Survivor May 13 Recap: Heroes Vs Villains

This Survivor May 13 recap covers episode 13 of Heroes vs. Villains, in which the final six survivors battle to stick around while personal issues begin to cloud previously-formed alliances.

The teaser for the Survivor May 13 episode showed Russell joining Colby and Rupert in a handshake, leading viewers to wonder if the most unlikely alliance in Survivor history - the evil, despicable Russell with the two most honest Heroes in the game, Colby and Rupert - could be on the horizon.

Survivor May 13 Recap: Fallout from last week's tribal council
Last week Russell got freaked out that his tribemates Parvati and Danielle were getting too close. Fearing they might not take him to the end, Russell orchestrated a plan to vote off Danielle, and he convinced Jerri to go along, giving him just enough votes to make it happen.

The big questions were: How would Parvati react to her closest ally being sent home? Would this spell trouble for the Russell-Parvati alliance? And do the two remaining Heroes, Colby and Rupert, still have a chance?

Early in the May 13 episode, Parvati laments that Danielle got sent home. Russell celebrates, believing that Parvati has no one else to turn to and will have to stick with him to the end.

Everyone's mood rises when tree mail appears with the Sprint logo. Inside is a phone with video messages from the survivors' loved ones. The messages indicate that whoever wins the reward challenge will get to spend time with their family members.

Survivor May 13 Recap: Reward challenge
Jeff Probst announces that the reward is getting to spend time with loved ones. The segment is an emotional high as the survivors get a chance to hug their wives, husbands, or siblings before the challenge starts.

The challenge involves teamwork. Survivors take a pail into the ocean, fill it with water, and toss it across a boundary to their loved ones, who are waiting on the other side with a pail of their own. The first team to fill their large bucket wins reward.

The survivors have difficulty getting the water to their loved ones. Colby yells at his brother Reed several times for not catching the water Colby tossed. Sorry, Colby, if you hadn't been so awful at challenges all season, we might take your side. But this is your fault.

Rupert, Jerri, and Russell move into the lead. Russell is close, but Jerri and her sister Jennifer win. Jerri is allowed to choose two more survivors to accompany her on the reward. She chooses Parvati and Sandra instead of Russell. Bad move - clearly, that's going to draw the ire of Russell.

The survivors and loved ones hop a plane to a nearby island, to a natural wonder called the Blowholes. They take pictures and play on the rock formations, followed by a large group feast.

Survivor May 13 Recap: Fallout from the reward challenge
Russell still can't believe Jerri didn't take him on the reward. "What was she thinking?," he asks. "I was fully expecting her to bring me."

Russell then invites Rupert and Colby to make an alliance, and they eagerly accept. "If I can take the best villain to the final three with me, I think that guarantees me a million dollars," Rupert says.

Russell decides to target Parvati next. Russell says he'll hide his anger at Jerri and try to get her to vote with him to send Parvati home.

Survivor May 13 Recap: Back at camp
When the girls return to camp, everyone goes to bed except Rupert, who starts cracking logs and generally making as much noise as possible around the fire. "I don't know if it's complete cockiness or stupidity," Jerri says of Rupert's inconsiderate behavior.

Since they can't sleep, Jerri and Russell chat. Jerri says she's still committed to Russell's alliance, which is just what Russell wanted to hear.

Survivor May 13 Recap: Immunity challenge
The challenge is a test of endurance that requires the players to hold two lightweight poles upright against an overhead board. The last player to hold the poles upright wins immunity.

Like clockwork, just 15 seconds into the challenge, Colby drops his poles and is eliminated. Colby's performance in the challenges is pure comedy lately. Sandra goes out a few seconds later. Russell goes out minutes later, followed by Jerri. That leaves Parvati and Rupert to compete for immunity. Finally, one of Rupert's poles falls, and Parvati wins immunity, spoiling Russell's plan to take her out.

After the challenge, Russell says that since Parvati is safe, he may have to flip on his new alliance, go back with the girls, and vote out Rupert. But Sandra stirs things up by approaching Rupert and telling him she wants to vote out Russell.

So Rupert immediately goes to Russell and tells him Sandra is scheming against him. That causes Russell to approach Sandra and tell her "Either you're with me or you're against me," to which she responds, "I'm against you, Russell." You have to love Russell and Sandra because of how blunt they are!

Russell and Sandra argue, and then Sandra and Parvati giggle like girls while the others sit quietly around the fire. Russell is irritated and tries to persuade Jerri to vote out Sandra instead of Rupert.

Sandra says she may bring the hidden immunity idol to tribal council but she probably won't use it, even though it's the last night she can play it. "That's how confident I am that I am not going home!"

Survivor May 13 Recap: Tribal council
At tribal, Russell and Sandra revisit their argument. Rupert suggests that at least one villain should turn on their own to show they are the top villain of them all.

When Jeff asks if anyone wants to play the hidden immunity idol, Sandra stands and says, "I would hate to go home with the idol in my bra!" She plays the idol and Russell looks upset.

As Jeff reads the votes, it becomes obvious Rupert is going home. Two votes are cast for Sandra but they do not count, and Rupert finally goes home. That leaves a final five comprised of four villains - Russell, Parvati, Jerri, and Sandra - and one hero, Colby.

Survivor Finale Preview
The Survivor May 13 recap ends with the preview of this weekend's finale in which Parvati reassures Russell, "I've been your girl the whole time." Meanwhile, Jerri says, "I'm in control of this game." Is she crazy, or does something unexpected happen to shift the balance of power?

The 2-hour Survivor: Heroes vs Villains finale airs Sunday night on CBS.

See my previous Survivor Heroes vs Villains Recaps:
May 6: Candice and Danielle are both sent home
April 29: Amanda is voted off
April 22: JT is voted off with his own immunity idol

Survivor May 13 Recap: Sources
www.cbs.com