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Survivor
Blood Vs. Water
CBS 8p ET Wednesday

Recaps by Chico Alexander & Chris Wolvie, GSNN

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CLICK HERE TO SEE THE GOINGS ON AT THE GALANG TRIBE

NIGHT 8 - REDEMPTION ISLAND: "HI, HONEY! I'M HO-O-O-OME!"

As John meets his wife again and hugs, he regrets having trusted Brad and his Four and a Half Men Alliance implicitly. He says it's good that he and veteran Candice are together...but Candice wishes she had been there to give Brad pointers on how to play this game. And, now, there's a fair chance that one of them (thanks to Marissa) will be out of the game for good!

NIGHT 8 - TADHANA BEACH: BRAD THE IMPALER

Brad congratulates the Tribe on a blindside well done. He admits that, were things arranged differently, the 4.5MA would still be intact. But, since it's Vets vs. Loved Ones, he needs to think about unifying the couples at the Merge. And, since John's "couple-mate" is already AT Redemption Island, it was easy to send him there. This bothers Caleb...because since Coulton QUIT(!) yesterday (no, I will NOT let him forget that), he doesn't HAVE a "loved one" left on the other Tribe and, as such, is the most-likely candidate for the next kick-out.

DAY 9 - REDEMPTION DUEL: ODD SHAPED BOTTOMS

We are LIVE at Redemption Island Arena. The Galangs see that John has been booted from Tadhana and everyone and Uncle Jeff watch him enter the ring with Candace and Marissa. Candice gives Brad the "one-finger salute" as she passes by. She tells Uncle Jeff that she was "really upset" that her hubby got the boot. She'd've rather somebody she HATES had made it to RI..."like Brad Culpepper". This makes both Brad AND Monica a little uncomfy. Brad stays quiet...but Monica defends her hubby, saying that it takes more than ONE vote to kick someone out. Candice says Brad doesn't respect the women of the tribe. While Brad denies it, John says that EVERY vote has been Brad's idea...and that MAYBE Tadhana should consider turning the tables on the Emperor. Brad admits, "He made a wrong decision in trusting me."

(Obviously, since Candice is ALREADY on RI, she can't swap places with John so...never mind that part...)

All right, enough of the accusations...on with the Duel (a Challenge from One World). On Uncle Jeff's "go", the three will traverse a ladder bridge while moving a bouy with keys on it down a twisting rope. The key unlocks a bag of puzzle pieces which the Duelists will then use to solve a Cube Puzzle (turning a bunch of jagged edges into a smooth cube). First two to finish gets to stick around RI while the third is sent home. First ONE to finish gets to give a 3I clue to...whoever. (Candice cannot give it to John THIS time.)

"Survivors, ready....GO!!"

All three start out quick, with John taking an early lead and Candice lagging slightly behind. It's Marissa who hits the bag first and starts to try to unlock it. John gets there a few seconds later...and unlocks his first...just as Candice starts to work on HER lock. Marissa unlocks second, Candice last.

Sprint is done...now time for the marathon of the Cube Puzzle. John looks for the pieces with parts of the yin yang symbol on top and fits them into the puzzle. Marissa seems to be doing the same...while Candice goes slow and steady to put the pieces in order BEFORE fitting them in. John starts to pull away...and Gervase eggs Marissa on. Uncle Jeff says to Brad, "Cut my baby, I cut you!"

Then BRAD starts cheering John on and giving hints. Whether it helps or not is up to debate...but John fits the last few pieces in and asks Jeff for a ruling. And it's good! JOHN STAYS ALIVE!

Marissa is still fairly ahead of Candice...but Marissa's getting panicky in the near-120F heat and Candice starts to make headway. A minute or so later, Candice passes Marissa, keeping her slow but methodical approach. Gervase tells Melissa to look at the finished puzzle for guidance...but it isn't helping. It seems too little too late, though. Candice fits the last of the 64 pieces into place and asks for a ruling...and she does it! CANDICE STAYS ALIVE! THE CODYS SURVIVE!

The married couple live on...and the niece of the most-veteran of Survivors is #4 out of the game. But Gervase, though sad to see Marissa go, says her spirit has given him the "oomph" he needs to continue rocking this game. She grabs her dtuff, tosses her Buff(TM) in the earn and heads back to Heel Country to continue her studies.

But...who gets the 3I clue? Candice "suggests" giving the clue to Monica Culpepper...and by "suggests", I mean more-or-less TELLS John to do it. John acquiesces and hands it to Monica. Uncle Jeff wonders if this is a ploy to take at least ONE Culpepper down...and John shrugs, saying, "It's a game...it's nothing personal." Monica, however (under Brad's insistance), tosses it in the SAME urn in which Melissa's Buff is currently sauteeing! Aras would later say she was smart to burn it and remove the target. So, for the first time, a clue to Immunity is outright REFUSED! The Codys go back to have some alone time on Redemption Island...and the other Tribes return to their beaches.

