Back to the Beach

Back to the Beach is the premiere episode of Survivor: Marquesas.

Challenges
Immunity Challenge: Outrigger Fire Quest Carrying an outrigger canoe outfitted with two torches, the tribes had to swim with the canoe out into the ocean, light the torches from a fire cauldron, then race back to shore while lighting a series of torches along the way. The first tribe to have successfully lit all the torches and cross the finish line would win.

Winner: Rotu

Day 1
Sixteen Americans embarked into a journey of a lifetime. Stranded in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia, they will face a Survivor first, competing without any given food rations at the beginning of the game. Unknown to the castaways, their supply crates only contained a pair of machetes, three pans, a fillet knife, two water containers and a magnifying glass, but no food. The sixteen survivors were segregated into two rival tribes, Maraamu and Rotu (Tahitian words for "Southern Wind" and "Rain" respectively). After a long ferry ride aboard the fishing vessel "Amaryllis," the two tribes jumped off to paddle two miles to their respective encampments.

At the yellow-colored Maraamu tribe, while getting close to shore, Sean Rector got irked that one of his tribemates was just sitting on top of their raft while the rest were paddling. Sean commented: "Sarah's arrival was almost like Cleopatra." Claiming that he never saw a beach in his entire life, Sean revealed: I've never been on a ocean. Ever. In the hood there ain't a lot of pools and I don't really swim too much." Upon reaching shore, Sean lied down to the shoreline, extremely tired. Thinking it was a miracle, Sean added, "We didn't do this on our own, God's hand was definitely under the raft guiding us."

Over at the blue Rotu tribe, Kathy frantically led the tribe to create fire. The tribe further struggled when clouds continually shielded the sun. While their attempts to make fire were futile, Kathy wasted no time by barking orders at her tribemates to at least have shelter before nighttime. Gabriel commented: "Kathy is now the Skipper. Maybe it's her personality or the difficulty being out here, but I don't know. We don't need a Skipper out here."

Back at Maraamu, realizing that their supply crate did not have any food, Hunter expressed that creating fire was the most important. Hunter's leadership sent Gina in awe. Gina said: "I am already in love with Hunter. He is a great person and we have so much in common. Hunter knows a little bit about everything." Eventually, it was Peter's Yoga-style, deep breathing technique ignited a spark for Maraamu. At nightfall, Sarah cuddled Rob for warmth. Vecepia commented: "Sarah has a very cute body and paid a lot for it, and if you have it, of course flaunt it."

Day 2
The Rotu tribe awoke realizing that they have to locate their water source. Much to their surprise, their water source was none other an a beautiful waterfall. As they fill their water tanks, they went on taking a bath, though Kathy was skeptical of the find, for she learned that the waterfall contained brackish water, thus needing to boil it before drinking. Kathy said: "Now we need that damn fire. I am going to work on it until it's dark."

Maraamu on the other hand was struggling to find food. Right after locating a fruit-bearing tree, Boston Rob heard an unfamiliar sound, a chicken! As soon as Boston Rob saw the clucking chicken, a chase down the jungle ensued, though Rob failed to catch it. An exasperated (not to mention disappointed) Rob declared: "I had no idea that roosters could fly, but this rooster took off like a 747 and he was out of here and that was it."

Things were not as jovial on Rotu, when Kathy's iron fist style of leadership continue to rub her tribemates the wrong way. John commented: "Of course we know we need to start fire, but to have someone pushing you like Kathy did really started to become grating." After a heated argument between John and Kathy, John only had this to say: "I am Irish so I have a temper, and she sparked it. Now I became fixated with starting a fire to combat my outburst." Despite the brewing conflicts, the Rotu tribe finally managed to have fire. By nighttime, Kathy's hard exterior became warmer after having fire.

Day 3
Upon receiving their first Tree Mail, the two competing tribes convened for their first Immunity Challenge, where host Jeff Probst revealed that there will be no further assistance coming for the castaways. Maraamu made a fatal mistake by accidentally dropping their torch at the sea, bagging an easy win for Rotu.

Back at camp, the defeated Maraamu tribe had to decided on which one of them should go home. Sean revealed: "The party is over. We first got here, we started the fire, everybody worked, but now the reality is set in; somebody has to go." Peter targeted Patricia for elimination for being the eldest female. Feeling vulnerable herself, Patricia declared: "I may not be twenty-five, I am twice that. I may not win a foot race, but I can endure." Others flirted with the idea of getting rid of Sarah, after the "Cleopatra" incident. In the end, Peter was considered as playing the game too early for gunning Patricia, and with his kooky demeanor, the bowling alley manager was first to be voted out in a 5-2-1 vote.

Voting Confessionals
(In order of voting)
 * Peter: "Tricia, you deserved to stay."
 * Gina: Unavailable
 * Patricia: Unavailable
 * Vecepia: Unavailable
 * Sarah: "This person is a very nice person, but he did a couple things today that really kinda that threw me off. So, my vote is for Peter."
 * Hunter: Unavailable
 * Rob: Unavailable
 * Sean: "Sarah, I love you like a play cousin, I just don't think you're doing your end of the bargain."

Final Words
"Sometimes I take myself a little too seriously, I wish I had heeded my wife's advice of just come to this island and have fun and truly the other seven contestants, I love them dearly, and I'll have fun memories of this adventure."

- Peter Harkey

Trivia

 * This is one of the second known time that a challenge was conducted at Tribal Council grounds. This also marks the second season that the facade of Tribal Council was featured during daylight, following the "Butch Cassidy" Reward Challenge from Australia.
 * This episode also marked the first eliminated castaway to be a male, after the first three seasons having a female getting voted out first.

Links

 * CBS Episode Summary