Surviving Exile Island, Episode 13: “I’m Not Here to Make Friends”

Last week on Survivor, Shane was shocked because he believed Cirie and Aras after Terry won yet another immunity challenge. We’re down to the final four, which makes this the last time Terry can use the hidden immunity idol (or give it to somebody else to us). Many of our RealityNewsOnline analysts have tried to figure out what might happen – I’m not even going to bother, since there are so many possibilities. Whatever the result, it certainly can’t be more surprising than this week’s American Idol, right? So let’s sit back, relax, and see what happens.

We begin on night 33, on the way back to camp from Tribal Council. They arrive and it’s pitch black, so Cirie lays down her torch in what she considers to be a good spot. Terry, however, takes issue with it and asks who put their torch right in the middle. She says she did. He says it doesn’t belong there. She says she didn’t know where it belonged, since it’s dark. He says she’d be slapping her kids around if they just laid stuff in the way like that. She notes that she doesn’t slap her kids around. Well, verbally then, he says.

Man, get over it. You’re in the final four, you should be trying to make friends in case you get to the final two, not pissing people off further! But he continues. They get the fire lit and are gathered around, and still he’s going on about it. Cirie reiterates that it was dark and adds that she didn’t know where he wanted her torch to be. Get him, Cirie! Back and forth they go as Aras and Danielle wisely sit back and remain silent. But Terry is really pissing Cirie off, and I don’t blame her! At one point he says that at least she could have apologized, but she says she had no way of knowing he was going to walk there. After another remark from him, she says, with dripping sarcasm, “Sorry, King Terry, that the torch was where you were walking.” After that, Terry says she doesn’t have to get so upset. Wha? Hello, you were the one making a big deal out of nothing!

Aras finally speaks up, telling Terry not to ruin their final four night. Aras then tries to explain to Terry why Cirie was upset and why Terry shouldn’t have acted that way. Terry is having none of it, as he tells us that all three of them “ganged up” on him about it. Oh get over it, dude!

So Terry leaves to go to bed. He tells us that he didn’t come to Survivor to make friends with 24-year-olds. Hmmm, I guess it’s official – Terry just became the villain. Because the “I didn’t come here to make friends” line is the official line of reality show villains. But reality hasn’t quite set in for Terry, as he continues in telling us that they haven’t made it easy for him, he’s been the underdog, he’s had a target on his back, etc. So he doesn’t care if he doesn’t talk to them for the next five days, he’s winning the million and that’s all.

I think Terry seems to have lost sight of the fact that Survivor is a social game. He’s not winning the million unless people vote for him. Immunity challenges can only get him to the second prize, but he just pissed off three people, two of whom will be sitting in the jury box if he’s in the final two.

Cirie ends the segment by noting to Aras and Danielle that Terry is just pissed off because his other option, Shane, is gone now. You know what, she’s probably right.

We leap to the reward challenge and host Jeff Probst explains how it will work. They will each be attached to ropes by one of two clips. They will have to move from one rope to another through a course of six stations: poles, hermit crabs, rocks, iguanas, shells, and fish. Each time they get to a station, they have to count the number of items, race back to the start, and find the tile with that number on it (out of quite a few numbered tiles). Once they get all six numbers, they put them in an answer grid that will give them the combination to three locks. Once they’ve opened all three locks, a flag drops and they win.

What do they win? A “once-in-a-lifetime tour of the Panama Canal” aboard a 100-foot yacht. (How do they know it’s once-in-a-lifetime tour? Do they have to sign a contract forbidding them from ever going again?) And, of course, the winner decides who goes to Exile Island.

And they’re off! Aras takes an early lead, with Terry starting well also. But Cirie picks the same rope as Terry and interferes with his ability to move by going around him. Aras gets to the rocks as Danielle gets to shells and Cirie counts iguanas. Terry has gone a different direction and is counting poles. All are headed back. Danielle and Aras get tangled up after he gets the number and while she is headed for the number tiles.

They’re on to their second stations, and Aras is actually already on his way back. Cirie and Terry are there too. We skip ahead a bit as we see the players put up some numbers. Probst tells them if they get tired and slow down, they will fall out of contention. “You can sleep on the yacht!”

Aras is leading when he gets to the fourth number and then the fifth. Terry takes the lead, but it’s close. Danielle is behind, and Cirie is somewhere in the middle. Aras is heading out for his final station and asks Danielle to move aside and block Terry. Instead she blocks Aras and interferes with his ability to move his clips around. Cirie gets in the middle of this somehow and blocks Terry.