Nothing Tastes Better than Five Hundred Dollars

Nothing Tastes Better than Five Hundred Dollars
Episode Information
Version	United States
Season	Gabon
Episode Number	9/14 (255)
Original Release	November 20, 2008
Viewership (in Millions)	12.50
Ratings/Share (18-49)	4.0/11
Episode Chronology
Previous	"The Brains Behind Everything"
Next	"I Was Put on the Planet for This Show"
Subpages

Nothing Tastes Better than Five Hundred Dollars is the ninth episode of Survivor: Gabon.

Story

“	One Castaway devises a dangerous plan that hinges on the hidden immunity idol, while another Castaway considers betraying their alliance in order to avoid elimination.	”
—Episode Synopsis

Challenges

• Reward
• Immunity

Challenge: Survivor Auction
Players will be given $500 to be used for the auction. Players may share money and items. Auction will end without notice.
Items Earned:

Purchase Breakdown
Item	Winner	Bid
Three Beers & Peanuts	Randy	$180
Covered Item (Send Yourself or Someone Else to Exile Island and Take Their Money) Ken decided to send Bob.	Ken	$340
Covered Item (Peanut Butter & Chocolate)	Sugar	$340
Bubble Bath and a Change of Clothes	Susie	$340
Hamburger & Fries with a Soda	Matty	$400
Covered Item (Spaghetti, Garlic Bread, and a Glass of Wine)	Randy	$280
Advantage in the Upcoming Immunity Challenge	Corinne	$500
Covered Item (Chocolate Chip Cookies for the Tribe) This item was said to be for the entire tribe. Randy shared a cookie with everyone, although Sugar initially declined a cookie, then accepted Randy's cookie and gave the cookie to Matty.	Randy	$20

Challenge: The Domino Effect
In the first round, the castaways would race across a series of balance beams carrying a bag of puzzle blocks. The first two castaways to bring all three of their bags would go to the final round in which each player must stack all of their pieces like a line of domino tiles while avoiding ropes that would topple the tiles that were already stacked. Once all of the blocks were properly stacked, the castaway would start a chain reaction which would release a flag. The first castaway to raise their flag would win.
Additional Stipulation: For purchasing the Challenge Advantage during the auction, Corinne Kaplan is allowed to forgo the first part of the challenge, skipping directly to the finals.
Winner: Ken Hoang

Tribal Council

Tribal Council 11: Nobag
Voted Against	Voter
Randy (5 votes)	Crystal, Ken, Matty, Sugar, Susie
Susie (3 votes)	Bob, Corinne, Randy
VOTED OUT: Randy Bailey

Voting Confessionals

Sugar and Randy's confessionals and edited versions of Corinne and Crystal's confessionals were shown in the episode.

Matty “ (voting against Randy) Randy, you're still my boy, I hope we can hang out when this is all over with, but I think you're done playing the game, and I'm going to miss you, bro. ” Corinne “ (voting against Susie) I'm holding this up for a minute so it seems like I am voting for Randy. I'm voting you, Susie, because payback is a bitch. ” Bob “ (voting against Susie) Sorry Susie, it's a game. ” Sugar “ (voting against Randy) You are a disgusting, old, hot-headed, chauvinistic, alcoholic bigot, and you need to grow up before you die alone. Loser! ” Susie “ (voting against Randy) Hey Randy, I forgive you for being nasty to me today, I wish you happiness. Good luck. ” Randy “ (voting against Susie) This vote is not strategic, it's strictly personal. ” Ken “ (voting against Randy) Randy, I hope you learn from this. Maybe you'll be happy after this and not disrespect so many people. I don't have anything against you, I hope you take care. ” Crystal “ (voting against Randy) (loudly) You have made my life hell from Day One! [raises right middle finger] Forget you, go home, goodbye! ”

Final Words

	Randy	“	Being voted out by these bozos is probably one of the best accolades anyone could get. To hell with these freaking people. I hope Corinne does well if she was not in on today's plot, and I don't think she was. You know, most of the others with the exception of Matty, I hope they get bit by a big green mamba.	”

Still in the Running

Michelle 18th	Gillian 17th	Paloma 16th	Jacquie 15th	GC 14th	Kelly 13th	Ace 12th	Dan 11th	Marcus 10th
Charlie 9th	Randy 8th	Bob Nobag	Corinne Nobag	Crystal Nobag	Ken Nobag	Matty Nobag	Sugar Nobag	Susie Nobag

Trivia

Other

• This episode was voted the 18th best Survivor episode of all time in the "Top 25 Greatest Episodes of all time" poll by Survivor Oz in 2015.
• Through an email conversation with Mario Lanza, the author of "The Funny 115" and host of the Survivor Historians podcast, Randy revealed that his blindside was heavily edited to make it seem that he was surprised to find out that the idol Bob gave him was fake. Randy explained that he knew Bob's idol was fake, and his stunned reaction was taken from the previous week's episode.
• This episode marks the first time that a person possessed an advantage for the Immunity Challenge but does not go on to win the challenge.