Survivor – Recap & Review – Episode 5

photo: cbs

Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
Episode 7: I’m Not a Good Villain

Original Air Date: Apr 1, 2010

Ryan O. – TwoCents Reviewer
ryan@thetwocentscorp.com

Here’s the low-down for this episode: This is the episode you’ve been waiting for in a couple ways. First, the Heroes, and Colby in particular, finally pick it up a bit and are competitive again. Second, and more importantly, it’s the episode that features the Rob vs. Russell showdown.

Pre-Credits: It’s the morning of Day 16 after the Villains voted out Tyson. Rob solo-views that something doesn’t feel right. In the shelter, he talks with Courtney and Sandra. Courtney mocks Tyson for being stupid, which he richly deserves.

Courtney makes fun of Russell in a solo-view, “He’s like a bandy-legged troll who sort of, like, scampers around with his tooth missing, and, you know, is in and out of the bushes and never washes and [Parvati] pays attention to him. She has no problem flirting with, clearly, anything that walks.” Courtney is awesome. Russell tells Parvati and Danielle (who?) that they need to work on Jerri. Rob, Coach, Jerri and Courtney are in the shelter and can sort of overhear them. Rob isn’t sure how the three of them can be so cocky given the numbers. Rob speculates in a solo-view as to why they’re so cocky.

Pre-Reward Challenge: Jerri sits on the beach with Russell, Parvati, and Danielle. Jerri talks about how she fears commitment. Danielle states that people get far in the game by sticking with a tight alliance of four or five people. Whoa, the first words out of Danielle’s mouth all season and they are so blindingly obvious it’s making my brain hurt. Jerri leaves the conversation undecided but leaning towards Russell instead of Rob.

Over on the Heroes beach, Colby solo-views that he’s survived two or three votes and now there’s a bit of pressure on him to perform. He promises his tribe he’s going to show them they made the right decision.

Reward Challenge: It’s tackle basketball in shallow water. So, it is definitely a good thing that the Heroes voted out James. First tribe to three wins. It’s three-on-three. Winning tribe gets a picnic and a trip to a waterfall.

In the first round, Colby is driven. He works hard and scores the first bucket.

In the second round, it’s two women and one guy. The Heroes have Colby as their guy while the Villains have Coach. After some back and forth, Colby gets the ball, passes to Amanda who passes to an open Candice who hits the shot.

In the third (and, spoiler!) and final round, it’s all guys again. Right off the opening toss, JT grabs the ball, passes to Colby, and he scores. The Heroes win.

Post-Reward Challenge: While enjoying their picnic, the Heroes find a clue to another hidden immunity idol. They set it aside for a moment, but Amanda picks it up again and reads it. They decide to go get it as a tribe and use it against the Villains. Rupert solo-views about how he is dumb and forgets they are playing a game. Colby solo-views that the tribe is now together and ready to face the Villains.

Over on the Villains beach, Russell is working on Jerri again. Jerri says now that the sun is out again, it’s clear and she’s with Russell (I don’t know, it didn’t make sense when she said it, either). She calls Coach over. Russell BSes that he wants to take Coach and Jerri to the final three. Coach solo-views that Russell is empowered by the game and how he can talk anyone into being on his side. Jerri tells Coach she wants Coach to join her with Russell. Coach solo-views that he has no choice, he’s with Rob. Jerri solo-views that she was impressed with the move Russell pulled off at the last tribal council. She tells Coach that Rob has proved that he isn’t trustworthy, which Coach successfully pushes aside, pointing out that he’s been loyal in this game, voting for who he says he was going to vote every time. Coach is a little hurt that Jerri didn’t talk the decision over with him and that she says she trusts Russell as much as she trusts Coach. Coach points out that Jerri has bad feelings about Russell in the first day.

Jerri solo-views that Coach is naïve and almost refuses to manipulate people while Russell is clearly in the game to play the game and to win and she is in the game to win, too.

Immunity Challenge: Another challenge that the Heroes benefit from having voted out James. Each of three tribe member has to race across a rope net and then up a rope ladder, retrieve a bag of puzzle pieces (OH NO! The Heroes are doomed!), and then tag the next tribe member. Once all six bags of puzzle pieces are retrieved, the other two tribe members solve the puzzle (OH NO! The Heroes are doomed!)

Sitting out for the Villains: Jerri, Danielle, and Russell (Parvati, Sandra, and Courtney sat out the reward challenge).

