This Could Be the End of My Game as I Know It and I Don’t Feel Fine

This is the thirteenth episode of Survivor: Santa Carolina - The Returned

Challenges
Immunity Challenge: Rise to It Each person will race down a down tower via a fireman's pole and slide. They will then maneuver through a series of obstacles collecting bags of puzzle pieces along the way. Once they have their first three bags of puzzle pieces, they will race up the tower via a stairway and drop off their bags at the top. Then they will race back down to get the remaining two bags. They will then head back to the top of the tower and use all their puzzle pieces to solve a puzzle, when their puzzle is complete the puzzle will reveal the three numbers needed to solve a combination lock. The first person to get it right and raise their flag wins. Winner: TBA

Reward Challenge (Day 36): Corks And Keys The final three players race along a balance beam to collect a series of bags containing 100 numbered tiles. The first castaway to place their tiles on a board in order from 1 to 100 hundred wins. Reward: Juror Removal Winner:

Night 36
The final four return to camp after having just voted out Vera. Wild Bill, Vanessa, and Lauren all seem to be happy while Craig looks annoyed. Lauren pulls Craig aside and explains to him why the vote went the way it did. Craig nods his head and says that he is more annoyed over the fact that nobody bothered to give him the heads up over the change in the vote. He then says this was the exact same thing that happened to him during Free Agents and then Ann Marie went ahead and stabbed him in the back. Lauren says that she has no plans to do a scumbag move like that to him and that she still wants to go to the end with him.

The final four are then shown congratulating each other on making it the final four. The final four then give each other hugs as we hear their respective thoughts about making it this far in the game.

Day 37
Day thirty-seven beings with a sullen Craig sitting in the shelter, Lauren comes over and joins him. The conversation is pretty similar to the one they had previously with Craig telling Lauren that he is not mad at Bill or Lauren he is more disappointed in them. He is also nervous because now he feels like he is in a do or die situation. Lauren once again assures him that he is all good and that he should have no need to worry.

Craig says that he has a huge need to worry because if Vanessa wins Immunity he is out of the game. Lauren once again tries to calm him down saying that will cross that bridge if or when it happens.

Immunity Challenge:

The Oribi Tribe arrives at the challenge area, once all of the castaways are standing on the mat; Jeff Probst takes the Individual Immunity Necklace from Lauren. After getting the Immunity Necklace from Lauren, Jeff does a rundown of the rules for the upcoming challenge.

This challenge seemed to be a mirror image of the previous Immunity Challenge in that Lauren and Vanessa seemed to quickly carve out an early lead while the two guys seemed to struggle with the various obstacles. Wild Bill in particular seemed to be extremely winded just a few minutes into the challenge.

Bill even stopped competing for a moment in order to catch his breath. This immediately earned Bill the ire of Jeff Probst who chided Bill for not hustling during such an important Immunity Challenge. Wild Bill laughed and informed Probst that he’s not going anywhere so he is not concerned about winning the challenge.

Both women were running neck-and-neck through the vast majority of the challenge with Lauren having an ever so slight lead over Vanessa. That was until they both got to the puzzle part of the challenge. Both women really struggled trying to assemble their respective puzzles. This left the door open for Craig, who was running a not so distant third, to come in and make this challenge a three-way-dance.

As both women nervously watched their respective leads evaporate, Craig flew though the puzzle solving portion of the puzzle of the challenge. Craig then hurriedly headed over to solve his combination lock.

Craig screwed up twice in trying to solve his combination lock, which allowed Lauren to make a comeback in the challenge. Both Craig and Lauren were fiddling around with the combination lock at the same time. However, in the end it was Craig’s challenge to win and that is exactly what he did when his flag rose up and he won Individual Immunity.

Craig tries his very best to conceal the fact that he is crying as Jeff puts the Immunity Necklace around his neck. Jeff reminds the rest of the castaways that Craig is safe from the vote and that one of the three other non-immune castaways will become the fifteenth person to be voted out of Survivor: Santa Carolina – The Returned.

The final four returns to camp and everyone begrudgingly congratulates Craig on his victory. Craig remains humble and tries not to show too much joy.

The final four are all sitting in the shelter and Vanessa says that she has had a great run and that she has made peace with going home next. Wild Bill says he really appreciates Vanessa enlightened view on the situation. Vanessa laughs and says she cannot fight city hall. So she is not even going to bother to try. She then tells the other three to enjoy their stress free afternoon.

A little later in the day we get a confessional from Craig about how he plans on voting.

Vanessa is sitting on the beach and she is soon joined by Craig.

Vanessa: Are you here to gloat?

Craig: Nope…not at all. I am not like that and you should know that by now after having played the game with me twice.

Vanessa: Well that’s the thing we might have played the game twice together but we didn’t “play the game” twice. Do you know what I mean?

Craig: Yeah I get what you’re saying but and the fault is on both of us for that. But that is why I wanted to talk to you because tonight I want to play the game with you…

Vanessa: Wait…what? Are you joking with me right now? Because if you are joking, it is one seriously messed up joke dude and I super don’t appreciate it.

Craig: No…I am being very sincere when I say I want to work with you tonight.

Vanessa: Why?

Craig: Two reasons. One I did not appreciate Lauren and Bill telling me that they were going to keep Vera around only to turn around and keep you. They did that because they knew if you were to win Immunity you would vote me out and so they would be safe going into a final three scenario.

The second reason is at the last Tribal Council they showed their cards. They showed me that they were the tighter alliance and I was third on the rung and I am not about to go out at three again.

Therefore, I want you to vote for Laruen tonight because that is who I am going to vote for. Yes that means we will force a tie but at least then you will have a fighting chance to stay in this game.

