San Juan Del Sur Episode 7: Trails And Tribulations

Missy tries to explain to Keith why he got votes but she does a terrible job, and now he's pissed. Not good for them to have a potential defector with a merge coming up. Hunahpu get a map to a new location, which they all assume is a merge. Josh says he couldn't get Jeremy out when he had the chance, but starts counting numbers with Reed to figure out how he can do it now. Jeremy is also seeing this as the time to strike. Looks like the two best strategic players in the game are about to go head-to-head!

Dateable status confirmed

The two groups gather together for a feast and Julie starts to get jealous that she doesn't have a partner. The new buffs are teal, which seems a bit too similar to Hunahpu's, but I'm not complaining about any color that isn't black at this point.

The first person Jeremy checks in with is Jon, seeing him as a crucial vote to secure. He lets him know that he's got in tight with Missy, which is great for Jeremy, because he's been close with Missy since day 1. And still is, based on their reunion talk. In less serious news, the painting of the "Huyopa" flag begins, and it becomes the first tribe to have a hashtag. Not sure how I feel about that.

Baylor takes her orders

Josh is also hustling for votes and goes to Baylor to ask if they're still good. He doesn't get a good vibe from Baylor, and is disappointed because he kept her in the game. Baylor likes Josh and feels bad for having to go against him but Missy feels confident that her bonds are the better option so tells her to deal with it and "let her drive". Man, watching Missy talk down to her daughter is no fun. Why should Baylor have to play *her* game?

Having given up on the girls, Josh decides to move on and try to get Jon and Jaclyn instead. His argument is that the two well-off broadway guys are far less of a threat than the big strong firefighter. Credit to Josh, he is working it.

Sorry I'm not sorry for being a princess

Alec is wondering where the trail mix from the merge feast is and Wes wants to start checking people's bags. Julie is the one hoarding it, and Jon finds it in a search. The rest of the tribe are pretty outraged, and Baylor even steals some of it back. Julie doesn't even give a good reason for her behaviour and doesn't seem to care. Jon is seething mad, making for an awkward moment when Julie returns to camp.

The immunity challenge is to hold onto ropes and keep a plate in the air. If your ball falls off, you lose. Jeremy is the first person to lose his ball with Missy and Julie next. The second round has a longer rope, which is too much for Reed and Baylor. Alec falls out once the wind picks up, and an even larger gust eliminates Natalie. It comes down to Wes...and Keith? Wes ultimately loses to his dad which gets him a lot of stick from Jon, but Keith gets praise as well for his remarkable win.

The animosity towards Julie is building, and Alec makes an off-hand comment about the trail mix that Julie hears. Julie talks with Missy and tells her that her head is not in the game anymore and she's had enough. Missy tells her "don't quit yet" (yet?) because they need her. But Julie sees right through her faux-concern and knows she is just a number.

Caught at a crossroads

Jon lets Jeremy know that Josh is still working to get him out, but it's easy for Jeremy to rebuff Josh's arguments of him being a challenge dominator based on his performance earlier today. Some of Josh's words are getting through though, particularly that they need to keep the loved ones together and that Jeremy has been targeting couples. Jaclyn seems shocked when her boyfriend tells her he has done a 180, but convinces her it's for the best to switch over. Dun dun dun, what a game changer!

My heart won't go on

But looks like there's another twist: Julie wants to call it a day. Off by herself, she has a conversation with Probst where she says she thinks her time in the game is nearly done and she wants to spend time with her boyfriend. I don't usually go soft on quitters but since Julie knew she had no chance of winning, I don't blame her for feeling she was wasting her time.

Probst walks into camp and gathers everyone around to tell them Julie is gone. Julie's allies are pretty dismayed, Jeremy most of all. Alec is quick to bash Julie for being useless, whereas Jaclyn is still sore about the trail mix. Jeff then says tribal council is canceled, leaving Josh a little disappointed because he thought he had the numbers to get Jeremy out. Looks like the Josh vs Jeremy war will have to be continued next week. And with the numbers so precariously poised, anything could happen.

STAR OF THE WEEK: KEITH NALE

Almost gave this to Alec of all people (hey, who else got out an opposition player with a single sentence?) but the firefighter dad gets it for surpassing expectations with an unexpected immunity win. He didn't take his votes lying down and any enemy of Missy is a friend of mine. He may not remember his son's birthday, but Keith should be safe for a while.

