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 Julie Berry. (Photo: Monty Brinton/CBS). |
By feeding youth mentor Julie Berry to the sharks last night, the Oddball Alliance of Scout, Twila, Eliza and Chris have become Survivor Vanuatu's Final Four. The quartet will battle it out on the season finale this Sunday night to determine who will be the Sole Survivor and the winner of one million dollars U.S. Heading into the last phase of the game, a cutthroat showdown between the sub-alliances of Eliza and Chris versus Scout and Twila seems inevitable. With Scout Cloud Lee still unable to secure a Challenge win, things are not looking good for the tough-as-nails rancher and Twila.
Julie might have won Immunity and made the final four if it were not for Twila. Neck and neck with Eliza during the conclusion of the listen-to-a-story-and-answer-the-questions trivia Challenge, Julie fell behind when an absent-minded Twila returned to a hut to mix-up her puzzle pieces. Julie was left waiting for Twila as Eliza roared ahead. Twila's decision to backtrack cost Julie valuable time and Immunity. Julie's loss proves that the under the radar strategy definitely has its fatal flaws. When the Yasur Women's Alliance crumbled, Julie has no support system to sustain her. Her weak bonds with Eliza and Chris weren't enough to sway them away from the Oddball Alliance's master plan of ridding Vanuatu of Yasur. Representing the swing vote, Chris betrayed Julie at Tribal Council after promising to keep her in the game and vote out Twila.
The Survivors at the start of the broadcast were:
Alinta Tribe
1. Julie Berry: Youth mentor.
2. Chris Daugherty: Highway construction.
3. Twila Tanner: Highway repair.
4. Eliza Orlins: Pre-law student.
5. Scout Cloud Lee: Rancher.
Alinta Tribal Happenings (Night 33)
With the Queen of Mean (Ami) gone, Chris assumed things would be better at camp. It seems he forgot about Twila's big yap. A severely peeved Twila rips into Eliza for bringing up the whole you-swore-on-your-son deal at Tribal Council. As they relax at the campfire, Twila demands that Eliza quit rubbing salt in her wounds. Eliza stammers an apology but Twila is on the warpath. Twila is sorry she made the promise. Her son is the only one she has to answer to for the mistake and the rest of Alinta can kiss Twila's butt. Twila then turns on Julie. Julie doesn't understand why Twila is attacking her. She has never thrown the mistake in Twila's face. Twila ain't buying that for a dollar.
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Julie: Twila is really insecure. She will use the outburst against her later on in the game.
Alone in the hovel, Julie and Eliza have a Twila bitch session. Eliza doesn't trust Twila because of what she did. Eliza: "If you can't live with your past, don't do it."
Alinta Tribal Happenings (Day 34)
Eliza and Julie are up counting grains of sand or something. The beast stirs. Eliza and Julie can't figure out why Twila is still so upset. Julie throws out some psychobabble. According to her, Twila is angry with herself and is directing her anger at everyone else. Thanks, Sigmund Freud.
Chris: Twila isn't doing herself any favours by insulting Julie and Eliza. It is important that the Oddball Alliance stay strong and focused. The bickering has to cease. Twila needs to think long term.
Julie and Eliza chat in the jungle. Julie asks Eliza: "Why vote me out over her (Twila)?". Eliza pulls a Rudy and just keeps mumbling...I don't know...I don't know. Eliza would agree to kick Twila if Julie can convince Chris to do so.
Julie: Chris is her only hope but she needs to approach him about the Twila plan at the right time. What's that about asking and you shall receive?
Reward Challenge
The challenge is a mix of previous games. The last person to complete each stage is eliminated. First stage: Crawl through the mud under an obstacle. Second stage: Capture a pig in a pen. Third stage: Untie and assemble a Tiki puzzle. Fourth stage: Cross a balance beam and then break three plates with a slingshot.
Reward
Result
Probst informs Julie that she can take someone with her to Mount Yasur. Julie says she finds it ironic that if any of the others won they wouldn't have chosen her...ever. She picks Chris to come along on the trip.
