The ranking of Survivor seasons *updated with s35*

Despite a decent cast, this season took a while to get going. The last few episodes did have some great drama and crazy moments, leaving us with a very unpredictable finish. But just when I thought it was climbing the ranks, they had to go ruin it again with a major twist undermining the winner's game.

1. Pearl Islands
2. Cook Islands
3. Heroes Vs Villains
4. Micronesia
5. China
6. Cagayan
7. Kaoh Rong
8. Vanuatu
9. Nicaragua
10. Philippines
11. Millennials Vs Gen X
12. Cambodia
13. Palau
14. Caramoan
15. Blood Vs Water
16. Game Changers
17. Worlds Apart
18. Samoa
19. Tocantins
20. All Stars
21. Exile Island
22. Guatemala
23. Gabon
24. San Juan Del Sur
25. Heroes Vs Healers Vs Hustlers
26. Amazon
27. One World
28. Fiji
29. South Pacific
30. Redemption Island
31. Australia
32. Borneo
33. Africa
34. Marquesas
35. Thailand

Heroes Vs Healers Vs Hustlers Episode 13: Fire Represents Your Life

We've reached the finale and I can't ever remember another season that was still this up in the air. Ben has fought with his back against the wall for a while now, Dr Mike survived the decimation of his whole tribe, Devon has played a great under the radar game, Chrissy has been a major strategic force. Even Ryan has a case if he can get out of Chrissy's shadow.

Slo-mo makes everything cooler

After the latest vote, Chrissy considers it having worked out since she wanted Ashley gone anyway. Mike compares Ben to the villain in a horror movie who keeps coming back. Ben is already looking for another idol that nobody else believes exists...God, they're gonna get owned again. He even takes a trick from Tai and wets the water well, but no luck. But then...he finds it. His third idol of the season. Are you kidding me?

Chrissy tells Ben she misses him and wants to be friends again, but she's only doing it in case he wins immunity. Ben doesn't buy it and is hoping he can use his idol to send her home.

Tits out for immunity

The immunity challenge is to jump and grab a key in the water, make it over a balance beam in the water and unlock a puzzle where you have to get colored balls to line up in spokes in the correct order. Mike takes the early lead on the physical bit (what?), with Devon right behind him. He loses time doing the locks, though. On the puzzle, it's Chrissy, who had the slowest start, that suddenly looks the most confident. Rightfully so...Chrissy wins immunity again.

Getting the last laugh

Chrissy also wins a reward meal, that she takes Mike and Devon on. The three of them tear up the table looking for an idol clue before digging in, but they don't find it. Once Chrissy mentions the defunct superidol, Mike suggests using it to trick Ben by pretending she just found it. Back at camp, Ben is going off to "get water", and Chrissy shows him the idol and tells him to stop wasting his energy. As Chrissy and Ryan laugh at the con they just pulled off, Ben is laughing because he's one step ahead of them and they actually just made his job easier. Mike also has a hilarious faceplant that underscores Ben's claim that they are not smart. But Devon sees that Ben has given up and it doesn't sit right with him, so he's considering throwing his vote onto Mike to protect himself.

At tribal council, Ryan says he's just glad they survived the chaos of the last vote and made the final 5. Probst asks what we're all thinking: how did they all let Ben get away to find the idol? Chrissy flashes her fake, as Ben accuses her of gloating and continues to play off like he's leaving.

Could be a million dollar move

We get to the vote, and Devon deliberates for a while over what to do. After Ben plays another idol to shocked gasps, he ends up glad that he voted for Mike, as it's now a tie between him and the Doc. On the revote, Chrissy and Ryan decide to keep Devon and send Mike home. Jeff sends them back to camp with the promise of a twist still to come.

Ryan confirms with Ben that he's the first player to ever play three idols in a row. Ben has no more Ben bombs to drop though, and knows it's win or go home. The challenge is to stack blocks on a wobbly frame to spell Heroes, Healers and Hustlers. The winner also gets a note that tells them about the final twist. Ben and Ryan spell Heroes first, but Ryan falls spelling Healers. Ben has a healthy lead now and thinks he has it...but his "U" is upside down, meaning he has to fix it, which makes some fall over. Soon Chrissy is in the lead with Ben right behind her. Ben goes for it, but his blocks topple as he's putting down the last one. Chrissy wins the final immunity, and Ben is absolutely devastated.

