Episode 9- Endless Possibilities
By Car84
Previously on Survivor: A special Outcast Tribal Council was convened, and Burton and Lillian were fired up again. Burton is welcomed back. Lillian felt vulnerable. Andrew sensed Lillian didn't trust him. At the Immunity Challenge, Jeff shocked the players with a merge. Burton won immunity in a close race. The new Balboa tribe enjoyed a feast. Andrew targeted Jon, while Burton wooed Lillian for support. At Tribal Council, Burton awarded immunity to Rupert. Lillian turned on former tribemate Andrew, who left one slot shy of the jury.
On Day 22, morning breaks, as Rupert fiddles with the fire. The others are sleeping - all well-covered, except for Tijuana. Later, Lillian comments that she "feels great." She doesn't regret standing up for herself, and turning on Andrew. She tells Rupert how welcome she feels, and that "whatever you guys decide, I'm with the team." To Rupert's claim that he'd "put a Drake out before you," she replies, "Be serious!" Rupert counsels her, "Don't do that to yourself!" He compliments Lillian for being "a lion" and standing up to Andrew, and encourages her to not give up.
Ryan tells us that "Tribal Council for me sucked last night," and that he is "basically next on the chopping block." He goes to Burton to feel him out about his closeness to Lillian. He argues that Rupert, Sandra, Christa and Jon are a tight group, and that Burton was likely to be voted off after Ryan. He proposes that he bind Tijuana and Darrah, while Burton brings in Lillian. The five can run the four out. Aside, Burton remarks that "there are a lot of possibilities," and that the game is at a crossroads.
Burton goes fishing. He spots a stingray, and is able to spear it. On shore, while he works to dispatch it, he is jolted with a shock. Burton asks Ryan, "These things don't have electric stuff in them, do they?" Rupert is lured in and asked to "stick your fingers in those holes." He tries it. Once.
In short order, the electric ray was sizzling on the grill. Rupert and Lillian agree that it's "shockingly good." Tijuana comments on the abundance of food. At one point, she refuses food from Rupert because she has had enough. Rupert tells us, "I like that feeling of being able to fill you up and make you feel comfortable." He notes that the Morgans were emaciated. "It's sad," he says.
With full tummies, the nine trudge off to their first individual Reward Challenge, which involves shooting plates with marbles slung from a slingshot. The challenge consists of three qualifying rounds of three players each, and a playoff round. The object of the challenge is to break, in order, three plates. When each of the first two plates are hit, a flame is transferred upward. Taking out the third plate results in the ignition of a "crow's nest" at the top of the contraption. Players are chosen randomly for the qualifying heats. The reward is "everything that comes with a good breakfast." The players are teased with one glazed roll, which they have to share.
Sandra, Ryan, and Darrah face off first. Ryan hit his third plate in the fifth round, passing Sandra, who had been up two to one. Rupert won the second round over Jon and Burton, going three-for-three. Jon, sporting over-the-calf white socks, disqualified himself by hitting a plate out of order. Recalling Jon's effort in the keel-hauling challenge three days earlier, Jeff cracked, "One more challenge Jon can not finish." The final qualifier is Lillian, who was challenged by Tijuana. In the third round, Jeff chides Christa for her terrible form.
In the final round, it is Ryan, Lillian, and Rupert. Lillian scores with her first two marbles, but Rupert charges back with three in a row to win. Jeff tells Rupert that "breakfast alone is no fun at all." He can choose someone to go with him, or pass off the breakfast to someone else. Burton jokes, "Give it away." Rupert responds by giving the reward to Burton, who insists, "You know I was kidding." When Jeff asks Burton who he was going to take to breakfast, Rupert suggests Lillian. So, Lillian it is.
Before his breakfast, Burton tells us where his allegiances are on Day 23. "I'm Drake, I'm Drake, I'm Drake. That's a bunch of bu… lies. I have no loyalty whatsoever to Drake." He meets with Jon to tell him that, "we cannot beat Rupert, Sandra or Christa." Burton suggests getting rid of Rupert. Jon replies "we're crazy if we don't." Burton feels Jon out to see if he would tell Rupert that his time has come to go. Jon answers, "I think we'd have to blindside him." Burton agrees that Rupert would "lose it." Later, Jon refers to Burton as his strongest ally, and notes how ironic that is, considering Jon orchestrated Burton's first exit.
On the way to their breakfast summit, Burton tells Lillian that they have to get rid of Rupert, Sandra and Christa. Lillian tells us that she is "anxious to talk more than eat." "I need to know what's going on."
The erstwhile pillage craft whisks the two to a barren island, which is adorned with a tent, a table, two chairs, some flowers, and a rather extensive array of breakfast foods. It was "out of control," in Burton's words. Together, they "toast" the benevolent Rupert with strips of bacon, and turn to the drinkables. Lillian tells Burton that she doesn't drink, so the champagne is all his. She'll take the apple juice. He blows the cork off the bubbly, and together, they toast the Outcasts.
The Outcasts bond. "I have to believe this young man," Lillian confides to us. Burton paints Rupert as the "mastermind behind everything," and asks Lillian if she could sway Tijuana and Darrah to vote against Rupert, with Christa as Plan B. He wants Lillian to seemingly make friends with Christa. To that, Lillian reacts by saying she doesn't want to lie.
Meanwhile, back in Balboa lagoon, Sandra washes Christa's hair. They discuss how Rupert and Burton are strong, and are threats. Burton is the stronger of the two. They ponder an all-girl alliance. Christa comments, "We got to orchestrate this well." Sandra tells us that the strategy has some danger, because Rupert and Burton are the ones who get food from the ocean. Off they go to suggest to Tijuana and Darrah that the girls "find us a meal."