Reward Happenings (Day 34)
Julie: She needed to talk to Chris alone so it was only natural to choose him. He is her door to progress in the game.
Joe, a native guide, arrives to saddle Chris and Julie up. Julie and Joe have no problem crossing a river on horseback. The same cannot be said for Chris. Chris' horse turns round and round refusing to follow the others at first.
At the camp area, Joe shows Julie and Chris how to cook food in the volcano vents.
Chris: He isn't shocked Julie brought him along.
Julie asks Chris if he is tight with Twila. Chris says he isn't. Julie tells Chris about the plan to oust Twila and that Eliza directed her to speak to him. Chris replies that he will consider his options.
Chris says to Julie that if they teamed up now they could turn the game upside down.
Julie: Chris is my rock.
Alinta Tribal Happenings (Day 34)
Eliza and Twila argue about bananas. Twila buried some so they would ripen faster but refuses to tell Eliza where they are. Both Twila and Eliza accuse each other of being childish about the whole thing. Scout tries to clear the matter up. Scout maintains that Twila is just keeping the bananas safe so they can share them at breakfast. Eliza grabs the remaining bananas and threatens to bury them and not tell anyone where they are. Scout to Twila: Touche! She got you.
Eliza: Twila is annoying and obnoxious. She is sick of her and wants her sent home now.
Reward Happenings (Night 34)
Joe leads Julie and Chris up the volcano so they can watch the eruptions. Chris compares the experience to the Fourth of July. Julie: It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Chris: How often do you get to sit at the mouth of a volcano and watch it explode?
Alinta Tribal Happenings (Day 35)
As Julie and Chris return to camp, Scout hugs Chris. Chris assures her that nothing has changed. Julie is going home. Scout is glad to hear the news. Feeling he has to reassure the "basket case" Twila, Chris hunts her down and hugs her too.
Talking on the beach, Chris and Eliza discuss ditching Twila. Chris says they must do whatever benefits them the most. Eliza believes if Julie stays they are guaranteed Final Three. Chris will keep an open mind about it. Eliza laughs: Imagine if we screwed Twila now?
Chris: He doesn't trust any of the women but they all trust him. Imagine that.
Chris tells Eliza that before they put any plan into motion, they have to see who wins Immunity. Once that is decided, they can plot a course that best suits them.
Immunity Challenge
Probst relates a story about a native chief who united the tribes of Vanuatu. There are five huts. Each contains a puzzle that must be solved to produce a question. There are two answers with bags under them. In one bag is a white tusk. A white tusk means the player got the answer right and can run back to hang the tusk on their hook. In the other bag is a black tusk. That's a wrong answer and the tusk must be thrown into the fire. First Survivor to score five white tusks wins.
Reward
Result
Alinta Tribal Happenings (Day 36)
Eliza is delirious to have won a spot in the Final Four. She would like nothing better but to win the rest of the Immunity Challenges. This will be the first Tribal Council she attends without her bag. She would like to shock everyone and vote off Twila.
Chris and Scout talk on the beach. Julie and Eliza watch. They wonder what Chris is doing chatting with Scout.
Chris to Scout: "We are three. They are two."
Chris meets with Twila. "Don't doubt it. Julie is the next to go," he says.
Chris and Eliza strategize. Chris comments that he hopes if Julie is voted off, it won't change the alliance he has with Eliza. Eliza: If we don't win the next Immunity though, we are screwed. Chris: "It does put us at risk." Twila interrupts the conversation. She wants to know what is going on. Eliza calls Twila a liar. Twila fires the accusation back at Eliza. Eliza claims she has never lied to anyone...yet. Eliza to Twila: "You have been plotting against me since Day One." Twila: "You have Immunity for one night so why not enjoy it?". Twila questions Chris. Chris tells Twila he is just hearing Eliza out is all.
Chris: He is in a good position as the middleman between alliances. He doesn't trust the others. They are women.
