Survivor: Redemption Island
Seems Like a No Brainer, Part 1
By Jim Van Nest, Survivor Analyst
May 17, 2011
This leaves Andrea and Mike to duke it out for a chance to get back in this game. After a couple near misses, Mike finally loses his balance just enough and his vase tumbles to the ground - which means Andrea will re-enter the game. I can't imagine what the odds would have been that Andrea could beat Mike, Matt and Grant at a single challenge. But she did it. Now you have to wonder if the girls might get together and take over this game. Of course, Rob still has an idol he can play. As we go to break, Rob tells us that Ashley has to be the next vote and as long as she doesn't win immunity, Andrea will get to live another day.
As we come back to camp, Andrea tells us how awkward it feels to come back into the game. Meanwhile, Rob is thrilled that Redemption is finally done. We join Andrea in the shelter talking to Natalie and Ashley. Before I get to their conversation, can I just mention that for the last several episodes now, it seems that Ashley and Natalie are ALWAYS in bed? I have to wonder; did they ever do ANYthing besides lay around and pluck each others' armpits? There have been some lazy players in the game, but these two may very well take the cake. Anyway, Andrea is trying to sway the girls by telling them that everyone on Redemption Island referred to them as "Rob's Puppets." She tells the girls that Ralph, Matt and Mike were talking about how they might just vote for Phillip.
Andrea tells us that she's completely making this stuff up, but she has to try something to stay in the game. She's not content to just sit around and wait for Rob to vote her out. After Andrea leaves, the girls are still talking about voting her out next and that if she wins immunity, Phillip is the target. Seriously?? Use your heads for something other than holding up your headbands. Going with Andrea is a virtual guarantee to the Final 3. And for whatever reason, the "mean girls" just can't look past whatever issue they have with Andrea to see that her plan is their only hope to win this game.
Rob and Phillip are talking and the plan is to dump Ashley as soon as possible. Let her think that Andrea is the vote, but it's really going to be Ashley. Rob is sick of her and he doesn't like the way she's corrupting his good little soldier, Natalie.
The next morning we head to an Immunity Challenge. Today's challenge begins with a walk across a balance beam, stopping to grab a bag of numbered tiles. There are four bags that must be retrieved separately. There are 100 numbered tiles that must be laid in order. Sounds easy enough, yes? All five Survivors are close after getting the first bag. Rob is the first to go get his second bag, with Andrea and Ashley right behind. Rob is back with his second bag as Natalie finally goes back to get her second bag. After this bag of 20 pieces, Ashley has taken a slight lead over Rob and Andrea. Rob makes up time on the beam and has a slight lead as they begin placing the 30 tiles in bag three. Andrea and Natalie are back with their third bags, but they've fallen behind. Phillip is completely out of it. Ashley is the first one back with her fourth bag, followed by Andrea and then Rob. There are 40 numbers in the final bag and Ashley is in the 80s already. Rob is quickly catching up. Ashley reaches the 90s and Rob is in the 80s. From what we can tell, Ashley finished the numbers with Rob sitting on or around #98. Ashley wins immunity and a guaranteed spot in the Final 4.
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