Edge Of Extinction Episode 11: Goat Hunt

Lauren is sad to lose her "older sister" Kelley, on both a personal and a game level. She wants Rick out next. Gavin says he wanted to be included, and Wardog snaps on him. Ron repairs his relationship with Julie and tells her about the extra vote. Rick tells Wardog and Ron that they're the biggest threats left, so they need to stick together because no-one else is gonna take them to the end. They decide to target Aurora. Damn, seems like she's always on the bottom, no matter what she does.

Another stellar challenge performance from Wardog

The reward challenge is two teams of four. Two members will swim the keelhaul section to get rings, and the other two will be the tossers. It's Wardog/Lauren/Rick/Julie vs Ron/Aurora/Gavin/Victoria, playing for a trip to the mudpool. Wardog really botches the dive harder than I ever thought possible, and almost swims to the wrong platform, but still gets his ring back roughly the same time as Ron. Aurora smokes Lauren when it's their turn. On the tossing, Rick steps up to win for his team.

Joe comforts Kelley on Extinction, but Reem is happy she's out and lets her know she thinks it's her fault she got voted out. We get a close-up on Kelley's tears as she cries it out and talks about how she hopes this game will teach her to be more open.

No rice for you!

The four people from the losing team all agree Rick should be the next to go. Gavin is out for Wardog's blood but is happy to stick with the numbers for now (kinda proving Wardog right). Ron gives Aurora the advantage back in order to cement their bond, but now they're getting into an argument where he calls her a "rice Nazi". "I'm used to being around drama queens because I am one" says Aurora.

At the mudpool, Rick and Wardog are having fun rubbing mud all over eachother (but not in a homosexual way, that's for sure). According to Rick, the two girls aren't playing the game...but turns out he's wrong there, as they're strategizing together in the pool on the downlow. Julie considers Wardog the threat, but Lauren thinks it's Rick.

Not sure what's going on here

Rick Devens, challenge star

The immunity challenge is to jump across pyramid structures, move bags through a tube and solve a puzzle at the end. Finally, a non-balance challenge! Everyone gets over the pyramids, with Ron being the slowest. Aurora takes the lead going into the puzzle with Gavin behind her. Rick does well on the puzzle, as Aurora gets frustrated. However he stalls right at the end, and allows Aurora back into it. Rick figures it out and wins immunity again.

With Rick safe, most people's targets are switching to Wardog...but Ron isn't sure and heeds his warning that if he goes, the other threats will fall like dominoes. Wardog tries to get Julie to vote Aurora, and she wants to, but is annoyed that he didn't just do that last time. Lauren and Julie talk, as Lauren isn't sure she wants Wardog to go since she did have a good relationship with him before the betrayal. Aurora senses people not talking to her and considers playing her extra vote.

The peanut gallery have a lot to say

At tribal council, Gavin reveals him and Wardog haven't talked since the Kelley vote, which gets a reaction from Kelley on the jury. Wardog is called out as the ringleader behind that big move and he drags Ron under the bus with him. There's a lot of talk about how many threats are gone already and whether that will continue, but Aurora says not everyone is gonna agree who the threats are.

The vote is between Aurora and Wardog...this shouldn't really be a complicated decision, and it isn't, as Wardog gets snuffed. Rick was left on the outs again. And Kelley is loving that Lauren got revenge for her. Well, the so-called goats ended up calling the shots this round, which proves that maybe it's not a good thing to be the biggest threat at final 8.

STAR OF THE WEEK: LAUREN O'CONNELL

Great bounceback for Lauren, who may have lost her closest ally but still has a strong shot of getting to the end. Now she just needs to finish the job on Rick, which shouldn't be too hard.

Edge Of Extinction Episode 10: Stealth Operation

David comes back from tribal with no regrets about wasting the idol, since it just wasn't worth the risk. Wardog wants to put together a six-person alliance with Kelley, Lauren, Ron, Julie and Gavin. He blames Aurora for how the last tribal went down, and plans to target her next.

Nobody suspects the butterfly

The immunity challenge is to keep a pot held in position without it falling. But players are also offered the chance to sit out for food, which Kelley, Lauren, Ron and Victoria all take. Wardog falls out of the challenge first, due to a butterfly landing on him. Gavin drops next, then Julie, whose legs give out. Rick gives a news report with sweat dripping down him, but doesn't last much longer. It's now Aurora vs David, and Aurora is determined to win. David drops, meaning Aurora saves herself when she needs it most.

The six agree that David is the biggest threat and is the obvious vote. David and Rick sense the danger and try to sway Ron, Julie and Victoria to target Wardog instead, pointing out they're just letting an obvious trio run the game. Julie and Ron talk about it, and seem to enjoy that they're in the swing vote position now.

My brand is broken records

At tribal council, Rick talks about playing a loyal game since he came back from Edge of Extinction, and how Julie seems to be the person to go to if you want to make a move. Wardog says he's loyal too, pointing out how his trio have always voted together. Ron says he didn't appreciate the hard sell from Rick. David tries to give his loyalty speech again, but everyone just scoffs at him, with Wardog calling him a squirmer. Unfortunately for him, David's pitch doesn't work and he is voted out...but I give him a lot of credit for lasting as long as he did.

