The last episode ended with a huge surprise for Shane Powers , who thought himself invincible and a sure winner of the Survivor game, when his supposedly loyal alliance of Aras Baskauskas, Cirie Fields and Danielle DiLorenzo banded together to vote him out.
Shane's face as he was blindsided by the vote told it all. Terry Deitz who with Shane votes to oust Danielle, was almost as surprised as Shane. The two men had formed a pact to see each other to the Final Two.
With the few remaining days left on the island, the four remaining castaways, Aras, Cirie, Danielle and Terry, now face intense competition, mentally and physically, emotionally and politically, to survive the next challenge and decide which two can survive to the Final Two. With the Hidden Idol still in his possession, Terry is guaranteed survival in one more Tribal Council if he doesn't win the next Immunity Challenge, but can Aras, who is gunning for Terry, knock him off his undefeated pedestal?
Thie episode begins with the four returning from Tribal Council in the dark. Cirie drops her torch with Terry behind her and he takes offense. A spate of words follows, with Terry retiring to sleep while the other three attribute his anger at Shane's ouster.
The next Reward Challenge is a complicated one, involving each player hooking and unhooking from the same rope, counting items such as the number of iguanas in a pen, the number of seashells in a box, posts in the ground, and other items, plus puzzle pieces and dexterity to solve a math problem and open a series of three locks. The Reward will be a five course dinner and an overnight cruise through the Panama Canal on a 100 foot yatch.
The competition is fierce, with the players getting tangled in the rope, a shoving match between Aras and Terry, Cirie creating roadblocks and Danielle creating her own obstacles. If the numbers don't add up and the locks fail to open, the player must go back and recount the items. Aras manages to finish first and wins his first challenge. Terry questions the rules. He understood that if the numbers weren'r correct, they could return and count again. He did so at least threee times recounting a group of items individually, losing time, while Aras recounted a number of group items at one time. Aras mocks him, taunting him, and says that Terry is whining about losing and has made rude comments about the wonmen. Host Jeff Probst observes and puts a stop to the fracas. Aras chooses Cirie to go with him on the cruise and sends both Danielle and Terry to Exile Island.
While Aras and Cirie are flown off to join the yatch, where they enjoy drinks and a huge dinner, followed by a sunset cruise through Miraflores locks and the canal, Danielle and Terry talk about Aras, with Terry calling him a hothead and "cracking up." They appear to resolve their differences, and agree to align themselves against Cirie and Aras. Terry again shows her the Hidden Idol, which will protect him against expulsion only through the coming Final Four vote. Again they discuss Danielle getting to use the Hidden Idol if necessary, even though Terry was angered and upset when Danielle went back on her word to him previously and voted Courtney out.
The yatch returns Cirie and Aras to their camp where Aras takes a nap, and Cirie decides to try making a fire, something she's never done before. She manages to get one going, and is thrilled with her accomplishment. Aras wakes and congratulates her.
The Immunity Challenge involves solving three puzzles after digging in the sand for the puzzle pieces, one bag at a time according to the coordinates given in the puzzle. Given the first directions, the four begin the competition. Aras takes the lead and holds it all the way to the end, winning his second challenge, and his first Immunity.
On their return to camp, Aras and Terry talk. Terry is angry and upset by Aras's words and demands an apology, which Aras gives him. They shake hands, but there are still bad feelings between them.
Seeing the men talk, Cirie and Danielle discuss their own situtaion. Both men are safe from Tribal Council that night, but which one of them will be voted off?
They each know that if a tie vote occurs, the fire lighting challenge will follow. During this challenge, whoever starts a fire big enough to burn through a rope over the flames to release a flag will win the tie. Consequently, Aras coaches Cirie on the finer points of fire making, as Terry does with Danielle. Danielle has made fire before, but she doesn't know that Cirie has just accomplished it.
One wonders, of course, just how much of a coincidence that was?
