Survivor South Pacific - December 14/11

We rejoin our intrepid Survivors as Edna heads off, with her alter ego Jack, to Redemption Island. There they will room with Ozzie for a (likely brief) while. The alliance of Coach, Albert, Sophie, Rick and Brandon have successfully eliminated everyone else and now must start turning on each other. They have a group prayer but they know alliances will crumble and sub alliances will be revealed. Albert is already plotting to get rid of Sophie. She is too smart and too dangerous to take to the final three. Instead he promises Rick that he will take him to the final three if Rick votes for Sophie. Strategizing is interupted by a Redemption Duel. Ozzie and Edna must race to complete a slide puzzle and release an ax. With the ax they must cut a rope to release a bag of cubes with coloured sides. The first to assemble the second puzzle so that, when stacked on top of each other, no colour appears twice on any one side. Edna has help and support from every one from her former tribe. Ozzie has to work on his own. In spite of that Ozzie pulls out a surprisingly narrow victory. So Edna and Jack burn their smelly buff and head off to get cleaned up for jury duty. Back at camp, Albert continues his campaign against Sophie. He tells Brandon that he, Albert and Coach will go to the final three. Wait a minute...wasn't that supposed to be Rick, Albert and Coach? Hmmmm. Meanwhile Sophie has made the astute observation that the last person all the jury members talk to is Ozzie. All of them have passed through Ozzie's "pleasure dome" on the way to the jury. Sophie is of a mind that Brandon should be the next to visit Ozzie. Albert speaks to Coach about his plan to oust Sophie and while they are talking Brandon comes over. He wants to know what they are talking about, and, when they tell him they are discussing jury votes, he says he doesn't believe them. Although I thought Brandon was pretty respectful, Coach ties into him, calling him a bully and comparing him to his uncle Russell. Brandon apologizes and insists that Coach heave himself out of his comfy hammock and give him a hug. Coach rather grudginly does this but has already decided that Albert sways whichever way the wind is blowing, and that Brandon has to go. For the immunity challenge, Survivors must use a rope to climb a very steep wall. Tied to the rope at intervals are five bags of puzzle pieces. Survivors must climb the rope, untie each bag and return it to the table at the base of the wall. Once they have collected all five bags of tiles, they must match pairs. The remaining unmatched three tiles will give them a numerical code. They must then climb over the wall to a combination lock and use the three numbers to unlock it. The first to successfully do this will win immunity along with reward (pizza, soft drinks and garlic bread). Brandon wins reward and chooses Rick to share it, a move, he tells us, which is not strategic. Coach tells us that he believes in divine intervention and that Brandon changed his fate by winning immunity. Coach tells us he is at peace with this...he is pissed, but at peace with it. While Brandon and Rick are eating the pizza Sophie curls up near them so she can "smell" it. She uses the opportunity to campaign against Albert. In truth, Albert is getting on everyone's nerves. But during the conversation Brandon learns from Rick that Albert lied to him. In true Brandon style he confronts Albert and they are joined by a very angry Rick. The three have a shouting match in which Albert tries to deny promising to take both Rick and Brandon to the final three. Meanwhile Sophie is loving it. After the argument has cooled Albert approaches Brandon to apologize and ask him to forgive him. In a moment of Biblical stupidity, Brandon "looks inside" Albert and determines that he is a good person. He not only forgives him, but offers to give Albert his newly won immunity idol. He confirms this decision with Coach and tells Coach that "we are here to forgive". No, you snot nosed weenie. You are here to win a million dollars!. Oops sorry. Did I say that out loud? Coach tells Brandon he (Coach) needs to be alone to pray about who to vote for. He does, and tells us that the same person keeps coming up again and again (kind of like those Magic 8 Balls I guess). Sure enough, in a tribal council rife with talks of honour and god, and much eye rolling by Sophie, Brandon gives his immunity idol to Albert. Albert is asked if he would give it back if Brandon was in danger. Albert says he sure would, except he is certain Brandon is safe. Not surprisingly, when the votes are tabulated, Brandon is heading to Redemption Island with our own Lorelee. Albert quickly slips the immunity necklace off his neck like it has suddenly become radioactive. Sunday December 18 is the season finale. That's when we find out who wins all the marbles. Will it be Coach (Lisa), Albert (Kathy), Rick (Debbie) or Sophie (Mitzie)? Or will Ozzie (Donna) or Brandon (Lorelee) return for redemption. Tune in on Sunday to see which of our pool members is going to win the million. Until then, Outwit, Outplay, Outlast Pat (aka Christine bought the Survivor t-shirt Markosky)