No matter what happens to Maine’s Ashley Underwood on “Survivor” this season, she will always be able to say she was in one of the biggest episodes in the reality show’s history.
That’s because Russell Hantz, who is playing for the third time and is considered one of the best players in the show’s history, got voted off Wednesday night — for the first time.
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“I’ll be back, and I’ll be ready,” Hantz sneered to his new nemesis and fellow country boy, Ralph Kiser, as Hantz headed off to Redemption Island.
Hantz is in the Zapatera tribe, where he presides with “his little harem,” Krista Klumpp and Stephanie Valencia. Underwood, a 26-year-old nurse from Benton and a former Miss Maine, is in the Ometepe tribe, which is being run by Rob Mariano, aka “Boston Rob.”
At the beginning of the show, host Jeff Probst invited both tribes to draw stones to see which two people from each tribe would go to Redemption Island to witness a duel between the first two castaways of this season. Redemption Island is a new twist to the game, in which a player can earn the right to re-enter the game.
Underwood drew the right stone and headed off to the island with her tribemate Andrea Boehlke. They sat in a corny-looking stone arena carved with totems and watched as their former tribemates Francesca Hogi and Matt Elrod went head-to-head in a game that Probst said was “a good old-fashioned ‘Survivor’ challenge — sticks, ropes and locks.”
Hogi and Elrod had to make a pole with sticks and ropes, then use that pole to grab three keys. They then used the keys to unlock three locks and open a door.
It wouldn’t be a “Survivor” challenge without someone coming from way behind. Elrod proved he was no Boy Scout as his pole kept falling apart, but he quickly got it together and, through the magic of television editing, suddenly it was neck and neck.
The nice boy from Nashville won, and Francesca Hogi was sent packing for good. Elrod returned to Redemption Island to await the next person voted off and another duel.
Back at the Ometepe camp, the tribe asked Underwood and Boehlke how Elrod was doing. Underwood told them that Elrod kept looking at them during the duel “and he said he wanted to come back and get his revenge.”
Over at Zapatera, Steve Wright decided to tell Hantz that “the black chick” won and “the blond dude” went home so that Hantz would be surprised if he got voted off and had to go to Redemption Island.
Hantz’s tribe decided to throw the immunity challenge so they could vote him off.
In the challenge, three members of a tribe were strapped to a wheel partially submerged in water. The other three members turned the wheel, making the strapped castaways go underwater on each turn. The strapped players had to suck in water, then spit it into a tube when they got to the top of the wheel. After the tube filled with water, they had to finish a puzzle.
Underwood was one of the strapped players and appeared to do a fine job spitting into the tube. It didn’t really matter how well she played, though, because the other tribe threw the game.
Underwood was handed the immunity idol to hold for her tribe.
Hantz realized that the game had been thrown and knew that he and his two concubines had to recruit someone else to their side to avoid being voted off. Stephanie Valencia tried to sell a female tribemate on Hantz’s charms: “You need to remember he will take us to the top.”
Cut to tribal council: Hantz voted for his long-lost twin Ralph Kiser, saying “This is MY game, sucka,” and Kiser voted for Hantz. The first count was three votes Hantz, three votes Kiser and three votes Valencia.
After the second round of voting, Hantz was out.
“Storm’s a’comin”‘ Valencia intoned ominously.
Leave it to Probst to sum it up in a nutshell.
“Well, you’ve just voted out one of the most successful players in the history of ‘Survivor,’” he said. “The question is, will this decision come back to haunt you?”
Staff Writer Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332 or at:
mgoad@pressherald.com
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