31--R11--Blood Vs. Water

Rank: Returnee #11
Season # 27
Title:  Survivor:  Blood vs. Water
Location: Palaui Island, Phillipines
Broadcast: Fall, 2013
New Players:  10  (Relatives of the Originals)
Returning Players: 10 (Rupert, Colton, Candice, Kat, Laura M, Aras, Tina, Gervase, Monica, Tyson)
Days: 40
Winner:  Tyson Apostal
Final Tribal Council:  3 Players 8 Jury
Initial Tribes: Tadhana (New), Galang (Returnees)
Swap at 18
2nd Swap at 14
Merge: at 12 Kasama
Jury: at 11 
Premise:  Players came in pairs of loved ones, one on each tribe.  The day before the game started the pairs spent the night together.  Also included Redemption Island where players would duel to return to the game.  Also two players were voted out immediately after the game started.   

Blood vs. Water was very twisted from the start.  After spending a night together in the jungle as pairs they were brought in to the opening mat.  After being told they were playing against each other as loved ones, Jeff told them they were voting somebody out.   Laura Boneham was voted out of the loved ones, while Candice was voted out of the Returnees.  The third twist as the revealing of Redemption Island as a way to get back in.  HOWEVER...the loved ones of Laura and Candice were given the chance to replace them at Redemption Island.   Rupert took the challenge putting Laura onto the Returnee Tribe.     John and Candice decided not to switch.  

Laura B. became the outsider on Galang, while Brad tried to scheme on Tadhana to get a core 5 alliance.  Colton meanwhile, was Colton, and tried to create drama until he quit for the 2nd time early in episode 3.  

Let's also take a moment to talk about casting from One World.  3 Players were chosen, Monica and her NFL Celebrity Husband and two of the worst players and drama queens, Colton and Kat, Colton we discussed, and Kat, because of her "Big Brother" (I know nothing about that show) boyfriend Hayden. 
Brad brought his own drama, Caleb was likeable and way different from Colton, and Hayden was a strong player.  

The loved ones effect hurt Marissa, who was tossed when Gervase over-celebrated after winning immunity the first time.  It also hurt Rachel, who was tossed as strategy to have Tyson take her place on Redemption making Galang weaker (didn't happen).  

Eventually, Galang got an alliance going--Aras, Tina, Gervase, Tyson, and Monica.  

Another twist allowed the winner of Redemption Island Challenges to give someone still in the game a clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol.   Candice gave John the clue after the first two challenges putting a target on his back allowing him to join Candice on Redemption on night 8 which became the first couple to be voted out. After eliminating Marissa in the next duel, they had some time to themselves. 

At the 4th Tribal for Tadhana, Brad ticked off Caleb, by saying they should consider voting off someone who didn't have a loved one left. Caleb then announced he was voting for Brad and forced a tie vote between Cierra and Brad.  

Tadhana finally won a challenge in the 5th Challenge and Laura M was sent to Redemption. 

The swap moved two players from each tribe to the other, resulting in 5-1 Female advantage on Galang and a 5-1 Male advantage on Tadhana.   

The women lost both immunities and turned on each other rather than voting Vytas out, they voted out Kat and Laura B.  Laura made the rookie mistake of telling Vytas he was going home with the intent of making it a pleasant day for all of them.  

At the merge, there were two pairs of Loved Ones intact:  Aras and Vytas, and Katie and Tina.  Laura M. won the duel on Redemption and joined Cierra at the merge.   Also at the merge only one pair was completely out as Candice's husband John lost the final Duel at merge. 

The final 8 were split with 3 returnees and 4 new players,   But Cierra stayed with the returnees at 7 when Caleb was voted out.  The next vote went to rocks, with Katie drawing elimination.  After that Hayden, was eliminated, and Tina won the final duel on Day 36 and Cierra was eliminated next.   Tina was the final elimination leaving Tyson, Gervase, and Monica as the final 3.

Hayden tried to convince (rightly) Cierra and Gervase that Tyson would win if he went to the end, but Gervase thought he could beat Tyson, and Ciera eventually switched to force a tie at 6 when both Gervase and Tyson put her at #4 in the alliance.  Katie drew the rock and left, sealing victory for Tyson. 

Tyson won by a 7-1 margin, and there was little doubt that he would win if he made it to the final.   






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