The Dead Can Still Talk

The Dead Can Still Talk is the fifth episode of .
==Story==
===Day 10===
Tadhana returns to camp, still in shock after the unexpected blindside of Brad Culpepper. In a confessional, Ciera Eastin said she was shocked by the events at Tribal Council, but was glad to still be in the game. Katie Collins asked Vytas Baskauskas if he was upset, but said that he wasn't mad, but admitted that he and Hayden Moss had been completely unaware of Caleb Bankston's intention to force a re-vote. Caleb noted that he hadn't planned the move, but that his dislike of Brad had "festered," prompting him to make a last-minute counter-attack.
At , Brad arrived and woke Candice Cody and John Cody, waving a white flag. Candice and John were excited to see their nemesis get the boot, but listened to Brad's apology in which he pointed out that it was a game and that one's real alliance was with one's spouse.
Meanwhile, at Galang, Laura Morett gave Aras Baskauskas a massage in the shelter. In confessionals, Laura M. revealed that she believed she was in an alliance with Aras, but he showed that she was on the outs of the majority alliance. Meanwhile, Laura Boneham was still struggling to find her place in the tribe as the only first-time player, and was finding the isolation difficult to deal with.
===Day 11===
The tribes convened at Redemption Island Arena. When it became apparent that Brad had been voted out, the Galang tribe reached to comfort Monica Culpepper. After Brad, Candice, and John filed in for their Duel, Monica apologized to Brad and asked if she could take his place. He said that she didn't need to and he would fight his own battle to get back in the game. Host Jeff Probst asked Candice about her frequent commentary on both Brad and the game at large, despite having been on Redemption since the first day. She said that she had merely been repeating what the people who had been voted out were telling her, saying it was their word against Brad's. Brad said that it was also their word against the people who were still in the game. Monica interjected that Candice's obscene comments about Brad had hurt her feelings, but Candice interjected that Monica had hurt her feelings by voting for her on Day 1.
Jeff then revealed the Duel: A Game of Bridge. Each contestant would take apart a crate and use the planks to build a puzzle bridge. Once crossing the bridge, they would take off the planks and find twelve planks with a painted image on them. Eight of those planks would be used to solve a final puzzle, with the first two to finish remaining in the game, whilst the last place finisher would be permanently eliminated. Additionally, the first-place finisher would be able to give a clue to the Hidden Immunity Idol to anybody still in the game.
Candice and John began solving the bridge one plank at a time, whereas Brad pulled out all of the planks from the crate first. Candice pulled out to an early lead, with John close behind. However, John made a mistake, allowing Brad to catch up. Candice's pace slowed and soon all three competitors were neck-and-neck. John was the first to finish his bridge, but Brad was close behind, with Candice falling into last place. However, soon all three were dismantling their bridge, but it was John who finished first, followed by Brad (who received a round of applause from the Galang tribe). John made quick work of the puzzle to place first in the Duel. Candice and Brad were both very close behind, but it was Brad who managed to pull out the win to stay in the game. Leaving Candice as the fifth person eliminated from .
Candice said the hardest part about losing was the fact that she was leaving her husband behind. John added that it was "miserable," particularly in light of his decision not to take her place earlier in the game and now being the one to send her home. The Codys hugged farewell, with Candice telling John, "No more tears, okay?" She bid the contestants – and Jeff – goodbye and good luck, and threw her Buff in the fire as she departed the Arena.
John was then given the clue to the Idol, and once again, he chose to give it to Monica. Again, she and Brad decided to burn the clue. Brad and John then headed back to Redemption Island, whilst the tribes returned to camp.
Back at Galang, Monica thanked her tribe for their support. She hoped that he would be able to win his way back into the game, which Tina Wesson believed was possible. Later, the two women discussed the situation in private, with Monica assuring Tina that regardless of what happened with her husband, she was going to remain loyal to the five-person alliance. However, in a confessional Tina noted that Monica's true loyalties were uncertain.