That is NOT an advantage

Ben is still hurting as he gets back to camp, as Ryan and Chrissy wonder which of them will be a millionaire. Ben asks Chrissy if there's any chance of him staying, and Chrissy promises to hear him out. She then opens the note and sees Ben might have a chance after all: the twist is that she can take one person to final 3, and then the other two battle it out in firemaking. Upon hearing this, she fills in Devon on the news, knowing it is up to him to stop Ben. Devon is actually happy, as he's hoping it's gonna be another thing to put on his resume. He sneaks off to practice and his flint breaks - not a good omen. But instead he sees this as a sign that he needs to be calm and zen.

At tribal council, Chrissy gets a round of applause from the jury when they see her 4th immunity win, equaling the female record. Ben says the upside down "U" is gonna haunt him, but feels he tried his best. Chrissy then reveals the contents of the note on Jeff's request, shocking Ben that he has a lifeline. Chrissy takes Ryan to the end, leaving Ben and Devon to battle it out.

Devon gets burned

The duel commences, and Devon is attacking his flint the fastest, with Ryan and Chrissy rooting him on (the latter pretty openly). Ben gets a fire first, and manages to keep it going long enough to win. Not the result the rest of them were looking for. Devon is out, without even being voted out. Damn, did he get screwed.

Chrissy and Ben watch a sunset together on day 39 as Ben goes to make the last mark on the tree. Ryan knows he has a tough task ahead of him but plans to just make shit up to make himself look better if he has to. Chrissy thinks she still has a good case as she was a strong challenge performer. Ben is ready to battle and plans to go in "humble, but confident."

If the new FTC gives us more fights like this, I'm sold

Final tribal council starts with the discussion of who outwitted. Desi tells Ryan she thinks people just took him to the end because he wasn't a threat. Ryan details some of his moves and takes credit for forming the seven. Ashley disputes his social game though, saying he had no relationship with her. Joe praises Ryan's gameplay by calling him a puppetmaster, and tells Ben his social game was horrible. Ben agrees, admitting he doesn't have much experience with people even in his real life. Chrissy proves she had a social game by telling Joe a fact about himself. Cole blames Ben for putting a target on his back, but Ben says it was nothing personal. Ryan disagrees and says Ben had a vendetta against Cole.

On the topic of who outplayed, Cole praises Chrissy for her challenge wins and blasts Ryan for being useless at camp. Ryan responds that he knew that would not be his forte so he didn't want to put himself out there, which the jury don't really buy. Joe says he's impressed that Ben found even more idols than him, and Desi asks why everyone else let Ben find them, which Chrissy admits was a failure on their part.

We close up with everyone making an argument for why they outlasted. Ryan says he made connections and had more deals than anybody else in the game. Ben gives a short final statement, but Joe isn't satisfied and tells him to fight more. He then talks about how he was always fighting, and that he wants to win for all the veterans out there. Chrissy talks about how moms are heroes and says she hopes they can feel good about her representing the season since she kicked ass.

Now it's time to vote. Lauren votes for Ben, Devon votes Ryan and Ashley votes Chrissy. Nobody's getting goose egged tonight! We switch to the studio, where Ryan is still wearing a turtleneck and Ben looks very nervous. 1 vote for Ryan, 2 for Chrissy and Ben gets the rest. Well it'd been said multiple times that this guy was gonna win...but I bet nobody expected it to be like that.

STAR OF THE WEEK: BEN DRIEBERGEN

Ben took advantage of the tools in front of him, though there's no denying the final 4 twist leaves a bit of a bad taste and puts a pretty large asterisk on his win. Still, he obviously won the jury's respect and there's something to be said for how he never gave up.


NEXT TIME ON SURVIVOR: It's all new players, but you'll still see some blasts from the past in Ghost Island, where the castaways will be forced to contend with cursed items now infamous in Survivor lore. Can they avoid the same fate as those that came before them? It's a really goofy concept, but I feel like a superfan might get a kick out of it.

Heroes Vs Healers Vs Hustlers Episode 12: Drop The Bomb

A united front

Everyone agrees to keep the target on Ben, but Devon is not convinced it's gonna be that easy. Devon starts goading him, saying he should've voted him out instead. Ben gets up early to go look for the idol. Ugh...can't we just be done with them already? The last one being thrown in the fire sent a clear message in my eyes.

