Redemption Island Episode 3: The Day Hope Died

Matt is as confused as Francesca as to why he's on Redemption Island. The poor guy was so blindsided he has none of his stuff with him. They may not have been alliance partners, and they're now set to compete against eachother, but they can agree on one thing - that Rob is a "scoundrel".

And watching that duel will be two randomly selected players from either tribe. The draw for Zapatera picks Steve and David. David is happy that it wasn't Russell or the girls. Seems clear where he stands, then. Observing the duel for Ometepe will be Ashley and Andrea. Good news, Matt! You've got your number one cheerleader on the sidelines.

Close, but no cigar! Sorry, Francesca

The challenge is to construct a pole that can reach through a gate and unhook three keys. Francesca gets her stick together first and unhooks two keys before Matt even has one. Matt's stick is poor, and this challenge is looking to be a blowout. But Wait! Francesca's stick breaks as she goes for her third key. That's given Matt a way back in. It goes down to the wire, with several failed hook attempts from Francesca, but Matt takes it. Francesca goes home for good, wishing Matt luck. Her buff is thrown into the fire ceremoniously. Hey, like Randy did in Heroes Vs Villains!

Steve wants to lie to Russell about who won. Seems a bit of a pointless lie to tell really, but he obviously hates the guy that much. When Andrea gives Boston Rob the recap, she makes sure to stress how mad he was and how much he's out for revenge. The look on Grant's face at this point is awesome. It's clear Andrea is mad about what happened to Matt - she was at the point of tears during her confessional. Rob does some serious damage control and tries to reassure her that she's still in the alliance. Andrea doesn't believe him, so she's gonna sit tight, wait for Matt to come back, and take his ass out.

The Anti-Russell Alliance

Russell cannot find the idol. Stephanie suggests making a fake one. So that's exactly what she does, and it manages to dupe Steve. Steve, Ralph and Mike want to get rid of Russell so bad they even consider throwing the challenge to get rid of him. Julie is unsure about it, she worries that Ometepe may gain momentum and go on a winning streak. She's right...it's way too early to start intentionally losing. Numbers are everything, and there's still time for Rob to turn it around. They say they'll decide when they get there.

"I'm dealing with a bunch of bitches!"

The challenge is going round on a water wheel and spitting water in a bucket. This looks like a really unpleasant challenge. Sarita gives "the signal", and they decide to throw it. Zapatera are playing a dangerous game right now. So, Ralph and Sarita sit out, and Krista and Stephanie are on the wheel with Julie. The two young girls don't realize that they're going through all this strife for nothing. Julie misses the bucket. Steve "tires out", and David fails at the puzzle, allowing Rob to win immunity for Ometepe. Russell is frustrated, he knows they lost on purpose.

Rob looks like a camper lost in the woods

Ometepe's reward is some deck chairs. Rob, previously not a fan of idols, has now changed his tune and decides to go looking for the clue. He finds Phillip is literally sitting on it, and manages to get it from him, without anyone knowing. However, the idol hunt does not produce any success. "The clue might as well have said: the immunity idol is somewhere" he says.

Stephanie thinks it is going to be a 3-3-3 split, so if they can convince one person to vote with them, they can pull off "the biggest....blindside....EVER!" Russell suggests their person might be "the old lady". Haha, he hasn't even learned her name. So Stephanie talks to Julie and asks her whether she is comfortable in the alliance she is in, and states being the 4th person is better than being 6th. She appears receptive. Russell talks with her too, and tells her to vote Ralph.

Russell Hantz will return

At tribal council, Ralph addresses the 6-3 division immediately. Russell accuses his team of throwing the challenge, and they deny it. Stephanie gets particularly feisty in her defence of Russell when the others accuse him of doing nothing around camp. Sarita takes exception the most, and calls her misguided and rude. When the votes are revealed, Russell is shocked when he sees that Julie didn't flip! Russell is voted out, and goes to Redemption Island, promising to be back. Stephanie looks at Julie and says "Storm's comin'"

"It's the first time I've ever been voted out, and I don't like it" says Russell. Time will tell if Julie made the right move, if Zapatera will be able to keep their numbers, or whether Russell really is gone for good.

STAR OF THE WEEK: STEPHANIE VALENCIA

Despite being on the losing side tonight, Stephanie came so close to performing a miracle that I gave her this award anyway. Her fake idol bluff was genius, and she talked a good game to Julie. I love how she isn't afraid to speak her mind and can scrap with the best of them.