Bag of Tricks

Bag of Tricks is the ninth episode of.

The episode saw Tony Vlachos turn on his majority alliance to vote out his biggest threat, LJ McKanas.

Day 22
Solarrion returned from Tribal Council after voting out Morgan McLeod and Tony Vlachos immediately confronted the minority alliance of Jeremiah Wood, Spencer Bledsoe and Tasha Fox for throwing their votes against him for the second consecutive Tribal. Spencer told him that it was because he was a threat, but Tony countered that they’d voted out Morgan because she wasn’t “worthy” of playing the game. Tasha reasoned that they knew their votes were inconsequential, but Tony, still agitated, argued that they could have come to the majority and voted with them against Morgan, but Spencer and Tasha, while adding that they would have been happy to vote Morgan, argued that it was a “two-way street.” In a confessional, Tony continued to elaborate on his growing paranoia, noting that he thought he might have to get rid of one of his own alliance-mates before they made the first move. "solarrion"

- When Jeff turned over that card and it said “Tony,” I probably pooped on myself. I wasn’t expecting to see my name. I’m a forty-year-old, bald old man. You have Woo that’s clearly more athletic than me. You have LJ that’s younger and more athletic than me. Why am I a threat? Why is everyone trying to get me out? Now, here we are again: six against three. But it’s never that easy just because you have three sitting ducks. I could be gone tomorrow. I’m not going to sit there and make a fool out of myself saying, “Yeah, I can’t wait for when we get to the six.” That chance might never come for me. And it’s definitely not going to come for some of them.

Day 23
In the morning, LJ McKanas and Trish Hegarty discussed Tony’s blow-up the previous night, worrying that his anxiety might push him into “scramble mode.” Later, Tony took a walk with LJ where he manipulated LJ into saying that he was okay with blindsiding Woo Hwang, after Tony claimed he was worried the latter had found a Hidden Immunity Idol. "solarrion"

- I think a lot of the trouble in this game comes from when people start getting paranoid; people start getting impatient. Tony definitely has some paranoia and some OCD stuff and some... He spins a lot. His brain is going all the time. But this is a game of patience right now. So hopefully he doesn’t do anything stupid.

"solarrion"

- Looking at LJ’s like looking at myself in the mirror. He’s sharp, he’s keeping himself two, three steps ahead. So I would like to see LJ gone, but I don’t want to be the bad one to get rid of LJ because he is my alliance. We’re tight and he trust me one hundred percent. So I have to try to trick LJ to make him want to break a promise he made to one of our six. Once he does that, that’s my safe way out. I’m not only leading the horse to the water, but I’m going to make the horse drink the water. That’s my goal right now. I’m telling LJ that I’m very nervous about Woo having an Idol, but it’s not true. LJ proposed to me that we blindside Woo. That’s all I wanted to hear. So I’m going to tell people, “You don’t know what he’s thinking.” He’s quiet and he’s sneaky, and that’s more scarier than a person like me. Y’know, I’m in your face, but LJ, on the other hand, he’s been thinking about all you guys since Day One behind your backs and you wouldn’t even know about it. And that’s what I have to do. I have to pin everybody against LJ.

Day 24
The next day, Kass McQuillen and Tasha returned to camp with Tree Mail that informed them of a Reward Challenge which would earn the winners a spa day, which particularly excited Jefra Bland. Immediately, Tony was determined to win the challenge in order to counter any strategy talk that might develop at the reward itself. "solarrion"

- So today we get Tree Mail and it says it’s gonna be a Reward Challenge. And when you go in for Reward and get pampered and people get sensitive and emotions come out, they might form bonds. There’s possibility of talk there. There’s possibilities of strategies being mentioned and scenarios. So it’s very scary and that’s why I want to win this challenge. If anybody’s strategizing, coming up with plans, it’s gonna be me.