San Juan Del Sur Episode 6: The Price Of Rice

Dale is taking it hard after seeing his daughter leave. But he's not giving up. He shows Jon his fake idol that he took from the water well...and Jon's initial reaction is that he believes it.

Probst arrives at Hunahpu with the rice, with vultures watching nearby. He scolds them a little for getting into this mess, and tries to get to the bottom of how it happened. Josh is

Hunahpu pay the bill

particularly upset because he was switched onto this tribe into a situation that had little to do with him, and he had been undereating anyway. Jeff explains how bleeding them dry is necessary in order to be fair to the Coyopa tribe, and then proceeds to take all their comfort items. They are left with just a pot and a machete, almost completely starting over.

At the duel, Hunahpu find themselves with another opportunity to win food, with a BBQ being the prize at stake. With no loved one pairs left, Reed ends up taking on Baylor, and the challenge is to make it through an obstacle course collecting bags and recreate a mask whilst blindfolded. Reed's strategy is to take his time examining the mask whereas Baylor values speed. Both of them take a few knocks along the way. Reed puts together his mask with precision, only making one wrong move and quickly correcting himself. Reed wins reward, and starts bawling immediately. He picks Julie to go to Exile Island, but Natalie wants to go instead...she's seeing this as an opportunity to get some info from the other tribe since she already has a bond with Missy. Smart.

Julie starts to break...

The only thing Jeremy can think about as he's eating is that they could've just waited one more day and not made the deal. Alec's commentary is pretty funny as he refers to himself as a "meat collector". So the tribe have full stomachs but are pretty cold and wet in their tarpless shelter. Julie feels it most of all and is almost considering quitting. Jeremy doesn't want that...as long as she's useful to him.

The immunity challenge is to climb a wall, then roll a cube until it's under springs where they can take bags down. The cube rolling is pretty even, but Jon is a much better swinger than Jeremy, who even gets stuck at one point. The final section is a banner puzzle and for once, Coyopa have a pretty big lead. Jon is relishing taking Rocker's title as "Big Jon". Josh and Reed however work through the puzzle quickly, as Jon and Missy get stuck on the fourth piece. Soon Hunahpu have surpassed them and won. Wow, they blew it.

...Whilst Coyopa can't catch one

Keith relaxes back at camp thinking he's safe, but he could be a target if Dale's idol bluff

Plotting Dale's demise

works. Dale makes a deal with Jon that he'll give him the "idol" if he survives the vote. He tells the rest of his alliance this and Missy doesn't buy it. She sets up another split vote so that Keith goes home if an idol is played, and gives the most insincere reaction to Keith's potential doom that I've ever seen.

The crying game

Jon has some options to consider and at tribal council, Dale tries to spin his isolation as an asset. Baylor tries to claim she's more loyal than Dale but even Jaclyn calls bullshit on that. Probst also taps into the mother/daughter bond as it appears that Baylor cries when she senses her mother's sadness. That's like the world's worst ESP.

In the end, Dale's efforts to get Missy out are fruitless as Jon sticks with his original plan. He put up a good fight on the way out, but the superior old guy stayed. So for now Jon and Jaclyn's reign continues but it might be Missy and Baylor that end up with the ultimate power come merge time.

STAR OF THE WEEK: JEREMY COLLINS

Considering how much smack Jeremy talks, I feel like I shouldn't like him as much as I do. But he's a passionate presence on a season full of dull people so for that I'm glad he's still around. I'm backing this guy to come out on top and get the upper hand over Josh.

San Juan Del Sur Episode 5: Family Reunion

Jon immediately starts apologizing after getting back to camp and attempts to distance himself from Drew, but Jeremy isn't buying it. Coyopa are just happy that someone else is taking the "walk of shame" and not them, but Alec doesn't anticipate seeing Drew gone when he gets to the arena. The whole tribe are pretty shocked, actually - if only they knew what a douche he was. Probst then drops the bomb that they're switching tribes.

Reunited and it feels so good

Buffs are handed out, and all the pairs end up together except Wes and Keith. Missy/Baylor, Jon/Jaclyn and Kelley/Dale join Keith on Coyopa, whilst Wes is heading to Hunahpu with all the singles plus Josh and Reed. It's a bittersweet thing being paired up, and Probst asks Reed if he thinks he'll be a target now.

