Chaos Is My Friend

Chaos Is My Friend is the eleventh episode of.

Day 28
When Solarrion returned to camp after voting out Jeremiah Wood, Jefra Bland was unapologetic about going back on her agreement to side with the minority of Jeremiah, Spencer Bledsoe and Tasha Fox, and conversation turned to Spencer’s wasted Hidden Immunity Idol. Kass McQuillen told Spencer that she’d known he’d had the Idol, given his confident body language and behaviour, but Spencer doubted her claims. In a confessional, he reiterated his resolve to fight for the game. "solarrion"

- Before Tribal, I thought it was a good idea to switch my vote over and join Jeremiah and Tasha and Spencer because I’ve been wanting to turn on Tony. But I’m in this alliance, I’m trying to look at the bigger picture and I felt like it would probably hurt me worse to go against Tasha and Spencer at the end of this game.

"solarrion"

- I had this feeling that Spencer had the Idol and, like a typical 21-year-old male, there was no way he was going to give that thing up. I mean, what is the most selfish beast on the planet? A college-aged male.

"solarrion"

- I used the Idol, and I used it wrong. So now my Idol’s gone, my main alliance is gone and Tasha and I are an army of two up against this Goliath army of five. But the fact is that Tasha and I are still here. Tonight we lost the battle. We have not lost the war.

Day 29
In the morning, Tony Vlachos and Woo Hwang returned to camp with Tree Mail, where Woo duped Trish Hegarty into lifting up the back of his shirt to reveal envelopes for the Survivor Auction, sending the tribe into celebration. While most of the tribe were excited to eat, Spencer, Tasha and Tony were all more interested in claiming an advantage in the game. "solarrion"

- When they came with the Tree Mail, Woo says, “Oh, my back is really bothering me,” and I was like, “Oh my gosh, are you okay?” And I open it up and I almost wet my pants when I saw it in his back – the wallets of money – and I knew it was the Auction, so I was really excited. ‘Cause I knew, at least, I’d get something to eat. And that’s all I wanted was something to eat outside of rice.

"solarrion"

- Historically, in the game of Survivor, every time there’s an Auction, there’s always some kind of advantage to a challenge. The second I hear Jeff say, “Adva...” (raises hand) Five hundred. I want that advantage and I don’t want Spencer or Tash to have it.

"solarrion"

- Right now, it’s me or Tasha going home. So me and Tasha have to be aggressive in this Auction, ‘cause this is our life right now.

Solarrion arrived at the Auction smiling, where Jeff Probst informed them of the rules of the game: bidding was to occur in $20 increments, no sharing of money was allowed and the auction would end without warning. For the first item, Jeff uncovered popcorn, candy and a glass of soft drink. Kass bid $40, which was raised to $60 by Jefra. Trish won out, bidding $80, and excitedly ate a “gummy” spurring the envy of her tribe.

Already, Tony was showing frustration as Jeff revealed the second – covered – item. Jefra bid $60, which Tasha raised to $80 before Jefra reclaimed it at $100. Jefra feared she’d purchased a pig brain, but Jeff revealed she had bought herself quesadillas, guacamole, salsa and a cold margarita.

The next item also remained covered and Kass bid at the minimum $20 and nobody challenged her, allowing her to win big. As she went to collect her prize, Trish turned to Tony and chided him for not bidding. Jeff then offered Kass a choice to trade what she’d bought for a smaller item. Making her decision by the colour of the covering, Kass chose to keep her original purchase, winning a steak sandwich and iced tea. As Spencer and Tony visibly displayed their anguish, Kass eagerly enjoyed her meal. "solarrion"

- My stomach is starting to tie up in knots. I didn’t know if I could hold out on temptation. I felt shaky, I felt light-headed and I just had to hold off. I wasn’t walking out of there without that advantage.

Jeff then put the covered item that Kass had passed on up for grabs. Woo bid $40, whilst Trish raised it to $60 where Woo bowed out. Jeff revealed that she had bought herself a bowl of rice and a glass of water, but despite her disappointment, once again told off her tribemates for being “cheap-o deep-os” and not bidding.

The next item Jeff revealed to be three succulent barbeque ribs and a bottle of cold beer. Woo bid $40, but yet again Spencer, Tasha and Tony held off on bidding, and Woo won the meal without competition. At the bench, Woo chowed down on the ribs, savouring the flavour. "solarrion"

- Because there are so few people actually vying for the food, this auction was a buyer’s market. Great deals, all of this food for so little money and I can’t even watch.

Jeff asked the tribe what was going on, since Spencer, Tasha and Tony had been holding off on placing any bids. Tony told him that he was waiting for an advantage, which Spencer and Tasha echoed. Jeff cut to the chase and brought out an advantage in the game. Immediately, Tony bid $500, but Jeff told him to wait, revealing that once the bidding reached the maximum, multiple people could pay the same price and bid on the chance to win the advantage, with the winner of a rock draw taking home the item. Tony and Spencer immediately bid $500, but Tasha backed out at the last minute.

Spencer and Tony approached Jeff, paid their money and drew rocks – with the black rock winning the advantage. Spencer drew first, followed by Tony. The two men then revealed their draws, with Tony having the black rock and winning the advantage, whilst Spencer only took home a useless white rock. Jeff then closed the auction and sent the tribe back to camp. In a confessional, Tasha revealed that she’d held off on matching the bid because she’d suspected another advantage might be offered, but her hopes had been dashed. "solarrion"

- I was hoping that Jeff would offer one more item, and that would be a clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol, but unfortunately, I left with nothing. So in order for me to stay here, I have to win Immunity.

