Lots to cover following this week’s episode of Survivor 20: Heroes vs. Villains.
The show gets rolling with Rupert going on the offence against Russell. Knowing that the Heroes are outnumbered, Rupert figures his only hope is to expose Russell as a dirty, untrustworthy player. He questions Russell swearing on his kids and then ousting JT. Problem is, I think everyone knows this already and it has very little impact other than we get to see Russell expose his fangs and tear in to Rupert. I can’t recall ever seeing as many beeped f-bombs ever on the Survivor so this confrontation looked very real.
The players are soon told that they will be competing in an immunity challenge – not reward – where they have to hold their hands above their head while it is tied to a bucket of coloured water. Lower your arm and the bucket spills eliminating you from the game. Jeff will also tempt players with food along the way. Doesn’t take long as both Sandra and Russell opt for milk and cookies just minutes in to the challenge and Colby takes donuts ten minutes later. Candice, Danielle and Jerri take peanut butter and jelly sandwiches leaving Rupert and Parvati to battle it out. Rupert’s body soon lets him down and Parvati wins immunity.
At the end of the challenge Jeff reads out loud a clue for a hidden immunity idol and the players scramble back to camp to find it. Russell, Sandra and Danielle look around the same area, but this time it is Sandra who finds it, and hides it. She wisely doesn’t tell anyone. Meanwhile, Rupert returns to camp with his short pockets filled with large rocks making it appear that he has the idol. Russell, being the expert on hidden idols, buys it and is convinced Rupert has the idol. Nice play by the big pirate.
Russell’s increasing paranoia takes another hit at tribal council. While he felt it would be wise to split the villain votes against Colby and Rupert, bringing out the idol, the girls decide to get rid of Candice and her flip-flopping ways. Of course Colby and Rupert are good with the plan that keeps them in the game and eliminates one of their defectors. Russell isn’t voted out, but he’s blindsided at tribal council when Candice is sent packing in the first elimination.
Realizing he’s facing his biggest challenge in the game so far in the form of Parvati and Danielle, Russell ups his game in the second half of the show.
First, he dominates the second immunity challenge, which featured a physical element as well as a mental test in the form of a slide puzzle that he won easily for immunity.
Then, back at camp, Russell turns up the mental game by pitting villain against villain. He tells Parvati that Danielle is planning to get rid of her soon and then tells Danielle that Parvati doesn’t want to take her to the end. Russell’s plan backfires when Parvati confronts Danielle with Russell’s story and the two realize their being played by the master.
At tribal council, Russell is on the offensive, playing mind-games with the girls and planting seeds of doubt in their minds about the loyalty within the villain alliance. Because he has immunity, it is easy for Russell to throw a few bombs and somehow convince the group to get rid of Danielle.
While Russell is still apparently in control of the game, Parvati is gaining momentum and the trust of the jury. Russell’s actions this week – aggressively ripping the beloved Rupert and then breaking his own Villain alliance – show that he is a paranoid and desperate man. I believe Parvati will link with Sandra and attempt to get rid of Russell who looks to have only Jerri on his side.
Will the remaining two Heroes vote with Russell and Jerri, or will they join forces with Parvati and Sandra? Either way, it looks like Sandra will somehow work her way in to the top four. This looked very unlikely a few weeks ago and based on her past “fly under the radar” win, Sandra is dangerous.
Rupert is also a major threat. He has played the game well, made friends on the jury and done his best in challenges. If he’s there at the end, he’ll get votes.
Jerri and Colby are likely to be followers the rest of the way, doing what they have to in order to stay in the game. If either makes it to the end, they won’t get votes.
Then there’s Russell and Parvati. These two are battling for control of the game and may lose sight of the bigger picture. If either makes it to the final vote, they deserve to win – but if they go to the end together, look for the final plea to the jury to get U-G-L-Y as Russell will do anything to win and Parvati isn’t shy.
The Scribe Has Spoken…
