'Survivor: Redemption Island': Best Tribal Council Ever!

Tribal council on Episode 1 of "Survivor: Redemption Island" featured the best tribal council -- ever! With a premiere like that, it will be hard not to watch next week's episode. The contestants -- namely Phillip, Francesca, Rob and Kristina -- rather than playing nicely with others, holding their tongues or working the all-important social game, put their cards on the table and weren't exactly humming to the tune of Lady Gaga's "Poker Face." Being honest and forthcoming with information is not always the best strategy on "Survivor," but last night it worked for Phillip.

Phillip: Villainy Through Truth

Phillip's greatest downfall will be his truthfulness. While a good number of "Survivor" contestants have chosen to gloss over or even outright lie about their jobs off the island, Phillip makes no attempt to hide his former federal agent job or his ability to lead. Taking control too forcefully early on in "Survivor" is a death knell for contestants. Want a target on your back? Get bossy.

At the explosive tribal council on Episode 1 of "Survivor: Redemption Island," Phillip responds to comments made by too-talkative Francesca. Francesca mentions his name as a person who is safe from being voted out (red flag!) and Phillip responds with his own bombshell: Francesca's cohort Kristina has an immunity idol.

Throughout the course of a rather heated discourse between Francesca and Phillip, Kristina and Boston Rob both edge their way into the discussion. While the words are heated, there are hilarious moments due to Phillip not being able to pronounce Francesca without adding the letter "q" to her name and making it "Francesqua." He tries to defend his verbal slips of the tongue by saying something about his throat, but later when he writes her name down for the vote, there is a mysterious "q" in her name.

Phillip is most annoyed that "Francesqua" keeps interrupting him. The more he asks her not to, the more she does. Phillip is looking for a level of common courtesy and civility that doesn't exist in the jungles of Nicaragua. The only thing that shuts her up is when Phillip tells the rest of both tribes that Kristina has an immunity idol.

The Truth Will Set You Free

That piece of information, news to half of the contestants at tribal council, is enough to save Phillip from being voted out; he will get to stay in the game, at least for now. Instead, Francesca felt the ax, in a close vote that included meaningless votes for Kristina (the immunity idol holder).

But that won't be the last we see of Francesca, who has a chance to redeem herself and return to the tribe, this season's twist on the standard "Survivor" ousting. On "Survivor: Redemption Island," the tribe may have spoken, but Francesca has a chance to talk back: something we already know she excels at.