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Francesca the Day After

Francesca reflects on her time in the game the day after she lost the duel on Redemption Island.

"Leaving the game early was hard. It was really unexpected. Once I got to Tribal Council and I saw how it was going down and that Phillip was betraying our alliance with Kristina, I knew. I wasn't blindsided, I saw the writing on the wall, but I didn't expect I would be the first person to go home. That didn't occur to me as a possibility. (laughs) That was hard. I'm glad I got to go to Redemption Island. I had my 4 nights on Redemption Island. I was OK out there. I surprised myself. I never got discouraged. I never felt like giving up at all. I fought from the beginning to the end. It was a short game for me but at least I'm proud of the fact that the game didn't bring me down, that I was really able to push through and try my best. Unfortunately it didn't turn out the way I hoped, but that's life."

(cut)

"It was really stupid to get rid of me. It was smart in the sense that I was gonna go after Boston Rob eventually. I wasn't gonna do it first Tribal Council, but I definitely had my sights set on him. In that sense it was smart, because it seemed like the rest of the tribe was just happy to be friends with Boston Rob. Like <mocking> ooh, Boston Rob's our new best friend. </mocking> Yeah, Boston Rob's a great guy, but he's competition. It's crazy. He has to get out of this game. In that sense it was smart, but I don't think it was good for the tribe. I don't think it's going to help them in challenges, having some other people there instead of me. I worked hard around camp and got along with everyone, except for Phillip (laughs). I think getting rid of me was a really bad decision. I could have been an asset to my tribe. But that's their decision and now they have to live with it."

(cut)

"But I did have a second chance and I got to go to Redemption Island, which was kind of awesome. I mean, it sucked (laughs), but it was kind of awesome. There was a point - my Tribal Council was such an exhausting fiasco - where I wanted to get voted out rather than have to live with these people. I was a little excited about going to Redemption, and when I got there, of course, I was like, 'Oh, crap.' (laughs) How am I gonna do this? I don't know how I did it, but I rallied. I got it together. I built myself a little shelter and had a fire from the first night I got there. It was actually, I had my first day there when I was by myself, and it was actually pretty relaxing. I woke up determined, like, I'm gonna do my best to get back in this game. Even though I lost the duel and was out for good, I did feel redeemed by Redemption Island, because I went out there and proved I wasn't gonna quit, and I still had my head in the game and was still strong. I'm glad I had that opportunity."

(cut)

"When I was out there, playing the game, especially when I got to Redemption and I had a lot of time to myself to think, I was definitely thinking about my family. I was thinking about the people that love me and believe in me, supported me throughout my life, and think I'm capable of more than I think I'm capable of. That was definitely a source of strength for me out there. People said coming into this game, 'Oh, you're a lawyer, that's great, and education,' and I'm like, that's all well and good to have degrees, but I don't think that helps me in the game of Survivor. I think it's all about being socially smart and having good luck and being in the right place at the right time with the right people. I think you just really have to go inside and dig deep and what's inside is not where you go to school or what job you have. I think the thing that prepared me for it was being lucky enough to live a life where a lot of people have always supported me and believed in me, and who went through a lot tougher things than Survivor, because it is a game, and even if I was out there and miserable for 39 days, it's only 39 days. I've had people in my life who suffered much, much more than that, with no end in sight. So I couldn't feel too sorry for myself when I was out there."

Seeing Andrea at the Duel

Matt reacts to seeing Andrea in the audience at the Redemption Island duel.

"It was kind of bittersweet seeing Andrea at the duel. When I first walked in, I saw her and I was like, oh man, I wish I could still be with her and the rest of the teammates on my tribe, but I knew I couldn't, but at the same time, it was really good to see her and to see she still had some sympathy for me."

(cut)

"I'm fairly certain now, especially since Andrea said she didn't vote for either of us, Francesca and I, at the duel, that it was Grant, Ashley, Natalie and Rob, that voted for me, and I was in an alliance with all four of them as well as Andrea. Pretty much an alliance of four and Andrea's on the outs right now. It'll be interesting to see who gets voted out next."

(cut)

"Being on Redemption Island, it's good. I had a crab today, I had some mollusk stuff, I had some rice. I'm cooking dinner right now. But it's very lonely, and there's not a lot to do. You have to conserve your energy, so you don't want to move around a lot. You don't want to waste your body fluid, so you don't want to be in the sun a lot. It's like, what am I supposed to do here? I've kind of focused on building fire and maintaining fire and drying wood. I've been trying to do what I can to keep busy. I've been singing a lot of songs in my head, to myself, and praying a lot. It definitely has its ups and downs and highs and lows, but you have to roll with them."