At the Reward Challenge, Jeff Probst welcomed in Solarrion and explained the challenge: Supertramp. The contestants would be divided into three teams of three. First, one member of the team would throw a ball, connected to a rope, through a high hoop to hook the hoop and release twenty sandbags. A member of the team would then attempt to throw each sandbag through a long net tunnel. Once all the sandbags were in the tunnel, the entire team would work the sandbags through to the end, where one team member would bounce the sandbags off a trampoline and into one of five nets on the ground. The first team to land a sandbag in each of the nets would win reward in the form of a spa day including a shower with soap and shampoo, a massage and a lunch comprising chicken wraps, spring rolls and tropical cocktails.

The randomly divided teams were Jefra, LJ and Trish (Orange Team), Kass, Tasha and Woo (Purple Team) and Jeremiah, Spencer and Tony (Green Team). LJ, Tasha and Jeremiah were the first to attempt the hoop-hooking. On his second throw, Jeremiah released the Green Team’s sandbags, putting them in the lead, and Jeremiah then took on the task of throwing the bags into the tunnel. Meanwhile, Tasha tagged out to let Woo try hooking the hoop for Purple as LJ released Orange’s sandbags, and began throwing them into the tunnel. Woo, shortly thereafter, released Purple’s sandbags to put them back in the game.

Green were the first to get all of their sandbags into the tunnel and the team began working them out the other end by bouncing them and pushing their fingers through the coarse net to nudge them along. Woo made up some ground for Purple as he quickly got the hang of throwing the bags into the tunnel, but LJ, not missing a single throw, maintained Orange’s position.

As Orange gained on them, Green retrieved all of their sandbags and Tony began bouncing them into the nets, landing three in a row before Orange had even caught up. Jefra started the bouncing for Orange as Purple retrieved their sandbags. As LJ took over from Jefra, and Woo stepped up to the trampoline, Tony landed the last two sandbags to win the challenge for the Green Team before either of the other teams had scored once. Jeremiah, Spencer and Tony headed off for their reward as the rest of the tribe returned to camp. "solarrion"

- Winning reward – sometimes it can be very crucial in the game. I’m gonna talk to Spencer and Jeremiah because I’m thinking of blindsiding LJ. I mean, you might as well just call me the opportunist because if I see an opportunity, I’m gonna jump on it.

Back at camp, Woo was disappointed about losing the challenge, but was glad Tony was on the reward with Spencer and Jeremiah, expecting him to keep tabs on the minority. Jefra shared Woo’s optimism about the strength of the Solana alliance, but LJ took her and Trish out in the canoe and told them that Tony was paranoid about Woo having an Idol. He told them that Tony had suggested they take out Woo immediately, but he’d sought to calm him down, citing that they had three easy votes ahead of them (Tasha, Jeremiah and Spencer), and in confessionals, elaborated that he was still loyal to Tony and to the Six. Trish and Jefra agreed that they had to flush the minority because they’d win if they made it to the Final Tribal Council. Trish continued that she’d “put out Tony’s fire,” and the three reiterated their allegiance to the Six. "solarrion"

- Coming back from the challenge, I’m just picturing myself getting my mani and pedi on while just grinding down a nice fatty chicken wrap and just following that bad boy down with a nice cold mimosa. But, y’know, boom! I snap back into reality like oh man, I’m gonna be probably spending hours on the fire and, y’know, eating a plate of white rice. But, y’know, on a lighter note it’s kinds nice to know that my boy Tony is going to keep an eye on Spencer and Jeremiah and just make sure they don’t jeopardise our game plan.

"solarrion"

- Everybody’s down because we didn’t win the reward, but personally, it doesn’t bother me. As great as it would have been, I’m still here in the game and I really do believe in our core six. I think we all know that it’s best if we stick together right now.

"solarrion"

- The fact that Tony got a lot of votes at Tribal Council made him really feel like: “They want to get rid of me, they want to get rid of me!” But it doesn’t matter because I built a strong bond with Tony that my loyalty is there. I pulled the Idol out for him and we’re in it to the end. And I trust that he’ll do the right thing.

"solarrion"

- Tony’s panicking ‘cause he thinks that Woo might have found the Idol. And I know how to get to Tony. So I said, I can tell Tony that he needs to relax.

