Survivor: Africa

The sixteen castaways, already divided into the two tribes of Boran and Samburu, were dropped off in the middle of a remote area of Kenya and given a common set of supplies and maps to their camps, requiring them to carry whatever supplies they could. The camps were pre-made fenced enclosures to help protect them from wild animals, and required the tribes to keep a fire going and at least two players on watch.

Samburu's tribe found itself split based on age, with the older, ex-military Frank's orders were resented by the younger members. On Boran, Diane had fallen sick from the initial hike.

• Reward/Immunity challenge: Both tribes must roll a heavy cart, which holds a fire cauldron, across a rugged terrain while lighting three fire towers along the way. The first tower is across a bridge; the second tower is on top of a mountain, and the third is down on a beach. The first tribe to light all three towers and cross the finish line with all eight members wins waterproof matches and one of the carts used in the challenge.

Samburu won the challenge. Boran, defeated, went to collect water while Clarence, who stayed behind to watch Diane, split one of the tribe's can of beans with her, which created trust issues when the rest of the tribe returned. At Tribal Council, the tribe commented on the newfound trust issues, but decided to vote off the weak Diane.

Boran dealt with considering how trustworthy Clarence was after the can of beans incident. Meanwhile at Samburu, the older group attempted to reach out to Silas, part of the younger group, to warn them about the younger groups' weakness and attempted to arrange an alliance to strengthen the older group's position.

• Reward challenge: Both tribes have five logs of different lengths. Each tribe must carry their logs one at a time along their criss-crossing paths while negotiating a series of obstacles to a tower where they must use the logs to build a staircase by inserting them into peg holes around the tower. Both tribes must stay together and on their own path. The first tribe to get all their logs to their tower, build their staircase and have one member to the top of the tower wins blankets, canned food and other supplies left behind on the first day.

Samburu won the reward challenge. On Boran, Jessie had fallen ill from the events of the previous days.

• Immunity challenge: Two at a time, one member of each tribe must drink a shot of cow's blood mixed with milk. The tribe that downs the most shots out of eight wins.

Boran lost the immunity challenge, their third loss in a row, due to a faltering performance by Kelly but, at Tribal Council, they decided to vote off the physically-ill Jessie to help strengthen their tribe.

The Boran tribe worked to correct the trust issues within their group, aided by the need to shore up their camp's fence from wild lions that appeared during the night. Boran won their first challenge. At Samburu, a larger gap formed between the older and younger groups, with the younger group showing little worth ethic to keep up camp, leaving it to the older group. During one outburst, Carl reveals that he is already wealthy, making him a target by the younger group.

• Reward challenge: Both tribes have a giant boulder which must be rolled along a marked course. The first tribe to get their boulder across the finish line and into their resting spot wins a tall metal tower containing 100 gallons of fresh drinking water and a supply of organic shampoo.

Boran wins their first challenge, breaking their losing streak and improving tribe morale.

• Immunity challenge: Both tribes must use whatever is handy to create a distress signal that can easily be seen from the air in an airplane flying overhead, The tribe whose distress signal is chosen to be the most visible of the two in a rescue situation according to the drop master wins.

After losing the immunity challenge, Samburu goes to Tribal Council for the first time, and the vote split on age lines between Carl and Lindsey. As the regular tie-breaker method of counting previous votes would not apply due to it being Samburu's first tribal council, the two vie off in a survival quiz; Lindsey wins and Carl is eliminated, putting the younger players in control at Samburu.

The Boran tribe continues to improve their overall alliance, while the younger group at Samburu use their voting majority to try to coerce the older members to leave them alone.

• Reward challenge: Before each tribe is a large rope web. Hanging on each web are twelve baskets each containing a different food item. One at a time, one member of each tribe must race up a ramp, across a netting and up the rope web. Once a tribe member grabs one item, brings it back and crosses a line, another tribe member must do the same. The first tribe to retrieve all twelve food items from their rope web wins all twelve of the food items that the winning tribe retrieves.

Once again, Kim J.'s poor challenge performance results in Boran losing another challenge.

• Immunity challenge: Each tribe has a camp with a hut, animal pen, flagpole and other camp supplies. Both tribes must choose two members as architects who must remember how the camp looks as the other members must move the camp, one or a few pieces at a time, to a new spot that is 200 yards up a small hill and rebuild it exactly as before. The architects must be at the new spot at all times and cannot physically help the others rebuild the camp. Keeping in mind that the flagpole is the last to be put in, the first tribe to rebuild their camp in their new spot exactly as it was built in the original spot wins.

