Worlds Apart Episode 14: Blue Is The Warmest Color

Probst gives us a recap of the final five and their journey so far. Sierra was a free agent (apparently? she voted with the same group every week), Mike went from top dog to underdog (and gets a slo-mo shot of him putting in a toothpick like Clint Eastwood). Carolyn was a challenge beast, Rodney put together a good alliance and Will...well, he doesn't even try to make a case for Will.

As Carolyn goes back to her group who are complaining she didn't tell them about her idol (when they just tried to get her out), Mike bitches about "Stockholm Syndrome". Taking him out is still the smart move right now, but Carolyn is illuminated when she hears Mike was the only one who didn't vote for her.

He's got the Will

The next challenge is to carry a bunch of tiles over an obstacle course without dropping them, and then pairing them up and using the leftovers to get a lock combination. The prize in an advantage for the next immunity challenge...as well as time with a loved one. The loved ones come out one by one, and everybody is impressed by the stache on Carolyn's husband Joel. Rodney and his dad have a heartwarming moment where he says being out here has made him at peace with his sister's death. Will is completely revitalized when he sees his wife Monifa.

Getting into the challenge, Will was not kidding...he's the first out of the net crawl and leading the way into the tile section. Will falls several times trying to get his tiles across the course, allowing Mike to get there first. Mike has finished pairing up but it takes him a while to get his numbers in the right order. Sierra threatens to get it, but Mike wins the challenge. And now he gets to take his mom back to camp.

Mike's real alliance

Mike's mom Deborah is treated like a Queen when she gets back to camp. But after the niceties, Mike goes off alone with his mom and tells her that he's completely on his own in the game and has been made out to be the villain. Mike and Deborah get to check out the challenge in advance, which is a blindfold maze, and even get to test it out. Deborah does a bad job directing him though and doesn't feel good about her son's chances.

Now it's showtime for real, and Mike gets off to the best start, finding his first two medallions quickest. Rodney finds Mike and is able to get one from there, and then helps Sierra and Will get the same one. It is everyone against Mike, as usual. However, Mike is able to find the necklace first and win. I'm getting tired of writing that.

Having previously been the outsider, an immune Mike now finds himself the swing vote. Sierra and Carolyn want to vote out Rodney for not doing enough work around camp...really? That's a consideration on day 37? Mike goes to Rodney and Will, who are targeting Sierra. And Mike is tempted, because Sierra is the only one who has come close to beating him on the last few challenges.

Sierra gets shanked

At tribal council, Mike smiles at Dan on the jury, who is still pissed. Probst gives Sierra a chance to make the case for Rodney to be voted out, and she says he doesn't deserve to be here. Odd approach, as noticed by Probst as well, saying it sounds more like a reason to vote her out. Rodney makes his appeal by promising his word is good. We get to the vote, and Sierra ends up on the receiving end. The narrative of her being a threat sure came out of nowhere.

The next immunity challenge involves a tall tower, a waterslide and a climbing frame. Mike goes into the lead as usual. Rodney is the last to untie his bags but makes up time sprinting to the top. The exhausting course means the challenge is slowed down to a crawl by the time they're getting their third bag. Rodney is now on Mike's tail going into the puzzle. Mike builds his lighthouse first and wins immunity. The whole cast share a kumbaya since that was such a physical task and they all have respect for Mike. Will even asks if he can give him the necklace himself.

Joining the list of legends

Rodney and Will are both voting for Mama C, and it looks like a boys only final 3. But Mike is willing to give Carolyn a chance, telling her to practice her firemaking skills. This is a surprise, but it seems like Mike's motive is revenge...Rodney turned on him, he wants him out. Carolyn tries to make fire but it doesn't go well, and now she's not sure if she can do it.

At tribal council, Dan is once again made miserable by Mike's success. Rodney accuses Carolyn of targeting him and she doesn't deny it, saying there's only two people she can vote for. Mike gives a monologue about the pros and cons of voting either way.The votes come back a tie, sending Rodney and Carolyn to the tiebreaker.

Hot Rod turns up the heat

We see two different approaches in the race to make fire - Rodney scraping his flint, Carolyn trying to spark something. Carolyn breaks her flint and needs a replacement, and then so does Rodney. Rodney is the first to get a flame but then it goes out. Dan meanwhile is getting very excited about the match, yelling for them to "get the wood". Both get a fire burning and it's a close race to get it to the top. Carolyn's teepee proves successful and she wins her spot in the final 3. Rodney laments using all his coconut husk and insults Mike on the way out. Saltiest exit yet.

