Survivor Episode 14

It's hard to believe the season is almost over. It's hard to believe that Terry has won almost everything this year, the car, immunity, rewards. It's hard to believe he might win the game. I mean, he never really had to play the game. He never really needed to align with anyone, he always had that immunity thing in his pocket. He had absolutely no diplomatic skills. But he has survived.

It is interesting to note that the final four contains a representative from each of the original four tribe groups, Danielle (younger women), Cirie (older women), Aras (younger men) and Terry (older men). They return to camp after the ouster of Shane. The camp is dark and Cirie drops her torch, in either the wrong place, or the wrong place according to Terry. She couldn 't see and laid her torch down. Terry comes into came complaining. "Who put this right in the way!" Cirie says she did. Terry says, "Well is this where it's supposed to be?" He is so condescending. Cirie just says she didn't know it had a special place to be and she couldn't see and just put it down where she thought it would be OK. He says it was rude. Terry says "you put it right in the middle of the way."

Privately Cirie questions this "middle of the way" stuff. "What is he talking about, in the middle of what? We have 50 miles of beach here!" She tells Terry, "It was dark, I didn't know where you were and I didn't know where YOU wanted my torch to be."
Terry continues to whine, "Just like one of my kids...."
Cirie bristles, "I'm NOT like one of your kids."
Terry agrees, "You're not, you're not. You're an adult and that is why I expected a little bit more." (Who does this guy think he is? I mean, really.) Terry adds, "Make it a point to put your torch out of the way."
Cirie replies, "Make it a point to talk to people the way you would like to be talked to."
Terry will NOT let go of this. "The least you could have done was say you were sorry that you put the thing in my way."
Cirie apologizes, hands in the air bowing, "I'm sorry King Terry that this torch was where you were walking."

Terry then starts patronizing her, saying, "Alright, alright, sweetie, don't get upset." I imagine this is how he talks to his little blonde wife. He obviously does not understand that the "sweetie" thing is pretty demeaning and that he is still treating Cirie like a child when he is the one who is being childish at this point.

Aras has had enough. "Don't ruin this night for us, Terry. Don't come into final four territory and ruin it for everybody else."

Terry tells the camera that after 15 minutes in camp around the campfire, all three of the others ganged up on him to tell him how inconsiderate he was for telling Cirie not to drop a "piece of equipment" right in front of him. Did he say "piece of equipment". Yes, he did. Terry, it's a TORCH. It's like a stick. This isn't boot camp. You aren't training your troops here. She didn't know you were there, and she dropped her torch. GET OVER IT.
Aras says we came back to camp, we wanted to celebrate making the final four and you have to start in knocking Cirie the first thing you do. Baby Terry says he will just go to bed and they can have their little final three celebration. Waah, waaah. "It doesn't matter to me." And he goes to the shelter and lays down. To the camera he explains, he didn't come here to make friends with 24 year olds. He keep harping on the age thing. Aras is 24. He is 46. Over and over he says this. This man has become seriously irritating to me. Terry says if they don't talk to him for the next five days, he doesn't care. "I'm winning the million dollars and that's all." I guess he'll win if nobody presents him with some completely insurmountable challenge to overcome....like stepping over a torch.

Cirie tells Danielle and Aras that Terry is just angry because his other option, Shane is now gone. Both of Terry's choices for final two have been eliminated right under his nose and he was caught off guard both times. Terry, I think that's the "outwit" part.
Reward challenge has each of the four survivors wearing a waistband that has two ropes with clips on the end. They must clip themselves to ropes that lead out into the trees. To go around each other or posts, they must clip and unclip so that they are always clipped to the rope as they travel each path. In the woods, there are stations. The stations have various items that are indigenous to the area. There are 6 stations: Poles, Hermit Crabs, Rocks, Iguanas, Shells and Fish. The competitors must go to each station one at a time and count the number of the items at the station. Then they return to the start where they select a tile with the corresponding number on it and slide it into a slot on their individual starting stand. When they have counted all the items in all the stations, one at a time, they will have 6 tiles that they will take to an answer grid containing the names of the stations in pairs, and three locks. Placing the tiles in the correct order based on the name of the item, they will determine the combinations to the locks. When they are able to unlock all three locks, a flag will drop. First to drop their flag wins the challenge. If they cannot open a lock, they may have put the tiles in the wrong order or counted incorrectly and they may then go back into the woods and recount in order to correct their combinations.

They are playing for a once in a lifetime luxury tour of the Panama Canal on a 100 foot luxury yacht where they will have a 5 course meal and a night's sleep. Winner will also choose who to send to Exile Island.

