['Survivor: Redemption Island' - 'You Mangled My Nets']

And so the "Ometepe Six," as they'd come to be called, came to rule the game of 'Redemption Island,' decimating their Zapatera foe until only they remained. And it was good. For about half a second.

Truly, they will go down in history as one of the strongest and most enduring alliances in the history of the game. But now there's no one left to eat but themselves. Smart players would immediately target the Rob-father, but he's so into their heads, are they even capable of seeing the situation clearly?

I suspect the mental and psychological drain of the 'Survivor' experience is far more difficult than any of us can imagine. Rob's done it a few times, so he was probably more prepared for that aspect of the game. And with their tired brains, they may truly not be able to see the pieces to connect.

This week was the first time we saw how much this game really means to Rob. He admitted that he's been trying to win 'Survivor' for ten years. Even his masterful performance in 'All-Stars' only cemented a win for his ally, Amber. Sure, he wound up marrying her, but it was still her victory.

But, he's got a long way to go, and he's got to nail it down in that final Tribal Council. If he sticks with Phillip, the special agent apparently has a trick up his sleeve as well.

I've been curious how much Phillip is playing this "crazy" card as a strategy. He pretty adeptly laid out exactly what Rob is doing in regards to him in the game, admitting that he's making himself the villain so they'll want him in the Finals. It is there, he says, that he has a strategy to vocalize no one else has thought of.

Dammit, Phillip. Now I kind of want you to get there just to see what it is. If he doesn't, maybe Jeff will remember to ask him about it during the live reunion special.

We got a deeper glimpse into life on Redemption Island, now that it's housing three and four people. They even got videos from home just like the people in the game proper. The videos seemed to reinvigorate everyone in the game, and especially Matt and Natalie. Matt's been struggling for awhile, and Natalie seemed just overwhelmed by the fact that after five "gimme" votes, the real nastiness was about to begin.

The Redemption Island challenge again only eliminated one person, and it was about what we expected. But it was here that the loved ones prize was presented. Winner got time with their loved on, or a horrible choice. Michael won, while Matt and Ralph came in second and third to stay in the game. Steve, who was completely drained, went to the Jury.

Michael could keep his visit, give visits to Matt and Ralph or give loved ones to the Ometepe Six. He went with the latter option, which was probably a shocker to everyone. Even Matt, who's been wearing his spirituality like a badge for weeks now said he didn't think he could have done that.



The visit seemed to boost the spirits of the Ometepe Six, as they attacked the step-building challenge with so much vigor and drive. I found myself incredibly impressed with Rob as it was pure willpower that pushed him stumbling to victory. I don't know if we've ever seen anyone kill themselves so much in a single challenge. That's the kind of passion and drive you have to respect.

Once again, though, the vote turned out to be a non-surprise. Since Matt's return and second blindside, Andrea has been a target of Rob's. They tried to play up the chance that he's starting to perceive Phillip's strategy, but it came down to loyalty.

However, if Andrea wasn't sure about them before, she's now going to firmly be in the camp of the folks at Redemption Island against Rob. He's going to have to do a lot of sweet talking to win that million dollars with all those Zapatera and Matt and Andrea on the outs.

It's going to come down still, I think, to when, and how many, people come back from Redemption Island. If only one person makes it back into the game, and they can make it to the Final Tribal Council, they'll have a great shot of winning.

If Matt gets there, it would be the weirdest situation ever. He's only spent maybe a week in the actual game. Would they reward him for his endurance and early domination at Redemption Island? It helps that he's spending a little more time with some of his competitors now, as those are the folks who will make up the jury.

After next Wednesday, it's the two-hour finale. There are only seven days left in the game, and yet we technically still have nine people who haven't been completely eliminated yet. We're looking at an elimination bloodbath. And soon.

'Survivor: Redemption Island' airs Wednesdays, 8PM ET on CBS.

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