Aside, Tijuana says that Drake isn't as tight as the Morgans thought they were. The girls go out on a little adventure in the woods. Tijuana comments that the girls ponder what would happen if one of the guys (air quotes) "gets hurt."
At breakfast, Burton tells Lillian that he sees the two of them, with Jon, in the final three. Lillian appears to be overwhelmed with the idea of scheming. "You better hand-feed me." Burton pledges "scout's honor," which nearly brings tears to Lillian's eyes. Going back to the boat, they discuss what they should tell the others. Lillian suggests to Burton, "Don't make me out as a bitch. Just make me out as a dumb broad." Burton insists, "I could never make you out as a bitch."
Day 24. Rupert, Burton, Jon, Sandra and Christa work as Ryan, Tijuana and Darrah lounge about. Clearly, this is causing some tension. Rupert says he'd like to take eight or ten uncleaned and unscaled fish and give them to Tijuana and Darrah. Christa describes the former Morgans as lazy. For her part, Tijuana believes the former Drakes "work a great deal more than what's necessary." If she were to work that hard, she would lack "personal freedom."
The players arrive at the Immunity Challenge. The site made up with nine individual bins that are partitioned into five sections, and nine piles of coconuts, each painted a different color. In each trough is an answer cube, with the choices A through D, and True and False. Jeff gives a run-down of the numbers. Nine are left. Of the nine, seven will sit in judgment of the final two, and decide who wins the $1 million.
The challenge is a test of each player's knowledge of history of the area. Each time a player answers a question correctly, he or she places a colored coconut in another player's bin. Once a player has been "awarded" five coconuts, the player is not allowed into the next round. The last person with space available wins immunity. In Jeff's words, the challenge will answer the question, "Where do you stack up?"
Here's what happened:
Ryan collected the first five coconuts, including two from Tijuana. Darrah was out next with a collection of Drake coconuts - two from Jon, who teases her with, "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes with the coconut!" In Round 5, both Tijuana and Burton are out, both taking on three hits from the other. At this point, Supreme Threat Rupert is looking at an empty bin in front of him. In Round 8, Jon, Sandra (who gave Jon "the bird" one round earlier), and Lillian are eliminated, leaving Rupert and Christa. One question later, Rupert bests Christa on a question that was virtually answered in the first round. Rupert is awarded the Immunity Idol - a "cutlass," as we learned during the challenge (question 8).
Statistics (proving the adage "It's not what you know, it's who you know.") - Tijuana (5 questions, 5 correct, 100%, 1 knockout), Ryan (2, 2, 100%,0), Burton (4, 5, 80%,1), Rupert (7, 9, 78%,2), Lillian (5, 8, 63%, 1), Jon (5, 8, 63%,2), Sandra (4, 8, 50%,1), Christa (3, 9, 33%,0), and Darrah (1, 3, 33%,0).
On the way back to camp, Ryan reflects: "It's hard not to get depressed about things." He predicts that it would take "a minor miracle" to save his tail. To that end, he caucuses with the virtually conjoined Tijuana and Darrah, (perhaps known collectively as Tijuandarrah). He wants them to work on Lillian. Jon and Rupert notice what Ryan is up to. "Ryan is scrambling," Jon notes.
Rupert shores up his cause by visiting with Burton. "You cross me, I'll kill you." Rupert tells us later that he fears being "steamrolled" by the combination of Ryan, Tijuana, Darrah, Jon and Burton.
Christa and Jon meet to discuss options. Burton has got to go, according to Christa. Jon disagrees. To him, Ryan is the least trustworthy. Christa is left not knowing what to do. Later, in a conference with Jon and Christa, Burton supports Jon's assessment by dishing dirt on Ryan, saying Ryan said "Jon's a snake. He'll flip." In a solo, Jon reveals another fear of his - Rupert, Sandra and Christa appear to be very close. He warns that the others shouldn't trust him.
As the intrepid players embark on their trip to Tribal Council, and the show fades to commercials, we are prepared for the possible ouster of Ryan, Jon, or (Plan B) Christa.
At Tribal Council, Jeff asks Lillian how it was going for her. She replies that she has a new family, she has come alive, her personality has emerged. Christa is asked about the Morgan work ethic. Her response is very frank, and reveals that she's upset with their lack of initiative, but doesn't feel comfortable bossing them around. Jeff's keen eye notices that Darrah is sitting in front of him, so he asks for her assessment of Christa's comment. She says that the Morgan tribe works, too, but at different times and at a different speed. Rupert weighs in on the tribal discord: "It is getting harder day by day to live together." Burton says that the "Dynamic of the Drake tribe is better than ever," and that the numerical imbalance leads to uneasiness.
Jeff reminds the players that the voting now takes on a new significance, since the evictees will serve on the jury. The vote ensues.
Two comments are aired. Rupert, voting off Ryan, says, "I'm sorry we weren't on the same team. I know you would have been good with me. I would trade you for a bunch of my guys, but it's your time to go." Ryan swipes at "Krista," saying she's "plain and simply a bitch."
After six of the votes were revealed, it was Ryan's turn for the snuffing ceremony. As it turned out, even Tijuana and Darrah voted him out. Jeff reminded the tribe again that it's a different game from that point forward. They will all be held accountable for their choices.
"Grab your torches. Head on back to camp."
Car84 can be contacted by email at car84@survivorskills.com
Discuss this on Our Message Board
SirLinksalot: Survivor 7 Pearl Islands
