Seems Like a No-Brainer
This final 3 hour marathon finally opened at Redemption Island - Night 35
-Grant shows up surprising Matt, Mike and Andrea - he's the last person she wanted to see walk in - against those three strong men, Andrea feels like the under-underdog.
Murlonio - Night 35
-Rob is feeling bad about having voted out Grant. He says he does have a heart in there somewhere. In terms of the people at Redemption Island coming back - Rob's not too worried - he wants to get rid of Ashley next.
Redemption Island - they get tree mail that tells them this is the final duel - three will fall and one will re-enter the game. They are all celebrating the Redemption Island purgatory coming to an end.
Matt leads them all in a prayer (of course) and they troup out for the duel.
Duel - they will all stand with one foot on one end of a balancing board - on the other end is a ceramic vase - vase falls and you are out. Grant is a yoga instructor, this could be his to lose... but Mike is a trained soldier, he should have strong legs, Matt's got God on his side and Andrea is a slight little thing, being lighter could be an asset as well. After 20 minutes they're all still there - after 40 minutes, Grant is trying to stretch out his leg....(oh no) and the vase drops. Grant is out, taking Maddy D, Virginia D and Jeff T out of the pool with him.
- Next, God must have blinked because Matt loses focus for a second and his vase falls - after surviving 10 duels - Matt (or Jesus-Thanker as my brother calls him) is finally eliminated from this game taking Nancy C, Bernice R and Ritch G. with him.
-So we're down to Mike and Andrea, the farm-girl and the Iraq war vet - Mike is wobbling all over - and he loses his vase! ANDREA is re-entering the game. And Mike is out, taking Fred & Gary M, Charolotte W and Steve H. with him.
-Grant is proud of what he learned about himself out there. Matt praises God, his will be done and Mike wanted to get back in but it wasn't meant to be and it's alright. They are all so zen.
-Andrea is creepily hugged by Phillip and she's back in the tribe - she says she doesn't feel like part of the tribe, she's going to work some strategy and try to stay in it this time.
-Rob tells us he's still voting Ashley, she played the better game and has to go.
Murlonio - Day 35
-Back at camp Andrea starts working on the girls right away - she tells them that the 3 guys at Redemption Island think of the girls as Robs puppets and that they would all likely vote for Phillip out of the people that are left. It was a total lie, she's just trying to plant a seed. Get them to side with her.
-Ashley tells Natalie she shouldn't trust Rob so much. Ashley tells us she's glad Andrea is back and hopes she'll side with Nat & her to take Phillip or Rob out.
-Rob & Phillip talking - they still want Ashley out and have to watch those three girls don't talk too much.
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
They have to race across a balance beam stopping to untie a series of bags containing numbered tiles. Once they have one bag, they run to the end and arrange the numbered tiles on their board then run back to the beginning - on the beam, get the next bag, place the tiles in order - until they get all 4 bags of tiles and have all 100 tiles - first person to get all the tiles on their board in order wins Immunity.
-Off they go - Rob is the first one across with the first bag, but they all start out strong - Rob, Andrea and Ashley are really the only three with any chance mid-way - and ASHLEY! Wins Immunity! You can imagine this did not sit well with Rob. B-bye Andrea.
Back at camp - Rob just tells her, "Sorry Andrea, you're next." They four of them just confirm right in front of her really that Andrea's next. Rob says he has an idol and it's the last night to play it but he doesn't think he'll need to - he goes fishing. (Oh, he better play it - you would have to be ridiculously stupid to hold on to it at this point.)
-Ashley pulls Natalie aside and wants her assurance that the next vote will be for Phillip not for her and that Natalie will tell her if she hears anything different. Phillip is watching them talking and like the dutiful intelligence officer he is reports to Rob - right in front of Andrea again (wow, they are treating her like she's already gone - I hope she can get through to the girls to vote for Rob - that would serve him right!)
-Phillip finally takes Rob for a walk and Andrea ceases the opportunity to talk to the girls again - they seem receptive - she tells them no one on Redemption is going to vote for them, they are going to vote for Rob so it makes sense to take one of the guys out and try to prove they are playing the game as well. Andrea says she's voting Rob, and they could have three girls in the final. (That would be awesome, but I don't think these three have the stuff to pull it off.)
-Phillip has no intel worth sharing with Rob - welcome to day 37 - don't they know that I can predict what they're going to do before they even know it? Rob says he can dictate this vote, he doesn't even need the idol... Ohhh... do you think, could he really go out as the biggest bonehead ever? That would be hilarious and also sad.
