The ranking of Survivor seasons *updated with s27*

1. PEARL ISLANDS - The perfect Survivor season. Memorable, larger-than-life characters like Rupert and Jonny Fairplay, unpredictable boot order and an Outcast twist that, whilst unfair, added lots of new dimensions to the season.

2. COOK ISLANDS - In a word, epic. To watch 20 people in 4 tribes battle it out to get down to 1 was a great journey, particularly once the Aitu Four staged their amazing comeback. Yul was a likeable and worthy winner, and Cao Boi was amusing.

3. HEROES VS VILLAINS - A fanboy’s wet dream. Pitting so many big characters against each other was sure to guarantee explosive confrontations and memorable moments, and it did not disappoint.

4. MICRONESIA - A great concept, but the Fans tribe was laughably bad. After that initial mismatch, the game changed and one of the most successful and ruthless alliances of all time (the all-female Black Widow Brigade) emerged. Cue blindsides galore and memorably stupid moments like Jason’s stick and Erik giving up immunity.

5. CHINA - Beautiful location, inventive and unique challenges, and one of the best casts ever (even Chicken is memorable) make it another great season. Todd is one of the few strategists to backstab and still win. The James blindside was great.

6. VANUATU - Chris had one of the best winner’s stories ever, to come back after being outnumbered by 6 women. This season also introduces the adorably paranoid Eliza. Underrated.

7. NICARAGUA - Fabio is one of the most likeable winners ever. Constantly unpredictable, there were many memorable moments, from fiery tribal councils to a double quit, and great characters like Marty and Brenda.

8. PHILIPPINES - The three tribe twist worked fantastically well, all the returnees delivered and we got a season that was always interesting, from the decimation of Matsing to the chaotic post-merge.

9. PALAU - Despite no original gimmick, still ends up being one of the most unique seasons as one tribe decimated the other. Thus, it was a season of two halves. Stephenie emerged as a true hero.

10. CARAMOAN - The noise made by Brandon, Phillip and Shamar kind of drowned out everyone else at the beginning, but the season really exploded after the merge and was certainly never boring.

11. BLOOD VS WATER - A genuinely fresh spin on the show's formula that added a lot of new dynamics and created a lot of intensity. It faded a little in the second half, but started very strong and even made Redemption Island tolerable.

12. SAMOA - Russell was the star of the show, but a lot of the rest of the cast left a lot to be desired.

13. TOCANTINS - Coach’s crazy antics were the highlight of the season. He was a joy to watch, you never knew what he’d do next. Credit to runner-up Stephen Fishbach, an expert strategist overshadowed by the charming J.T.

14. ALL STARS - Probably the most drama-filled season of all. The competition was dominated by Boston Rob physically and tactically, and he left a lot of people angry and bitter. Amber and Rob also gave us the first on-screen Survivor romance.

15. EXILE ISLAND - Worth watching for Shane alone. But this season also contained Terry’s amazing immunity run and competition with Aras, and the evolution of Cirie, now one of Survivor’s best ever players.

16. GUATEMALA - Physical, brutal season with some great confrontations (Jamie vs. Bobby Jon, Judd vs. everyone), but a lacklustre winner keeps it in the bottom half.

17. GABON - Probably the most personal and nastiest season, the personal grudges and Randy’s intense dislike of everyone and everything was awesome. But at least a good guy won in the end. It also had one of the worst tribes ever, Fang, and one of the show’s biggest surprises, Sugar.

18. AMAZON - Cesternino’s wit made this worth watching and kept the power shifts interesting. Jenna and Heidi add eye candy. However, the cast in general wasn’t the best.

19. ONE WORLD - Kim's a great player but not great TV, and the season didn't have as many shake-ups as it should've done given the twist. The cast was decent, but not amazing. Colton created more awkwardness than entertainment.

20. FIJI - Easily the worst twist, but the Dreamz car deal and the fall of the four horsemen were both memorable moments. Earl, Yau Man and Michelle were all cool characters.

21. SOUTH PACIFIC - So many of the previous seasons problems flared up again, and in many cases even worse. I rate it slightly higher because it had one of the most realistic casts for years, an exciting and evenly-matched pre-merge and because Coach is still cool even as a gamebot.

22. REDEMPTION ISLAND - Started strong, but too many big characters getting voted out early lead to one of the most predictable and one-sided seasons ever. The Redemption Island twist failed, as did the "Rob vs Russell" twist. No season that introduced the craziness of Phillip could ever be a total loss, though.

23. AUSTRALIA - The first ever evacuation, a handful of memorable characters like Jerri and Colby, and an unexpected winner makes this one of the best of the early seasons of Survivor.

24. BORNEO - The season that started it all. It’s interesting to see the birth of the show’s gameplay and pioneer Richard Hatch in action, but it’s also frustratingly slow in places and hadn’t quite reached its potential yet.

25. AFRICA - The best thing about Africa was Lex. Ethan was a likeable winner, but had it far too easy. There was the first and best tribe swap, and a look at the community outside of the game.

26. MARQUESAS - Most boring cast/winner ever. Boston Rob was the only person worth rooting for and even he was at his worst. The best thing this season gave us was the coconut chop challenge, now a staple of the show.

