Night 24, and Jamie doesn’t like Gary, calling him “shady.” He picks a fight with the quarterback and calls him a liar. Judd actually sides with Gary and tells Jamie that no one lied to him.

With a 6-2 advantage, this is the point in the game when big alliances tend to get comfortable with their lead and turn on each other for a bit. The danger is potentially going from a big female alliance in Vanuatu to letting a construction worker named Chris win a million dollars.

The Reward Challenge divides the players into two teams, and each team is divided into pairs by gender. The pairs are roped together and they must wade through a deep muddy pit and go over then under obstacles. At the end of the course is corn which must be brought back through the course in pots. The first team to fill their huge pot with corn wins a helicopter ride to an overnight stay in a huge house.

The teams are Jamie, Rafe, Cindy and Lydia vs. Gary, Judd, Danni and Stephenie.

The men run the first leg and the younger guys build a lead. But Lydia is having a tough time and StephDanni passes her. Each leg Jamie and Rafe gain, but Lydia loses it each time until it’s not even close.

Jamie wants to finish the race anyway but Cindy yells back that it doesn’t matter so she and Lydia quit.

The muddy winners jump right into the helicopter. Stephenie says she wouldn’t have picked any other three people for this trip. She says she really likes Danni and Gary. Judd gets naked in the open shower by the pool.

Back at camp, Lydia apologizes, as well she should. Jamie just stews. He pulls Rafe aside and tells him he wants the two of them and Judd in the final three. He wants Rafe to give his word on that alliance but Rafe doesn’t want to do it because he hasn’t thought about it. Jamie keeps pressing him for a commitment and Rafe says he won’t turn on Jamie.

Gary wisely works on Steph and Judd at the house. He says the final four should be all strong people and people with good attitudes. He doesn’t want someone to slide by into the final. It’s a good angle. Nice audible, Hogeboom.

The next day the pampered half also get videos from home. Big ouch for the losers. Mrs. Judd seems very nice. How did that happen? Danni’s best friends are dogs, Stephenie has a huge family, and Gary’s wife and kids make him weep like a big strong man.

They bring some coffee back to camp and make Cindy very happy. Judd is afraid Jamie won’t trust him now so he tells Jamie they didn’t talk about strategy at all.

The Immunity Challenge is the one where you’re clipped to a rope and you have to follow it as it’s wrapped through an obstacle course. The first four through the first section advance to another course that’s three levels high.

Gary takes an early lead followed by Cindy and Steph, then Rafe. Danni, Judd and Lydia fall way behind and aren’t factors.

Gary gets stuck and is passed by Rafe and Jamie. Those two finish first and second and Stephenie is third. It comes down to the wire with Cindy and Gary…and Cindy beats him! No Immunity for Gary this week, unless he’s got another Idol in his pocket.

The final consists of all Nakum members and Cindy builds a lead. It looks like we’re finally going to have a woman win a physical Challenge, but she gets stuck and Rafe passes her at the end for the win.

Rafe realizes that he’s now won two Immunities and finished second in the other, making him a threat. He says he’ll have to change how he plays.

Judd tells us they’re still voting out Gary, even though Jamie’s paranoid. Jamie tells Cindy he’s afraid Steph will turn on him. Did Bobby Jon get into his head?

Rafe tells Jamie his constant worrying is making people nervous. Rafe then goes and tells Lydia that Jamie is driving him crazy. They bring Stephenie in and consider dumping Jamie right now. I just don’t see them doing it with Gary such a strong player.

Off to Tribal Council. Where did Bobby Jon get all that forehead hair?

Stephenie admits she and Judd bonded with Gary and Danni. Judd and Danni agree. Judd calls Gary “a man’s man, man.” Jamie says everyone left has a good heart. Gary says a positive attitude should be the most important thing.

Jamie votes for Gary and says, “It’s either you or me, buddy.” Gary returns the voting favor.

Judd votes for Gary. Now why did they show that? So much for the suspense.

The tally reads: Gary, Gary, Jamie, Jamie…Jamie (what?)…Jamie!…JAMIE!!! Wow! Judd is absolutely stunned too. Before he leaves Jamie turns around and shouts, “Blindsided! Nice! Now that’s how you vote somebody out!”

In his final words Jamie says Lydia’s vote hurts the most. He talks about when “good people go bad.” Well, we’ve definitely got our bitter jury member.

Next time on…Survivor: Judd is understandably upset and it leads to a big fight.

Leaving Judd out is the most interesting part of this. That would appear to make Steph, Rafe, Cindy and Lydia an alliance of four, and that would still give them the numbers. But you have to like Gary and Danni’s chances a lot more with the introduction of chaos.

From this point on, anything can happen.

This is why we love Survivor.

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