Tribal Council #1
Jeff asks Phillip if he was in on discussions today and Phillip says, "Obviously you've forgotten my title of Undercover Specialist." That had Grant cracking up on the jury (did I miss that one? I don't remember that title - ever.)
-Basically Rob asked Phillip to let him know if he heard anything about the three girls voting for him.
-Jeff asks Andrea if she was tempted by the three girls having the numbers and Andrea lays it out - (I was yelling at her to shut up, but really she was smart - call them out, can't hurt at this point.) She tells Jeff that she told the girls the jury knows Rob's pulling the strings and the girls have not done anything on their own - this is their chance to do something strategic and may be gain some respect from the jury. (Will it work?)
They vote and when Jeff asks if anyone has a hidden immunity idol and wants to play it now is the time... Rob hesitates but then does stand up and play the idol - much to Andrea's shock and dismay.
Reading the votes and her efforts to sway the puppet girls doesn't work - Andrea is voted out - Again.
And she takes with her Laura H, Annemette J and Janine S - so, sorry, thanks for playing.
(I have to interject- what was the point of having the Redemption Island person coming back with this many people still there - it was stupid - I think the Redeemed should come back for the final 3 - otherwise they're just going to get voted out right away again... unless she won immunity I guess, but still - Redemption seemed kind of pointless.)
Murlonio - Night 37
-Final Four - Phillip wants a group hug - so creepy! We did what we said we'd do "Stealth-R-Us" (Ah, wasn't Grant in on that?)
-Ashley says Andrea tried to throw her and Natalie under the bus (staple line #1) but I'm still here and she's not.
Day 38 - Immunity Challenge
It's a maze - they have to make their way to 4 stations in the maze and collect bags of puzzle pieces - once they have all the bags they will race to the top of the Mayan-esque pyramid and have to solve the puzzle with the phrase - Only You Are Safe.
-Natalie is totally lost from the beginning - non-entity in this one. Ashley starts following Rob and keeps on his butt throughout - they are the only two that get all 4 bags of puzzle pieces - they start on the puzzle and Ashley gets the first word right away - then she gets the last word... Rob says lets work together and she says yeah - but they both lie to each other that they have nothing - Rob is finding words and ROB WINS FINAL IMMUNITY! And he makes crying sounds into his hat - he does cry to the camera though. Amber encouraged him to come back, she believes in him (and is probably sick of listening to him complain about her winning and him not.) Now he has to decide which of these three idiots to send home tonight and then how to convince the jury to vote for him when his wife has already won one.
Back at camp - Rob is reassuring Ashley and Natalie that they are voting out Phillip - then he drops it on Natalie that it's Ashley. Natalie is not happy, she was hoping to have a Phillip free day and she has a strong bond with Ashley - She didn't come out here to make friends (staple line #2) but she did make a friend. She says she'd rather lose this game then lose a friend in Ashely (you're not winning anyway honey so it doesn't matter) but then Natalie tows the Rob line anyway and doesn't tell Ashley.
Tribal Council #2
(Wow, as my friend said - Andrea must have been practicing that b*tch face all day - bitter Betty, table for one.)
Ashley knew she had to win the challenge and she's pretty disappointed.
Rob says he wants to sit with the people he can beat in the end but you never know what the jury is going to see - you can only do what you can do.
-Natalie says she and Rob have been together since the beginning making decisions and hopefully I'm the one he wants here (really, that's your pitch? I don't think anyone buys that she made any decisions.)
-Phillip is 'the Specialist' and he didn't win any challenges so he's no threat.
-Ashley has been loyal, may times she could have thrown Rob under the bus (staple line #1 again) but she didn't. Can you win this game? Yeah. Do you have a better shot than Natalie or Phillip? Yeah.
(And right there, she sealed her fate - as if it wasn't already sealed but you know what I mean.)
And they vote:
Phillip for Ashley - he thinks she's the laziest thing he's ever met.
Ashley votes Phillip - I won't miss you - you're a nutcase (Oh, she called him the n-word - Nutcase. Ha!)
And ASHLEY is voted out for the final member of the jury - and she takes Roxanne S, Wendy E and Robert L. with her out of the pool.
The Final Three are Natalie, Boston Rob and Phillip... wait - where was the walk of rememberance? Have the producers finally learned that everyone hates that? Whoohoo! We've all won.
Day 39
-Phillip is in full regalia - his great-great grandfather has been talking to him - he learned it's okay to tell the world that he has a relationship with someone who's been dead since 1870 - he's learned he can accept the good, the bad and the different and that's been great out here. He wants to make it clear to the jury why they are sitting there and he's in the final, he wants to put some salt on that wound so they don't forget that.