"solarrion"

- I made a plan for the future and it relies on patience and as long as we go with the plan, we can control everything.

At the Spa Reward, Spencer was optimistic that the time alone might give him a chance to better his game. As the three enjoyed their food and then took turns in the shower, Tony started a strategy discussion with Spencer and Jeremiah, telling them that it was never as easy as them being the next three to go. From the shower, Jeremiah asked Tony if he was comfortable in the game, but Tony denied it and told them that he would approach them when the time came. Spencer asked if the time would come when they were still around, promising them as “pawns” for Tony. As the three then enjoyed a foot massage, Tony told them that he was worried he was being viewed as a threat by his own alliance and told them he’d protect them through the next vote as he needed them down the line, and the two agreed to work with. However, Jeremiah and Spencer both revealed in confessionals that they doubted Tony’s true intentions. "solarrion"

- For me, Reward Challenges are a chance to better my position in the game. Right now, I definitely have the odds stacked against me, I’m not in a powerful position and I’m down, but I’m not out. And I’ve been down before and I got back up. So there’s no reason I can’t get it back. I was really happy to be paired up with Jeremiah, who’s kind of like my right-hand man at this point, and Tony, a guy I’d like to hear from and see where his head is at. Who knows? Maybe it will give me new life in the game.

"solarrion"

- Talking to Jeremiah and Spencer is allowing me to have another big move that’s gonna get me to the top. I just need them for one vote when it’s time to take LJ out and then I’ll go back to my alliance. But right now, they’re desperate. When people are desperate, you do the thinking for them. So whatever I tell them, they’ve got to go with it. If they go against me, they’re sealing their own fate.

"solarrion"

- Tony saying that he’s guaranteeing that he’s got my back, that he’s guaranteeing that he’s got Spencer’s back. Y’know, his wheels are turning and he’s trying to play the game. So right now, I’ve got to believe him a little bit. Y’know, but still I have my doubts. He might be playing us. He might be just getting us pumped up thinking we’re feeling all good then our name’s wrote down, you know what I’m saying?

"solarrion"

- Right now I’ll be honest. I don’t trust Tony all that much. Tony is playing a lot of people right now. He’s juggling a lot of balls and I’m just one of them. He doesn’t know this, but I have an Idol and if I feel uneasy, I will not hesitate to use it. But I’m going to tell Tony that I trust him one hundred percent because if he can take me a little further down the road, I might find a little detour that could take me all the way.

Day 25
The next morning, as LJ and Tony worked to start the fire and discussed the spa reward, Tasha considered approaching LJ about a new alliance. Later, as they lay alone in the shelter, she asked him if he was “willing to talk.” He told her he was “willing to listen,” and Tasha told him she had a proposition for him and asked him to meet her discreetly away from camp. However, LJ remained in the shelter, not wanting his absence to fuel Tony’s paranoia. Meanwhile, Tasha waited for him down the beach, but when he stood her up, she expressed her frustration in a confessional. "solarrion"

- It’s Day 25 and I’m in a three-person alliance up against a six-person alliance. It doesn’t take a CPA like myself to do that math. So I need to convince someone to flip or make a big move. And I think LJ is smart enough to realise that Tony is not going to take another strong guy to the end.

"solarrion"

- Tasha wants to take me aside and have a conversation. I told her I was willing to listen, but Tony’s just a flaming ball of anxiety right now and if I go take a walk somewhere with Tasha, that is just more fuel to the fire. Either way, there’s no situation where I feel like she can benefit me in my future gameplay because I trust Tony. He’s the reason I’m still out here. So long as we stick to the plan we have attacked, we’ll be good.

"solarrion"

- I invited LJ to rendezvous with me to discuss some strategy and he stood me up. If LJ was man enough to make a big move, he can take Jefra, Spencer, Jeremiah and I and blindside Tony. But it’s clear Tony’s running the show around here and everyone is under Tony’s thumb. So unless something changes, I’m screwed.

