Ben Browning's big mouth was a big liability that ultimately got him booted.

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The 28-year-old mixologist from Los Angeles, CA became the fourth castaway eliminated from Survivor: Samoa during last night's broadcast of the CBS reality series.

"Well, I think it's pretty funny that I'm going home because I think everybody's going to starve," said Ben after his ouster.

"The tribe's a bunch of sissies -- everybody except [Russell Hantz].  I was the hardest working guy in camp.  Everybody knew that.  They'll miss me when I'm gone."

Survivor: Samoa's third episode began on Day 7 following the previous night's elimination of Betsy Bolan from the Foa Foa tribe.  Jaison Robinson, a 28-year-old law student from Chicago, IL, told tribal leader Mick Trimming, a 33-year-old doctor from Boise, ID who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, that Ben has to be the next to go.

Jaison said his reasoning was the fight Ben had with Galu member Yasmin Giles, a 33-year-old hairstylist from Detroit, MI who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, after she came to the Foa Foa tribe following the previous Reward/Immunity challenge. 

Jaison took exception to some of the comments Ben made -- specifically when ben called Yasmin "ghetto trash" at the Tribal Council.

"I agree.  I want him out," replied Mick, adding the argument got "personal and inappropriate."

"Ben's out of here if we lose another challenge," said Jaison.  "That's the way it's going down."

Jaison added in a confessional that he was extremely close to physically harming Ben at the Tribal Council for his comments.

"We voted off Betsy, but at this point, Ben is a mental plague on our tribe," continued Jaison. 

Russell Hantz, a 36-year-old oil company owner from Dayton, TX, also approached Natalie White, a 26-year-old pharmaceutical sales representative from Van Buren, AR, and asked who the next person from Foa Foa should be to get eliminated.  She couldn't give a name, and Russell was surprised.

"Nobody here's playing the game," he said in a confessional.  "Nobody is playing the game but me on my tribe -- not one person.  It's crazy.  This might be the worst group in history and I might be the best.  I'm going to have them all under control like zombies walking around."

Later that morning Ben was giving pointers to Mick and Elizabeth Kim, a 33-year-old urban planner from New York, NY, on how to start a fire since they had been doing it incorrectly and were almost out of flint. 

"I think a lot of these people, they're not used to being out in the woods and are kind of pansies," said Ben. "Without my help, these people will die."

He subsequently told Liz to not even try using the flint anymore since it was counterproductive.

"Ben is trying to tell everyone that they can't survive without Ben," said Russell H..  "Which hey, I applaud him.  He's trying to save himself.  But that's not how you do it... I've got to keep Ben here a little bit longer because he's good for the challenges and he's the strongest guy around camp.  So I'm not about to debate which baby I'm about to send home next."

Over at Galu, things were going so well that several of them were doing yoga on the beach -- which didn't sit well with Shannon "Shambo" Waters, a 45-year-old sales representative and former Marine from Renton, WA.

"I'm kind of alienated from my tribe," said Shambo.  "I'm not in the 90210 clique. I'm not doing the warm and fuzzy, I'm doing the Rambo Shambo provider role out here. Do we have water? No.  Do we have food? No. Do we have firewood?  No.  Screw yoga, man!"

Back at Foa Foa, Russell H. began another scheme by telling Ben that Ashley Trainer, a 22-year-old spa sales representative from Maple Grove, MN, was "gunning" for him.  Russell H. referred to Ashley as a "threat" and instructed Ben not to tell her anything and that they'd instead "sneak her" at the next Tribal Council with a blindside.

"The reason I told Ben about Ashley gunning for him is because right now I think I need Ben," explained Russell H.. 

"So anybody that tries to get rid of Ben, I'm going to get rid of them... I'm telling you, you plant that little seed in their head -- in their brain -- then it grows.  It's called a Russell seed.  It takes over their whole mind, so that make sit easy to manipulate every single one of them."

Ben didn't follow Russell H.'s advice and he immediately confronted Ashley about stabbing him in the back.

"I did not do anything wrong," she replied.  "I was playing a game."

Ben said he was upset that Ashley didn't talk to him and he had to find out from somebody else.

"Who'd you find out from?" she asked.

"It wasn't Russell," replied Ben quickly.  "That's all I'm saying.  And I don't trust you so I'm not saying anything else."

Fed up, Ashley walked away.

"When people fight, I love that," said Russell H..  "How could they not even think it was me?  These people are just idiots.  It is shocking that these people trust me so much.  They really do.  Everybody here trusts me."

Ashley told Natalie the conversation she just had with Ben, and Natalie backed her up.

"I've never been so confused in my entire life," said Ashley in a confessional.  "Yesterday Ben's name got thrown around by everyone and apparently someone said that I was the one who brought it up.  So I do not feel safe."

