This episode begins with the remaining Survivors returning to Balboa camp ready for dinner and finding the fish that Rupert caught tossed away. Sandra and Jon have another screaming match, and Christa is blamed for sabotaging the tribe by throwing their food away. Christa cries and protests her innocence, but no one believes her.
No one but Sandra, who confesses to the camera that she accidentally spilled the fish and doesn't want to admit it for fear she'll be the next one voted off. Is this the Big Lie?
The Reward Challenge is patterned after the brutal punishment of walking the plank, but rather than the castaways undergoing that penalty, it's theit loved ones. After a joyful, short reunion, Lil and Sandra's husbands, Darrah and Christa's boyfriends, Burton's mother and Tijuana's high school boyfriend and a friend of Jon's stand on the edge of planks suspended over the ocean. The last one left standing will spend 24 hours in Balboa camp. There's a great deal of hugging and kissing, and Jon asks after his grandmother, who he'd expected to join him. His friend announces her death, and sympathy floods the competition. Jon milks it, of course, and it's no surprise the others allow him to win.
The host, Jeff Probst, sends the other castaways to another island, Isla Hermita, with only a machete and matches, while Jon and his friend go to Balboa - laughing all the way. Jon's grandmother is alive and well! The two cooked up this story in advance, to gain Jon sympathy and an edge. Jon wants every advantage he can get and admits that this is probably the "dirtiest thing ever done in the game." This is indeed, the Big Lie!
When the castaways are returned by boat to Balboa camp the nect mroning, the friend leaves, exchanging victory signs and smiles with Jon.
During the course of the day, Lil expresses her sympathy for Jon while the others discuss their strategies. Sandra talks to Tijuana, warning her not to trust Jon, but Tijuana won't comment. That evening, though, when Burton and Jon head off to plot, Sandra gets Tijuana to go evesdrop with her and together they hear Burton and Jon plot to keep Lil and vote the rest of the women off.
At the Imunity Challenge, after 30 days of going hungry, and mental processes are not working clearly, the Survivors have to complete a word puzzle. The first one to finish, after making 20 correctly spelled words from "Survivor Pearl Islands," based on the rules Jeff announces, will win Immunity.
Christa finishes firstm but has a word wrong, and is out of the game. She's followed by Tijuana, and Jon. Burton is next to finish and Jeff checks the words, and pronounces him the winner. The game is over, and Jon smirks as Burton gets the Immunity cutlass once again.
However, Jeff has not caught Burton's misspelled word, and when he does, he calls the castaways all back. He starts a new game, with only Lil, Darrah and Sandra competing in a timed game. Darrah wins and is the first woman to win immunity.
The castways return to Balboa, the men ill at ease and the women smiling. Discussions ensue about the next person to go. Should it be Burton, who is the strongest threat but also the food provider? Jon, who is untrustworthy, or Christa is still being blamed for the loss of the fish? Jon swears on his grandmother's grave that he will keep the promises he makes.
Jon and Burton plot and scheme with varying groups of women, and at Tribal Council that night, with Ryan and Rupert observing, the Survivors discuss the mood of the tribe. Tijuana says it's chaos, Christa is still upset about being blamed unfairly, Jon says it's been one of the the saddest days of his life, and while he might have been willing to betray anyone a few days ago, now he's not. Burton says it's not a matter of trust, but alliances in playing the game.
The vote goes against Tijuana, who celebrates her birthday the next day. By a vote of 5 - 2, she joins the jury.
When is Jon going to get voted off? What do you think of his Big Lie?
Stay tuned for the next episode, when: