South Pacific new cast power rankings

1. JIM RICE
Occupation: Poker Player
First impressions: He seems like a shady guy. Despite his cockiness he seems fun, albeit perhaps a little sleazy. I expect him to get in a good alliance and should be fairly strategic. I think he could be a good villain.
Prediction: He'll make Jury, but will fall just short of the finals due to not being trusted.

2. JOHN COCHRAN
Occupation: Lawyer
First impressions: He's a Survivor superfan, so expect him to have game. He's not strong physically though, so he might be vulnerable to being an early boot. However, I think he will know the best way to present himself, and few will recognise him as a threat.
Prediction: They'd be wrong. John is a big threat to go all the way.

3. MIKAYLA WINGLE
Occupation: Playboy model
First impressions: Athletic, flirty and smart. Could she be the full package? Jeff Probst seems to think so, comparing her to Boston Rob. That's a big claim considering how much Jeff adores him.
Prediction: She's the frontrunner.

4. EDNA MA
Occupation: Doctor
First impressions: A strong personality, Edna seems hilarious, and I'd love to see her do well. Unfortunately, if her bossy side comes out, she probably won't.
Prediction: Pre-Jury. Enjoy her snark while it lasts.

5. RICK NELSON
Occupation: Rancher
First impressions: This badass cowboy is bursting with enthusiasm and is such a likeable guy. He will be a hard worker around camp, but may rub people up the wrong way or find it hard to relate to the younger crowd. He already mocked Coach in his audition video, and by chance he has ended up on the same tribe as him.
Prediction: First boot like Chicken, unfortunately.

6. MARK ANTHONY CARUSO
Occupaton: New York cop
First impression: I like Mark. His loudmouth nature should provide entertainment. He claims he wants to be the daddy of the group, and I think he's got a good chance of pulling it off. A loyal, honorable guy like him is certainly someone I'd have in my alliance.
Prediction: As long as he doesn't slow his tribe down in challenges, he'll make the merge.

7. ELYSE UMEMOTO
Occupation: Beauty Queen
First impressions: It's hard to say who's hotter between her or Mikayla. Elyse is the one with a wild side though. Don't underestimate her just because she's a party girl - she's planning on bringing all the skills she learned at Pageants to the show.
Prediction: Could go either way. They might get her out early for being a troublemaker, or she could flirt her way to the end.

8. BRANDON HANTZ
Occupation: Russell's nephew
First impressions: This guy has got a lot of baggage. Hopefully he keeps his last name a secret. He seems like a loveable scamp, though.
Prediction: Will play a different game to his uncle, but should be just as successful.


9. SOPHIE CLARKE 
Occupation: Med student
First impressions: A very intelligent girl, but seems socially awkward and overconfident. The physical or strategic game won't be her problem, it'll be fitting in.
Prediction: She's got potential, but will probably disappoint.

10. DAWN MEEHAN
Occupation: Teacher
First impressions: The crazy older lady typically doesn't do well on Survivor, but I think Dawn will surprise people. Her social, strategic and physical game will have a lot more to offer than you may think.
Prediction: Probably no higher than mid-Jury.

11. WHITNEY DUNCAN
Occupation: Country singer
First impressions: She seems like a darling. I have doubts about how much entertainment she'll provide, but she'll certainly be good eye candy. The under-the-radar Queen.
Prediction: Could ride coattails to the very end.

12. SEMHAR TADESSE
Occupation: Poet/actress
First impressions: Uh, there's little here to indicate any chance of staying in the game long. This busty diva is more worried about her hair than playing Survivor.
Prediction: Most obvious early boot ever.

13. ALBERT DESTRADE
Occupation: Basketball coach
First impressions: The douchebag jock of the group. Albert looks to be the best athlete of the group, but the way he brags about his ability isn't endearing.
Prediction: He won't win. His best chance is an immunity run.

14. STACEY POWELL
Occupation: Mortician
First impressions: Seems sassy, but not in an obnoxious way. Indicating she wants to get rid of the returning players is a good sign. Expect her to get very little screentime.
Prediction: Pre-Jury.

15. KEITH TOLLEFSON
Occupation: Environmentalist
First impressions: I've tried, but I just can't find anything interesting about Keith. His pacemaker sets him up as a sob story/jury threat, and he might be another of those Matt Elrod types that are just too "nice" for Survivor.
Prediction: Won't make the endgame.

