Uncommon Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains - Week 11

Welcome back to UNCOMMON SURVIVOR! Last time the Merge went down. The Heroes thought they were sitting pretty, getting ready to eliminate Parvati on the strength of Russell's vote, until Sandra tried to warn Rupert about what was really going on. As a contingency plan, the remaining Heroes tried to force Parvati into playing her idol while voting off Jerri instead, since she'd be the least likely to receive protection. Oh, but the best laid plans of Heroes always go awry, at least in this game. Parvati drops double immunity idols on everyone, handing one to Sandra and another to Jerri, cancelling out all the Heroes' votes and leaving J.T. to be sent home.

Upon arriving back at camp, Rupert still can't believe it. Candice congratulates the Villains for the brilliant play. Inside the hut, Russell asks Sandra if she knew Parvati had two idols, and of course she did not. Russell admits that he didn't know she had a second one either, to Sandra's amazement. The conversation takes place through Amanda's head. 

An unknown amount of time later, Russell, Parvati, and Jerri sit out on the beach. Russell begins his interrogation of his Queen. He's pissed that he wasn't kept in the know, as he should be. Forgetting the fact that he's a control freak for a second, if the person I was allied with executed any secret agenda, I'd be freaked out, too. Who knows what she'd do next "on his behalf" without letting him know. A short distance away, Rupert and Amanda whisper in the dark about their intentions to try and crack the Villains' alliance. 

Morning 28 is kicked off with the calls of whales. Russell stands on the beach with Candice, beaming while she talks about how impressed she was with the vote. Russell's trying to replace Sandra in his alliance and Candice seems like a pretty good target. He tells his ladies about what he's trying to do. Take notes, Parvati!

Reward Challenge Time! The game is like some ice-less version of curling. I think they call it shuffleboard. The winners get to go to Robert Louis Stevenson's grave and sleep in his bed. Parvati thinks there's a clue for another idol somewhere in this reward, too. Candice goes first for the black team, placing a guard out front of the house. Sandra goes for the red team and naturally does the worst you can possibly do at this game - completely off the board. Danielle goes for the blue team and doesn't even get beyond Candice's guard. Parvati goes for black and leaves another guard on the other side of the house. Russell shoots right between them and becomes the closest to the mark. Amanda goes for blue and is way short. Jerri goes for black and nudges Russell's stone just a bit closer to the mark, keeping him in the lead. Rupert goes for red and shoots straight in, peeling Jerri's stone and putting him nearly right on the mark. Colby goes for blue and hits the black guard, pushing it toward the target, and that ends the first round.

Round 2: Candice tries to peel the red stones out of the house, but misses and slides out of play. Sandra goes for red and Jeff just looks at her stone pitifully, calling it a wasted shot. Danielle shoots for blue and knocks Rupert's red stone away, but Russell's remains the mark to beat. Parvati shoots for black and doesn't change a thing. Russell shoots and leaves his stone to guard in front of the X. Amanda shoots another way short. Jerri takes the last shot for black and moves some stones, but doesn't change the mark to beat. Rupert shoots red's last shot and doesn't change anything. It comes down to Colby. He takes his time and lines up his shot. He fires and it screams in, nudging another stone and gliding to a rest directly on the X. There's his lion roar! Colby wins it on the last shot! How many times has a challenge been decided on the last throw this season?

Colby, Danielle, and Amanda take the tour of Robert Louis Stevenson's home. The whole time, Amanda's eyes are glazed over. She's not listening to the tour guide, she's looking for the idol clue. The three sit down to watch Treasure Island but Amanda can't enjoy any of it. She's looking all over the room for the clue still. While Colby relaxes between the ladies, Danielle discovers the clue hiding in the provided bowl of popcorn. That's a risky move for the Survivor producers, rarely does the "surprise in the popcorn bucket" move pay off. Danielle takes it out of the bowl and drops it behind her on the floor. Amanda seems to sense her tense up and goes over to sit next to her. Amanda finds the clue and runs off with it and Danielle begins to freak. It's about to get feline up in here. Colby just sits and watches from the fetal position on the bed while the two girls tussle. Amanda won't let go and Danielle can't free it from her. Danielle, on the verge of tears, begs daddy Colby to do something. Colby decides that since Danielle found it first, it should be hers, and for some reason Amanda relents to this decision. She gives the clue back to Danielle, who needs a glass of wine now that she was almost in a tantrum fight. 

The three return to a rainy Yin Yang camp the next day. Colby boasts about sharing a bed with the ladies. Russell searches Danielle with his eyes for some sign she has a clue. She later joins them around the fire and tells them in hushed tones what transpired the night before, except for the part where she embellishes wrestling Amanda to the ground and "ripping it" out of her hand. That didn't happen at all.

Russell and Danielle take the clue and try to find the idol. Russell's a damn dowsing machine and truffle pig when it comes to idols and goes directly to where the clue describes, a rock next to a bendy tree by the stream, while Danielle searches the opposite bank. He finds the idol in less than five seconds and rolls around in the bushes in the most awkward way possible so that eventually it falls into his pocket. Then he slinks off, leaving Danielle to keep searching. He isn't sharing this idol, no sir. The King is wearing his crown once more. Danielle is still searching hopelessly in the rain. She looks like she stepped on her glasses out there. 

Later, Russell tells Candice that he has the idol and tells her how he found it. Candice wants to see it, but Russell is hesitant to whip it out. Finally he, agrees and they go off together so he can show it to her. Wink.

