After receiving Tree Mail, the tribe met host Jeff Probst at the Reward Challenge, where he unexpectedly brought each Survivor's loved ones from home to compete in the Challenge. One by one, each loved one entered the area as tears of joy ran down the Survivors' homesick faces. Jeff then explained, "The loved ones are going to compete against each other in a bug-eating contest. The winner will spend 24 hours at the tribe camp with their Survivor as an honorary member of the tribe. If at any time you fail to eat anything, you are sent off with no contact whatsoever with your Survivor."



When the Survivors met Jeff Probst at the important Immunity Challenge, he once again explained the rules. Each person had to gather their own misshapen pieces from a nearby pile and fit the assorted, oversized pieces in such a way that they construct a colored cube. First person to have successfully constructed their colored cube would win. Just before starting the Challenge, Jeff provided yet another twist to the game of SURVIVOR. Running out from around the corner, each loved one returned to embrace their family member. "Guys, your loved ones are going to be your partner in today's Immunity Challenge. They will be tied to your wrist. You will win or lose Immunity based on how well you work with your loved one," explained Jeff.

Episode Viewers and Ratings

Season 5 Episode 12 of Survivor resulted in a 0.00 rating in the 18-49 demographic.

Survivor Season 5 Episodes...

• s05e01 - The Importance of Being Eldest
• s05e02 - The Great Divide
• s05e03 - Family Values
• s05e04 - Gender Bender
• s05e05 - The Ocean's Surprise
• s05e06 - The Power of One
• s05e07 - Assumptions
• s05e08 - Sleeping With the Enemy
• s05e09 - Desperate Measures
• s05e10 - While the Cats Are Away
• s05e11 - A Closer Look
• s05e12 - A Big Surprise...and Another
• s05e13 - The Tides Are Turning
• s05e14 - Slip Through Your Fingers
• s05e15 - Survivor: Thailand Reunion

Survivor Show Summary

The rules of this game are simple: average Americans are abandoned in the middle of some of the most unforgiving places on earth. Divided into teams, they particiapte in challenges and every three days, the losing tribe must trek to Tribal Council to vote out one of their own. Halfway through the game, the game shifts to individual competitions when the tribes merge and become one, making the game every man for himself.

The game is simple: Outwit, Outplay, Outlast, by winning Immunity, thus not being eligible to have votes cast against yourself. However, the players must be careful about who they send packing - after the merge, a jury of seven begins to form, and each week they return to watch the Tribal Council ceremony. At the end of the game, they vote for one of the members of the final two to win One Million Dollars. Who will become the next Survivor?

Generally, each season begins with a twist - something different to surprise the new castaways. Survivor is a game of adaptation, and the final two of each season, listed below, were the players most able to adapt to their surroundings and to the people they are playing with. Survivor focuses on the people, and the social commentary that surrounds them. How can these players Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast is the question that the game revolves around.