Survivor Samoa
Recap: October 22, 2009
by Vic2rea

Tonight's Survivor Samoa opens with a cold, shivering Foa Foa Tribe as the cold rain continues to fall.  Mick says with all the rain, he felt a little tinge of jealousy with Ashley going home.  Jaison says he feels like they are fighting a battle that fate doesn't want them to win.  Russell says he is having fun in the rain because if it was pretty he would be wanting to take his family there.  He is happy to be someplace miserable.  He says it is no big deal, matter of fact, it just makes him stronger.

Back with Foa Foa, Russell H. is also working in the rain, while his tribe members also cower inside from the cold rain.  Russell mocks them for not wanting to get their hair wet, being too tired and not working harder at the challenges.  He sais it was wet and cold last night and all they want to do is sit and suck on their thumbs.  He remarks that he doesn't know how to help them and he doesn't think it is going to stop raining. When morning breaks, Erik emerges from a hole under the tree and says he has spent 26 hours under the tree to find a clear sky and an rainbow.

Today's challenge will have one member strapped into a large sphere.  That person will guide two blindfolded tribe members to push the sphere through a long course to a table maze.  The person inside the sphere will then guide the rest of their blindfolded tribe mates, as they navigate a ball through the maze into an exit hole. First tribe to get it right wins the reward - hot piping pizza.  One twist - win or lose both tribes going to tribal council - both tribes will vote somebody out tonight.  The winning tribe will sit in on the losing tribes tribal council to listen in while they eat their pizza in front of them.  Galu has to sit four people out - Russell chooses Monica, Kelly, Shamba and Dave.

For Foa Foa, Liz will be in the ball, pushing will be Russell and Jaison; Galu, Laura in the ball with Russell and Erik pushing.  Galu takes an early lead, but Liz guides her team to sneak past them, then Galu runs into a tree.  Foa Foa takes a larger lead as Galu gets stuck.   Laura tries to get Russell on course, he is exhausted, staggering and stumbling as if cannot understand what she is trying to tell them.  He gets to the table, slowly bends over, rests his head on the corner, then slumps to the ground.  Jeff calls for medical and tells everyone to hold right where they are.  Medical staff arrives and Russell stands saying he is ok.  When they ask him to sit back down, he tries, but falls into a prone position laying on his back.  They call to him asking him if he can hear them.

Jeff tells eeryone to take off their blindfolds.  Russell is told his blood pressure is really low.  Russell argues that he is fine.  Medical staff tells Jeff that his blood pressure is lower than Mike's was and if they let him resume, he will just pass out again..   Jeff says he is going to make the call - the challenge is over, neither tribe wins reward,  both tribes will go to tribal council, and both tribes will vote someone out tonight.  Jeff tells them to return to their camp and they will stay to monitor Russell.  He says if Russell is able to return to the game, they will see him at tribal council.

The rain begins anew.  The tribe doesn't think Russell will be able to return to the game.  They get into the shelter and commiserate about losing their leader.  They are trying to focus and not let the emotional issues get to them because they still have to vote someone out tonight.

Back with the medical staff and Russell, they try to sit him up and he falls back with his eyes open, but doesn't speak.  Medical says his heart rate was 97 when he sat up and dropped to 68 when he laid back down.  Jeff tells Russell that he will have to pull him from the game, that he has watched him pass out twice already.  Russell tells him he is just dehydrated and will be ok that his team depends on him.  Jeff tells him that he is not a quitter, he was strong and was playing a good game, but he has pushed himself too hard and his body is telling him stop.  Russell begins to cry as Jeff tells him he will leave him alone and walks away.

Liz talks about how close they were to winning and she is very disappointed.  She says they don't want to go back there because they were just there.  Natalie and Liz think it will be one of them and are going to pack their bags.  Russell tells Natalie that the vote is very simple tonight, it will be Liz.  Natalie tells him they already knew one of them was going and would be voting for each other.  Jaison says he hopes Russell will be ok, but it sucks that when they finally were getting someplace, this had to happen.

Back at the Galu tribe, they are discussing Shambo going because when they merge, she could very well flip sides.  Shambo pleads her case saying she light the fire the first eight days they were there and asks that they don't write her name down.  Monica wants no part of it because Shambo wrote her name down last tribal.  The men seem to want Monica to go.  John doesn't like the closeness of Monica and Laura and makes the case that they would quickly flip after a merge.  John and Erik tell Shambo to vote consistent and vote for Monica.  Shambo, of course, says no worries.

Tribal council - all 13 at tribal council.  Jeff informs them that Russell was pulled from the game because his blood pressure stablized, but then his heart rate dropped.  He says it was the scariest moment he has had on any season of Survivor.  Jeff talks with them about Russell's leaving.  They talk about how hard this past 15 days has been.   The thunder rolls and it begins to pour rain, once again.

Jeff says that due to the circumstance today, there will be no tribal vote today.  Erik says whether they vote or not, they are down one and it's good to stop the bleeding with only one.  Russell says he believes the tables will turn and he plans to go all out.  Erik says every bead of sweat and spirit that Russell put into his tribe will be brought to Foa Foa in the challenges.  Jeff concludes by telling Galu tribe to go back to camp and select a new leader.  He then dismisses them to return to camp and wishes them a good night.

Russell's last words:
Russell tells us that being taken from the game for medical reasons is the worst feeling he has ever felt in his life.  He says he played every minute to win this game and to have his body fail him is demoralizing.  He says even though it pains him not to be in it, to do it an fail is better than to never try.  He is then loaded into the van on a stretcher, the door closes and the sun peeks through the clouds and they drive away.  

Next week on Survivor Samoa:  The men of Galu make Shambo one of their own and pray she doesn't screw up their plans.  Russell tells Monica that they will go to final two.

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