A slapstick comedy duo for the ages

The reward challenge sees pairs tethered together to run an assault course. Ashley and Ben take the lead ahead of Chrissy and Devon, with Mike and Ryan predictably in last. It comes down to the ring toss, where Devon is able to take a lead. Ben then pulls it back with 3 in a row, but Devon is able to close out a win. They get to choose another person to go with them to the resort, and Chrissy suggests Ryan, which leaves Ashley unhappy.

Back at camp, Mike vents about how Ryan did not deserve to be picked...which is good news for Ben if it causes a rift. He tries to convince Ashley that Chrissy and Ryan are after her, but Ashley doesn't seem very receptive. So instead, Ben decides to look for the idol again....as Mike gives an ominous prediction that he won't find it.

The reward losers air their grievances

At the resort, Devon is the first to talk strategy, insisting that Mike should go after Ben since he doesn't know where he stands. The three of them form a final three, but Chrissy is already thinking of targeting Ashley next to take some power away from Devon.

The gears are turning

The immunity challenge is to run another assault course, this time climbing ladders and having a gear puzzle at the end. The contestants all blast through the straw and Ashley hooks her first ladder ahead of the pack, but the others are not far behind. Ben is first to get the second one down, but everyone other than Devon gets it around the same time. On the puzzle, it's hard to tell who's close, but Chrissy, Ben and Ashley are all in it. Chrissy figures it out first to take herself to the final 5.

Ben feels like a sitting duck and looking for the idol is his only move left. Ashley still wants Ben to go but suggests putting some votes on Mike too just because it would suck to go home by one vote like Lauren did. Chrissy pitches going for Ashley instead to Mike, Ryan...and even Devon. Obviously Devon is the most resistant. Ben finds a clue telling him the idol is under the shelter, but with time running out and people around, it won't be easy to get. The scene then cuts to tribal, ending on a cliffhanger...did he get it or not?

Ben still has some tricks up his sleeve

Ben calls out the pairs at tribal council, but it soon becomes clear the rest of the tribe don't see him as trustworthy and are happy with the final 3 plans that they have. Ben says Devon and Ashley need to make some big moves, as Devon says he has made moves and will explain them to Ben later when he's on the jury. Oof. Devon says he thinks Ben is going home, which Ben sees as his cue to dramatically pull out his idol and prove him wrong. Ben tells Ashley to vote for Mike if she wants to stay, but Devon doesn't think he's gonna play it. Ben then proves him wrong again by giving it to Jeff early...you can do that? The other five glance back and forth, not sure what to do now.

The votes are read, and Ashley can't believe it when she sees everybody voted for her...even Devon, who she gives the cold shoulder on the way out. The finale is next week and we have a lot of big players left. Who can get a spot at the end and make their case? With the game this messy, it feels like anyone's game.

STAR OF THE WEEK: CHRISSY HOFBECK

It's Chrissy who gains the most from Ashley leaving, since she had her in her sights already. Between winning immunity and locking down a final three, it was a very productive episode for her. Now she just has to hope she has the jury on her side.

Heroes Vs Healers Vs Hustlers Episode 11: Up In Flames

So now Ben's true allegiances have been revealed, leaving Ryan and Chrissy feeling pretty betrayed. Chrissy wants Ben to explain what happened, but he doesn't feel like he owes her anything. This results in an argument between the two, where Ben calls out Chrissy's need to demonize whoever goes against her.

Don't cross Chrissy

At the reward challenge, the survivors all get to see their loved ones. Even gamebot Ryan cries upon seeing his dad. We also meet Ashley's dad, Mike's wife, Lauren's sister (who gives Jeff a hug first), Chrissy's husband, Devon's mom and Ben's wife. The challenge is...to draw marbles out of a bag and try to match with their loved ones. What? That's not a real challenge! Only Ben and Chrissy get a match, so they do another round and Chrissy wins. She gets to choose who else gets their loved ones, and picks Ryan, Mike and Ashley. Sucks for Ben, who really picked the wrong day to piss Chrissy off.

But Chrissy's picks weren't all about vengeance...she wants to try and flip someone from the power 4 and sees Ashley as the most likely to bite. The lifeguard realizes she needs a big move on her resume, and thinks voting out Ben could be that.

Making a fake

Ben still has some tricks up his sleeve though, and is crafting a fake idol that he hopes is gonna throw Chrissy off the scent. Lauren kinda feels like it's a personal move though, and that his intent is to embarrass her. Looking for the real idol, Lauren finds something under a rock...but it's only half an idol, the other half is at the next challenge.

