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.