-Natalie wants to rub everyone's nose in the fact that she's young - I'm 19 and I stand for my generation - this was hard and I deserve to be here (whatever - no one wants to give a 19 yr old a million dollars.)
-Rob 117 days in total over the last 10years - it's overwhelming - Winning this game has always eluded me and again I find myself one step away from the top - and I'm just hoping to get there.
-He coaches Natalie on where he went wrong last time - he felt bad and he apologized, he should have told them to screw off. Tells us it looks like he's giving her pointers but he's still playing the game, he's giving her pointers on how he wants her to act at tribal council.
And Phillip comes in dangling the always offensive 'plum-coloured' underwear - to ceremonially toss them in the fire - but there is no fire, it's just ash/embers - so they just sit there and smolder - Ahhh! They are gross until the very end.
FINAL TRIBAL COUNCIL
-Phillip has a handful of feathers tied to his head and a red blanket on - Oh Kimosabe.
Opening Statements:
Natalie - Um, I made it 39 days. My strength is my social skills, who I wanted to align with and luckily that was Rob.(So basically, she latched on to Rob and he dragged he along.) I would be the youngest female to win if you decided to vote for me (again, who wants to give a little girl a million dollars - no one. You're hooped honey.)
Phillip - he had to revamp the whole strategy he came in with when Boston Rob got off that helicopter. He apologized to him for trying to vote him off at the first tribal council and Rob accepted that apology - "I wouldn't be sitting here now if it weren't for Boston Rob." (This is you're game winning strategy - this guy kept me in the game?!!) Also, I implemented the whole concept of STEALTH (that had David rolling his eyes) then he says Rob is the Mastermind and I implemented his plan (again, I did nothing, Rob did it all... Didn't he brag that he had the winning argument a couple episodes ago - I think he forgot what that was, because this will not cut it.)
Rob - Thanks everyone - especially Ometepe, he thinks if he had been on Zapatera it would have been different. Then he outlines his qualities - he was competitive in challenges, he made many alliances and he was useful around camp but none of that matters - the power has now shifted to the jury and it's what they think now. He says he's spent 117 days, 10 years off and on, trying to climb this moutain - almost a 3rd of his life - in the end it's about his wife and daughter and trying to provide a better life for them (because we burned through the mil my wife won and need more... how come no one ever mentions that?) I hope you think I played the game the best and you vote for me. Thank you. (The consensus in my viewing party was that Rob should really run for office - what'd you think, Boston Rob 2012?)
Now it's the Jury's turn:
Andrea is first - starts with Phillip, calls him weird - says they've seen a plethora of personas from him - who is the real Phillip Shepherd?
-You've had 39 days to understand who I am, if you don't then don't vote for me. (Alrighty then, they won't.)
She says Natalie's attachment to Rob was almost creepy and what alure did he have that made her betray her best friend.
-This isn't about friendship, it's a game. I've never camped, Rob has experience - I stuck with Rob.
Natalie as an aside to Rob apologizes if she ever seemed "creepy".
Ashley - tells Phillip she's sick of hearing his voice so she will speak and he will not comment - but he does comment because you don't tell Phillip what to do - she calls him pathetic, she's going to say her piece and he's going to sit there. "You can say your piece but don't tell me what I'm going to do." (Oh shut up already.) Ashley says she wants to thank him because she came out there a very impatient person, having survived a torturous 38 days with him, she can get through anything. "You sound like a little whiney child" (And you don't?)
She calls out Natalie for lying to her about the final vote - Natalie scrambles to tell her it was a back and forth decision and right before tribal Rob decided it would be her. Ashley was a bigger threat and Ashley breaks in, you want the people sitting there that don't deserve it, I get it. That's kind of sad.
Rob - you deceived a lot of people - I put you on a pedestal and after this I don't know who you are and I don't think I want to know.
Grant - Natalie - I also had an alliance with Rob - what was your dynamic with him. Natalie just says Grant was a huge threat.
Rob says Natalie came to him and asked him to tell her what to do and she did everything he asked. He trusted and valued his relationship with Grant all the way up until he felt Grant could kick his ass - he didn't want to sit beside him at the final tribal.
Linen pant, flip flop Grant though it would have been fun to duke it out with him at the end but Good Luck.
Ralph (Man-Sweater) is wearing a Russell hat - ugh.
Natalie - seems like you can't do nothin without keeping your eye on Rob - Like a kid.
-She says something inane and does keep looking at Rob - Ralph's made his point. You never spoke to me out there - There was a reason for that - Rob told you not to - I wanted my tribe to trust me - we all saw what happened with Matt and I didn't want any misconception. Okay, you dun great.