27. THAILAND - Was a drag to get through at times. Shii Ann was one of the few redeeming qualities. However, Brian Heidik is pretty much the perfect Survivor player.

Blood Vs Water Episode 14: Hail To The King

Hayden fancies his chances

The final four anticipate the final duel coming up soon, and whoever comes back is likely to be an ally for Ciera. Tyson tries to make sure Monica stays on board by offering her the idol. Smart move, as Monica admits she's waiting to see who comes back and wants to play the middle. Tina, Hayden and Laura get ready for the final duel, and Laura is hoping to get back in the game and provide the reinforcements for her daughter. All three agree that one of them needs to win this game.

The challenge ahead of them is to keep a vase suspended on a plank. Laura starts struggling almost immediately. She keeps hanging on in there though, and manages to outlast Hayden. Tina fights off the pain and pleas from Laura to win the duel and return to the game. Little ol' Tina, Redemption Island champion! Did anyone expect that? Probst asks Laura whether her time in the game was a success or a failure and after hearing her daughter speak about how proud she is of her, the answer is obvious.

You can't win 'em all

After re-entering the game, Tina starts playing hard straight away. She goes up the tree to look for the idol and aggressively tries to sway Monica. Too aggressively, according to Ciera. It's obvious Ciera didn't want Tina back, but she has to work with what she's got.

Tyson wants a knighthood

The immunity challenge is to retrieve blocks from tables and stand them on a board that keeps falling over. The women start off strongest, but Tyson soon takes the lead. When everyone else drops their board, Tyson is given enough time to go as carefully as he wants for his last block, and he wins immunity.

Monica makes Gerv go crazy

Satisfied with being safe, Tyson doesn't care who goes home and leaves the decision up to his allies. Gervase wants Ciera gone as she's the sneakier player but Monica wants Tina gone as she hasn't voted anyone out and has been bullying her. Monica is now starting to feel bullied by Gervase, and might just flip the script. So she suggests to Tina and Ciera they might want to vote out Gervase.

Monica breaks down at tribal council, saying the game is starting to get to her. Tyson denies calling Monica a lapdog. Gervase doesn't like how non-committal Monica is getting right before the vote, and figuring better safe than sorry, Tyson hands his idol to Gervase to null the votes against him. Ciera gets voted out and her mom cries watching it from the jury. Monica didn't actually flip anyway, and feels a little betrayed by the lack of trust in her.

Monica gives a little shoulder charge

Tina watches a beautiful sunset, knowing she has no other option but to win the next challenge. And the challenge in question is a very large, very physical and very fun one that involves them navigating a complex obstacle course for puzzle bags. The contest gets even more physical when Monica blocks Gervase with her shoulder as they're both running up the stairs. Tyson, Gervase and Monica all manage to keep up with eachother with Tina quite a way behind. Tyson finishes the puzzle first, and has to leave his station and check out the course to figure out the answer to his combination lock. He gets it right, and wins immunity again.

Tina's last pitch is to see if Monica is willing to tie the vote and let her make fire against Gervase. Monica likes the idea of getting to add a big move to her CV, but doesn't like the idea that Tina might actually win...as she doesn't want to face Tina in the finals. At tribal council, Monica wants everyone to know that it's her deciding what happens tonight, and nobody else. Gervase tells Probst he knows there's still time for a big move to be made. Tina is voted out, and as she departs tells the final three to be kind to eachother.

It's the final three breakfast, and Tyson says he's been imagining this moment for a long time. Monica is also proud of herself for lasting this long, as she feels she did it all on her own. Gervase thinks he has played a game worthy of winning, he just needs to convince the jury of that.

Gervase, Monica and Tyson go before the jury to plead their case. Gervase says he brought the best of old school and new school. Monica claims she wasn't a lapdog and that facing the other two guys was her best option from a strategic standpoint. Tyson explains he started taking the game a lot more seriously after Rachel left.

It's all about ME!

Vytas is up first and tells Tyson that he already promised not to vote for him and he's sticking true to that. Katie calls Tyson out for being an ass to her when she got voted out, and he apologizes. Caleb wants Monica to be vulnerable, which she achieves by crying about how she's always felt in Brad's shadow.

Hayden becomes the third juror to make Monica cry, and ends up arranging coffee with her. Is Final Tribal Council really the most appropriate place to make dinner plans? He also has a question for Tyson, but just wants to know where the idol was. Aras closes up by getting them to say which of their opponents they'd vote for. Both of the other two choose Tyson, but Tyson surprisingly picks Monica. Bet that disappointed Gervase a little bit.

The jury get up to make their choice. We see Caleb vote for Tyson and Vytas vote for Monica. Back at the studio, Jeff reads the votes. Tyson breaks down in tears as he is declared the sole Survivor with all but one vote.

STAR OF THE WEEK: TYSON APOSTOL

Tyson played a very aggressive and in-your-face game, which is unusual for a man used to playing second fiddle. He made the majority of the decisions, he took big risks and never went the safe route. Definitely the most pro-active player of the season.

Next up - Survivor: Cagayan

It's brawn vs brains vs beauty! I'm not sure how necessary a "beauty" tribe was...nobody has ever wondered whether being attractive makes you good at Survivor, and I haven't seen many challenges where being beautiful comes in handy. But I'll gladly support a return to the three-tribe format.