AFTERNOON 9 - REDEMPTION ISLAND: ALONE AT LAST!

Ah...so the RI inhabitants get a mask and Hawai'ian Sling as well...and the Codys take advantage of it. John IS glad to be with Candice and "play the game" with her as she had hoped to all along. Candice says this is something to tell the grandkids about. "Oh, yes, me and Grandpa were stranded on an island alone because Grandpa wouldn't trade places with me and then he got too trusting!"

AFTERNOON 9 - TADHANA BEACH: DE-THRONE AT LAST?

Back at Loved Ones Retreat, everyone seems to be more concerned about John doing what Candice says than Tadhana doing what BRAD says...and that's exactly how Brad wants it...though he can do WITHOUT the villian moniker he's been stuck with. But, as Caleb feared, Brad's next target is the "unconnected" Caleb. He hopes that Galang will get it through their heads that he's keeping the "teams" together and, with any luck, that will get the target off his carcass.

As Brad goes out to fish (as always), what remains of the 4.5MA talk about how unfair everyone seems to be at Brad. Still, despite the blindsiding of John, Caleb, Vytas and Hayden should work hard to hold on to Brad. That way, when the Merge comes, EVERYONE will be after Brad and not the OTHER men. So...they decide they should ditch either Katie or Ciera and keep the 4.5...er, the 3.5MA intact.

DAY 10 - REWARD/IMMUNITY CHALLENGE: BOATS, BRAINS AND BRAWN

"C'mon in, guys!" Uncle Jeff welcomes everyone to Challenge Beach where, obvious, a water Challenge has been set up with rowing and boxes. Mr. Immuni-Ugly is taken from Galang (for prehaps, only the next half-hour or so) and here's the Challenge: Teams will row out to criss-crossed crates in the water and untie them from below the surface. After all crates are in the boat, row back. Then you use the five to build a staircase (with "BLOOD vs. WATER" visible on both sides). Then two Tribespeople will work out a jigsaw puzzle which has a combination to one of eight keys (a repeat from the first Challenge at Fiji...can't these guys come up with UNIQUE Challenges?!?). First Tribe to find the right key, climb said staircase, unlock a lever and pull said lever to raise their flag is safe from Tribal Council. In addition, the winners get the spoils, aka a tea and coffee set complete with croissants, sugar and cream. If Tadhana (finally) wins, they can trade it for the fishing gear that has eluded them the last two times. Galang sits out Tina and Kat (after asking Tyson if his arm is OK to do this) and we get set.

"Survivors, ready....GO!!"

Aaaaaand ONCE again, Galang can't paddle of their lives in the game depended on it...which...it kinda does. They go off course and Tadhana rows out to their flag, around it and back to their furthest crate. Hayden dives in to undo the crate. They get it in the boat just as Galang gets around their flag and Laura B. dives in with swim mask to get that crate undone.

Now, this would be the part where someone would pull a D-Day from "Animal House" and shout "RRRRRAMMING SPEEEEED!"...but, as Tadhana is well ahead, no collision bells needed to be rung. Brad dives in for the second crate...just as Laura B. gets Galang's FIRST crate undone. As Monica gets #2, Brad dives again for #3. He gets it in...but the boat nearly capsizes, losing some time. Laura B. gets yellow crate #3 as Brad tries to do it all himself. He gets red #4 and #5 just as Monica gets #4.

But...as Laura B. dives in for the last,...Tadhana DOES tip over! As the rules state all Tribe members and all crates MUST be in the boat, the red team scramble to get the crates and themselves back in as Galang hauls in their fifth. Before they can get back to the beach, Galang is already there, unloading the crates (with a one-armed Tyson doing the final hauling) and getting them on the platform.

It's about a twenty-second lead for the Vets (Plus One Loved One) as they start to undo the ropes on the crates. But, as the crates are undone, Tadhana races back, getting three crates in poisition at the same time that Galang does. And, by a second or two, Tadhana gets the staircase to say "BLOOD vs. WATER" first and Vytas and Ciera start on the combo puzzle. Tyson and Laura M. start to work on their puzzle shortly thereafter.

Wait...Ciera vs. Laura M....in a puzzle...AGAIN? Oh, poo. Galang works hard to get all the pieces in...and Tadhana struggles. Laura M. gets the last piece in...and it says, "THRITY-FIVE, THIRTEEN, TWENTY TWO" with rotation marks. Even before Tadhana can finish the puzzle, Tyson undoes a key. He climbs up...he unlocks the lever...he pulls...and the yellow flag is raised! GALANG WINS IMMUNITY AND REWARD...AGAIN!!!