Josh admires the new Hunahpu camp, but is less impressed when Reed informs him that they have very little rice due to poor rationing. Jeremy is worried for a different reason - he thinks Josh could pull Reed over to vote with the old Coyopas, leaving him on the outs. As they enjoy a long walk on the beach, we get a little insight into their unique relationship - turns out Josh only came out recently and that the two of them are remaining abstinent until marriage.

Baylor's excited for her future divorces

Jon and Jaclyn are lovin' it up on Coyopa, and both of them feel a new resurgence in the game. Slight jealousy from Baylor not withstanding, all the couples appear to be getting along. Keith goes fishing on his own. He's not too worried...if he can't break in, he'll just play his idol.

So far Natalie is not impressed with Alec, thinking he isn't really that different from his brother. But Natalie and Jeremy need Alec if they're to have any chance in the game, and try to convince him that sticking with the single people is the way to go. Alec is feeling good about having escaped Drew's shadow, and stroking that ego is part of Jeremy's plan.

Jeremy and Natalie get ready to "surround and drown"

Kelley tries to prevent a rice war

Dale has an objection to Missy using too much rice whilst cooking. She says they used to cook a lot back on her old tribe...yeah, and look what happened. That's not the only thing Missy is mad about either, as she's heard Dale has been gunning for her daughter since the beginning. Kelley has to take Dale aside and tell him to tone it down...his abrasiveness is making them both targets.

Hunahpu are really feeling the hunger now, to the point where Reed even wants to kill a vulture (WTF?). Going into the challenge, Josh worries that they might have to make a trade. The challenge involves digging up bags and then crawling through a mud pit, before shaking down sandbags to toss onto a scale. Hunahpu are through the mud whilst Coyopa are still digging. Are they even in there? Hunahpu rock their pole very vigorously, spilling the bags everywhere but it turns out to be a better strategy than Coyopa, who are too meek to even get anything out at first. Wes does a great job throwing the bags, so good in fact that Jon doesn't even manage to get a shot off before they've won. The victorious tribe bring up the food situation, and Probst says he'll sort it out after tribal council. For a minute, I almost thought they were gonna trade immunity for rice!

A rare shot of Dale in a good mood

As Coyopa clean up back at camp, Keith is hoping that the Dale vs Missy feud will take the attention off him. Both sides are trying to woo Jon and Jaclyn, with Dale doing so by informing them of how Baylor is a serial flip flopper. Baylor gives her side of the story to Jaclyn, saying that she's always wanted to work with her but hasn't had the opportunity until now. The Michigan pair have the option to go either way tonight, and Missy wants to split the votes after seeing Kelley go out searching for the idol.

Probst starts off with Keith at tribal council but moves on quickly when he rules him out as a target. Dale's beef with the cheer girls takes centre stage, as Dale admits that he speaks to Baylor "very little". Missy talks about wanting to protect her kid from big bad bully Dale, and Dale correctly points out that she was the one who came after him first. It becomes clear that Jon and Jaclyn are the prom king and queen tonight, and neither of them are looking forward to voting someone's loved one out right in front of them.

Probst reads the Baylor votes first before switching to Kelley. Then he starts revealing Dale votes and at that point, the Wentworths know they've lost out. Kelley ends up being the one set home, which was a big shock to me as Dale was the one causing problems. I guess they knew she'd be the more likely one to bounce back after the merge.

I guess we can add Kelley to the "screwed by the swap" list, then - and she seems to agree that her dad was her downfall. I'm unreasonably upset about this one, I was just starting to like Kelley. But I bet Dale is even more unhappy, and now he's going to be more miserable than usual when he gets back to camp.

STAR OF THE WEEK: JON MISCH

Nobody benefited from the swap more than Jon. Him and his girl both left behind shaky positions on their old tribes to become the power brokers of New Coyopa. The lovers can even get away with constant PDA, as they're the hottest couple in town. They recently got engaged, too - good for them!

San Juan Del Sur Episode 4: My Way Or The Highway

John is gone. And whilst his tribemates admit he was a challenge asset, the fact they were losing anyway meant perhaps it was time to get rid of the toxic element. Out of the loop on the vote, Dale seems to know the score - "if we lose the next immunity, I'm toast" he openly declares.

The other tribe wake up to a nice surprise when Natalie finds their flint. It wasn't even buried, it was just right by the fire pit, but Jon didn't think to look there. Drew wants to ask Jeff if they can trade it back for the fishing gear but Kelley urges him to let it go. Drew doesn't care and is gonna do it anyway, thinking that's what a leader does.

