26--O16--Tocantins

Rank: Original #17
Season # 18
Title:  Survivor: Tocantins--The Brazilian Highlands

Location: Jalapao, Tocantins, Brazil
Broadcast: Spring, 2009
New Players:  16
Returning Players: 0

Days: 39
Winner:  James "J.T." Thomas

Final Tribal Council:  2 Players 7 Jury
Initial Tribes: Jalapao and Timbira
Merge: at 10 Forza
Jury: at 9 
Premise:  Exile Island where one player from each tribe goes to exile island.

 After gathering items from the truck they were hauled in on,  Timbira gathered all of the beans and water.  Each tribe then voted someone out of the 4 hour trek that the tribes would have to take to camp.  Sierra and Sandy were chosen to be voted out.  They were flown to camp and given a choice of setting up camp or search for a hidden immunity for first tribal.  Sandy went for the idol, and Sierra started setting up camp.  

At the first immunity, Jalapao lost, and Sandy still had not found the idol.  She didn't need it as Carolina was voted out unanimously.  

On Timbira, Sierra allied with Brandon to try to find the immunity idol After digging a huge hole and calling it a massive fire pit, they abandoned their search.  Candace and Coach were butting heads, but staying somewhat amicable.  

On Jalapao, Taj revealed that she was married to Eddie George a former NFL player.  Stephen had no clue who Eddie George was, but J.T. and others were in awe, but realized she needed to go eventually. 

Jalapao came from behind in a reward/immunity challeng to win.  Brendon was sent to Exile Island and took Taj with him.   At Exile, they chose urns, with Brendon getting the clue to a hidden immunity idol and a chance to switch tribes.  He shared the clue with Taj believing the idols are back at their camps. 

Coach started plotting to take out Candace, while Candace and Erinn looked at taking out Coach.  Tyson and Jerry weren't sure voting Candace was in the best interest for the tribe. Despite all of the discussions, Candace was unanimously voted out. 

Following tribal, Ernn pleaded her case on why she was not with Candace, but others though she was against them.   

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Timbira lost the next reward challenge and Brendon and Taj went back to Exile where they formed a secret alliance including Stephen and Sierra in the alliance.   Coach named Tyson Assistant Coach.  

At the next immunity, Jalapao won, and Jerry who was getting weaker and felt responsible.  The tribe agreed and voted him out unanimously.   Before he left though, Jerry said Brendon should be the leader of the tribe, with Erinn seconding, but Coach felt like he should be the leader.  

Taj let Stephen know about the Secret Alliance, but Brendon failed to inform Sierra, but found the idol at his tree mail.  Jalapao won reward, they chose Sierra to go, and took Taj.   Meanwhile, J.T. and Joe raided the Timbira camp and took a bag of beans and a water can.   Sandy was upset that they left Timbira with food and became very annoying. 

Taj explained to Sierra the plan and got the third clue.  Sierra was in. and Taj was able to get the Jalapao idol when returning.  

Timbira won the next three immunity challenges, where Sandy, Spencer and Sydney were sent home.  Taj and Stephen brought J.T. into their allicance.  

The merge came on day 19 with 6 Timbira and 4 Jalapao, but Joe had an infection in his leg and was evacuated after the immunity challenge, leaving only 3 Jalapao.  But Coach and Tyson bonded with  J.T and Stephen, because they had no trust in Brendon and Sierra.  Brendon did not approach Taj and Stephen, which made them lose their trust in them.   Brendon was over confident int he first post merge vote and did not play his idol while the others split 4-3 for Brendon and Sierra with the help of the Jalapao 3.

Sierra tried to make amends with Coach and Tyson and both brutally rejected her explanations. Sierra led the immunity challenge until Debbie took it with her last shot.  But Stephen and Erinn conspired to take out Tyson, while they had a chance.  J.T. worried about Coach and how he would be distrusted later.  But Tyson went in a 5-3 vote.   Even Sierra seemed surprised by this blindside. 

For Stephen and J.T., Coach took it a little too well.  At the next vote, Sierra went home but Taj and Erinn would not vote for her which made Coach go into more of a rant about loyalty. This caused Debbie to reassess her loyalty to Coach, which annoyed Stephen and J.T. and led to her going out in 6th place, while Coach was kept out of the loop, but then was told by Stephen and J.T. told Coach Debbie had written his name down.  

Coach was next to go, but not before over dramatizing his toughness and pain first on Exile, then in a challenge, and he hobbled out of Tribal Council with a makeshift walking stick never to be heard from again.  Just Kidding, Survivor brought him back twice after that because he was such a great character. 

So the Jalapao 3 and Erinn were in the final four.  Erinn had defied odds to make it that far after being in the outs with Timbira early on.   J.T. took the final 3 Immunity Challenges, which took him to the end ultimately choosing Stephen.  

Stephen and J.T. played one of the best combined strategic games.  Stephen took a lot of the negative feedback at FTC, and J.T. helped encourage that.  In the end, J.T. won in a unanimous decision.   

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