Survivor: Blood vs. Water eliminated returning castaway Candice Cody from the game after she lost the season's fourth Redemption Island duel during Wednesday night's fifth episode of the CBS reality series' 27th edition.

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Candice, a 30-year-old physician and anesthesiology resident from Washington, D.C. -- who finished in eighth place on both Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, which aired in 2010, and Survivor: Cook Islands, which aired in early 2006 -- lost the duel to her husband and "loved one" John Cody and Brad Culpepper -- a 44-year-old attorney and retired NFL player from Tampa, FL, who is the husband of returning player Monica Culpepper.

Later in the episode, the Galang tribe of returning players voted Laura Morett, a 43-year-old construction company co-owner from Salem, OR, out of their tribe on Night 13 at the season's fifth Tribal Council session. 

"I was absolutely shocked, blindsided. I trusted some people in the game that I shouldn't have been trusting, but I'm still in the game! The game is not over. I gotta keep my wits about me. I have to win the duel," Laura M. said as she arrived on Redemption Island.

As the game's newest Tribal Council victim, Laura M. will now take Candice's place on Redemption Island, where she will battle Brad and John, a 30-year-old physician and army orthopedic surgery resident from Washington, D.C., in the game's next duel and attempt to eventually earn a chance to rejoin the game's other remaining castaways and resume competing for Survivor: Blood vs. Water's million dollar prize.

At this point in the game, the Galang tribe of returning Survivor castaways was comprised of Laura M.; Tyson Apostol, a 34-year-old former pro cyclist and shop manager from Provo, UT; Aras Baskauskas, a 31-year-old musician from Santa Monica, CA; Monica, a 42-year-old former NFL wife and homemaker from Tampa, FL; Kat Edorsson, a 23-year-old full-time student and saleswoman from Orlando, FL; Gervase, a 43-year-old cigar lounge owner from Philadelphia, PA; Tina Wesson, a 52-year-old motivational speaker from Robbinsville, NC; and Rupert Boneham's wife Laura Boneham, a 44-year-old newbie player and merchandiser from Indianapolis, IN -- whom Rupert had switched places with on Redemption Island at the beginning of the game.

Survivor: Blood vs. Water's fifth episode began on Night 10 at the camp of the newbie players' Tadhana tribe -- which was comprised of Colton's fiance Caleb Bankston, a 26-year-old post office manager and farmer from Collinsville, AL; Kat's boyfriend -- and former Big Brother winner -- Hayden Moss, a 26-year-old in real estate from Springtown, TX; Aras' brother Vytas Baskauskas, a 33-year-old yoga instructor and math professor from Santa Monica, CA; Laura M.'s daughter Ciera Eastin, a 24-year-old cosmetology student from Salem, OR; and Tina's daughter Katie Collins, a 25-year-old who works in hedge fund support from New York, NY.

Ciera could tell Hayden and Vytas had no idea Caleb was going to fire away at Brad at the previous Tribal Council. She assumed, therefore, Caleb wasn't in a male alliance and hoped he'd join herself and Katie so they'd have the numbers. Meanwhile, Hayden felt Caleb had screwed himself and Vytas, and he began wondering if he was on the outs of his tribe now rather than in a power position.

On Redemption Island, Brad was nervous to confront John, whom he blindsided, and Candice, who had "choice words" for him at the previous duels. Candice was polite to his face but admitted to the cameras she had no love for him. Brad just kept insisting the moves he had orchestrated were "all business," but it was clearly personal to Candice.

On Night 10, Aras and Laura M. were bonding and she really trusted him. Aras, however, said there was no way she was playing him and his alliance still held strong with Tina, Monica, Tyson and Gervase.

On Day 11, all the castaways from both tribes gathered to witness the season's fourth duel. Survivor host Jeff Probst then welcomed Brad, Candice and John together as they entered the arena.

Monica asked Brad if she could take his spot on Redemption Island, but he said, "Absolutely not," as he wanted to fight and win.

For the duel, the castaways had to take apart a crate and use the planks to build a bridge. They must then take apart the bridge and use the planks to solve a puzzle. The last person to finish the challenge would be out of the game for good, while the first-place finisher would receive a clue to a hidden Immunity Idol clue to hand out to any person on either tribe.

The returning players' tribe was rooting for Brad along the way and ultimately supporting Monica. John ended up winning his second duel in a row, Brad finished in second place, and Candice lost.

