Survivor: Redemption Island eliminated castaway David Murphy from the game after he lost the season's eighth Redemption Island duel to Matt Elrod and Mike Chiesl during Wednesday night's broadcast of the tenth episode of the CBS reality series' 22nd edition.

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"I saw Redemption Island as a chance to further myself in the game. Unfortunately, my plan didn't work as well as I would've like it to have. I think this has given me a really fresh outlook and the determination to tackle everything I want to do. I'm just very appreciative for that," David, a 31-year-old defense attorney from West Hollywood, CA, said following his ouster.

Later in the episode, the Murlonio tribe also voted Julie Wolfe out of their tribe at the season's eleventh Tribal Council session. 

As the game's newest Tribal Council victim, Julie, a 50-year-old firefighter from Oceanside, CA, will now take David's place and join Matt, a 22-year-old pre-med student from Nashville, TN, and Mike, a 31-year-old former U.S. Marine from Del Mar, CA, on Redemption Island where they will await the game's next duel and attempt to eventually earn a chance to rejoin the game's other remaining castaways and resume competing for Survivor: Redemption Island's million dollar prize.

"Here I am at Redemption. I was not expecting this. I really thought it was going to be [Steve Wright] or [Ralph Kiser]," but I'm okay with it. It was just an ugly Tribal. There's poison in that tribe and his name is [Phillip Sheppard], and it's kind of nice to be removed from it," Julie said upon arriving at Redemption Island.

Survivor: Redemption Island's tenth episode began on Night 24 on Redemption Island with David arriving at Matt and Mike's shelter. Matt was having a really hard time lasting on the island, as he had previously won his right to re-enter the game by beating Sarita White in a duel after spending 15 days on Redemption Island already and winning six consecutive duels.

However, he was subsequently voted out again at the season's eighth Tribal Council, only to return to the place where he was originally exiled after his former Ometepe tribe -- which consisted of Andrea Boehlke, a 21-year-old student from Random Lake, WI; Grant Mattos, a 29-year-old yoga instructor and former NFL football player from West Hollywood, CA; Phillip, a 52-year-old technology executive and former federal agent from Santa Monica, CA; Natalie Tenerelli, a 19-year-old professional dancer from Acton, CA; Ashley Underwood, a 25-year-old nurse and former Miss Maine USA from Benton, ME, and returning castaway Rob Mariano, a 35-year-old from Canton, MA who now resides in Pensacola, FL -- voted him out during the season's second episode.

Matt said he couldn't sleep and was beginning to lose his sanity. He knew he had to stay strong and that his destiny in the game was God's will for him, but he sincerely was ready to quit. Matt then talked to Mike and David about the upcoming duel, which would feature three castaways competing against each other for the first time, and they were all confused about how it was going to play out and how many of them were going to be eliminated.

On Day 25, Julie noted how her former Zapatera tribe -- which now only included tribe members Ralph, a 44-year-old farmer from Lebanon, VA, and Steve Wright, a 51-year-old former NFL player from Huntington, CA -- only had three members in comparison to the former Ometepe tribe's six members. She knew they were in trouble and one of her three-member alliance would be the next to go.

Phillip was apparently driving the Zapatera members crazy, but Steve said somehow Ometepe still stood firmly beside him. As much as they knew making a big move would be difficult because of their low numbers, Zapatera wanted to get rid of Phillip.

After Phillip had a prayer session, meditated and described his Buddhist religion, he said he had a premonition of his grandfather and realized he was doing well in the game. He said he had trust in his Ometepe members and felt they were in a "full circle of trust." Once Phillip returned to camp, he noticed Zapatera's food situation was in great shape and was jealous over their bountiful amount of rice.

Phillip complained the rice belonged to the whole Murlonio tribe although Zapatera was trying to distinguish their own portions, and later commented that he would be "watching Zapatera like a lion."

Later that day, the Murlonio tribe received their Tree Mail, which invited all the castaways to attend and watch the game's eighth duel. They then arrived at the duel and Survivor host Jeff Probst explained the rules.

Matt, Mike and David each would have 150 tiles and were required to use those tiles to build a house of cards. The first two castaways to reach eight feet would remain on Redemption Island and stay alive in the game, while the person to lose the challenge would become the first member of the jury that will decide Survivor: Redemption Island's winner.

Matt, Mike and David then squared off in the duel. Mike had a lead on Matt and David the entire time and ended up being the first to achieve his eight-foot stack of tiles, and he was then followed by Matt soon after. Mike and Matt ended up winning the duel, which was Mike's first duel win and Matt's seventh of the season. David then threw his buff into the fire and exited the game.

On Day 26, the Ometepe tribe was extremely bored and began singing a "rice wars" song until they received some bad news. Andrea discovered maggots in their rice and warned her alliance of the problem. As a result, they dumped the bad rice into ocean, but realized they had no place to put the good rice that was left over.

Andrea then asked Steve if they could keep their rice with Zapatera's, and he bluntly responded that it was not a possibility. He claimed Ralph would also agree without having to ask his feelings on the matter, and Phillip took their actions as a sign of selfishness. Phillip acknowledged Zapatera was not thinking logically, as only rewards from challenges should be kept separately after the tribes merged -- not food rations.

