Surviving Redemption Island, Episode 4: “I Faked Ya!”

Host Jeff Probst welcomes the duo plus the four other players to the arena. The duel involves stacking a series of blocks like dominos on a multi-level platform (basically slanted boards) while avoiding tripwires that will cause the blocks to tip, meaning they’ll have to start over. The first one to complete the domino path so it releases a ball will win.

And they’re off! It’s not exactly a thrilling challenge to recap in the first few moments. Each of them are putting up blocks as Probst notes they only have a certain number of blocks, so they can’t put them too close together or they’ll run out. After a little while, they’re neck and neck. Well, Matt may have a slight lead – it’s hard to say.

Wait, Matt thinks he has it! He knocks down the first one and they all start falling like, well, dominos. But wait, one of them falls short! He has to restack about half his blocks! That gives Russell the chance to catch up.

Now Russell is ready. He knocks down the first one and it looks like about the third or fourth one is short, but then it just barely nicks the one ahead of it and they continue falling! Down, down – nope! He falls short too!

Both of them are restacking. Matt thinks he has it this time. They’re falling, falling, falling. The blocks make it all the way and you can tell by the look on Russell’s face that he knows it’s over. The ball is released and Matt wins the right to stay in the game! Ralph and Sarita cheer loudly.

Russell and Matt share a manhug as Kristina realizes the magnitude of what just happened, whispering to Phillip, “Holy mackerel.”

Probst congratulates Matt and tells Russell he’s out of the game. Russell actually gets emotional! He looks like he’s going to cry and pulls his signature hat down over his eyes. Probst tries to make him feel better by telling him he bared his soul out there and played a very strong game twice over. But Russell actually is crying! Wow. Even Sarita and Ralph look somewhat affected by the emotion of the moment.

Russell actually doubles over as Matt comforts him. Probst asks if this is sadness at being out of the game or embarrassment at losing. Russell says he respects the game too much to go out this way. People like his tribe, throwing a challenge just to get rid of him because he’s (air quotes) Russell, not even worried about numbers in the game or Rob and his tribe. “It’s hard to be a professional quarterback and have pee-wee leaguers on your team.” He has to run, pass, and catch the ball – it’s all up to him.

Ralph chimes in, saying he disagrees – he thinks they “done great.” He continues that Russell wouldn’t show them the clue to the hidden immunity idol. (Russell rolls his eyes.) Ralph continues that’s beside the point because he’d already found it within 15 seconds of the game beginning. Phillip takes notice of this as Ralph gives away valuable intel!

Russell doesn’t believe Ralph really found the idol, so Ralph pulls it out of his bag to show him. Well, at least it looks like he’s going to, until Russell points it out to Phillip and Kristina. Sarita finally realizes what’s going on and stops Ralph from doing it. Ralph claims, “I faked ya!” Russell laughs uproariously and straight-out tells Kristina and Phillip that Ralph has the idol. “He’s such a good player, he’s telling you everything he has right now. Take him out!”

Ralph tries again to claim he was just bluffing, but even Phillip doesn’t seem to be buying that. Probst asks Ralph if the story was a lie and Ralph replies, “Could be, could not be.” Well, that showed ‘em!

Time for the former federal agent to step in, saying flat out, “It was not a lie! It was not a lie!” He continues that he earned his living determining if somebody was lying or not and he knows Ralph has the idol! He adds that Ralph will have an opportunity to use it if Phillip has anything to do with it. Meanwhile, Russell and Matt are fist-bumping and smiling. Russell helps Phillip and Kristina a bit more by telling them how the alliances are stacked and who’s calling the shots. Phillip says, “I’m glad I came.” Heh.

Russell says he had to stay in the game somehow, so he’s doing so through Phillip and Kristina. If their tribe wins and they “take out these dummies, more power to them.”

But Russell will only be there in spirit, as he has to take off his buff and drop it into the fire on his way out of the game. He says goodbye to the others and Phillip thanks him for the info.

In his last words, Russell tells us it’s terrible when you are with people who didn’t really come to play the game. They came here for fame or money. This is his last time playing – he has nothing else to prove to himself or his family. He gives Matt props and hopes he goes all the way.

Probst sends everybody their separate ways. Phillip says thanks to Russell, he’s learned some very interesting things. He hopes to use that to help him in the game.

Meanwhile, at Ometepe, Rob, Grant, and the three young ladies are walking down the beach talking about how they’re glad Phillip and Kristina volunteered to go to Redemption Island. Rob wants to take the opportunity to find the immunity idol before Kristina can do so again, but he doesn’t want to tell even his allies. So he creates a game called “Royal Treatment.” The winner gets to be treated like a king. Then he gets everybody to go to the nice part of the beach, away from camp. I’m not entirely sure what this has to do with the game, but okay.