The tribe returns to their beach after the Tribal Council where Tina was ousted, and her daughter, Katie, is feeling extra-vulnerable. Also, Ciera and Laura realize that, as the last couple of loved ones, they’re going to have a target on their backs sooner rather than later.
There might be some trouble in paradise, though. Ciera thinks she is a better player than her mother, since Laura got voted out the first week and had to come back into the game, while Ciera has lasted on her own. Laura agrees with her, for now, but I think she’s a tad too pushy to stay in the submissive role for long.
Time for the Redemption Island Arena! The challenge involves using a claw on a rope to retrieve bags of balls, then running those balls through a puzzle. Tina is the first to retrieve all her balls, followed by Aras and finally Vytas.
Now comes the hard part, as they try to move the puzzle board around without dropping the ball through its many holes. Despite their head start, Aras and Tina both drop balls, and Vytas is the first to win. Tina gets her groove back, though, and manages to finish before Aras, which means Aras is going home for good.
While we say goodbye to Aras, Jeff decides to give the brothers some last minute therapy and ask them about their relationship. Blah, blah, they love each other, and Aras promises to not give any more cheap shots, which we already knew. Aras leaves while assuring everyone that there are no hard feelings, and unlike most of the people in this game who say that, I actually believe him.
Vytas decides to give the Immunity Idol clue to Katie, since he thinks she needs it the most (which she does). She’s no dummy and doesn’t throw it in the fire, either. That stopped making sense once they moved to the individual game. Is this a clue to a new Idol, or is it a clue to the Idol that Tyson already found?
Katie admits that she’s not in a strong alliance, which isn’t exactly true, because she isn’t in any alliance at all. Katie goes to look for the Idol, and it looks like they actually let her go by herself.
Tyson believes it’s a clue to the Idol that he already has, so he’s not worried about it. He talks to Hayden and Caleb about voting for Laura, so that Ciera doesn’t have to vote for her mom. Katie would be surprised to hear that she’s not actually on the chopping block this week.
Ciera is already thinking about this, and realizes that if she sticks with her mom, she’s probably going to be voted out. The girls should band together now and take out one of the guys when they’re not expecting it. Instead, Ciera flat-out tells her mom that, if things go to the final six as planned, she needs to go home. I think Ciera isn’t thinking far enough out of the box. She’s letting Tyson and Gervase run her game, and she’s going to go home because of it.
As a player, Laura doesn't like that at all. But as her nother, she's proud that Ciera has found the confidence to go out her own and make her own way. I like that Laura can make the distinction between the two.
Night-vision cam shows me that there are a whole lot of snakes all around the camp. I wouldn’t like the idea of that when I’m sleeping on the ground. In that early-morning light, Katie heads out to find the Idol, which is probably the one Tyson has. Laura is worried about Katie getting an Idol, since ity would make her the next most-likely target, so she goes with her.
Tyson goes to Ciera about voting her mom out. She tells him that she’s OK with that, but then admits in the confessional that she’s doesn’t know what she’ll do.
Immunity Challenge time! It’s an endurance challenge, where the contestants have to lean back while holding on to a knotted rope. Reward is a big ‘ol hamburger feast. They’re doing this challenge out over the dock, so if you fall in the water, you lose.
Hayden struggles right away, and is the first one out, with Caleb following soon after. The players have to move their grip up to the next knot in the rope; Gervase can’t make the transition and is out, followed by Ciera. Katie is next, and then Laura, which leaves it down to Tyson and Monica.
As Jeff points out, it’s amazing that Tyson is lasting this long with his torn rotator cuff. Of course, that’s just the jinx Tyson needs. He falls, which means Monica wins Immunity and reward. She gets to take one person with her, and she chooses to curry favor, asking if she can get nothing if everyone else can have some. Jeff lets her, and everyone else gets to eat.
They get back to camp, and we see the snake again. It’s a big snake. Ciera talks to Katie about voting out Laura. Katie tries to bluff that she has the Idol, but Ciera bluffs right back that she has it. Katie buys it, which lets Ciera know that she doesn’t actually have it. Ciera goes to Tyson to tell him that Katie definitely doesn’t have it, in hopes that her mom can stay for another week.
The group seems to agree with that, and Ciera is happy that her mom can stay for another week,. But her maneuvering and game-playing makes Tyson nervous, so he wants to stick to the plan and get rid of Laura anyway.
Tribal Council time! Jeff brings in Aras as the first member of the jury. Jeff brings up the fact that Laura and Ciera are the only pair left, but it’s nothing that they haven’t talked about openly in the tribe, so there aren’t many waves made. Laura tries to make the argument that with her and Ciera you get two votes for the price of one, but Katie counters that anybody else will always come after those two.
But who will it be? Either Katie or Laura, the editors would like us to think. But there could also be a Ciera blindside, since Tyson now views her as a threat. The first vote is for Laura, followed by one for Katie. But then the tide turns, and all the rest of the votes are for Laura. Looks like Tyson got his way.
Next week: It looks like Caleb and Hayden figure out that Tyson has been running the game.