Carolyn gets food for thought

Mike and Will watch a whale dive through the ocean on their last morning. So the final three is a White Collar, a Blue Collar and a No Collar...bet Jeff loved that. Will says he played the only game he could play, given he didn't have much knowledge of the game. Carolyn is nervous that people might not recognize how much she did. Mike is also worried, knowing a large portion of the jury dislikes him, but is just amazed to have made it this far.

Final tribal council, for the first time I can remember, does not start with opening statements and instead starts with Joe, who says they're all gonna have to work hard to earn the votes. Hali's question is to Carolyn and is about how being the mother role hurt her in the game, which is something that has been very evident in the past. Will explains to Rodney how he did all he could do and built relationships with everyone except Shirin. Carolyn is asked to explain her best moves, and points out she was a big part in Tyler and Dan going home. On that note, Tyler tells Carolyn he's gutted that she backstabbed him and she says she had to do it. Mike is asked about his poor social game...and he has no solid justification for it.

Blue Collar heart-to-heart

Jenn doesn't talk to the finalists, but instead openly calls the jury bitter and accuses them of being unfair to Mike. Dan pretty much proves her right when he gets up and tells Mike that despite his challenge wins, his poor jury management might cost him the game. Mike takes the time to apologize for going back on his word at the auction and losing Dan's trust, which Dan says is the first sincere moment he's had since that day.

And now we have Shirin closing it up...better be good, we've had two good closers already. First of all, she thanks Will for allowing her the opportunity to stand for herself. Then she gets tearful and calls Mike her protector but says that doesn't guarantee her vote as it's based on gameplay. She gives an animal comparison for each finalist - Mike is a howler monkey because he's loud and brash, Carolyn is a stringray because she's a stealthy killer, and Will is...a dead fish, who gets drags along and leaves a bad taste. Ouch. She then finishes by quoting Sue Hawk - did you expect anything less?

The jury all make their votes. Jenn's is for Mike, Rodney's is for his boy Will. Yikes at Will getting a vote. At least Mama C gets some love though, from Sierra who thinks she played the best game. Dan bangs his head on the table as he decides who to vote for. Back in the studio, the votes are read, and Mike takes the remainder of the votes to get the Blue Collar victory Lindsey predicted. Time to do the happy dance!

STAR OF THE WEEK: MIKE HOLLOWAY

Mike made an awful lot of mistakes in the game, but he showed good leadership when he was in control and a lot of hustle when he wasn't. And five immunity wins is an accomplishment only matched by the likes of Terry, Colby and Ozzy.

Reunion show highlights:

• Wow, where to start? First there was Dan getting his ass handed to him by Probst, who refutes his claims that some of his offensive remarks were taken out of context with raw footage. He handled it well considering, but lesson learned: throw the show under the bus, they'll throw you under the bus 10 times harder.
• Shirin not accepting Will's apology at all, and almost getting into a fight with Monifa over it. Yikes!
• Rodney got off pretty lightly, being made to look like a loveable clown instead of a misogynist...and even getting a cake as reward?
• The second chance vote had a couple of huge blindsides. Surprised to see T-Bird miss out and mindblown to see Shane not make it. I like Woo, but I'd trade him for Shane in a second. How did Kimmi get on? It was sad to see people get their hearts broken live, but enough of the stars made the cut that I'm still thinking Survivor: Cambodia has the makings of a legendary season!

Worlds Apart Episode 13: Swing And A Miss

"We're now at the original numbers we started with" says Dan. But he doesn't want his original teammate Mike to be around much longer, telling Carolyn he needs to go. Carolyn doesn't trust Dan though, and is telling Mike to vote him out. That's only gonna happen if Mike wins immunity, but she does show some goodwill by telling him what Dan's advantage is.

