25--R9--South Pacific

Rank: Returnee #9
Season # 23
Title:  Survivor: South Pacific
Location: Upolu, Samoa
Broadcast: Fall, 2011
New Players:  16
Returning Players: 2
Days: 39
Winner:  Sophie Clarke
Final Tribal Council:  3 Players 9 Jury
Initial Tribes: Savali and Upolu
Merge: at 12 Te Tuna
Jury: at 12
Premise:  Redemption Island was in play with duels to get back into the game.   Coach and Ozzy return a la Rob and Russell in Redemption Island the season before. 

The 16 newbies are split into two tribes, before Ozzy and Coach are brought in. Ozzy was wanted, Coach was despised.  The first challenge pitted Ozzy against Coach for reward.  Ozzy wins with help from his tribe, and everyone leaves Coach except for Edna who comes over to help him.  

Ozzy has a relaxed camp and wants to go swimming which bothers translucent skinned Cochran.  Dawn has concerns that Ozzy is too Bob Marley, and the tribe is not getting things done, like building shelter.  

Coach and Sophie bond over Russian.  Russell er, Brandon was intimidated by Mikayla.  An alliance formed with Coach, Sophie, Albert, Rick, and Edna.  Brandon pledged never to show his tattoos.  

At the first immunity challenge, Upolu won in a close match with Savaii primarily because Semhar was tired and couldn't shoot.   She was sent to Redemption Island.  

Pre-merge this was a very balanced game and predictable.  The seven immunity challenges went back and forth with no tribe losing two in a row.   At the 7th tribal council, Ozzy volunteered to go to Redemption Island to win the duel and get back into the game, keeping the merge numbers even.   He made Cochran a double agent and gave his idol to Cochran for safekeeping.  He also played up his "rift" with Cochran at the duel (although Upolu wasn't buying it.)  and according to plan, he returned to the game beating Christina.   The plan worked to perfection up to that point.  

Coach told Cochran Upolu was strong and would not split, and pretty much told Cochran what Savaii was doing.   Mr. Survivor thesis scholar Cochran cracked and told the rest of Upolu the entire story. 

Ozzy and Dawn won immunity, which gave Savaii a 3-5 advantage in going to rocks.  To make the odds better, Ozzy played the Immunity Idol for Whitney.  Keith and Rick tied.  Cochran, not wanting any odds on going to rocks switched.  

After that the other 5 Savaii were Pagonged, with Cochran as the last one.  Cochran felt used.  Some fan.

Back at Te Tuna, the 6 Upolo, Edna was outcast mostly from Brandon.  Edna plead her case, but was sent to Redemption, followed by Brandon after Brandon gave up immunity to Albert.  Ozzy then returned to the game a second time, and won Immunity, which resulted in Rick going home.  Ozzy was the last to go becoming the first player to be voted out 3 times in one season.

This left Coach, Albert and Sophie as the Final 3.   Albert was largely dismissed at FTC, and it came down to Sophie and Coach.  Sophie was blasted for being incincere and shallow socially, while Coach was criticized for using religion to win over players, and not being true to his integrity.  In the end all of  original Savaii and  Brandon went for Sophie, and the other 3 original Upolu voted for Coach, giving Sophie a 6-3 win. 



 

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