In the beginning we thought Rupert was odd. Downright strange even. We would never have entrusted our hypothetical troubled teen to his care, and, quite frankly, we were convinced that he was a prime candidate for a good, thorough delousing or FBI-profiling as a loner with a potential fondness for explosives and the U.S. postal system.

We were wrong. Rupert is a kind and gentle soul. He's a tragic hero whose fatal flaw of misplaced trust would have made Shakespeare weep tears of Elizabethan joy. He's King Lear, Falstaff and MacBeth all rolled into one.

On Night 24, the weather (and "Survivor's" crafty editor) conspires to agree with us. The episode opens with a storm of biblical proportions raging around the Balboa tribe and a snake slithering in the sand dangerously near the shelter.

Rupert is having a bad night. One of many. He's up with the other depressives, club kids, insomniacs and women with high potential for a heart attack. He says nights are the worst because it's when he thinks of home. He says that he tells his wife Laura everything. At first we assume he means this in a "when I come home after a long day of mentoring," but no, he's talking in the present tense. In a manner that's a cross between "The Blair Witch Project" and Tom Hanks' makeshift friendship with Wilson the volleyball in "Cast Away," we see as Rupert closes his eyes and confides in his wife. Even stranger: She seems to be answering him.

The next morning, Jon kvetches about how Rupert and his gal pals Christa and Sandra are driving him crazy. Jon thinks the trio feels that they are above the (presumably natural) law and a prime example of how "absolute power corrupts absolutely." He goes off with Burton to talk strategy. The dorky duo hash out that the only way to break up the triad is if they befriend Darrah and Tijuana and convince the witless Lil to join forces with them as well.

They wait until Rupert goes out to get fish (fish for everyone we might add -- nice, juicy shark steaks no less) and Sandra and Christa go to collect lemons for the blended margaritas they're having later with the college kids who are spring breaking on the far side of the island, to approach the others. They quickly sketch out their plan of voting off Rupert if he doesn't win Immunity, with Christa as their back up evictee.

Darrah, whose number is coming up faster than her funeral home clients, is relieved and jumps on board immediately. Tijuana later points out that they are all eating because of Rupert, but it doesn't appear to be a big enough sticking point for her to bring up during the confab. Lil mutters something about feeling guilty. Burton says the women think he's a savior. Jon, thankfully, refrains from commenting for the moment.

Reward Challenge time comes along, involving an obstacle course through a manufactured shipwreck, with the prize being a boat trip replete with pizza and beer. Burton and Lil win the reward and Jeff steps forward and asks if they want to keep it for themselves or offer it up to someone else.

Now, last week, Rupert won the challenge and was given the choice of going for a meal by himself of giving it to one of the other tribe members who would be allowed to take a companion. He generously gave it to Burton who took along Lil. Thus, the rules of fair play dictate that one of them should step aside and give it to him this time.

Yeah, right. Like that's really going to happen.

Lil greedily stands firm, while Burton steps aside so that Jon can go, telling the camera that there was no way he was going to give it to Rupert because he doesn't want Rupert getting any food that might help him win Immunity again.

Needless to say, Rupert is not pleased and clues in quickly to what is going on. He mutters that that's "the last damn thing I give to Burton, except for a vote." His suspicions are confirmed when Sandra happens to overhear Burton and Jon whispering about further bending Lil's ear while they're off boating because they need her on their side. She immediately runs back to tell Rupert who is not worried because he trusts Lil.

And that's his mistake. Because there is no other way to describe Lil than "weak." We have no idea what she was like as a young lass, but we strongly suspect that she was more than once fooled by a guy asking her up to his apartment to see his etchings. She kept the reward for herself but she feels guilty for doing so, blubbering that she never gets to go on vacations and she was just thinking about sailing on a boat eating pizza and drinking beer is something that she would never get to do in real life. She tells Jon she's worried that she's a bitch.

"Thank God," says Jon.

"Don't say that about God," Lil wails.

Once on the boat though, Lil perks right up. She drinks half a beer, ties a knot and declares, "I am The Scout Master." We kid you not.

Jon once again stresses the need to vote for Rupert or Christa. Even though she "loves Rupert to death," Lil says that Burton and Jon keep pounding it into her brain that this is a game. Huh. "Survivor" is a game. Who knew? What Lil hasn't clued in to yet is that part of the game is forming partnerships with people you can trust and have your best interests at heart, not Dumb and Dumber.

When they get back to camp, Rupert asks Lil if Jon tried to get her into an alliance. She says no. Rupert's downfall is that he believes her.

At the Immunity Challenge, a game of Killer played with blowguns and darts goes bad for Rupert who is quickly knocked out of contention. Burton wins and we are treated to a close up of a snake biting the head of a lizard.

Rupert has gone from disappointed to downright furious. He knows that Burton was out to get him.

Meanwhile, Burton and Jon are planning hanging out together when they are the Final Two. They are giddy at the thought of "partying [their] asses off." Because, really, isn't that what this whole experience is all about?

More footage of the snake swallowing the lizard whole. This is getting extremely disturbing. If they want to thoroughly upset us, why don't they just get it over with and show Michael Jackson's home movies?

At Tribal Council, Jeff drills in about the Rupert/Burton power struggle for the title of alpha male. Sandra complains that Jon does nothing but alternate between sleeping and napping. Lil sucks at diplomacy by trying to assert that both men provide fish for the tribe, even though Burton only brings in inedible stingrays.

In the end though, the vote's the thing. Let's hope Lil's scouts are better judges of character than she is, because her vote is critical in sending our boy Rupert over to the jury box.