Running for the Heroes: Rupert, Colby, and Candice
Running for the Villains: Coach, Courtney, and Parvati

Solving for the Heroes: Amanda and JT
Solving for the Villains: Rob and Sandra

It’s pretty close as they retrieve puzzle pieces until Courtney’s second time out when she’s a bit hesitant to drop off the rope ladder onto the net. So, once again, the Heroes have a lead going into the puzzle portion of a challenge. JT and Amanda start working the puzzle, putting pieces into place while Rob and Sandra aren’t doing so well. And, then, the JT and Amanda solve the puzzle and the Heroes win!

Coach solo-views that Courtney was lagging and she needs to be the one to go.

Post-Immunity Challenge: Russell solo-views about how pitiful everyone was at the challenge, failing to mention that his contribution was sitting on the bench.

Rob sits with Coach. Coach says there are two options: either get Parvati or oust Courtney and reboot the alliance. Rob points out Courtney is loyal, which is something that Coach values. Rob makes a strong case for Russell. Coach says he wants to be standing at the final two with Rob. They shake on their agreement to vote for Russell. Let me say that again: Coach shakes on his agreement with Rob to vote for Russell.

Rob solo-views that Coach can be swayed by appealing to loyalty and honor.

Russell talks with Coach. Russell wants to vote out Courtney and then Sandra. This appeals to Coach’s desire to keep the team strong (physically). He says that it takes a big man not to target a guy who is targeting you. Immediately after that, Russell suggests blindsiding Rob. Coach looks very uncommitted to the idea. Russell tries justify it by saying that he and Coach can beat any of the two guys on the Heroes. Coach tries to say that voting Courtney out will keep the tribe strong. Danielle talks again, “What’s the point to keeping Rob besides keeping the tribe strong?” What, keeping the tribe strong isn’t enough, Danielle? Russell and Danielle lay into Coach as Jerri sits there. Coach says, “I’m with you guys 100%.” He still looks pretty unconvinced.

In a solo-view, Coach says came here to win this game but not at all costs. He doesn’t want Rob to go home. He believes Rob deserves to be there but he doesn’t want to go back on his word he just gave to Russell – a sentiment that he says Russell pretty much forced out of him. He kind of realizes he’s painted himself into a corner by making promises to both Rob and Russell.

Rob talks with Jerri in the shelter. Jerri says she can’t trust Rob. She never explains why she doesn’t trust Rob, whether it’s based on what he’s done in this season or in past seasons. Rob says the choice should be pretty obvious.

Coach and Jerri have one final talk before tribal council. Coach tells Jerri that she knows that it’s not the right time to send Rob home, especially in terms of challenges.

Tribal Council: Coach explains to Probst that Tyson was someone that bridged the gap between groups. Tyson was the guy that brought together Rob’s group with Coach and Jerri and Russell’s group. Russell and Danielle disagree. Probst points out that disagreeing with Coach proves Coach’s point. Danielle brings out the Mighty Hammer of the Obvious once again: “People can have different opinions even if they’re on the same tribe.”

Rob brings up the point that some people are thinking in terms of keeping their alliance strong while everyone should be thinking about keeping the tribe strong ( … and not sending Rob home). Russell shoots back that at the last vote, Rob voted for Russell and he wants to know how that would have kept the team strong. Well, Russell, you’re the weakest male left in the game and that’s a liability.

Coach talks about how Rob and Russell are soldiers on opposite sides of a battlefield. He begs them to reconsider; they can win all of the challenges but not if everyone is going to be worried about in-fighting. Rob says you pick someone to trust and you go with that. Rob looks directly at Coach as he says that.

Jerri says both sides have pros and cons. She’s made a decision and hopes it’s the right one. You know, one side has Russell and Parvati, both of whom you loathe and Parvati can’t stand you right back, but, hey, that seems like the smart choice. Enjoy the bed you’ve made.

Votes: Rob, Russell, Rob, Russell, Rob, Russell, Courtney (!), Rob. Rob stands up. Jerri hugs him. Coach, after voting for Courtney and not honoring his commitment he made to Rob about voting for Russell, tries to hug but Rob doesn’t let that happen and says, “You’re a little man.”

Who Should’ve Been Voted Out: Rob or Russell. It had come to that point in the game.

Bubbling Under: Sandra flipping to the Heroes once the merge comes. Possibly Courtney, too, if the merge happens next week. Also: what will happen to Coach?

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