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Survivor Episode 10: End of the Road

Post-Tribal Counsel

As everyone returned to camp, the boys were stunned to find that the girls had voted one of their own out during tribal.

“They ate one of their own,” Scot said to Kyle and Tai, “It’s beautiful.” He added that their alliance was happy because none of them went home, and Julia retained the trust of the guys by voting for Debbie.

On top of that, they were able to hang onto their immunity idols – one of which Tai handed back to Kyle when they got back to camp.

Are We Done Yet?

“I would love to bring camp back together,” Tai told cameras. He expressed his discomfort with the psychological warfare game Kyle and Scot played last week and wants to unite the tribe.

Scot tells Tai that he’s willing to go talk to Aubry about hiding the tools and extinguishing the group’s fire.

“I didn’t want to be that guy,” he said in his confessional, but added that he felt as though he needed to make a point – that point being he, Tai and Kyle are the tribe’s primary providers.

“We enjoy getting the wood, getting the water, all that stuff,” he told Aubry when he pulled her aside. He explained that their real frustration is with Cydney and her decision to betray them two weeks earlier when they blindsided Nick. The big man was open with Aubry, telling her that they want Cydney gone.

It’s become clear to Aubry that he’s trying to, more or less, say that if the girls turn on Cydney this week, the chaos around camp stops. And she’s having none of that.

“I’m willing to let them think I’ll play along with it,” she told viewers.

Reward Challenge

Tribe members gather yet again for another reward challenge. They are tasked with balancing ceramic pots on a beam using only one foot as leverage. Once the pots fall, they’re out.

Unlike previous reward challenges, three winners will walk away from this one. Contestants can decide to play for food, love or advantage in the game. Last man standing in each category wins.

Scot, Kyle and Michelle all choose to compete for food, and the challenge is on.

The Sacramento fan-favorite is the first to lose control of his beam in the food category, ultimately losing the challenge to Michelle.

Tai plays for advantage and wins. “That’s the best thing that could have happened for our alliance,” Scot said as they all made their way back to camp.

Breakup The Boys

Aubry, Michelle and Julia see that Scot and Kyle as a pair are the biggest power threat and that they need to be split up. However, Tai won the advantage and has an idol.

“Tai is definitely a threat,” Julia said in private. “What I want to do is flush out these idols, but also stay loyal to my alliance with [Kyle] and Scot.”

She reasons with the girls that if they vote Tai, he’s either out or he plays the idol. If he plays it then Cydney will go home regardless – as the boys have expressed their desire to boot her from the game – and they guys are also down an idol.

They agree that at least one idol needs to go this week.

Last week’s idol showboat rubbed the rest of the tribe the wrong way. Knowing that Julia will likely tell the guys they plan to vote Tai, Aubry decides to take a risk by approaching Tai to persuade him to join their alliance.

“I really struggle with people taking advantage of other people,” He said, and he’s recently become more vocal about how difficult that element of the game has been for him.

Aubry knows this and tries to appeal to the compassionate side of Tai, telling him that blindsiding Kyle or Scot this week could help put an end to their antics around camp.

“My heart tells me, ‘I like that girl Aubry a lot,’” but ultimately he leaves her without a concrete answer.

When Tai returns to the beach to connect with Kyle and Scot, he tells them that he likes Aubry and wants to try and work with her.

“How about this,” Scot replies. “At the next tribal, we take Aubry out?”

It’s obvious on Tai’s face that he isn’t a big fan of this, and he begins to feel as though he’s just a pawn in Scot and Kyle’s game.

“Those two boys are running the show… and I don’t know what to do.”

Immunity Challenge

This is one of the toughest physical and mental challenges yet. Contestants must use only their fingers to press against two wooden discs weighed down by ceramic pots. If they drop the discs, they’re out. Last person standing wins immunity.

Joe is the first to go, followed by Scot, Julia, Tai, Michelle and Cydney.

It’s down to Aubry and Kyle. In visible pain, the two hold on for over an hour before Aubry’s muscles finally give out, giving Kyle his first individual immunity victory.

Now the guys are feeling confident.

“I have the immunity necklace,” Kyle said on the beach. “We have two hidden immunity idols, which combined make a superidol. What’s so great about the superidol is we can play it after the vote is read – and no one but the three of us knows that.”

Strategy Time

“We need to split up Scot and [Kyle],” Aubry said to Cydney following the immunity challenge.

“I’m down for it,” Cydney agreed. “With all those idols the guys are just too powerful.”

Since Kyle won immunity, Scot is on the chopping block this week. Aubry knows it’s time to put the pressure on Tai to try and swing the vote their way.

“I think Tai is someone who wants to be true to himself,” she told cameras, “And Tai’s natural state isn’t with [Kyle] and Scot.”

She corners Tai while he’s out gathering food for camp and lets him know that she doesn’t want him gone, but that they have the numbers with Cydney, Michelle and Joe if he’s willing to blindside Scot.

“I’m really torn about this vote,” he confessed. “I’m a little afraid of that duo.” Though logically he knows they’ve upset enough people that he would have a chance of beating them when it comes time for the jury to vote in the end.

On the other hand, he would be making a huge move to shake up the game by voting for Scot.

Tribal Counsel

The castaways gather around the fire and jury members arrive. Jeff kicks things off with last week’s idol showcase, asking everyone about the kind of splash that makes.

“It was almost a little bit of trash talking,” Scot said, “And we’re going to do the same thing tonight.”

Kyle and Scot make an overconfident assumption that the girls will still be stuck voting out one of their own due to the knowledge of the idols.

Aubry chimes in, saying that it’s incredibly frustrating to hear them talk that way.

“The only person who’s truly safe here is [Kyle],” added Julia. Bringing the idols to everyone’s attention last week has made the game much more interesting for the remaining tribe members, but also has everyone on their toes.

Tai remains quiet throughout the discussion at tribal, clearly torn on what he should do this week. “This is not what I do in my personal life,” he said about the boasting Kyle and Scot have done recently. “But this is war.”

The votes are in and Scot takes the most with four. He looks to Tai for the second piece of the superidol so he can stay in the game, but after an awkward minute Tai finally shakes his head in response.

The tribe spoke and the former NBA champ’s journey is over.

Weekly Pollardism

“We say we’re gonna do something and we do it.”

Off to Ponderosa

Scot now heads to Ponderosa – where jury members stay until the end of the competition. Watch as he reflects on this week’s vote, his actions leading up to it and more.


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