Ryan in a world of pain

We get to the challenge, and the shell Lauren needs is right on the floor in front of her! The challenge is to keep two discs pushed against posts. Ryan struggles immediately but Ben and Chrissy are both out before him. Lauren just gives up at this point, but manages to pick up her shell. Mike is out, and now Devon and Ashley discuss who should get it. Devon agrees to drop out for a neck massage, giving Ashley her second win.

Seriously, he's always lurking

Ashley is still giving serious thought to the plan to get Ben out, but Devon sees Chrissy as a bigger immunity threat. Ben approaches his three alliance members talking about him at the water well, and gets sketched out when they go quiet. Ben decides to switch things up by going to Mike and Ryan to tell them they need to blindside Lauren, as the idol and extra vote give her too much power. He also tries for Chrissy's vote, but Chrissy still hates him and wants him out. Mike, not knowing what to do, lets Devon know that Ben has spilled the beans. Lauren hears she might be a target and decides to give Mike the shell from the idol as a sign of trust. Wow, that's a pretty extreme leap of faith...and it sounds like Mike is gonna make her pay for it.

Way to squander your advantage(s)

At tribal council, Devon talks about stepping out of the immunity challenge and how he would've done the same for Lauren, and Ben is pretty alarmed to not hear his name. Ashley makes a vague allusion to how Ben has ruined his game, as Lauren confronts him about spilling her secrets. Chrissy encourages Lauren to forfeit her advantage, and she says she didn't bring it to tribal. Mike then takes matters into his own hands and throws Lauren's shell into the fire. As Devon and Ben bicker, Ryan whispers to Mike that they should stick with voting Lauren. But Devon sees that and comes over to try and persuade them to go for Ben. With the three formerly in the minority debating what to do, Devon calls for a vote and Jeff obliges.

After the votes, Ben reveals that he has the real idol and decides to play it. I guess not telling anybody paid off, as he manages to save himself and send home Lauren with one vote. A Survivor first! Now that was a hell of a tribal. Lauren is pretty regretful about her move to leave the idol in Mike's hands, which is looking worse and worse by the minute.

So where do Ashley and Devon go without their trusty third? Can Ben pull a Mike Holloway and still get to the end as public enemy number one? And have Ryan and Chrissy actually found themselves back into a good spot? Nobody trusts anyone, but something's gotta give!

STAR OF THE WEEK: MIKE ZAHALSKY

I could've easily given it to Ben, but Mike dumping someone else's idol in the fire is one of the most badass things that's ever been done on this show. The sex Doctor is playing a crazy game, but right now the chaos is working for him.

Heroes Vs Healers Vs Hustlers Episode 10: Double Agent

Joe is pretty critical of Mike's moves at tribal, but Mike says he wanted to draw attention away from Joe too. Chrissy calls them dead men walking, but Mike is optimistic.

A reflection of his current status

The reward challenge is to build a tower with your feet. For most of it, it seems like Mike's to lose as he amasses a lead ahead of Lauren, Chrissy and Ashley. Mike finishes his blocks, but knocks one over moving the flag. This allows Lauren to pip him to the post. She gets to choose 3 people for a seaplane meal and takes Devon, Ben and Ashley. Ryan says he doesn't read much into the choices when probed by Jeff...but then privately Lauren assures us he's wrong.

Back at camp, Joe and Mike have named their duo "the Coco-nuts" and are having a lot of fun annoying the others. Ryan and Chrissy start plotting on what to do once they get to 7, and both agree on Ben first. At the reward, Lauren is plotting to make a move with this group against Chrissy, Ryan and JP. They all share their secrets, like knowledge of Ryan's idol and Lauren's advantage.

Marine on a mission

Ben spots an idol clue that gives him directions to a clay pot. He becomes determined to find it immediately so goes searching for it and when he spots it in the tree, he goes full Yosemite Sam, throwing his hat away in celebration. He's able to get it and is keeping it a secret, not needing his target to get any bigger.

Eat it

The immunity challenge is to stand on a platform in the water. They have the option to sit out, which Ben, Lauren and Devon take. JP is the only one out before they get to the final round, but then Chrissy and Joe fall in. We're left with three different positions: Mike sideways, Ashley in a surfer pose and Ryan crouching. Ryan is the first to fall. Mike declares his determination to win immunity before this game is done, but it won't be today, as he drops, giving Ashley the win.

The Roundtable discuss the vote and settle on going for Mike...but of course, that's not the real plan. But Devon is worried Mike and Joe might not want to work with Ben, so proposes that Ben should vote Mike and play double agent. Lauren, Devon and Ashley approach Joe and Mike with the plan to switch things up and they can't jump on board fast enough.