Blood Vs Water Episode 13: Off The Leash

Katie recaps the exciting tribal council for Laura and Tina, and they tell her she did the right thing by drawing rocks. However, Tina is unsure if she even wants to win the next duel. The people still in the game are also talking about their eventful night and playfully draw a literal line in the sand. Monica starts talking about the idol and Tyson tells her he has it. This calms Monica down, but she's a little disappointed Tyson didn't tell her this sooner.

Ciera and Hayden plot their next move, and come to the conclusion that the best way to keep them both safe is if one them wins immunity and one of them finds the idol. Then they can re-team with challenge beast Laura when she comes back and be good to go.

Blood vs blood

It's an emotional duel at Redemption Island as Tina and Katie battle it out in the jailbreak challenge, but Tina starts off by giving her daughter advice. Bet Laura wishes she hadn't opened that door now, huh? It doesn't really matter though as Laura gets her keys fairly easily and is the first one to finish. Katie drops her second key on the ground and is unable to recover it, meaning a hesitating Tina manages to get her gate open and knock her daughter out. It's a victory that takes a toll on Tina, but she makes it very clear she loves her daughter.

Hayden, out on a limb

After getting another idol clue from Laura, Ciera and Hayden go off to hunt for it. They have figured out it's in a tree, but Hayden goes all over the biggest tree and finds nothing. Now he's starting to suspect someone else has it, meaning they need a new plan: try to swing Monica. But Gervase is working hard to reaffirm his final three with Monica, so will she really be willing to turn on the people who risked rocks for her?

The immunity challenge involves moving a buoy through the water, and then doing a puzzle that involves unscrambling a phrase. Tyson and Gervase are the first out of the water, with Ciera way behind. It's basically anyone's game on the puzzle (although Monica is putting down some questionable word choices), but Ciera comes from behind to pull off a shock win. The winning phrase is "You have to dig deep" - I love that they incorporated a Probstism into the challenge.

Immunity meets an unfamiliar neck

Ciera plays to Monica's emotions

Ciera is on a high from her victory and doesn't even mind sharing her reward with Hayden, as it was good to send the message she's not scared of Tyson. She then puts her plan into action and decides to let Monica know that Tyson and Gervase have been talking crap about her, calling her a mindless puppy on a leash. This fires Monica up and now she may have to exercise her power as the swing vote.

Sometimes a little makeup works wonders

At tribal council, Hayden correctly points out that Katie is looking hot on the jury. Ahem..anyway...he also continues the push to get Monica to vote for Gervase. When asked to respond, Gervase points out it's awfully convenient for them to come up with all this now, when they're desperate and scrambling - though curiously he doesn't seem to deny it. Ciera says she just wanted Monica to know, woman-to-woman, what kind of people she was playing against. She even brings up her family, telling her she should want them to see her stand up for herself.

In the end, Hayden is sent to Redemption Island, where he ends up repeating the exact same insults he accused Tyson and Gervase of saying. I don't think Monica had much of a chance of winning either way, but she probably made the right move by sticking with the people who would guarantee her final three. Although Ciera and whoever comes off Redemption Island might still have something to say about that!

STAR OF THE WEEK: CIERA EASTIN

Ciera continues to surprise, and I don't think many expected her to be the last newbie standing. She certainly wasn't expected to ever win an immunity challenge. She's now part of the last unbroken pair, and the way things have been going on Redemption Island, there could be two Moretts in the final five.

Blood Vs Water Episode 12: Solid As A Rock

Hayden congratulates Tyson on winning the game and tells everyone else they're playing for second. Gervase yells at Hayden in dispute of this claim, and Tyson is not happy either as it's making him a bigger target. But Hayden has to play any card he has.

Tiiiiimber!

Caleb is still a little sore about his blindside when we get to Redemption Island. He blasts Tyson and Gervase, but Gervase blasts back, saying he got beat and would've done the same thing. The duel is to build a house of cards, only this time it has a 30 minute time limit. Laura gets to the top way before everyone else and wins the duel, leaving Caleb about half a foot higher than Tina. Laura tries to coach Tina through the challenge again, and she ends up hitting a standstill - but catches a lucky break when Caleb's tower falls over with a minute left. With nothing left to do except count the seconds down, Tina survives again. So Caleb is out of the game, and Jeff takes the chance to get in one more shot at Colton, saying he basically doesn't understand how they're a couple.

Tyson can breathe easier now

Ciera gets the idol clue from her mother and it's a particularly valuable one since they know it's back out there. She decides to read it in front of her alliance, and they all go looking for it. Hayden and Katie join in the fun, too. Tyson climbs up a tree to get it, calming his nerves. He's been on edge because he can feel the game within his reach but knows it only takes one thing to go wrong.

It looks like Hayden has successfully struck a nerve with Gervase, since Gervase is now coming up to him and talking game. "Tell me a move to make" he says, which pretty much sums up Gervase. Never taking the initiative, always happy to play second fiddle. It's not really looking like he'll take up Hayden's offer, but he's not totally writing it off either.