The tribes then received some Tree Mail -- which included bathing suits -- before meeting for another combined Reward/Immunity Challenge. Host Jeff Probst explained the rules.

Two members of each tribe would swim out to retrieve a crate.  The section between four flags is a battle zone where a defender from the other tribe would be waiting to try and slow them down. 

Once both swimmers got through the zone, they would be free to retrieve their crate.  Once the crate had been returned to the mat, the next two tribe members could go. 

Once all four crates had been collected, they had to be stacked so that there were no repeated colors on any side.  The first tribe to get it right would win Immunity and comfort in the form of blankets, pillows, and towels.  Since the challenge ran six on six, Russell H. sat out for Foa Foa, and Shambo, Yasmin, Erik Cardona, a 28-year-old bartender from Ontario, CA. and Brett Clouser, a 23-year-old T-shirt designer from Salem, OR who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, sat out for Galu.

The challenge commenced and Galu grabbed an early lead that they wouldn't relinquish -- winning Immunity for the third straight time.

Jeff then revealed that instead of taking the original comfort reward, Galu tribal leader Russell Swan, a 42-year-old attorney from Glenside, PA, could instead select a "function" reward in the form of a tarp, pots, and fishing gear.  With only five seconds to decide, he stuck with comfort -- much to the chagrin of Galu's other male members.

"I'm a function guy but they are a comfort group right now," explained Russell S., a reference to Galu's female members.  "So I've got to go with the group."

In addition, Russell S. decided to send Shambo to join Foa Foa at their camp -- where she would live and gather information while also attending Foa Foa's upcoming Tribal Council session. 

Foa Foa was immediately happy with the positive energy Shambo came with, and she wasn't shy about telling them how she felt like an outsider at Galu.

"Of course she's here for a reason.  She's here to find the Immunity Idol I presume," said Mick.  "And to get information to go back to her tribe, which she claims she's not super-tight with.  But you always have to assume someone's lying.  Always."

Shambo then opened the note handed to her by Jeff at the challenge and discovered it was a clue to the hidden Immunity Idol located in Foa Foa's camp -- the one Russell H. already found.

"I'm running this whole show right now," said Russell H. as he saw Shambo reading the hidden Immunity Idol clue.  "I'm the boss."

Over at Galu, Russell S. gave a speech to his tribe, attempting to justify his decision.

"After we arrived back at camp with our comfort items, there was a little monologue given by Russell that I think to him he sort of felt like obliged to justify his decision," said John Fincher, a 25-year-old rocket scientist from Los Angeles, CA. 

"For crying out loud, how comfortable are four pillows, three beach towels and two woven mats going to make you?  You're still going to be uncomfortable."

Erik was simply upset that Galu lost out on the tarp.

"I would sacrifice everything on that comfort item list for a tarp," he said.  "Maybe it won't rain for 39 days.  Maybe I'm wrong.  But the day it does rain over here, every one of those comfort items is going to be soaked and all of a sudden not so comfortable... This is not Club Med."

Back at Foa Foa, Jaison was putting his foot down when it came to the upcoming Tribal Council.

"I think everybody knows where I stand," he told Ashley.  "I'm not shy.  Ben's out of here.  It's like this: If he's not, then I'm leaving."

Ashley was surprised to here Jaison say he'd quit.

"I'm just saying I am going to put it out there like that," he explained.  "That's my ultimatum."

In a confessional, Jaison revealed he had "no intention of quitting whatsoever" but was "willing to do just about anything" to get rid of Ben.

"It's the racist comments," continued Jaison.  "I won't stand here and tolerate that.  I just won't."

Ashley was also uncomfortable and was unsure why Ben had something "personal" against her.

"I'm trying as much as possible to not have me eliminated, but it's hard," she said.

Russell H. told Mick and Elizabeth that Ashley was going home, and they realized they had the votes to do it with Ben onboard.

"That worries me because I'm definitely loyal to Jaison," lamented Mick in a confessional.

Sensing Mick's uneasiness, Russell H. pulled him aside.  Mick explained Ben's a "huge liability" and that Jaison's "heart is so set" on getting him out. 

"I like Jaison, but man, his mind is getting messed up," said Russell H.. "He's getting broke down."

Mick then said that he's a "trustworthy" guy and he'll play by his word.

"If that's my downfall, then so be it," Mick said.  'I'm here to win."

Mick and Russell H. then struck a deal that Ashley would go first, followed by Ben.

"I want Mick to trust me, and I want him to know how important it is that we stick together and we can make this work," said Russell H.. "So I'm going to let him know about the hidden Immunity Idol.  The Immunity Idol is a powerful tool, and it is a tool to have a person say, 'Wow, this guy must really trust me.'"

