A Sinking Ship

A Sinking Ship
Episode Information
Version	United States
Season	Heroes vs. Villains
Episode Number	12/15 (303)
Original Release	May 6, 2010
Viewership (in Millions)	13.06
Ratings/Share (18-49)	4.1/11
Episode Chronology
Previous	"Jumping Ship"
Next	"Loose Lips Sink Ships"
Subpages

A Sinking Ship is the twelfth episode of Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.

Story

“	Sensing that he is in danger, a hero makes a bold move to save himself by fooling the entire tribe. Meanwhile, a vicious power struggle emerges in one alliance and two of the strongest villains find themselves pitted against one another.	”
—Episode Synopsis

Night 30

The tribe returns from Tribal Council after Candice Woodcock had flipped alliances from the Heroes Alliance to Russell's Villains Alliance, causing Sandra Diaz-Twine to have to stay with the Villains as well. Despite Candice's flip, Jerri Manthey does not see Candice as a long term asset for her alliance.

	Jerri	“	Tribal Council was interesting. Candice, she helped us out in that one vote; get some numbers, and now she's a threat. Someone who flips over that quickly to our side will just as easy flip-flop back, so we don't really need her anymore.	”

When Rupert Boneham and Colby Donaldson get back, they badmouth Candice to each other for ruining the Heroes' chances. Rupert is angry for having their best chance to regain control of the game foiled. They call Candice weak, self-centered, greedy, and other names.

	Rupert	“	Candice was a pitiful player and she just proved it to me tonight. She deserved to be on the Villains tribe. Colby and I are standing out on a sinking ship now, there are no other Heroes.	”

Day 31

That following morning, Rupert voices his disgust at Russell Hantz by calling him out during breakfast for being a terrible human being. Russell says all of his actions are just part of the game, but Rupert says he has played twice before and has never stooped as low as Russell. The argument quickly devolves into personal insults and attacks between the two men as the rest of the tribe watches on.

	Rupert	“	I think Russell is just a deceitful person and anything he says is a lie. He could be worse than Jonny Fairplay! He is. With all that building up inside me, I have to say something to Russell Hantz. My only hope is to show the Villains that disgusting side and ask them truly do they want to be involved in that?	”

	Russell	“	I don't want Rupert here because Rupert's sitting there trying to stir up stuff trying to make me mad. I'm just saying pack your stuff, pack your stuff, partner. Get your tie-dye ready because you're going home.	”

The tribe arrives at the next challenge, where host Jeff Probst reveals the challenge today is not a Reward Challenge, but an Immunity Challenge, much to the surprise of the remaining castaways. During the course of the challenge, everyone but Parvati Shallow and Rupert drop out at some point for food temptations. Parvati and Rupert hang on for a long time. After losing his concentration for a moment, Rupert falls off and Parvati wins individual immunity. Jeff announces a twist by reading a clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol at the end of the challenge.

As soon as the tribe returns to camp from the challenge, everyone immediately begins to fan out into the jungle in search for the idol. Ultimately, Sandra is the one who is able to find it, but she keeps it to herself and doesn't share it with anybody else.

	Sandra	“	At the challenge, Jeff read a clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol so the minute we get to camp, all of a sudden people just started running. The clue said there'll be a burning bush and in the shadow will be an idol. Candice and Russell start digging where there's this big red bush, but across from them is another big red bush so I start digging and I see it.	”

Rupert, knowing he is the main target of the Villains at this point, hatches a plan to keep himself around by faking that he has the idol. Rupert takes a large stone from the river and puts it in his pocket to make it look like he has an idol. As Rupert returns to camp, Russell sees him and the bulge in Rupert's side pocket and immediately believes that Rupert has found the idol.