Jaclyn can handle herself

There are two big events prior to the challenge at the arena: Hunahpu's round of applause at John's elimination (seems pretty disrespectful to Julie) and Drew's audacious attempt at a trade. It's a bold move, which Jeff loves, but he pretty much tells them to fuck off. The challenge is to catapult balls into baskets. Hunahpu get to choose and Jon steps up. Jaclyn manages to snag two bags before Jon, but it's her boyfriend that ends up making shots first. He amasses a healthy 4-1 lead but can't quite get the last (most difficult) basket, allowing Jaclyn to catch up with him. A potential blowout becomes a really close contest, and after several near misses, Jon gets it. Jon sends his buddy Drew (who was volunteering anyway) to spend time with his girl and tells Jaclyn "he's a good guy".

Drew on top - and not just in his mind this time

At Exile, it appears Drew's reputation as a ladies man precedes him, as Jaclyn has apparently heard all sorts of stories from Alec. But Drew's not interested in hitting on his buddy's girl, as hot as she may be. The two get talking, and Drew says he's going to throw the next challenge in order to get rid of some of the snakes on their tribe.

Keith goes looking for the idol and when he can't find it, tells everyone he thinks Jeremy must have beaten him to it. Reed lets Jeremy know Keith has been throwing him under the bus, and he's pissed. Keith then goes back to the well and finds it this time. Guess his hunch was wrong, and the firefighter may have just unnecessarily burned a bridge.

A wild immunity idol appeared!

Alec and Baylor bicker over the treemail like brother and sister, and he also yells at her to clean pots too. But in Alec's mind, this is his weird way of inspiring Baylor to perform in the next challenge, by playing the role of his hardass dad. Coyopa would be joining the elite group of Ulong, Tadhana and Matsing if they go four episodes without immunity.

We can be heroes

The immunity challenge is to dive through the water and over a ramp to retrieve four rings. The rings are then to be tossed onto a post. Since Jeff has his own platform, Drew is required to awkwardly toss the immunity idol back to Jeff before the challenge...and it seems that's not the only throwing he'll be doing. Baylor kicks things off for Coyopa by getting back before Missy although Reed is able to take Hunahpu back into the lead. But whatever time Jaclyn may have lost, Alec makes up for with a phenomenal dolphin-esque dive. Wes keeps the momentum by beating Keith and then it's Dale vs Drew for the throwing. Drew deliberately makes several bad shots whereas Dale does well. The last one is a little questionable, but Probst calls it in their favour...Coyopa win immunity!

Alleged "mastermind" Kelley disapproves

Jon wants Julie out so that the couples don't start to get outnumbered. But Drew wants to get rid of Kelley, seeing her as the most threatening girl. Meanwhile, Jeremy is still fixated on Keith and throws a strop when no-one else backs him up. Natalie tells Missy how Drew thinks the girls are plotting to get out the boys, which doesn't make any sense as they're outnumbered. The self-styled kingpin is even saying his plan to boot Kelley within Kelley's earshot. Since neither Kelley or Natalie are fans of Drew, they start campaigning for him to go, starting with Jeremy. And it might work, since none of the voting plans seem to be gelling together.

At tribal council, Julie points out that Jon and Drew are getting along as the resident brodudes. Drew is subtly accused of losing the challenge, and he decides to blame everyone else. But it's Jeremy who has the most to say, openly airing his beef with Keith and telling him how he should've just gone to him instead since they're supposed to be in an alliance. Natalie points out how the tribe are all over the place as everyone has their own ideas.

The vote lives up to Natalie's words, as a whopping four people pick up votes - Julie, Kelley, Keith and Drew. Drew is the most surprised, and Jon didn't see it coming either. And that surprise turns into a blindside as the wannabe leader ends up shown the door. As pre-merge villains go, Drew has gotta be right up there with the best.

Because he hasn't humiliated himself enough yet, in his final words Drew talks about how he totally knew the girls were after him because he's such a threat. Shut up, no you didn't! It took a long time for us to see some Hunahpu action, but it was worth the wait. Now let's just pray the upcoming swap doesn't kill this magical chemistry.