Later, the tribe received Tree Mail for the Immunity Challenge. Tony, still paranoid that LJ might turn on him, hoped that someone else would win the challenge, and he could work to get out his biggest threat that night. Solarrion then departed for the challenge. "solarrion"

- This challenge today is huge. I’m thinking in my head: LJ’s a clever guy. It’s going to be a matter of who throws the first punch between the both of us. Timing is everything and this could be my time to strike. So if LJ doesn’t win Immunity, he might be the next one going home.

At the Immunity Challenge, Jeff took back the Immunity Necklace from Spencer, and then revealed the challenge: Living Color. In a memory challenge, the contestants would be shown a sequence of colored tiles, and would have to repeat the sequence back. An incorrect answer would expel them from the challenge until only one remained, who would win Immunity.

The first sequence was: Yellow, Blue, Red, Green. All contestants correctly answered the first tile, but on the second tile, Trish incorrectly answered Red, eliminating her from the challenge. Woo followed her on the next tile where he incorrectly answered Green. The remaining seven contestants correctly finished the sequence.

The second sequence was: Red, Green, Purple, Black, Blue, Green, Blue. All seven castaways correctly answered the first five tiles. However, on the sixth tile, Jefra, Kass and Spencer answered Yellow, whilst Jeremiah answered Red, eliminating them from the challenge. This left three: LJ, Tasha and Tony. For the last color of the sequence all three gave different answers: Tony answered yellow, LJ answered Red and Tasha answered Blue. Tony thought he was wrong, and thought the answer had been Red. Jeff confirmed it and he took a spot on the bench. Both LJ and Tasha both said they were confident that their answer was correct, but the answer was blue, meaning that Tasha won Immunity. As the tribe headed back to the beach, LJ considered splitting the vote between Jeremiah and Spencer. "solarrion"

- When Tash won the Immunity, y’know, immediately my mind starts cranking. Tonight, all we need to do is split the votes three-three between Spencer and Jeremiah so, pending everyone sticks to the plan, one of them’s going home.

Back at camp, Tasha, relieved to have Immunity, was congratulated by her tribe. Meanwhile, LJ shared his plan to split the vote with the rest of his alliance to counter an Idol. He noted that the plan was foolproof unless someone flipped, and Trish was confident that nobody would. Jefra proposed that the girls vote for Jeremiah and the boys vote for Spencer and the alliance agreed. Tony, however, was determined to put his plan for an LJ blindside in motion. "solarrion"

- I’m so excited. This was a do or die challenge for me today. I knew that I had a one-third chance of being voted out tonight so this pretty little thing around my neck secures three more days in this game for me. So, in your face, LJ. ‘’(laughs)’’

"solarrion"

- I, actually for the first time in this game, feel comfortable. We have a majority of six, so Spencer and Jeremiah are easy pickings. But Tony’s concerned that Woo might have an Idol and maybe we should do something about it which is just so stupid. I mean, we made a plan that we’re all agreed to, we all did our pinky swear. So we need to just stick to the plan.

"solarrion"

- Here’s the deal: I’m not going to wait to get a punch thrown at me by LJ. He said he was willing to blindside Woo. It’s true I kind of set him up, but I don’t care. I’m gonna try to pin all the troublemaking around camp on LJ because that’s what I have to do. LJ’s a threat. So I gotta strike now before he gets the idea of doing it to me. But first, I have a lot of work to do.

Later, Tony approached Woo and told him that LJ wanted to blindside him. A stunned Woo told Tony he was down with whatever needed to be done to keep him in the game. Tony then went to Spencer to call him to action, telling them that LJ was targeting Woo and going back on his promise. He told Spencer to pass on the message to Jeremiah and Tasha, and get them all to vote for LJ. Spencer passed the details onto Jeremiah, who was eager for the move. "solarrion"

- I was one hundred percent down with the Six. But apparently LJ, Mister Con Man, for some reason wants to blindside me. If he’s coming to Tony, my closest ally, and saying Woo is gonna go, we might have to make a big move before he does. I trust Tony that he’s got my back, so it’s great to have him on my side. And if all goes well, man, it’s gonna be another huge night at Tribal Council.

