Like a guest who has overstayed his welcome, Rupert finally went home.
Ironic that someone so likable during his first season could evolve into this crusty parody of himself. Early on in the game, it was apparent that Rupert truly believe his "heroic" status as he constantly reminded people that he was a HERO.
Heroic Deeds?
But really, what heroic deeds did Rupert accomplish during this season of "Survivor"? Was it heroic to plot the untimely demise of Stephenie and potentially weaken his tribe? How about his full body check of Jerri during a challenge? Or maybe it was his mistaken belief that the Villain women were targeting the men?
Whatever the reason, Rupert strongly believed that he was, in fact, a hero the likes of which the game of "Survivor" has never seen before. His weekly confessionals, not to mention Tribal Council statements, focussed on his singular claim to fame —his appointment to the Heroes tribe.
Unfortunately for Rupert, his strongest game move was pretending to have found the Hidden Immunity Idol. It does not bode well for him (or Colby for that matter), that Amanda, Candace and Danielle were considered bigger threats.
Sandra attempted to hand Rupert the keys to the game on several occasions — most recently just before the last TC. How did Rupert repay her gesture? He tattled to Russell! What an idiot!
Side note: Why did producers feel the need to bring back Rupert for a third time? More than 300 previous survivors and they could only find those 10 heroes? Really? Rupert, Colby, Stephenie, Cerie, James and Amanda were all three-peats.
Running Scared
On the other hand, Russell is running scared. He's a control freak who can't accept that the game is beyond his control. So his game play is erratic at best.
Having successfully evicted Danielle during the last Tribal Council, Russell was certain that his bond with Parvati would be restored. Instead, he found that she was concerned about her own safety, which he perceived as a betrayal by Parvati. Note to self: Russell has a low "betrayal threshold." Russell being Russell, he over-reacts and decides that Parvati needs to go home. So he begins to work on a plan to get rid of his closest ally.
Since week two, I anticipated the arrival of the family members. I wondered how Russell would handle meeting his wife after his obvious crush on Parvarti! Fortunately for Russell, recent events caused him to remove his rose colored glasses and finally see Parvati for the player she is.
Enter the Wife
The Reward Challenge was simple enough. Survivors used a bucket to get water from the ocean and throw it toward their family member's bucket. Not too difficult — part skill, part luck.
Colby's lack of skill coupled with his lack of luck worked against him in this challenge. So, in true Colby fashion, he blamed everything on his brother, Reed. It was Reed's fault for not talking to him and Reed's fault when Colby's aim was off. Colby probably even blamed Reed for his performance in the Immunity Challenge a day later!
Jerri and her sister eventually filled the bucket and won the challenge. Russell sustained another slap in the face when Jerri selected Parvati (and her dad) and Sandra (and her uncle) to join her on a trip to see the blowholes. According to Russell, he dragged Jerri through the mud to keep her in the game. I wonder if Russell knows that dragging someone through the mud is a derogatory phrase?
I'm Going to Win a Million Dollars!
Russell, of course, does the predictable and hustles to dumb and dumber (Rupert and Colby) to align with them to take out Parvati. Stunned by their good fortune, the former Heroes jump aboard the Russell Express.
Giddy with excitement and envisioning the million dollar prize as his own, Rupert gushes over his new alliance.What an idiot. Did Rupert really believe that the self-proclaimed biggest villain in the history of the game would stay true to his word? Apparently!
The women, meanwhile, bonded at the blowholes. Sounds a little dirty but truly a once in a lifetime experience. Jerri was a little concerned that Russell might be upset about not being included in the reward. You think? I mean, this is Russell Hantz we're talking about, right? He doesn't hold grudges, does he?
Upon their return, Jerri talks to Russell and downplays the reward while making sure they are still okay with one another. Russell comes away feeling like Jerri is his puppet but it seems to me that's a bit premature given the fact that she just spent several hours with Parvati and Sandra.
And the Immunity Necklace Goes To....
The Immunity Challenge featured the survivors holding a pair of poles up against a board with arms extended. Strength and focus. While Colby lacked skill and luck in the previous challenge, he proved that he also lacked strength and focus in this challenge as he lasted a mere 15 seconds. Maybe his strategy is to appear so weak that he's no threat to anyone. That's hardly the best strategy for winning the game, though.
One by one the survivors dropped out, leaving only Rupert and Parvati facing off for the win. Rupert must not have felt entirely safe given the effort he put in. Or maybe he wanted to be the "hero" and take Parvati out of the challenge. Either way, Rupert lost and Parvati donned the Immunity necklace once again.
Back at the camp, Sandra tried once again to rally Rupert. As mentioned earlier, Rupert went like a five-year-old and tattled to Russell putting him on the same level as Candice in my book. Rupert will contend that he played honorably, but did he?How does tattling fit into the character of a so-called hero?
So Russell confronts Sandra — are you for me, or against me? Sandra, of course, tells him straight out, "I'm against you, Russell." A great moment in a good game. Ironically, Russell does not demand her dismissal, instead, he sides with the women and blindsides his newest ally Rupert.
If you are keeping track of the boot order so far, they are spot on. My only hope is that they continue to be accurate!
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