Family visits, airing of grievances, whispers at tribal council dominate week 11 of, ‘Survivor: Island of the Idols’

The 11^th week of CBS’s, “Survivor: Island of the Idols” got straight into things as it opened with host Jeff Probst meeting with the eight remaining contestants for a reward challenge.

Before the challenge, Probst took the time to introduce the family member of each contestant who had made the trip to Fiji for the visit.

Whitley County’s Elaine Stott was the last contestant remaining when her girlfriend, Tonya Thomas, stepped out from the trees where the loved ones had been waiting.

“She’s the toughest girl I know,” Elaine said of Tonya.

“She puts up with me, Jeff,” Elaine added of Tonya. “She’s my rock at home.”

Elaine said Tonya has two children from a previous relationship who have accepted the women’s relationship, and accepted Elaine.

Probst then announced that the reward challenge would give the winners additional time with their loved ones.

The contestants were divided into teams of two by drawing lots. The team members were then tethered together and had to complete and obstacle course. After finishing the course, the teams had to toss a sandbag, getting it to remain atop a small platform in a similar fashion to cornhole.

Elaine was paired with Dean. The other teams were Janet and Tommy, Dan and Laurel, and Karishma and Noura.

Elaine and Dean take the lead coming out of the first obstacle which involved going over and under a series of horizontal bamboo beams.

However, when Elaine got stuck while attempted to crawl underneath another bamboo beam that had been buried in the sand, Janet and Tommy were able to close the gap.

Elaine and Dean were the first to make an attempt at the sandbag. When neither could make the shot, the other teams caught up, and it became a battle to see which team could stick the sandbag first.

Tommy and Janet completed the challenge.

Probst then told the duo that they could pick two others to have additional time, which would involve a lunch.

They picked Dan and Lauren, leaving Elaine, Dean, Karishma and Noura to say goodbye to their family members and head back to camp.

Back at camp, Noura, who had been work with Tommy, Janet, Dan and Lauren, complained about being left out.

Karishma compared the moment to the famous holiday on, “Seinfeld,” known as “Festivus,” noting the four were having an airing of grievances right there.

With two immunity idols played last week, the group discussed the possibility of additional idols being hidden and decided to use their time to search for one.

Karishma described the idol for the others so they knew what color to look for and Elaine found one, “Sitting in a tree, pretty as can be.”

“I picked it up and put it in my redneck pocket,” Elaine said. “That’s where it is going to stay until I play the damn thing.”

Soon after Janet, Dan, Tommy and Lauren return to camp, all of the contestants meet up with Probst for the immunity challenge.

The contestants must stand on one foot on a wooden block, extend their arms up to pin a ball between a wooden beam and what appears to be a pool buoy through which a wooden handle has been threated.

If a contestant drops the ball, he or she is eliminated. The last one left standing will win immunity.

After 15 minutes, the contest is down to Lauren and Elaine.

While Lauren wobbled on several occasions and appeared close to dropping the ball, Elaine was very focused and steady.

However, out of nowhere, Elaine dropped the ball, giving Lauren immunity at the upcoming tribal council.

Back and camp, various contestants hold individual and group discussions to work out who will go home. Each conversation that Noura is involved with, is shared by her among the other contestants.

While Elaine, Karishma, Dean and Noura appeared to have a plan, Elaine voiced her concern.

“I worry that Noura is such a fruit loop that she won’t stick to the plan,” Elaine said.

A the tribal council, Probst began questioning the contestants, but a war of whispering broke out initially among Dean, Tommy and Dan who were sitting on the back row with Noura.

When Noura became involved, Probst asked Elaine about it.

“Apparently, they got something to say,” Elaine replied, getting up at one point and joining a group.

Noura spilled the plan the four had come up with at camp to vote out Tommy.

“And Elaine has an idol,” she added.

“She is out of control,” Boston Rob whispered to Sandra as they watched from their hidden hut.

Following the vote, Elaine elected to play her idol.

“We just regained our power,” Noura said.

However, it proved unnecessary as the vote was split 4-3 between Karishma and Noura.