Trial by Fire

Challenges
Reward Challenge: Blind Leading The Blind

The tribes will select one member of each team to act as their "eyes" while the other members are blindfolded. Sitting atop two towers, the "eyes" must guide their blindfolded tribe members through a series of obstacles, such as: stacking wooden beams and filling up buckets of water. The first tribe to successfully complete the course wins.

Reward: A feast of Mountain Dew and Doritos.

Winner: Kucha

Day 16
Thunderstorms dampen Kucha's clothes, but not their spirit. The tribe, still a 6-5 members advantage over the rival Ogakor, is looking forward to the merge. They know that if they win the next immunity challenge, they'll be able to pick off the Ogakors one by one.

On Ogakor, Jerri and Amber fawn over the foods they miss from home, particularly chocolate. Jerri and Keith later get into an argument about tomatoes, continuing to bicker "like two alley cats scratching at each other," according to Colby. Meanwhile, Kucha has found a new source of food--chicken feed, which they discover tastes like popcorn. Still, everyone is happy to learn that the next challenge promises a food reward. They named the new delicacy "Kucha Corn."

Day 17
The challenge requires one member of each tribe to lead the others--who are blindfolded--through a series of tasks. Ogakor's Jerri and Kucha's Nick are the eyes for their tribes. Ogakor had the lead heading down the final stretch, but a blindfolded Amber veered off track resulting in a photo finish that Kucha won by a hair. They eagerly take home Doritos and Mountain Dew. Everything seems to be going Kucha's way. But soon, it all goes up in flames--literally. As most of the tribe relaxes back at camp, a scream suddenly rings out. The tribemates take notice of Mike, who is writhing and screaming in pain.

Mike splashes into the water. Between screams, he reveals that he inhaled too much smoke and passed out--directly into the fire. His hat kept his face safe, but he severely burned his hands and shoulder. Mike's tribemates try to help him, but he is in desperate pain. The Survivor medical team rushes in and immediately calls for Mike to be airlifted out. The medics wrap cold bandages around Mike's hands and load him onto a stretcher. Before Mike is shipped off, his tribemates gather around him. Mike tearfully says goodbye to his team. "I'm looking at some brave, beautiful people who I have grown to love so much," he tells them. The helicopter takes off, and Mike is gone.

Ogakor received news in tree mail about an accident and an evacuation at Kucha camp. They learn that there will be no immunity challenge the next day, and that all five of them will make it to the merge. Although relieved, they were completely shocked and saddened to hear the news, making this result bittersweet. Back on Kucha, the still shell-shocked tribe realizes the numbers are no longer in their favor, but they're determined to win the game in Mike's honor. "We're going to eat them up and spit them out, and that's the way Mike would want it to be," Jeff promises. Ten castaways remain.

Final Words
"kucha"

- You don't want to leave. The longer you're here, the longer you want to stay here. And it's not even about winning as much as it is about playing. The winning will be anticlimactic. The playing is where it is for me.

Trivia

 * Mike Skupin's accident became the show's first medical evacuation.
 * This marked the first major injury of the show.