"solarrion"

- Tony initially wanted to save me and Jeremiah for a later move. But apparently, LJ is plotting to get out Woo. So Tony’s ready to make a big move now. I’m definitely stoked. It’s kind of like Christmas morning. I woke up expecting to see nothing but ashes and coal under the tree, and there’s this present of “Let’s vote out LJ.” It’s kind of too good to be true. This could be a big lie so that I don’t play my Immunity Idol tonight. Still, I’m going to take anything I can get right now ‘cause if I can get just a little bit further down the road, have a few votes go my way, it’s a whole new game for me.

Tony continued his scheme by approaching Trish, asking her what had happened back at camp whilst he was at the spa reward. She told him that LJ had said that Tony was thinking about blindsiding Woo, but Tony denied it, lying that it had been the other way around. Trish was skeptical, saying that LJ didn’t think blindsiding Woo was a good move, but Tony argued that LJ knew that the three Brawn were tight and he was trying to break them up. Tony proposed that she join him and Woo, and the minority alliance, in voting out LJ, but a suspicious Trish wanted to keep the alliance together until the Final Six. Later, Trish told Kass that Tony was getting dangerously paranoid, but the two were confident that the alliance would stick together as it didn’t make sense for someone to jump ship. Meanwhile, Spencer and Jeremiah were suspicious that Tony might be playing them, as Tony reconsidered his plan in light of Trish’s trepidation. "solarrion"

- Tony’s getting really, really paranoid. He told me today at the well that LJ was trying to break the Six. But LJ told me a totally different story. He said, “Oh my God, Tony is totally freaking out. He wants Woo gone.” So, I don’t know what to believe now. It’s definitely possible that LJ is up to something. I think LJ’s up to a lot because he wants to win. But Tony’s also played me and I am gullible, but I’m not stupid. So there’s no way that I’m going to break up the Six.

"solarrion"

- I love a good blindside, but it’s too soon. No one wants to make a big move right now. You’d be stupid. And I think Tony knows that. All six of us are in a great position as long as we stick with our alliance.

"solarrion"

- Right now, I have a huge plan in play, but Trish is telling me let’s just keep the Six strong. So if I get rid of LJ, there’s going to be a lot of hard feelings. Trish has been with me since Day One. She’s my closest ally, but if I do this, she might turn her back on me and the whole thing could blow up in my face. If that’s the case, then I’m going to have to stick with my alliance. I’d rather make my power move now, but in life, as in Survivor, you’ve got to know when to kiss ass and gotta know when to kick ass. Unfortunately I’m in a position right now where I might have to kiss ass and get rid of Spencer or Jeremiah.

At Tribal Council, Jeff first welcomed in the Jury: Sarah Lacina and Morgan. He then asked Jeremiah if he, Spencer and Tasha were still in trouble. He answered that the majority alliance were strong, and that he and Spencer were expecting the worst. Asked if she had any empathy for the three on the bottom, given she’d put them there, Kass countered that “it’s the game, Jeff, and from here on out, people may start making moves like I made. You can’t play this game and not get a little dirty.” Tony added that it could be confusing, but they’d all signed up for a game where they could be deceived. He then lifted up his bag, telling the tribe that that was why he’d “brought [his] bag of tricks today.” When Jeff asked him what was in said bag, Tony said they might find out that night.

Asked if that was what she wanted to hear, Tasha said that such unpredictability was why she was glad she had Immunity as “alliances appear really tight, but the longer you can stay in it, the more you might see fractures in ‘tight’ alliances,” emphasizing her statement with air quotes. LJ was asked about Tasha’s use of air quotes, but LJ countered that she had just gotten a “reality check” and was blindly hopeful of a crack in the majority. He added that he was “vaguely approached” by the minority, but argued that there was no need to stir trouble in the “watertight” group.

Jeff continued, asking LJ if his line of work had any bearing on loyalty. The horse trainer said that it was a huge part of his occupation, but it was “very difficult to find” and he considered that he had a “pretty good gauge” for loyalty. Tony, was asked the same question. He maintained his construction worker cover, and claimed that trust was a part of his day-to-day life as well, citing missing tools as evidence. Kass added that loyalty was important back home, but countered that she’d “checked [her] life at the door” and that selfishness was essential to advancing in Survivor, and the balance between a player and a person was difficult to find.