	Russell	“	I have a lot of experience with idols. Rupert has a big bulky thing in his pocket. It's the idol wrapped up in the paper. Now we have to get rid of the idol, so how are we going to do this? It's easy. We'll split the votes tonight, if he don't play it, he goes home. That's how we'll do it.	”

Russell tells Sandra that Rupert has the idol, and the plan for splitting the votes to get rid of him. Unbeknownst to Russell, Sandra already has the idol for herself and privately laughs at Russell for believing Rupert's bluff.

	Sandra	“	Russell swears that Rupert found the idol. Of course I know that's a lie because I have the frickin' Immunity Idol. So if they believe Rupert has it, that's good for Sandra, so I won't say nothing.	”

The rest of the Villains alliance meets together and confirm that to avoid the idol, they will need to split the votes, which is possible since they are now an alliance of six. Everyone unanimously agrees Rupert is the prime target who should be sent home if he doesn't play his idol. Parvati says they should put the alternate target on Colby, but Jerri immediately speaks up to object and says she wants the secondary target to be Candice.

	Danielle	“	Colby and Candice are both threats in different ways, that's why - it's a hard decision. Candice voted with us to vote out Amanda and I really think she'll stay loyal to us. Colby's really not doing any strategizing, so I think I could get him to do whatever, but I don't know. Either way we're rolling the dice.	”

Colby and Rupert meet out in the jungle to talk about what the Villains plan on doing. Colby says they'll probably split the votes three on Rupert, and another three on either Colby or Candice. They come up with a plan to put their own votes on Candice, so if the Villains do end up splitting on Candice, she will go home five votes to three. Colby remarks that this is their only shot left in the game.

That night at Tribal Council, Candice's flip to the Villains is discussed, with Rupert telling Jeff that he and Colby are the only true Heroes left. Candice tries to defend her move to Colby and Rupert, who both disrespect her personally and the move she made. Russell speaks up and says Candice made a great move for herself by flipping and not going down on a sinking ship. Before voting, they discuss the idol, where Rupert makes a speech that strongly implies that he found it. At the vote, the Villains split the votes three each for Rupert and Candice, while Rupert and Colby vote for Candice, blindsiding her unexpectedly 5-3.

Returning to camp, Russell is disappointed that the split vote didn't go in his favor and that Candice was voted out. Russell talks to his alliance and voices his frustration that they split the votes on Candice instead of Colby. Jerri scolds Russell for not speaking up if he really didn't want to split the votes on her. Russell gets paranoid and then starts talking about how Rupert is just one immunity away from going to the top. Danielle DiLorenzo and the others in the alliance try to talk him down by saying that Rupert and Colby underperform at challenges and they are only an alliance of two against the five of the Villains.

	Russell	“	We just blew it, we're supposed to split the votes for Rupert and Colby, and it didn't happen. It was a terrible decision, the girls got their heart involved in the game, wanted Candice outta here because they didn't like her. So everybody blew it, and I'm one of them - I shoulda sat down and said no this is what we're gonna do. I'm not fully in control of this thing now. Me and Parvati are equally in control, and that makes a me a little worried. But you know what? Imma take control of this game so fast they ain't gonna know what hit 'em.	”

Day 33

The tribe heads to the Immunity Challenge, where the final stage comes down to Russell, Parvati, and Rupert on a slide puzzle. Parvati quickly falls behind and the slide puzzle becomes a battle between Russell and Rupert, with Russell coming out victorious, much to the disappointment of Rupert for again coming in second in Immunity Challenges that he needed to win.

	Rupert	“	I was thinking as I walked out of that darn challenge, that you made it so far and still came up short. I have to believe in myself, because just the lie of a rock in my pocket won't save me tonight.	”

Returning to camp in the rain, Parvati admits in a confessional that she wants Rupert out of the game.

