliance, and points out that whoever is voted off tonight will not see it coming. Rob admits that he’s mighty glad to be wearing Immunity, because had he not won it, he would be sweating right now. (Heh. He’s still hidden his HII from everybody. Wow.)
Voting time. Don’t expect many previews, and there aren’t any. Jeff collects the urn, and obviously no HII, so out come the slips. Andrea. Phillip. Andrea. (She gasps. David turns to Steve and mutters, “She got blindsided.”) Andrea. And… Andrea. Nuts. My second-favorite person left in the game, and now she goes to square off against Matt, her original ally. She smiles, playfully scolds her tribe, and her torch is snuffed. Good luck next week, girlfriend.
Next week: Rob and Grant consider splitting up Ashley and Natalie, but no plan is ever 100% certain where Phillip the X Factor is involved.