Monica marching to victory

The immunity challenge requires the contestants to walk a tricky obstacle course whilst keeping a ball balanced on a pole. Monica leads the way for most of the challenge, with Gervase and Tyson on her heels. Katie is doing nothing in the challenge except taking blows to the head. Monica and Gervase both move on to the tossing section first - which seems unnecessary given how difficult the rest of the challenge was - and that's when Gervase pulls ahead. By throwing them at a much faster rate than Monica, he's able to get all his blocks down and win immunity.

Gervase also got to choose who gets ice cream, and picked Monica and Tyson. Hayden decides to use this to try and sway Ciera into making a big move, but she doesn't appear to be budging. Hayden even admits to Tyson's face he was trying to blindside him, since all hope appears to be lost. He plans to go out swinging at tribal though, readily admitting he doesn't take losing well.

Don't give up yet

At tribal council, Hayden starts doing just that and lobbies as hard as he can to get a tie vote. Probst is doing his part too, pointing out how Ciera didn't get ice cream. Gervase doesn't exactly make it better when he says he picked the two veterans because he'd been with them longer. He then claims he's a more loyal player than the other two, getting a good laugh for the jury. A very hostile tribal ends on a bizarre note when Tyson misunderstands Hayden's use of the phrase "rustle feathers", thinking he said "Russell feathers". I've heard of Russell seeds, but never feathers.

I never thought we'd ever see THIS again
- but it was worth the wait!

And now we vote, with both Tyson and Hayden trying their hardest to get Ciera to go with them. Rather shockingly, Ciera goes along with forcing the tie by voting Monica and puts her life on the line along with Katie and Tyson. Finally, the return of the rock draw! These are the breaks: black is safe, white says you're out. When the three marked for elimination show their hands, fate ends up claiming...Katie. She has no regrets by the looks of it, telling Hayden "it was worth a shot". Her complete non-presence for the majority of the episode only makes this exit even more unexpected.

Tyson goes back to camp having dodged a major bullet and is already being a jerk to Katie on her way out. But the man celebrating the most is Hayden, and so he should. He earned his reprieve, in a very entertaining way. What a rock star!

STAR OF THE WEEK: HAYDEN MOSS

Hayden hit home some hard truths to the people who needed to hear them, and it got him results. Well, minor results...but beggars can't be choosers. His biggest problem now might be overtaking Tyson as chief jury threat.

Blood Vs Water Episode 11: Losing Grip

Katie is surprised that Ciera voted out her mom, but Ciera is hoping it proves she's trustworthy. ("I'm so loyal, I'd vote out my own family" has a nice ring to it.) But it also proves she's playing the game hard, which Tyson has started to notice.

The mom squad sticks together

The Redemption Island duel is to take puzzle cubes out of a net and stack them so there are no repeating colors. Vytas is first to remove his cubes and Tina is dragging behind. Laura wins the duel and it looks like Vytas is gonna come second, until Laura decides to help Tina through it. With a major leg up, Tina makes it through by the skin of her teeth, about one second ahead of Vytas. Vytas is a little sour on going out the way he does, but has still enjoyed himself. "Namaste, bitches" he says, as he peaces out.

Sounds like a plan

Tyson knows it's crucial to get through the next vote, so he wants to keep everyone against Katie, telling them she has three jury votes locked up. But Hayden and Caleb are willing to make a big move and blindside Tyson. Katie is on board for any move that improves her position, since she feels like a hermit crab right now. They let Ciera in on the plan...which turns out to be a mistake as she inexplicably sells them out to Tyson. Tyson lets Gervase know that Caleb and Hayden have been plotting against him, and the two of them decide they need to strike back.

Ciera makes a show of going to get tree mail with Tyson, leaving Caleb and Hayden nervous. Ciera takes the opportunity to reaffirm the deal with Tyson to take out Caleb. Katie also checks in with Hayden, where he expresses his concerns that Ciera might not be on board. Do they need a plan B?

The immunity challenge is to keep a bucket on a rope in the air as long as possible. Probst offers them the chance to eat, which Gervase, Tyson and Ciera go with. Crazy that Tyson would sit out after knowing how vulnerable he is. The challenge gets started and Katie is the first one out. As the competitors struggle through blistered hands, Tyson and Gervase have a good ol' time sharing food. Caleb drops out once it gets too much for him, and as soon as he does, Tyson looks at the other two and says "we're good". Monica goes on to win immunity once again.

Hayden looks at what he could've won

The boys shift the blame to Ciera

Back at camp, Hayden thinks it's a little sketchy (to borrow Ciera's favorite word) that Tyson, Gervase and Ciera all felt comfortable enough to sit out. Sensing Ciera has turned, Hayden and Caleb decide to do damage control and talk Tyson into voting Ciera out instead. Problem for him is, Tyson doesn't trust any of them...and asks Gervase for advice on which side of the story to believe.

At tribal council, Hayden expresses his jealousy that he has blistered hands and three others have full bellies instead. Tyson defends his sit-out by saying he has trust in his alliance. Caleb says he thinks there's gonna be a blindside tonight. Ciera admits to feeling uncomfortable with Gervase and Caleb possibly being close, but points out she's done all she can to prove herself trustworthy. Depends who you ask, Ciera.

It's in here somewhere...