"I think I would have to say that this is the hardest. I came out here with my loved one, so it's different than coming out with 20 strangers," Candice said.

"It's absolutely miserable. I mean, the heartbreak in seeing her voted out first, because I knew how hard that was for her, then not switching with her, and then now, sending her home -- it's just awful," John explained of his guilt.

On her way out, John asked Candice to have a couple cheeseburgers for him. She hugged him and said, "No more tears, okay?" Candice then wished everyone still in the game good luck. John decided to give the idol clue to Monica for the second time in a row. She opted to throw it in the fire in fear having such an advantage in the game would put a big target on her back.

After the duel, at Galang's camp, Monica felt "demoralized" but figured Brad could win his way back into the game. Tina found Monica's relationship with Brad threatening, as Monica suggested their alliance of five would stay strong and they'd just add whatever loved ones were still in the mix later on. Tina wasn't sure if she could trust Monica nor was she sure whether Monica was a threat or an asset considering Brad's position in the game.

Meanwhile, the Tadhana tribe was pretty beaten up and exhausted. Having lost four Immunity Challenges in a row, they were hungry, eaten alive and losing strength. Vytas was trying to remain on Caleb's good side to keep their alliance intact, but Caleb loved the fact he held all the power in his tribe and would eventually serve as the swing vote between the men and women.

On Day 13, both tribes met Jeff again for Survivor: Blood vs. Water's fifth Immunity Challenge.

For the challenge, one member of each tribe must race down a giant Survivor waterslide, grabbing a ring along the way, and then toss the ring in attempt to land it on one of several posts. The first person to land a ring would score a point for his or her tribe, and the first tribe to five points would win immunity and be safe from the vote at the next Tribal Council. The losing tribe must vote one of its own members off and send them to Redemption Island.

In addition, the winning tribe would receive Reward in the form of steaks, vegetables, spices, and a pot to cook it up in -- or trade it for fishing gear, which Galang already had in their possession.

Galang sat out Monica, Laura M. and Laura B. to even up the numbers.

At the end of the challenge, it was very close and came down to Hayden vs. Gervase for the last point. Hayden landed his ring first, and Tadhana actually won their first challenge of the season. The tribe chose the steaks over the fishing gear, which Jeff criticized as feeding themselves now versus feeding themselves for the rest of the game. It was a short-term versus a long-term reward.

After the challenge, Laura B. was worried she'd be the first person on her tribe to go since she was the only newbie player and had no loved one in the game to increase their numbers. She therefore tried to be very aware of everything going on, including everyone's conversations. She also tried to ruffle feathers by telling Kat that Monica and Laura M. weren't happy they couldn't compete in the challenge. Kat said she was just "accommodating" Laura B.'s conversation since she was "at the bottom."

Meanwhile, Kat felt like she was a member of the five-person alliance, but she wasn't. Aras also humorously noted Laura M. didn't know there was an alliance at all. Tyson thought the tribe should vote someone off who has just been annoying everybody, whom he said was Laura B. However, Aras had a different plan. 

Aras recognized Laura B. was the easy and obvious vote because everyone felt uncomfortable around her, but he acknowledged the easiest vote is often the dumbest vote.

Aras was thinking that Laura M. could possibly beat Brad on Redemption Island, which would make Monica an asset to their alliance. However, if Brad made it back into the game, they'd have to get rid of Monica. Aras figured Brad would have a better shot to win a duel against Laura B.

"Just because it's easy doesn't mean you should do it... Right now, Monica's got her husband in the Redemption arena, and if Brad should lose in Redemption arena and not come back in this game, she'd be a wonderful asset to have. She has nowhere to go. Laura M. is great at challenges, she's great at puzzles. If she goes to Redemption arena and knocks out Brad, then Monica is ours. So Laura M. just seems like the best choice right now," Aras said.

Monica was hesitant to go along with Aras' plan because she knew Laura M. threatened her husband's chances of winning duels.

At the fifth Tribal Council of the season, Galang's first session, Laura M. tried to convince her tribe she'd stay loyal to them until the end and she would not betray them for her daughter in the game. Tyson admitted he still questioned the moves Laura M. would make.

Laura B. also told her tribe she felt she belonged with them because they had been bonding and she contributed a lot of work around camp.

Jeff then revealed the votes. Laura B. voted for Laura M., and the rest of the tribe voted unanimously for Laura M. She was clearly completely blindsided and seemed furious at her tribemates upon her exit.


About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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