	Parvati	“	I want Rupert to go home tonight. He's a Hero, he's not a part of our original tribe of Villains, and I'm pretty sure Rupert does not have the idol. So, yeah, I don't feel bad for Rupert at all, I think he's kind of dug his own grave. The Villainvasion happened and now the Villains are running this place, they're ain't gonna be any Heroes left. No Heroes. *laughs*	”

After the rain ends, Parvati meets with Danielle and Russell on the beach and lobbies for Rupert to be sent home, saying that if either of the remaining Heroes makes it to the end, they will win. Russell and Danielle agree with Parvati to vote for Rupert, since Colby is weak in the challenges anyway and won't be a threat to the Villains. Russell, however, is worried about Parvati and Danielle's alliance and has different plans in mind.

	Russell	“	Parvati and Danielle, to me they're a team when it's supposed to be me and Parvati. So that's a problem and the only think I can think of right now is to break up that couple.	”

Russell speaks one on one with Danielle and tells her that the two of them can't take Parvati to the finals. He says Parvati is going to try to take one of the two of them out at some point, and that they can easily blindside her. Danielle says she trusts Russell, but that even if they ever were going to vote out Parvati, that now would not be the night to do it.

Russell then turns around and speaks with Parvati alone in the jungle and tells her the same story he told Danielle, but in reverse. He says that Danielle wanted to vote her out.

	Russell	“	I'm working Danielle, I'm working Parvati. I'm telling Parvati we gotta get rid of Danielle, I'm telling Danielle we gotta get rid of Parvati. So, by working both of them, I got both of them under control. Parvati isn't going to tell Danielle, Danielle isn't going to tell Parvati cause it would mess up both of their games.	”

Parvati is highly skeptical of Russell's story that her alliance from Day 1 has now suddenly turned on her and tells Russell that she is going to ask Danielle about what's going on. Russell panics and tries to tell her not to talk to Danielle, even going so far as threatening Parvati that she will get voted out next if she talks to Danielle. Russell's paranoid and panicked reaction only increases Parvati's doubt of his story.

	Parvati	“	Today should have been Rupert, done. Russell comes out of nowhere and says, "They're blindsiding you, that's what's happening". I'm like, I'm not voting Danielle tonight. I'm not doing it.	”

Russell is nervous that Parvati will fact check his story with Danielle, and that is exactly what Parvati goes and does. She talks with Danielle and tells her what Russell had said. Danielle denies targeting Parvati, and tells Parvati that Russell told her the same story but in reverse. They realize Russell must be planning to vote Danielle out instead of one of the Heroes.

	Russell	“	Imma get Danielle off tonight, because it eliminates that pair. As soon as we get rid of Danielle, Parvati's gonna be so scared of me she'll stick to me like glue and she's gonna vote the way I tell her to vote.	”

Russell talks to Colby and Rupert in the shelter and urges them to eliminate Danielle. Even Colby is shocked to hear what Russell is doing, wondering why Russell would be cannibalizing his alliance, but the two remaining Heroes will do whatever they need to remain in the game another day and enthusiastically agree.

	Parvati	“	Russell running around double talking is hurting his game. He's getting outplayed by me and Danielle at this point and it's making him a little crazy.	”

Parvati, Danielle, and Sandra express to each other their frustration with Russell for flipping the game on Danielle. The women assure themselves that all they need to do to foil Russell's mischievous plan is to make sure Jerri doesn't write Danielle's name down. Parvati and Danielle approach Jerri and tell her not to switch her vote. Jerri is shocked that anyone would be thinking of voting for somebody other than Rupert, and promises them she will vote for Rupert and not Danielle. However, Russell pulls Jerri aside later and tells her he wants Danielle gone. Jerri tells him it would be a bad move and to get rid of Rupert instead, but Russell tells her if she doesn't vote out Danielle, she will be next to be ousted, but not because of him, but because of Danielle.

