Redemption Island Episode 14: Rob Schools The Noobs

The finale is here! Which of the 8 survivors left will take the crown?

So the episode begins with Grant arriving on Redemption Island. Not good news for Andrea, who doesn't fancy her odds against three strong guys. Back at camp, Rob says he would rather vote out Ashley than the returnee. Really?

Matt looks on the bright side

On his last day there, Matt has changed his tune and now loves Redemption Island. The final challenge takes place and it involves balancing a vase on a plank. It's a really tense challenge, as it decides three placements, and one slip can end your game. Grant drops his vase first. Matt drops his vase next. It comes down to Andrea and Mike. Mike's vase falls and Andrea goes back into the game. Wow, didn't expect that.

Murlonio have an unwanted guest

Andrea returns to camp with the other four and it's a little awkward. Andrea tells the girls that some of the people she was talking to on Redemption Island were thinking of voting for Phillip. Which is a lie obviously, but the sort of move she needs to make. Rob is still talking about voting out Ashley.

The challenge involves grabbing bags of tiles from a balance beam and arranging them in numerical order (1-100). Rob takes an early lead in the challenge, but Ashley catches up. Rob uses a stacking strategy, but he's still not fast enough and Ashley wins immunity. Bad news for Andrea.

Rob think it's a no-brainer and he has nothing to worry about. Andrea tries to push for the girls to vote out Rob, stating the plain and simple fact: if Rob gets to the final 3, they will not win. When Rob comes back from his swim, Phillip goes into Specialist mode and reports to Rob that the three girls spent a long time talking and he's getting worried. While they are off talking about that, the girls discuss it further. It's risky, but worth it.

Likes to gamble

Rob gets a really cocky confessional about how he doesn't even need his idol and isn't going to play it. But any overconfidence he had is surely shattered at tribal council, where Andrea openly campaigns against Rob and Natalie and Ashley both admit it crossed their minds to vote him off. In the end, Rob plays his idol ("better safe than sorry"), but he didn't need it as the girls voted Andrea out anyway. But oh my God, how great would it have been if that had happened?

As predicted, the returnee ended up being a non-factor in the finale after all. Two Redemption Island returnees, both voted out immediately. This twist has failed in every way imaginable.

The final four congratulate eachother. Rob tells Ashley and Natalie he's gonna win immunity and take them both. Will Rob really want to boot his prize goat?

Who knew Ashley would turn out to be such a challenge threat?

Next immunity challenge looks like a good one. It's a maze where the contestants have to grab bags of puzzle pieces and take them up the steps in the middle and solve a three-dimensional puzzle. Neat. Natalie gets lost in the maze. Rob takes the lead, with Ashley hot in his heels. He tries to lose her at one point, but is unsuccessful. Rob makes it up the steps first, and Ashley right behind. Ashley seems to have it mostly right but can't figure out the word. Rob suggests they work together, and says he has nothing. In the end, Rob gets it. Rob wins immunity. He jumps up and down, as this has pretty much sealed the win for him. And Natalie cries too.

It's an emotional moment for Rob. He mentions Amber was the one who told him to come back, and he now says he has achieved so much it doesn't even matter if he loses.

The only challenge left for Rob now is getting Natalie on board with voting off Ashley, who has too many friends on Zapatera. Natalie is clearly not happy with it, but she'll go along with it, as she does everything Rob says. Ashley now feels confident of staying because she's received numerous promises from Natalie assuring that she'll stay. Natalie is conflicted and says she'd "rather lose the game than lose a friend". Well, the first one's a given. Only option left is if she wants to do both.

"I can't believe it's taken 36 days. I won't miss you" says Ashley, voting for Phillip. Three votes come back for Ashley, and her torch is snuffed. Natalie waves her bye and mouths "love you". Poor Ashley, the only person voted out with no Redemption Island safety net.

The final three on the morning of the last day

Phillip is proud of getting as far as he did. And he says his plan for tonight is to...piss off the jury and "rub salt in the wound". That's his strategy? That's his argument that nobody has thought of? Ugh. Rob talks to Natalie and tells her his biggest regret in All-Stars is apologizing to the jury. He's lying of course, he's just trying to direct her into handling the jury how he wants her to. It's an emotional moment when Phillip burns his underwear. God, I really couldn't stop laughing. Highlight of the episode.

The three finalists face the jury. Natalie's opening statement is she used her social skills to get here. Phillip's opening statement is that he deserves to win because he implemented Stealth. Groan. Rob gives a long but very convincing speech, where he talks about all he's achieved on Survivor and outside the game.

As predicted, Phillip and Natalie don't get much respect from the jury, Andrea calling Natalie's relationship with Rob "creepy", and Ashley calling her time with Phillip "torturous". Ralph is the nicest juror, asking Phillip if he likes him, which he says he does. Awww. Matt expresses a sentiment shared by a lot of the jury: they don't know who Rob really is. Julie calls Natalie a servant and said if she was her mother she wouldn't be proud of how she played. Ouch, pretty brutal. Phillip tells Julie to shut up. God, is he trying to lose?

David hijacks the jury

"And now for something completely different" says David Murphy. I knew he was going to do something showy. He chooses to address the jury, and make a convincing case for why Rob should win: he controlled everyone. "When we started this game, two people came in. One claimed to be the best to ever play this game. He walked out on day 8. There's a guy over there that just played one of the best strategic games I've ever seen."

The jury vote. David votes for Rob, unsurprisingly. Ralph votes for Phillip. Once all the votes are cast, Jeff takes them back to New York. Boston Rob is declared the winner, with a 8-1 vote.

STAR OF THE WEEK: ROB MARIANO

Will have to be considered one of the best winners ever. He controlled every aspect of the game from start to finish and barely put a foot wrong. He has finally got the title he was robbed of 7 years ago.


Reunion show highlights:

• Rob thanking the jury. Has anyone else ever done that?
• Andrea explains why nobody voted Rob out: he built unique personal relationships with everyone.
• The dorky photo of Mike in Iraq.
• Matt's reaction to his clip reel. He seems like a cool guy.
• It was weird how bitter Grant seemed. He wasn't bitter during the game, but now he is, afterwards? Usually it's the other way around.
• David stealing Rob's thunder and proposing to his girlfriend Carolina, who clearly wanted to say no.
• Russell not being too bitter about his defeat, and sticking up for Phillip.
• Next season: Redemption Island returns, two mystery players also return, and the show returns to Samoa in...Survivor: South Pacific