Rodney still rewardless

The reward challenge requires running an obstacle course, cutting down a drawbridge and using blocks to solve a word puzzle. Pretty standard Survivor fare, then. Jeff asks Rodney how it feels to have lost out on every reward, and he says he's still mad at Carolyn for not giving him the last one. Rodney, Dan and Sierra take an early lead through the drawbridge, although Rodney once again ignores the rules by jumping ahead. The bulk of the challenge is spent on the puzzle, which unexpectedly takes over an hour. Jeff tries to clue them in that it's a very common Survivor phrase, but Dan can only come up with "Shaint". Ok, that's hilarious. Eventually Carolyn figures out that it's "All the fixin's"...something that Sierra was shot down on earlier. Carolyn debates giving it to Rodney, but decides not to. The streak continues.

Nice melons!

Carolyn enjoys the helicopter reward, saying it's the best one yet. As the three different Collars sit down to tuck in to the food, Mike proposes that they make this the final three. Will is hesitant to agree, but Mike has one request - don't let Rodney beat him. Rodney is back at camp, thinking about what he could've won, when Dan brings in some mystery fruit he found. Eating it reinvigorates Rodney, as it's the closest thing he's had to a reward so far. Now the Old Rodney is back and scheming to get rid of Carolyn and Mike.

Mike grapples with his safety

Before the immunity challenge, Mike lets Sierra know he thinks Dan is gonna go to the end with Rodney and Will, since they're the only ones he can beat. This makes her wary, but she's still part of operation stop Mike. The challenge is to snag bags with grappling hooks and then use the balls in a table maze. Sierra gets two bags first, but Dan and Mike are first to get all three and reach the table. Sierra joins them, whereas Carolyn and Rodney are hopelessly out of it. Mike gets his in the inner circle but can't quite get it in the hole. Sierra gets close as well, but Mike is able to finish and fistbumps Jeff Probst. Tense challenge, and another impressive win by Mike.

The consensus appears to be Dan, so Mike wants to screw that up. But Dan doesn't quite believe Mike when he says he's on the outs, and is also pissed Mike has the audacity to claim he could be his savior. Now Mike thinks one of the girls is going home, and he decides to blow that up too. He goes to the girls, spooking Sierra as he comes out of a bush, and lets them know Dan feels far too comfortable. Whether Carolyn is really the target remains to be seen, but she's still got that ace up her sleeve.

Pop-up Mike tries to stir shit

At tribal council, Mike theorizes that the reason the group is still tight is because they have a common enemy. Rodney is at a loss for words when Jeff asks his take, feeling the affects of his lack of rewards. Carolyn and Dan both know their name is out there and Dan says he's not sure what to do, feeling like a metronome.

Dan cashes in his golden ticket

Before Jeff can tally the votes, Dan decides to finally use his extra vote. Carolyn then fights fire with fire, playing her idol and cancelling both of Dan's votes, along with everyone else's. Dan goes home. I'm not totally sure if using the advantage is what cost him, but it would be hilarious if it was.


Well, I don't expect many will be sad to see Dan go, but I actually kinda enjoyed his buffoonery most of the time. One more episode left. Can Mike hold on and make it to the end for the win? Or will Carolyn and Rodney take him down?

STAR OF THE WEEK: CAROLYN RIVERA

Carolyn's instincts turned out be dead-on, playing the idol when she needed to. She may have just secured herself a spot on next season with that maneuver.

Who deserves a Second Chance?

Survivor is bringing back past players for a shot at redemption, but the twist is the fans decide who! From this pool of 32, only 20 will make it on. And I'm giving my take on which ones it should be.

Kelly Wiglesworth (Borneo)
The original runner-up, Kelly lost out by a measly one vote thanks to Sue Hawk's famous speech. Besides the fact I think anyone from Borneo would be interesting to see play again, Kelly was badass that won a string of immunities no female has matched since. Last I heard, she hasn't watched any of the show, even her own season...almost like she's been frozen in time since 2001. Her campaign video shows her to be both ditzy and feisty. I cannot stress enough how much she needs to make the cut!

Vote for her if: You want to see one of the originals take on the modern game.

Kimmi Kappenberg (Australia)
A pre-merge boot from 14 years ago, Kimmi is an odd choice for this ballot, but is probably best remembered for her fight with Alicia. She didn't really excel in the game before but her outspoken nature could cause a lot of drama.

Vote for her if: You want to see someone stumble through the game cluelessly (in a good way).