Rude awakening for some

At tribal council, Mike defends his outburst by saying he hoped his word would be trusted as a Doctor...which Jeff finds even more bizarre than his initial speech. Ryan tells Mike and Joe he's not buying what they're selling, but multiple people acknowledge that the 7 can't last forever. We don't see how the new alliance cast their votes, but when they come out, the target ends up being...JP!? Man, what a waste. Really think Ryan was the move there. Now they still have an idol to deal with.

In the fallout, Ben is popping off at Joe to really sell the idea that he was blindsided too. Ryan sits down with Devon to try and repair their relationship, but Devon lets him know he stopped trusting him once he told other people about the idol. Devon and Ben sit together and talk about how they just need to get through one more vote and then they're solid.

That's a good way to get splinters

The reward challenge sees two teams have to paddle a boat through the water to pick up logs, slide them through a tunnel to push out puzzle pieces and then solve a puzzle. It's Lauren, Mike, Ryan and Chrissy (red) against Joe, Ben, Ashley and Devon (blue). Ryan has trouble hauling his bags into the boat, whereas blue can't seem to keep the boat close enough to Ben for him to get them in. We get to the log tunnel where Lauren very effectively uses her body. The puzzle is Ben and Ashley vs Mike and Chrissy. Ben and Ashley win to take blue team on reward.

Surfing to the final 3

On reward, Ben is still playing his part to fool Joe, talking about his disloyal knights. At camp, Ryan is getting desperate, trying to get in with Mike, and Chrissy is doing the same with Lauren...but neither look like they're budging. It's killing Chrissy to not be in control, but she's hoping her game still has some life yet.

Can you say S-M-A-R-T?

The immunity challenge is to transport various objects in a cart over obstacles - starting with a vase containing a key, ending with puzzle pieces. Ben and Devon get theirs past the seesaw first, whilst Ashley, Ryan and Lauren drop theirs. Ben and Devon get over the beam first too, with Joe in 3rd. Mike and Ryan finally get past section 1 whilst Devon is finishing up getting his puzzle pieces over the last part. Ashley catches up when she takes 8 in one go, but the long-ass word puzzle is anyone's game. Chrissy seems to get it first - and Devon takes a peek and seems to have it as well. Who can get it fastest? Chrissy, who spells "invulnerable" to make herself just that.

Knowing Ryan will likely play his idol, the group need a new target (this could've so easily been avoided, yknow). Ben argues for Joe since they don't need him anymore. Devon tells Joe and Mike that they're splitting on Ben and Ryan using Lauren's extra vote. Both are down with the plan, as Mike says he can't wait to see Ben go.

Switch it up again already?

Ryan and Chrissy still think Ben is with him and they agree to vote Ashley as revenge for her betraying them. Ryan tells Ben he thinks he's the target, as he laments that they got played by two surfers. But Ben actually *is* becoming a target, as both Lauren and Ashley express doubts about taking such a big threat to the final 4. Ashley gets Devon alone to see what he thinks.

Finally a reason to smile

Mike is feeling good at tribal council, with an alliance he trusts at last. Joe openly takes joy at Ben's apparent downfall, as Ben tells him he's on the bottom of his group. Mike makes a surgery analogy to explain to Ryan why his alliance is better than their alliance. Well, we'll see.

After the vote, Ryan plays his idol just to be safe. Votes come up for Ashley, votes come up for Ryan, but it's Joe that gets the majority...just when he was feeling the safest. "That was an incredibly tight alliance" remarks Chrissy sarcastically as Joe leaves. Back-to-back blindsides...we're seeing some great gameplay at last.

STAR OF THE WEEK: DEVON PINTO

Devon has really stepped it up lately after breaking off from Ryan, and seems to be playing the game Fabio pretended he was. From the double agent play to the fake split vote, he's made a lot of smart moves, and his prowess seems to be going undetected.

Heroes Vs Healers Vs Hustlers Episode 9: Off The Rails

Out of the loop again, Mike is throwing Cole under the bus now to save himself. Ben and Lauren talk about how lucky they were that they managed to get away with nobody noticing that Lauren didn't vote, and reaffirm their alliance. Devon expresses doubts to Ryan about what'll happen when they get down to 7, and Ryan reveals he has the idol.