STAR OF THE WEEK: NATALIE ANDERSON

And you all thought Natalie would be "the obnoxious one", didn't you? Well, looks like Drew managed to will the girl's alliance into existence as the twinnie quietly worked to secure his ouster with her fellow females. She had several funny moments too, like her imitation of Keith, and seemed to be loving every minute of the ridiculousness.

San Juan Del Sur Episode 3: Off His Rocker

Baylor comes back from tribal council blindsided at picking up so many votes and has decided not to trust anyone anymore. Josh suspects John had something to do with it, and admits he flipped his vote to make sure she stayed.

Drew suggests that Hunahpu fix their shelter, which they do by weaving palm fronds. Drew however decides to take a nap instead, claiming he's "not a weaver" (whereas everyone else is?). The tribe are pretty fed up with his laziness and Natalie even pokes his nose to wake him up.

Wes works to keep his old man down

Jeremy has some strong words for Coyopa at the duel when he sees his wife is gone, telling the girls to flip the game on the men. John explains to Jeremy that he couldn't keep his deal...confirming Josh's suspicions that he was working with Val. The duel is to transfer tiles from one platform to another across a balance beam, using a paddle. Wes steps up for Coyopa, confident he can beat his dad. The two of them are neck-and-neck most of the match, but Wes manages to overtake his dad when his dad drops them. Wes wins the challenge, claiming the first win for Coyopa. He sends Josh to Exile and claims the fishing gear that Hunahpu passed up.

Julie goes off by herself after the duel, allowing Jeremy the chance to spill the beans on John's identity to the rest of the tribe. Natalie doesn't take it well when she finds out he's a racist. Meanwhile, Julie is crying because now she feels she has a target on her back.

The odd couple enjoy the downtime

It's a more pleasant experience at Exile for Keith and Josh as the two of them decide to share the idol clue and some snails. Both admit that they have little in common but are enjoying spending the day with someone different. This is what Survivor is all about.

Now that Coyopa have fishing gear, John is able to bring his tribe some catfish. Despite this, Baylor is working hard to flip Wes and Alec to take out John, but Alec isn't really interested in her offer.

The immunity challenge is to make it through an obstacle course in pairs to find a ball, and then shoot the ball into the net. Josh and Baylor take on Jon and Natalie in the first matchup. Jon and Baylor both miss their first shot, but Jon gets it on the second try. Alec and Wes partner up for the second matchup and Alec smashes into Julie, causing Jeremy to taunt John. Wes manages to score. John takes to the field with Jaclyn for the next matchup to score a point, and starts giving them some stick back. Jeremy evens it up again by scoring the fourth point after Baylor misses another shot. Why is the shortest girl making the throws again?

Natalie is willing to brawl...inside and outside the arena

The last point comes down to Wes and Alec vs Jon and Natalie. Wes bulldozes through Natalie in the centre of the course and John relishes it getting physical. Jon makes his shot first to send Coyopa to tribal council again, and Natalie is not shy about making suggestions on who should go. Alec urges John not to respond to the taunting, but he's ready to fight and tells the twinnie "if you were a man, I'd knock your teeth out". But Natalie's not backing down, even as John makes personal attacks. Alec urges Jeff to let them make a hasty exit, but at this point the damage is done, and Josh is not happy at the scene John caused.

Talk to the hand: John can't handle the heckling

John is worried the tribe might turn against him, so comes up with a plan to get his name off the block by telling the girls to vote for Dale. Jaclyn doesn't want to do that though,

Getting rid of Dale = big move?

she'd rather vote him out. It seems like Josh is coming round to this as well, telling Wes and Baylor it's time to take over the game. But they have to be subtle about it, as John has admitted to Josh he has the idol. Wes fills Alec in on the plan, but he's not happy about sending home their strongest guy when they're on a losing streak.

All the talk at tribal council is about John and the animosity towards him from the other tribe. When Probst asks Jaclyn if she thinks the girls are in trouble, she says she thinks new alliances might be forming...raising a red flag for John. Josh tries to do damage control, but Baylor's plea to get rid of the "dark cloud" doesn't help matters either.

Despite the warning signs, John doesn't play his idol. Baylor picks up votes again, but it's big man Rocker that goes home. He's feeling pretty sheepish as he leaves tribal council - another idol gone to waste. So John proves that there's no escaping your past, even on a desert island. Will Coyopa be able to perform now that they're free of his negative energy? I know there's gonna be some people wearing blue that are pretty happy with this result.

