It's A Mercy Kill

**It's A Mercy Kill** is the sixth episode of *Survivor: Samoa.*

## Story

After Tribal Council, Jaison is relieved to have survived and thanks everyone for keeping him in the game. Marisa and Ashley, who have bonded very closely over the past several rounds, are the least receptive to Jaison's thanks, and they make it clear to everyone else they think they should stick together and take out Jaison next as the outsider on the tribe. However, Mick has become close to Jaison recently and is threatened by how Marisa is running the tribe with Ashley at her side. Liz and Natalie have also bonded and are not sure where they rest on the tribe, anticipating a dramatic next Tribal Council. On Galu, Monica and Brett go out trying to catch crabs in the morning, and Monica falls and a rock stabs her in the knee. She starts bleeding and crying, and Brett carries her back to camp. The medical team determines that Monica does not have to be medically evacuated, but she struggles to walk around and is worried for her spot in the game. Some of the castaways outside of the majority, such as Dave, John, Erik, and Kelly, see Monica's injury as an opportunity to upend the social dynamics of the tribe, while Monica tries to stay in the good graces of her alliance.

The castaways arrive at the next challenge to discover that they will be competing for Individual Immunity, because both tribes are attending a Double Tribal Council; whoever wins Individual Immunity first will win Reward for their tribe, allowing them to go to Tribal Council second and watch the other tribe's Tribal Council. Mick is the first to finish, winning Reward as well for Foa Foa, while John wins the necklace for Galu.

Galu will attend Tribal Council first, and immediately coming back to camp, those in the minority lobby to see Monica voted out. Laura and Brett are very close to Monica personally and cannot bare to vote her out, also wanting to maintain their strategic positioning on the tribe. The three aim to vote out Kelly for being one of the weaker members of the tribe and one of the schemers in the minority. Russell S. and Yasmin fall into the swing vote position on the tribe between keeping a strong strategic position or keeping a strong tribe. At the end of the day, they decide that Monica's severe knee injury is too debilitating to the tribe even though they have a strong bond with her. At Tribal Council, Monica is voted out emotionally in a 6-3 vote.

Foa Foa attends Tribal Council after Galu. Marisa and Ashley push to keep the loosely knit majority together to vote out Jaison, believing he will flip on them at the merge if he stays in the game. Meanwhile, Mick has become Jaison's bonafide ally, and they try to convince Liz and Natalie that splitting up Marisa and Ashley will be beneficial for them strategically, allowing them to maintain control of the tribe. Mick and Jaison originally want to take out the head of the snake in Marisa, but Liz suggests doing Ashley instead since she is weaker and just Marisa's number. The boys agree to this, and Liz and Natalie decide to vote off Ashley to better their position on the tribe, blindsiding her in a 4-2 vote.

## Challenges

**Tribal Reward/Individual Immunity Challenge:** *Netball*

The castaways must untie a series of knots to release three balls, and then they must balance on a beam and shoot their balls into their net. The first castaway from each tribe to get their ball into the net will win Individual Immunty; whoever does it first will win Reward for their tribe.

**Winners:** Mick Trimming and John Fincher

**Additional Stipulation:** Mick Trimming earns Reward for his tribe of watching Galu's Tribal Council before attending theirs.

## Voting Confessionals #2

*Natalie's vote was not shown during her confessional.*

## Next Time on Survivor...

Dynamics are up in the air on Galu after Monica's surprise boot...

...and Marisa is furious on Foa Foa after Ashley's blindside.

## Trivia

The episode title was said by Erik Cardona when talking about how voting out Monica Padilla would be an act of mercy because of her painful knee injury.