Mick was giddy as a school girl to see the hidden Immunity Idol, telling Russell H. it was "perfect."

"My alliance with Mick is solid, so that's just another vote for me to get Ashley out.  It's simple," explained Russell H..  "I was born for this.  This is what god made me for."

The next morning Shambo taught some of Foa Foa's ladies a few survival tricks, and they were appreciative.  As they worked, she looked for the hidden Immunity Idol in the exact spot where Russell H. had already extracted it from.

Russell H. expressed concern that Ashley would try to get an all-girl alliance going and said the guys had to "squash" it when talking to Jaison and Mick. 

"It's got to be Ashley then Ben," said Russell H., however Jaison said he wanted Ben out first.

Russell H. said he was "on the fence" about ousting Ben due to his strength in challenges.

"No," replied Jaison.  "Name one thing he's done in challenges."

Russell H. couldn't, so Mick told Jaison to think about the numbers if Ben were gone -- three guys versus three girls.

"Girl power," said Russell H..  "I don't like that."

"I don't really like that either," said Mick.

"They will gang up on us," added Russell H.. "Don't believe they won't. That's what I don't like."

"Your only concern is the girls voting us three-on-three?" asked Jaison.  "Don't worry about that.  Those girls are so weak it would be suicide if they tried to pick us off."

Russell H. reiterated his plan for Ashley then Ben, but Jaison still wasn't buying it.

"This is ridiculous," he said.  "I'm making my peace at this Tribal Council.  That's the way it's going down.  So if you guys want to have discord in a camp because of a guy who does nothing in challenges and provides very little at camp, then you go right ahead."

Russell H. realized that since Ben was seen as a "poison" at Foa Foa, he might have to shift his strategy.

"I don't want them not to trust me," he said in a confessional. 

Tribal Council then commenced, and Jaison immediately made it clear that he wanted Ben out of the game -- calling him an "incredibly negative force" he'd like to trade for Shambo.

Jeff then asked Ben point blank who he would be voting for.

"I'm voting for Ashley because I think she's the weakest link in the group," he said.

No surprisingly, Ashley defended herself and said she wasn't the one with a "negative energy."  Ben said he's not negative, he simply reacts to the way people approach him. Jaison then pointed out that Ben had screamed and yelled at several Foa Foa tribemates -- as well as Yasmin.  Ben said Jaison's allegations were untrue and asked Natalie for some support.

"Amazing how you always try to go to someone you think is weak," said Jaison.  "That's what bullies do.  You yell at every single girl."

"I'm not a bully," replied Ben.

"Then talk to me," said Jaison.  "Don't ask her."

Ben accused Jaison of throwing "temper tantrums" after they lose challenges and Jaison mocked Ben for thinking he's an "outlaw" and "renegade" without physically backing it up in challenges.

"Who you trying to kid?  Who you trying to fool?" asked Jaison.

Jeff asked Russell H. what he thought was going on between Ben and Jaison, and he replied that it was Ben's comments that "might have been racial" to Yasmin.

"Might have been racial?" asked Jaison, who added he has to "draw a line in the sand."

"There is no $1 million that is worth me sitting up here with [Ben] anymore.  I sat here and watched him scream at Yasmin at our camp and over here, saying incredible things.  So is there a way to patch this riff?  I don't think so.  But I'm not going to sit in camp and listen to this guy anymore."

Ben said everyone knows where he stands when it comes to his mouth.

"I have been very consistent.  I have not started one fight," said Ben.

"That's not even what I was talking about," replied Jaison.  "I was talking about the 'ghetto trash' that you tried to called [Yasmin] over there."

Ben then reasoned that Yasmin is from the ghetto and he thinks she's trash, hence "ghetto trash."

"That's not racial whatsoever," he said.

Jaison wasn't buying it again and asked Ben if he's a "southern guy with southern ways," why did he talk to a female like that in the first place.

"She's not a lady," said Ben of Yasmin.  "Ladies have manners... Yasmin is being a bitch, then she's not a lady.  There was nothing racial that I said.  It was strictly what I saw, how she was acting towards me.  So if you want to call it a racial game and play that card then go for it buddy."

Jaison told Ben he should "have some sensitivity towards history."

"Historically, when certain comments are made and directed towards certain people, it is because of race," said Jaison.  "If what you're telling me is what you said had no racial context, then maybe Yasmin was right and you are ignorant.  Maybe you really don't get it."

Jeff asked Ben if there were any comments he wanted to apologize for.

"Not anything I can think of," replied Ben.

Shambo then left Tribal Council and Foa Foa cast their votes.  Everybody voted for Ben, who voted for Ashley.  Ben then had his torch snuffed.

Survivor: Samoa's next episode will air Thursday, October 8 at 8PM ET/PT on CBS.
About The Author: Christopher Rocchio

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