The gang on Extinction receive news of a new advantage to find, and David takes off immediately. Eric, Chris and David all think they have an idea of where it is...but David is the one to get it. He now gets to give somebody still in the game an advantage in the next immunity challenge...seems pretty obvious this is going to Rick.

Insert lesbians/balls joke here

Straight into the challenge now, and it's to balance five balls on a paddle. Thanks to David, Rick only has to do 4. Ron and Rick start getting the hang of it first, but Aurora is getting some too. Rick goes for his 4th, but knocks off another ball in the process. Now Aurora is in the lead with 3. Rick knocks a ball out again, but when he saves the closer hole for his last one, he gets it this time.

Julie wants Aurora out, who is proving herself a challenge beast. But Wardog has a bigger plan: slaying his closest ally, Kelley Wentworth. I didn't see this coming, and Wardog is being very careful to make sure she doesn't either. Having set this up with brief 30-second conversations with Victoria and Rick earlier. now he just needs Ron. Ron is not too sure about it, mainly because it'd piss off Julie. Aurora starts to worry the plan won't go through, and offers up her extra vote to Ron as a sign of trust. Wooow, that is bold. And knowing Ron, might not even stop him voting her out.

Can they spot this coming?

At tribal council, the jury are very happy when they see Rick has immunity, as Rick thanks his guardian angel. Victoria says nobody has really talked to her much. Ron talks about how blindsides can be fun, even addicting. Rick says he thinks idols are only on Edge of Extinction, since he hasn't seen any from the game yet.

"Last returnee standing" tag didn't last long

We get to the vote, and the girls hold onto their idols again. It's crazy they've kept them this long, but it's one gamble too many for Kelley, who is sent to Extinction. She's so pissed she didn't play it she vents to the rest of the group and even outs Lauren's idol too. Well, Wardog really stepped up and changed the game and Julie was left out again. Where does Lauren go from here? Lots of questions to be answered starting next week.

STAR OF THE WEEK: DAN "WARDOG" DASILVA

Wardog managed to succeed where many others have failed in pulling the wool over Kelley's eyes. He just took firm control of the game, added the biggest scalp possible to his resume and presided over a first-ever achievement in mixed seasons: getting rid of all the returnees.

Edge Of Extinction Episode 9: Sharks Among Minnows

Do I get a detention?

After the vote, Ron pulls Gavin aside like he's sending him to the headmaster's office and asks for an explanation, and he says he felt it was important to make the first strike. Rick and David discuss coming back together for the sake of the shared idol, starting with winning over Ron and Julie. Gavin sits down with Kelley, Lauren and Wardog and tells them he wants to move forward with them, plus Victoria and Julia.

Eric talks about how much the game slows down on Edge of Extinction, and seems to be contemplating quitting. But seeing Chris come back with a stingray gives him an epiphany (for some reason), where he realizes he needs to teach a lesson to his children about not giving up.

Living on the Edge, battling boredom

Rick tries to build some trust with Ron and Julie, saying they should stick together along with David...but they're not sure who else to bring in, and consider Wardog. Julie thinks Julia is running the show. Well if that's true, we certainly haven't seen it. Gavin tells Julia that David is his next target, but Julia is keeping her eye on the Kelley/Lauren/Wardog trio too.

No, you can't kick it

We get to the next challenge and it's for immunity. David knows this one well...it's keeping a ball balanced on top of a bow. Gavin and Rick combat early movement, but Wardog is first out. Julie leaves right before the final stage, and then Ron and Rick don't last long. 5 girls and 2 guys now, but the girls all then quickly leave one-by-one to set up a Gavin vs David showdown. Gavin prevails and wins immunity.

Paranoia, paranoia...

After the challenge, the scrambling starts immediately when people go off to talk. But who's left in the shelter provides opportunity for strategy too, as Rick and David get a chance to plead their case to Julia. They tell Gavin and Victoria also that they want to break up the trio. The trio meanwhile are trying to switch the vote to Ron in case Kama come back together, making Julia suspicious that Manu are still together. She then plots with Kama to target Kelley, but Ron and Julie are still upset. Gavin disagrees with the switch in target, calling David a "challenge beast" (LOL at that). They all sit around in a very awkward silence, which leaves Kelley a little spooked. David plots with Rick to use the idol, as Kelley considers the same.

It's a live one

Jeff opens up tribal council talking about blindsides, as Wardog wonders if they were just used for one vote and Kelley brings up the weird vibes. David tells a story about sharks and minnows, to which Jeff skeptically asks "did that really happen?". Julie cries mid-answer and wonders if she's getting blindsided, causing Kelley to seek reassurance from Julia. Julia explains what she was doing to Jeff, and that doesn't sit well with Rick. Aurora talks about how the dysfunctional Lesu could still come back together. Rick then proposes just that right out in the open, as Julia insults him by calling a passenger. Wardog asks Ron if they want to do Aurora, as Ron even tells Victoria to her face that he's willing to vote her out. Kelley doesn't join in the huddle until David gets involved, and she admits to him he was the original plan. Julia tries to reason with Julie and then she openly yells out that she's ready to jump ship. Whoa, this is chaos...and the jury are loving it. Julia tells Wardog to shut up right before the vote - it's getting heated.

