...Tribal Council #2. Jeff asks Phillip if he has had any other meditations. Phillip replies by regaling the group with his explanation of the members of "Stealth R Us." He is the Specialist, there to instill inceptions into Zapatera. He then explains all the roles, but they are too convoluted and ridiculous to try to recount here. Jeff wonders if Phillip's tribemates care he ate? Phillip says that they don't. Jeff wonders why Steve ate when he is clearly in the minority alliance. Steve replies that he was hungry and decided to just hope for the best. Has Zapatera tried to find cracks in Stealth R Us? Phillip mentions Rob's buddy system. Julie says Rob is running a cult. When asked about the numerical disadvantage they find themselves in, David says the numbers are virtually insurmountable. Perhaps RI is a better way to advance in the game at this point.
With that, it's time to vote. They do, and Jeff collects the votes. The first four votes are for Rob (though David hoped his would count for four votes). Vote Five is for David, as are the next four. Jeff reads the final ballot. "The tenth person voted out of Survivor: Redemption Island...David!" "And then there were three," whispers Ashley to Natalie. As David makes his way into the Blue Light of Death, Jeff notes that the remaining Zapatera members need to find a way to crack the Stealth R Us organization.
Next Time On...Survivor!
Phillip take issue with Steve, and demands the latter stop calling him crazy. "White folks like making a black man seem crazy when he says something they don't want to hear." Oh jeez.
So, it appears some of my predictions were actually true. There was a double elimination this week, and there will be a three-way Duel next week that will eliminate two players. By my calculation, there will have to be one more double elimination between now and the finale to get the number to the proper place. What I find most intriguing, however, was something that Jeff said not on the show, but during his "virtual living room" live Tweet session last night (follow @jeffprobst during both the East Coast and West Coast airings of the show to follow along. He reveals a lot of cool tidbits.)
During the live Tweet, Jeff mentioned that there is still a lot left to be seen on Redemption Island. There is the three-way Duel next week, but his implication is that RI will continue past then. Could we see another double elimination next week, followed by another three-way Duel? That would require three Immunity Challenges and two Tribal Councils next week, and I don't think they have time for that. Perhaps there will be the Duel, then one Challenge and Tribal Council, but they eliminate two players during that Tribal Council, leaving a second three-way Duel the next week. That seems too convoluted, too. Either way, it seems RI will be around after next week's Duel. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out!
One other thing. Jeff also mentioned on the live Tweet that next week's tribal Council is going to be epic. Read that how you will.
Odds to Win
Alright, I'm not completely buying Phillip's implication that he is purposefully acting crazy to be taken to the Final Three, but I have a good feeling it is actually going to work. If a crazy/unliked person makes it this far in the game, it becomes almost a fait accompli that the person makes it to the Final. I know Phillip believes he can win this way, but I don't see anyone odious that would make voting for Phillip a possibility. Sorry Phillip, but you are a Final Vote black hole. Let's see how the Odds stack up this week:
Andrea: 4-1. Well look who's made her way back up to the top of the Odds Board! Making a triumphant return to her pre-season spot as my favorite to win, Andrea has managed to survive her partnership with Matt twice, won an Individual Immunity, and managed to keep herself off of Rob's radar. With Ashley and Grant catching Rob's eye as possible traitors, could it be that he has forgotten about Andrea? Only time will tell, but things are looking really great for her.
Grant: 5-1. I still think Grant is smart enough to try to eliminate Rob before Rob eliminates him (by joining Andrea maybe?), but he has to do it soon. It's clear Grant will always be in the hunt for Individual Immunities (as long as they don't require him to hang upside down anymore. That's a tough Challenge for the heaviest person out there), so he is certainly a threat to pull a Fabio and make a Challenge run. He also may have been a bit too bold in taking some of the fish. I think next week will be pivotal for Grant as Rob does have the numbers now to take out one of his own before wiping out Zapatera. Then again, if Grant catches wind of such a plan, he can perhaps rally the Zapateras to blindside Rob.
Rob: 9-1. I can't believe I have Rob in third place. There is no reason he should win because there is no way he should be allowed to make it to the Final Three. But look at how he has played. Granted, this is his fourth opportunity -- if he hasn't learned anything by now, he deserves to lose, but Rob is playing the perfect game. Look at how his alliance reacted to the offering of food. They looked like they were struck with Stockholm Syndrome. Rob admits he is nervous about another HII being out there, but will his utter domination lead to so much pride that he will be blindsided?
Natalie: 15-1. Natalie is going to make it to the end, isn't she? Sigh. I will admit she has been smart by staying glued to Rob's side and even tattling on her best friend, Ashley. I would just hate for her to end up like her namesake from Survivor: Samoa and actually win the game. Please God. I know Matt thinks you care about Survivor, so if you do, please do not let Natalie win. Please!
Mike: 20-1. Can Mike win the upcoming Duel? Absolutely. Can he win a second Duel if need be? You bet. Will he have a chance of reentering the game and pulling some people to him to turn against Rob? Less likely. Would he be very dangerous if Rob was gone by the time he made it back into the game? Certainly. If he somehow makes it to the end would he be a virtual lock to win (as he would have had to win, likely, two Duels (one against Matt, the Duel King), a couple Individual Immunities, and maneuver an alliance to turn on itself)? Definitely.
Ashley: 29-1. See the entry for Natalie above, just take out the part about being smart. If one find oneself in that kind of an alliance with Rob, you tell him everything the other alliance says. Everything. What benefit was it to Ashley to keep her conversation with Ralph secret, especially as she had no intention of siding with Ralph?
Julie: 37-1. I say it again. FLOATER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ralph: 46-1. He has to be the next Zapatera to go, right? Rob knows Steve is hurting and is no threat. Ralph, I believe, is not long for this game, especially as he has shown no prowess in Challenges.
David: 67-1. This was inevitable. David was on the wrong side of the numbers, and way too strategic for his own good, causing Rob to want to eliminate him as soon as Mike, the bigger threat, was gone. Could David beat Matt and Mike in the Duel? Possibly, but it better not be a puzzle Duel. Dude sucks at those.
Matt: 80-1. It seems Matt has actually learned from his mistake of trusting someone who already stabbed you in the back a second time. He could absolutely win the manage a Duel, and the next one. The RI Arena is his home. If he does, he better hope he defeated Rob in one of those Duels, because if Rob is still in the game when Matt returns, guess who is going to be Public Enemy Number One.
Steve: 374-1. Steve has given up. He has admitted as much. He wanted to go home, but Rob kept him in the game. He's virtually no threat to win a Challenge, when he chooses to participate in them. Steve would be in last place if it wasn't for...
Phillip: 375-1. OK, let's give Phillip the benefit of the doubt that he is actually just playing crazy as a strategy. I still don't see how this earns him a victory. What combination of other players would lead a Jury to give him a winning vote? Maybe Julie and Ashley? But what are the chances that those two make it to the end, too? Minimal at best. I just still don't see how Phillip gets to a victory.
That's what I have for this week's Survivor: Redemption Island. What did you think of the episode? Are you jazzed about the three-way Duel? Are you glad RI is still a part of the game? Can you see anyone, anywhere manufacturing the ouster of Rob? Please leave your comments below. I'll be back next week with a recap of what sounds like an awesome episode. Until then, I'm off to have my own meditation.
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