No Measure Quite As Drastic

A God Among... Not Gods is the ninth episode of Survivor: Dueling Desert. The episode title was said by Jeremy, claiming to be playing like a god among not gods, not remembering how the saying 'a god among men' actually goes.

Challenges
Reward Challenge: Slinging Pendulum Contestants will be divided into three teams of three, with two people in each holding onto ropes attached to a bar to keep their third tribe member suspended in the air on a swing. The third tribe member will then need to use large elastic ropes to launch sandbags at five targets like a slingshot. The first team to hit all five targets wins reward.m Reward: Time away from camp to enjoy pizza and ice cream, as well as each being given a luxury item that they said they'd like to bring to the game in their pre-season bios.

Immunity Challenge: Pride Before The Wall Contestants will race out to a wall made of bamboo, and once there, may either take the time to untie a series of knots to drop the wall, or instead may charge into the wall, attempting to smash through. Once past the wall, will then reach a second wall, where they will either need to climb over straight away, or they may instead choose to dig under the wall through sand which will take longer, but buried somewhere in the sand pit in each lane is an advantage in the game. Finally, they will make their way to the final wall which will be a vertical table maze that they must navigate a ball up using two handles. The first person to land their ball at the top wins immunity. Reward/Advantage: The ability to decide on when the two tribals will occur that day; either having one vote straight away and then the other one later at tribal regularly, or having both at tribal back to back with no time to discuss between.

Immunity Challenge: S-Word Play Contestants will each have a sword with a flat base, and will hold the sword with the tip of the blade on the ground. They will then need to keep it balanced as they stack blocks on the base of the handle, with the blocks spelling out the word IMMUNITY. The first person to have all their blocks stacked in order and held steadily for five seconds wins.

Gadya Tribe
The camera opens to a shot of the starry night sky, with peaceful music beginning to play as the camera pans down to the Gadya tribe waterfall which is illuminated under the light of the moon, and the stars are shown glistening on the surface of the water. The peaceful music suddenly snaps to more sinister music as the camera cuts into the tribe's camp where everyone can be seen returning from tribal, placing their bags down. As they do, the camera focuses on Sonnie who looks around at people with a stern expression on his face.

(The camera then cuts towards Rosalind, who watches as Jamie and Michelle head off together, before signalling for Edith and Gerald to meet with her, with the three gradually heading off from the group. As they do so, the camera focuses back in on Rosalind who looks content with the results of the vote.)

(As they head down to the water, the camera then cuts to Jamie and Michelle who are making their way towards the well, stopping once they're in the clear and sitting down on a log together.)

Jamie: Well that went about as awfully as it bloody could have.

Michelle: I know. Opal's going to be furious with us.

Jamie: Yeah mate, did you see the glare she gave us when the fourth and fifth votes for her came up?

Michelle: Yep. I think it's probably best that we avoid her for tonight, and tomorrow hopefully she will have calmed down enough to talk.

Jamie: Yeah. I mean, at least the two of us stuck around, but losing Tanya probably means that we've lost the majority numbers and are completely stuffed now.

Michelle: I know. If there's one thing we can hopefully count on, it's that that group came together out of necessity rather than pure trust. I mean, Opal didn't even vote with them, she voted for Edith. That has to surely show that group that there's at least some level to which she doesn't trust all of them.

Jamie: I bloody hope you're right.

(Jamie and Michelle continue to sit on the log, now in silence, as the camera focuses on Jamie who looks nervous.)

(The camera then cuts back to Michelle who also looks slightly nervous, but is remaining composed.)

(As Jamie lets out a sigh, Michelle puts her arm around her, with the two both smiling and remaining seated. There is then a cut back to the water, with Edith, Rosalind and Gerald all sitting together on the riverbank, leaning up against a fallen tree.)

Edith: I can't believe he played it.

Rosalind: Honestly, I can. You were right, he's a really caring guy. He wasn't about to let Opal be taken out like that.

Gerald: I'm just glad to finally be off the bottom for once, if you can call our position that.

Rosalind: Honestly? I'm worried for myself, especially considering Tanya's little outburst after the vote, but I think you two are sitting pretty now.

Edith: Oh yeah, what was that all about?

Rosalind: Tanya and I had just bonded over the fact we were the two country girls out here, and the fact that I voted her out clearly hit her harder than I expected it would.

Edith: Well, regardless of that, we've got your back, and Tanya's long gone. You don't have to worry about her until day thirty nine now.

(Rosalind smiles.)

Rosalind: Thanks.

Gerald: So... now what?

Rosalind: Well, assuming Opal is with us now that Calvin saved her and the others all voted for her, we have five against the other four. You guys are good with that, right?