Meanwhile, at Tadhana, the tribe recounted the difficulties of survival – including scarce food and numerous injuries. The main feature was Katie's loss of several toenails after developing tinea). The tribe's losing streak was also demoralizing the group.
Later in the day, Caleb and Vytas took the boat out onto the ocean and discussed the social dynamics, noting that in their normal lives, Katie and Ciera, nor Caleb and Vytas, would have ever met, much less be friends. Caleb also said that he felt as though Ciera was like a "little sister." However, Vytas was also worried about Caleb's loyalties after his unpredictable behavior at the previous Tribal Council, so tried to keep himself in Caleb's good graces by bonding with him on the boat. On the other hand, Caleb was enjoying his level of power in the tribe.
===Day 13===
Two days later, Tadhana prepare for their next challenge. Atop a cliff overlooking the ocean, Vytas practiced yoga and basked in the serenity of the locale, noting the unity of the tribe following Brad's elimination. Later, the rest of the tribe met on the ridge to pep themselves up for the challenge.
At the Immunity Challenge, Jeff first took the Immunity Idol back from Galang. He then revealed the challenge: Slide Show. One member from each tribe would square off in each round: they would slide down a steep water slide and collect a ring. They would then race to throw the ring onto a post. The first to land their ring would score a point for their tribe, with the first tribe to five points winning immunity, as well of a choice of reward: either a steak dinner (including vegetables, spices and a wok), or fishing gear. To even the tribes, Galang needed to sit three people out. Kat Edorsson insisted that she wanted to compete, so Laura B., Laura M., & Monica sat out. As they took their place on the bench, Laura M. and Monica lamented not being able to compete.
In the first round, Caleb and Gervase Peterson squared off, with Caleb scoring a point with his first toss. Next, Tyson Apostol took on Hayden and scored a point to even the score at 1-1. Kat and Katie were up next, with Katie scoring the point. Brothers Aras and Vytas squared off once again, coming out dead-even from the slide, but Vytas scored on his first throw to push Tadhana out to a 3-1 lead. Tina and Ciera followed, with Tina scoring to narrow the gap 3-2 to Tadhana.
Restarting the cycle with new match-ups, Caleb and Tyson squared off, but it was Caleb who scored. With Tadhana one point away from winning, Hayden and Gervase followed. Hayden was the first to land his ring, winning Tadhana their first challenge. The tribe embraced in glee and chose to take the steak dinner for reward. Galang then departed for camp with their first Tribal Council looming.
Upon arrival at camp, Laura B. was worried about her first Tribal Council experience. Although she told Gervase that she was going to take it easy (but pack her things anyway), she tried to throw shade and keep the target off of her. She approached Kat, along with Tina and Tyson, and told her that Laura M. and Monica had been "bitching about [her] doing the challenge." Although Tina interjected that nobody enjoyed sitting out, Kat was baffled by Laura B.'s vague attempts to meddle with comments about women's rivalries. However, in confessionals, both Kat and Tyson confirmed that Laura B. was the target for the vote.
Meanwhile, Aras and Laura M. took the boat out to cast the fishing traps and discuss strategy. Aras said that Laura B. would be an easy unanimous vote, which Laura M. agreed would mean a panic-less afternoon. Although Laura M. reiterated her trust in Aras in a confessional, he revealed that he wasn't determined to take the easy vote. As he and Tyson lay in the hammock, he asked who they should send home. Although Tyson wanted to take out Laura B, Aras proposed sending Laura M. to Redemption Island as he thought she would have a better chance at beating Brad and thus, shore up Monica's loyalty to the Galang Alliance. However, when Aras proposed the idea to Monica, she seemed hesitant and worried that Laura M would be a bigger challenge threat to her husband. Monica persisted with the idea of voting out Laura B, and as the tribe departed camp, Aras was torn between pushing his own agenda and blending into the tribe.
At Tribal Council, Galang collected their torches and lit them. Jeff began by asking Gervase about the changes to the game since he'd first played thirteen years beforehand. He said it was "surreal" to be back, but all of his assumptions about how to play the game had gone out the window due to the aggressive play of modern Survivor. Tina agreed, adding that on Day 5, she'd felt as though she'd played more game in only a few days than she had over the course of the entirety of .
