I won’t even bother recapping this challenge. It’s just not Survivor to me. Here’s what I’ll tell you: Gervase and Monica make it to the final and Jeff pulls a fast one and gives them “grub” to eat (grub is the larval stage of a June Bug). Gervase couldn’t do it 13 years ago so it seems totally fair that he’s in the final now and they’re making him do it again. I wonder what the producers would have served up if someone else was in the final…?
Whatever. Monica wins and gets to wear the Immunity jewelry. Gervase gets to sit there and digest grub, meal worms and pig intestine…
Can we move on!?
Day 22: Back at camp, with Vytas off taking a swim, the others (not including Tina or Katie) are listening to Laura M.’s plan of splitting the vote between Vytas and Katie. The split vote is only to cover in case someone plays the Immunity idol, but since Tyson has that, we know it’s not going to be played. Splitting the vote is not what Tyson wants to do, but since he doesn’t want to reveal he found the idol, he’ll go along with the plan.
Vytas returns and he’s asked how his swim went…
“How was the talk?” he quips.
Man, I love direct sarcasm when you know someone’s gunning for you. Why candy-coat it? Just tell them, “shut the f**k up, you don’t give a s**t about me.” But Vytas is too cool for school, so he just throws the sarcasm. My hero… So he asks the group “who’s going home next” and Tyson can only offer: “only time will tell.” So at least we know that Tyson isn’t as dumb as Laura B. last week.
Vytas and Hayden go off together to get some water and talk and since Vytas knows Hayden’s with “the other group” he asks if he’ll at least tell him if it’s him going home. Surprisingly, Hayden reveals that it’s him or Katie, so Vytas now knows that he’s got some work to do, AND he knows he can throw his vote at Katie if that’s his only play (of course he tells her he would NEVER turn on her).
Katie then reminds us that she’s a wild card and may need to be joining another alliance, but let’s see if there is another alliance to join at this stage. She may already have spelled her doom by just being Tina’s daughter.
Then we see the “old Monica” again who (despite having an Immunity necklace) is still wondering why people are scrambling. It’s so annoying that even Laura M. is calling it out to us. “Why the hell is she asking why everyone’s scrambling around? You have a necklace so you’re not going home.” In essence…
“Shut the f**k up, Culpepper!”
Vytas makes his one final play and tells Tyson he knows they’re going to split the vote, 4 – 3, so please split 4 on Katie and give him 3. He knows that he can then throw his vote at Katie and stick around for another few days. The only offer he can make to Tyson is that he’ll give him his Jury vote if Tyson makes it that far. Wow, good play there. It’s not often that you see someone make that promise (whether it’s valid or not) so early after the merge. We’ll see if Tyson bites.
Before they head off to Tribal, Tyson gathers most of his “alliance of 7” and proposes that they get rid of Katie now (he’s probably thinking of Vytas’ offer). However, he doesn’t want to appear to be the kingpin, so he basically leaves it up to the group to make the decision. Oh, Tyson, just embrace your power… There’ll be plenty of time for hedging later. Remember, at Final Tribal someone usually asks the last 3: “What big moves did you make?” You got to keep making big moves…
Off to Tribal we go…!
Jeff asks Tina for the recap of what happened after last Tribal and she tells him about her outburst against Tyson and Monica. “I should have just kept my big mouth shut,” she says, so Jeff throws it to the one guy who might have something to say. And, yes, Vytas does.
“F**k you, you voted out my brother. I’m going to f**k you up.”
He does what he can and then just destroys Monica, who is none too pleased she got raked over the coals. Being treated like that and wearing that necklace, it’s like gettin’ your hair all done did, and gettin’ stood up for the prom…”
Before they vote, Jeff establishes that it’s Vytas, Katie or Tina that’s going home so he asks Vytas for one last nugget of truth. Vytas takes the opportunity to let the girls know that it would behoove them to maybe target Tyson or Gervase (who are clearly running the show) rather than him, Katie or Tina. We’ll see if anyone has the balls to make a move as they head off to vote.
Jeff counts the votes and it’s a landslide against Vytas. Without a word, he grabs his torch, watches Jeff snuff it, and heads off to Redemption Island to face his brother. And you can just tell that almost everyone was happy to see him go.
Upon returning to the Kasama camp, Monica reveals that she had switched her vote to Vytas at the last minute rather than vote for Katie, as she was instructed to do. Not sure why Gervase is so upset, but he says that if something had gone wrong and he or Tyson had been voted out, he would be pissed off. Not sure what could have gone wrong when we saw 7 votes cast and 5 went to Vytas, but I get his point. “Don’t rock the boat.” Of course, Gervase didn’t have to endure the vitriol that Monica had to, so maybe he’d be singing a different tune if it was him getting ripped a new one by Vytas.
It’s Day 24 and time for a Baskauskas family reunion! Vytas is essentially blaming Aras for his predicament because Aras misled him on how solid his alliance with Tyson and Gervase was. Vytas is a bit peeved that he’s at Redemption merely because of “guilt by association.” Aras is taking the high road and saying “we’re still in the game and I’m going to win,” but he also says he’d be just as happy if Vytas returns to the game and wins the million. However, Vytas can’t concur that support for his brother, so we’re seeing the first chinks in the Baskauskas armor. Can’t wait for their battle…!
There’s also the World Society for the Protection of Animals that is on location in the Philippines to help rescue abandoned and injured animals. http://www.wspa.ca/default.aspx
Thank you, bmayer, for including that link. All too often the “critters” are totally forgotten when disaster strikes. I’m glad there’s a group that helps them specifically. My mother would be proud of you!