Gerald: If she's willing to trust us and listen now, then sure. Clearly some part of her doesn't though given that she voted for Edith. Are you alright with working with her even though she voted for you?

Edith: Well, it does make me a little uncomfortable, but I know that it's obviously for the best.

Rosalind: Yeah, and besides, she's not going to flip to the others right away, and with us and Calvin on your side, I know that she won't be able to try anything on this side.

Edith: Exactly. I think she's relatively harmless now. Being left out of the merge vote is never a position you want to see yourself in, so she'd be looking for any place that will take her right now.

(The other two both nod, with the camera then cutting to a close up of Edith, who glances off towards camp.)

(As Edith says this, there is another cut, with the camera cutting to the edge of camp where Calvin and Opal are both standing, with Opal still looking both shocked and angered by the vote.)

Opal: I still just... I can't believe they'd vote for me.

Calvin: I know. I tried telling you...

Opal: Yeah, and I'm sorry for not believing you, I just figured there was no way that they'd turn on me at the very first vote after getting out of that Tolmer hell hole together.

Calvin: Well, clearly they've turned their backs on you.

Opal: Yeah, and good riddance honestly. I'm done with them.

Calvin: So, onto greener pastures then?

(Opal nods.)

Opal: Absolutely. I don't know Gerald, Edith and Rosalind at all, but as far as I'm concerned, they tried to keep me around and that's more than I can say about any of the others.

Calvin: Trust me, they're all great. We can definitely work with them for a while.

Opal: Sounds good to me. So, since you played the idol, what's the chances there's a new one out there?

Calvin: I'm not sure. I mean, the Survivor fan in me hopes that idols are a bit more scarce since some seasons go overboard and ruin the whole game, but it's definitely worth checking.

Opal: It was at the waterfall, right?

Calvin: Yep.

Opal: Well, this is the old Wangi camp and they've got a waterfall. Even if there's not a new one hidden, maybe their old one is still there.

Calvin: That's true. You go ahead and I'll catch up.

Opal: Alright. I'll meet you there.

(Opal begins heading off, with the camera focused on Calvin who looks glad, but after a few seconds, his smile breaks as he begins to look somewhat nervous.)

(The camera then cuts to the waterfall where Opal is searching around, and after a while, Calvin joins her, with the two looking around the rocks at the base, working their way up. Calvin then looks in a branch hanging over it where the idol once was, but finds nothing now. The two keep searching for a little while longer before eventually giving up, heading back towards camp, before they notice Edith, Gerald and Rosalind still at the edge of the water, heading over to them.)

Calvin: Howdy.

(The other three turn to face Calvin and Opal who are making their way around the water towards them.)

Opal: Hope we're not interrupting anything.

Gerald: No, quite the opposite. You're the two we were hoping to get a chance to talk to. Take a seat.

(Opal and Calvin sit down besides the others.)

Calvin: So, catch us up on what's happening.

Gerald: Well, what was happening was a terrific idol play.

Calvin: Thanks. Hopefully that shows you guys that I'm fully on board with you.

Edith: Definitely. We've got no doubts.

Opal: And I know I voted for you, Edith, which I'm really sorry about, but you guys could've just let me leave and instead stuck by me, so I'm also completely on board with this group.

Edith: Yeah, it's water under the bridge.

Opal: Thanks.

Calvin: So, where to now?

Rosalind: It's probably too early to have a target completely set in stone, but the only thing that can stop us now is someone in that group having an idol.

Calvin: Well, I had the Tolmer idol, so that leaves Jeremy and Sonnie.

Edith: Would Jeremy even know what an idol is?

(Everyone laughs at this.)

Opal: Guess that clears him then.

Gerald: As the only one that was there for both of their vote offs, there's definitely no way that Jenoveve or Jessica would have left the ways they did if either of them had an idol.

Rosalind: Well, that means it's either still out here, Tanya left with it which is actually a somewhat likely option, or Sonnie has it.

Edith: Either way, if we can play around it, we're solid.

Gerald: Yep. Now, I think we should probably all get some sleep if we want to be on our A games to figure this all out.

Opal: Agreed.

(Everyone starts getting up to head back to camp, with the camera focused on Gerald who smiles and looks around at the group.)

(The camera then cuts to Opal who no longer looks as angry, and instead seems much more calm now.)

(As the five continue to head back towards camp, the camera cuts to the shelter where Jeremy is sitting with Sonnie standing beside him, the two both looking around and noticing nobody left in camp.)

Jeremy: This sucks.

Sonnie: That it does.

Jeremy: I mean, we had five votes on Opal. That's bull[expletive] that she stuck around.

Sonnie: Well, unfortunately that's how the game goes sometimes.

Jeremy: Whatever. At least we've still got Jamie and Michelle. They seem cool.

Sonnie: Right. Speaking of which, do you know where they went?

