Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains

Survivor: Heroes vs Villains is the twentieth season of Survivor and the fourth to bring back contestants from previous seasons. Unlike ' and ', but like , the entire cast was previous contestants. Tribe selection was based on prior performance, but whereas Micronesia was based on audience-favorites, this season split the tribes based on their method of gameplay in their original season(s): honorable or dirty. There was many disagreements among fans and the players regarding which contestants should have or should not have been a "Hero" or a "Villain" (namely Sandra and James.)

For the first time, the tribe names were not local words or names, but "Heroes" and "Villains". There was no tribal switch and the merge happened on Day 25, after two Villains, Benjamin "Coach" Wade and Courtney Yates, had been voted onto the Jury. At the merge, the Villains managed to utilize their deceptive ways, and by using the multiple hidden immunity idols Russell Hantz continued to find, to snag all final four spots. In the end, Sandra Diaz-Twine received six jury votes to become the first and only person to ever win Survivor twice.

This season was a "throwback" to the earlier seasons, allowing the dynamics of the tribes to drive the drama rather than tribal switches, kidnappings, or Exile Island. All of the challenges were copies of, or upgrades to challenges from the previous nineteen seasons.

Returning Players and Records
Out of the twenty competitors, nine had already played the game twice (Stephenie LaGrossa in ' and '; Rob Mariano, Rupert Boneham, Colby Donaldson, and Jerri Manthey in their first seasons and '; and Cirie Fields, James Clement, Amanda Kimmel, and Parvati Shallow from their original seasons and '). These nine became the first to play the game three times.

This also became the longest period of time which players had played the game, last measured in Micronesia when Jon "Jonny Fairplay" Dalton had eight seasons between his first and last season. From the 2001 The Australian Outback season, Jerri Manthey narrowly beat out Colby Donaldson by one day to be the player who has played over the longest period of time (not including jury duty). Australia started filming October 30, 2000 and Jerri was voted out of Heroes vs Villains on September 16, 2009, with a total span of eight years, ten months, and nineteen days. Sandra is the player with the longest time between their last season and this season: 6.5 years, as she did not appear on All-Stars or Fans vs Favorites.

Parvati Shallow became the player with the most days in the game. With 36 days from Cook Islands, 39 from Micronesia, and 39 from Heroes vs Villains, Parvati has played the game for a total of 114 Days.

This also became the season with the most other seasons represented. Thirteen of the previous nineteen seasons were represented (ten not including All-Stars, Guatemala, or Fans vs Favorties). Two players from, one from , two from , two from , two from , two from , three from , two from , three from and one from  were representing their original season.

Russell Hantz continued to draw audiences by his aggressive gameplay. He set many new records this season. Because it was filmed just a few weeks after , he beat out Rupert Boneham to be the contestant who spent the least amount of time at home between seasons. (Samoa and Heroes vs Villains were filmed in the same location.) Russell becomes the second person to be a finalist in two back-to-back seasons ( The first being Amanda Kimmel from China to Micronesia). Russell also found four hidden immunity idols, bringing his total to six. He made the final three this season, but received no jury votes.

Episodes
Many of the previous Survivors, separated into Heroes and Villains, return, some of them appearing for the third time (Amanda, Cirie, Colby, James, Rupert, Stephenie, Jerri, Parvati, and Boston Rob). The contestants arrive via helicopter: the Heroes in their helicopter, and the Villains in theirs. Upon their arrival, both sides are excited to see their competition, commenting on some of the more notable people they watched during past seasons. Though the Heroes win their first reward challenge, they suffer two injuries; Stephenie's shoulder is dislocated and Rupert's toe is broken; however, neither is serious enough for them to leave the game. Russell makes separate alliances with Parvati and Danielle, while JT makes separate alliances with Tom and James. The Villains win the immunity challenge, as they are better at puzzle challenges. Sugar is voted out first. In the second episode, Boston Rob collapses while trying to provide for the tribe, however there is nothing seriously wrong, and he stays in the game. Stephenie is the second person voted out when the Heroes are sent to Tribal Council again, after an argument with James.

