Night 8 Aitu Tribe The tribemates shuffle back to camp after voting Cecilia out at Tribal Council. Ozzy is quiet, not saying much… while Yul whispers to Sundra about how much the whole experience sucked. I mean, that’s nice to say an all, Yul… but it couldn’t have sucked that much since it went right according to your plan, right? Okay, just checking. Later around the fire, Yul finds a hermit crab and offers it to Ozzy as a snack. Yul, you’re a smart guy, and I have all the confidence in the world in you. But is this your version of a piece offering? A hermit crab? As a midnight snack? Is this a valuable currency around camp that those of us at home are just not aware of? Ozzy unemotionally turns him down. “No, I don’t like hermit crabs.” Which means, “No, I don’t like YOU, Yul… and I don’t want your stupid hermit crab snack or anything else you’re offering.” Ozzy tells us that he’s upset, and feels like an outsider. Here all these people have moved into the camp that he and the original members of Aitu created, and as a big thanks for all that work… they voted the only other remaining member of that tribe out during their first joint Tribal Council. Ozzy is pouting… but very quietly, and only on the inside where no one can see. But he tells us that he doesn’t feel like playing with these people anymore; and he doesn’t want to find food for them any more; and he wished they never came to his island. Oh, the good ol’ days… when the only person he had to worry about was Billy. Day 9 Aitu Tribe Candice returns from Exile Island, waving from the front of the boat like a Homecoming Queen on a parade float. She tells everyone that she didn’t find the idol, but she must have found a pack of gum somewhere because she’s annoyingly chewing on something as she chats with her tribe. Flicka immediately asks her why she thinks the other tribe sent her to Exile Island. Candice chews her cud, and says she figured it was because she was the youngest. Flicka pushes a little bit more, and suggests that maybe it was Parvati’s and Adam’s idea to send her there, to save her from being voted out at Tribal Council. Candice starts stammering, saying, “Gosh, these are good questions… I didn’t even think of any of that, because I didn’t have time.” Really? You mean with being banished alone to a deserted island for two days and all… you didn’t have a spare moment? Interesting. Good comeback though… I’m sure you settled everyone’s suspicions with that. Raro Tribe The women are busily cleaning up camp… fluffing the sand, making palm frond curtains for the non-existent windows, and baking mud pies. The men are over by the fire, reclining, burping, and scratching themselves. It all reminds me of my family on Thanksgiving Day. Parvati is upset about the situation, but the guys could care less. They feel like they are all extremely safe because the girls all need them around to move rocks, and the guys are all in a strong alliance and will watch each other’s back. The most confident (and therefore laziest) guy of the bunch is J.P. He is absolutely, positively sure that he’s in a good spot. Those of us that have watched all previous 12 seasons of Survivor now know who is going home tonight. Reward Challenge It’s challenge time. Hooray, it’s challenge time! What will these goofy Survivors have to do next? It’s yet another previously-used challenge, where two tribe mates are clipped to a rope that is woven in, around, over, and under several obstacles, and the rest of the tribe must not-so-gently maneuver them through said obstacles to the end of the course. Once there, one tribe member must swim out to a buoy, and dive down and retrieve a huge decoder wheel that he must bring back so the teams can decode a “Survivor-related” message. The first team to finish and solve the puzzle correctly wins blankets and pillows. The Aitu tribe chooses Becky and Candice as their rag dolls to throw about, while Raro chooses Cristina and Jenny. Jeff fires the gun, waves the flag, or whatever he does to signify the beginning of the challenge, and the teams are off. The girls get dragged, pushed, and thrown through the various obstacles. Raro’s strong rock-carrying men initially get a good start, but soon everyone gets tangled up in rope. Aitu catches up, and then passes them, and then sends Ozzy into the water to retrieve the decoder wheel. Raro limps through the challenge, but are far behind by the time they get their super-secret decoder ring. Back at the puzzle table, genius Yul is less helpful then expected while deciphering the message, but eventually they sort it all out and figure out the message, “Last Castaways Back Cast One Away,” while Raro is still stuck trying to make sense of it all. Blankets and pillows for Aitu! Raro on the other hand loses the challenge, and loses one of its members to Exile Island. However this time the exiled person will be back in time for the immunity challenge, and will not be exempt from Tribal Council. Adam is the lucky duck chosen for the honor, and the rest of the Survivors trudge back to their camps while Adam is whisked away to Exile Island. We get no additional footage of Adam on the island however, because the idol isn’t out there any more, so who the hell cares? Aitu Tribe The victorious tribe returns, happy about their win in spite of Raro’s greater physical strength. Despite the threat he made to do otherwise, Ozzy is out fishing again, and gathering food for the tribe. He tells us how he feels secure because he is the biggest provider for the tribe, and surely they will keep him around because of that. Uhhhh… this is like the announcer’s curse in sports. As soon as you utter those words, you are destined to be voted out almost immediately. I’m surprised Jeff doesn’t show up on the spot, extinguish Ozzy’s torch, and say, “The tribe has spoken.” Really people… NEVER admit out loud that your tribe will certainly keep you around because you are the food provider. I little target appears on your back instantaneously as soon as the words leave your mouth. Raro Tribe The losing team shuffles home, still stunned that they lost despite their superior physical prowess. Everyone is a little shaken, except for J.P. who creates a Lazy-Boy from some driftwood, leans back, and starts telling everyone else what they should be doing around camp while he rests. J.P. is obviously more and more confident that he is a natural born leader, and in no danger of pissing everyone else off by his “do less – delegate more” approach to things. J.P. is obviously wrong. That night, Parvati sidles up to Nate and asks him if the guys are all in an alliance together. Nate tells her that they are, and that it is pretty tight. Parvati starts telling him about her concerns with J.P. bossing everyone about, but Nate tells her that they should leave him be… and that he will look out for Parvati. Nate then tells us, as if we didn’t already know, that Parvati is hot and he has to watch himself… because he’ll start making decisions based on how hot she is instead of what’s right for him in the game. My gosh, we can only hope! This season needs some romance or something to spice it up!