There's a slight delay before we get to the vote as Tyson comically and clumsily searches his bag for the immunity idol, which he plays unnecessarily. When we do get to the vote, Caleb gets the blindside he wanted - but it's his own. And it's a blindside for me too, as I was sure Ciera was going to be the one ousted.

So Caleb goes to Redemption Island, and I'm pretty disappointed Ciera screwed up the chance for a big move. Tyson must've duped her good.

STAR OF THE WEEK: HAYDEN MOSS

Hayden proved this week that he isn't a blind sycophant, he was just waiting for his moment to pounce. And his timing was pretty good, I'm not sure why Ciera ruined it. Even his backup plan was the mark of a skilled gamer. Looks like he might be on his own now though, so can he still salvage his game?

Blood Vs Water Episode 10: Mommie Dearest

Katie returns to camp motherless, her position in the game looking about as gloomy as the electrical storm overhead. Laura and Ciera celebrate being the last pair left in the game, but it's not all smiles. "My mom needs to go" says the Morett kid.

Don't rule this one out yet

It's time to get to the duel, which is retrieving bags of balls with a grappling hook to put in a table maze. Tina gets off to a flying start whilst the two boys struggle. Aras starts getting annoyed, but it's mostly with the fact that he's not getting any crowd support. Onto the maze section, Tina's headstart ends up totally erased when the ball falls down the final hole. Vytas wins the duel, and Tina calmly and meticulously gets a second place. So Aras is going home...pretty big upset right out of the gate!

Off to join the jury, Aras talks about how the game has helped improve his relationship with his brother and he can't wait for them to tell their grandkids about the time they got blindsided by Gervase. Vytas promises no more cheap shots. He also gets to choose who to give the clue to, and he chooses Katie.

Does this even count as a "clue" anymore?

So Katie opens her clue back at camp...and it literally has a big red arrow on it pointing to a root. What the fuck? They're not being subtle anymore. Too bad Tyson already has it, meaning it's pointless her even trying for it. Tyson is thinking about his next move, knowing it's time to be "the bad guy" again. He tells Hayden and Caleb that Laura should be the next to go, before her and her daughter get too much power.

Ciera decides to have a hard conversation with her mom, where she basically tells her that she needs to get voted out for her to improve her chances in the game. It's a pretty awkward although powerful, scene. Interestingly, Laura sees this as an example of independence, and breaks down at her daughter's maturity. It's great to see her take it that way, because obviously Laura wants to win the game as well.

The next morning, Laura shadows Katie on a pointless idol hunt. Tyson has decide to tell Ciera that he needs to vote her mom out and not only does she see it coming, she says she's OK with it.

The immunity challenge is holding onto a rope above water. Hayden is first out, and all the other guys except Tyson drop soon after. Ciera is next, and then both Katie and Laura are gone, allowing Tyson his choice of boot target. We're down to just Monica and Tyson, and Monica holds on to win immunity. She also gets a reward, which is a meal consisting of burgers and fries. Asked to pick one person to share it with, she gives it to all of them and sits out instead.

Tyson takes his share

Ciera and Katie, back on the same track?

Katie and Ciera are swinging in the hammock together where Ciera lets her know she's staying. Katie says she's "still playing the idol", and Ciera calls her out on that bluff with a bluff of her own. Pretending to have the idol, she now knows for sure that Katie doesn't, and decides to use that against her to get her voted out instead of her mom.

Tyson sees what she's doing however, and stresses to his troops that Laura needs to go. Caleb would rather Katie leave, seeing her as a bigger threat. Dammit Caleb, stick to the plan! It's not like your opinion matters.

Mother doesn't always know best

At tribal council, Katie keeps trying to paint the target squarely on Laura's back, whereas Laura tries to point out the positives of keeping a pair in the game. But the rest of the tribe aren't having it, and Laura is voted out of the game...with the final nail in the coffin coming courtesy of Ciera. Ciera tearfully hugs her mom goodbye, who promises once again to come back for her. You still don't get it, do you, Laura?

Well, I said at the start of the season nobody would ever vote out their loved one, but I'm willing to admit I was wrong. It'll be interesting to see if it helps her in the game. All the couples are done, so will the game revert back to being newbies vs veterans now?

STAR OF THE WEEK: CIERA EASTIN

Another Ciera-heavy episode, and whether you agree with her controversial move or not, you have to admit the way she played Katie was great. People always used to joke that players like Fairplay or Russell would be ruthless enough to vote out their own mom...but Ciera literally just did that, and it's earned her a place in Survivor history.

Blood Vs Water Episode 9: No More Miss Nice Girl

A bitter Tina trashes Tyson

Back at camp, Vytas tries to play it cool with Tyson, but Tina feels the need to speak up. "That's five jury votes that you'll never get" she tells him, though I'm not entirely sure she's got her math right there. She soon shuts up when it comes out that Aras had an alliance with...everybody in the game. The next morning, Tina gives Katie her blessing to play her own individual game and do what she needs to do. Aww, her youngling is old enough to fly the nest.

The gross food competition returns for the first challenge of the episode, and the first thing on the menu is mealworms. Advancing from heat one is Tyson, Monica and after a struggle, Vytas. The second heat sees Hayden, Gervase and Caleb go through after Ciera and Tina both quit. Wait, Caleb is still in the game? The second round is cow intestines. This is the grossest one. Monica is the first one through. Gervase tries pulling it apart, and it seems to work, as he beats Vytas to advance to the final round.