Tina also noted that the twist added extra complexity. Monica agreed that the stakes were higher with loved ones in the game, pointing to her own stresses with Brad at Redemption Island and the overall uncertainty about people's loyalties come the merge when they could be reunited with a loved one. Aras continued the discussion, noting that considerations had to be made about partners, but announced that he had to focus on his own game on Galang and let his brother Vytas do his own thing. Laura M. agreed that there came a time when "you have to cut the apron strings" and that the Galang tribe was each other's "blood." Gervase countered that despite Laura M.'s multiple defeats of her daughter in challenges, it appeared that Laura M. and Ciera were threateningly close, and the same threat could be said of anyone who still had their loved one in the game.
Jeff then asked Laura B. about her elimination from Tadhana on Day 1 and her need to fit in with Returning Players, bluntly asking if she belonged in the game. She said that she felt a part of the tribe, and did belong there. Monica agreed, pointing out that Laura B. had been with them since Day 1 and was a valuable fisherwoman, fire starter, and part of the tribe. Laura B. continued by saying that she could still be an easy vote and despite the tribe's welcoming of her, she had noted their disappointment at not getting to play with her husband, Rupert Boneham. Although Jeff noted that she wasn't Rupert, she insisted that she fit in. However, Laura M. interjected that Laura B. had not felt the sting of being voted out in a past game and inherently didn't fit into a tribe of veterans.
When it came time to vote, Laura M. voted against Laura B. Kat, Tina, and Gervase voted next, with Laura B. then casting her vote for Laura M. Monica, Tyson and Aras rounded out the votes.
Jeff tallied and read the votes. Although the first vote was for Laura B, the rest were cast for Laura M. Thus, in a unanimous decision, Laura M. became the seventh person voted out of . Shocked and silent, her torch was snuffed and she departed for Redemption Island without even looking back at her tribe. Jeff sent the tribe back to camp, noting that he expected nothing less than a blindside at the first vote in such an unpredictable game.
Laura M. arrived at Redemption Island and greeted Brad and John. Brad was shocked that the veterans' tribe had lost a challenge, but Laura was keeping her sights on the upcoming Duel, determined to stay in the game.
==Challenges==
<tabber>Redemption Island Duel=Challenge: A Game of BridgeThe castaways must disassemble a box and use the pieces as planks to build a bridge. Once they cross the bridge, they use some of the planks to solve a pattern puzzle.Winners (in order of finish):  and  (John gave the Hidden Immunity Idol clue to )|-|Reward/Immunity=Challenge: Slide ShowThe castaways must race down a giant water slide, grabbing a ring on the way down. Once they have their ring, they must run up to a mat and they throw the ring onto a cross. The first player to get their ring on their cross scores a point for their tribe. The first tribe with five points, wins.Reward: Steak dinner (including vegetables, spices, and a wok), or fishing gear.Winner: </tabber>
==Redemption Island==
colspan="2"	
Competitors	Result(according to finish)
 	Won
 	Won
 	Lost
colspan="2"	
==Tribal Council==
colspan="2" 	
VotedAgainst	Voter
 	
 	
colspan="2" 	
===Voting Confessionals===
Both Tina and Monica were shown writing down "Laura" on the parchment.
===Still in the Running===
									
									
==Trivia==
* No footage from Day 12 was shown in the episode.
* In this episode, only people named Laura received votes. This is the first time people with the same name are the only people to receive votes at Tribal Council.
* At Tribal Council, Laura Morett says all the returning players have had their torch snuffed at one point. This is not true, as Aras Baskauskas won the only season he competed in, and Colton Cumbie was evacuated from only season he competed in prior, therefore never had their torches snuffed.
**However, Aras would have his torch snuffed when he was voted out three episodes later.
==References==
Category:Episodes
Category:Survivor (U.S.)
2705
Category:Survivor: Blood vs. Water
05