Before the votes are read, David and Rick decide to combine their idol and play it on David. It cancels one vote, which comes as a surprise for Kelley. Kelley gets a vote too, but the rest are for Julia. Wow, her game really unraveled over the course of that tribal in a way I'm not sure we've ever seen before. She leaves surprisingly graciously, and heads to the Edge of Extinction. Another big shake-up and a Lesu truce...but for how long?

STAR OF THE WEEK: RICK DEVENS

Rick redeemed himself this week by learning from his mistakes and showing himself to be flexible. By taking a gamble and speaking up at tribal, he may have just changed the course of the game.

Edge Of Extinction Episode 8: Blank Sheets

Aurora feels stupid after tribal, losing basically her only ally. Rick thanks Ron for saving him, as Ron tries to rile him up against the other Manus. Kelley, Wardog and Lauren realize the shitty position they're in and plot to get the outsiders together.

Struggling with the physical on the mental part

The reward challenge sees two teams competing for Chinese food by swimming to a tower to untie planks, then using them to solve a puzzle. Eric and Wardog bring back their first plank ahead of Gavin and Kelley. Julie holds yellow team back though and allows Aurora and Rick to overtake. It comes down to the puzzle...Julia and Victoria have a nice headstart over Ron and David, but they move pretty slowly and now it's anyone's game. The girls pull it out to give yellow the win.

Lord of the flies

The winning team polish off all the food, as Kelley tries to smooth things over with David. She tells him they can get Aurora (who is crying to Ron about feeling left out) and pull something off if Kama try to split the vote. But when Wardog talks to Rick, he makes it clear he has absolutely no interest in working with the trio who already tried to get him out twice. David has a talk with him too, explaining that they have no power if they go with Eric and Ron, but Rick stands his ground. Rick asks for the idol half back, but David refuses...essentially holding it hostage.

Davens breakup

On the Edge of Extinction, the losers get another clue...one that mentions rocks and steps. Everyone goes to the steps to try and find it, and Aubry spots the hole. Inside is a note that tells her where she can find a spot to practice the next return challenge. There she finds a pole that she surmises she'll have to unwrap herself from. She also gets an extra vote to give to any player still in the game. This AGAIN? Wonder if she'll pay it forward to Rick.

I'm falling for you

The immunity challenge is to balance a block on your head. Wardog is first out (man, this dude really sucks) but Kelley is wobbling early. Eric falls next, then Gavin before finally Kelley. Rick then drops right as Probst comments on the strong players leaving, with perfect comedic timing. Julia, Ron and Julie are next, as Lauren starts getting dizzy. David is out, and Lauren passes out mid-challenge with a nasty fall. Medical has to be brought in, as Aurora takes this time to try and negotiate with Victoria, telling her she needs it more! Julie is fuming, seeing it as inappropriate, but Lauren recovers and is just pissed to have lost. Victoria loses too which give Aurora immunity...and now both girls have to wait until they can feel their legs again.

Need an extra number for a big move? No problem!
Call 555-WARDOG now!

Not only does Aurora have immunity, she's also been gifted Aubry's extra vote. Oh yeah, I forgot they were allies at one point. But she doesn't want to do anything too crazy yet. Kama Strong are saying they're all gonna make it to the loved ones visit together, as they debate between Kelley or Lauren. Wardog is campaigning to the younger Kama members, Gavin and Julia, by trying to plant in their heads that Ron and Eric are keeping David and Rick around to use as numbers against them down the road. Julia decides to test that theory by asking Eric how he feels about a David vote, and Eric shoots it down. Gavin and Julia talk about making a move, but Victoria thinks it's too soon.

At tribal council, Eric talks about the big Kama group chat, which Wardog wasn't let in on. Rick makes it clear where he stands - against his former tribe. David says that everyone is gonna have to choose whether they're a pilot or a passenger. Victoria says big moves are great, but timing is everything.

After the votes are cast, the girls hold onto their idols once again. Lauren and Kelley vote come up as expected, but then a string of Eric votes leaves him, Ron, Julie and Rick blindsided. Wow, Rick flipped just in time to see the game flip back on him. Now Eric gets what is sure to be an uncomfortable reunion with Joe, as puppet master Ron returns to camp de-throned. I guess any notion that knowledge of the Edge of Extinction twist would kill blindsides has been safely disproven. This game just keeps on moving.

STAR OF THE WEEK: AURORA MCCREARY

Finally, an Aurora breakout! She won immunity, gained an advantage and found herself with the majority this time. This is the feisty personality I expected to see earlier.