The Heroes make a comeback at the next immunity challenge and easily defeat the Villains, who vote out Randy as the weakest link. This is only a minor setback to the Villains, who win more challenges. They soon discover the existence of a hidden immunity idol. Tom finds the Heroes' idol while Russell searches for the one at the Villains' camp. The Immunity Idol saves Tom from the vote, where Cirie is voted out. Tom is the next one to be voted out, while Russell finds his hidden immunity idol, and James suffers a knee injury, but is able to stay in the game.

In a double elimination, both tribes go to Tribal Council. Russell gives the immunity idol to Parvati, causing Tyson to be voted out instead, while James is voted out of the Heroes tribe because of his injury. Without Tyson, however, the villains' winning streak ends, and the Heroes win nearly every challenge after that, including all the immunity challenges. Boston Rob and Russell have a fierce rivalry with each other, and eventually the vote comes down between the two of them. Coach, who told Boston Rob he'd vote for Russell, votes for Courtney instead because she lost the challenge for them, and Boston Rob gets voted out. However, their troubles are far from over; they begin to turn on each other. The Heroes note how only the male villains have been voted off, and assume (incorrectly) that there is an all-women alliance in the Villains tribe. This is seemingly confirmed when Coach is voted out at the next Tribal Council, even though it is a close vote between him and Courtney, who would have been voted out if Sandra didn't trick some of the others into voting for Coach.

Another immunity idol is hidden at camp, which JT found earlier, and the Heroes plan to use it against the Villains. The Villains win a challenge for the first time in a while; during their reward, Parvati hides the clue to the immunity idol and tells Danielle about it instead of Russell. They both find the idol when they get back, and plan to keep it hidden from Russell. Meanwhile, JT suggests to the Heroes that they give their immunity idol to Russell so one of the women will be voted out of the Villains Tribe and give them a better chance at victory. Amanda suspects that the other Heroes are wrong about the all-women alliance, but the other Heroes go along with JT's plan, and JT gives Russell the idol at the next immunity challenge, which the Heroes win, along with instructions to vote for Parvati. Russell, being the mastermind, does not need to use his idol, and Courtney gets voted out.

The tribes merge, with the Villains going over to the Heroes' camp. When the Heroes notice that both Russell and Parvati are there, they assume that Parvati had the Villains' idol and played it as well. Russell enforces this story. Sandra, who is now the outcast of the Villains tribe with Courtney gone, tells Rupert that Russell is the one running the show. Rupert tells the Heroes this, but they don't believe him;. JT is especially skeptical, but becomes suspicious of Parvati, at the endurance Immunity Challenge, Parvati steps down to let Danielle win. The Heroes plan to trick the Villains into thinking that they are voting out Parvati, while actually voting for Jerri. Parvati catches on when Amanda tells her that they will vote for her, however, while Russell, thinking that the Heroes will be voting for her, gives her his Immunity Idol that JT gave him. At Tribal Council, Parvati makes an unprecedented move and gives one of her two idols to Sandra, and (much to Russell's shock) gives the other to Jerri. With all votes cast against Jerri ineffective, JT is voted out.

Colby, Amanda, and Danielle win the next reward challenge, and Danielle finds the clue to the next hidden immunity idol, though Amanda and Colby see this. Danielle shows the clue to the villains, and Russell finds it behind the entire tribe's back. Candice, meanwhile, goes over to Russell's side, while Sandra goes over to the Heroes' side in an attempt to stay in the game. In a close match between Jerri and Russell, Jerri wins immunity. Candice and Sandra inform the opposing tribes of each others' betrayal (though the Heroes do not believe Sandra), and though Russell plays his immunity idol, the vote comes down to Amanda and Parvati, in whch Amanda is voted out (as both Sandra and Candice vote for her, the latter having convinced the former to do so).