16. CHRISTINE SHIELDS
Occupation: Teacher
First impressions: If Christine plays as good a game as she talks, she'll do well. But I'm not getting my hopes up for this one. She's unlikely to have much impact on the season at all.
Prediction: Gone before the merge.

Redemption Island cast: the last word

At the start of the season, I posted my first impressions. Here are my thoughts now that the game has ended. How many met my expectations?

18th place - Francesca Hogi

First impressions: I don't think I'm going to like her. Her feistiness might keep her going in the game, but it's sure to land her in hot water before the end.

Result: I was right about the last part, but she was definitely more likeable than I gave her credit for. Sorry, Fran. It seems like she simply got off on the wrong foot by upsetting Rob. She's a smart girl though, pity there weren't more of them on her tribe.

17th place - Russell Hantz

First impressions: As good as he is, I think this is a task too much for him. I expect him to make the jury, but sadly I think this is the season we will finally see his torch snuffed. 

Result: I definitely underestimated the urgency with which his tribe wanted to get rid of him. Russell had a strategy that's worked very well for him twice, but now that people know his game, it's not as easy. To be fair, he was never given a fair chance. He was a major scalp, everybody wanted to be the guy who finally voted out Russell Hantz. I still like Russell because I am a fan of bold moves, and Russell still went all in this season, the only difference being he lost.

16th place - Kristina Kell

First impressions: We could be looking at the new villain of the season here. Kristina seems like a woman who can definitely hold her own in a confrontation, so I'm relying on this cougar to bring the entertainment.

Result: I definitely didn't expect to love her as much as I did. She was my favorite from day one, and it's such a shame she couldn't go further. Kristina played too hard, too fast. She focused on getting rid of Rob and neglected the social game. I had her down as an early boot, and unfortunately I was right.

15th place - Krista Klumpp

First impressions: My pick for a female winner. I'm expecting her to have a strong social game, I think she's sharp, and I think she will be underestimated due to her Southern accent. Plus, she looks like Samoa winner Natalie White. What better omen is there than that?

Result: Yeah...definitely my worst call. Krista simply just backed the wrong horse when she aligned with Russell. There was nothing she could do after he went, although I was disappointed she didn't put up much of a fight. We didn't see much of Krista, but I liked her. She seemed a lot more willing to play hard than most of the people on her tribe.

14th place - Stephanie Valencia

First impressions: She's bound to be the weakest link on the tribe and she would never be able to survive Redemption Island, poor thing. I can't really see anything other than "early boot" for this one, I'm afraid. 

Result: I had mixed feelings about Stephanie before the game started but she quickly became a fave. She was an early boot like I thought, but she was much stronger than I initially suspected. Unfortunately for Steph, it was a game of "almosts". There were so many great plays that she almost pulled off, but in the end fell short. Potential to be a great player, but unfulfilled. If she had made it to the merge though, she could've gone deep into the game.

13th place - Sarita White

First impressions: This is the name that stands out to me the least. Usually the bores tend to slip under the radar, so she has a chance to get to the second half of the game if she stays out of the way.

Result: I wasn't expecting much from her, and I didn't get much. So glad I was wrong and she went pre-merge. Sarita had very little game. The weak link on the tribe, who only lasted as long as she did because she made a strong alliance and was trustworthy. Unfortunately trust ain't enough when you're useless at challenges and on a losing tribe.

12th place - David Murphy

First impressions: Intelligent - or at least thinks he is - but his arrogance is off-putting. I think David is all talk, and I would love for him to be one of the first ones to go.

Result: I wouldn't say I was really wrong in my assessment, but I actually found David mostly quite likeable. Despite claiming to be a great puzzlemaker, he didn't really get to show off these skills, and his strategic game was lacking too. I think he realized too late that he should have aligned with Russell and Stephanie, and was unable to rectify that. He still has the potential to be a good player though, so I would welcome it if he was given another chance.

11th place - Julie Wolfe

First impressions:  Julie strikes me as a confident and experienced lady. And she really needs the money, which is going to put a target on her. I could go either way with Julie. If she can hold her own in the challenges, she can go far. If not, she'll be gone pretty quick.

Result: Julie had a mixed record in challenges, I would say. But I loved her and she's definitely a character I think we deserved to see more of. Why was her story only mentioned after she was eliminated?

10th place - Steve Wright

First impressions: This guy is in danger of being an early boot. If he's loud and take-charge, then that will surely rub his tribe mates up the wrong way...particularly Russell. He better be damn good at challenges to save himself.

