- For some of the survivors, a priceless reward proves to be a life-changing experience. An unlikely friendship threatens to change the game.
- Previously on 'Survivor': At the beginning, Lisa was an outcast but as of the merge only Penner and Skupin had figured out her child-star past. The focus became getting out a returning player, but Penner won immunity. Lisa then threw Malcolm and his immunity idol under the bus. And at a wild Tribal Council, two major alliances became clear. Jeff was voted out.
Back at camp: Skupin is relieved that Lisa "made her big move" to save him. He's relived that Jeff, one of the two biggest advocates of getting rid of returning players, is gone. Abi, meanwhile, accuses Skupin of voting for her, but Penner says he was the one who wrote her name down because he was "P.O.'d." He says he doesn't like being played.
Penner tries to figure out who voted for Jeff. Penner realizes his vote might have screwed things up because Pete and Jeff would have otherwise tied. Penner thinks it doesn't matter because he's a "dead man walking."
Malcolm reassures Lisa, saying they're both just "playing the game." Lisa is emotional after playing the game, saying, "It's just not me." She tells Malcolm he's "just amazing," because of now merciful and graceful he's being.
Penner notes there are five original Tandangs left and if they vote together he's done. But there are so many cracks, there's an opportunity. He notes the difference between Lisa and Skupin and Abi, Artis and Pete. He wants to play to Skupin and Lisa.
Penner gives Lisa a pep talk and she cries while he tells her he knows how difficult her life has been throughout her life and having to be a "pleaser" all the time. She tells us that even though she knows he's always scrambling, his speech to her really hit a chord. She tells us she's been on a stage since she was 7 and even before that she knew she had to entertain to be loved.
Reward challenge: The players will be divided into two teams. They have to get through some muddy obstacles to college four bags of balls. At the end of the obstacle course, they have to shoot those 12 balls into a basket. The winning team will serve as "'Survivor' ambassadors" at a nearby village, bringing some school supplies and toys to kids. The villagers will then treat them to a feast.
Penner smartly digs up all four of his team's bags and puts them in one corner. This gives the red team a huge advantage. They've made nine of their 12 balls into the basket by the time the yellow team has started shooting. The red team has one last ball to get in while the yellow team starts to catch up, but with the yellow team on its sixth ball, the red team nails the 12th and final ball to win reward.
The red team Carter, Denise, Malcolm and Penner wins. Abi was not picked for a team and had no chance of winning reward.
Reward: The team has a blast on the reward, playing with the kids. Malcolm says it's a reminder of how much he enjoyed teaching kids and how much more rewarding it is that serving drinks at a bar.
They get a chance to talk strategy, though, and decide to bring Skupin and Lisa into the fold.
Back at camp: Pete is "pissed" after losing the challenge. He's glad, though, to get some alone time with Lisa and Skupin. Pete tells us it's "ironic" that someone he wanted to get rid of early on (Skupin) is now someone he's forced to work with. He wants to make Skupin and Lisa feel comfortable.
Abi bullies Lisa again, calling her "gullible" and "naive," and saying she "just didn't know what to do." Even Artis is now annoyed, telling us that Abi is "a loose cannon," and talks a big game without really knowing what she's talking about.
Lisa tells us later that she thought she'd get a chance to reconnect with her old tribe mates, but "Abi was just terrible."
Immunity challenge: Each player has to balance an oversized paddle with six divots in it. They have to roll balls down the paddle and land one in each of the six spots. The first player to do it wins immunity.
Skupin is the first to land a ball and gets a second one. Pete also has two, but Skupin lands a third. Skupin and Pete each land their fourth balls almost back to back. Skupin sticks a fifth and Pete then loses some that'd already landed. Finally, Skupin lands his sixth and final ball to win immunity.
Artis tells us that "unless something goes wrong," Penner is going out.
Back at camp: Penner says he knows his days are numbered. Abi wants to vote off Skupin, but knows they need him for the numbers. She says Penner is a bigger threat, but "Mike is really annoying."
Denise, Malcolm and Carter strategize and wonder whether Abi would give her idol to someone else. Their goal is to get rid of one of the original Tandang members. Their plans "hinges on Skupin and Lisa."
Penner talks to Lisa and asks her what the audience is going to want to see. He tells her he hopes she and Skupin will "do the right thing" and help him out. He tells us he's planting seeds because he's "playing (his) ass off." He says he only needs either Lisa or Skupin.
Penner then goes and talks to Skupin and tells him that if he goes with them, they're in the final five. Skupin tells us he wants to play the game with Lisa. He needs to be sure that if he's going to make a bold move, she needs to be on the same side.
Lisa and Skupin get some time to chat. Skupin says there are two thoughts: Which group can you get further with and who would you rather play with. He questions how they can continue being loyal to a group that isn't loyal to them. Lisa is considering flipping.
Tribal Council: Lisa says the fallout from the last Tribal Council was "internal" for her, but when she got back to camp she was welcomed "with such grace." Jeff asks Abi about how upset she was at the last Tribal and asks her if she showed grace to Lisa. Abi turns the question to Lisa, who says she was shown more grace by the people she voted against. Abi looks mad. Lisa says the difference is "maturity, experience," and Abi looks even more upset.
Jeff calls out the "tense" look on Abi's face. She says that what Lisa had to say was "interesting." Abi says she felt like she had "shown grace to her, but apparently not."
Artis boldly claims that Tandang has "one of the most powerful tribes put together in 'Survivor' history and it's playing out like it's supposed to play out." Denise says it's a risk to think that way. Artis clarifies that he's "not totally 100 percent comfortable," and knows he could be blindsided just like anyone else.
Skupin says he "loved" Lisa's big move at the last Tribal Council, and says it was for the Tandang tribe.
Penner bluntly says he hopes that the numbers may have shifted. Denise says she hopes the numbers will shift on the Tandang tribe. Abi says she is "not very sure about Lisa at this point," while saying that the Tandang tribe has considered the possibility that they don't have the numbers.
The vote: Pete writes down Penner's name, saying he's not sending him home because he's a returning player, but because he's "really good at this game, and I respect that." Denise writes down Artis' name, saying she doesn't doubt Abi's selfishness and knows she won't give Artis her idol.
Jeff asks if anyone has an idol and wants to play it. No one does.
Jeff reads the votes: Artis, Penner, Artis, Penner, Penner, Penner, Artis, Artis, and the 10th person voted out and third member of the jury is Artis. Abi looks around disgustedly.
Artis' last words: "Well played to Penner. He managed to pull off the improbable. Well played. All I can do is applaud him. I have no ill will to anyone in the game because when it's all said and done, it is a game. I could not have been more happy. Well, I take that back. Yes I could, if I'd have won a million dollars."
The votes revealed: Malcolm, Denise, Penner, Carter and Skupin voted for Artis, while Pete, Artis, Abi and Lisa voted for Penner.
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