Colby and Rupert are now the only two heroes left, so it seems that they are going home next. In the same episode, there are two immunity challenges (the first one in the place of the reward challenge). Parvati wins, and Jeff reads a clue as to the location of the next immunity idol. Everyone looks for it, and it is Sandra who finds it. Rupert pretends he has the idol, putting a rock into his pocket, and Russell falls for it and devises a plan to flush out the idol and split their votes between Rupert and Colby; however, they decide to vote for Candice instead of Colby, viewing her as a threat, and she is voted off. When Russell wins the next immunity challenge, he feels vulnerable with Parvati and Danielle, his former allies, together, so he devises a plan to get Parvati on his side, and tries to turn Parvati and Danielle against each other. In the end, he succeeds in getting Danielle voted out, but not in turning Parvati against her.

Jerri wins the Loves Ones Reward Challenge, in which the winner and their loved one go on a trip. Jerri takes Parvati and Sandra (and their loved ones) with her, leaving Rupert, Colby, and Russell at camp, where Russell, knowing he is now an enemy of nearly every other villain, makes an alliance with Rupert and Colby, agreeing to make the Final Three. Russell wants Parvati gone, as she is a threat, but she wins the immunity challenge (barely winning against Rupert), and so Russell schemes to get Rupert voted out, and succeeds, with Sandra playing the immunity idol to no effect (as she only received two votes).

In the final episode, once again it is a close and deciding immunity challenge between Parvati and the next hero on the chopping block (namely Colby, the only hero left). Colby is voted out, leaving Russell, Parvati, Jerri, and Sandra as the Final Four. After burning the torches of their fallen comrades, they compete in the final immunity challenge, which Russell wins. Though Parvati is viewed as a threat, Russell and Sandra suddenly vote for Jerri at Tribal Council, making her the last person voted out and ninth member of the jury. Before the final Tribal Council, Sandra burns Russell's hat, unbeknownst to him. In the final vote, which Jeff (for the nineteenth straight time) takes to the United States, Sandra wins, with Parvati receiving votes only from Jerri, Danielle, and Coach, and Russell receiving no votes at all.

In the reunion show, Sandra wears a crown as the first two-time winner, while JT (in a vote between himself, Colby, Tyson, James, and Erik) is given a trophy for the dumbest player in Survivor history (for giving Russell the immunity idol).

Voting History
Pre Jury:

20th - Sugar (Heroes) - Was seen as weak and annoying because of her flirty behavior; 9-1

19th - Stephenie (Heroes) - After she didn't listen to JT in the immunity challenge, James labeled her as kryptonite, as when she competed in Palau, her tribe lost almost every challenge, and was the last one standing in her Ulong tribe. She was also seen as a potential threat due to her relationship with Tom, who ended up winning Palau; 6-3

18th - Randy (Villians) - Seen as the weakest link; 9-1

17th - Cirie (Heroes) - Tom played the idol and JT switched his vote to Cirie, who was voted out with 3 votes against her; 3 -3-2

16th - Tom - (Heroes) - After James was injured, the Heroes were torn between James and his injury or Tom and being a potential threat, and being in the minority alliance with Colby. The Heroes decided to keep James and vote out Tom; 5-2

15th - Tyson - (Villians) - Rob thought that Russell had the Idol and may have given it to Parvati. He came upwith a plan to split the votes between Russell, Parvati and Tyson, hoping the idol would be flushed. But Russell tricked Tyson into voting for Parvati instead of himself. At Tribal Council, Russell gave Parvati the idol, making the 4 votes against her void. Tyson, who voted for Parvati, not Russell, then had 3 votes against him; 4 -3-2 14th - James - (Heroes) - The Heroes were torn between Colby, who was prepared to leave because he was on the outside, or James, whose leg could slow the Heroes down. The Heroes then sent James home because of his injury; 5-1

13th- Boston Rob - (Villians) - At first, Russell wanted Courtney or Sandra out because they were with Rob. Then, when Rob targeted Russell, Russell targeted Rob. Rob went to Coach and Jerri and told them to vote with whoever they felt had to leave. Coach, before the votes, said the Villians couldn't be fighting amongst themselves and voted for Courtney, who slowed the Villians at the Immunity Challenge. Jerri voted for Rob, making him the 8th person voted out.

Post Jury:

12th:- Coach - (Villains)- He became the first member of the jury when Sandra convinced Russell and his alliance that Coach was gunning for him even though it was a complete lie. By doing this, it also furthered suspicions the Heroes tribe had that an all-female alliance was happening at the Villains was true, not knowing Russell had the power; 4-3

11th: Courtney - (Villains) - Viewed her as the weakest member of their tribe and the reason they lost one of their challenges.