Result: Nah, Steve was much gentler than I thought. It's a pity his sense of humour only started to come out at the end. I don't think Steve gave it his all, which is to be expected at his age...but it's a pity, because he looked so enthusiastic on day one.

9th place - Ralph Kiser

First impressions: He seems much more likeable than I anticipated actually, and is the closest thing to a big character on this season other than the returnees. He's not exactly giving off winner vibes, but I'm hoping he can at least make the merge.

Result: Ralph was a charming, endearing character and a nice guy. He far exceeded my expectations although his intelligence did hold him back at times - particularly on the puzzle that eliminated him.

8th place - Grant Mattos

First impressions: Quiet and soft-spoken, Grant could fly under the radar in this game. His athletic ability could also help him. He may be the dark horse.

Result: A disappointment. He's clearly not dumb, but was made to look dumb, by having far too much trust in Rob, and was never really a contender to win. Still one of the best physical competitors the show has ever had, though. I hope he makes up with Boston Rob, as Rob really did seem to like him.

7th place - Matt Elrod

First impressions: It's Fabio 2.0! And honestly, there's no reason why we can't see him repeat his predecessors success. Like Fabio, he's not as dumb as he seems. He can get by on his good looks and laid-back personality. Watch him!

Result: Matt had a rather unique Survivor experience, shall we say. He mastered the art of challenges, he just had too much naivety to play alongside Rob - you can't play Survivor with morals! He was probably the least fun contestant to watch this season due to all the God talk.

6th place - Mike Chiesl

First impressions: I'm calling it now, folks - this here is your winner! He seems like the full package - likeable, intelligent, and athletic. 

Result: The only thing that stopped Mike winning this season was the addition of Rob and Russell. He possesses all the attributes somebody needs to do well in this game, and if his tribe had got the numbers I fully believe he would've been our winner. A little boring, but I liked him for the most part.

5th place - Andrea Boehlke

First impressions: I like Andrea. I think she has more depth than the other girls. I expect her to be a decent challenge competitor, and to coast to the merge easily. Maybe further.

Result: I held out hope for far too long that Andrea could pull something out and save the season, but in the end she disappointed me. She had the least excuse to trust Rob, as he already lied to her once! At least Andrea acknowledges she played a poor game and could become a good player if she was to play again.

4th place - Ashley Underwood

First impressions: Well...this girl is hot, that's for sure. The show has never been light on eye candy, but after seeing some of her modelling work, she ranks as one of the best (that ass, oh my word). She sounds like she can handle herself, and is unlikely to be viewed as a threat, so should Ometepe come out on top she has a good chance of going far in the game.

Result: Was my least favourite for a long while, but definitely emerged as a player late on. She had more game awareness than any of the other Ometepes, and even turned into a challenge threat. If she'd done that last puzzle - and I thought she had it - she'd be a millionaire right now. So close!

3rd place - Natalie Tenerelli

First impressions: Natalie seems bubbly and enthusiastic, but at 19 years old she's the youngest Survivor contestant ever. She's sweet, and she's smiley, but I feel she's out of her depth.

Result: One of the worst players ever. She didn't have a single thought for herself, her challenge performances were pathetic, and was almost painfully inarticulate in interviews. Congrats on kidding yourself you were doing anything other than playing for Rob to win. I still would, though.

2nd place - Phillip Sheppard

First impressions: He seems to have a diverse set of skills and claims he can read people, so I'm interested to see if he can put that to use. Question is, can he read the game? He doesn't sound like a guy who knows what he's doing out there. Personally, I'm thinking early boot.

Result: The most random runner-up ever. Week after week we were left wondering how the Hell he was still here. If his antics were all strategy as he claims, why didn't he say anything at final tribal? Regardless, he was definitely the most entertaining person this season. I don't know how he comes up with some of this stuff.

1st place - Rob Mariano

First impressions: Rob might have a better chance of getting far in this game than you think. He won't be gone early, as his tribe will need his leadership and physical dominance. I just hope the other players are smart enough to know when to take him out.

Result: You can say what you want about him playing against amateurs, it's never easy to win Survivor. Probst called it one of the most perfect games ever, and it's hard to disagree. He was entertaining along the way, but you still can't help resent the fact that he was the reason this season was so predictable. Good gameplay does not always equal good entertainment.

The ranking of Survivor seasons *updated with S22*

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. 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.

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

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. 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.

Redemption Island Episode 14: Rob Schools The Noobs

The finale is here! Which of the 8 survivors left will take the crown?