Jeff Varner (Australia)
The main strategic mind on Kucha, Jeff fits the second chance theme for two reasons: he was partially screwed by Kimmi blabbing his past votes and also by himself when he stepped out of the immunity challenge. Jeff's campaign video is a lot of fun, imitating Kass and also revealing he's playing to help his sick mom.

Vote for him if: You want him to get revenge on Kimmi.

Teresa Cooper (Africa)
Despite having her back against the wall in Africa, T-Bird earned a lot of respect for fighting til the end. Don't underestimate her because of her age, her gameplay was almost ahead of its time. If Brandon hadn't voted out Kelly, she could've won.

Vote for her if: You want an old-school sweetheart with a hilarious accent.

Andrew Savage (Pearl Islands)
I'd love to have anyone back from the best season ever Pearl Islands, but Andrew was one of the biggest characters. He was a natural leader and was running the Morgan tribe, but his downfall ended up being Lillian coming back into in the game. In his campaign video, he mentions that he's still haunted by the Outcast twist after all these years. That's reason enough to vote him in. I had thought his time had passed by now, but I guess not.

Vote for him if: You respected his determination and feel bad for how he went out last time.

Shane Powers (Exile Island)
Shane was the lunatic who proved that quitting smoking cold turkey right before Survivor is a disastrous idea. He gave us so many memorable moments and has been one of my absolute top picks for ages. Even just his campaign video was hilarious. This guy will be riot and needs to get on.

Vote for him if: You want ridiculous antics.

Terry Deitz (Exile Island)
How weird that Terry is the only one of the Exile Island final 4 to not come back yet, huh? Terry was an immunity beast that came one challenge from winning it all. Not everyone thinks he was a particularly likeable underdog but I found his journey pretty impressive. He clashed with Aras and now he has a chance to go head-to-head with the other Baskauskas, Vytas. Won't that be fun!

Vote for him if: You're curious to see if he can still keep up with the kids.

Peih-Gee Law (China)
I've said before how Peih-Gee is one of my favorite female contestants ever, and I'm stoked to see her as an option here. Peih-Gee went from scheming bitch to sympathetic underdog, but was always playing hard no matter the role. Her campaign video suggests a softer, more reasonable Peih-Gee...but I'm sure there'll still be drama. One of my high priority votes.

Vote for her if: You want a kick-ass chick who will fight and plot the whole game.

Stephen Fishbach (Tocantins)
I like Stephen a lot as a person and think he's a super smart player, but he was kinda boring on Tocantins, so it's hard to get truly excited for his return. Being shut out at final tribal council definitely did not do his game justice though. He's spent his last few years being known for his blogs and podcasts on Survivor strategy...I wonder if he regrets giving away trade secrets now that he has a chance to come back. What if someone uses his own advice to get him out?

Vote for him if: You want a masterclass on how to play Survivor.

Monica Padilla (Samoa)
I'm really not that surprised to see Monica on the ballot. She's searingly hot and that's reason enough. But she also showed great fight in her last days and actually stood up to Russell. Pretty much all of Galu were shafted in terms of screentime so we never really saw their full potential. Her campaign video was one of the most promising, where she says she plans to show that same fight from day 1.

Vote for her if: You want someone easy on the eyes that just might surprise.

Natalie Tenerelli (Redemption Island)
And now we're getting into some of the less deserving hot girls. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, Natalie sucked on Redemption Island. She did Boston Rob's bidding the whole way and rightfully got no votes at the end. But now that she's older, could she turn it around? Her campaign video seems to acknowledge that she was naive her first time and that she wants to make bigger moves. I hope that's not just talk.

Vote for her if: You want someone who looks good in a bikini. No other reason.

Stephanie Valencia (Redemption Island)
I was a huge Stephanie fan during Redemption Island, but looking back, that may have been more by default than anything. She's mostly remembered for being Russell's concubine (although Russell did inexplicably claim she's a better player than Parvati once). Then I watched her campaign video and all the love came rushing back. I admire her feistiness and though I think she'd likely be doomed for an early exit again, I'd definitely enjoy the spark she would bring.

Vote for her if: You want to spice up the season with a little Latin flavour.

Jim Rice (South Pacific)
My South Pacific fave! I'm so glad Jim is on the shortlist, even though he probably won't get on.  He was running Savaii pre-merge and could've gone far without Cochran's flip. He gives funny, charismatic confessionals and is sure to deliver interesting gameplay. He's very tight-lipped in his campaign video, not wanting to give much of his strategy away, but I'm intrigued. I love that he's been counting the days since he got voted off.

