Easily Backfire

This is the ninth episode of *Survivor: Gonave Island*

## Challenges

**Reward Challenge:** *TLP O-Course*
The tribe would be randomly split into two teams. The teams would run an obstacle course of a hay stack, a rope crawl, a reed blocked pathway, a net crawl, and a brick wall. Along the way of the course would be three stations where a key is suspended in the air on a metal spring. The team would have to work together to reach the key and free it from the spring. The first team to collect all three keys and unlock their team's flag would win.
**Reward:** Barbecue Lunch
**Winner:** Ashlee Turner, Elisabeth DeWitt, Franklin Mills, Gretchen Fuller, Tanner Cozart

**Immunity Challenge:** *Flashback*
The castaways would test their memory by having to memorize a series of symbols shown by Jeff. The castaways would have to show back the symbols in order. If they showed the wrong symbol, they would be out of the challenge. The last castaway to show all of the correct symbols would win.
**Winner:** Kim Mills

## Story

### Night 21

As he returns from Tribal, where Andrea was blindsided, Gerard secretly celebrates as he believes he hold the majority. He tells Kenneth that he's excited that they will be going to the end together again.

Meanwhile, Ashlee goes up to J.T. and ask why he didn't vote Kenneth. J.T. says that he couldn't trust Andrea and could at least know what Kenneth brings, unlike Andrea. Ashlee, wanting to berate J.T., walks away to vent privately.

### Day 22

In early morning, Barbie vents to Kim about Andrea leaving. Kim agrees that getting rid wasn't a good move but they needed to keep J.T. with them for majority. Kim still wants Gerard out next desperately since he's running the rival alliance. Nearby, Kenneth listens in to the conversation. Kim continues to rank about how Tanner, Jason, and Elisabeth don't want Gerard or Kenneth out and are just letting them get back to the end. Hearing enough, Kenneth goes to Gerard and tells him everything he heard. Gerard chuckles, saying Kim and Barbie will be the next to go.

The tribes then meet for their next reward challenge. Jeff notes that players will go to Exile after the next few Reward challenges. The tribe is then divided into two teams for the challenge.

The purple team is made up of Ashlee, Elisabeth, Franklin, Gretchen, and Tanner. The orange team is made up of Barbie, Gerard, J.T., Kenneth, and Kim, meaning Jason will not participate in the reward.

The orange team gets an early lead as Ashlee gets stuck in the rope crawl. Tanner goes back and helps her through. Kim grabs the first key by the time the purple team gets to their first station. The purple team manage to catch up when the orange team gets to the net crawl. Both tribes remain beside each other for the rest of the challenge until they get to the brick wall. Tanner and Franklin slam into the brick wall while Gerard and Kenneth slam through the wall. Both tribes get to their flag at the same time, but the purple team manage to get their flag up milliseconds before orange, winning them reward.

When asked on who they will send to Exile, the orange team agrees to send Barbie to Exile.

At Exile, Barbie cases any future idol locations in case she ever comes back after Tanner uses his idol and decides to relax for the rest of her time there. However, it begins to rain on Exile, causing Barbie to take shelter in a cave.

At reward, the five winners enjoy themselves as they see the barbecue ribs, burgers, hot dogs, etc. Tanner stuffs his face with food, having not eaten much since the start of the game. The other four joke about how Tanner has eaten more than the rest of them.

Tanner jokes about Edward, saying Edward wouldn't allow him to eat any of the food if he had made the merge and won the reward. Ashlee tells Tanner what Edward had said to her after the swap, sending Tanner into hysterics.

After a few hours, the winners return to camp with stuffed stomachs. Tanner and Jason meet up with each other and chat about their position. Tanner tells Jason everything Ashlee told them about Edward, causing Jason to chuckle. Jason says that they seem to be in the best possible spot in the game after Edward's idol stunt at the old Navassa camp.

J.T. approaches Ashlee to talk to her about the reward, but wants to also try to patch things up with her after he went against her at the previous vote.

J.T. and Ashlee converse about the reward and how nice it was. J.T. then apologizes for going against her at the previous tribal, saying he was just scared that Andrea would ruin his game once again and wanted her gone. Ashlee, knowing J.T. is lying, accepts his apology.

Gretchen sits in the shelter and watches both alliances talk strategy. Feeling she is the swing vote, Gretchen believes she is the most powerful player in the game and chuckles in disbelief.

Kenneth decides to see if J.T. is with him or not. He takes J.T. to the well to collect water and talk to him about the vote. J.T. says he'd rather get rid of Tanner or Elisabeth in order to keep the Favorites intact. Kenneth sees through J.T.'s lies but doesn't call him out. Kenneth agrees with J.T. and the two leave.

### Day 23

While everyone does their morning chores, Gerard barks orders to everyone. Ashlee asks why Gerard isn't working, to which he says he is by supervising. Ashlee roles her eyes and continues to work. Tanner and Jason talk about Gerard giving out orders, calling him a mess and a perfect jury goat. Gerard continues giving orders around in the background as the two talk.

