Rupert Boneham may be one of the most beloved contestants to ever play the game of "Survivor," but he's never won the game. He thought he had an edge this season when he got the chance to play with his wife, but he quickly learned that he would have to compete against her rather than beside her. And then, on Day 1, her tribe voted her out and sent her to Redemption Island.
Rupert sacrificed himself to Redemption Island in order to give his wife a second chance in the game -- she joined his tribe. That meant he'd have to compete in duels to stay alive. The first one was scheduled for this week, and Rupert had fire in his eyes, with both tribes in attendance to watch the three competitors.
Unfortunately, fire wasn't enough and Rupert became the first player to be eliminated from "Survivor: Blood vs. Water." And so the fourth time most definitely was not the charm for this fan-favorite. “I’m sorry," Rupert told his wife upon leaving, but he said he had no regrets.
“I'm not too sad to see Rupert leave so soon; he's played the game three times already and his act had been getting a little old," wrote Buddy TV's Gina Puasteri. "And it is nice that his wife actually gets to experience the game a little more too, although she surely won't be as much of a character.”
Entertainment Weekly's Dalton Ross had no sympathy for Rupert, considering he orchestrated his own demise by switching places with his wife. "Rupert’s hero move ... was bad strategy, plain and simple," he wrote. "Consider, the money is going to the same joint bank account no matter who wins — Rupert or his wife ... When Rupert did that, the chances of that million dollar check making its way to [their] household decreased significantly. Now he’s gone and we’ll have to see how long Laura can hold on.”
This week, the loved ones lost again -- Gervase Peterson redeemed himself in that challenge -- and once again, they eliminated someone based on the veteran's tribe. Their hope is that Tyson Apostol will take the place of his girlfriend, Rachel Foulger, on Redemption Island, thus weakening their tribe. That's the only reason Rachel was voted out.
"Survivor: Blood vs. Water" continues on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
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