Foiled by an old enemy

The final round is Gervase vs Monica. And it's a rematch 13 years in the making, as Gervase tackles the same grub he couldn't get down in season 1. Well, not the same grub but...yknow. Gerv's strategy is to put both of them in his mouth at the same time and just chew as frantically as he can. Monica takes her time, but gets there eventually and wins immunity. She celebrates by hugging Jeff. I'm happy for her, although she did ruin a great story. Gervase seems so disappointed, partially because he failed to get the closure he wanted.

Laura wants to do a split vote on Vytas and Katie, and Tyson goes along with it, not wanting to expose his idol. Vytas is resigned to voting off Katie and gives Tyson some arguments for why he should too - it gets another pair out of the game, and he'd be more likely to give Tyson his jury vote. Monica wonders what all the scrambling is about and this bugs some of the other players  - especially because she's the only one safe tonight.

At tribal council, Jeff asks about the aftermath of the Aras blindside and Tina admits she should've kept her mouth shut. Vytas goes on a rant about wanting to fuck them all over for voting out his brother under the guise of not going on a rant about it. He then takes shots at Monica, Gervase and Tyson because he knows he's on the way out. His ship well and truly sunk, Vytas ends up voted out overwhemingly. So much for the split vote!

Back at camp, Monica explains she switched her vote to Vytas following the attack he made on her at tribal council. And more importantly, it allowed her to get in a Brad shoutout. Gervase is livid she didn't stick to the plan, knowing that could've screwed him bad if an idol had been played.

The yin and yang of Redemption Island

Vytas blames Aras for his elimination and has a bit of a moaning session with him. Aras reminds him they're not out of the game yet, whereas Vytas is less optimistic and calls their current locale "purgatory". Great analogy!

Tina would fall on her sword for Katie

The next immunity challenge is to balance coins on the end of a sword. This was a challenge in Nicaragua, but I don't remember anyone being in any rush to see it again. This time, Monica is the first one out and Ciera doesn't follow far behind. Tina is next and decides to cheer on her daughter. Soon Katie is left against Tyson and Hayden, and she manages to beat the boys to win the necklace. Tina still celebrates even though it'll probably be the end of her. That's family!

The three stooges get outfoxed by Tina of all people

Back at camp, Tina congratulates her daughter...and then bolts to look for the idol. Tyson assigns Hayden and Caleb to shadow her, but they somehow manage to lose her in the jungle. When they find her, she decides to stay still, as she doesn't want them to know she doesn't have it. The group discuss splitting the vote again, until Monica raises a valid point: with Katie immune, who would be the decoy boot?

At tribal council, Tina plays up that she might have the idol and decides to lay into Monica a little bit because she thinks it's obvious she's on the bottom of the alliance. Monica admits that might be true too, but tells the group it would be stupid to vote her out as she's loyal...despite her raging bouts of paranoia.

In the end, Tina is voted out and sent to Redemption Island. Not the first time a double boot has ended up so predictable...but can you really see this alliance of seven sticking together to boot freakin' Katie? I can't.

STAR OF THE WEEK: TYSON APOSTOL

Tyson is long overdue for a star of the week, but why am I giving it to him on one of his quietest episodes? Well, that's exactly the reason why...he's doing a great job of staying under the radar and off the chopping block. Not an easy feat for such a physical powerhouse. He didn't bow to the pressure and reveal his idol, which was the correct decision. If he can get to the end, he's earned the win.

Blood Vs Water Episode 8: Blood Brothers

Vytas is relieved to have survived tribal council and solidifies his ideal final five - the four people he's with, plus Aras. Tina tells Monica she deems her worthy of taking Gervase's coveted "fifth wheel" spot. But Monica's no dummy, she's obviously looking for better.

On Redemption Island, Laura Boneham is heavily critical of the decision to keep Vytas. Next morning, they get the news that one of the three of them will be re-entering the game, and the two losers will be out for good. Ciera rather surprisingly almost doesn't want her mom to get back in, as it could hurt her game.

A dejected John watches the battle of the Lauras

So the three competitors cling onto a pole for dear life, and Laura Boneham starts slipping almost immediately. John enters some discomfort and eventually takes off his shoes (smart move - historically, this challenge has always been won barefoot). John is the first to drop and is extremely disappointed in himself. Laura Boneham eventually follows, meaning Laura Morett fulfills her promise and rejoins the game. The motivation of getting to see her daughter was the extra incentive she needed. Jeff makes Laura and John burn their buffs, in the opposite order from how long they lasted in the challenge. Maybe that's just a minor nitpick, but it bothered me a little. Jeff then tells the tribes they are merged, and offers Laura control of the clue again. He might as well not have bothered, since it once again goes in the fire.

Brother from another tribe

Laura asks her daughter for directions

The new tribe get together on the beach, and the question on Hayden's mind is whether Laura coming back will ruin the alliance he has with Ciera. Laura gets to talk with her daughter and she fills her in on everything that's happened since the swap. Laura feels powerful as she can decide whether the pairs or the singles take over the game, but Ciera urges her not to overplay.