Vote for him if: You want someone ready to play who will entertain you along the way.

Mikayla Wingle (South Pacific)
Probably the biggest longshot on the whole list, Mikayla is known for being Brandon's "temptress", which caused her elimination. And it painted her in a sympathetic light, but did she really do enough to stay around? I didn't see a ton of gameplay from her and I doubt we will this time. There's no denying how hot she is, though.

Vote for her if: You still see the potential everyone thought she had.

Troyzan Robertson (One World)
Jungleman Troyzan was one of the few people to attempt to stop the Kim train on One World. Some people think Troyzan is a jackass that tries too hard to be a "fan favorite" and I can totally see that. But the dude brings the passion. From his campaign video, I think he has learned to reign himself in a bit, which should serve him well. He was snubbed from Caramoan last minute and also in the mix for Blood Vs Water. Here's hoping it's third time lucky and he gets to go back to his island.

Vote for him if: You want a guy who'll give 100%.

Sabrina Thompson (One World)
I like Sabrina, but I don't see her as someone bursting with unfulfilled potential. She lasted right until the end, and came runner-up to a winner who deserved it. But she wants to come back because she wasn't satisfied with 2nd place and knows she needs to be more purposeful with her moves to take the title. She's not one of my choices, but I wouldn't be mad if she made the cast.

Vote for her if: You like her. Sounds obvious, but her likeability is what's going to get her back on.

Abi-Maria Gomes (Philippines)
I'm guessing this Brazilian firecracker was probably one of the first names on the call list. Abi is an absolute must for all-stars, she has everything you could want in a villain. She causes drama, she's unpredictable and she's real. Despite being the ultimate goat last time, I actually do think she can improve her game. Even at the reunion she was showing bags more self-awareness and she seems like a sweetheart in real life. But putting her on the island would be, in her own words, "an explosion".

Vote for her if: You want D-R-A-M-A.

Vytas Baskauskas (Blood Vs Water)
One of the strategic standouts of Blood Vs Water, he saw a lot of success pre-merge but then him and his brother were seen as too strong. I liked the part in his video where he talks about how his whole life has been second chances - for his drug use, his relationship with his brother, and for Survivor as well. He has a high standard to live up to since his brother has already won. Whilst there is a little bit of a sociopath vibe to Vytas, I believe he can be a compelling character.

Vote for him if: You want to see a complex human being back on the show.

Ciera Eastin (Blood Vs Water)
Also made waves on the same season, Ciera is most notable for voting out her mom and forcing a rock draw. She started off in a pretty precarious position but grew more powerful and confident as the game went on. I'm in favour of pretty much anyone from Blood Vs Water making the cast, since that was such a vastly different season from real Survivor. Ciera defied a lot of expectations and proved herself a much strong player and person than anyone thought she could be. Even Probst was impressed!

Vote for her if: You want a woman that is going to play like a man.



Brad Culpepper (Blood Vs Water)
I love that his showreel clip was the "fuck you, Brad Culpepper!" scene. Can I just say Brad is absolutely insane for agreeing to return when footage from the show is being used in a lawsuit against him? I'm voting for him though, because I think it'd be hilarious to watch him overplay himself out of the game again.

Vote for him if: You want to watch a drama magnet crash and burn.

Spencer Bledsoe (Cagayan)
It doesn't really matter if Spencer is one of my choices or not, he's a massive lock to make the list. He was a fan favorite in Cagayan for being stuck on a useless tribe and having to overcome setback after setback just to make the final 4. Spencer is a smart guy and seems very aware of how he went wrong.

Vote for him if: You want an articulate narrator and a cerebral thinker.

Tasha Fox (Cagayan)
Tasha was very popular in Cagayan also for being a boss bitch that pulled off a three-in-a-row immunity streak. Remember when Jeff compared her to Kelly Wiglesworth? Now we can actually see the two of them battle it out. This is the stuff dreams are made of, folks. Vote Tasha on so she isn't stood up at the reunion.

Vote for her if: You want someone who will give it all she's got.

