Surviving the Cook Islands, Episode 8: “Mutineers Are the First People to Die”

Apparently, Adam must have gotten through to Nate, because he tells us Jonathan has been working very hard so they’re getting rid of Brad, who could switch sides if there’s a merge. Nate says he has to play Brad like it’s all good and Jonathan is the one in trouble.

So he tells Brad they have the numbers – they can keep the family tight and “chop them up like poop.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t commonly chop poop. Whatever.

As various people help prepare dinner, Candice tells Adam about how much she always wished she was with Raro. She defends Aitu’s decision to send Adam to Exile Island, saying she had to go along and it was Jonathan’s idea. She continues that Jonathan claimed Adam was scared to go and he thought it would break Adam. We can see by the look on Adam’s face that he is not amused. He tells us he finds it ironic that Jonathan was talking trash about him and now is kissing his butt.

It looks like where strategy failed to convince Adam to get rid of Jonathan, anger has succeeded. He pulls Nate aside and says he wants to vote off Jonathan, and Nate basically says, “I told you so.” But they’re not sure if they can change it now. Then again, Adam thinks he might beat Jonathan about the head. Dude, you gotta calm down. So the guy said some stuff about you. Deal with it.

Raro arrives at Tribal Council along with the rain. Probst wants to talk about the mutiny. When Brad saw Candice step off the mat, followed by Jonathan, what was his initial thought? “Wow, that is one gutsy girl.”

Does a part of Jenny think Candice and Jonathan are at the bottom of the totem pole now? She says even if they are, Raro still has a numbers advantage when they merge and they will “pick them off like zits.” This phrase gives Probst some pause, and I have to give it to Jenny – not many people can leave Jeff Probst speechless.

Is Candice okay with coming to Tribal Council and having the tribe joking and laughing? She thinks it’s the great thing about the tribe and one reason she switched – they have a good time. Probst doesn’t appear to buy it – she did it because she could sense that Raro was fun? Candice says that wasn’t the only reason, but one of them. They win when it counts. Um. They do? Like, you know, today?

Is Jonathan concerned that he is an easy boot? Of course! Somebody’s going home and he’d be silly if he didn’t think it could be him.

What’s Nate’s take on the group as a tribe or family? The six he was all good with. The new two seem very nice but they’re still adapting to them. What’s the concern about Candice? Nate says the women could find her a threat, a strong competitor. What about Jonathan? Maybe he has a tendency to be too much of a leader – they don’t do that. If you’re leading, they’ll cut you up. (Just ask Cristina and J.P.!)

Jonathan says he is the odd man out but he wants to fit in and has been trying. Does Brad sense any tension in the tribe? He says he likes Jonathan and Candice – from the six hours he’s had to get to know her – but they’re stepping in late in the ballgame.

Does Brad trust the people in his tribe? “No.” Whoa. Right answer, but totally wrong to say it out loud! Probst says he doesn’t trust this big, happy family? Brad rephrases it and says he doesn’t trust “the entire tribe.”

With that, it’s time to vote. Jonathan votes for Brad, saying he hopes the others do as well. Brad returns the favor, saying Jonathan is a good guy but he’s coming in way too late.

Probst tallies and reads the votes: Jonathan, Brad, Brad, Brad, Brad, Brad. So Brad is the ninth person voted out – and the first member of the jury! Yes, that’s right, they are seating a juror before the merge. Oops, I bet some of those Raro folks wish they could have that vote back!

Probst says he can tell by the looks on their faces that they’re surprised the jury started with this vote. “This game is full of surprises.” And he sends them back to camp.

In his final words, Brad calls it “the best worst experience of my entire life.” No, I don’t know what that means. He didn’t know he was going. It’s kind of a sigh of relief but parting is bittersweet. Anything is possible in the game, and him making the jury proves that.

Next week: Adam and Candice reconnect romantically, which concerns Jenny. And a never-before-seen twist turns the game on its head. Apparently, Probst has a bottle that contains significant information, but we don’t find out much more than that.

Well, that was an interesting episode! If memory serves, people had an opportunity to voluntarily switch tribes once before, but nobody did. It is odd that Candice chose to do so this time, just so she could be with Adam and Parvati, when she had to know a merge is coming soon. Why did she so openly thumb her nose at her (now former) allies? It seems like an incredibly dumb move from a strategic standpoint. I guess time will tell.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these Survivor: Cook Islands articles from last episode here on RealityNewsOnline:

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