Woo was asked when the time would come when it was time to get rid of threats within the alliance. He said that while paranoia was growing, it made sense to “go with the flow” and ride the alliance until the minority were gone. Spencer said he didn’t know who was on the bottom of the opposing alliance, but stated that someone definitely was and that the people championing the strength of the alliance could be those people. Trish felt that the “Brady Bunch” alliance would become dysfunctional quickly, as something would eventually “have to break.” Asked when it could happen, Trish said it could happen that very night, but that that would surprise her. However, she added that she was always surprised at Tribal, which made it both fun and sickening at the same time.

Jeff then called the vote. Woo voted first, followed by LJ, Trish and Jefra. Spencer then cast his vote for LJ, and was followed by Jeremiah, Kass, Tasha and, finally, Tony. Jeff then tallied the votes.

Nobody chose to play a Hidden Immunity Idol, and Jeff then read the votes. The first vote was for LJ, followed by another two for him. The next three votes then came up for Jeremiah, tying the tally at 3-3. The next vote was for Spencer, to bring the tally to 3-3-1. When a fourth vote for LJ was then read, confusion began to spread through the majority alliance and excitement through the Jury. When the final vote was also for “El Jay,” Spencer fist-pumped in excitement. LJ collected his torch, commenting, “Well played.” Jeff snuffed his torch, and LJ became the tenth person eliminated from  and the third member of the Jury. As he departed, Jefra turned to Tony to ask him if he’d flipped and Jeff sent Solarrion back to camp, reminding them that it was an individual game.

Reward
Challenge: Supertramp

The castaways will be divided in three teams. One member of the team must throw a rope with a hook in a box with sandbags at the top of a platform and pull the hook to drop twenty sandbags. Then another team member must toss the sandbags to another who must throw them in a net tube. When all the sandbags are inside the net tube, all the members of the team must maneuver the sandbags through the tube. Then one member must toss the sandbags in a trampoline to reach five net baskets. The first team to put one sandbag on each basket, wins reward.

Reward: Trip to a Survivor Spa reward with Lunch

Winners: Jeremiah Wood, Spencer Bledsoe and Tony Vlachos

Immunity
Challenge: Living Color

Jeff would reveal a cycle of colored tiles to the castaways. Once the cycle is complete, the castaways would recite the pattern back by placing colored tiles in a chute. If they are incorrect, they would be eliminated. The last castaway standing wins immunity.

Winner: Tasha Fox

voting confessionals
"solarrion"

- (voting for LJ) Fingers crossed. Here’s to another Cagayan blindside.

final words
"solarrion"

- So I was clearly blindsided. It’s very hard to find the balance between patience and being assertive because if you move too soon, you can bite yourself in the butt, but if you wait too long, you could see yourself looking into a lens, saying, “Where did I go wrong?”

Other

 * Tasha Fox's immunity win was the first time an African-American woman won Individual Immunity since Jolanda Jones in .
 * Tasha's immunity win was the first for an African-American woman post-Merge since Vecepia Towery in.
 * The end of this episode marks the first time that there were more Brains left than at least one of the other starting tribes, as there are only 2 Beauty castaways left.
 * All of the members of the Green and Purple Teams, except Kass McQuillen, during the Reward Challenge voted against LJ McKanas on this episode's Tribal Council.
 * Tony Vlachos had the most confessionals this episode, with eight.
 * This was the third episode in which Tony had the most confessionals, following Cops-R-Us and We Found Our Zombies.
 * This was the third episode of the season in which every remaining castaway received a confessional, following Hot Girl With a Grudge (Part 1) and We Found Our Zombies.
 * At the end of this episode, Jefra Bland is the only remaining castaway to not switch tribes in the swap.
 * The Challenge Living Color was filmed in Blood vs. Water's Redemption Island Arena.

Episode Title

 * The episode quote was said by Tony, saying he brought his "bag of tricks" to Tribal Council.