You Own My Vote

Challenges
Reward/Immunity Challenge: Smash, Grab, Smash One person from each tribe will swim out to a platform, climb to the top, smash a tile and retrieve a key. Then the next person goes. Once you’ve retrieved all five keys, one person will use those keys to open a box and retrieve a ball. The remaining two tribe members will use that ball to break five tiles. First tribe to break all five tiles wins. Reward: Tribal Immunity and fishing gear

Winner: Zapatera

Night of Day 3
Minutes after being voted out from the Ometepe tribe, Francesca was sent to Redemption Island. Francesca noted: “Tribal Council was crazy. I thought that it would be, but not like that.” She was shocked of Phillip's decision to flip to Rob's alliance. The attorney had doubts of her pecarious position in the game. Not only she will be alone for a predetermined time period, she must win every single proceeding duels should she make it to the merger. Holding a lantern, she read a plaque entiled: “Life on Redemption Island." Francesca was glad she had a flint on her Tree Mail. She concluded: “If I can make it out here and come back at some point in the game when things are changing, because things are changing everyday. I mean, I could still win Survivor.”

At Ometepe, Rob remarked that was one of the craziest Tribal Councils he was ever part of. As the tribe discussed the previous vote, Kristina was left alone without an alliance. Kristina declared: “I lost the battle, but it’s not the end of the game.” She regretted about telling Phillip about the Hidden Immunity Idol she found, and aligning with him in the first place. Hoping that he gets adopted by the majority alliance, Phillip went to Rob and told him: “Until I go to Redemption, you own my vote.” Unsure of Phillip, Rob halfheartedly agreed, but he came back to his alliance telling that their voting plans will stay the same, and that is to eliminate Phillip and Kristina next.

Day 4
At Ometepe, Phillip tried to hunt for crabs. The others were giggling while observing him, while Matthew and Rob made fun of him in a Discovery Channel fashion. Using a makeshift spear, Phillip goes on his hunt, but to no avail. Later, he used a piece of rock fo a second attempt, in which he was successful. In a confessional, Phillip became emotional after his clash with Francesca. Sobbing, He stated: “The best lesson I got from last night personally, besides the game aspects, was I still love Phillip Sheppard. He’s a good guy and that’s okay.”

Over at the Zapatera tribe, Ralph's rooster impression awoke the tribe. Russell said: “Poor old Ralph, that dude might be the dumbest person on the face of the earth, besides being the dumbest player to play Survivor.” While the other having a conversation, Russell wasted no time in bringing Krista to his fold. With his three-person alliance, Russell stated: “I have come to realize that I can trust nobody but my people, Krista and Stephanie.” Russell came up to Krista, telling her that there might have been a Hidden Immunity Idol somewhere, but clues were still unavailable. While looking at the woods, Mike, Sarita and Steve were secretly watching him. Unknown to everyone, while collecting rocks for the bonfire, Ralph found the idol totally by accident. Ralph said: “I just can’t believe I found it that easy. Russell thought he was the king of finding idols.”

Day 5
At Ometepe, Matt and Andrea bonded at the beach. Andrea commented: “We’re close and I think that we have a little bit of loyalty going on.” Rob seeing all the action, he said: “For me, that’s not good, because I know how strong a pair can be in this game, like Amber and I.” (pertaining to his Survivor: All-Stars alliance partner and future wife Amber Brkich). Rob went to Natalie to form a pair alliance of his own. Both agreed that Matt and Andrea are a dangerous couple. But despite this new sub-alliance, Rob contemplated that she is maybe too young. “It’s like literally picking the girl up, putting her on my back and I’m going to drag your ass to the end. And hopefully they are going to give it to me at the end.”

Later, the warring tribes competed for their second challenge, again both for Reward and Immunity. The Zapatera tribe was surprised seeing their rival team without Francesca, because they felt that she was a strong competitor. As Ralph handed the Immunity Idol to Jeff, he and Stephanie declared that the idol would back back at their camp after the challenge, angering Phillip. Phillip fumed: “I will outlast any man over there.” After Jeff explained the mechanics of the challenge, Zapatera decided to make David as their sit-out.