Cirie is playing defensively right off the bat, hindering Terry's progress. Danielle counts shells, Cirie counts iguanas, Aras counts rocks and Terry counts poles. They are pretty close getting back from the first station. They begin to get jammed up as people going out meet people coming in. Aras counts shells, Terry counts hermit crabs, Cirie counts rocks. They are still all very close. Danielle begins to lag, but the other three are still in it. Aras and Terry meet at one point and are literally bashing into each other, showing a little testosterone. Cirie provides a little roadblock interference to give Aras a little edge against Terry. Cirie is laughing, enjoying her role blocking Terry. Terry and Aras are the first to get to the answer grid and they both begin working on the locks. The women catch up and they all get the first lock open but the second lock won't open. Terry and Aras head back into the course to recheck their numbers. NOBODY got the numbers all right. Terry suddenly begins complaining to Jeff saying that Aras should have been back from the station already. "He's taking multiple looks." He thinks that you have to go in and out again to recheck your numbers.

Jeff says, "No Terry, you're good." And Terry runs off into the trees again, yelling, "You can take multiple looks????" Jeff says yes and Terry starts whining, "Aww, you didn't tell us that!"
I can't tell who for certain, but I think Aras is making fun of Terry whining on the course.
Aras has two locks open now and his third. He drops his flag and WINS reward. Terry immediately gets on Jeff...."Let me get this straight...the first time out, we were only allowed one pass to get the numbers."
Jeff says, "Yes."

Terry is talking really fast. "Well, well well the the second time, I came back. I didn't have to come back. I, I could have stayed out there."

Aras interrupts. "I have a question. Every time somebody else wins, are you gonna say you got hosed? Is that how it's going to be out here."

Terry snaps, "This is the first time I lost, so there ya go."

Aras says, "Seriously, every time you don't win something you complain about it." Terry is swinging his arms and smacking his hands together, mumbling, "right back at ya." Aras continues, "You have no respect for anyone else out here. Are you going to say something bad about women, do I have to worry about that?" I think this may be Aras reacting to the "don't get upset sweetie" that Terry threw on Cirie the night before.

Terry says, "That always works, that's a real mature comeback."
Jeff tells Aras that he will select one person to go with him on the tour of the Panama Canal and BOTH of the remaining survivors will go to Exile Island. Cirie gasps. I don 't think they realized that two people would be sent to exile. Aras selects Cirie to go with him on the trip. Cirie squeals with happy and hugs Aras to thank him.

A plane takes Aras and Cirie out to the yacht. Cirie says she has seen yachts on TV and in music videos but she never dreamed she would be on one. They have wonderful food and drink. They aver that they really plan to go to the final two together and then begin laughing at Terry's major whine fest. Cirie didn't hear the whole thing and didn't realize that Terry was saying "Aras is taking multiple looks!!!" Cirie laughs and laughs. Aras says, in a really good nasal whine, "Somebody call the whambulance, Terry is whining on the course!" Aras says he tries to practice love and compassion but he hasn't done that with Terry lately. Cirie says the game is terrible and Aras agrees, adding, "you have to take people out."

Back on Exile Island, Danielle tells Terry she hated the challenge. Terry complains that Aras is getting really really emotional. He says he was just trying to get a final ruling on how he messed up in the challenge. Terry is furious that Aras accused him of making remarks about women. Terry says, he is going to behave like a 46 year old (wow, this may be a shocking change for him) and that when he or Danielle wins the immunity challenge he will be gone. Terry, gosh, he really is Terry's biggest fan.

Danielle decides that NOW is the time to become an ally of Terry. They plan it all out very neatly. Terry will win immunity. He will give Danielle the idol. Aras and Cirie will vote for Danielle and Danielle will vote for Aras. Danielle will present the hidden idol and Aras will go home. Peachy.

Terry mentions again how it only took 20 minutes to find the idol. Terry tells Danielle that for sure they are going to final two. Danielle comments that Aras must NOT win immunity.
Aras and Cirie get to ride through the Panama Canal aboard the yacht. They really enjoy being away from everything and comment how great it would be if they could make it to the final two. The yacht brings them all the way back to their beach. Cirie, surprised, says that from a distance the place looks almost nice. She admits in a way it's like coming home. Aras lays in the tent and farts. Cirie decides that since she has never started a fire with flint, she's going to try to do it and surprise Aras when he wakes up. When the tender catches, she is so excited she screams and wakes him up. Aras is impressed. He says that day 1, Cirie had no idea what to do and now, she's come full circle.

Immunity challenge day. Terry and Danielle are back from Exile Island. Jeff takes back Terry's immunity necklace that he has won 5 times. They must solve three puzzles. They must race to big circles in the sand where various pictograms have been put around the rim of the circle. There are two ropes. They will be given the pictograms as coordinates. When they place the ropes across the circle connecting the pairs of coordinates, they will make an X where they should dig. The ropes are already set for the first set of coordinates. They will dig there and find a bag of puzzle pieces. They bring the bag back to the beginning and solve the puzzle. The puzzle gives them the next two pairs of coordinates. They must race back, set the ropes and dig down to get another bag of pieces. When that bag of pieces is solved, they get the final set of coordinates to the third bag of puzzle pieces. Solving the third puzzle spells out the phrase "SAFE FROM THE VOTE". First person to finish wins immunity.

