Survivor: Blood vs. Water - Episode 2 - Recap and Results - Rule In Chaos
Recap and results of Survivor: Blood vs. Water - Episode 2 - Rule In Chaos:
Welcome to the recap and results for Episode 2 of Survivor: Blood vs. Water, "Rule In Chaos"!
Refresh throughout the night, as I'll be updating with results as well as my analysis as the night goes on!
After Tribal
-Marissa is furious to have been voted out, telling Rupert and Candice that she ultimately suffered for her Uncle's showboating. However, Candice astutely points out that what might have damned her was her decision to call out Brad on Day One for implying he'd throw challenges to keep his loved one safe, making herself a target in the process. Either way, Marissa is more than irritated at the fact that her tribe had the audacity to put frowny faces next to their votes against her. We then get a little bit of tribe life back at camp that establishes that Colton is slipping back into his old ways, while the women of Tadhana feel immediately vulnerable, as they're in the minority.
Redemption Island Duel
-We arrive at the duel, and the set is awesome, looking like a cross between a hub at a summer camp and a coliseum. Everyone is emotional to see their loved ones safe, except for Gervase, who realizes that his niece has been voted out. Things get immediately intense, as Marissa shoots the death stare at her tribe for voting her out, and then calls her uncle to the carpet for his showboating attitude, saying that she's only here because he decided to rub salt in the wounds of their tribe after last week's immunity challenge. Of course, Gervase continues to lack any self-awareness about his role in putting his niece in this situation, saying that he's going to rub more salt in the wounds of the rival tribe for voting her out before it's all said and done. Yet he isn't going to do it by winning the challenge himself, as he neglects Probst's offer to take Marissa's place in the challenge. "Handle your business," he tells his niece, who looks even more miffed than before.
-The challenge itself involves guiding blocks through a maze and stacking them atop a very narrow platform. The first person to stack 10 and hold them there for three seconds will win a clue to the hidden immunity idol, which they can give to anyone in the two tribes. The person who comes in last is, naturally, eliminated.
-It's a tight race between Candice and Rupert, with Marissa hardly getting any traction in the challenge at all. But everything changes when Rupert, nearly finished, loses his entire stack, which topples over due to a combination of the sudden windy conditions and his own questionable block placement. Candice finishes first (and gives the hidden idol clue to her husband, John), while Marissa is able to rally from behind and finish second.
RUPERT is eliminated from Survivor: Blood vs. Water!
-Laura is devastated, and Rupert can't believe that he's the first person out. However, he tells Laura that he'll be okay, and that he simply wants her to do her best. He explains to Probst that he doesn't regret his decision to take Laura's place on Redemption Island, saying that he absolutely loves Survivor, but he loves his wife more. Laura fights back tears as Rupert tosses his buff into the flames and leaves the island as the first person eliminated from the game.
Tribe Life
-John discusses the hidden immunity idol clue and talks about his concern about the tribe's plan to vote out Rachel at the next opportunity. His rationale is that if they vote out Rachel, Tyson will elect to take her place at Redemption Island, and Tyson is an absolute challenge threat that could spell the end for Candice. This is really intriguing stuff, I feel. Whereas before, Redemption Island was a game mechanic that ruptured the integrity and central conceit of the entire series (once you're voted out, you're done), the Blood vs. Water twist makes it suddenly one of the more compelling elements of the game, as different strategies are employed in who gets sent there and why. The added benefit of the duel winner getting a clue to the hidden immunity idol adds another component that instantly makes Redemption Island worth all the trouble, far more so than in either of its previous two iterations.
-Meanwhile, the returning castaways get into a squabble when Colton hears from Kat that Tina has been throwing shade at him. The Colton of old suddenly returns, as he demands to know exactly what Tina said, saying that he thrives in situations like this, and that he can "rule in chaos." Colton refuses to let the matter go, despite the pleas of his fellow tribemates, opting to address the entire camp and call everyone out, saying how hard they're making it for him to bury the hatchet and not be the player he once was. Tyson, in one of the most amazingly ironic comments of the series, says that he feels Colton's attitude will lead to him "overthinking himself out of the game," which is rich coming from a guy whose overthinking ruined a perfectly good plan in Heroes vs. Villains, resulting in his own elimination.
