Episode #1: "You're Looking at the New Leader of Your Tribe"
The episode begins with Probst on-board the chopper taking the contestants into the country.
Phillip gets the first confessional of the season telling us how he's a CEO of a software company. He tells us he's a former federal agent, with a "?" located next to the profession in his confessional.
Matt tells us about how his faith is everything. He strives to become more like his savior.
Ralph tells us that he's a redneck and he's crazy, and that maybe he'll win because of that.
Opening credits roll. DAT ASS arrives right before the Zapatera tribe is shown. Several contestants are shown participating in a challenge that has yet to happen.
Francesca: "Wow, this is really happening."
Mike tells us how he was in the marine corps, and how he thinks he's gonna win because he's trained for something like this.
Jeff officially welcomes them. Then tells the tribes two more players are arriving as well. The tribes cheer for Rob's arrival, are shocked to see Russell.
Stephanie tells us that she aims to impress Russell and get in good with him. She tells us she's got evil inside her, and that she wants to be "that girl" he takes to the end. (Oh boy)
Jeff: "Boston Rob has proven his ability to help a tribe not only in challenges, but in camp life. He has played 3 times. He's made it to the final once, he has never won. Russell, in back-to-back seasons, has masterminded two of the strongest alliances in Survivor history. Russell has played twice. He's been to the end twice. He has never won. Together, these two offer 156 days of Survivor experience. That is worth a ton out here."
Francesca jumps in and says how the two are sizing them up like prey. She calls both of them "trouble makers."
Rob gets orange, and orange explodes in applause. Purple less so, but both are open-armed. Jeff then explains how Redemption Island works.
Russell gets his first confessional telling us how RI doesn't scare him one bit. He tells us that he's gonna win that challenge and come back chopping heads off. (Oh, so he's heading to RI?)
Jeff: "It's going to rain a lot out here in Nicaragua. I suggest you get to camp quickly, start using the experience of Rob and Russell, and start building camp.
Francesca tells us about how have RI is gonna make having Rob/Russell more complicated, especially when they get rid of them. She tells us "the good part of it is that if I get voted out, I could come back into the game, but the possibility of getting voted out was so not a reality to me that I only saw it as a downside." (Perhaps it will only be a downside for her?)
Zapatera gets the first camp life viewing, and Russell tells us about how grateful he is to be back. He tells us that he's bringing it this time around, and he's no longer a "school boy." Russell is gonna be a new him, he's gonna be a leader to his tribe.
Russell immediately opens up to his tribe with a speech. "You know, you see it on TV, it seems easy. I promise you, you're about to experience the toughest thing that you've ever been through in your entire life. I'm not here to sabotage anything, nobody. If I came back and did something like that, it would be pretty stupid of me. I'm here to win." Russell seems to be rallying his troops in an organized fashion, very much the opposite of his previous two games.
David tells us he's skeptical of Russell's motives. (Anyone should be)
Ralph tells us how happy he is to be building stuff.
Mike tells us how he's got some good first impressions of his tribe, a bunch of workers. "As long as we can win, and stay away from the immunity challenges(?!?), I think we'll be good." (Pretty sure he meant tribal councils)