Tyson decides to follow Caleb's directions to where the idol is and manages to find it. It took a whole 8 episodes this season, that's a modern-day record. Aras and Vytas talk about how perfectly they think they're set up right now. It does briefly cross Vytas' mind that people should start to be thinking they're threats, but he's not sweating it. They decide giving Laura the revolving door treatment is their best move...which I guess makes her decision a hell of a lot easier.

That night, Tyson decides to fill Monica in on the plan. Monica isn't quite as receptive to it as he was hoping, mainly because she doesn't believe Gervase would really turn on Aras, and it's really getting on his nerves. Not even a promise of final three seems to placate her.

The Yoga play: Good memory runs in the family

The immunity challenge is a memory game. Only Laura, Ciera, Gervase and the Baskauskas brothers survive the first round. Laura, Ciera and Gervase are systematically eliminated and it comes down to Aras and Vytas, for like the 3rd time this season. It's a tense one though, as it could determine who goes home. Vytas wins immunity, and if the two of them were a big target before, they just managed to get even bigger.

Katie doesn't blink at the thought of voting out Ciera

Laura starts getting paranoid that Aras might have the idol. Ciera tells her to calm down. Aras wants to split the vote between Ciera and Laura, thinking everyone else on the tribe is against them. But as Gervase points out, that just simply isn't the case...and the king might just be getting a rude awakening tonight.


At tribal council, Jeff asks Tyson about the multiple layers of the game and he claims that the couples are obviously going to stick together. Aras doesn't deny this, but points out the two of them can hardly do it alone. Laura and Ciera comment on the role reversal they've had since the merge and how Ciera is the one controlling her mom.

Katie votes for her friend Ciera, and Aras votes for Laura for the second time. But the shoe is on the other foot this time as it's Aras that ends up getting voted out, in one of the biggest blindsides in quite a while. I wasn't rooting against Aras, but it's good to see he isn't getting a free ride like it looked like he would earlier. Vytas has his back up against the wall once again and is now going to have to re-evaluate his game plan and pull another rabbit out of the hat. Whether he succeeds or not, there's still plenty of room for twists and turns in this game.

STAR OF THE WEEK: CIERA EASTIN

She seems to be managing a potentially tricky situation very well, and I like how she's still aware that it's an individual game. It's funny to say, but she's actually a better player than her mom. Her cool head should keep her around for a while.

Blood Vs Water Episode 7: Honesty Is The Best Policy

"At least I didn't cry" says Kat, right after getting voted out. Nope, she's saving that for the morning before the duel instead. Upon entering the arena, Kat asks Hayden for a hug, and tells Jeff she's worried she let him down. Hayden reassures her their relationship is more important than the game, and Probst puts him on the spot by challenging him to prove it.

Hayden asks Kat what she thinks, and she says she wants to switch because "it's a puzzle and I can't even spell" (even though there are no words on the puzzle). Hayden, clearly shitting himself, explains to Kat that it's better for them both if he stays. Yikes, must suck to have your boyfriend basically tell you he's better at this game than you when you're the one who's played before. Kat ultimately concedes that he's right and decides to play, but this is the closest Blood Vs Water has come to destroying a relationship.

They're still together, FYI

The non-puzzle part of the duel is to chop down your bag using a machete, and Kat finishes second in it, behind John. Watching Kat do the puzzle is painful however, and John is almost done when Kat has only a couple of pieces. Thank God it didn't have words or it might've been even worse. John wins the duel, and Laura comes in second...largely due to copying John. Kat says goodbye to her boo and begs him not to dump her.

Hayden feels guilty for not helping Kat, but feels not only can he play a more cutthroat game now, he's less of a threat for being unconnected. Whilst Aras is off meditating, Tyson's thinking the same way and brings together the rest of Tadhana to tell them he wants Aras gone. He points out that Aras and Vytas are the most dangerous couple, and says he wants to go to the final five with the rest of them. Aras is busy visualizing his second win and doesn't suspect a thing.

Are you sitting comfortably? Not for long

Showmance, anyone?

His brother Vytas is making friends on the other side, particularly with Katie. Tina would apparently be "honored" if he took an interest in her daughter. Sure, because what mother wouldn't want their child dating a former drug addict? It then gets creepier when she says Katie is so un-flirtatious, he'd probably have to "knock her out with his club and drag her into his cave". That was a metaphor...I hope.

In preparation for the challenge, the girls decide that Vytas is the one to go should they lose. This makes Laura break down because she really likes the reformed bad boy. The rest all assure her that they will try to win and keep him in the game.

One-man wrecking ball, right on target

The contestants are all chained together for the challenge, and have to run an obstacle course. The initial un-coiling is a joke, but once they get on the course to start collecting their bags, the contest gets very fun. Monica is at one point blocking Aras from getting past, but Tadhana do manage to get through quicker. The deciding event is the bolo toss, which is Tyson vs Tina. This proves to be no contest and Tyson scores three first to win immunity for Tadhana.