(cut)

"It's both easier and harder here without Francesca. It's easier because I can do things the way I want to and not have someone else's opinion, but it's a lot harder going to sleep at night by myself, not having someone to talk to, not having someone there going through the same thing you're going through."

I Hate Redemption Island

After seeing the Redemption Island duel, Ashley hopes she will never be sent there

"I got to Redemption Island, watched the duel between Matt and Fran. It was really weird, just because I had a big part of voting both of them out. It was really uncomfortable, and I hate Redemption Island. I don't want to go there. The whole duel thing is intimidating, and I never want to get to that point. It was cool to see, but..."

(cut)

"It's intimidating because you're going head to head in this huge, it looks like a colosseum, like a mini-version of the colosseum, gladiator-style. That's intimidating. It's all on you. At the same time, it's good that it's in your control and you have control of it, but you don't wanna go there (laughs)."

(cut)

"I wasn't really cheering for anybody during the duel. I know Fran took an early lead, and I thought she was the underdog, so I was secretly hoping she would win, just because she had been out there longer and it would have been, I don't know, a better story, I guess. But I knew deep inside Matt was going to win. I think he's gonna be a really tough competitor out there and you can tell he's really pissed and has a chip on his shoulder and has a lot to prove to get back into this game."

(cut)

"Jeff asked us girls if it's tough to watch, or how is it to watch. I said, 'It's really tough,' because it was. It wasn't easy. Andrea said, 'Well, I didn't vote for any of them.' I know that was to let Matt know what she was worried about, that she didn't vote for him, but at the same time, there's two other tribe members there, from the other tribe, who she just gave other information. First  they know we blindsided Matt, second they know Fran and him were in an alliance to begin with, and now they know Andrea didn't vote for either of them. That's a lie, because even though Andrea didn't physically write Fran down, she knew what we were doing by splitting the votes, and that one of them had to go. She inadvertently had a hand in that."

(cut)

"Andrea's out here, she's always been out here for herself; all of us really are. At the same time it shows you how close she really was to Matt. By saying that she wanted him to know she didn't have a hand in him going. She's gotta let it go at this point because it's starting to...I came back and told the other three in my alliance, Rob, Grant, and Natalie, and they were kind of pissed about it, like I was. She threw us under the bus. She's just gotta be careful."

It's a Huge Deal

Sarita discusses the risks they took in throwing the Immunity / Reward Challenge.

"Everything went exactly according to plan on the challenge today."

(cut)

"We get to the challenge. Jeff unveils that it's not only an immunity challenge but also a reward challenge, which we discussed would be a hard one for us. The good thing is though the reward was luxury items, thing we don't really need. Chairs, blankets, a tarp - which we do need - but more comfort things. At that point we all kind of looked at each other and gave a one thumbs up, which was: do your best, but don't win this one."

(cut)

"That's what happened. Ralph and I sat out, the team went, did the best they could, until David really slowed up on the puzzle. He could have totally nailed that, and he didn't."

(cut)

"It's a huge deal to throw a challenge. Honestly I'm happy about it now, but I am entirely mixed about it. We lose our momentum, we lose a body - whether it's Russell or not - we lose a male body; he does have strengths and qualities that he brings to our tribe. But after hours and hours and days of days of analyzing it, it's just, weighing the pros and the cons, we needed to get him to Redemption Island as soon as possible, and we do feel like such a beast of a team, we're not really worried. We feel so strong and we have such a dynamic group that we're thinking let's breathe easier, let's have no stress, let's focus on what we need to do - eating, keeping our camp nice, staying lucid, preparing for challenges. Being on our games for when the merge does come."

(cut)

"The dangerous thing about throwing the challenge today is we don't have full consensus because we can't have a full consensus because we don't know if Russell has the hidden immunity idol or not. So we've thrown the challenge, we're splitting the vote, and that's made us incredibly vulnerable to Russell. All he has to do is peel off one more person, and that's what he does best. That's the danger we're looking at right now."

Sweet Victory

Kristina is relieved that Ometepe won the Immunity Challenge and avoids going to Tribal Council.

"That was a very, very, very, very, very, very sweet victory. Very sweet."

(cut)

"I screamed the loudest. I was the happiest. I'm sitting there, I'm upside-down, and I'm watching, and I'm waiting, waiting, waiting for them to do the puzzle. I'm waiting, waiting, seeing no progress. Then I see them unlatch it and start to do the ball. I was real excited when he gets it in. I was like 'Whoooo, I'm not going home tonight!' It was awesome."

