Island Of The Idols Episode 14: Seeing Red

We're out, bitches! This is your home now

Rob and Sandra talk about what Survivor has done for them...for Rob, it's given him a wife and kids. For Sandra, it's money. The players in the game freak out when they see a boat (why are they shocked? It's not the first boat they've seen), and it sends them to Island of the Idols. Tommy gets to be face-to-face with Sandra and Rob for the first time. They show them the shelter and tell them that they're gonna live in it now.

DKVillain makes an appearance

Janet is excited about being in the final 5 and putting a lot of stock into her alliance with Tommy. Dean and Noura say Janet is the biggest threat, but Noura still wants Dean out, as she can't trust him. Tommy looks at the new buff they were given and sees a machete that wasn't there before. He then sees an identical one coming out of a red coconut. He needs Dean's help because he's colorblind, and makes him promise to let him have it. The next clue is a H, but Dean finds the spot and gets the idol...not telling Tommy.

At the end of their rope

The immunity challenge is to collect ropes for a rope ladder, move a key up to the top and roll 2 balls down a ball maze. Tommy and Dean first ones to get their ropes, and build their rope ladders first. Noura starts to catch up as Janet stumbles. Tommy and Dean get up to the maze, with Noura right behind. Tommy lands one. Janet gets one. Dean goes for the harder one first and scores. Now Lauren gets in it. Dean has a near miss but then gets it. Dean gets to pick who to have a meal with and chooses Noura.

Noura talks about how their meal feels like a date. But Dean is all about the game and makes Noura promise to take her to the end. Janet tells Tommy she has a plan and says to put all the votes on her and that she'll vote Lauren. Tommy tells Dean about Janet's idol and tries to persuade him to use the nullifier. Now it's up to Dean to decide who is the bigger threat between Janet and Lauren.

What's the most you've ever lost on a coin toss?

At tribal council, Lauren describes camp life as pandemonium. Janet talks about how she loves fire, which pivots into a talk about the firemaking challenge. Tommy talks about how every juror has a different idea of good gameplay, which makes it so difficult to guess who you should go to the end with. Dean mentions that it's like a coin flip (he would know). Anyway, Janet plays the idol...which just ends up nullified by Dean and results in her leaving. You can tell she's upset that she got too ahead of herself but it's hard to see this coming. Gah, she would've had an easy win too.

Dean practices making fire but isn't very good. Tommy tells Noura he can't make fire (which is a lie) to try and get Noura to take him and promises Noura he'll take her. Noura talks about how good it feels to be wanted and then gets distracted mid-confessional by sexy Dean.

The immunity challenge is to balance blocks on a wobbly frame that spell out "Island of the Idols". For a while, nobody is even getting close and it looks like it'll never end. Dean is first to get the first word, and then Noura gets it too. Noura then takes the lead as Dean loses a letter. Noura takes her time locking it in and wins the final immunity.

Oh dang, she's heated

Noura says she's gonna jump in the ocean first and then tell them what she's gonna do. She then gives a huge speech, which is a really long-winded way of telling her it's gonna be Lauren vs Dean. Lauren goes off crying, since she thought she was Noura's #1. Tommy helps both Lauren and Dean make fire. Noura goes up to Lauren when she needs to focus and starts a fight with her, even claiming she'll hide the machetes. Lauren needs to take this passion and channel it into the showdown.

At tribal council, Noura is trying to explain what happened and is getting bothered by Lauren's facial expressions. We cut to the chase, and she tells Jeff she's choosing Tommy. Dean gets fire first and it's a big one. Lauren also gets a fire, but it's not growing and Dean's is. Dean win the challenge, and then lets Noura know that Tommy played her. Lauren is sad but acknowledges that going out as the biggest threat is not a bad way to go.

On the final day, Tommy encourages Noura to trash Dean in front of the jury, thinking that would go badly for both of them. Tommy expects it to be between him and Dean but knows anything can happen with Noura, and Noura pretty much says the same thing.

Noura's last dance

The jury start off Final Tribal Council by talking about who outwitted. Jack (remember him?) is first to speak, saying they're undecided...they always say that even if they're not. Dean says he didn't want to stand out and that he got Kellee to give him her idol. Noura lists the bizarre acronyms that detailed her strategy, but Elaine thinks she had no strategy. Tommy says he made connections and played in the middle. Lauren asks who was Tommy's closest ally and he says her, but Noura exposes him by saying he was helping Dean more than Lauren ahead of the challenge. Janet wants to know about him betraying her, and Tommy is honest that he never wanted to go to the end with her. Jamal asks what lines they were not willing to cross, and Dean says he never made a F2 alliance with anyone. Kellee says she doesn't get Dean, so he tries to explain he was positive and chill.

"When it rains, it pours"

On the outplay section, Jamal wants to know why Noura brought Tommy, and she gives an answer about Dean instead. Tommy says it was a good play by him to convince Noura to take him. Dean says Tommy won no challenges, but Tommy says he didn't want the necklace as it would've made him a target. Dean pulls out his legacy advantage, and Jamal finally breaks the news that it's fake...awkward. He also reveals his real idol, but Tommy is quick to dismiss it by saying he didn't do anything with it. Dean then slips up and admits he had a F2 with Elizabeth.

Asking for their closing arguments, Tommy mentions he played from day 1 and made big moves. Noura says she's not a player that's ever been seen before. Dean says he was on the bottom all the time and that he wants his entertaining moves written in the history books.

Alright, time to vote, and the first vote we see is Lauren for Tommy. We also see Aaron for Dean, citing his great "4th quarter". Missy seems unsure of who to vote for. The votes are read and Tommy is crowned the champion of Island Of The Idols with a 8-2-0 vote. Ironic that the only member of the final 5 to not get a lesson from Rob and Sandra was the teacher. I guess he didn't need one.

STAR OF THE WEEK: TOMMY SHEEHAN

Tommy made great social connections with the whole cast, and I think the most impressive thing about his win is he never had any idols, advantages or even an immunity necklace (first time since Natalie White). Everybody wanted to work with him and that's why he was never in real danger.

Reunion notes:

• Can't disagree with the Sia award winners being Jamal, Elaine and Janet....but why did Jamal get significantly less?
• At least Probst finally admitted that production could've handled the Dan thing better, even if it was a little awkward that Kellee clearly didn't seem to know what to say.
• Winners At War trailer! Ok sure, the twists might suck, but that cast is bulletproof. This is the long-awaited best of the best showdown we've been craving.