Jeremy: Uh, last I saw, they were headin' towards the well. Want me to look for 'em?

Sonnie: No, that's fine. You wait here for when the others come back, I'll find them.

Jeremy: 'Aight, and hey?

(Sonnie stops and faces Jeremy.)

Jeremy: Thanks for lookin' out for me bro. It's cool to know you've got my back.

Sonnie: Definitely... bro.

(Jeremy's face lights up as Sonnie smirks.)

Jeremy: Aha! You said it! No goin' back on that now. We're bros for life. Fist bump?

Sonnie: Don't get too ahead of yourself.

(Jeremy raises his fist out, with Sonnie sighing before giving him a fist bump, which makes Jeremy laugh again. Sonnie then picks up his bag and his canteen, before heading off out of camp. The camera then cuts back to Jeremy who lies down in the shelter, still with a grin on his face.)

(The camera then cuts to the well where Jamie and Michelle are just about to head back to camp, before they hear someone approaching, stopping walking and instead looking like they were just filling their canteens, before they notice Sonnie heading into the area.)

Jamie: Oh, it's you.

Sonnie: It's me.

(They put their canteens back down.)

Sonnie: Can I just first say, my sincerest apologies for the position I've put the two of you in. I never thought that the two of you voting for Opal would come back around on you like this.

Michelle: It's okay. Clearly none of us saw Calvin playing his idol on her coming.

Sonnie: Right. It's still far too large of an oversight for me to have made, especially when trying to extend trust to the two of you.

Jamie: It's alright mate. We get it.

Michelle: We both agreed to make the jump over to your side knowing all the risks involved in it, so we've got to live with that decision now.

Sonnie: Are you still wanting to work together now? I know that clearly I've blown up both of your positions in the game, so if you wish to throw me to the wolves, I understand.

Jamie: Nah. Like Michelle said, we made our bed, now we've got to lie in it. It's not like we have anywhere else to go anyway.

Sonnie: Well, just know, you've shown me loyalty and I'm not going to misuse that. We will be going to the end.

(Michelle sighs.)

Michelle: I really appreciate that, but we're definitely not in the greatest position to be making a call like that.

Sonnie: Oh yes we are.

(Jamie and Michelle look at each other confusedly.)

Michelle: How so?

(Sonnie then reaches into his bag, pulling out his idol.)

Sonnie: With this.

(Jamie and Michelle both look stunned.)

Jamie: Holy [expletive]! You bloody legend!

Sonnie: Trust me when I say this, this is a fateful encounter. With Tanya's departure, you two are the only two people now that know I have this idol. As long as the two of you feel the same, I can't see a single reason that we can't be sitting at the end together with our heads held high, having overcome this numbers deficit now. What do you say?

(Jamie and Michelle both smile.)

Jamie: Bloody hell, I feel like I just got a lecture from Morgan Freeman. That was some inspirational [expletive] right there. I'm in.

Michelle: The way I look at it, it's do or die for the three of us regardless. We've got nothing to lose, so let's make some magic happen.

Sonnie: Then it's done.

(Sonnie is about to head off again.)

Jamie: Wait.

(He turns back around, confused.)

Jamie: What are we?

Sonnie: What do you mean?

Jamie: Like, in Survivor there's the Black Widow Brigade, the Four Horseman, the Onions. What are we?

Michelle: I thought you said you barely watch the show?

Jamie: Yeah, I only watch once or twice a year, but do you know how long flights to and from Australia and America are? I binge several whole seasons in that time.

(Michelle laughs.)

Michelle: Any suggestions Sonnie?

Sonnie: None at all.

(Jamie thinks for a moment, before bursting out laughing.)

Jamie: Guys, we're the Eggs.

Michelle: What?

Sonnie: The Eggs?

Jamie: Yeah! Mi-shell. Sonnie-side-up. We're the Eggs.

(Michelle and Sonnie chuckle.)

Michelle: How does your name fit into the theme?

Jamie: It doesn't. I'm hereby exempt from egg puns.

Sonnie: That doesn't seem fair.

Jamie: Hey, I don't make the rules, I just enforce them.

Michelle: Well, I'm enforcing that we all sleep.

Sonnie: Agreed. We're definitely not down and out, but we've still got a long road ahead and getting a good night's rest should put us in the right head space for that.

Jamie: Fine, let's go.

(The three of them start heading back to camp together, and as they walk, the camera focuses in on Sonnie who is still smiling from the conversation, with a look of determination on his face.)

As the three all continue walking, the camera pans up to the night sky, before fading into the season intro.



Viewer Polls
Which side are you rooting for to come out on top? Calvin, Edith, Gerald, Rosalind and Opal The Eggs (Jamie, Michelle and Sonnie) + Jeremy