Episode 6 - Getting Mad. Getting Even.
By Car84
Previously on Survivor: Morgan enjoyed having the skills of Rupert at their disposal. At Drake, Trish questioned Rupert's loyalty. Morgan won the Reward Challenge with Rupert's help, and was then welcomed back to Drake with open arms. Morgan tidied up. Rupert arrived at the Immunity Challenge with a small snake named "Balboa." Darrah won immunity for Morgan in a seafood smoothie showdown. Michelle tried to save her skin. But in the end, it wasn't enough.
Evening on Day 15. Drake returns from Tribal Council. Trish comments on how Michelle left with a lot of class, and how Jeff was "pretty direct with his questions." Off alone, Rupert reveals that his first Tribal Council sucked. He apologizes to his tribemates if he offended them with his "brutally honest" responses. Rupert confesses to Balboa that he can't believe he voted for Michelle rather than Shawn. He stuffs Balboa into a sack for the night.
The next morning, Rupert observes that cold-blooded Balboa is cold - and dead. Shawn is given the bad news, and is told by Rupert that the little reptile will be given a decent burial. Shawn comments about Rupert's odd sentiments. "That's Rupert."
Meanwhile, Osten whittles away at a stick as Ryan - Morgan's animal lover - bonds with a pelican that wandered close to camp. Andrew comments that Ryan has a soft spot for animals. Ryan dubs the bird "Pelican Pete," the tribe's mascot. Osten threatens to chop Pete's head off with a machete, which he sharpens menacingly. Andrew is "embarrassed" by this display. Darrah remarks that Osten is "scared of every little bug."
At Drake, Rupert decides to raise the floor of their shelter off the ground, in order to stop the bugs from biting them at night. The others don't necessarily agree. But, except for Shawn, all are willing to give it a try. Jon starts to work feverishly. Shawn tells him to "relax." That touches off a verbal clash that ends with Jon going away hollering as he did in Episode 3 during a similar incident with Sandra. This time, Sandra comments that she was glad Jon "put him in his place," that Shawn is "nobody's buddy here," and that he should "get a clue."
At Drake, tree mail arrives. Shawn plays with a small cannon ball as Jon reads the invitation, which includes the phrases "ready, aim, fire" and "tastiest reward of all." Trish states that the tribe is feeling vulnerable. She declares: "Today's a new day. We're a strong tribe, entirely united."
At the Reward Challenge, Jeff updates Morgan on Drake's roster change, and describes the challenge. Each tribe will try to knock out all four of the opposing tribe's square targets using a cannon. This is to be done one member at a time, with each tribe member ramming the cannon ball into the chamber, aiming, and lighting the touchhole with a torch. The winner gets a mouth-watering food reward, a looting adventure, and (if Morgan wins) a piece of their treasure map.
In round one, Andrew and Jon both miss. Then Ryan and Sandra both score - barely. Trish then hits a target for Drake, commenting that it wasn't the one she was aiming at. Tijuana fires high, far, straight, and out of sight. In round four, Rupert's cannon ball veers left, right, and then left before it hits near the rim of the target. Osten hits the target near the rim. Darrah fires the most accurate shot of the challenge, and Shawn misses with a slider away. It's all tied up at three. Andrew misses again. Christa hits a corner, and Jeff sends Drake home with the bounty.
Drake returns home, with Jon carrying a grill, Trish an assortment of spices, Shawn three lobsters, Rupert six steaks ("We got beef!"), and others toting assorted utensils. The lobsters are prepared first, and then the nicely seasoned steaks. Sandra eats her steak right off the grilling fork.
The following morning (Day 18), Rupert wakes up another snake - Jon - who says he's "gonna have fun today" looting Morgan. He plans to crush and eliminate Morgan's morale, and jumps up and down in order to demonstrate how he's planning to do it.
Tijuana and Andrew watch as "Little Jon" (as Andrew describes him to Tijuana) comes ashore. Tijuana describes Jon as "rude" and an "irritant." Andrew greets Jon with "What's up Big Jon?" Jon tells them that Drake voted for him to take Morgan's boiling pot as a "strategic move." When told that Morgan expected them to want to steal the shower, Jon tells them that he would love to shampoo his hair. As a "diplomatic gesture," Andrew approves.
Jon then shifts into crush mode by making a sarcastic comment about how much nicer the challenges have been. Andrew shot back, saying that "talking smack" hurts "when you lose six straight." Jon informs him that "technically," it was seven. "We threw the seventh just to get Burton out. I moved my guys out of the way."
As Jon washes his hair along the shore, Andrew, Tijuana, and Darrah discuss this piece of information, not believing it for a moment. Andrew is rather perturbed. The words "bad sportsmanship," "piss ant," "little bastard," and "ridiculous" color his language. Andrew concludes that Jon has come to ruffle feathers, and has succeeded. Andrew is motivated to "take the gloves off" and "have some fun."
Jeff welcomes the tribes to the Immunity Challenge with a hearty "C'mon in guys." Rupert informs Jeff that it's "play time." Christa shows off her "new freckles," a collection of newly minted bug bites.
Let's get down to business. The challenge requires endurance and strategy. Each tribe selects three of its members to bear weight that will be progressively added to a wooden pole resting across their shoulders. The strategy element requires two non-weight-bearing tribe members from each tribe to direct who, on the opposing tribe, will take on additional weight. The weights are added in twenty-pound increments. A total of 600 pounds are available for allocation. The last person standing wins immunity for their tribe.
Drake sits out Sandra, and elects weight-bearers Rupert, Shawn, and Christa. Weaker members Trish and Jon(!) call the shots. For Morgan, the guys (Osten, Andrew and Ryan) take the muscle roles, while Darrah and Tijuana direct.