After Samburu loses the immunity challenge, Linda is the clear target of the younger group, while Silas suggests to the other older players they continue to vote for Lindsey as to buffer them from potential tie-breakers in the future. At Tribal Council, the older members target Silas, but their votes are insufficient to stop Linda from being eliminated by the younger group.

The following day, both tribes are told to select three members for a "quest"; Boran selects Kelly, Lex and Tom, while Samburu chooses Silas, Frank, and Teresa. Both groups are surprised to learn that they will be switching tribes (the first such switch in the show's history). At the new Samburu, the remaining younger players, Brandon, Lindsey, and Kim P., find their new tribemates to have just as demanding a work ethic as the former older members.

• Reward challenge: A large pen holds forty goats (twenty with red collars and twenty with gold collars). Several yards away at the finish line are one small red pen and one small gold pen. Both tribes must select one player to be their gatekeeper who must be in their color pen at all times and is responsible for getting their color tribe's goats in while keeping the other tribe's goats out. The first tribe to get all twenty of their goats into their color pen wins three egg-laying chickens, one rooster and a supply of chicken feed.

Boran wins the reward. Despite their victory, there is a lot of paranoia due to the tribe swap. Silas, now isolated from his former allies, becomes a target to Ethan and Kim J., who consider throwing the challenge and eliminate Silas.

• Immunity challenge: Each tribe has a giant twenty-piece puzzle which, when put together, form a picture of an African mask. The first tribe to put their puzzle together correctly wins.

After Boran loses the challenge, Silas attempts to scramble to attain security but is unsuccessful and unanimously sent home.

Both tribes begin to plan and theorize on a pending merge, rationing supplies to last until this point.

• Reward challenge: Both tribes stand on the top step of either of two bleachers and are asked a series of questions about Africa which they must answer together as a tribe. Each time a tribe answers correctly, they move one step down. The first tribe to reach the ground wins a buffet of food including Mountain Dew soda, fresh pasta salad with vegetables, sandwiches, and cookies for dessert.

During the challenge, Kim J. gave small hand signals to the former Boran tribe members, which they later released was information about which Samburu member they should vote for between Brandon and Lindsey given the past voting history. Samburu won the challenge.

• Immunity challenge: Each tribe has five targets ranging from thirty to seventy feet. In pairs, one member of each tribe must try to hit one of their targets with a bow and lighted arrow. Once one has had their turn, another pair must try to do the same. The first tribe to hit all five targets from closest to farthest wins.

Boran wins the challenge. On Samburu, the three former Boran members have deciphered Kim J.'s signals and choose to vote for Lindsay. The three original Boran members attempt to lure one of the others to vote with them, but Kim P. is hesitant of this plan. At Tribal Council, the initial vote is a 3-3 tie between Tom and Lindsey. A revote (without Tom or Lindsey's votes) ends in another tie, leading to the previous votes earned by players to decide who goes home; Tom had lacked any votes prior to that point, and Lindsey is eliminated.

The tribes are told of the immunity challenge but only until they arrive do they realize they have reached the merge, and the challenges now on an individual level.

• Immunity challenge: Each player stands on top of a log with one arm raised. Their wrists are cuffed to a rope that is connected to the rim of a large bucket that is full of water. All must try to keep their raised arms very still due to the slightest movement being enough to trigger the bucket to tip over and dump the water on top of the player, thus eliminating him or her from the challenge. The last player with their arm still raised wins.

The challenge continues for over six hours, between Clarence and Teresa. With both showing little sign of giving up, the two agree to a rock-paper-scissors round to determine who will drop out while promising not to vote for the other player; Teresa wins this and the individual immunity. The tribes return to Boran's camp for the traditional merge feast, and name the new tribe "Moto Maji" after the Swahili words for "fire" and "water".

With the original Boran tribe entering the merge with more members of the original Samburu tribe, Clarence becomes a target by the original Boran due to being a physical threat. Clarence tries to gain the trust of the original Borans, but is unable to secure a vote, and he is voted out over Lex.

Lex becomes angry after receiving two votes from the previous council, and attempts to figure out who placed the second vote (Teresa, who had held her deal with Clarence from the previous immunity challenge), creating tension in the tribe.

• Reward challenge: Each player is given nine items. Using a plank as a springboard, they must place each item, one at a time, on one end of the plank and stomp on the other end, catapulting the items up into a bucket on top of a tower. The first player to get all nine items into their basket wins two goats to be bartered at small African village for luxuries, food, souvenirs or whatever the winner decides.

Ethan wins the reward challenge, and when told he can select another player, brings along Lex who nearly won the challenge over Ethan. The two bond during the trading expedition, and bring back several food items that they share with the tribe.