At the challenge, Ometepe took a large lead, thanks to Grant outswimming Steve. The orange tribe's lead widened up, as Sarita struggled to come back. And with Ashley, Matt, Andrea and Rob, Ometepe furthered up their lead,. But Stephanie managed to catch up for Zapatera by opening her locks faster than Natalie. It came down to Ralph and Phillip for the tile-breaking portion of the challenge. In a very close race, Ralph broke his fifth tile, fulfilling his promise to bring the Immunity Idol back to the purple tribe, thus sending the Ometepe tribe back to Tribal Council. Immediately after the loss, Matt tried to prove that he was a good sport by shaking hands at Zapatera. This moved irked Rob. Rob said: “When we just got our asses kicked not once, but twice back to back. I’m not going over to the other team and giving them hugs and kisses.”

Upon reaching camp, Russell carried their reward items to make sure he has the clue to the idol (unknown to him, Ralph already found it). As rain comes down, the clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol slipped from the fins, and he immediately picked it up. Russell bragged: “I don’t say anything to anybody. I just grab the clue and put it in my hand. I know this game. This isn’t my first rodeo.” Ralph caught Russell hiding the clue and said: “Russell, he’s going to pay the price because this is not Russell’s game. This is my game.” As Russell walked away with the clue, Ralph told the others that Russell got the clue Mike fumed, “The guy is the most untrustworthy character, I’ve ever met in my life.” Russell, Stephanie and Krista went to the well to read their clue. Ralph taunted Russell by asking if they had the clue. Fuming that somebody is challenging him, he acted as if he was offended by Ralph's "accusations." Feeling that his mission was accomplished, Ralph walked away, because he already had the idol in his pocket. He cheered: “I’ll play his game. I’ll show him how smart I can be.”

At Redemption Island, Francesca was glad after seeing her luxury item (her journal) in her Tree Mail. As the rain poued down, she scribbled her way out from boredom. Being the fist player banished at the island, she feared of what is yet to come, especially the upcoming duels she had to win to stay longer in the game. In a confessional, she said: “I hope we don’t have to co-exist here for a while. That would suck, especially if that person is Phillip.”

At Ometepe, Phillip apologized his perceived weak performance at the challenge, but Rob cheered him up, telling he did quite well. Rob tried to turn his alliance on Matt after his actions after the challenge. Later, Rob orchestrated a bold plan by telling Matt and Andrea that they would repeat what they had planned at the last Tribal Council (splitting their votes to Phillip and Kristina), to finally flush out Kristina's Hidden Immunity Idol. But in truth, he would turn the majority alliance on Matt. Grant and Ashley agreed to vote Matt out. Rob fumed in a confessional: “Matt’s trying to play the good Christian game and the social game and the end game on day friggin’ five. Wake up brother.” Grant and Ashley agreed to the plan to oust Matt. On their way to Tribal Council, Kristina wore her immunity idol around her neck to assure her protection.

At Tribal Council, while Kristina used her idol, but for naught as the votes she received were not enough to eliminate her. Rob's plan came into fruition, as Matt was blindsided in a 4-2-0 vote. As he walked away with his extinguished torch, the shocked Matt still left in good spirits. He will not go home though, as he will be dueling Francesca for a chance to return to the game.

As the credits rolled, Matt came to Redemption Island, where he was welcomed by Francesca.

Redemption Island Duel
There was no Redemption Island duel, as Matthew just came to Redemption Island. His duel against Francesca will be held at the next episode.

Voting Confessionals

 * Andrea:
 * Ashley:
 * Rob:
 * Grant: 
 * Kristina: 
 * Matthew:
 * Natalie:
 * Phillip:

Trivia

 * This episode marked the third time in the history that a Hidden Immunity Idol was found without clues
 * Additionally, this was the second time that this has happened in this season, following Kristina Kell.
 * Discounting Mike Borassi's evacuation from Survivor: Samoa, this is the first episode in the history of the show that an elimination occured in a season's Day 5.
 * This became the earliest use of a Hidden Immunity Idol, beating Tom Westman's record from Heroes vs. Villains.

Links

 * CBS Episode Summary