(cut)

"We won all sorts of great stuff. Our reward is better than the reward they won, because these waves, trying to get fish out here, is tough. We got chairs, we got pillows, we got blankets, the #1 important thing, the tarp. I hope it rains tonight and rains and rains and rains tonight. Yeah. And the lantern, and the gas, kerosene or whatever it is, means we'll always have a flame. More importantly, I'm not going home tonight."

(cut)

"It gives me more time to do everything. Look for the idol. Make connections. Yesterday I was feeling kind of down and stuff, but just one win and I feel like a totally different person. Even if it comes down that we lose the next challenge, it doesn't matter, it puts a whole new spin on things, opens up a whole new door."

(cut)

"The game is far from over for me. I think I have a good chance to keep going. I just have a feeling."

Phillip's Victory Speech

Phillip showers his tribe with praise after winning the Immunity / Reward Challenge

Philip: Can we have a brief tribal meeting? I just have a brief few words I gotta say. You know, the response to a tribe during challenging and difficult times varies greatly. Strong tribes have (I couldn't understand what he said). Weak tribes grow agitated. A superior tribe, like ours, will endure, resolutely, until we find a way to win! And we won.

<a few lightly cheer and Rob shakes his hand>

Philip (solo): A lot of times in life, you hit bottom, and you wonder, can I get up? By golly, we did today. We worked as a team. A fine, well-oiled machine. We won. Here we are...the winners!

<Grant and Andrea do a high-five>

Stephanie is Worthy

Russell praises Stephanie's game play.

"When I first came here, I thought, 'There's no way I'll find someone capable of being an all-star strageically.' There's a lot of all-stars personalities. Ralph is probably an all-star personality. That's nothing. An all-star strategically, who can play the game? Stephanie is great. She is amazing me, the things she's coming up with, and the things she's saying. She's playing a very good game, but the thing is, nobody likes her. So I would love to take her with me to the end, cause nobody respects her, as a person. It doesn't make sense."

(cut)

"She does have a flaw in her game, and it's her mouth. She runs her mouth. But that can also be a good thing. It depends on when you run your mouth. If she has an idol and she wants everyone to vote for her, she just runs her mouth. But Stephanie is definitely worthy to play with me. There's only one person I'd say that about. That's last season, Parvati. She's definitely worthy. I'm happy to be on her side and to play with somebody that actually gets it."

They Threw the Challenge

Stephanie is shocked that her tribe purposely lost the Immunity / Reward Challenge.

"What happened at the challenge? I don't know. I'm used to winning. What happened with the challenge was they threw the challenge. They actually threw the challenge. Know what we could have done? We could have won the challenge, got a tarp, and not have to deal with Tribal Council. I think that would have been smarter. But no, they actually threw the challenge, so I don't even know what to think about that, because I'm just trying not to think about it."

(cut)

"We could have taken the lead. We could have gone 9 to 6. But they don't think like that. They're not thinking ahead. They never think ahead. For them to throw a challenge so early right now - of course they would do that. They don't know what they're doing. But whatever. I have to have faith in Julie. I keep telling Russell and Krista that when I talk to her, I really believe her. If she's lying to us, then I guess that will be a blindside for me. But I'd rather go out in a blindside trying everything we possibly can than throwing a challenge and giving the other team more numbers, basically. We could have taken their numbers out and at the merge figured it out. They're not thinking ahead."

We Won Our First Challenge

Natalie is excited after Ometepe wins their first Immunity / Reward Challenge.

"Today's challenge, we went in having a positive feeling that today was gonna be a little bit different. We got there and I felt super-confident for once. Both challenges we went into previously I was really nervous and didn't know what to expect. This one I felt like we had it in the bag. So we won our first challenge and it was really fun and I feel super-good."

(cut)

"I was so excited to see Rob finish that puzzle. It was so hard and I'm sure he was feeling the pressure was on and he really came through and won it for us."

(cut)

"The reward was definitely a cherry on top of the day, because now we have a tarp. Bring on the rain, because it should hold us, we probably won't get wet. We have two chairs, that'll be nice to sit in. Some blankets to keep us warm. It's so nice to know we don't have to scramble right now because the last challenges we came right back here and had to scramble and figure out who we were gonna vote for. This time is so relaxing. Even though we thought there'd be a clue in some of the prizes today. We couldn't find it and hopefully Kristina didn't find it."