Night 18 at Foa Foa.  Rah, Rah, Rah!  The tribe tries to stay positive despite
being whittled down to four members.  Jaison thinks things are going to
get very difficult.  Russell tries to rally the gang with talk of a post-Merge
strategy.  Everyone needs to work on one member of Galu and win them
over.  If they can convince enough to jump the fence, they will survive!

Day 19 at Galu and Laura is upset that her canteen is missing.  She vents
her unhappiness towards Shambo.  Surely this is a sign of her poor
leadership.  LOL!  They bicker in front of everyone till Shambo talks
Laura into having a private chat.  There, Laura continues to list the many
faults of Shambo.  The rest of Galu think Laura may be the crazy one now!

At Foa Foa, the tree-mail of the day is very vague.  No real clue as to what
awaits them.   Russell isn't taking any chances.  He digs up his idol, just
in case this is The Merge.  Both tribes meet each other along a beach
and find a chest, but no Jeff.  Inside the chest is a note and banner-
making supplies.  It's THE MERGE!!!  Instructions direct them to a nearby
site where a feast awaits them.  They chow-down on goodies and get a
buzz going with beer and wine. 

Foa Foa then starts putting their plan into motion.  Each starts chatting
up a different Galu member.  This continues as the group return to Camp
Galu.  Natalie works on Laura, searching for cracks.  Eventually, a new
tribe name is decided upon, Aiga, which means extended family.   Russell
shows Laura his idol and promises to give it to her if she can take him
to seventh place.  He has conditions, however.  Russell wants a Galu
male voted off first.  LOL!  Laura isn't biting.

So Russell tries to tempt Monica.  She seems willing but Russell isn't
convinced he can count on her, so he works on John.  They talk about
booting Laura first.  Russell doesn't trust her now, and John is thinking
it's still a good idea to break up the Laura-Monica thing while they have
numbers to spare.  John agrees to help.  Russell tells Uncle Cameraman
that he's like Babe Ruth.  "Just keep swingin' Baby!"

Day 21 and Russell and Shambo go fishing.  He talks about booting Laura
with her.  Shambo's all for it.  She can't stand Laura.  Besides, Shambo
trusts Russell, he's a country boy from the South and she's a country
girl.  Russell tells the rest of Foa Foa that Laura is the target.

It's time for the Immunity Challenge.  Survivor T-Ball.  Hit the ball into
sections worth various points.  There will be an immunity necklace for
one man and one woman.  Men bat first.  Dave starts off with a good
one and scores a 3.  Jaison over-shoots the field and gets a 0.  Then
Russell scores a 4 and takes the lead.  Erik and Brett get skunked with
0s, Mick scores a 2.  John is last man up.  He nails it and scores a 5.
John wins the man's immunity necklace.  The ladies are up next and the
same thing happens.  Laura, the last woman up, scores a 4 and wins.

Back at camp, the plots fly as Laura is now safe.  Russell asks Shambo
what's happening.  She doesn't know yet, but figures Erik and Laura
will determine who gets booted.  And decide they do!  Laura tells Erik
that Russell has a hidden immunity idol.  So the plan is to make him
use it tonight, but vote Jaison off. 

Erik tells John the plan, but John isn't convinced.  He wants to boot
Monica off to break up her alliance with Laura.  The other Galu Boys
agree and Erick tells Mick, Jaison and Natalie the plan.  Erik still wants
Russell thinking he's the target and make him burn his idol.  But Foa
Foa isn't that stupid.  Natalie tells Monica, Kelly and Laura what's up.
They plot to boot Erik instead.  Even Dave and Shambo are on board.
A frenzy of politicking goes on.  So much that even Riussell isn't sure
what's going to happen.

At Tribal Council, the initial nice-talk about The Merge quickly goes
away when Erik opens his mouth.  He trash talks Foa Foa.  They have
nothing to offer.  They're total losers.  He focuses on Jaison, who seems
to have it all but can't pull it all together.  Jaison takes offense.  He and
Erik spar.  Russell defends his tribe mates and vows to fight to the end.
Erik almost respects Russell for his tenacity.

It's time to vote.  We see Russell vote to boot Erik and adds a big smiley
face.  LOL!  A taunting vote!  Jeff collects the urn to count, but Russell
stands up and plays his idol.  He figures everyone knows about it now
so why not?  Erik grins as his plan unfolds.  But as Jeff counts the ballots,
Jaison stays at two votes while Erik gets one after another.  At vote 7,
Jeff declares Erik the blindside victim and 1st Jury Member.  I'm not
sure who the other Jaison vote was, it may have been John.  The rest
played Erik well and sends him down the Walk of Shame!

SPOILERS:  The Old Galu Tribe plots to boot Russell.  They recognize
him as a threat.  Russell knows he's in trouble and uncertain what to do!