Aras is quick to get his bag of pieces. The others follow quickly and they all begin working the first puzzle. Aras is first to finish and head back out. Terry is next, followed by Danielle. Aras is back with his second bag. Terry finally finds his second bag. Aras finishes his second puzzle quickly and is back out for the final bag as Terry begins working his second puzzle. Danielle has trouble setting the ropes and cannot find the next bag of coordinates. Aras finds his third bag. Terry is still working on his second puzzle while Danielle and Cirie are digging. Terry digs quickly and soon is back with bag three. Aras is still working his puzzle but now Terry is also on the third puzzle. Danielle finally gets back with her second bag. Terry is gaining on Aras, but Aras cannot be caught and ARAS WINS IMMUNITY. Danielle mouths the word "damn". Terry looks resigned. It's not like he cares. He's got Mr. hidden idol.

As soon as they are back in camp, Terry takes Aras aside and tells him that the comments he made after the reward challenge were indefensible by him out in front of everyone like that and that they were false, uncalled for and really slanderous. "What I need from you is an apology and then we can talk about where you are coming from and where I am coming from, or we don't have a relationship for the next three days. That's how serious that stuff can be. I don't treat flight attendants like that. I haven't done anything I can't tell my wife, my friends, my family, my priest." (Psst, Terry, you can tell your priest everything no matter what...so that's not a good example.)

Aras, who Terry refers to constantly as the 24 year old, who is supposedly immature, realizes that Terry was really upset about the comment about him talking bad about women. Aras apologizes profusely saying that as a human being he treated Terry unfairly. He says that regardless how you feel about someone's personality, you grow together in an experience like this. I note that Aras apologized for the comment about "remarks about women" but no mention is made regarding Terry's WHINING about losing the challenge.

Cirie and Danielle wonder what they are talking about over there in the woods and Cirie laughs and says "How much they hate each other?"

Danielle asks Cirie if she knows who she and Aras are voting for. Cirie shakes her head no. Danielle realizes that the tribal council isn't going like she and Terry planned originally. Aras has the immunity necklace. Terry has the hidden idol and they are all pretty sure of that. Cirie and Aras will have to vote for Danielle. Danielle and Terry will vote for Cirie. Danielle hopes Terry will give her he immunity idol so that she can produce that and send Cirie home. If not, they will have to break the tie with some sort of challenge. Danielle surmises it will be making fire, like Stephanie and Bobby Jon had to do. Danielle is glad because she knows she can make fire and Cirie has NEVER made fire.

Danielle tells Terry what they think will be the tie breaker. Rather than offer her the hidden immunity idol, Terry reminds her how to make fire. Good old Terry. What a great partner.
Aras also gives Cirie fire making tips and adds, "Just have fun. You have come so far."
Cirie says she has mixed emotions because she is afraid she will go home, but she is confident in her ability to make fire. She wants Danielle to underestimate her. Danielle reminds Terry that this is the last night that the hidden idol could be used. She plans to work him until they get to tribal council to try to convince him to let her have it so that she doesn't have to win a challenge, but Cirie will go home when the tie occurs.

Jeff points out that there is one person from each of the original groups. Then he asks if there is a shift in momemtum now that he has won two challenges back to back. Jeff asks Terry if he feels vulnerable without immunity. Cirie says he feels safe because they all know he has the hidden immunity idol. Jeff reminds them all that this is the last night that the idol can be used. They all admit that they have figured on Terry having the idol in planning for the vote tonight. Jeff asks Cirie how has she changed through her survivor experience. Cirie says she has spent her life underestimating herself, sitting on a couch and not knowing how much she could really accomplish.

Watching the jury during all of this is interesting as Courtney and Shane obviously have some axes to grind, still. While Cirie is talking, Bruce and Courtney beam at her, proudly. When Danielle speaks Shane laughs at her as Courtney rolls her eyes. Bruce still beaming, almost as broadly.

Aras says he is keeping his immunity and they vote. As expected, Aras and Cirie vote for Danielle. Terry and Danielle vote for Cirie. As votes for Danielle are read, Courtney celebrates. They are tied. Jeff asks if either of them has the immunity idol and they both shake their heads no.

To break the tie, they will race to make fire. There is a string across their fire station and when that string burns, a flag will raise. First flag up wins. They are given magnesium flint, some tender and wood.

They begin....
TO BE CONTINUED
The preview shows the two women, both with a fire going. If you pause the TIVO, Cirie's fire seems to be 3 times as big as the one Danielle is working on. But, there is no way to know whose string will ignite and burn first. Sunday is the finale.
GO CIRIE

by BC and Scott