In the first seven rounds, Morgan goes after Rupert exclusively, while Drake first loads up Osten, then Andrew. At 200 pounds, Rupert is clearly in distress, taking his hands off the bar and balancing the weight on his shoulders. Osten, at 160 pounds, is also not doing well, and then goes out with no more added weight. "He's done!" exclaims Trish. Tijuana and Darrah call for more weight on Rupert. Jon apologizes to Rupert for having to add the weight. The pole slides off Rupert's shoulders. Jeff observes that the two strongmen are out.
Morgan divides the weights between Shawn and Christa, until Andrew suggests that they concentrate on Shawn. "Gotta break one of them," he suggests. Jon encourages Shawn: "Contest is made for you." Shawn drops out at 140, leaving Christa. Holding 160 pounds, Andrew says, "C'mon Morgan." Christa braces under 160 for the first time when Ryan is at 140, and Andrew continues to labor with 160. Jeff points out that Christa is holding the weight Osten dropped. Christa lets go as another round of weights was about to be added. Morgan wins.
Andrew and Ryan drop their weight. Andrew falls to the ground in a heap. Rupert gives Christa a big hug and her impressed tribe mates console her. To Andrew, Jeff says, "You got tears in your eyes. You all right?" Andrew, physically and emotionally drained, has no verbal reply. Jeff proclaims that all will be even after tonight.
On Day 18 Shawn tells his tribemates "I should have stood up there longer guys, that's all I've got to say." Rupert reflects on Shawn's effort. "That's the worst pitifullest ass performance I've ever seen. He deserves to go home. I want him off my island and out of my adventure."
Trish reasons with Jon and Sandra about Rupert. "One person has a helluva lot of power right now. And we're all sort of following along." Trish piles more on Rupert: "With us he could go all the way, and with them [Morgan] he could go all the way." When Jon notes that the impact of Rupert going would be food, Trish asks, "For a million dollars can you starve for 19 days?" Jon assures Trish. "It's the smartest way we're going to play this game right now."
Aside, Trish describes their decision as "the biggest shock of all." There's no need to tell Christa because we don't need her vote. "Shawn we're going to tell at the last minute that his neck has been saved." "Tonight it's going to a really big surprise that Rupert's gonna be the one going and not Shawn." She smiles.
Sandra apparently didn't get the memo about not talking to Christa. "Oh man, this is crazy now," she says to her. "First it was Shawn, now we're down to Rupert." Christa says she trusts Rupert. "I'd rather keep the tribe strong just a little while longer," she offers. Rupert happens by, and is pulled into the conversation. Christa breaks the news to him: "They're planning on getting rid of you now."
Rupert seeks out Shawn to warn him of Jon's and Trish's plan to save Shawn's neck, at Rupert's expense. Rupert has a plan to sink Trish in a 4 to 2 vote. "Say yes to voting me, but write Trish down." Shawn tells Rupert, with a handshake, "I'm with you on that, baby."
Responding to a direct question, Jon prematurely reveals to Shawn that Rupert is the one chosen to go that night. Shawn asks where that came from. Jon reasons that they "had to do something." Jon says that it would be a "landslide" against if anyone had to go against Rupert in the final two. Shawn and Jon share several variations of "You gotta do what you gotta do" comments, though it's not clear they're on the same page. Jon later comments that "Shawn's a good ally for me." As for Rupert, he's "a good guy, but I'm not signing over my million dollar check to him." Shawn predicts: "I think everyone is gonna be really shocked. Everyone." He shares a laugh with Jon.
At Tribal Council, Jeff points out that the Immunity Challenge was physical, and that Drake probably didn't count on being there. Sandra agrees and says they had full tummies and high motivation, and Morgan was dying of hunger. Jeff tells Christa that she was impressive during the Immunity Challenge, outlasting Osten. She seems to have impressed herself, but "it sucked to drop it."
Jeff tells Rupert that he looks "incredibly sad," and Rupert replies, "I'm ready to cry." To Jeff's "Why?" Rupert continues, responding to JP's questions along the way: "We shouldn't be here. I'm upset the way the tribe has gone. We started out so strong. And now we are not. And it's hard to pull everybody together. We can't lose hope. Gotta believe that you can. We'll lose one person tonight. I hope it's not me." Jeff asks Rupert why he might be the one to go. Rupert says that Drake sees him as "unneeded," and that "at least half my tribe wants me gone." Trish reveals that she "didn't know he felt that way at all."
Jeff asks Sandra how sure she is that it's not her tonight? Sandra quickly shoots back with: "Oh, I know it ain't me. The person that's going home today is the one that least expects it. This person will be missed, but for the good of the tribe, this person has got to go home." Trish looks befuddled. Jon laughs, as though he knows what Sandra means.
On the heels of that comment, Jeff calls for the vote.
In the order revealed by Jeff, the votes (and voter's comments) are revealed:
TRISH. (By Sandra: "I've always said you were a snake from day one. You can't be trusted. So good-bye. Adios.")
RUPERT. (Jon: "Everybody's got a price. Everybody's gotta pay cuz the million dollar man always gets his way.")
RUPERT. (Trish: "I'm voting you out because I think you just have too much power with the other tribe. And it just seems to me that you are straddling both tribes.")
TRISH. (Rupert: "I cannot believe that you've turned on me so quickly. Everybody in my tribe tells me that you want me out, and you lie right to my face. I can't take that.")
TRISH. (Shawn, whose vote is the only one not revealed during his comments: "You know what? Game's over for you. It's my game now. Good-bye.")
TRISH. (Christa: "You stabbed us all in the back. You have no idea how to play this game. But good try. See ya later.")
Jeff sets his flame snuffer down as Trish leaves. He announces that there are 21 days left, and that it is anybody's game.
Car84 can be contacted by email at car84@survivorskills.com
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