Ashley's natural habitat

The reward challenge is to swim through the water, untie a buoy and then shoot them into nets. The teams are Ben, Devon, Ashley, Ryan and Lauren vs Cole, Chrissy, JP, Joe and Mike. Chrissy gives her team the lead over Ben, and Cole manages to extend that. Ashley helps get blue back into it, but JP manages to get his buoy directly from the dive. Joe is shooting for red and does very well, but Ben starts catching him going underhand. Joe seals the deal and wins his team a boat ride.

Cole is happy to load up on food, whereas Joe is searching the cake for an idol clue. The boat goes by camp and the people on the beach moon them. Ryan sees a chance to get close to Ben and tells him about the idol.

Ryan exposed

Back at camp, Joe is digging for the already-found idol. He then interrupts Mike talking about him, and decides to get into a fight with Ashley by calling her a goat. His plan is to become so unlikable they'll keep him around, but right now it's just strengthening Ashley's resolve to get rid of him. Ben tries to build a bond with Devon and tells him Ryan has an idol, making Devon realize he can't trust Ryan as much as he thought he did. Oop, the little weasel might have overextended himself.

Cole is confident

The immunity challenge is for the players to squat and hold a vase with two poles over their shoulders. Ashley is first out, then Mike and JP. Ashley gets her revenge though when a comment about Chrissy's form distracts Devon and then Joe to knock them out. Ben is out next, followed by Chrissy. Ryan falling leaves us down to two. Cole makes some dangerous moves, but Lauren is wobbling. Then Cole drops out of nowhere to give Lauren the win.

Can Chrissy get through to him?

Ben is still hardcore on getting a Healer out...yawn. But he's really pissing off Ashley by insisting the votes get split between Cole and Mike, rather than Joe. Chrissy tries to tell him people are getting annoyed by him and he replies "no they're not" - kinda proving her point. Mike has been told by Ben that Cole is going home, but wants to shake the game up and is not afraid to play his idol to do that.

At tribal council. Chrissy puts Joe on blast for his insults. Mike then says if they're offended by Joe they should prove it by voting him out, and openly questions their morals. He then calls Ben "King Arthur", which Lauren notes is digging his hole deeper. Probst points out how Cole has just been quiet and staying off the radar - yeah, until you just called him out.

Tanking his game in record time

After the vote, Mike plays his idol for himself. Whatever he was going for clearly didn't work, as Cole gets a straight majority and is voted out, with only 2 votes for Mike and 1 for Ben. So Mike just made his target bigger for no reason. It's yet another chance to make a move blown, but now the cracks in the majority are bigger than ever. Is dictator Ben gonna be the first casualty, or shady Ryan?

STAR OF THE WEEK: JOE MENA

There was a lot of bad gameplay this week, so I have to go for who was the least bad. Joe's strategy of making himself a goat seemed to work, as he ended up completely off the chopping block. And thank God too, because he's one of the few players keeping things interesting.

Heroes Vs Healers Vs Hustlers Episode 8: Dig In

Joe is still reeling from tribal council, whilst Ben is proud of himself and hoping he can keep his Heroes/Hustlers coalition intact to the final 7. Lauren is doing some shelter renovations and finds the advantage. It offers her a chance to save her vote for the next tribal council. Huh, this is just a worse version of the vote doubler.

The reward challenge sees two teams using a slingshot to shoot targets. They're playing for a spaghetti meal, and random draw determines the teams, but Joe sitting out means he automatically wins. Ryan and Chrissy both decide to tap out early to let JP go, whereas Ben shoots and scores for the red team. Mike and Lauren also score for red, but Ashley takes a long time. Blue's strategy of letting JP and Devon do all the work pays off when they get all 5 to win. Probst then reveals there's only one plate and they'll be eating one at a time...with Joe picking the order. He's gotta be very careful about this.

Gluttony pays off sometimes

Joe decides to put himself last, which is a bummer, as I was kinda hoping he would just split it between him and Cole. But being third works out well for Cole, when he spots a clue on the plate that tells him the idol is under their flag. He then hides the plate under the napkin and hopes nobody else sees it. He's wrong, as Chrissy and Ryan both find it, resulting in Ryan taking the plate and hiding it. Why didn't Cole just do that? Chrissy starts whispering to Ryan, which Cole hears, and it's not hard to figure out what they must be discussing.

Back at camp, Ryan is the first one to get to the flag and manages to dig it up surprisingly easily. He then tells Chrissy to cover his tracks and Cole races in to join in. It ends up in a full-on scramble, whilst Ryan just stands there knowing it's futile. Ben accuses Cole of having the idol, and he decides to bluff that he does.