Post Merge:

10th: JT - Russell planned to backstab him the first chance he got. The Heroes knew Parvati had an immunity idol so their plan was to trick the Villains into thinking they were voting her out, while actually voting for Jerri. However, Parvati, suspecting this, gave both immunity idols to Jerri and Sandra (the other Villain in the most danger), causing JT (who received votes from the Villains) to be the one voted out instead, ironically caused by his own plan of giving Russell the hidden immunity idol.

9th: Amanda - When the Heroes suspected that Russell might have the idol, they decided to vote for Parvati instead, while the Villains targeted Amanda. Candice ultimately decided to vote for Amanda instead of Parvati, and convinced Sandra to do the same. (while Russell did indeed play his hidden immunity idol, to no effect as he received no votes).

8th: Candice - When the Villains thought Rupert had the immunity idol (when in fact it was Sandra), they planned to flush it out by splitting the votes between Rupert and Colby. However, the villains instead decided to vote for Candice instead of Colby, as she was more of a threat, and Jerri was suspicious that Candice might flip back.

7th: Danielle - Russell was concerned with Parvati's alliance with Danielle, so he tried to break up their alliance and get Danielle voted out. Parvati and Danielle were not turned against each other as Russell had planned; however, Russell succeeded in getting Jerri to vote for Danielle, which Rupert and Colby naturally did as well.

6th: Rupert - Parvati was originally targeted by Russell, but when she won immunity, he immediately decided to vote out Rupert as his second choice, backstabbing his alliance with Rupert and Colby. Sandra played the idol (as it was the last chance to do so), but to no effect, as the only ones who voted for her were Rupert and Colby.

5th: Colby-Was the last Hero remaining, so the villains voted him off 4-1

4th: Jerri-Russell wanted to stay true to his alliance with Parvati (shocker) and felt he needed Sandra in the final 3 to get jury votes, so Jerri was voted off 3-1

Final Three:

3rd: Russell-Everyone on the jury hated them, so they decided to vote for Parvati or Sandra for being friends with them.

2nd: Parvati-Danielle voted for her because of their history together this season. Jerri voted for her because the two were alligned but Russell continuously threatened Jerri throughout the season. Coach voted for her because his preconsumption of Parvati was incorrect and he recently became more "chivalrous" to the ladies.

1st: Sandra-The Heroes knew that had it not been for their dumb actions, Sandra was willing to help them against the Villains, and they all felt Sandra was still a Hero even though she was placed on the villains tribe. Furthermore, Sandra was good friends with Rupert and Courtney, gaining their votes.

Sandra wins, with six votes, and Parvati receives three. Russell got none.