Phillip - let down he didn't have a whole chicken on his head. Do you like me Phillip?
-Of all the people on your tribe I love your work ethic, you were funny, you were a very decent man and if you were in my tribe we would have gotten along. (Ah, is that really a ringing endorsement?) But Ralph seems happy with that.
Matt - Rob, clearly you are very duplicitous, coniving liar, where is the line drawn after so much time out here? The line is drawn as soon as I'm back in my real life. But inside the game of Survivor I feel like it's necessary to play like this. I had alliances with every Ometepe and they all thought they were going to the end until they were voted off - it's harsh but how it had to be.
Matt says something about none of them knowing who he really is...(What? Who cares - Matt's final questioning was surprisingly God-free.)
Julie - You three should be sitting there very humble because in my opinion none of you played a respectable game.
-She tells Natalie that her parents would not be proud of her. She would be sad to see her daughter be a servant to anyone like she was a servant to Rob.
-Phillip you're right, Rob did bring you to the end but it's not because of your loyalty, it's because none of us here on the jury like or respect you. Would your son be proud of how you played the game. My son would be very proud of me. You called me the hardest working man out here - I'm not taking your work ethic away from you - The hell with you (Whoa, what... Julie went too far bringing their families into this I think.)
Rob - you're sitting next to the little girl that rode your coat tails and the guy no one likes or respects - Phillip breaks in again - I didn't come here for your respect I came to kick a little ass and I think I did that. I think it was Ashley who threw out, "In the challenges?" No, in the social game - that's why none of you knew how close I was to Boston Rob. Ohhh.
Julie tells Rob to teach his daughters to be strong women and not to let men treat them the way he treated Natalie. (Wow, I would say she gets the Susan Hawk award this season.)
(Rob whispers to Natalie- who's upset by Julies attack, not to worry, they'll be all smiles later.)
Mike - brings the God talk. He was able to get closer to God, build his faith and make some incredible friendships (I think he spent too much time on Redemption Island with Matt - not that there's anything wrong with that.) He asks them all what they've learned about themselves out there.
Natalie - she's 19, never camped, sleeping on bamboo, eating two spoons of rice - she's learned she's stronger and more capable then she ever thought she could be... (Blah, blah, blah - I'm young - pick me.) She appreciates her family.
Rob - biggest thing he's learned - he's got to stop playing games. He's got to put it to rest and go home and take care of his wife and children.
Phillip - I feel so blessed I had the opportunity to do this - I learned that I could stand on my own - be an outcast - having left home at 16, been in the service, support his son by himself - he is a beacon in the Shepherd family (rather high opinion of yourself - I wonder if they'll feel the same after this.)
Steve - Natalie - I want to commend you for being 19 yrs old - you're there and I'm here so I commend you on that.
Rob - hats off to you - 117 days, I buckled at 31 - fellow warrior took it to another level.
Phillip - I just got to say, I'm sorry for you, what you are, what you've grown into - you're a sorry man. (I think that actually hurt Phillip, he doesn't retort, he looks like he's going to cry.)
And finally David - "And now for something completely different." He addresses the jury not the finalists. Only one logical decision here, one guy doesn't deserve it so discount him and the other credits the guy in the middle for doing everything - He controlled all of you- he controlled your minds, your thoughts, and one by one by one you were all blindsided.
Two people came into this game - one who claimed to be the best that ever played and we voted him out after 8 days - the guy sitting over there has just played the best strategic game this game as ever seen and it's pretty damn easy to say who deserves your vote tonight.
And they Vote - they only show David vote for Rob and Ralph vote for Phile... (oh Man-Sweater, he even writes with the accent.)
So I'm just going to cut to the chase... everyone is fat and happy in the studio and Jeff announces the WINNER of Survivor Redemption Island is BOSTON ROB!
So the winners of the Pools are: Alexis G, Andria S and Ryan H! Congratulations everyone!
Rob also wins the Spring $100K player of the game money.
Grant is no longer talking to Boston Rob - Zen yoga guy has a poopy diaper.
Phillip apologizes to Stephen for implying he was a racist.
Jeff has a Special Agent in the audience who went to the academy with Phillip and vouches he was really a special agent (still, no one seems convinced.)
Russell tells Jeff not to lose his number - which means he'll play again - NOoooo!
and David proproses to another former Survivor, Carolina (who? She was the first person voted out of the season JT won) - she said yes.
And finally - next season will be Survivor South Pacific, Redemption Island will be a factor again (hmm, I don't know that I like that.)
Well, another season of Survivor is done - Until the fall - have a great one.