A free-for-all in the sand gets out of hand

Ryan doesn't skip a beat

The immunity challenge is to keep a statue balanced by propping it up with a stick. Chrissy ends up with a bug on her pretty early, but Mike is first out. Joe, Devon and Lauren are next. The next round starts and Ashley is out immediately. Chrissy and Ben follow, and Desi dropping leaves a showdown between Cole and JP. Cole wobbles a lot, but holds out to win immunity when he needed it most.

Always watching

Ben wants to split the votes on Joe and Desi, worried that an idol might get played, and considers both of them to be threats. Joe tries to get Ryan and Devon by telling them Ben is running the show. Ben calls Joe out and then gets really heated when Joe says he swore on the Marines, claiming he would never do that. Lauren tells Ben about her advantage which throws a wrench in their split vote plan, but they can still pull it off if they get Mike on board to vote Joe. Which they just might do, since he is looking for a way to get back in with the majority.

At tribal council, Joe says he's feeling the heat, which is nothing new. Ben apologizes for letting Joe push his buttons. Ashley says she's not sure if Joe is really good or just annoying. Desi and Devon talk about how the game can bring out the worst in you. Probst is fascinated by this little tangent, but then brings it back to the vote.

Fake 'em out

Voting gets underway, and Lauren is able to successfully drop the note in the urn as instructed without arousing suspicion. The vote ends up a tie between Joe and Desi, which either could've prevented had they just voted for the other one. On the revote, it's Desi that goes home. Joe can't believe they left him in the game, and I'm sure he's going to make them regret it.

Well, the Healers missed quite a few opportunities there to stop their downward slide. But there's no way the others don't start looking at bigger targets soon, especially when there's secret powers about to be unleashed.

STAR OF THE WEEK: LAUREN RIMMER

Her slick move earned her a second vote, which could give her a lot of power. This fisherwoman looks set to go deep now, which I never would've expected pre-season.

Heroes Vs Healers Vs Hustlers Episode 7: High Steaks

Crawl space, anyone?

Post-tribal, Chrissy likes her spot since she's closer to the other two guys than they are to eachother. Cole on Yawa is talking about how he likes his group of 5, unaware that Ben has him in his sights. Levu are running on empty, really hoping for some food soon. The tribes see Jeff and he makes note of how depleted they seem...so he grants their wishes and announces not just the merge, but potentially the biggest merge feast of all time.

After the extended Outback ad, everyone sits down at the steakhouse and Joe starts ordering everything, which pisses off Chrissy. He also reveals he played an idol, leading Chrissy to wonder whether he might've found the other idol too. Ben and Chrissy reconnect over the meal, but Ben is uncomfortable with how obvious she's making it. "You're my number one" she tells him...with Ryan right behind her, barely out of earshot.

Raise a glass, blindsides are back on the menu!

Cole is looking for an advantage back at camp. It's in the nails, but he misses it completely. Devon and Ryan reconnect and immediately start organizing for the Heroes and Hustlers to come together. Lauren however has different plans and wants to stick with Mike, so gives him the heads up that Healers are being targeted. Ben is annoyed with Cole for eating cinnamon sticks, which Jessica has to tell him to cut out. When Ben tries to get Mike to vote for Cole, he seems reluctant and wants Yawa to stay together.

Sweat, baby, sweat

The immunity challenge is to keep a ball spinning in a circle. Ryan is out immediately, and Mike and Jessica follow. When they start moving down the platform, it takes out Ben, JP, Devon and Lauren in quick succession. Next is Joe, then Cole and Chrissy. We have an Ashley vs Desi showdown now, as Chrissy does some math to calculate how much longer they lasted than Ryan. Desi wins it when Ashley can't make the last transfer.

She can do arithmetic, so she's a huge threat

Ben and Cole have a heart-to-heart where he apologizes for his behaviour. Cole and Joe then sit down to commiserate about being the biggest targets, where Joe warns Cole that he shouldn't trust Ben. Mike tells his group he wants Chrissy out, for being too smart. The anti-Healers contingent is gunning for Cole, but Chrissy wants Jessica to be their back-up. Ben is conflicted about possibly voting out one of his closest allies, but Lauren really seems to want to side with the Healers.