So the episode begins with Grant arriving on Redemption Island. Not good news for Andrea, who doesn't fancy her odds against three strong guys. Back at camp, Rob says he would rather vote out Ashley than the returnee. Really?

Matt looks on the bright side

On his last day there, Matt has changed his tune and now loves Redemption Island. The final challenge takes place and it involves balancing a vase on a plank. It's a really tense challenge, as it decides three placements, and one slip can end your game. Grant drops his vase first. Matt drops his vase next. It comes down to Andrea and Mike. Mike's vase falls and Andrea goes back into the game. Wow, didn't expect that.

Murlonio have an unwanted guest

Andrea returns to camp with the other four and it's a little awkward. Andrea tells the girls that some of the people she was talking to on Redemption Island were thinking of voting for Phillip. Which is a lie obviously, but the sort of move she needs to make. Rob is still talking about voting out Ashley.

The challenge involves grabbing bags of tiles from a balance beam and arranging them in numerical order (1-100). Rob takes an early lead in the challenge, but Ashley catches up. Rob uses a stacking strategy, but he's still not fast enough and Ashley wins immunity. Bad news for Andrea.

Rob think it's a no-brainer and he has nothing to worry about. Andrea tries to push for the girls to vote out Rob, stating the plain and simple fact: if Rob gets to the final 3, they will not win. When Rob comes back from his swim, Phillip goes into Specialist mode and reports to Rob that the three girls spent a long time talking and he's getting worried. While they are off talking about that, the girls discuss it further. It's risky, but worth it.

Likes to gamble

Rob gets a really cocky confessional about how he doesn't even need his idol and isn't going to play it. But any overconfidence he had is surely shattered at tribal council, where Andrea openly campaigns against Rob and Natalie and Ashley both admit it crossed their minds to vote him off. In the end, Rob plays his idol ("better safe than sorry"), but he didn't need it as the girls voted Andrea out anyway. But oh my God, how great would it have been if that had happened?

As predicted, the returnee ended up being a non-factor in the finale after all. Two Redemption Island returnees, both voted out immediately. This twist has failed in every way imaginable.

The final four congratulate eachother. Rob tells Ashley and Natalie he's gonna win immunity and take them both. Will Rob really want to boot his prize goat?

Who knew Ashley would turn out to be such a challenge threat?

Next immunity challenge looks like a good one. It's a maze where the contestants have to grab bags of puzzle pieces and take them up the steps in the middle and solve a three-dimensional puzzle. Neat. Natalie gets lost in the maze. Rob takes the lead, with Ashley hot in his heels. He tries to lose her at one point, but is unsuccessful. Rob makes it up the steps first, and Ashley right behind. Ashley seems to have it mostly right but can't figure out the word. Rob suggests they work together, and says he has nothing. In the end, Rob gets it. Rob wins immunity. He jumps up and down, as this has pretty much sealed the win for him. And Natalie cries too.

It's an emotional moment for Rob. He mentions Amber was the one who told him to come back, and he now says he has achieved so much it doesn't even matter if he loses.

The only challenge left for Rob now is getting Natalie on board with voting off Ashley, who has too many friends on Zapatera. Natalie is clearly not happy with it, but she'll go along with it, as she does everything Rob says. Ashley now feels confident of staying because she's received numerous promises from Natalie assuring that she'll stay. Natalie is conflicted and says she'd "rather lose the game than lose a friend". Well, the first one's a given. Only option left is if she wants to do both.

"I can't believe it's taken 36 days. I won't miss you" says Ashley, voting for Phillip. Three votes come back for Ashley, and her torch is snuffed. Natalie waves her bye and mouths "love you". Poor Ashley, the only person voted out with no Redemption Island safety net.

The final three on the morning of the last day

Phillip is proud of getting as far as he did. And he says his plan for tonight is to...piss off the jury and "rub salt in the wound". That's his strategy? That's his argument that nobody has thought of? Ugh. Rob talks to Natalie and tells her his biggest regret in All-Stars is apologizing to the jury. He's lying of course, he's just trying to direct her into handling the jury how he wants her to. It's an emotional moment when Phillip burns his underwear. God, I really couldn't stop laughing. Highlight of the episode.

The three finalists face the jury. Natalie's opening statement is she used her social skills to get here. Phillip's opening statement is that he deserves to win because he implemented Stealth. Groan. Rob gives a long but very convincing speech, where he talks about all he's achieved on Survivor and outside the game.