Kass McQuillen (Cagayan)
The third of the Luzon trio, Kass caused chaos wherever she went. It's no coincidence that the two episodes where she was the swing vote were the two best episodes of the season. And think of all the fights she started too - she turned Trish into skeletor and got Tony speaking llama. She's bound to find rivals new and old with another go-around.

Vote for her if: You want to see her make Spencer's life a living hell one more time.

Woo Hwang (Cagayan)
Everyone remembers Woo as the guy who made a million dollar mistake by taking Tony to the end over Kass. And in his campaign video, it seems he hasn't even made up his mind whether he'd do it again or not. Uggh. I do think Woo could provide some necessary comic relief, but I have no hopes for him to be anything other than a dud strategically.

Vote for him if: You think he's adorable and don't mind bad gameplay.

Jeremy Collins (San Juan Del Sur)
The firefighter was firmly believed to be the frontrunner to win in San Juan Del Sur...and then he was randomly blindsided by his own alliance with no indication it was coming. His campaign video actually kinda sucked, but I think he'll get on. He's pretty popular for such a consistently sour presence.


Vote for him if: You think he can win and needs a chance to prove it.

Keith Nale (San Juan Del Sur)
Keith's inexplicable run to the final 4 was one of my favorite things about the clusterfuck that was San Juan Del Sur, and "stick to the plan" was possibly the defining moment of Survivor stupidity. His video was hilarious also, although I suspect he's actually pretty indifferent to getting back on. I'd rather support someone who wants it more.

Vote for him if: You find his cluelessness endearing.

Kelley Wentworth (San Juan Del Sur)
Now this was a name I did not expect to see on the list, since we barely saw her even in the few episodes she was in. And whilst she's not the biggest personality, I don't really disagree with her inclusion. I mean, why not give Kelley another shot? She went out after an unlucky tribe swap and never really showed what she's capable of...this is what second chances should be for. She could be a whole new player without her dad dragging her down.

Vote for her if: You want an attractive girl with untapped potential.

Joe Anglim (Worlds Apart)
We just watched Joe kick ass on Worlds Apart, but everyone caught on to his absolute dominance and he ended up on the jury the first time he lost. I don't know if going under the radar is an option for Joe like he wants, but I definitely liked Joe enough to support him in his bid for a return,

Vote for him if: You're still in awe of his Survivor challenge skills.

Max Dawson (Worlds Apart)
Why is Max the Worlds Apart pre-merge option? Where the hell is Vince? I think Max is hilarious outside of the game, but his tenure on Worlds Apart was very disappointing. I'm sure Max wants redemption more than almost anybody, but if all he's offering is naked camera-whoring and Survivor homages, I'm not convinced he's the best option for entertainment.

Vote for him if: You want to help out a superfan who didn't get as complete an experience as he wanted.


Shirin Oskooi (Worlds Apart)
I suppose one selling point Max has is that he'd be an ally for Shirin, clearly one of the stars of Worlds Apart. The Yahoo exec has a very good chance of making it on due to recency bias, as her exit at the hands of her bullies is still fresh in the mind. Would it be better if she had more time between seasons? Probably, but her goofiness is still showing in her campaign video so I can't not give her my vote. It could also be fun to see her running the show this time, rather than scrambling at the bottom as a pariah.

Vote for her if: You liked her enthusiasm on this season and want to see her geek out amongst her heroes.

Mike Holloway (Worlds Apart)
In a confusing turn of events, CBS have decided to include two people from the current season who haven't even been voted out yet. One of those is Mike Holloway, someone in a strong position to win and not even need a second chance. Mike's campaign video was one of the best I thought, but voting for him seems like a waste since I'm pretty sure this season is gonna work out for him.

Vote for him if: You're not on the "Mike wins" train.

Carolyn Rivera (Worlds Apart)
Surprised they went with Carolyn over Hali or Jenn, since she hasn't been the most visible in the edit. There are even better options in her age category, like Holly, Twila or Christine. I'm not anti-Carolyn at all...she plays hard, finds idols and wins immunity challenges...but I'm not in any rush to see too many of the season 30 crew back so soon.

Vote for her if: You believe her when she says she's going to ditch her perma-frown.

