Survivor: Loved Ones Come to Visit with Andrea Sent to Redemption Island

I am always a bit perplexed by the loved ones visit episode of Survivor. By the time they see their loved ones the Survivors have only been surviving, without their loved ones, for around 30 days.

When the moms, brothers, sisters, others started showing up in the "arena" on Redemption Island, tears started flowing.

If I were on Survivor I can't think of anyone who I'd get all teared up over having not seen or talked to them for 30 days.

I remember on the loved ones episode of the very first Survivor, the messages from home came via a VCR and an old-fashioned TV. With Jenna Lewis not getting a message. Move forward 10 or 11 years and the loved one message come via smart phone video.

That's progress.

I guess Amber could not get a babysitter. Rob's sister was his loved one.

So was Phillip's sister. They look alike. I did not wonder til this morning if Phillip was still wandering around in his pink panties. Or had he found some more modest covering?

With all the Zapatera kicked out of the tribe, it was now time to start eating their own. So, Andrea was sent to Redemption Island.

We are now down to only 5 Survivors remaining, plus the crowd on Redemption Island. At what point does the final Redemption Islander get sent back to the tribe? If it is at the final 3 point I think if it is a Zapatera who is sent back, that person is a shoo-in for the win. And if that person is Matt it will be one very holy Sunday when Matt is announced the winner.

Rob seemed to almost have a stroke or heart attack winning his latest Immunity Challenge. On the CBS Survivor website re-cap Rob's collapse is described as, "Rob then lays down at the top because of crapping muscles and being overheated."

Crapping muscles? Methinks and 'm' needs to be substituted for one of those 'p's.

Backed to the loved one's visit. The tribe arrives at the Redemption Island Arena to watch Matt, Mike, Ralph and Steve break tiles. Steve did not break all his tiles so he was banished from Redemption Island and Survivor.

Jeff Probst then informs the tile breaker winner, Mike, that he also wins the reward part of the duel. Mike's mom then arrives. Probst then informs Mike he can have a solo visit with his mom, or let his Redemption Island mates see their loved ones, or let the Ometepe people, who booted him, see their loved ones.

Mike opted to be a martyr and let Rob's cult see their loved ones. This made Matt and Ralph a little annoyed at Mike. Mike's mom was proud of Mike's heroic kindness. I thought it was dumb on Mike's part. It won't get him anything from those Ometepe people. I would have opted to have solo time with my mom.

So, I'm sort of coming around to thinking I like the Redemption Island gimmick. I will particularly find it amusing if God's chosen won gets to rejoin the tribe to get divine justice.