Morning 30 starts with Colby and Sandra walking together through the jungle. Sandra tells him how her alliance went down and wants to join up with the Heroes. Colby "knows" that Danielle has the idol and that she won't give it away. Colby thinks they need to decide between Russell or Parvati. 

A short while after, Sandra tells Russell some things about Colby that don't matter and Russell tells her that they now have six votes. She doesn't understand and thinks he's doing the math wrong. When she finally catches up, I still don't think she gets it. She goes to tell Rupert that "Russell is gone." Rupert's very excited about this prospect and ignores when Sandra tells him that a Hero has already flipped. He calls Russell a piece of garbage, and he would know, he's been eating it for some time. Colby goes to Amanda and tells her about his talk with Sandra. If he can trust Sandra, he wants to vote out Russell or Parvati. 

Immunity Challenge Time! It's the House of Cards Challenge! The first person to build to ten feet high wins. Sandra should just start chewing on her tiles because she's not going to win. She even builds a small structure that collapses just to humor me. Jerri and Russell get the most impressive towers started with Danielle slightly lower than them. Jeff identifies Colby as doing well and he collapses under the pressure. Jerri starts to climb her ladder as she reaches about six feet, with Russell at five and Danielle still at around four feet high. Amanda is building a rat maze. Another collapse from Sandra. Russell and Jerri get to about eight feet, with Russell's looking sturdy and Jerri's with lean and a curve. They continue to build meticulously, reaching nine feet, then nine and a half. Russell is out of cards as he reaches the top and tries to stack two cards to reach, but it's not enough. He scrambles down the ladder to find more cards. Jerri tries to top her tower, but it begins to lean. Russell scrambles back up with one card just as Jerri's placing the last of hers. Russell's top section doesn't stand, but Jerri's does, and she wins immunity. It's her first immunity ever! The scene ends with Sandra telling us she's voting for Russell and runs down the list of his victims. 

After the challenge the Survivors return to camp. Russell gives us a quick rundown of who's left from the Heroes. Colby and Rupert are beaten and may as well be gone and he has Candice eating out of the palm of his hand. His only problem is that Amanda is Boston Rob in a girl's body. Russell tells Candice that they're all voting for Amanda and she seems to like this plan. Later, Candice sits in on the Heroes' meeting, listening to them decide to vote for Russell. Some time after that, Candice relays the message to Russell. He asks if Sandra was cool with it, and Candice nods. Russell hurries down the beach after Sandra, he wants to talk to her. Candice is trailing after Russell like she's his puppy. Russell confronts Sandra and she lies, saying that it's Amanda that's going home. Russell says that he's going to play his idol, so it doesn't matter. He tells them both that it doesn't matter if either of them flip, Amanda still goes home. Technically, he's wrong, but what do they know? 

Sandra breaks the news to the Heroes that their plan is foiled, and that's why I don't like Russell's approach with Sandra. Why not let them think they have a trap set? Rupert doesn't believe that Candice is flipping, and Candice denies it in front of Colby and Rupert. Sandra pleads to not be left out to dry. Colby tries to calm her, telling her that they're voting for Parvati. Rupert reminds us that he's a moron at this game, surmising that the greed within Danielle will stop her from giving the idol to Russell. It's because she was on the Villains tribe! Colby declares that if the plan doesn't work, it's Candice's fault. Rupert claims that three days worth of strategy happened in three minutes, but that's what it looks like when you're that outmatched in the game. Every time there's strategy talk, Rupert begins to sweat and panic. Sandra gets Candice alone and tries to plead with her, shooing Russell away, saying that she's doing it for her. Candice doesn't want to listen, telling her to just vote for Amanda. Sandra gets so desperate, she's about to lose it. 

Tribal Council Time! The jury's brought in and Jeff begins his probing. He wants to know what the Heroes have done to find the low man on the totem pole in the Villain alliance. Sandra pretty much admits it's her after Rupert just wastes our time. She doesn't feel included. Danielle and Russell ask if she really has a better deal if she flips. Russell identifies each member of the Villains and their qualities, leaving Sandra out, and when she mentions this, he says that she's, "just there." Everyone raises their eyebrows in feigned horror, but they all know it's true. Sandra, you're a meatbag and nothing more. There, I said it. Rupert wishes he knew there was distrust before getting to the Council. Again, who likes this guy? He's like the male Sandra. Well, when Colby isn't being the male Sandra, Rupert is. They share. Colby is certain Danielle has the idol. Jeff says that since everyone's so certain, Parvati could be in danger. Jeff tells Russell he has a huge target on his back, too, and Russell agrees, but wants to take chances that will get him further in the game. 

Voting begins and Russell goes first. J.T. tries to stare more rape eyes into Russell while Courtney pretends she's vomiting. Russell votes for Amanda. Amanda votes for Parvati. Jeff grabs the ballot box and asks for hidden immunity idols. There's a pause before Russell stands and plays the idol for himself. Danielle just laughs. The first two votes are for Amanda, then two for Parvati. A third for Amanda, then a fourth, before a third for Parvati. A fifth vote is read for Amanda and that's all it takes. Amanda is eliminated. Parvati tells Russell that he wasted an idol, but he said he'd never felt that nervous. 

via cbs.com

In the end, both Sandra and Candice voted for Amanda. Haha, Rupert. 

Next week: The Villains Alliance looks like it's finally dead.