Surviving the Pearl Islands, Episode 11: Whiplash!

Rupert is gone, but we’re still here – even on the night before Thanksgiving. I hope you remembered to watch the show a night before its regular time, but if not, hey, that’s why I get paid the big bucks to recap it for you.

Speaking of which, it’s still Night 27, as they are walking home after voting out Rupert. Christa is shocked that Rupert was voted out. She says maybe she was too cocky in thinking she knew what was going on. No, ya think?

Sandra says Jon cannot be trusted, as if this is a revelation. She tells Darrah and Tijuana not to trust him because he’ll stab them in the back. Jon comes along and asks what game she’s playing. Oh, that’s right – he says – she wasn’t playing any game. She was just riding on Rupert’s coattails, but his coat just left. Privately he says Tribal Council was one of proudest moments. He knew the greed of Darrah and Tijuana would put them in a position such that he could trust them. Sandra says she hopes the other girls turn on him.

The discussion quickly changes as Burton realizes that somebody threw out all the fish that Rupert had caught, which were in a bucket and are not here now. First he blames Sandra but then changes to Christa because Sandra was too busy arguing with Jon to have done it. Jon joins in blaming Christa. He even says it’s idiotic and childish and Christa will be penalized. Well, if anybody knows idiotic and childish, it’s Jon. And we haven’t even begun to go there. Just you wait. But anyway, Christa continues to deny it and is now worried about being voted off next.

As they go to sleep, we cut to a shot of the fish being eaten by crabs. Hmmm…

As the tribe members wake up, Burton, Jon, and Lill say it reeks of fish – they were dumped somewhere behind the camp, in the forest. After following their noses, they find the fish. Lill still thinks Christa did it because she was mad that Rupert is gone. Burton and Jon once again attack her verbally for it. She privately says they are blaming her because she was gone for like 30 seconds while she put down her canteen. She feels horrible about being blamed for something she didn’t do.

So who did it? Well, it was Sandra. She privately admits that she arrived at camp before anybody else and didn’t want the others to get to eat the fish that Rupert worked to catch. So she was going to take them away. As she was carrying the bucket, she tripped and dumped them. So she decided to leave ‘em there. At this point, she says she’s in a bind and can’t even tell Christa.

Back with Christa, she is crying and says she feels very alone. She just wants to go home and see her man.

Which must mean it’s time for the loved ones to show up!

Indeed it is. The players arrive for the reward challenge and host Jeff Probst says this challenge is based on a brutal pirate execution – walking the plank. Probst asks Jon if there is anybody he’d like to see walk the plank. Jon replies that he can’t wait to send Sandra and Christa off.

But wait! It’s not the players – it’s the loved ones who will be walking the plank. Probst calls out for Sandra’s husband, Marcus. Tijuana’s high school sweetheart and great friend, William. Burton’s mom, Didi. Lill’s husband, Lonnie. Darrah’s boyfriend, Bradley. Christa’s fiancé, Pete. And Jon’s buddy, Dan.

As Jon approaches Dan, he asks how grandma is. Dan says, “She died, dude.” What a touching way to pass along this information. He asks if Jon got the letter. Obviously not. Jon cries and they hug. Hmmmm.

Probst notices that Jon went from being really happy to rather sad and wonders why. Jon says that either his buddy or his grandma were supposed to be there and grandma isn’t there for a reason – she’s not around anymore. Probst says he’s sorry and is sure everybody there is sorry to hear it as well. Jon says he hopes to win this challenge and get more information.

The challenge will involve asking questions about the contestants. They will write down an answer and the loved ones will as well. If they match, the contestant gets to force somebody else’s loved one to take a step on the plank. The fourth step pushes them into the water. The last loved one standing gets to spend 24 hours in camp while the others head out.

OK, this is the third game recently where the players aim at somebody else rather than just relying on their own skill. It’s a good type of game… occasionally. Now it’s just getting a bit boring.