Keys to Survivor Worlds Apart Ep12

As the show opens up:
The majority alliance goes into damage control mode to get Dan back into the mix after 2 of them voted for him during tribal council.  Dan seems to make amends with Will.  He's more skeptical of Tyler, even though Tyler had the better reason for voting for someone else.

Reward Challenge:
Split into teams of 3 by schoolyard pick, each team must unwind long ribbons from around a post that they are connected to.  This releases a key that is used to open a box containing boards to build a crooked ladder.  At the top of the ladder is a bag of balls.  Everyone on the team has to go over the ladder.  The team then must make their way through a narrow all-net bridge.  The 5 balls then need to make it into 5 goals by being aimed and catapulted into them.

It's Rodney's birthday and he wants nothing more than to win reward for the first time.  Others had agreed to bring him along with them, but this is a team reward, not individual.  Will told him he would even switch with him, but with 7 people left, Will was not chosen on either team.  Team 1 was Mike, Sierra, and Carolyn.  Team 2 was Rodney, Tyler, and Dan.  Team 1 gets their key first.  Team 2 just about catches up through the net bridge, but Rodney forgot the bag of balls so has to go back to get them and go through the net bridge again.  Mike starts launching balls towards the targets.  Dan finally starts in on it.  Dan gets his first 2 and the challenge is tied quickly.  Dan then pulls ahead 4-2.  A few unlucky rolls later and Mike ties it at 4, then manages to win reward.

Rodney makes a plea to be brought on reward.  One of the winners would need to switch places.  Mike is obviously unwilling since Mike knows he needs food.  Carolyn and Sierra are also unwilling to switch.  Rodney is upset, saying "They just turned me into the psychotic person I am."

Reward:
Mike, Carolyn, and Sierra bring toys and school supplies to a local orphanage as ambassadors of goodwill from Survivor.  They feast on local cuisine and discuss how camp life will be with Rodney when they get back.

Immunity Challenge:
Lean back while holding onto a rope with knots at regular intervals.  At certain points in time anyone who has not fallen into the water will drop down to the next knot.  The last time this challenge was used was in Survivor Caramoan (Fans vs Favorites 2) and John Cochran won by using an advantage of moving up a knot whenever he wanted.  This time nobody had an advantage.  It came down to Mike, Carolyn, and Tyler when they had to move down a knot for the first time.  Mike couldn't make the transition and soon after that Tyler dropped out.  Carolyn wins immunity.

Pre-tribal, then Tribal:
Rodney had been plotting to trick Mike into not playing the idol by claiming he was so mad about not going on reward that he wanted everyone to vote for him.  Mike never bought it though.  The majority alliance needed to come up with a game plan for who was voting for whom.  Tyler's name and Dan's name came up as options.  Some figured this was the time to cut Dan loose.  Others thought that this would be the best time to get rid of Tyler.  Carolyn could play her hidden idol on Tyler and save him, and he asked if she would.  Carolyn, however, is one of the people tossing Tyler's name around.  Dan is being talked about due to the advantage that he has and only Carolyn & Tyler know about.

Let's get to the voting.  Before the votes are read, Mike plays his idol.  The first 4 votes are for Mike, but do not count.  The next vote is Tyler (presumably from Mike), but the next one is also for Tyler.  The votes that count are 3-0 making Tyler the 12th person voted out and the 5th member of the jury.

Best Moves:
1)  Mike plays his hidden immunity idol for real.  He was quite wise not to believe that everyone would vote for Rodney.  He lives to play another 2-3 days.

2)  Carolyn starts making big moves, plotting against Tyler.  This does several things.  She removes a threat.  She removes the chance that others see her and Tyler as a duo, which creates the risk that she is voted out especially if Tyler wins immunity.  She removes the only person who knows she has a hidden immunity idol.  She removes the only other person who knows what Dan's advantage (2-votes at a tribal council of his choice) is.

3)  Everyone who won reward refuses to give it up for Rodney.  How would that help any of you?  It wouldn't.  It would keep Rodney from complaining a little bit more than he usually does.

Worst Moves:
For the first time this season, I don't have any worst moves to report.  Did people say and do stupid things?  Sure, but none of them were game altering.  But for those of you who want to read something here, I'll stretch and give you this.

1)  Tyler trusts Carolyn too much.  Sure, he has every reason to trust her since they've been together since the start of the game, but you should always pay attention to who knows what information.  If you are the only person who knows that someone else has an idol, and the only person that knows that another person has 2 votes at tribal, the person with the idol might see that has you having too much power - even though you don't hold any of those cards.  Knowing what cards people are holding is a card in and of itself.

Top 3 players:
Last week, the top 3 were Carolyn, Mike, and Sierra.  This week I will only choose 2.

1)  Carolyn.  Way up at the top this time.  She now not only has an immunity idol, but now nobody left in the game knows about it.  She is likely the only person in the game that knows the power of the advantage that Dan bought at the auction.  And she just orchestrated the removal of one of the biggest remaining threats - notably the one with the story closest to her own.

2)  Will.  Here's my controversial call this week.  Will isn't that good at Survivor, but he's still here.  I believe that nobody thinks of him as a threat, and that Rodney and Carolyn are both trying to get to the end with him so they can beat him.  It's a junky reason to be in the top 2, but that's how it's going down in my view.

Bottom 3 players:
Last week, my bottom 3 were Dan, Rodney, and Tyler.  Tyler was voted out.  I only have 2 this week.

6)  Dan.  This one is tough for me.  I don't think Dan deserves the bottom spot, but given the way things have unfolded to the audience at home, I think he's being played.  It really wouldn't surprise me if Dan is blindsided by Carolyn to take out his power before he can use it against her.

5)  Mike.  Top 3 last week because he had immunity, but his immunity is gone this week and he's the biggest perceived immunity threat left.  He's going to try to sway someone, but it might be too late.  I think his (and Dan's) only chance is if he can get a plan working with Dan and Sierra.  If that doesn't happen, look for a final 3 of Carolyn, Rodney, and Will - with Carolyn flying home with a nearly guaranteed $1 million.

Let Me Have It - Comment:
Ok folks.  I've made a few bold and controversial statements about this last episode.  What do you agree with?  What do you disagree with?  What are you glad I mentioned because you were thinking it too, or because you hadn't thought of it and are glad I enlightened you?  What did you think I missed?