Also, we have no idea if this is going to be a final two or a final three. If it is a final two I would appreciate you working with me to get rid of Bill. If it is a final three, then you and I shall duke it out and may the best person win.

Does that sound like a solid plan or what?

Vanessa: Yes…I mean if you are being honest and it works out I will work with you. I would have no problem doing that whatsoever.

Craig: Then it is settled…remember vote for Lauren.

While Vanessa and Craig solidified their vote, Wild Bill and Lauren discussed Craig going down to the beach to talk with Vanessa.

Lauren: Do you find it odd that Craig is down there talking to Vanessa?

Wild Bill: Nah, we don’t have nothing to worry about. He is just being typical Craig…you know trying to smooth talk her now that she’s headed to the jury. He’s done that with damn near everyone on the jury so this ain’t nothing new.

Lauren: It could be…but my gut is telling me that he could very well be trying to see if she is willing to work with him. If that is the case then we both better be ready for a fire challenge…

Wild Bill: I ain’t worried about that.

Lauren: Of course you wouldn’t be worried about that because the two of them would not vote for you for obvious reasons. No, if Craig does decide to flip then I have every reason to worry because he views you as his goat. He knows that I am his true competition.

Wild Bill: Well you surely think high of yourself. Look if you’re so worried about how he is going to vote then start making a fire. If not then chill the hell out and enjoy the rest of the day.

Tribal Council:

The members of the Oribi Tribe enter Tribal Council once they are all settled down Jeff Probst welcomes in the members of the jury, Jody, Jillian, Jocelyn, Simon, Aaron, John and Vera who was voted out at the last Tribal Council. Vera smiles and nods her head at the contestants left in the game.

Once the members of the jury are all settled in, Jeff Probst beings Tribal Council by asking Vanessa if she feels vulnerable tonight due to not winning the Immunity Challenge. Vanessa says on a scale of one to ten, her level of vulnerability is at a twenty. She then says that Craig, Lauren, and Vanessa are as thick as thieves and that she has a funny feeling that she is going to the jury with three votes attached to her.

Jeff asks Lauren if Vanessa’s feelings are valid. Lauren says that she hopes they are because she has made promises to both Craig and Bill and she would hope that they would keep their word.

Craig laughs and does a face palm. He then says that he finds it funny that Lauren would say that when she and Bill did not keep their word to him at the last Tribal Council. Craig then goes on to explain how both Lauren and Bill promised they would keep Vera around only to do the opposite and keep Vanessa in the game. He (Craig) then explains why they did such a move and why he no longer feels like he owes either of them a free ride to the final three.

Wild Bill laughs and says that nobody has given him a free ride. The members of the jury laugh over this comment and the camera particularly focuses on Aaron who clearly is not buying with Bill is selling.

Craig counters Bill’s free ride comment by saying that had he (Craig) not played his Immunity at the merge Bill would have probably been gone from the game. Craig then adds had he (Craig) not told Bill of the potential John flip Bill probably would not have played his Idol and would have been on the jury. Craig sums up his argument by saying that Bill has been riding his coattails for some time and everyone knows it. For once Wild Bill has no rebuttal because he knows Craig is completely right.

Lauren tries to remind Craig that it is an individual game and sometimes folks have to diverge from their allies in order to do something that will benefit their game. Craig laughs and says that Lauren is being a hypocrite because she cannot say that she wants Craig to stick to his word, when she was not willing to stick to hers. Craig then says to Lauren that he fully plans to diverge from his allies tonight and it is more out of spite then for the benefit of his game.

He winks at Vanessa and says he hopes everyone is ready for a fire challenge because it is going to happen next. Both Bill and Lauren are very angry over this comment, while Vanessa looks beyond thrilled. The members of the jury looked both shocked and overjoyed.

With that last comment it is now time to vote. Once the final castaway is done voting, which was Wild Bill, Jeff goes off to tally the votes.

Jeff returns with the urn and begins to read off the votes. The first vote is for Vanessa. Vanessa nods her head because she fully expects to get at the very least two vote.

The second vote is for Lauren who rolls her eyes in disgust.

The third vote is for Vanessa who once again just simply nods her head, eagerly awaiting the reading of the fourth vote.

Jeff reads out the fourth and final vote and it is for Lauren. Lauren looks over at Craig who smiles back at her.

Jeff informs the ladies that there will be a tie-breaker challenge and that the two of them must build a fire. In order to win the challenge the fire must be high enough to burn through a rope about their fire.

Lauren and Vanessa take their spots at their fire making stations. Jeff calls for the challenge to begin. Both women initially struggle to even make a flame at the start of the challenge. It is clear that Lauren is very angry over being put in this position as she occasionally shoots a dirty look at Craig.

Vanessa seems to be very nervous due to the fact that she cannot even get a little spark going. Nothing is happening for Lauren either. Lauren did have a small fire going but it quickly burned out. Both women were becoming frustrated and Lauren began muttering inaudibly to herself.

Finally, Lauren is able to get a spark which she slowly grows into a fire. She then cultivates the fire until it is high enough to burn through her rope. This means that Lauren has beaten Vanessa in the elimination challenge. Therefore, Vanessa becomes eighth member of the Jury and the fifteenth person to be voted out of Survivor: Santa Carolina – The Returned.

Author's Notes

 * This is going to sound really corny but I wanted to post this today (11/14/2016) on the fourth anniversary of my first fanon. This may very well be my last fanon on here (Or it may not, I have not really decided yet) and so I want to take the the time to thank anyone who has ever read any of my fanons.