According to readers who voted in Poll 9, the one we'd most like to see voted off is Jonny Fairplay. But will it happen?.
This episode begins with another dark and stormy night, with Rupert missing his family and talking to his wife when he can't sleep. He muses about his feelings for Christa and Sandra, mentioning how hard it is to keep the spirits of his tribe up to be winners and still face losing.
While he hunts a shark, wanting to be the "baddest hunter," Jon and Burton fetch water and plot. They gradually pull in Tijuana, Darrah and Lil in their move to get rid of Rupert. With this agreement, Tijuana is ecstatic and Darrah recovers from the dumnps to want to stay on.
Tree mail summons the Survivors to the Reward Challenge, the prize being a sail on a catamaran to eat pizza, drink beer and fish. The challenge is an obstacle course over a "shipwrecked" pirate ship built on the sand. In teams of two, the castaways must climb ropes, swing on ropes, untie knots, ring bells and slide down sails. The teams of Burton and Lil versus Rupert and Jon make it to the finals, and then compete against each other in more obstacles to unlock a treasure chest and assemble a puzzle, the likeness of the skull and crossbones. Burton and Lil win the challenge by a hair. Several of the castaways, including Lil and Rupert, fall and hurt themselves.
When given the choice to keep the reward, or give it to another castaway, Lil chooses to keep it, but Burton gives his reward to Jon. She later regrets keeping it, wishing she'd given the prize to Rupert, and aplogizes to him. He is hurt by Burton's betrayal of his promise to give the next reward he wins to Rupert. He consoles her, thinking she'll tell him what Jon says to her on her return. Burton is happy that Rupert will be hurting and weakened for the Imunity Challenge.
Jon and Lil take their sail, she pleased and thrilled with a new experience, but still regretting her decision. Jon is more interested in the pizza and beer, and in his reflection in a cabin window. They return later empty handed.
The Immunity Challenge is a blow gun dart game, in which the Survivors must first hit their own color to become a "killer," and then can knock the others off by hitting their colots. Rupert is the first killer, followed by Burton, Jon and Sandra. Christa is the first one knocked off, then Darrah. Sandra hits Rupert color by mistake and sends him off. She's upset, but the damage is done. After Rupert, the remaining players are knocked out, until Burton and Lil are the only ones left. He knocks her out and wins immunity.
This spells danger for Rupert, who thinks Jon is still on his side, but Jon has sided with the Morgans and even though Sandra overhears Jon and Burton plotting against him, there is nothing Rupert can do to protect himself.
At Tribal Council, Jeff asks the castaways who is the Survivor they can't do without, and even though Sandra speaks up for Rupert, the vote goes against him, by 5 to 3, and Rupert is the ninth Survivor voted out. I knew it had to happen, but I am sorry to see Rupert go. Particularly when Jon smirks, but Sandra and Christa are dismayed and Burton looks serious.
Rupert really was swimming with the sharks. He was shocked and stunned at being voted off, and being betrayed by Lil who said she couldn't lie, but managed to overcome her scruples and not let Rupert know she was siding against him. Who is going to feed everyone else now?
Do you think Christa and Sandra stand a chance against the new alliance of Burton, Lil, Jon, Tijuana and Darrah? Will a Morgan be the Sole Survivor? Take the poll - do you think Jon stands a chance at being Sole Survivor?
Stay "tuned" for the next episode of Survivor 7: Pearl Islands when:
