The phenomenal "Survivor: Gabon" had a couple of curveballs up its sleeve Thursday night, as not one, but two, players were eliminated -- and both players were strong physical challengers.
The show opened at the Fang camp with Crystal accidentally spilling a bit of rice, then magnanimously volunteering to go without at mealtime since the tribe was running so low.
When it came time for the reward challenge, the teams had to play a game that involved passing a ball between three players, while one player from the opposing team played defense. As usual, Kota made quick work of Fang, winning 3-1. As part of their reward, they opted to send Sugar back to Exile for a record fifth time in a row.
At Exile, the pin-up model told the camera of her alliance with Ace: "I feel like my tribe thinks I'm naïve and I'm sticking with him out of stupidity -- but I'm sticking with him because he's the strongest player at this point."
For the reward, the Kota team was taken on a helicopter ride over the African landscape, and treated to a cliffside picnic. Bob exclaimed over the experience, "It made my trip to Africa." As they dined, Randy said with his customary spite for the Fang tribe, "The best part about this is that they don't get it." Later, the team was treated to much-sought letters from their loved ones, which brought tears to the recipients.
Back at Fang camp, Matty exclaimed over his team's latest loss, "I don't think in my entire 29 years of living I've ever been so embarrassed."
Matty invited Ace for a private chat in the canoe, and urged Ace to get rid of Sugar. Ace, however, had his eye on voting off Crystal, and he swayed Matty to his way of thinking. Meanwhile, Kenny and Crystal were formulating their own plan -- to blindside Ace! Crystal told the camera, "He's the devil and he has to go."
Up next was the immunity challenge, and it came with a twist -- both teams would be voting someone off that night at Tribal Council, and the players would be vying for individual immunity. The players faced off against each other in a "log roll" competition, with Ace, Sugar and Marcus ending up the final three – but Marcus kept his balance the longest -- winning immunity at that night's Tribal Council. As part of his prize, he was also able to grant immunity to one player on the other team. He chose Sugar, explaining privately to the camera that he hoped that giving her immunity would make Fang get rid of one of their stronger players that night -- Crystal, Matty or Ace.
Back at Fang, it began to look like Crystal would be taking the fall. At Tribal Council, as he voted for Crystal, Matty said, "Crystal -- I have been waiting for this day for so long and I am so happy it's here."
But when the votes were read, in a 3-2 shocker, it was the mysteriously accented Ace who was sent home! Since he most certainly didn't vote for himself, it appeared that his good friend Sugar had been the tie-breaking vote that had done him in!
But the shockers weren't over for the night. Kota tribe still had to take their turn at Tribal. At Kota camp, teammates were torn between voting off Dan, whom they deemed the least trustworthy, or Susie, the seemingly weakest physical competitor. It seemed like a consensus had been made that Dan would be going home, when Susie had a private chat with Corinne. When Corinne told Susie that she wasn't planning on voting for her, Susie expressed her relief, but then told Corinne, "I'm going to be honest with you, I was actually going to vote for you [to go home]."
This did not sit well with Corinne, who later said in response, "This moron has decided that she'd like me to go. I hate her, I hate her, I hate her. I really want to stab her in the face."
But, although Corinne made an argument to her teammates to send Sugar home, in the end, it was Dan who was sent packing. Good Luck Guys!
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