Coleen
This final 3 hour marathon finally opened at Redemption Island - Night 35
-Grant shows up surprising Matt, Mike and Andrea - he's the last person she wanted to see walk in - against those three strong men, Andrea feels like the under-underdog.
Murlonio - Night 35
-Rob is feeling bad about having voted out Grant. He says he does have a heart in there somewhere. In terms of the people at Redemption Island coming back - Rob's not too worried - he wants to get rid of Ashley next.
Redemption Island - they get tree mail that tells them this is the final duel - three will fall and one will re-enter the game. They are all celebrating the Redemption Island purgatory coming to an end.
Matt leads them all in a prayer (of course) and they troup out for the duel.
Duel - they will all stand with one foot on one end of a balancing board - on the other end is a ceramic vase - vase falls and you are out. Grant is a yoga instructor, this could be his to lose... but Mike is a trained soldier, he should have strong legs, Matt's got God on his side and Andrea is a slight little thing, being lighter could be an asset as well. After 20 minutes they're all still there - after 40 minutes, Grant is trying to stretch out his leg....(oh no) and the vase drops. Grant is out, taking Maddy D, Virginia D and Jeff T out of the pool with him.
- Next, God must have blinked because Matt loses focus for a second and his vase falls - after surviving 10 duels - Matt (or Jesus-Thanker as my brother calls him) is finally eliminated from this game taking Nancy C, Bernice R and Ritch G. with him.
-So we're down to Mike and Andrea, the farm-girl and the Iraq war vet - Mike is wobbling all over - and he loses his vase! ANDREA is re-entering the game. And Mike is out, taking Fred & Gary M, Charolotte W and Steve H. with him.
-Grant is proud of what he learned about himself out there. Matt praises God, his will be done and Mike wanted to get back in but it wasn't meant to be and it's alright. They are all so zen.
-Andrea is creepily hugged by Phillip and she's back in the tribe - she says she doesn't feel like part of the tribe, she's going to work some strategy and try to stay in it this time.
-Rob tells us he's still voting Ashley, she played the better game and has to go.
Murlonio - Day 35
-Back at camp Andrea starts working on the girls right away - she tells them that the 3 guys at Redemption Island think of the girls as Robs puppets and that they would all likely vote for Phillip out of the people that are left. It was a total lie, she's just trying to plant a seed. Get them to side with her.
-Ashley tells Natalie she shouldn't trust Rob so much. Ashley tells us she's glad Andrea is back and hopes she'll side with Nat & her to take Phillip or Rob out.
-Rob & Phillip talking - they still want Ashley out and have to watch those three girls don't talk too much.
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE
They have to race across a balance beam stopping to untie a series of bags containing numbered tiles. Once they have one bag, they run to the end and arrange the numbered tiles on their board then run back to the beginning - on the beam, get the next bag, place the tiles in order - until they get all 4 bags of tiles and have all 100 tiles - first person to get all the tiles on their board in order wins Immunity.
-Off they go - Rob is the first one across with the first bag, but they all start out strong - Rob, Andrea and Ashley are really the only three with any chance mid-way - and ASHLEY! Wins Immunity! You can imagine this did not sit well with Rob. B-bye Andrea.
Back at camp - Rob just tells her, "Sorry Andrea, you're next." They four of them just confirm right in front of her really that Andrea's next. Rob says he has an idol and it's the last night to play it but he doesn't think he'll need to - he goes fishing. (Oh, he better play it - you would have to be ridiculously stupid to hold on to it at this point.)
-Ashley pulls Natalie aside and wants her assurance that the next vote will be for Phillip not for her and that Natalie will tell her if she hears anything different. Phillip is watching them talking and like the dutiful intelligence officer he is reports to Rob - right in front of Andrea again (wow, they are treating her like she's already gone - I hope she can get through to the girls to vote for Rob - that would serve him right!)
-Phillip finally takes Rob for a walk and Andrea ceases the opportunity to talk to the girls again - they seem receptive - she tells them no one on Redemption is going to vote for them, they are going to vote for Rob so it makes sense to take one of the guys out and try to prove they are playing the game as well. Andrea says she's voting Rob, and they could have three girls in the final. (That would be awesome, but I don't think these three have the stuff to pull it off.)
-Phillip has no intel worth sharing with Rob - welcome to day 37 - don't they know that I can predict what they're going to do before they even know it? Rob says he can dictate this vote, he doesn't even need the idol... Ohhh... do you think, could he really go out as the biggest bonehead ever? That would be hilarious and also sad.
