Survivor kicked off Season 27 with Survivor: Blood vs. Water featuring 10 pairs of “loved ones,” forcing families to compete against each other to win the million dollar prize.

The 10 pairs were eased into the competition with “Day Zero,” a quick overnight where each pair roomed together, lulling them into a false sense of security. Each pair was split up in their new Tribes the next morning – contestants now have the added pressure of beating their loved one (whether it be a spouse, child, mother, etc.) for the prize money. The two Tribes were split, unsurprisingly, based on experience. The returning players were put in the yellow Galang tribe and first-time contestants were placed in the red Tadhana tribe.

The Galang tribe consists of Aras Baskauskas, Candice, Colton Cumbie, Gervase Paterson, Kat Edorsson, Laura Morett, Monica Culpepper, Rupert Boneham, Tina Wesson and Tyson Apostyl.

The Tadhana tribe consists of Aras’ brother, Vytas Baskauskas, Candice’s husband John, Colton’s finacé Caleb Bankston, Gervase’s niece Marissa Peterson, Kat’s boyfriend (and former Big Brother winner) Hayden Moss, Laura’s daughter Ciera Eastin, Monica’s husband Brad Culpepper, Rupert’s wife Laura Boneham, Tina’s daughter Katie Collins and Tyson’s girlfriend Rachel Foulger.

Immediately after being separated, host Jeff Probst forces each tribe to eliminate one of their own, right off the bat. The red team unanimously votes to out Laura, Rupert’s wife. She was not happy. Meanwhile, the yellow team voted Candice out.

Still, there may be hope for Laura and Candice: Redemption Island is back in the game, giving eliminated tribe members a second shot to prove they still belong in the game. Probst doesn’t stop there. Playing on the emotional ties between contestants, Probst says that the loved one of an eliminated contestant can choose to change places with them at Redemption Island. However, as a consequence the player initially voted off will join the game again for the other team.

Rupert jumped at the chance and, despite vocal protests from his teammates, switched places with his wife, angering Tina and his other yellow-teammates. At the Galang beach camp, the yellow team makes their distaste of Laura known. When she tries to help by cutting open a coconut, Aras tells her what they are all thinking: “I so wish your husband was here right now, Laura.” But, not all hope for the Galang is lost: Tyson builds them a nice fire.

Over on Redemption Island, Rupert and Candice are not faring so well. Rupert is fine swimming and enjoying a relaxing time away from the tribal politics, but Candice is quickly losing it, claiming that she is doing all the work while Rupert does nothing to aid their survival.

Soon it was time for the first immunity challenge: six contestants from each team have to swim over obstacles to get to a boat and then paddle the boat back to shore, where the three other team members will have to take out the puzzle pieces from the boat and complete a ship wheel puzzle.

The red team, aka Tadhana, starts strong, as returning contestant Gervase, from Galang (team yellow) failed to work on his less than stellar swimming. Gervase cost Galang time and energy. Galang wins the challenge in the end, after Ciera, Katie, and Caleb fail to assemble the puzzle.

Despite his poor performance, Gervase lets his competitive spirit get the best of him and gloats loudly, causing team Tadhana to turn on his loved one, niece Marissa, back at camp.

Sure enough, at the first Tribal Council, Marissa is voted off to Redemption Island by her teammates, leaving her to battle against Rupert and Candice in the first Redemption Island duel of the season in the next week’s episode.

Survivor: Blood vs. Water airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. on CBS.

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong

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