• Immunity challenge: The players are given thirty seconds to memorize nine objects and their locations in a grid inside a barrel. Afterwards, they must head out to each of nine similar barrels whose grids are blank. Reminded to think of their grid like a phone pad, they must remember the number to each item, meaning that item #1 is in the top-left, #5 in the center, #9 in the bottom-right, etc. When Jeff calls a number from 1-9, the players must find the item to the number in a field that is 150 feet away, bring it back to their barrel and put it in its proper spot in their grid. If a player is right, he or she moves on to the next round. If wrong, they are out of the game. After two rounds, the remaining players are given 15 seconds to memorize a second grid of nine items. They are then given one minute to find as many of the nine items as possible and place them in their proper spots in their grids. Whoever gets the most right out of nine wins.

Ethan wins immunity at the challenge. Lex is still paranoid about who placed the vote against him, and begins to suspect Kelly and tried to convince the Boran for her elimination, but Tom remains suspicious. Meanwhile, Kelly is aware of Lex's plan and joins with Kim P. and Teresa's alliance to protect herself and target Lex, leaving Brandon as the swing vote. At Tribal, Brandon is shown to have voted for Kelly and eliminating her from the game though she becomes the first member of the jury.

Brandon finds himself in a state of distrust by both former tribes; his former Samburu members having found him favoring the Boran members, while the Boran tribe worries he might return to Samburu in the future.

• Reward challenge: The remaining eight players are teamed up in four pairs of two. Two pairs at a time, the players run an obstacle course. The pairs start by going over a cargo net and across a timber tumble followed by going up a rope climb by climbing up a rope or rope ladder to ring a bell. Next they go under a belly crawl leading to three walls for the pairs to jump over. They must then assemble a ladder for them to climb over the fourth and final wall which is ten feet high. The two pairs to finish first in either of the first two heats go on to the final round in which they must run the same course. The pair that finishes first in the final round wins a private screening of the movie "Out of Africa" complete with popcorn, candy, hot dogs and Mountain Dew.

The pair of Frank and Brandon win the reward, a combination found humorous by others. Despite this, Brandon's intentions are still questioned by the other members. Kim P. realizes she is likely one of the next targets, along with Brandon, and begins to try to align herself to stay in the game.

• Immunity challenge: Each player has a circle lined with stones and on the other side of the field is a pile brush, sticks and dried elephant dung. All must race to gather as much of these materials and place them in their circle. They must then attempt to build a fire using a magnifying glass and refracting the sun's rays. The first player to build a fire and build the flame high enough to burn a wick to drop a sandbag and raise a flag wins. Players are disqualified if their materials touch the wick or any other part of their structure.

Lex wins the individual Immunity. Lex tries to convince his former tribe to vote for Frank instead of Brandon, but Ethan and Tom worry about Lex's complicated plans and consider abandoning their alliance with him. The tribe ends up voting Brandon over Frank out at the next Tribal Council.

• Reward challenge: Instead of a reward challenge, players are each given KSh20,000 and a Survivor auction takes place. Jeff offers various food items and players bid on them in KSh500 increments. Items go to the player who bids highest. Items can be shared so long as money is pooled.

After the food auction, there is a small argument on how Tom called out on Ethan not bidding on the ham meal due to Ethan's Jewish background, but Ethan and Tom reconcile this, strengthening their relationship.

• Immunity challenge: Along the perimeter of an abandoned Boma fence is seven stations. Each station has a question relating to a story told to the players by Jeff and two ostrich eggs, each below one of two possible answers to the question. Players must enter the stations, one at a time, latching the gate behind them. If a player breaks open the egg with the right answer, they will find a strap of colored leather which must be wrapped around the same color on their staff. If a player breaks the egg with the wrong answer, it will be empty inside, and the player must try again later. Eggs are replaced after a player leaves a station. The first player to answer five questions correctly and return to the starting circle with five straps of leather wrapped around their staff in the right places wins.

Lex wins the immunity challenge, and Frank realizes he is next to be voted out. He tries to show his sympathetic side to the others, but his opinion on gun control and past military action unnerves Kim P. The remaining women realizes that they may be dominated by the remain males and try to plan to eliminate Ethan at Tribal over Frank, but this plan does not work and Frank is voted out.

• Reward challenge: All six players are asked a series a four questions which their loved ones had previously answered on videotape. When a question is asked, the players must write down their answers on a pad. If their answers match their loved ones' responses, they get a point. The player who matches the most of their four loved ones' responses wins a flight to the Maasai Mara to witness the migration of the wildebeest, an overnight stay at a safari resort complete with a bed, shower and good food, and a private hot air balloon ride the next morning all paid with Jeff's Visa credit card.