-Tyson, Tina, Gervase, Aras and Monica meet up the next day to discuss Colton's outburst, with Tyson telling his allies not to believe Colton is he says any of them are a target. Aras claims that Colton is a bully, and that he thrives in creating drama and cutting people down, calling him "a gay Russell Hantz." The five come together and declare that this will be "the five to the end," forming an official alliance. Monica, on the outskirts of the tribe in some respects, is most thrilled about this, saying that their collective wisdom will carry them through this game.
Immunity/Reward Challenge
-The challenge is, of course, a combination challenge, with the first leg involving a relay race, as one member of the tribe must be rolled in a barrel by other members of their tribe, untying bags from various stations along the way. The second leg is a game of skee-ball, as one member of the tribe at the end of the course must open the bags and rolls the balls inside into slots at the end of the lane. The reward involves an extensive array of fishing gear, which both tribes badly want, since the eating isn't exactly great at either camp.
-The first leg of the challenge is pretty close all the way through, much more even than last week's race (although the one-sided nature of last week's challenge ended up doing a complete 180 in the final leg, so it's hard to ever really count one tribe out completely, no matter how far they fall behind). Ultimately, it comes down to Gervase and Hayden in the second leg, as they're the shooters for their respective tribes. Hayden keeps it close, but Gervase takes a commanding lead that proves to be too great for the former Big Brother winner to overcome. Gervase secures immunity and reward for his team and once again goes over-the-top in celebrating, dedicating the win to Marissa and completely missing the point that he probably should dial it back a notch or two.
The Galang Tribe (Returning Castaways) wins immunity/reward!
Tadhana Tribe
-Brad is absolutely furious about Gervase's attitude, and says the first physical challenge that gives him the opportunity, he's going to bodyslam the **** out of the guy. But that's hardly the biggest fish to fry at the moment, as Rachel worries about the safety of the girls, who are outnumbered by the guys in the camp. John tries to save Rachel from the chopping block out of fear that Tyson will take her place on Redemption Island, and Vytas is understandably concerned about where John's loyalties lie. Vytas tests the waters by approaching Katie with the plan to get rid of Rachel, and she immediately acknowledges that John would never go along with that plan.
What's most interesting about this is that Candice gifting John the clue has painted an even larger target on his back than his loyalties to Candice (and his desire to protect her on Redemption Island) ever could, which adds a new dimension to the game, especially when Cierra hears that she's the other name being floated for elimination. Her fear is that John could have found the hidden immunity idol, and if he plays it to save Rachel, she could end up going home. In one of the more fascinating developments of the episode, the remaining tribemates begin to suggest voting out John and sending him to Redemption with Candice to neutralize the threat. Vytas is unsure if he wants to break up the Locker Room alliance just yet, but he recognizes the threat that John's inconsistency represents.
Tribal Council
-In one of the shortest Tribal Council discussions, Probst addressses the elephant in the room: the highly-strategic nature of the votes this season, as tribes must consider who they're sending to Redemption Island with each vote, as well as consider the possibility that the loved one of the person they vote out could end up switching places with them. With that possibility on the table, the tribes vote...
-When presented with the opportunity to play the hidden immunity idol, John doesn't take the chance, meaning he either doesn't have it or he's opted not to play it (I would guess the former, since I don't think the show has ever not revealed the discovery of a hidden immunity idol the minute someone has found it). John gets two votes, Cierra gets one as well, but the rest go to Rachel. John's worst fear (short of being voted out himself) is realized, as she's sent to Redemption Island, with the possibility that the two-time player and challenge threat Tyson could take his girlfriend's place and send Candice packing. God, I'm loving this.
RACHEL is voted out of the tribe!
-Over the credits, we see Rachel's arrival at Redemption Island, which has become something of a girl's club now. She isn't completely surprised by the result, but Candice seems distressed when Rachel reveals that John received two votes. Rachel predicts that the alliance back at Tadhana is about to take a major hit. Should be exciting.
-That's it for me! Check back later for videos, from secret scenes and confessionals to deleted moments from tonight's episode!