A bad case of foot-in-mouth disease

Whilst Tadhana are enjoying their reward feast, Laura tries to make it an enjoyable day for Galang as well by blurting out in front of everyone that Vytas is the next one to go. Hoping he'll prefer it to being blindsided, not only does Vytas not appreciate the gesture, none of the others do either. Monica tells Katie how she was flabbergasted and that she would've much appreciated a heads up before she said anything. The vote is now between Vytas (the biggest threat) and Laura (the biggest liability).

At tribal council, Jeff talks about Laura's case of verbal diarrhea and prods to see if anyone was bothered by it. Vytas starts using it as part of his pitch, saying she can't be trusted. He talks about his need for his brother to be proud of him, whilst Laura talks about how she's coming out of her shell a little bit more. Both great stories according to Tina, but one of them is coming to an end.

Laura ends up getting snuffed, and Vytas seems to take a lot of pleasure from sending her out after her condescending speech. Joining the other Laura on Redemption Island, she says she's not going back to the girls if she gets back in. Hopefully she can keep that a secret.

STAR OF THE WEEK: HAYDEN MOSS

An emotional episode for Hayden, but not switching has paid off and he now has a great chance of going far with the Tadhana anti-loved one alliance. No-one ever seems to realize what a threat Hayden is until it's too late. Maybe he should've been on the veterans tribe and Kat should've been with the newbies.

Blood Vs Water Episode 6: Let's Twist Again

At Galang camp, Aras knows that Laura Morett is gonna blame him for her elimination and is starting to feel the pressure of being in charge. Tyson has definitely noticed how much power he has and is starting to think getting rid of Aras next might be the best

Gervase and Tyson plot treason against King Aras

move as he's worried that Aras could make a move on him should he join up with Vytas at the merge. He talks it over with Gervase, who seems to be on the same page. He's looking to make a big move, because he knows he didn't make any in Borneo.

Laura makes light work of the duel

Laura is raring to go at the duel, which is to collect bags of numbered tiles and put them in order. She tears through the course and it isn't even close. The race for second place is a little more interesting, as John seems to be struggling with staying on the beam, whereas Brad slows down whenever sorting his tiles. As we saw in the first episode, numbers prove to be Brad's downfall, and he bows out, meaning John stays alive. Now Monica knows she has to go it alone. Laura gets to give away the clue and chooses to put the target on Vytas. She's not making the same mistake Candice made. Vytas follows Jeff down and burns the clue immediately. Will anyone ever be able to take it now?

Before they leave the arena, Jeff pulls a surprise tribe swap on them and has everyone pick a new buff. Normally both tribes get their own plate but this one was a free-for-all for some reason. Tyson requests to pick last as he wants fate to decide. Aras, Gervase and Tyson swap places with Vytas and Katie going in the other direction. That leaves Vytas on a tribe full of women and Ciera on a tribe full of men.

Tyson can be a giver as well as a taker

New Tadhana get back to camp, and the veterans immediately start pumping the newbies for information. They get a lot of dirt, Caleb even giving up the idol clue that he heard secondhand from Brad. Hayden is not really enjoying the invasion as Tyson is making a point to deliberately eat all of their food. He's also very deliberately trying to make the target on Aras' back bigger, just with small comments here and there. Smart, subtle gameplay that might just end up paying off.

Over on Galang, Tina is obviously the happiest with her new tribe. She's not only in a safe position, but has her daughter alongside her at last. Vytas is very aware of the fact that he's the only guy on the tribe...as well as the only Tadhana without a loved one connection. That may leave him up shit creek, especially if the tribe hold to Monica's wishes of the old Galang sticking together. Vytas hopes that showing his emotional side will endear the women to him. And it seems to work.

Family love Vytas

The immunity challenge involves swimming out to retrieve fish traps from behind a gate. Unfortunately Tina and Laura seem to forget this very important second step and lose significant time to the other tribe when they have to go back. Freakin' Gervase ends up beating them. Gervase! In water! The other two pairs do what they can to make it up, but it's Tadhana's challenge to lose going into the puzzle. Tyson and Aras start to struggle, meaning Tina and Monica come back into it. Twice Galang think they have it...but they don't. Tadhana do get it right and win immunity.

Watch out Kat, you're about to get run over by a bus

Back at camp, Tina apologises for screwing up the challenge and Vytas has to play down his frustration because he's the odd (or only) man out. But Kat thinks Monica might be a better target, as her overstrategizing makes her nervous. Tina doesn't really take kindly to the suggestion, and goes back to Monica to rat Kat out. Damn, it's easy to forget how ruthless this woman can be sometimes. Monica confronts Kat and she denies it, so Monica decides to make it her mission to get Kat out.

At tribal council, Kat sounds like the kid who got caught with their hand in the cookie jar, and tearfully pleads for her life. Vytas is disparaging of her arguments, and points out he hasn't done anything to make himself untrustworthy. The vote is between the two of them, and it's Kat that ends up going home.

It seems like Kat's biggest problem with getting voted out is...she's worried Hayden won't want to date someone who didn't make the merge. Finally I'm beginning to remember why I'll miss this girl. She still has a chance to get there, but she'll have to beat some pretty tough competition.

STAR OF THE WEEK: MONICA CULPEPPER

Monica's stock can only go up from here with Brad out of the game. Kat was a personal threat to her and she took care of that quickly, showing that all that strategy talk isn't for nothing.