Tribal Council is especially mean spirited. Danielle and Parvati admit they were pitted against each other by Russell. Russell claims Danielle really did want to blindside Parvati and that his story was factual. Russell attacks and insults Danielle, eventually causing her to cry. Upon seeing her crying, Courtney Yates on the jury unsympathetically mocks Danielle by saying, "Boo Hoo". After arguing with her more, Danielle unintentionally reveals that Jerri was never part of their alliance, stunning Jerri, and Russell mouths to Jerri to vote Danielle. She also tells Russell, "I'm closer to Parvati than you think", which causes Russell to smile. This proved to only reinforce Russell's decision to split up the pair. In the end, with the votes of the two remaining Heroes and Jerri, Russell successfully blindsides and eliminate Danielle in a 4-3 vote. Even jurors, J.T. Thomas and Amanda Kimmel are amused that Danielle, a true Villain is eliminated. As Danielle gets up to leave, Parvati whispers to Russell that what he did was stupid, but Russell brushes off her remark.

Challenges

• Immunity (Day 31)
• Immunity (Day 33)

Challenge: When It Rains, It Pours
The castaways would stand on a perch, one arm above their head with their wrist tethered to a bucket of water on top of a platform. The castaway who could stand there the longest without tipping the bucket would win. During the challenge, host Jeff Probst would tempt the castaways to quit with offerings of cookies and milk; donuts and iced coffee; peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chips, candy, and milk.
Winner: Parvati Shallow

Challenge: Pegatory Knockout
In the first round, the castaways would dig up a wooden peg and then guide the peg through a table maze. The first five to finish would move on to the next round. In the second round, the castaways would use four pegs to climb a wall. The first three to reach the top of the wall would move to the final round. The final round would be a sliding puzzle. The first castaway to finish their puzzle would win.
Winner: Russell Hantz

Tribal Council

Day 31

Tribal Council 13: Yin Yang
Voted Against	Voter
Candice (5 votes)	Colby, Jerri, Rupert, Russell, Sandra
Rupert (3 votes)	Candice, Danielle, Parvati
VOTED OUT: Candice Woodcock

Voting Confessionals

Russell and Danielle did not give confessionals. Complete confessionals retrieved from CBS' YouTube account.

	Colby	“	(voting against Candice) Well, I mean it tonight, one of us is probably going home. I can honestly say I'm proud of the way I played this game. Can you?	”

	Parvati	“	(voting against Rupert) You are such a grumpy bear, if this vote doesn't send you home, the next one will. Guaranteed.	”

	Rupert	“	(voting against Candice) For thirty days, I tried to protect you, but today you cheered against me... You really are a villain.	”

	Candice	“	(voting against Rupert) My mom always told me, if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. So that's all I have to say.	”

	Jerri	“	(voting against Candice) If you're willing to flip on your own tribe, then it just shows me that you are in this to win it more than the other two and that's the biggest threat.	”

	Sandra	“	(voting against Candice) Candice, I told you that this would happen if you flipped to the Villains side. Villains don't like anyone flipping, that's why it was better for me to go to the Heroes, you would have been saved, and now you have to go home and face Amanda. Adiós.	”

Final Words

	Candice	“	I definitely got thrown under the bus tonight, but I understand I made a risky move yesterday and it didn't pay off, so I guess karma's a bitch sometimes.	”

Day 33

Tribal Council 14: Yin Yang
Voted Against	Voter
Danielle (4 votes)	Colby, Jerri, Rupert, Russell
Rupert (3 votes)	Danielle, Parvati, Sandra
VOTED OUT: Danielle DiLorenzo

Voting Confessionals

Danielle did not give a confessional.

	Parvati	“	(voting against Rupert) Okay, second time's a charm, isn't that what they say? Hopefully, you're going home tonight.	”

	Russell	“	(voting against Danielle) You're closer to Parvati than I think and that makes me think that you've got something going on and you're going to eventually blindside me like you wanted to her, so I'ma have to cut that tie so that Parvati will stay and maybe I can trust her a little better. I don't know.	”

	Sandra	“	(voting against Rupert) Rupert, this vote was not intended for you, but after listening to all that fighting out there, I couldn't risk writing Colby's name down and you not going home because I can't let Danielle go right now. Adiós.	”

