Survivor Philippines Episode 7 Spoiler Review

(I think there was more of Artis in the recap opening this show than there was in the previous 6 episodes.)

At Mike's tribe he told his tribe that it was at this point in the season 24 seasons ago that he fell in the fire. He told them this with scabs on his face and missing a bunch of skin on his right shoulder. One of his tribe mates noted the small irony to him.

A boat arrived on the each of the respective tribe beaches saying they were merging and that they had 10 minutes to pack up what they could. The new merged tribe had the traditional tribe feast.

Lisa went through everyone's bags to hang up their clothes. Because she's helpful, not nosy, and discovered the Hidden Immunity Idol in Malcolm's clothes. So Malcolm confronted Lisa, who instantly fessed up, and Malcolm decided that it was, on the one hand, fine because the "church lady" found it, but, on the other hand, not fine because he was now in an involuntary alliance with Lisa.

Meanwhile, Jonathan, who long ago recognized Lisa as being a former child star, decided that she could go far as an under-the-radar person.

RC and Mike discussed joining Jonathan's alliance, knowing that they're on the outs with their old tribe. And cut to Jeff chatting with his alliance about getting rid of Jonathan via a blindside so he doesn't play his idol.

The first individual immunity challenge had 2 necklaces - one for a man and one for a woman. The challenge involved holding a hanging bucket with 25% of your body weight in ... something ... in it spooled on a rope. Mike was out pretty quickly. Pete went next. Then Jonathan. Lisa was the first woman out. Malcolm was right behind. RC and Abbe went out at the same time. Denise finally won something! She got immunity.

Jeff and Carter were the final 2 for the men. Jeff talked a deal with Carter. Jeff dropped his bucket, and Carter won the immunity for the men.

Back at camp, Jonathan basically decided that if the people he thought were on his side stayed on his side, he was fine, and if not, he was going home. Yeah, that's pretty much how Survivor works.

At Tribal Council, Abbe tried to throw RC under the bus, and RC grabbed the wheel and skidded the bus back over Abbe. Or something. They bickered. As usual. And Lisa talked a lot. And I'm pretty sure at one point a ghost haunted them. It all made Jonathan very nervous.

Jonathan decided to play his idol before the votes were read. The first 3 votes were for Jonathan, and they didn't count. Penner ended up with 5 votes in total. Good choice to play the idol there, Penner. Well done. RC got voted out instead.

Next week: Jonathan is betrayed and declares war on everyone. (And in the postscript, RC says "the name of the game is blindside." Uhh, it's actually Survivor.)