STAR OF THE WEEK: BAYLOR WILSON

So Baylor stepped up her game when she needed to and has finally got a foothold in the tribe. It's an impressive turnaround for player I'd almost lost faith in. Now that the fem-slaughter has ended, she has good odds of making the merge.

San Juan Del Sur Episode 2: Drop Your Bluffs

Josh has some serious explaining to do

Coyopa get back at camp and Josh is doing damage control after voting for Baylor, claiming he did it to disguise the alliance between them. Reed, Jon and Drew are all showboating over on Hunahpu, but the smile is wiped off Jon's face when Kelley notices the flint missing. Jon knows it's his fault and decides to own up to it, even dropping a J'Tia reference.

Julie avoids any...slip-ups

At the duel arena, Natalie cries when she sees her sister has been voted out, for what she claims is the first time in a decade. The challenge is to keep a ball balanced on a paddle as you cross an obstacle course, before shooting the balls into holes. John gets to choose who to send in and chooses himself. The pitcher ends up dropping his ball several times whilst his girlfriend just goes slowly across the course and gets it first time. Julie shoots her balls into the holes whilst John is still on the obstacles, and she ends up winning the challenge. "No-one could've predicted this!" says Jeff. Easy there Probst, your sexism is showing.

Being the chauvinist he is, John is pissed at having lost to a girl. That girl now gets to pick a partner to go to Exile with him, and she chooses Jeremy. Probst gives Hunahpu the fishing gear but Reed wants to make a deal...trade their beans for a new flint. Probst isn't having any of it, and says they'll have to give up the gear they just won. Despite some initial reluctance, the tribe give in to Probst's demands.

Driving a hard bargain: What is this? Dragon's Den?

Now that Rocker isn't at camp, Dale and Alec see fit to mention they not only know who he is but are aware that he's said some pretty offensive things about minorities. The irony of him having to spend solitude with Jeremy is not lost on them, then. Jeremy is also aware of John's identity, but he's still willing to make him a deal: if he takes care of Val, then he'll take care of Julie. He even gives John the idol clue to cement this bond.

The tribes face off in sumo battles for the next immunity challenge, and Jaclyn gives Coyopa a winning start in the battle of the blondes. Drew then beats his bro to level it up. Wes takes on Jeremy in what should've been a mismatch, but the little guy manages to win. Natalie beats Val and Jon beats John to swing it back in Hunahpu's favour, as Jaclyn winces from the sidelines.

Jon's redemption moment

Missy ends up injuring her daughter when her head clashes with her mouth. The collision seems to take her out of it a bit as Baylor goes on to win. Reed then beats his loved one (despite Drew's confusion over who to root for) before Dale pulls one back going beastmode on Keith. Kelley is given the opportunity to win it in her rematch, and she manages to deliver. It's now 4-0 for Hunahpu, wow!

I got idols to spare

John tells Val about his discussion with Jeremy, and Val decides to bluff that she has not one but TWO idols for some reason. John follows the clue's instructions a finds an idol for real, but he still wants to protect Val so proposes the guys split between her and Baylor. He then lets Val know what's going on and tells her to play her idol. She seems a little surprised that he actually believes her, and knows that her and Jaclyn's votes will be enough to ensure she stays. But Josh sees Val and John conspiring and starts to get suspicious.

At tribal council, Alec admits it was probably a mistake to go against Drew in the challenge and that his pride might've got in the way. Josh makes a broadway analogy on how to improve their tribe. Val and Jaclyn show they're still mad at Baylor for switching sides, and get really fired up in confronting her.

We see votes for both Baylor and Val, as planned. But when Val fails to produce an idol and the vote comes back 4-4, the tribe has no choice but to send Val home on the revote, much to John's chagrin. It was a bad move by Val to overplay her hand, and not only has it taken her out of the game, it might have just doomed Julie as well.

STAR OF THE WEEK: JOSH CANFIELD

In an episode choc full of bad moves, one piece of gameplay stands out. By Josh switching his vote, he not only ensured the safety of his pocket ally, but he sent home Rocker's too. Josh has been a delightful surprise for me, he's constantly gaming but subtle enough to not stand out.

San Juan Del Sur Episode 1: Fire And Blood

Will Natalie and Nadiya be #twinning by the end of the night?

