The Survivor Gods Must Hate Me

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

Challenges
Immunity Challenge: Challenge Title Challenge mechanics. Winner: TBD

Day 1
Day one beings with Jeff Probst standing on a beach, he gives us a spiel about Santa Carolina and the other islands that make up the Bazaruto Archipelago where this season is taking place. He then talks about how this is a season where players from previous seasons get another chance at playing the game.

We now see two boats speeding towards the beach. The first person we see is Lauren from Survivor: Terra Nova. She is sitting next to Hector on the boat. Lauren gives the first vice over confessional of the season as water splashes in her face.

Craig from Survivor: Free Agents is also on the same boat as Lauren and Hector. Craig holds out his right hand in order to feel the water against it.

We see Enrico from Survivor: Free Agents on the second boat looking at the other castaways that are on the boat with him.

Sitting next to Enrico is Wild Bill from Survivor: Dominican Republic. Wild Bill has his trademark sunglasses on as he looks up at the sky.

The two boats arrive near the beach where Jeff Probst is standing. The twelve castaways get off their respective boats and head over to their tribe’s mats. Once everyone is settled on their respective tribal mat Jeff Probst welcomes them. Jeff asks Simon from Survivor: Free Agents how Simon feels getting a chance to play the game again.

Simon: Well Jeff as you know I am a huge fan of the show, so I am beyond thrilled to get another chance to play this game.

Jeff asks Vanessa from Survivor: Free Agents if there is one thing that stands out to her right now.

Vanessa: Um…yeah…right now I only see twelve people so unless we are going to be playing a super short game I have to think there is going to be at least one more tribe.

Jeff Probst tells the castaways that Vanessa is right and that is another tribe joining them. Jeff then calls out for the other tribe to join them. Most of the other castaways are shocked upon seeing the third tribe because the third tribe is made up of the first female and male voted out during the last three seasons.

Martha from Survivor: Dominican Republic seems to be more pissed off than she is shocked upon seeing John and Carly.

Jeff talks about how the theme of this season is redemption and it is a second chance for the castaways to play the game. He then says that the people who were voted out first and second on their seasons are the very definition of people who deserve second chances. After tossing buffs out to the castaways Jeff then tells them what the names of their tribes are. He then gives them maps to where their camps are and wishes them good luck.

The Zambezia Tribe which consists of John and Carly from Survivor: Dominican Republic, Hank and Jillian from Survivor: Terra Nova, and Aaron and Vera from Survivor: Free Agents arrive at their beach. We see the members of the Zambezia Tribe shaking hands and introducing themselves to their teammates.

Hank, John, Carly and Aaron discuss where the shelter should be put. Hank points out an area where they could put a shelter near a bunch of trees and the other three agree.

We now see John and Carly head off into the woods to “look” for supplies for the shelter.

Carly tells John that she is so glad to see him and the two share a brief hug. John asks Carly if she saw the way Martha looked at the two of them when they showed up on the beach. Carly laughed and said she did and even if she did not, she would still know exactly how Martha looked at her.

They both laugh before Carly says they should get back to camp because she would not want the others to think they are planning something.

We now head over to the Tete Tribe camp whose members consist of Martha and Wild Bill from Survivor: Dominican Republic, Billie-Jean and Simon from Survivor: Terra Nova, and Enrico and Vanessa from Survivor: Free Agents. As soon as the Tete Tribe hit their beach they all make brief introductions to each other. Once that is over talks of where to put the shelter begin.

Enrico asks Wild Bill if Bill will help build the shelter this time around because during his initial season Wild Bill outright refused to help build the shelter. Wild Bill says that he will because with so few people on the tribe everyone needs to pull their own weight. Enrico pats Wild Bill on the shoulder and tells Bill that he likes the new and improved Wild Bill. Martha stands behind the two men with her hands on her hips shaking her head.

The members of the Nampula Tribe arrive at their camp site. This tribe consists of Hector from Survivor: Dominican Republic, Lauren, Jocelyn, and George from Survivor: Terra Nova, and Jody and Craig from Survivor: Free Agents. Lauren gives us her take on tribal dynamics during a confessional.

All the members of the Nampula Tribe are moving around their beach gathering supplies to build their shelter. Craig gives us the following confessional…

Craig approaches Jody, who is collecting some palm fronds for the shelter.

Craig: Can we talk for a minute?

Jody: Sure what would you like to talk about?

Craig: Well I am going to keep it real with you. When I saw that you and I were on the same tribe I got a little nervous. Basically what I would like to know is if you and I can be cool and maybe work together out here.

I know you don’t really have any reason to trust me but I just wanted to say for me the past is the past and this is a new day for me.

Jody: Well it is easy for you to say you want the past to be the past because you ended up getting me out of the game the last time. How can I trust you when you outright refused to even work with me the last time?

Craig: I know… but as the old saying goes you’re better off trusting the devil you know. Look as I said I am all about moving forward with you in this game. I think the two of us could cause serious damage out here and the best part of it is that folks will probably not think you and I could ever work together.

I am truly sincere about working together and I just hope you can see that.

Jody: I do not know…the best thing I can say is that I shall think about it.

Craig: Cool. That is all I can really ask for.

While Craig tries to patch up his differences with his former adversary Jody, two former allies (Simon and Billie-Jean) reunite at the Tete camp.

Simon: I can’t believe that we are on the same tribe again. This is so awesome.

Billie-Jean: Yes when I saw that we were going to on the same tribe again I nearly jumped for joy. Also, how awesome is it that George is out here as well?

Simon: Yeah and I am not trying to think too far ahead but imagine of the three of us end up working together again?

Billie-Jean: That would be cool. Though I wonder if people are going to target us because we are…know associates for lack of a better term.

Simon: Oh there is no doubt that is the case but we are already a two person alliance. As far as I can tell nobody else on this team even really knows each other all that well so while we might have a target, we also are a very strong duo.

Vanessa and Wild Bill watch Billie-Jean and Simon’s powwow from a distance.

Vanessa: I don’t like that at all.

Wild Bill: What?

Vanessa: The two of them being on this tribe. They were super close during their season and by the looks of it they are still super close. Seeing that makes me nervous.

Wild Bill: Who cares, it is day one and the last thing you need to be worrying about is that crap. There is no need to be paranoid. If they are a pre-made alliance we’ll crush them when we get the chance to do so. Until that point comes we just chill out.