As predicted, Phillip and Natalie don't get much respect from the jury, Andrea calling Natalie's relationship with Rob "creepy", and Ashley calling her time with Phillip "torturous". Ralph is the nicest juror, asking Phillip if he likes him, which he says he does. Awww. Matt expresses a sentiment shared by a lot of the jury: they don't know who Rob really is. Julie calls Natalie a servant and said if she was her mother she wouldn't be proud of how she played. Ouch, pretty brutal. Phillip tells Julie to shut up. God, is he trying to lose?

David hijacks the jury

"And now for something completely different" says David Murphy. I knew he was going to do something showy. He chooses to address the jury, and make a convincing case for why Rob should win: he controlled everyone. "When we started this game, two people came in. One claimed to be the best to ever play this game. He walked out on day 8. There's a guy over there that just played one of the best strategic games I've ever seen."

The jury vote. David votes for Rob, unsurprisingly. Ralph votes for Phillip. Once all the votes are cast, Jeff takes them back to New York. Boston Rob is declared the winner, with a 8-1 vote.

STAR OF THE WEEK: ROB MARIANO

Will have to be considered one of the best winners ever. He controlled every aspect of the game from start to finish and barely put a foot wrong. He has finally got the title he was robbed of 7 years ago.


Reunion show highlights:

• Rob thanking the jury. Has anyone else ever done that?
• Andrea explains why nobody voted Rob out: he built unique personal relationships with everyone.
• The dorky photo of Mike in Iraq.
• Matt's reaction to his clip reel. He seems like a cool guy.
• It was weird how bitter Grant seemed. He wasn't bitter during the game, but now he is, afterwards? Usually it's the other way around.
• David stealing Rob's thunder and proposing to his girlfriend Carolina, who clearly wanted to say no.
• Russell not being too bitter about his defeat, and sticking up for Phillip.
• Next season: Redemption Island returns, two mystery players also return, and the show returns to Samoa in...Survivor: South Pacific

Redemption Island Episode 13: Hope You Choke

The tables have turned, and now Andrea gets the short stick

Coming back from tribal council, Ashley reveals her cruel side - she loves blindsides and was happy to get rid of Andrea as she wasn't that close to her. Andrea has a tough time on Redemption Island...first there was an argument with Matt about who ruined whose game, then she was forced to sleep on the floor by Ralph because the shelter could only fit three. Ralph, you jerk. I don't care if it's "payback", you let the 21-year-old girl sleep in the shelter when you're a grown-ass man.

Andrea has work to do

Andrea breaks down at the challenge about being betrayed. The duel is part peg maze, part puzzle. Andrea is panicked and frantic during the maze and falls behind. In contrast, Mike and Matt are calm. Ralph wins the maze part, getting a big headstart on his puzzle. When Mike and Matt catch up, it's as if Ralph has barely started. Mike wins the challenge, with Matt and Andrea finishing next. How did Ralph lose that? I guess puzzles are tough when you can't spell.

"Psycho!"

Rob is telling everyone he doesn't trust Ashley. Grant really wants to vote her out too, knowing there's no way Natalie will flip once they do that. Phillip has his most ludicrous argument with the girls yet, saying they don't need to eat as much because they're girls. He makes fun of Ashley for being a pageant girl again.

Ashley is ready to make a big move. Finally! About time! She proposes to Rob that they blindside Grant, as with someone still coming back into the game, then they'll only have to worry about one immunity threat instead of two. Great for Rob, as he now has more ammo to use against her. Rob tells this info to Grant, who calls her a "snake". He then says he'll be happy to vote her off.

Why don't you just lay down and die already?

The immunity challenge involves putting a fish skeleton together using only one hand. Grant takes the lead, with Phillip surprisingly in second place. Jeff can barely hide his disdain when he comments how Natalie is still on the first section when everyone else has reached the last one. Grant has trouble with his hook and the challenge comes down to Rob and Ashley. Ashley wins immunity! Very bad for Rob. Her reward is to choose someone to have a dining experience with - she chooses Natalie. Also very bad for Rob.

Rob now has no choice but to turn on his buddy Grant. Grant thinks that they're still breaking up the two girls and voting off Natalie, and trusts Rob 100%, saying he gets a good feeling from him. Sigh.

Natalie and Ashley stuff themselves with food, and Ashley tells Natalie that the two of them should form an alliance with whoever returns from Redemption Island. Of course, Natalie is telling all of this to Rob, which is where her real loyalties lie.

BFFs?