Tribal Council #1
Jeff asks Phillip if he was in on discussions today and Phillip says, "Obviously you've forgotten my title of Undercover Specialist." That had Grant cracking up on the jury (did I miss that one? I don't remember that title - ever.)
-Basically Rob asked Phillip to let him know if he heard anything about the three girls voting for him.
-Jeff asks Andrea if she was tempted by the three girls having the numbers and Andrea lays it out - (I was yelling at her to shut up, but really she was smart - call them out, can't hurt at this point.) She tells Jeff that she told the girls the jury knows Rob's pulling the strings and the girls have not done anything on their own - this is their chance to do something strategic and may be gain some respect from the jury. (Will it work?)
They vote and when Jeff asks if anyone has a hidden immunity idol and wants to play it now is the time... Rob hesitates but then does stand up and play the idol - much to Andrea's shock and dismay.
Reading the votes and her efforts to sway the puppet girls doesn't work - Andrea is voted out - Again.
And she takes with her Laura H, Annemette J and Janine S - so, sorry, thanks for playing.
(I have to interject- what was the point of having the Redemption Island person coming back with this many people still there - it was stupid - I think the Redeemed should come back for the final 3 - otherwise they're just going to get voted out right away again... unless she won immunity I guess, but still - Redemption seemed kind of pointless.)
Murlonio - Night 37
-Final Four - Phillip wants a group hug - so creepy! We did what we said we'd do "Stealth-R-Us" (Ah, wasn't Grant in on that?)
-Ashley says Andrea tried to throw her and Natalie under the bus (staple line #1) but I'm still here and she's not.
Day 38 - Immunity Challenge
It's a maze - they have to make their way to 4 stations in the maze and collect bags of puzzle pieces - once they have all the bags they will race to the top of the Mayan-esque pyramid and have to solve the puzzle with the phrase - Only You Are Safe.
-Natalie is totally lost from the beginning - non-entity in this one. Ashley starts following Rob and keeps on his butt throughout - they are the only two that get all 4 bags of puzzle pieces - they start on the puzzle and Ashley gets the first word right away - then she gets the last word... Rob says lets work together and she says yeah - but they both lie to each other that they have nothing - Rob is finding words and ROB WINS FINAL IMMUNITY! And he makes crying sounds into his hat - he does cry to the camera though. Amber encouraged him to come back, she believes in him (and is probably sick of listening to him complain about her winning and him not.) Now he has to decide which of these three idiots to send home tonight and then how to convince the jury to vote for him when his wife has already won one.
Back at camp - Rob is reassuring Ashley and Natalie that they are voting out Phillip - then he drops it on Natalie that it's Ashley. Natalie is not happy, she was hoping to have a Phillip free day and she has a strong bond with Ashley - She didn't come out here to make friends (staple line #2) but she did make a friend. She says she'd rather lose this game then lose a friend in Ashely (you're not winning anyway honey so it doesn't matter) but then Natalie tows the Rob line anyway and doesn't tell Ashley.
Tribal Council #2
(Wow, as my friend said - Andrea must have been practicing that b*tch face all day - bitter Betty, table for one.)
Ashley knew she had to win the challenge and she's pretty disappointed.
Rob says he wants to sit with the people he can beat in the end but you never know what the jury is going to see - you can only do what you can do.
-Natalie says she and Rob have been together since the beginning making decisions and hopefully I'm the one he wants here (really, that's your pitch? I don't think anyone buys that she made any decisions.)
-Phillip is 'the Specialist' and he didn't win any challenges so he's no threat.
-Ashley has been loyal, may times she could have thrown Rob under the bus (staple line #1 again) but she didn't. Can you win this game? Yeah. Do you have a better shot than Natalie or Phillip? Yeah.
(And right there, she sealed her fate - as if it wasn't already sealed but you know what I mean.)
And they vote:
Phillip for Ashley - he thinks she's the laziest thing he's ever met.
Ashley votes Phillip - I won't miss you - you're a nutcase (Oh, she called him the n-word - Nutcase. Ha!)
And ASHLEY is voted out for the final member of the jury - and she takes Roxanne S, Wendy E and Robert L. with her out of the pool.
The Final Three are Natalie, Boston Rob and Phillip... wait - where was the walk of rememberance? Have the producers finally learned that everyone hates that? Whoohoo! We've all won.
Day 39
-Phillip is in full regalia - his great-great grandfather has been talking to him - he learned it's okay to tell the world that he has a relationship with someone who's been dead since 1870 - he's learned he can accept the good, the bad and the different and that's been great out here. He wants to make it clear to the jury why they are sitting there and he's in the final, he wants to put some salt on that wound so they don't forget that.