Back at camp, Tony and Spencer debated the pros and cons of forgoing food for the advantage, but both agreed that Spencer was the real loser in the scenario. However, despite winning the advantage, Tony grew resentful that he had given up food for the game, although the members of his alliance felt that he had chosen to play the martyr and had no right to blame them for choosing a different opportunity. "solarrion"

- I needed an advantage in the game because right now, my head is top of the list on the chopping block and it was devastating. I draw the rock, I open my hand and the rock is white. Y’know, I just have a white rock. I have a new title. I’m the greatest loser at the Auction in Survivor history.

"solarrion"

- I had no guilt that Tony was the martyr for the team. I think I’ve done enough, so I felt glad. I mean, I won. Here I am, eating a giant meal and then I got to see Spencer have the true dejected look that I have come to know and love and expect from him when he knows he’s on the block.

Tony then headed down the beach to read his advantage to discover that it was not an advantage in the Immunity Challenge as he’d anticipated, but rather a clue to a Hidden Immunity Idol. Ecstatic about the power shift in his direction, Tony began searching the tree line on the beach for his second Idol. "solarrion"

- There’s five people in my alliance. All of them were eating. I sacrificed all that food. I’m starving. So I felt kind of disgusted, y’know? It’s like, why put all that weight on my shoulders? The girls don’t do anything. You guys wanted to eat, I starved. This is what I sacrificed not eating for. Right here. So as my alliance is all talking about how good they feel that they ate this and they ate that, I say, “Guys, I’m gonna be right back. I’m gonna go for a walk up the beach.” I open up my tube that I won at the Auction today and lo and behold: it’s not an advantage in the next Immunity Challenge, it’s a clue to a Hidden Immunity Idol! As it stands right now, I have a special-power Idol, and now I have the possibility of finding another Idol that I can just do whatever I want with it. If I could find it, I don’t have to worry about nothing. Once I have this bad boy, I’m in power.

Meanwhile, the women waded in the shallows discussing idle topics such as beach vacations. Tasha, however, hoped that by spending lots of time with Jefra, Kass and Trish, she might be able to instil the fear of a “women’s alliance” in Tony to her advantage. As Tony returned to camp with a bag of firewood, he noticed the women in the water, and Spencer also took advantage of the opportunity, confirming Tony’s suspicions that Tasha was working the women. Spencer reminded Tony that Jefra had not been lying to them and that she had agreed to flip on Tony at the last vote before getting cold feet: “One hundred percent, she says she wants to blindside you.” Tony bought Spencer’s lies and exaggerations "solarrion"

- If the group of five sticks together, the people on the chopping block are Spencer and myself. So I want Tony to know that there is a possibility that we could form an all-girl alliance and take him out. I want Tony to see me talking to them. Tony is a loose cannon. All you need to do is kinda light a little fire and he, basically, will spark.

"solarrion"

- I’m trying to plant seeds that will fester and make this alliance split. And so it might mean creating some fake paranoia about an all-girls alliance. Even if it’s not happening at all, it’s very powerful in this game right now. If I can make Tony paranoid, that’s gold because Tony’s crazy. Tony’s willing to play hard, but not always well, and that’s great in this game because if I can get someone in power to make mistakes and go ballistic, then, y’know, I’m still here and anyone could be going home at that point.

"solarrion"

- When Spencer told me that the girls could be in cahoots with each other, and they want to oust the guys, I was thinking that, you know what? Hold up, don’t trust Spencer just yet ‘cause he’s desperate, but you’ve got to look into it. Then I said to myself, y’know what? It just makes so much sense. They’re gonna say guys are threats – let’s just try to get rid of them one-by-one and they can do it because right now we have four girls, three guys. All the tell-tale signs are there that they need to blindside me. They won’t want me to go to the end. But I’m not going anywhere. I’ll take matters into my own hands like I usually do.

Reward
Challenge: Survivor Auction

The castaways were each given $500 to bid on items including food and idol clues. Pooling or sharing money was not permitted, and the auction would end without notice.

Immunity
Challenge: Inside Track

The castaways had to dig in a circle of sand until they found a rope, which ran underground and was tied to five bags. Once the castaways pulled all five bags up and out of the ground, they had to untie the bags, each releasing one ball. They would then have to maneuver the balls, one at a time, down a small maze and navigate them into five holes. The first castaway to land all five balls win immunity.

Winner: Tasha Fox

Voting Confessionals
"solarrion"

- I already saved you once, I'm not doing it again.

"solarrion"

- The moral of the story is actually play the game before you get played.

Final Words
"solarrion"

- Clearly, somebody in the five-alliance flipped on me. I suspect Woo and Tony, because, if Tony wanted to get me out, then Woo went right along with it. So, they fooled me. And wished I would have jumped ships, um, a Tribal sooner when I had the chance, but I'm not a person who lives with regrets. So, it's how I played the game, and this is how I have to go out.

Others

 * Jefra's elimination makes Solana tie with Ulong for the earliest tribe extinction, as both tribes had their last surviving member eliminated on Day 30 in 7th place.
 * This is the fourth consecutive time that a member of the original Solana was voted out.
 * Kass revealed that she had also won a brownie and iced coffee through a $20 blind bid on a covered item at the Auction, but the scene was cut from the final episode.

Episode Title

 * The episode title is paraphrased from a comment made by Tony at Tribal Council, regarding his intention for the vote.