MY FINAL BALLOT
Men: Andrew, Shane, Terry, Jim, Troyzan, Vytas, Brad, Jeremy, Keith, Joe
Women: Kelly, Peih-Gee, Monica, Stephanie, Abi, Ciera, Tasha, Kass, Kelley, Shirin

Worlds Apart Episode 12: Birthday Blues

Tyler still covering his ass

Mike has a shit-eating grin following the last tribal. And why wouldn't he? He got them to turn eachother. Tyler and Will both try to explain themselves, and Dan appears to make up with them. But does he really buy it?

Will leads the celebrations for Rodney's birthday in the most childish way possible. Carolyn brings back tree mail and announces the next challenge will have a chance for them to "nourish their soul" (good thing Shirin isn't around, then). They've all agreed to pick Rodney and now he has a 0.0000% chance of not going,

Fail and fail again

Jeff brings out a truck at the reward challenge, saying the winners will hand out supplies to an orphanage. The challenge is to run around a maypole to free a key, then build a ladder and unlock a bag of balls. They'll then go through a net and launch balls with a catapult. Mike, Sierra and Carolyn are taking on Rodney, Dan and Tyler with Will left unpicked. Sierra is the first to get the key. Blue team have trouble when Jeff yells at them for doing the planks wrong. Then Dan gets stuck in the net, then Rodney forgets his bag of balls and has to go back. Its just setback after setback, but somehow it ends up close, coming down to the last basket between Dan and Mike. Mike wins, securing his team reward. Rodney bitches when nobody gives up their reward, reminding everyone it's his birthday. But they don't budge, because it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everyone else too.

Mike, Carolyn and Sierra are treated like Kings at the reward, and Mike takes the opportunity to get to know the girls better. Now Carolyn is considering possibly aligning with Mike, since he's gonna be sticking around for at least a little while. Rodney is washing dishes back at camp, very unhappy. He goes on a full-on rant about how Carolyn screwed him over, making even Dan uncomfortable. He later decides to turn it into a strategy, saying if he pretends he's checked-out and wants to go home, Mike might not play his idol. Tyler doesn't think Mike would fall for that and begins to get nervous.

Rodney on a rampage

It's nighttime now and the others are back from reward....and Rodney is still bitching. Despite him repeatedly saying he wants to be voted out, Mike has sussed out it's a ruse. Tyler knows he's Mike's target and goes to Carolyn to ask if she would consider using the idol on him, and she doesn't really commit. Better win immunity, then.

A visual representation of Dan's whole game

And now he has a chance to do just that, with a challenge that involves holding on to a rope over the water. Rodney starts struggling from the beginning and starts chatting with Jeff about how bad his birthday was. Will and Dan are the first two out, as always. Sierra and Rodney follow, meaning Mike, Carolyn and Tyler end up as the final three. Mike can't repeat his success and falls in. Tyler drops soon after and Carolyn wins the necklace again.

Swinging votes, or just swinging?

Carolyn proposes a split vote between Tyler and Mike. Dan doesn't trust Will since he wrote his name down before, and he knows his advantage is a hot topic. Sure enough, Tyler is working to get Will to vote Dan using that exact reasoning. Mike tells Carolyn his vote is going towards Tyler, and Carolyn starts running the pros and cons of voting that way too...it gets rid of the person who knows she has the idol, for one. I thought she was just blowing smoke before, but could Carolyn actually be considering turning on her closest ally?

At tribal council, Mike talks about how he's been trying to switch things up for a while and now is the time to do so. He cracks a joke about popcorn, causing Rodney to chip in and remind everyone how hungry he is. Jeff asks Dan if anyone has asked about his advantage and he says everyone has. Sierra thinks there's gonna be a big move tonight, and Tyler says he'd be surprised if it's him.

Well he gets Mike's vote as expected - the Texan has been gunning for him for a while. Dan writes down Mike's name..what a waste. Mike plays his idol when Jeff asks him to because it turns out he has a functioning brain. The girls' votes come up, and they send Tyler packing. Yeah, even Mama C voted him out. It's a quiet exit for Tyler, but he was pretty quiet in the game too.

The strong six finally breaks, and I guess Rodney's core 4 wasn't so airtight after all. Just when you thought you had the tribe hierarchy figured out, now it's anyone's guess.

STAR OF THE WEEK: CAROLYN RIVERA

Carolyn voted out her closest ally like it was nothing, proving herself a ruthless player and an immunity beast. Now she's the last White Collar standing and still has the idol. Yeah baby!