- In the Villains' camp, Russell keeps searching for their hidden immunity idol, while Rob continues his own mission to get Russell voted out.
- Previously on...: Both tribes found clues to the hidden immunity idols at each of their camps. Tom found it at the Heroes camp, but the Villains decided as a group to ignore the idol -- except for Russell, which Rob said sealed Russell's fate. The Villains won immunity, so there were no worries. JT flipped his vote and helped vote out Cirie after Tom played the immunity idol.
"Sixteen are left," Jeff Probst told us. "Who will be voted out tonight?"
Colby called JT a hero for changing the game. JT tried to smooth over his decision, saying it wasn't personal and he did it for the team. Rupert was "a lot pissed off."
The next morning JT tried to convince Amanda he was trustworthy, but she wasn't buying it. She realized he was making alliances right and left.
Day 12: Coach led some of the tribe through some "Dragonslayer Chi" on the beach. Sandra and Courtney laughed off some of it, but participated. Russell was the only one who stayed out of it. He was looking for the idol. He found it and declared, "Today, everything changes."
Reward challenge: The tribes had to play a bit of "Survivor" basketball and make shots through a hoop to win chocolate. To whet their appetites, Jeff passed a plate of chocolate bites to each of the tribes, but the Heroes mostly didn't eat any of it, and Colby said it was because they were itching to get to the challenge.
Three players from each tribe stood on a platform, while three others from each tribe battled each other in a pit below. There were three balls in play and the first team to make two baskets won.
As the challenge began, James, who was in the pit, successfully knocked away a couple of shots, but then fell hard and seemed to tweak his knee. The game stopped for a moment to allow the medics to take a look. The knee continued to buckle as James tried to walk it off.
The Heroes had to play without James and Amanda responded by making a basket to give the Heroes a 1-0 lead.
Things got dirty in the pit as Coach pushed JT, and JT responded by lifting Coach and tackling him to the ground -- bear in mind, there was no ball anywhere near them at the time. Tyson lobbed in a shot and there was some contact at the end of that round where it looked like Rupert knocked Jerri into the fence post around the pit. Rob went after Rupert, but Jeff broke it up from afar. Rupert said he didn't mean to do it, but Jerri got up and angrily walked away without accepting the apology. Tied, 1-1.
In the final round, Jerri got the last shot in -- literally. She tossed in the winner for a 2-1 victory and a chocolate feast.
Afterward, the medic said she was concerned that James did severe enough damage to his knee to take him out of the game. She was going to splint it and see if he could walk.
Meanwhile, the Villains enjoyed their chocolate and found a spring to swim in. Russell rejoiced in the feast and in the fact that they may have taken out James. They still talked about voting Russell out to bring the idol out.
Russell told Parvati and Coach about the idol. Coach knelt at Russell's feet when hearing the news, and said that he wouldn't betray Russell's trust. Russell decided to make it a personal vendetta against Rob.
Back at camp: Amanda was frustrated for James because he might have been taken out due to injury for a second time. She cried at the thought that he was gone. The rest of the Heroes tribe wondered whether he would return. In the distance, they saw James hobbling toward them on the beach. James told his tribemates that the medics didn't know what was wrong with his knee. He said it didn't hurt, but he couldn't walk on it. Candace said that if the Heroes lost the immunity challenge, there should be no question that James would have to go.
Immunity challenge: The tribes had to collect large puzzle pieces while blindfolded and being led by a caller. James was the caller for the Heroes, due to his injury, and Jerri called for the Villains.
Once all the piece were collected -- the Heroes gathered them first -- the blindfold came off and the teams put their puzzles together. Despite getting their pieces first, the Heroes lost again and the Villains walked away with immunity.
James began making a case, at least in his own mind, that even with his injury he was still more valuable than Tom.
Back at camp: The Heroes were down on themselves for being unable to beat the Villains at anything but wrestling.
Colby and Tom were talking about dumping James, but JT and Rupert were thinking Tom should go. Candace thought it was risky to keep James in the game despite his bum leg. Amanda agreed with Rupert about voting out Tom first, then Candace. Amanda was nervous about depending on JT's vote after he switched gears last week.
JT and Candace also talked to Tom about voting out James. JT then told Rupert he was with him and would vote for Tom. Colby said that if JT was "making deals with everyone in this posse, I can guarantee that will come back to bite him."
Tribal Council: James tried to convince everyone -- including Jeff -- that he still had some strength in his leg. James called out Tom and Candace about their approach toward putting together the puzzle.
Tom declared he was going to be voted out "unless some good people" make votes for the team's sake. James laid it out and told his tribemates that if they thought they could win with Tom instead of James, they should vote James out.
The vote: We saw Tom's vote for James (he said, "James -- all mass, no class"), and James' vote for Tom.
Jeff read the votes and the first two were for Tom, then two for James. A third vote for Tom was followed by a fourth, which was enough to vote him out.
Jeff said the vote revealed that James was more valuable to the tribe injured than Tom was healthy. "That decision will certainly be put to the test very soon," he said.
The votes revealed: Colby and Tom cast the only votes for James. The rest went for Tom.
Tom's last words: "I got on the wrong side of the numbers early, and I was fighting with best intentions, I just couldn't get that turned around.
"I don't think James is up to snuff, and I hope that they're going to be thinking, 'Gee, we could've used Tom.'"
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