The last episode ended without an Immunity Challenge or a Tribal Council, as Jenna Morasca, the Sole Survivor from the Amazon, listened to her inner self and tearfully removed herself from the game to be home for her mother’s final days. Her tribe, Mogo Mogo, is thus down one player without having lost any challenges. Only Chapera tribe has all Survivors on board.
Who gets voted out this time?
This episode begins on the ninth night with a fierce rain and lightning storm, the worse one yet suffered by Survivor tribes. Rain and tide flood the campsites, dousing camp fires and spirits. In the Chapera camp, the shelter stands up although water does rise up through the floor. Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich cuddle together for warmth while Tom Buchanan, called Big Tom, talks about their romantic moment and Rob Cesternino is sure they are going to “do it.”
Saboga tribe suffers badly as water floods their pit shelter and the castaways are forced to endure the storm without shelter. Jerri Manthey has a bad time of it, shivering and crying. Meanwhile, Rupert Boneham, who had insisted on digging the pit shelter, recognized his design flaw and castigates himself, calling it a stupid shelter and the dumbest things he’s ever done. With the dawn, the tribe examines the wrinkled skin on their hands and Rupert sets to work to rebuild the shelter. Ethan Zohn says that was the worst night he’s ever spent, with the exception of the night his father died. Jerri has to be coaxed into the sun to warm up.
Over in Mogo Mogo camp, however, spirits are fairly high. The castaways use the “fluff” from their Home Depot box to build fire, and Richard Hatch’s fishing expedition brings back three hefty moray eels. Richard exults that his skills keep the tribe happy while Lex van den Berghe hopes they can find the third clue to the rice so they won’t have to rely so much on Richard.
The tribes get their mail for the Reward Challenge. The prize for that are bathroom supplies: a solar shower, shampoo, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, plus a portable toilet and toilet paper. In addition, the two winning tribes will get another clue to help find the box of rice. The tribes have to test their memory in matching items from individual boxes to any other castaway’s box. Big Tom and Susan Hawk sit out for the Chapera team, as does Colby Donaldson for Mogo Mogo.
It’s a fun challenge, with banter and kidding as each team scores a point. Chapera wins with the most matches, and jubilantly accepts their prize. They have to carry everything back to their camp. Big Tom carries the toilet on his head, and later, while everyone is bathing in the sea, makes some remarks about Rob M and Amber washing each other’s backs. Later, they solve the puzzle about the clue and start digging for the box. Rob C digs on the beach, resolving to dig up the whole beach to find the key, while Rob M follows the clue’s directions and finds the key in the brush. The castaways are delighted to find the box with rice and an added prize of a bottle of liquor. Alicia Calaway says that they are ahead of the other tribes, and with their new supply of food, will be unstoppable.
Day 11 begins with Saboga camp relishing their first good night’s sleep in their new above-ground shelter. Rupe chuckles about feeling 100% better as he goes fishing. Even as she complains about the old shelter, Jerri admits she feels better and is over her scare that she was going to go mad during the storm. Rupe brings back oysters, shrimp and fish which his tribe enjoys with gusto.
The tribes meet for the Immunity Challenge, a test of communication skills and instruction following in which one guide will direct blindfolded team members to find large blocks of a puzzle scattered on the beach and then bring them to their designated spot. When all the blocks are in their area, they can remove their blindfolds and assemble the puzzle.
Jerri, Alicia and Richard are the guides. They sit up high where they can direct their fellow castaways, and amidst shouts and stumbles, the blindfolded Survivors collect the puzzle pieces. It gets dangerous when Ethan hits Colby with a block who in turns knocks Big Tom to the ground with his block. Chapera and Saboga teams are tied in retrieving their blocks, but Saboga takes the lead and holds it in assembling the puzzle first.
Read the next page for more of this exciting episode!