Joe's about dat life

At tribal council, Mike makes a case for the rest of the players to think beyond the obvious first move of targeting the Healers. Joe calls BS on everyone saying that they're nervous, and Cole latches on that as an opportunity to tell the people he trusts that he's not worried. Joe doesn't argue that he's a threat but makes the argument that he's loyal. Mike however complains that Joe was targeting him earlier in the game and accusing him of having the idol. Joe then stirs things up further by pulling out the idol and not revealing what he's gonna do with it.

Everyone seems calm when casting their vote, no hint that Joe's idol has thrown a wrench in their plans. He decides to play it...for himself. Boring. Anyway, he didn't need it, and Jessica gets voted out instead. She leaves blindsided and heartbroken, not even on the jury.

Well damn, that's 2 episodes in a row now where the outcome has pretty much been my worst case scenario. I hope we don't have a Healer pagonging and someone is looking to mix it up soon.

STAR OF THE WEEK: BEN DRIEBERGEN

Ben had a lot of power this week and I think he used it wisely, navigating a tricky tightrope as well as he could. His alliance has control and doesn't seem to be letting go of it anytime soon.

Heroes Vs Healers Vs Hustlers Episode 6: Break-Ups And Breakdowns

Ali is not sure why Ryan didn't tell her the vote, and he says because her and Roark were getting too close. Ali downplays that connection and says Ryan was her closest ally, but he's not having it. Ryan originally wanted to keep working with Ali, but realizes he can't if she's mad at him.

Mike burns a fish that he caught, which makes the rest of the tribe laugh. But Ben appreciates his effort a lot more than Cole, who is hogging the food and being argumentative about it. Lauren and Ben have a bitch session about Cole, and bring Mike into it too.

Rough waters ahead

The reward challenge is to hold up a buoy using poles, use it to unlock a boat, then paddle out to a platform where you must shoot at two targets. JP and Ali get their buoy first, whilst Ashley and Desi drop three times. Soko blow their lead by failing to untie the boat and it's a dead heat with them and Yawa. JP and Ben take a while to get the hang of the slingshot, having to battle the waters and allowing Levu to catch up. JP gives Soko a win, and Yawa come second.

The patented Anna pose

As Soko eat their pizza, the whole tribe praises JP's stellar performance. But it's also putting a target on his back, as they know the merge is coming soon. On Levu, Ashley tries to talk Desi into voting out Joe. Devon is keeping his eye on Joe as they go for a coconut hunt, but doesn't spot him find the clue. (Why did he need a clue anyway? He knew it was at the well.) Joe declares he will find the idol that night, and come nightfall, manages to do just that. I think he just secured his spot and Desi's.

On Yawa, Cole's hands are shaking. He then faints and hits the ground hard. Mike is luckily on hand to treat him, and diagnoses his problem as not having enough food. Wasn't it the opposite last week? At any rate, Jessica has now realized she cares for Cole more than she thought...but Mike is actually now on board with getting him out for being a liability.

Pride comes before a fall

Tipping point

The immunity challenge is for 4 tribe members to hold up a platform with a rope and then stack blocks on top of it to spell immunity.  Soko are first to lose theirs, as Levu and Yawa get 5 done. Levu then drop, and Yawa fall as Cole is putting down the last one. Now Soko are in the lead, with Levu behind them, but Yawa are catching up quickly since they seem to have figured out how to keep it stable. All three of them have their blocks placed, now it's just getting back. Yawa do it first to win the challenge, whilst Soko's topples. Levu manage to get it, keeping themselves safe too.

Coming back from the challenge, Ali knows she's the clear target, but Ryan tells her he still wants to play with her and wants JP out. Ali makes a pledge of loyalty to Chrissy, and points out how JP is a challenge threat. Chrissy isn't sure she can trust Ali, but goes to see what Ryan thinks, as they need to make the decision together.

At tribal council, Ryan and Ali detail their blow-up, with Ali saying it's behind them now. JP says he's worried physical players will start to get voted out now that it's near the merge, but even Probst points out how he's barely trying to make a case for himself.

Don't worry, girl - I feel the same way

The votes are revealed, and it seems they swung towards getting rid of Ali, like I figured they would. She lets out a few tears. Hope you enjoy being bottom of the Heroes, Ryan. To see a player as good as Ali leave before the merge is a tragedy, but I'm still excited to find out what happens next.

STAR OF THE WEEK: MIKE ZAHALSKY

Mike is branching out and making new friends, which he'll probably need if the Healers go down. He seemed positioned as a powerful swing vote on Yawa, but not needing to decide just yet is even better for his game.