Yeah, yeah...Galang takes the coffee and tea...they take the fugly Immunity Idol...and they leave Tadhana to, ONCE AGAIN, send a Loved one to Redemption Island.

(I'm beginning to wonder if I should even DO the recap of the Challenges anymore...).

AFTERNOON 10: THE EMPEROR'S NEW PROSE

"We suck!" Hayden best sums up how the Tribe is doing. And Ciera knows the routine by now: the 3.5MA go "get water" (plot against the girls), and the girls "make rice" (find a way to save their asses). Except...Brad stays behind and tells said ladies that Caleb will be the one to go tonight. Ciera...is skeptical...but she plays along. Before he can say who's NEXT on the list, the other guys egg him to come "get water".

At the watering hole, Caleb says that, while he admires Ciera, she's USELESS in puzzle Challenges. But, now, he's wary of Brad lagging behind., thinking that it could be down to TWO and a Half Men. Brad, however, agrees with Caleb: Ciera needs to go. Caleb may not trust Brad...but he DOES trust Vytas and Hayden and will go with them.

Brad seems to be, oddly enough, the swing vote. Do they ditch Caleb and keep the "family dynamic" going for the eventual merge? Oh do they ditch Ciera who blows their Challenges? He's leaning Ciera (despite being CERTAIN Laura M. will send the next middle digit his way)...but we'll only know at...

TRIBAL COUNCIL: METHINKS HE DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH...

Not "Tadhana Memorial" yet...but the Beachfront Circle of Doom is having its fourth straight visit by the Loved Ones. And Uncle Jeff is ready for another therapy session.

Brad says this is NOT how he envisioned this game turning out so far. He says that Ciera's to blame for losing the puzzle parts of the Challenges. Ciera admits she may not be as good at puzzles as she though...but she's not going to whine a b*tch about it; she's going to find a way to BENEIFT the Tribe.

What about the grief Brad gets at the RI Duels? Brad says that Galang doesn't know the truth...and to stay silent won;t work when a loved one is on the other Tribe. Uncle Jeff then states that voting out someone WITHOUT a loved one on Galang would be a good idea as well. After a long silence, Brad says, "Yeah." The Tribe looks at Brad with apprehension...especially Caleb who, while he LIKES blindsides, does NOT wish to be the VICTIM of one.

Brad then tries to convince Caleb he's not as low on the totem pole as Caleb thinks...but Caleb knows he's been talked about BY Brad. Hayden adds that distrust makes RE-trusting a person difficult. Caleb says he's flip-flopping about Brad...but he tells Ciera outright that he will write "Brad" on his parchment. This throws the Alliance into shock mode. Ciera thinks this should make EVERYONE on edge in this game. BRAD then says he WON'T write Caleb's name down...and Caleb more-or-less says, "Whatever...". Hayden and Vytal are still stupified.

It is time to vote! There they march again to the alcove. Caleb makes good on his promise and writes "Brad" on his parchment. And Brad, without a word, keeps up HIS promise and writes "Ciera". Vytas seems to take his time thinking about HIS vote. Uncle Jeff tallies the votes, asks for 3Is, gets no takers, and reads the votes::

Brad...

Ciera...

Ciera...

Brad...

Brad...

Ciera...

...and...

BRAD!

It's a tie! Haven't had that in a GOOD while! So...it's time to RE-vote! Katie, Vytal, Hayden and Caleb (him being first, he takes the casket with him) march BACK to the alcove to vote for either Brad or Ciera. As Ciera has more votes against her in the last three TCs than Brad, if another tie occurs, she's gone. Katie writes "Brad". Vytas AGAIN deliberates...STARTS to write "Ciera"...but then crosses it out. The re-votes are tallied...and read:

Brad...

Ciera (that was Vytas' vote)...

Brad...

...and...

BRAD!

The strongest player in the Tribe - if not the whole game - has been the victim of a blindsided coup. It's going to be MONICA who is most likely to middle-finger somebody as the Emperor gets his torch snuffed and drags it with him to Redemption Island...where the Cobys, I'm sure would be awaiting him with sticks and stones if they only knew. Before he goes, though, he tells Caleb, "I'm not mad at you." He repeats that to everyone before he leaves.

"What just happened," asks a stunned Ciera. Uncle Jeff says that it was a HUGE shift of power...which is, with any luck at all, what the Tribe desperately needed!.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE GOINGS ON AT THE GALANG TRIBE

To see this episode in its entirety or to find out how to become a contestant, go to cbs.com/survivor