Steve got angry at Phillip's assertiveness and criticism of the Zapatera tribe and said he was physically threatening his tribe with the intentions of stealing their rice can or using it regardless the second Zapatera would turn its back.

"Unless you walk with that f***ing can in your hand everywhere, I'm going to put our rice in there," Phillip said.

The two continued to bicker and Steve called Phillip a "f***ing lunatic" and noted he was unreasonable, which really set Phillip off.

"I know I am. That's the thing that you don't ever want to forget with me... Remember that. You need to keep that in your mind," Phillip told Steve.

"You're a dangerous man," Steve joked.

"That's your perception. Any time somebody of my color gets up in one of your faces, then you feel like I'm a lunatic. I'm crazy," Phillip said.

"So now you're making it a black thing?!" Steve asked.

"Yeah, I think this is what it's all about right now between you and me," Phillip replied.

Phillip said the argument over the rice happened because he was black, but Steve said he couldn't believe he was making it a "white and black thing."

"It's like watching divorce court," Rob, a former Survivor: Marquesas, Survivor: All-Stars and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains castaway, joked with Grant while tending to the fire.

Phillip was convinced Steve made his "lunatic" comment with slight racial undertones because he felt like Steve thought he was better than him. He also pointed out that he could self destruct at any point but had absolutely nothing to lose.

"That's what happens with some white folks. They like to take a black man and call him crazy when he makes an argument that you don't want to hear," Phillip said.

"Crazy, crazy Phil being crazy Phil. Taking it to the 'n"'word is pretty wacky. It's just degrading. It's not a chip. It's a log on his shoulder and I just need to turn my back and walk away from it," Steve said.

"He's a pain in the ass. He's a loose cannon, and a little scary too. So, the quicker we can get him out of here, I think the whole tribe will be in better shape."

Rob then said once all the Zapatera tribe members are gone, old Phillip would come back. Rob said he "somehow managed to make a war out of white rice racial." He said he was uncomfortable and Grant agreed, but Rob knew at the end of the day, Phillip would become "Public Enemy No. 1." He just had to figure out who to make "Public Enemy No. 2."

Ashley told her alliance she'd rather die than to keep Phillip around.

The next day, the Murlonio tribe arrived for the Immunity Challenge and met Jeff who explained the rules to what would be their eleventh Immunity Challenge and fourth individual Immunity Challenge.

Each castaway learned they would be required to build a multi-stage puzzle wheel. They were told they must race to release a puzzle base by spinning it around until it comes loose and then solve a puzzle. The first six people to finish the puzzle would move on to the final round, where they must solve a second puzzle to complete the wheel. The first person to get the puzzle correct would win individual immunity. 

Steve, Rob, Julie, Andrea, Grant, Ralph were the first six castaways to complete the initial puzzle and move on, but Rob was ahead of the other eight tribe members throughout the challenge and ended up winning the challenge. His win ensured his safety from elimination at the subsequent Tribal Council.

After the challenge was over, Zapatera brought up the fact again that they wanted to vote out Phillip but knew they had little chance of convincing the Ometepe members to vote one of their own out of the tribe. Julie then thought it would be funny to spite Phillip and bury his bathing suit, which she did. She said Phillip would have to keep walking around in his "pink underwear."

It wasn't long after that Phillip noticed his shorts had disappeared and he questioned his tribe where they went. No one stepped up to tell him the truth of their location, so Phillip just kept getting more frustrated with Zapatera and believed Steve was the one who had taken them.

Ashley reiterated how everyone was so sick of Phillip, while Steve suggested Phillip should have apologized for his accusations during their previous dispute but never did. Meanwhile, Rob was planning what Ometepe's next move was going to be at Tribal Council.

"Tonight, it doesn't matter who we target, really. You got Ralph, you got Steve and Julie. But I don't know. I love Phillip, but I mean, I don't know where his head is. His head is in the game but I don't know where. One man should not have this much power on an island, but I'm grateful that I do," Rob said.

That night, Survivor: Redemption Island's Murlonio castaways arrived for their fourth Tribal Council as a merged tribe and the season's eleventh overall Tribal Council.

The Murlonio tribe discussed the fight between Phillip and Steve that had occurred at camp over the "n" word, and Jeff had pointed out that such a strong word could be misconstrued between two people of two different worlds, histories and pasts.

Phillip said he thought Steve made his comments out of prejudice, but Steve assured the tribe the context of which he called Phillip a lunatic was never to be taken in such a way.

Once the fight was seemingly resolved, Julie then admitted she took Phillip's shorts and buried them. Jeff laughed and said Tribal Council was a great therapy session, as there were a lot of personal issues that needed to be addressed rather than strategic game play.

However, the Zapatera tribe members came together and revealed they were hoping there was a crack in the Ometepe tribe, being Phillip. Afterward, Steve confessed he wanted to vote Phillip out without hesitation, but verified his intentions were innocent and harmless with no racial undertones involved. He then pleaded aloud that he needed at least one or two Ometepe members to flip on their tribe and also vote Phillip out.

Jeff then revealed the votes and the three Zapatera members voted for Phillip, while the six Ometepe members voted for Julie. Julie's torch was then extinguished and she was exiled to Redemption Island, where she would attempt to survive with Matt and Mike while awaiting the season's ninth duel.
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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