Probst flies above the 9 pairs in a helicopter, as we get our first look at who can cut it and who can't. Perfect couple Jon and Jaclyn are the first we see in all their flawlessness. We then see Baylor and Missy, about to be attacked by monkeys. Drew and Alec start a fire and argue over who gets credit for it. Keith and Wes fail to get anything after breaking their flint. D'oh!

The couples all walk into the arena, where Jeff asks who was able to make fire, and Keith details his numerous blunders. He also gives Nadiya an opportunity to bury herself, but she doesn't take the bait. Nice try! The teams divide up into tribes from a "random" draw (yeah right, I'm sure it's coincidence they're already wearing their tribe colors) ahead of their first challenge.

All's fair in love and war

The reward challenge is a one-on-one duel to untangle hooks from a cube and use them to grab platforms and drag them back. Jeremy is chosen as the representative of the blue tribe and Probst tells him he's competing against his wife - funny, as they were trash-talking eachother just a few minutes ago. Jeremy has an easier time getting through the cube when Val can't jump quite as well. Val holds her own, but the firefighter pulls it out and wins the challenge. So now he has to deal with the guilt of sending his wife to Exile Island, but he does at least get to choose a partner for her...he picks Keith, saying he knows how to start fire (didn't he just prove the opposite?).

Hunahpu arrive back at camp, where Jeremy is hailed the hero for winning their loot, and is winning their sympathy as well. He starts building alliances quick, talking first of all to Kelley before bringing in Natalie and Missy too. On the other tribe, it's clear very quickly that Dale is the odd one out because of his age. But it's not all bad, as he goes to the well and finds an idol....like thing. He then breaks his glasses to try and start a fire, and manages to beat the young kids to the punch.

Dale, the instant outsider

Keith and Val are sent to Exile, where Keith bemoans missing out on the fun. When you think about it, it does seem unfair that the first Exile is practically a death sentence. The two of them pick urns in the hopes of an idol clue and Keith comes up the loser again. He gets some consolation when Val tells him that her husband is a firefighter like him, which might be something to use when he gets back to camp.

Sports star trying to keep his identity hidden?
That storyline's a little played out now

Drew is the shelter builder for Hunahpu, but Julie is unimpressed with his arrogance. And she knows arrogance - look who she's dating. Speak of the Devil, John appears to have been rumbled by sports fan Wes...his father pinned him earlier too, calling him an "ass". Wes sees it as a chance to bond, but John sees it as a liability and now wants him out. Josh is struggling with a rash on his eye, and suspects it is coming from the foliage on the shelter...forcing the whole tribe to take it apart and start again.

Jon has fun imitating the monkeys, entertaining the tribe with his goofball antics. But in confessional we see a more serious side as he talks about how his dad back home is dying. It's an oddly-timed scene that makes me think we might end up with a Jenna Morasca situation down the road.

Head and shoulders above the rest

The tribes arrive at the first immunity challenge which is to run under an obstacle, untie bags and make your way up three slopes to get to a Mayan calender puzzle at the top. The castaways all crawl under the course with Wes and Jon being the first ones out. Baylor collects the bags for Coyopa, whilst the other tribe split the work between Natalie, Julie and Kelley. John gives his tribe the lead by getting his rope hooked to climb the first slope, and the pegs prove no obstacle for the second. John also does most of the work in getting his tribe up the last section by acting as a human pyramid, and then it's on to the puzzle. Now the puzzle is a tricky motherfucker, where sometimes you can't tell you're wrong until you're on your last piece. Hunahpu get it first, sending Coyopa to tribal council.

Josh is already the go-to guy

Back at camp, Dale campaigns for Nadiya to get voted out, since she's already proved herself ruthless on The Amazing Race. Val is another early target, but leads the charge for a girls alliance that most seem on board for. With the girls targeting Dale and the guys targeting Nadiya, Josh ends up as the swing vote and Baylor is willing to tag along with him.

She survived the race, but this is a whole different ballgame

It's the first tribal council, and John talks about how there's not really an obvious "first boot". Josh is singled out as the man in power and Nadiya ends up offending him by comparing him to a girl. Big mistake! The vote is more split than usual, with even a Baylor vote thrown in there, but Nadiya does end up voted out. First boot once again! But fear not Nadiya fans, there's still another twinnie to go around.

STAR OF THE WEEK: JEREMY COLLINS

Likeable to his tribemates and to the audience as well, Jeremy has assumed the leadership position and it seems like he can pick and choose his options right now. You might just want to make it a little less obvious you're running the show though, buddy.