As Tanner and Jason talk, Kenneth walks up. He tells the two Kim and Barbie want to take Gerard out at the next Tribal and that they might have a majority. Jason believes they have Gretchen with them, though Kenneth doesn't share his confidence. He tells Tanner he may have to use his idol on Gerard, to which Tanner says he will mull it over.

Meanwhile, Gretchen shares her worry about fully committing to her alliance, as she believes J.T. doesn't fully trust her and she wants to be in an alliance where she feels 100% secure. Kim reassures Gretchen, saying J.T. is on the bottom anyway and would go before she's even considered to be voted off. Kim's slip worries Gretchen more and asks Kim about it. Kim backtracks and tries to reassure Gretchen again, although Gretchen is still unsure about joining her.

### Day 24

The Final 11 meet for their next challenge and are excited to see it is a memory challenge. Jeff then brings Barbie back from Exile. When asked how her experience was, Barbie's only word is 'rain', causing a few people to laugh.

In the first round, everyone with the exception of Ashlee get every answer corret. The second round is a different story, as Jason, Barbie, J.T., Elisabeth, and Gretchen get eliminated in this round. In the third round, Kenneth, Tanner, and Franklin get eliminated, leaving Gerard and Kim. For the next choice, Gerard chooses ocean and Kim chooses boat. Jeff announces Kim is correct, winning her immunity.

The tribe returns from the challenge and Kim hangs the immunity necklace on the shelter. Everyone congratulates Kim on her win as they go talk about the upcoming vote. Gerard and his allies stay at the shelter. Kenneth motions Gretchen over to talk about the vote. They ask if she would be ok with voting out Barbie and sending her to the jury. Gretchen says she's ok with anything as long as it isn't her. The six shake hands.

Meanwhile, Gretchen walks up to 'The Resistance' talking strategy. Ashlee pushes for Gerard to leave and for no one to make the same mistake they did at the previous Tribal. Kim asks if Gretchen is ok with the vote, and she says she is. Like before, Gretchen shakes hands with 'The Resistance'. As the alliance disperses, J.T. whispers to Ashlee that he thinks Gretchen made the same deal with the opposing alliance.

Kenneth and Gretchen take a walk together. Kenneth asks if she is with them one hundred percent. Gretchen says she is, swearing on her parents that she is not wavering on the alliance. This reassures Kenneth.

Gerard and Tanner sit on the shelter with moments before Tribal. Gerard asks once more for him to use the idol on him just to be safe. Tanner is still wary about using his idol.

At Tribal, a war of words between Gerard and Kim start. Gerard states that Kim has been targeting him since the start and she got lucky with her immunity win, saying she is gone once it comes off her neck. Kim states that Gerard is over-confident and has become a dictator, ordering people around. Barbie states that the tribe is basically split and Gretchen is in the middle with both sides vying for her vote. Jeff asks if Gretchen made her decision on where her vote will land, and she says she has decided. The tribe is then called to vote.

When asked if anyone will use the idol, everyone turns their hands to Tanner, who is rubbing his hands together to try and stay warm in the rain. When Tanner doesn't stand up to hand in the idol, Jeff begins reading the votes. Jeff reads two votes for Gerard and then five consecutive votes for Barbie. Gerard smirks, thinking that his plan has come into fruition. Then, a third vote for Gerard comes up. It worries Elisabeth and Jason, but Kenneth merely shrugs, as Gretchen told him she was with them. Two more votes for Gerard pop up, making the vote 5-5. Elisabeth shuts her eyes while Gretchen keeps her eyes on the vote. Gretchen's vote is shown last, and the vote is for Gerard, blindsiding everyone. As Gerard collects his torch, Kenneth stares at Gretchen, who just stares at the ground. Barbie gives a sigh of relief that she is safe as Kim rubs her shoulders while chuckling.

## Next Time on *Survivor*...

* Gretchen is in hot water.
* An injury threatens to take a Survivor out of the game!
* J.T. wants to blindside Gretchen.

## Life At Ponderosa

Gerard walks down the path of shame after being blindsided and made the first member of the jury.

Gerard states that he doesn't respect the other alliance, calling them 'a bunch of liars' and how they're the worst alliance in Survivor history. Gerard meets with medical, where he learns he lost 16 lbs. He is then put in the car, where he continues to vent and ignores the small baggie full of food next to him.

He arrives at Ponderosa and the first thing he grabs is a beer. He jokes, saying how he never understood why jury members grabbed a beer first until now. He is then brought out his dinner as he talks to the in game psychiatrist. When asked who backstabbed him the most, he states Gretchen and Franklin since he felt close with Franklin and Gretchen swore up and down she was with him.

Later in the night, Gerard hops in the shower and goes to bed.

The next day, Gerard plays basketball by himself to alleviate boredom. He states that he wants Kenneth or Tanner to get to the end, saying they are guaranteed to have his vote.

Gerard continues to eat, trying to get back his starting weight. He checks himself on the scale to see he's gained back 4 lbs since he got back. He then spends the rest of the day at the pool.