Julie chats up Chris. Chris says his friendship with Julie means much more than the bond he has with Twila. He agrees to keep Julie and vote off Twila.
Julie about Chris: I hope he keeps me around.
Twila chats up Chris. He has made his decision. Julie is being booted. She is going home tonight.
Twila: She can't let her guard down. People have murdered for less than a million dollars.
Chris: Whatever choice he makes at Tribal Council, it has to be whatever would put him in the best position to win. He is in trouble now though. He promised both Julie and Twila he would vote to keep them.
Alinta Tribal Council Happenings
When asked if someone in the final five is undeserving of winning the entire game, Twila answers there is but she ain't calling that person out. Eliza: "It is me by the way." Eliza thinks they all deserve to win. Julie believes she is good at sizing people up. She knows who she can and cannot trust. Chris: Tonight's vote will be the toughest yet. He is caught in the middle of something and would rather not cast a ballot at all. Eliza is keeping Immunity. Scout jokes that Eliza should surrender it to Twila.
Scout votes for Julie. She offers some advice. Julie should go back to her roots. Eliza picks Twila. She has been waiting so long to send her packing. We don't see who Chris is voting for but he says it is a hard decision but he has to play the game.
Eliza is stunned when Julie's torch is snuffed. She looks back at Chris. Chris remains poker faced. Final Voting
- 1. Julie Berry: Twila.
2. Chris Daugherty: Julie.
3. Twila Tanner: Julie.
4. Eliza Orlins: Twila.
5. Scout Cloud Lee: Julie.
Tribal Council Victim:
Julie Berry.
Parting Comments
On the next 'Survivor': Television.
CBS Sunday... Probst: "It is down to four Survivors. Who will take home the million dollars?". Chris. He could have been the first on the chopping block but he survived. Chris: "It was tougher than I thought it would be." Eliza thought she was doomed. Eliza: "I always think I am going home." Scout has cruised under the radar and Twila's mouth has gotten her this far. Probst: "Three Tribal Councils and one ultimate winner."
On the next 'Survivor': Internet.
None posted at press time.
Powell's Thoughts:
READER ALERT: Take a break from your Holiday shopping and join me this Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET for our final 'Survivor Vanuatu' chat. Hopefully, I will have some last minute info to pass along. Also on that day, check the 'Tale of the Torch' page for my final predictions and learn where I think the remaining Survivors will finish and who the ultimate winner will be.
Chris is king: One day, someone will have to explain to me how Chris rose from the dead to become the power player in this game. As I have stated before, he is in the best position to win it all. Why? Because the other three can't get beyond their outright hatred for each other. Obviously the women haven't learned that personal grudges in the game can't be allowed to interfere with sound strategy. There is no way Eliza, Scout and Twila will team to vote Chris out. That leaves Chris to either patch things up with Eliza and work toward taking Scout and Twila down or Chris can hitch up with Twila and Scout knowing he has a good chance at besting them in challenges. Plus, he was quoted this week as saying he owes Scout and Twila for keeping him in the game. He could stick with Eliza too as she will do whatever he says because she has no other alternative except to win Immunity. Scout and Twila will not align themselves with her.
Eliza Immunity streak: The producers love them quotes. Could Eliza's hope of winning the rest of the Immunity Challenges become a reality or could the gossip of her being in the Final Two be false?
The dreaded purple rock: If Chris does align himself with Eliza, could we be in for the first tied Tribal Council vote of the season? Based on his statements in the past, would Chris allow that to happen? If the situation does play out that way, let's all say a prayer that the purple rock doesn't return. That is such a lousy way of determining the outcome especially at this late juncture in the game. The only fair thing to do is to hold a mini tiebreaker, winner-takes-all challenge between the two tied players. Whoever loses, gets the axe.
Don't count out troublesome Twila: If Chris does solidify an alliance with Twila and Scout, Twila's chances will be significantly improved. The alliance can bump off Eliza and Scout doesn't have much of a hope in hell when it comes to the challenges.