- Blood vs. Water relationships are put to the ultimate test on Day 1, when castaways are shocked to learn they will be separated from their loved ones and have to compete against each other on separate tribes.
- Ten sets of former players and their loved ones are heading toward the location of this season's game, probably thinking they will be playing together. What they don't know is that they will be split onto opposite teams.
Gervase, who played in the first season, and his niece Marissa. Kat, from "One World," is there with her boyfriend, Hayden (who has been on "Big Brother"). Laura M., from "Samoa," is there with her daughter Ciera. Rupert, who has played the game for 100 days, brings his wife Laura B. Colton, from "One World," is back with his fiancé Caleb. Candace, from "Cook Islands," has brought her fellow doctor husband John. Monica, from "One World," has brought her former NFL football player husband Brad. Tina, winner of "Survivor: Outback," has brought her daughter Katie, who says she would love to beat her mom at her own game. Tyson is back for a third time and has his girlfriend Rachel with him. Aras, winner of "Survivor: Exile Island," has his brother Vytas, a one-time drug addict.
They are forced to spend the first night in pair, sleeping in the jungle without shelter.
They next morning, Jeff Probst welcomes them all to the 27th season of "Survivor." Jeff breaks the news that the players will be going against their loved ones -- something about half of the group seems to be OK with. Brad admits that somewhere in his heart, he might be hoping that Monica could get a reward that his tribe might be about to win.
Jeff complicates the game a little more and announces that each tribe is immediately going to be voting someone out. He hands out tablets.
On the loved ones tribe, Laura gets three votes. Her vote is for "Jarvis' loved one," which is Marissa. Two more votes for Laura -- who thinks she was targeted because she was Rupert's loved one.
The returning tribe's votes are: Laura, Laura, Candace (Tina's vote, while she apologizes profusely), Candace (Kat's vote, also apologizing), Candace, Laura, Candace, Gervase, and Candace gets the last vote.
Jeff announces another surprise: Redemption Island is in play this season. Candace and Laura B. will be the first to square off at Redemption Island.
But, in another twist, Jeff wants to test the blood versus water concept and asks Rupert if he's willing to switch places with his wife, Laura B. Switching spots would put Laura B. on the returning players' tribe and he will have to fight to stay in the game. Candace and her husband agree that she should stay where she is and go battle Rupert on Redemption Island.
Galang: The returning players (and Laura B.) tribe is raring to go and they're getting ready to start a fire. Gervase tells us he really wanted to play with Rupert, not Laura B., and "if her ass gotta go, goodbye! Peace, see you later!"
For her part, Laura is intimidated being around all the "experts" of the game. She can't even cut into a coconut and Aras even says he wishes Rueprt were there -- trying after the fact to laugh it off and say she's great.
They all work to build shelter and fire, which is going within 15 minutes. Water is boiling, canteens are full, rice is cooked. Laura M. says they're feeling really good.
Monica is not pleased that she's playing with Colton again. "He was seen as one of the most vindictive, villainous, mean people to ever play the game," she tells us. She goes to him and says she doesn't want any drama and wants to bury the hatchet.
"You hurt me to death last time," she tells him, "like, a lot."
She tells us she's not going to have that happen again. They fist bump and hug, but Monica still wonders if she's "once again going to be bamboozled."
Tadhana camp: Brad says everyone is just going on what their loved ones told them. He also wants to clarify what he said back at the beach and announces to the whole tribe that he's always going to give "110 percent." Marissa tells us she's going to keep an eye on him.
Brad and John head out and find a waterfall and Brad throws out the idea that they should form an alliance of the five guys (or, as he put it, "four guys and one gay guy"). John explains to us it's no surprise that "the guy who played NFL football wants to keep his locker room together," but he's concerned that could end up hurting Brad. Brad gets Hayden on board, the next goes to Caleb, who plays along but tells us he's not really into it. Finally, Vytas joins and says, "It almost seems too easy."
The tribe struggles to build a fire, having no idea how to do it, and Vytas says he can feel the water coming out of his body. Ciera opens up to Brad and Vytas about how she was pregnant at 16. Ciera tells us it was a "big obstacle" for her and her mother to get through. Vytas, then, opens up about being in jail and having his brother be "the golden child." He tells us he's still mending his relationship with his brother. He hopes that opening himself up to his tribe mates will help them trust him.
Galang: Colton tries to keep things light around the fire that night. He tells us that last time he had a mask on, was rude to people around him. He says that where he comes from, it's hard to get people to listen and he put a guard up. He starts crying as he talks about how he has relatives who still don't speak to him because they don't understand he's gay. Monica says it could be a great story if he's changed, "but then again, it's Colton"
Redemption Island: Candace is taking a machete to a coconut, calling out a name of a player who voted her out with every strike. She's getting annoyed living with Rupert on Redemption Island because he isn't doing anything to help with the fire, the water, the shelter. He's just sitting around, sleeping or splashing around in the water. Rupert tells us he's always worked hard around camp and he's never won the game. This time, it's more individual and he's not going to exhaust himself working around their camp.
Immunity challenge: Laura B. immediately asks for a new buff for her new tribe. The players are going to have to swim out to gather puzzle pieces. The first team to put together a ship's wheel puzzle wins immunity.
Tadhana shows more team work than Galang. Gervase slows Galang down significantly during the swimming portions, at times just stopping. Galang catches up briefly, but the team struggles to paddle its boat back in the right direction. Colton at one point yells in Kat's ear to paddle "before I hit you you with this (expletive) paddle."
During the puzzle portion, Galang catches up again with Laura M., Tina and Monica making up the lost time. Caleb, Ciera and Katieare struggling with their puzzle. Jeff makes a lot of the fact that Tina and Laura M., especially, are "schooling" their daughters at the puzzle.
Colton is crying after the challenge. Laura M. explains he's probably feeling the same bittersweet sense that it's nice to win but they've also put their loved ones in danger.
Tadhana camp: Katie is a little nervous that the puzzle makers are going to be targeted. Marissa says she wasn't happy with her uncle's gloating after his tribe won, especially given his poor performance.
Brad goes back to his all-guy alliance and says he's sour on Marissa because of Gervase's celebration. Vytas tells us he's trying to also keep his alliances with the girls going well, so he tells them that the guys have bonded and decided who's going out first.
Tribal Council: Hayden admits to Jeff that they don't have fire, which has been the biggest challenge. John says he feels guilty about having left Candace to go to Redemption Island. Brad mentions that Gervase, in particular, was gloating about the win and Marissa shakes her head in frustration about how her uncle acted. She feels like she's "guilty by association." Katie acknowledges that the puzzle makers might be targeted.
The vote: Katie writes down Marissa's name, saying, "I'm sorry, but the game has started." Marissa returns the favor, saying, "Just because it's either you or me."
Jeff reads the votes: Katie, Marissa, Marissa, Marissa, Marissa, Marissa, and the first person voted out is Marissa.
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