	Rupert	“	(voting against Danielle) Boy, I hope it's you going home tonight and not me. I want to crack that Villains alliance, and I want the Villains to help me do it.	”

	Jerri	“	(voting against Danielle) I have absolutely no idea what just happened. I was coming here tonight to vote for Rupert, but with this vote, I feel like I'm sealing my fate for the Final Three and I'm willing to take the risk.	”

	Colby	“	(voting against Danielle) You know somebody's got to go tonight, and I just hope it's not me. No hard feelings.	”

Final Words

	Danielle	“	Russell is...insane and tonight, I might have put my own foot in my mouth at Tribal Council by basically just calling him out in front of everybody and I think he changed his vote at the last minute, actually. I feel like I played a good game and maybe a little too aggressive this time, but I did the best that I could and that's all you can ask.	”

Still in the Running

Sugar 20th	Stephenie 19th	Randy 18th	Cirie 17th	Tom 16th	Tyson 15th	James 14th	Rob 13th	Coach 12th	Courtney 11th
J.T. 10th	Amanda 9th	Candice 8th	Danielle 7th	Colby Yin Yang	Jerri Yin Yang	Parvati Yin Yang	Rupert Yin Yang	Russell Yin Yang	Sandra Yin Yang

Trivia

Life at Ponderosa

Walking away from Tribal Council, Candice says that she tried to play hard, but her strategy didn't work out, making the wrong choice and ruining the chances for her team. Candice's weigh in reveals she lost 10-12 lbs., but she says she gained nine or ten to go out.

Candice arrives at Ponderosa nervous about how she will be received because of voting out Amanda who was her friend on the island. As Candice walks into Ponderosa, nobody pays any attention to her, but finally, J.T. decides to break the ice and everyone starts to talk with Candice over a meal. Candice tries to give her story about how Amanda went home, but J.T. tells the camera later that Candice's long winded story is not really believable.

The next day, Candice learns more about Coach, having never met him before. Although she initially thought he was a crazy person based on his first season, after talking with him, she finds that Coach is a really nice guy and is very open to listening to her about anything she wants to talk about. The jury tries to make peace with Candice after Amanda tells them to be nice. As a peace offering, J.T. decides to help Candice bake some brownies.

Later, "The Dragonz" band continue writing and playing music, with everyone helping out. Coach writes and sings a song while J.T. plays the guitar. Leaving for Tribal Council, all the members of the jury leave in Dragonz T-shirts, but at some point later everyone is forced to change shirts.

Danielle walks away from Tribal Council upset at over opening her mouth at Tribal Council and seeing Russell flip as a last minute decision. In the car ride to the weigh-in, Danielle describes herself as being in a dream, feeling completely out of it. The weigh-in reveals Danielle only lost 5 lbs. Danielle looks forward to getting to experience Ponderosa for the first time.

Danielle arrives at Ponderosa and is welcomed with open arms by everyone, with the exception of Amanda. Danielle and the other jurors talk about Colby not doing anything nor talking to anyone. Danielle is introduced to the resort chef, "the good Russell", who prepares their meals.

The next day, Danielle begins to feel better after getting the freedom of eating her own food. Danielle talks to Coach about being upset over being voted out, but Coach tells her that she did a good thing in standing up to Russell and showing everyone she was not just going to sit around and just be one of the group. That night, The Dragonz shoot a music video.

The next day, Coach goes out on his own to be away from the growing number of people at Ponderosa so he can be on his own. The jury prepares to go to Tribal Council, where everyone hopes to see Russell voted out.

Other

• Rupert makes a reference to Jon Dalton's dead grandmother lie in "The Great Lie" in Pearl Islands in a confessional discussing his confrontation with Russell.
• This episode marks the first time a castaway has won the same challenge twice. Parvati previously won the When It Rains, It Pours challenge in "I Promise...".
• With Danielle voted out, both returning players from Panama have been eliminated.
• This is the second episode in a row in which ships are mentioned in the title.