This next merge episode involves a big downfall from the player voted out. This episode is:
ALL STARS!
This may be the most famous or at least one of the most famous merge set-ups in survivor history. This is also the main reason why All Stars made it this far. Lex is basically running Mogo Mogo with Kathy. He recently talked to Colby and Ethan on the side to tell them he was voting them out. After that comes a fake merge tribe swap where Amber ends up with the Mogo Mogos. This is a bad situation for her as Rob seems likely to lose his survivor wife. At the end of the immunity, Rob whispers to Lex "you take care of her, I take care of you." Lex promises to do his best with this. Then Amber campaigns to Kathy. Kathy and Lex talk and agree that they should keep Amber and get rid of Jerri instead. So Amber survives and this leads us into the real merge.
Rob and the rest of Chapera sees that Amber survived and they're all relieved and thrilled. Rob has his reunion and then goes off with the cameras and basically tells them he has no intention of keeping his deal with Lex. He even laughs arrogantly at his performance saying "you guys didn't think I was serious did you?" Then Rob and Kathy win immunity so after that, Lex and Kathy want to form a final 4 with Rob and Amber. Rob basically shuts this down and says no, we're sticking with the Chapera 6. In an ironic reversal role, Lex doesn't take this well being on the other side. Kathy looks at it as a betrayal of their friendship as does Lex. Those 2 get perhaps 2 of the most emotional about a vote-off in the show's history. In the end, Lex gets voted off easily.
The impact is pretty minor from this episode. Lex gets booted and Mogo Mogo continues to get picked off. Rob and Amber would obviously go on to make the final 2 and get married in real life. So with a dramatic boot off why is it only #21? Well because we saw Lex's boot coming from a mile away. It led to a predictable boot and a boring pagonging. Also, Lex's fight with Rob was a little uncomfortable and somewhat hard to watch. Really not what survivor is supposed to be about considering things from outside the game got taken into this episode. In the end, Lex's downfall was both iconic and ironic but as an individual episode, it can't save it.
Stay tuned for #20! Hint- this episode almost set up how the rest of the season would play out
29. Thailand
28. Guatemala
27. China
26. Exile Island
25. Palau
24. One World
23. Blood vs. Water
22. Nicaragua
21. All Stars
Borneo
Australian Outback
Africa
Marquesas
Amazon
Pearl Islands
Vanuatu
Cook Islands
Fiji
Micronesia
Gabon
Tocantins
Samoa
Heroes vs. Villains
Redemption Island
South Pacific
Philippines
Caramoan
Cagayan
San Juan Del Sur