Lex wins the challenge, and is given the opportunity to take along another player; Lex chooses Tom.

• Immunity challenge: Hanging in a line are eighteen clay pots. Each player's name is printed on three of the pots. The players are given traditional African weapons called Rungus which they must throw at their opponents' pots trying to break them and have them fall to the ground. Each player throws one Rungu stick per round and players switch positions after each round. When a player's third pot is broken, that player is out of the challenge. The last player with at least one pot still hanging wins.

Tom wins the immunity challenge. Teresa, still worried about Lex, convince Kim J. and Kim P. to vote with her and attempts to sway Tom who is still dubious about Lex's former alliance with Brandon. However, at Tribal, the former Boran alliance holds true and Kim P. is voted out.

• Reward challenge: All five players race to find twelve Swahili words in a word scramble puzzle. Each player has their own board. If a player finds a word, they must circle it on their board and cross it off on their list. Each word intersects with at least on other word. Once a player finds and circles all twelve Swahili words, they must take the intersecting letters and unscramble them to make one English word. An envelope containing a clue to that English word is pinned to the bottom of the board. The first player to unscramble the final English word wins a new Chevrolet Avalanche pick-up truck loaded with a year's worth of medical supplies including HIV test kits to be taken to Wamba Hospital.

Lex wins the reward challenge, but after the fact he realizes that being away from camp has put him in a position of vulnerability and unable to plot with his alliance. Meanwhile, his alliance members do worry about Lex' increasing instability and consider him a weakness.

• Immunity challenge: The players compete in an obstacle course consisting of elements from five previous challenges. Players start by assembling a puzzle ladder which, when completed, must be climbed up to a net. Once they are on the net, they must make their way up one side of the net and down the other side. Once off the net, they will find a cart loaded with pieces to a mask puzzle. Players must drag the cart to a mask-shaped platform where the mask puzzle must be assembled. Once the mask puzzle is completed, they must go under a ladder crawl leading to a bow and arrows. The first player to hit their target with an arrow wins.

Lex wins immunity, and the Boran members set their sight on Teresa, the last Samburu member. Fighting to stay in the game, she explains to Lex that she had cast that vote against him at Clarence's elimination on advice from Tom, and Lex attempts to sway his alliance to vote off Tom. However, the Borans continue to hold to their original plan and Teresa is eliminated from the game.

Lex confronts Tom on Teresa's claim about her Lex vote, and while Tom denies having told her that, he does admit having advice her about voting against Lex prior to the swap. Lex discuss this with Ethan and the two agree that taking Tom to the final three would be risk and consider absolving their alliance with him.

• Immunity challenge: At Tribal Council, the final four are asked a series of eight questions about their tribemates. When a question is asked, the players must write their answers on their pads and wait until all have written their answers before revealing them. Each time a player answers correctly, they get one point. The player with the most points at the end of eight questions wins.

Kim J. wins the challenge, and Tom is unanimously voted out by the others.

After a traditional Samburu ritual, the final three players compete in the final immunity challenge.

• Immunity challenge: All three players step on two stumps of different heights (one per foot) and place one hand on the immunity idol. If at any time a player lifts one foot, lets go of the idol or touches the idol or the supporting pole with their free hand, they are out of the challenge. Whichever player lasts the longest wins.

Ethan is eliminated from the challenge earlier by accidentally stepping off a post. Lex and Kim J. continue for several hours, but Lex, who has been feeling ill for the few days, stumbles, and Kim J. wins immunity. At the following Tribal, she votes to eliminate Lex and go into the jury with Ethan.

At the final Tribal Council, the jury quizzed Ethan and Kim J. over their gameplay. The jury ultimately felt that Kim J. played a somewhat distrustful game compared to Ethan's more straight-forward and apologetic approach and voted Ethan the Sole Survivor on a 5-2 vote, with Ethan receiving Kelly, Frank, Teresa, Big Tom, and Lex's votes and Kim J. getting Brandon and Kim P.'s During the finale, the producers made it appear that the votes were being read at the site of the final tribal council immediately after the votes were cast. Jeff Probst went to get the voting urn and, when he returned, it appeared he had returned directly to the tribal council site to read the votes. However, he was actually on at a CBS studio in Los Angeles (with a live audience) that was made up to look like the site. This was revealed after he read the votes and announced the winner. The contestants were told to try to make themselves appear as they had looked during the last tribal council and the audience was told to hold any cheering or applause until after the winner was announced.