-Natalie wants to rub everyone's nose in the fact that she's young - I'm 19 and I stand for my generation - this was hard and I deserve to be here (whatever - no one wants to give a 19 yr old a million dollars.)
-Rob 117 days in total over the last 10years - it's overwhelming - Winning this game has always eluded me and again I find myself one step away from the top - and I'm just hoping to get there.
-He coaches Natalie on where he went wrong last time - he felt bad and he apologized, he should have told them to screw off. Tells us it looks like he's giving her pointers but he's still playing the game, he's giving her pointers on how he wants her to act at tribal council.
And Phillip comes in dangling the always offensive 'plum-coloured' underwear - to ceremonially toss them in the fire - but there is no fire, it's just ash/embers - so they just sit there and smolder - Ahhh! They are gross until the very end.
FINAL TRIBAL COUNCIL
-Phillip has a handful of feathers tied to his head and a red blanket on - Oh Kimosabe.
Opening Statements:
Natalie - Um, I made it 39 days. My strength is my social skills, who I wanted to align with and luckily that was Rob.(So basically, she latched on to Rob and he dragged he along.) I would be the youngest female to win if you decided to vote for me (again, who wants to give a little girl a million dollars - no one. You're hooped honey.)
Phillip - he had to revamp the whole strategy he came in with when Boston Rob got off that helicopter. He apologized to him for trying to vote him off at the first tribal council and Rob accepted that apology - "I wouldn't be sitting here now if it weren't for Boston Rob." (This is you're game winning strategy - this guy kept me in the game?!!) Also, I implemented the whole concept of STEALTH (that had David rolling his eyes) then he says Rob is the Mastermind and I implemented his plan (again, I did nothing, Rob did it all... Didn't he brag that he had the winning argument a couple episodes ago - I think he forgot what that was, because this will not cut it.)
Rob - Thanks everyone - especially Ometepe, he thinks if he had been on Zapatera it would have been different. Then he outlines his qualities - he was competitive in challenges, he made many alliances and he was useful around camp but none of that matters - the power has now shifted to the jury and it's what they think now. He says he's spent 117 days, 10 years off and on, trying to climb this moutain - almost a 3rd of his life - in the end it's about his wife and daughter and trying to provide a better life for them (because we burned through the mil my wife won and need more... how come no one ever mentions that?) I hope you think I played the game the best and you vote for me. Thank you. (The consensus in my viewing party was that Rob should really run for office - what'd you think, Boston Rob 2012?)
Now it's the Jury's turn:
Andrea is first - starts with Phillip, calls him weird - says they've seen a plethora of personas from him - who is the real Phillip Shepherd?
-You've had 39 days to understand who I am, if you don't then don't vote for me. (Alrighty then, they won't.)
She says Natalie's attachment to Rob was almost creepy and what alure did he have that made her betray her best friend.
-This isn't about friendship, it's a game. I've never camped, Rob has experience - I stuck with Rob.
Natalie as an aside to Rob apologizes if she ever seemed "creepy".
Ashley - tells Phillip she's sick of hearing his voice so she will speak and he will not comment - but he does comment because you don't tell Phillip what to do - she calls him pathetic, she's going to say her piece and he's going to sit there. "You can say your piece but don't tell me what I'm going to do." (Oh shut up already.) Ashley says she wants to thank him because she came out there a very impatient person, having survived a torturous 38 days with him, she can get through anything. "You sound like a little whiney child" (And you don't?)
She calls out Natalie for lying to her about the final vote - Natalie scrambles to tell her it was a back and forth decision and right before tribal Rob decided it would be her. Ashley was a bigger threat and Ashley breaks in, you want the people sitting there that don't deserve it, I get it. That's kind of sad.
Rob - you deceived a lot of people - I put you on a pedestal and after this I don't know who you are and I don't think I want to know.
Grant - Natalie - I also had an alliance with Rob - what was your dynamic with him. Natalie just says Grant was a huge threat.
Rob says Natalie came to him and asked him to tell her what to do and she did everything he asked. He trusted and valued his relationship with Grant all the way up until he felt Grant could kick his ass - he didn't want to sit beside him at the final tribal.
Linen pant, flip flop Grant though it would have been fun to duke it out with him at the end but Good Luck.
Ralph (Man-Sweater) is wearing a Russell hat - ugh.
Natalie - seems like you can't do nothin without keeping your eye on Rob - Like a kid.
-She says something inane and does keep looking at Rob - Ralph's made his point. You never spoke to me out there - There was a reason for that - Rob told you not to - I wanted my tribe to trust me - we all saw what happened with Matt and I didn't want any misconception. Okay, you dun great.