At tribal council, we get treated to another Amber bit when Jeff asks Rob what keeps him going. Ew! He then asks the same thing to Grant, who mentions his wife. Yay!  You know how in action movies the cop always mentions his wife or daughter right before he gets whacked? Well, the same thing happened here. Grant is sent to Redemption Island. "See you guys shortly" he says.

That's right, Grant could very easily win the last challenge and be right back in contention. One episode left and there's still so many possibilities. Will Boston Rob earn a long overdue victory? Will Natalie steal it from him right under his nose? What about the Redemption Island winner, who only needs to win a couple of immunities for a surefire win? Or will we get something we've never seen before and Phillip wins?

STAR OF THE WEEK: ASHLEY UNDERWOOD

Never thought I'd be rooting for Ashley of all people in a challenge, but I liked that Rob's smooth sailing got disrupted. She's the only one of Rob's alliance that isn't completely dumb as she's making moves and it did cross her mind that it might be her. She arrived to the game late, but we finally have a new player!

Redemption Island Episode 12: King Of The Hill

Steve is welcomed by Mike and Ralph on Redemption Island. It's a Zapatera reunion! Ralph says if he can get into the top 3, it's a sure win, as the jury are all from his old tribe.

They're practically their own tribe now

Andrea comes back from tribal council and is excited the game is finally back on, as they've just been in cruise control the last few weeks. Natalie has the opposite reaction and breaks down.

Thanks, Sprint!

Ashley and Andrea go to tree mail and pick up the Sprint Phone. They watch the videos of loved ones together and cry. Grant's brother-in-law tells him his wife is pregnant. Slightly surprised to see Rob's sister in the video instead of Amber, but I believe she was pregnant too.

The Redemption Island inhabitants also get videos, which is a little strange. It does give them extra motivation to win the challenge, though. The challenge is to throw a ball(?) from a distance to break tiles. Mike smashes first, then Matt. Mike takes his second. Steve can only break one. Mike wins the challenge, with Matt and Ralph also staying alive. Steve is out of the game.

Every Hero has to make a sacrifice

Now Mike has the choice of spending time with his mom, letting Ralph and Matt spend time with their loved ones, or letting the rest of the players have the reward. Mike says the bible told him to give love to as many people as possible. Jeff didn't expect that, and asks Mike's mom if she's surprised. "No, that's my son. He's a hero". So there you have it, Mike chose the selfless option (like you always should in Survivor) and tried to buy some goodwill with his enemies. "Don't vote me out again" he jokes, as he walks off.

Ralph is pissed off at Mike's decision. Not because he didn't get his loved one, but because Ometepe did. Even Matt said he wouldn't have been big enough to do it. Mike claims it was not a strategic move, just the right thing to do.

The loved ones say their last goodbyes

The loved ones are shown back around camp. Natalie seems lifted the most. Rob talks strategy with his sister: he says Phillip is "the biggest goat ever", and that he's told everyone different stories and "all they have to do is talk to eachother, but they won't." Rob claims he needs to win this game he's been trying to win for 10 years to build a better life for his family. Huh? He's already rich. That segment just stunk of schmaltz.

There's only one person that they don't want to win immunity and that's Andrea. Rob thinks "it's gonna be an easy challenge". You know right then and there he's gonna be wrong.

Stairway to Heaven: One of the most competitive and
physical challenges ever

The six of them have to build a puzzle staircase. Phillip and Natalie fall behind early. Andrea takes the lead but then makes a mistake. Grant is the new leader, but also makes two mistakes. Rob, Grant and Andrea are all in contention. An exhausted Rob completes the challenge and wins immunity, having to crawl to the top and collapsing upon completion. I feel tired just watching them.

The gang are all set to blindside Andrea tonight. "Lovers are gonna be reunited" says Grant. Phillip regains his place as the most annoying person on the tribe, bugging Andrea about a wasp. Phillip reveals he is only pretending to be the villain and has the perfect argument to defeat Rob. I can't wait to hear it. Rob has considered voting out Phillip instead, but knows if he makes the wrong move all his work could be undone.

At tribal council, everyone feels safe. Even Andrea, who has been lied to once before. Oh, Andrea. I once had such high hopes for you. It's a blindside, and Andrea goes to Redemption Island.

STAR OF THE WEEK: ROB MARIANO

How is he still in control? Nobody gave Rob much of a chance of winning this at the start of the season, but now it'll be a surprise if he doesn't win. Major props for his effort in the challenge today. He's not getting complacent, he's going all out.