Previously on Survivor:
After 26 days, Katie was alone with no allies. Ciera and Laura were targeted by Tyson as the final couple. Ciera eagerly threw her mother under the bamboo-covered bus in order to get ahead, but it stressed her out. She became the first person to cast a vote against her loved one.
Back at Kasama, we see the snake again. I guess he’s here to stay. Ciera apologizes for crying when she stabbed her mother in the back. Katie is surprised that Ciera chose water over blood. Ciera hopes that her matricide will show her alliance that she’s serious.
In an interview Tyson acknowledges Ciera’s loyalty, but worries that she’s too strong.
At Redemption Island, Laura pranks Tina by calling out, “…Mom?” as she approaches the camp in the dark. Tina laughs and listens as Laura talks about Ciera voting her out. Vytas wonders why no one is voting Tyson out.
The next day, the Arena is filled with what look like three long hamster cage tunnels. Tyson looks puzzled.
When the Redemptees arrive, Jeff twists the knife a little by reminded Laura about Ciera’s vote. Laura cries and says she’s proud of her daughter.
The challenge is to work four cubes through the tunnel. Each cube has four colored face (and two blanks ones). After all the cubes have gone through the tunnels, they have to be stacked so that no color shows more than once on any one side of the column.
Vytas and Laura are neck and neck moving the cubes along the tunnel. Tina struggles. She has only finished three cubes by the time the others start stacking theirs. It’s a tense contest. Laura finishes first, and Vytas tries to peek at her stack. However, Laura stands in front of it, obstructing his view. Then she starts outright telling Tina how to solve the puzzle. With her help, Tina finishes a split second before Vytas.
Jeff asks Vytas to sum up his experience. Vytas tells him that, when Aras first played Suvivor, nobody at home could really relate to his experience. Now, he’s able to share the experience with his brother and they’ll always have that in common. It kind of makes me want to forget about the rest of the game and just go watch Vytas and Aras bonding for the next twelve days.
Jeff reminds Laura that she gets to award the Hidden Immunity Idol clue to someone. Laura duly gives it to Ciera, and Ciera duly burns it. Then Tina thanks Laura profusely as they head back to their camp.
Back to Kasama, where Tyson realizes his time of safety is running out. He hopes to prolong his reign a bit longer by targeting Katie. Hayden, however, is worried about waiting too long to make his own move. So, Hayden conspires with Caleb to take out Tyson, instead.
The two have no trouble getting Katie on board with that plan. The final vote they look for is Ciera, who eagerly agrees with their plan. However, that’s just a ruse, for Ciera immediately runs to Tyson and spills their plans. She has decided to stick with Tyson because she doesn’t trust the “newbies,” who are “sketchy.” She only trusts those who have played the game before and understand it.
At night, Tyson tells Gervase and decides to take out Caleb. “Tomorrow’s going to be huge,” Gervase interviews.
On the morrow, Ciera and Tyson go off to gather the treemail. This sets off alarm bells for Hayden and Caleb, as Ciera didn’t look them in the eye. Hayden is particularly worried that Ciera has flipped on them.
At this point, the players go to the Immunity Challenge. This one is to hold on to a roller attached to a bucket. Each bucket hold 1/4 of the player’s body weight.
Here comes the diabolical twist: Any player can opt out of the challenge and eat a delicious feast instead. Gervase, Tyson, and Ciera decide to eat, leaving Caleb, Hayden, Katie, and Monica to vie for the Immunity Necklace.
The insecure four begin the hand-blistering task as the others sit down and stuff their faces. Tyson is particularly obnoxious, throwing chicken bones over his shoulder, and belching lustily.
Katie soon drops out, followed by Caleb, who tells Jeff that his hands are bleeding. Hayden hangs on, but he’s clearly hurting. Monica is working hard, but she has the zen look in her eyes again. Finally, Hayden is forced to let go and Monica wins the necklace for the third time. She tells Jeff that she held on, not because she felt insecure in the tribe, but because she wants to prove to her kids that she’s as badass as their dad.
The challenge alerts Caleb and Hayden to Ciera’s true alliance. They regroup and come up with a new plan. The two amigos go to Tyson and tell him that Ciera is playing both sides. Tyson agrees to vote out Ciera, but interviews that he doesn’t trust Caleb and Hayden any more than he does Ciera.
Tyson talks it over with Gervase. Gervase says it comes down to his gut. We don’t see what they actually decide to do.
At the Tribal Council, Aras and Vytas enter. I can’t help wondering what happened when Vytas arrived at Ponderosa (where the jury members stay).
The council starts with Jeff going over the issue of eating vs. earning immunity. Hayden shows his hands, which are covered with blisters. Ciera explains her decision to eat thusly: She knew she wasn’t going to win, so better to lose and eat than to lose and starve. Tyson expresses his surprise that anyone felt worried; he trusts his alliance members.
Gervase looks at Hayden and says he trusts everyone. Jeff points that out to Ciera, and suddenly she gets paranoid. She states that she’s been open and honest — overly honest — with her alliance. She’ll be shocked if she’s voted out.
As Caleb goes to vote, Vytas gives him a friendly wink. We see Caleb voting for Ciera, then Ciera voting for Caleb. Jeff asks if anyone wants to play the Hidden Immunity Idol, and Tyson reaches for his bag. He turns it into a comedy bit by pulling out another necklace, then rummaging and spilling everything out of the bag before finally finding the HII and handing it to Jeff.
Jeff pulls out the votes in maximum order of suspense. One for Caleb, one for Ciera; two for Caleb, two for Ciera; and finally the last one for Caleb. After snuffing Caleb’s torch, Jeff warns the remaining players that there is no more room for error in the game.
Next week: Hayden, now desperate, makes another play for power by approaching Gervase.
Caleb is shocked that his name was written down. He tells Tina and Laura about being blindsided. Laura seems proud of Ciera for making it another round.
What do you think? Should the show just forget about the game and make it the Aras and Vytas Work Out Their Brother Issues Show for the rest of the season? Does Hayden have a chance in hell of surviving next week? Is it even possible for Monica to lose immunity? Let me know what you think!