Phillip - let down he didn't have a whole chicken on his head. Do you like me Phillip?
-Of all the people on your tribe I love your work ethic, you were funny, you were a very decent man and if you were in my tribe we would have gotten along. (Ah, is that really a ringing endorsement?) But Ralph seems happy with that.
Matt - Rob, clearly you are very duplicitous, coniving liar, where is the line drawn after so much time out here? The line is drawn as soon as I'm back in my real life. But inside the game of Survivor I feel like it's necessary to play like this. I had alliances with every Ometepe and they all thought they were going to the end until they were voted off - it's harsh but how it had to be.
Matt says something about none of them knowing who he really is...(What? Who cares - Matt's final questioning was surprisingly God-free.)
Julie - You three should be sitting there very humble because in my opinion none of you played a respectable game.
-She tells Natalie that her parents would not be proud of her. She would be sad to see her daughter be a servant to anyone like she was a servant to Rob.
-Phillip you're right, Rob did bring you to the end but it's not because of your loyalty, it's because none of us here on the jury like or respect you. Would your son be proud of how you played the game. My son would be very proud of me. You called me the hardest working man out here - I'm not taking your work ethic away from you - The hell with you (Whoa, what... Julie went too far bringing their families into this I think.)
Rob - you're sitting next to the little girl that rode your coat tails and the guy no one likes or respects - Phillip breaks in again - I didn't come here for your respect I came to kick a little ass and I think I did that. I think it was Ashley who threw out, "In the challenges?" No, in the social game - that's why none of you knew how close I was to Boston Rob. Ohhh.
Julie tells Rob to teach his daughters to be strong women and not to let men treat them the way he treated Natalie. (Wow, I would say she gets the Susan Hawk award this season.)
(Rob whispers to Natalie- who's upset by Julies attack, not to worry, they'll be all smiles later.)
Mike - brings the God talk. He was able to get closer to God, build his faith and make some incredible friendships (I think he spent too much time on Redemption Island with Matt - not that there's anything wrong with that.) He asks them all what they've learned about themselves out there.
Natalie - she's 19, never camped, sleeping on bamboo, eating two spoons of rice - she's learned she's stronger and more capable then she ever thought she could be... (Blah, blah, blah - I'm young - pick me.) She appreciates her family.
Rob - biggest thing he's learned - he's got to stop playing games. He's got to put it to rest and go home and take care of his wife and children.
Phillip - I feel so blessed I had the opportunity to do this - I learned that I could stand on my own - be an outcast - having left home at 16, been in the service, support his son by himself - he is a beacon in the Shepherd family (rather high opinion of yourself - I wonder if they'll feel the same after this.)
Steve - Natalie - I want to commend you for being 19 yrs old - you're there and I'm here so I commend you on that.
Rob - hats off to you - 117 days, I buckled at 31 - fellow warrior took it to another level.
Phillip - I just got to say, I'm sorry for you, what you are, what you've grown into - you're a sorry man. (I think that actually hurt Phillip, he doesn't retort, he looks like he's going to cry.)
And finally David - "And now for something completely different." He addresses the jury not the finalists. Only one logical decision here, one guy doesn't deserve it so discount him and the other credits the guy in the middle for doing everything - He controlled all of you- he controlled your minds, your thoughts, and one by one by one you were all blindsided.
Two people came into this game - one who claimed to be the best that ever played and we voted him out after 8 days - the guy sitting over there has just played the best strategic game this game as ever seen and it's pretty damn easy to say who deserves your vote tonight.
And they Vote - they only show David vote for Rob and Ralph vote for Phile... (oh Man-Sweater, he even writes with the accent.)
So I'm just going to cut to the chase... everyone is fat and happy in the studio and Jeff announces the WINNER of Survivor Redemption Island is BOSTON ROB!
So the winners of the Pools are: Alexis G, Andria S and Ryan H! Congratulations everyone!
Rob also wins the Spring $100K player of the game money.
Grant is no longer talking to Boston Rob - Zen yoga guy has a poopy diaper.
Phillip apologizes to Stephen for implying he was a racist.
Jeff has a Special Agent in the audience who went to the academy with Phillip and vouches he was really a special agent (still, no one seems convinced.)
Russell tells Jeff not to lose his number - which means he'll play again - NOoooo!
and David proproses to another former Survivor, Carolina (who? She was the first person voted out of the season JT won) - she said yes.
And finally - next season will be Survivor South Pacific, Redemption Island will be a factor again (hmm, I don't know that I like that.)
Well, another season of Survivor is done - Until the fall - have a great one.
Coleen
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