Trivia

 * Some elimination orders in certain seasons stayed the same:
 * The elimination order of the returning Tocantins contestants remained the same, with Tyson being voted off 1st of the 3, Coach being voted off 2nd of the 3, and J.T. being the longest lasting of the 3.
 * The elimination order of the returning Palau contestants remained the same, with Stephenie being eliminated before Tom.
 * The elimination order of the returning Cook Islands contestants remained the same, with Candice going before Parvati.
 * The elimination order of the returning Exile Island contestants remained the same, with Cirie going before Danielle.
 * The elimination order of the returning Pearl Islands contestants remained the same, with Rupert being eliminated and Sandra winning.
 * Several eliminations sparked anger between the fans:
 * Stephenie was eliminated due to being on the outs on her tribe, where she could've been helpful to her tribe in winning challenges.
 * Tom was eliminated for the same reason as Stephenie and was sent home over the "crippled" James
 * Boston Rob was eliminated merely because of Russell's animosity and Jerri's nervousness, and he was the reason the Villains were successful in challenges
 * Coach was eliminated for being against Russell's alliance, despite being an inferior complex of Boston Rob (meaning he was the best player of the villains tribe post Rob's elimination)
 * Amanda was eliminated mainly due to Candice being a swing vote and getting Sandra back on the Villains' side, which further proves how Candice is not a Hero due to her history with the mutiny in her original season
 * Danielle was eliminated because Russell threatened Jerri and Russell was scared that Danielle and Parvati were more loyal to each other than him, further proving theories of Russell being so evil that he'd turn on his own alliance, even when he had a choice.
 * Jerri was eliminated because of Russell's paranoia that Jerri would sweep the jury, showing Russell's backstabber nature to his own alliance, when he could've voted off the last non-alliance member of the game: Sandra
 * 5 males were eliminated in a row: Tom, Tyson, James, Boston Rob, and Coach
 * This season induced a belief in dragonwidowshipping, an alleged relationship between Coach and Jerri
 * Courtney was the only villain to vote for Sandra to win
 * Due to the filming of the season being 10 days after Samoa, Russell had an "unfair advantage" because the other contestants didn't have a chance to see his previous season, and if they had, Russell most likely would've been the first villain voted off aside from Randy. However, despite the advantage, he still placed lower than in Samoa.
 * All members of the final 4 played an immunity idol
 * All members of the top 2 played an immunity idol and negated votes against them.
 * Excluding Boston Rob, all the returning All-Stars contestants were eliminated in a row: Rupert, Colby, and Jerri
 * Sugar, Randy, James, Courtney, Colby, and Jerri were the only contestants voted off unanimously
 * The tribal council when Boston Rob was voted off was the only tribal council in which votes were cast against 3 different players and all votes counted. Had there have been no immunity idols, the tribal councils housing the eliminations of Cirie and Tyson would have been categorized as such, too.
 * Tom was the only Hero to play an immunity idol
 * Tom was also the only person to be voted off in the tribal council immediately following the one in which he played his idol.
 * All of the returning castaways from Survivor: Tocantins made "dumb" moves this season:
 * J.T. gave his immunity idol to Russell
 * Coach voted for Courtney, being a cause in his own alliance member (Boston Rob)'s elimination
 * Tyson flipped his vote to Parvati, who used the idol, ensuring his own elimination
 * Jerri is the only contestant to rank higher than all of her previous seasons.
 * 4 contestants were considered for being removed from the game due to injury: Stephenie, Rupert, Rob, and James
 * Stephenie and James were the only two to get eliminated in the episode after their injury
 * Stephenie was the only female to be injured
 * Despite his injury, Rupert's performance in challenges post merge were considered the best out of the Heroes.
 * Jerri, Rupert, Cirie, Candice, James, Randy, Tyson, and Coach are the only contestants this season to not have made it to the end in a previous season.
 * A quarter of the contestants this season appeared in back to back seasons
 * Rupert was on Seasons 7 and 8 of Survivor
 * Stephenie was on Seasons 10 and 11 of Survivor
 * Amanda and James were on Seasons 15 and 16 of Survivor
 * Russell was on Seasons 19 and 20 of Survivor
 * Russell is the only villain to be in back to back seasons of Survivor
 * The only Hero that won individual immunity was Candice, and that was because of the forced double elimination of episode 6.
 * Former castaways that turned down an offer to be in this season were Yau-Man (Fiji, Micronesia), Corinne (Gabon), Elisabeth (Australia), and Colleen (Borneo).
 * Shane (Panama) and Richard (Borneo, All Stars) also were offered to return, but Richard was under house arrest under the state of Rhode Island and Shane was cut at the last minute for Russell.
 * Had Yau-Man returned, he would've been the lowest ranking contestant on this season (he was voted off 3rd in Micronesia)
 * Jonny Fairplay's absence in this season also upset some fans, but Jeff Probst stated that he wasn't picked for this season after he had pratically quit Micronesia.
 * Rudy (Borneo, All-Stars) was also considered to be on this season as a Hero, but him being 81, the oldest former Survivor castaway, was a clear issue.
 * A quarter of the contestants had appeared on the All-Stars edition.
 * From this season and on, there are only 3 contesants that have played in Survivor for over 100 days (Parvati, Boston Rob, and Amanda)
 * Natalie Bolton and Twila Tanner were also both considered.
 * Sandra is the only survivor in the history of the game to have won twice.