The 13th edition of Survivor strands 20 people on the Cook Islands in the Pacific to vie for the $1 million grand prize. Initially, the castaways are divided into four ethnically diverse groups (African-American, Asian-American, Caucasian, and Hispanic).

One tribe member becomes dehydrated due to a lack of fire to purify drinking water. In the Aitutaki camp, the members consider throwing the immunity challenge so they can vote Billy out. Castaways from the Puka Puka tribe become increasingly annoyed with Cao Boi's controversial comments.The first Immunity/Reward Challenge consists of the following rules: The must complete a seven piece puzzle which will create a boat. They will paddle back to shore and carry the boat back on the beach. There they will use the puzzle together using the boat pieces to create a ladder. They will climb the ladder light their fire. The first three to do so win flint. Those who finish in first place win a fire kit with kindling, waterproof matches and kerosene.

Having sized up her tribe, a giddy and flirtatious Parvati starts using the only strategy she knows to manipulate the men and draw them into her web. Jonathan quickly grows frustrated with Jessica when he tries to talk strategy and she seemingly wants nothing to do with playing the game. Nate shocks himself when he scores big while spear fishing and brings back enough food for the entire tribe. Jeff shocks the tribes when they are told to hand in the buffs and from now on there will be two integrated tribes. Immunity-Rewards Challenge consists of each tribe hearing stories of Captain Cook. Answering questions earns the tribe a chance to move on to the next area. To get there they must work together weaving their way through a series of poles while tied together with a rope. Once all seven answer flags are captured a winner is determined and the prize of a tarp is the reward. At tribal council, the second person is voted off of the islands.

Can the men and women of this tribe find a way to pull it together and work as a team, or will this division be their downfall? When Candice returns from Exile Island, her tribemates want to know why she thinks the other tribe decided to send her, thus keeping her safe from Tribal Council. In a tactical move, she plays dumb and avoids discussing her ties to the other tribe. J.P.'s dominance and controlling demeanor around camp anger some of the women in his tribe. Will this behavior put a target on his back? As the only member left from his original tribe, Ozzy proves his worth by catching a feast of fish, but will this be enough to keep him in the game? The tribes will be tied together for the next Immunity Challenge. While wading knee deep in water and each carrying a 15 pound sack of sand. If any member drops out, their sand bag is handed off to another tribesman. Once they catch up to the rival tribe they must tackle a member to the ground.

While exploring the islands around their camp, some Aitu tribe members unknowingly land on Raro's island and walk into their camp. The awkward encounter makes the Raro tribe testy when one Aitu tribe member asks for some of Raro's coconuts and spices. Adam catches a large octopus, but Christina, whose bossy attitude is already annoying her tribe, accidentally lets the octopus escape while rinsing it off in the ocean. Trust and individual work ethic becomes a big issue with both tribes. As the Raro tribe continues to be split by gender, will the men of the tribe prove their worth or will they be picked off one by one? Reward Challenge finds two members of each tribe fastened together by a belt to a rope. The other members will push and guide their mates through an obstacle course. Once all the members are free, one member will swim out and retrieve a decoder wheel. After returning to the mat, the members must decipher a quote. Winners receive blankets, two pillows and a hammock. Immunity Challenge has four members of a tribe putting together a puzzle that makes a stretcher. Once completed, another member must swim out and free another member shackled to a pole. After being freed they will swim back to shore with a life ring in tow. On the shore, the rescued member will be placed upon the stretcher and rushed back to their mat. The remaining three members will start a blazing fire that must reach high enough to burn through a rope, lowering the tribe's flag.

Christina feels alienated from her tribe after Adam says she is annoying. Meanwhile, one survivor proposes a plan that may expose the hidden Immunity Idol. Will others follow along or will Plan Voodoo backfire on the instigator? One tribe member finds it hard to play the game with integrity and honesty and battles with their guilt. Reward Challenge finds the members split into three groups of two. Each will have to hold a hook with one arm that is attached to a bag which is filled with weights. Every five minutes more weight will be added until only one remains holding on. Winner will receive fishing supplies, spices and bottles of wine. The Immunity Challenge finds two members assembling stepping poles to carry a contestant from one platform to another across the water. Once both members are across the remaining eight contestants will climb out of the water and up to a platform to a smaller tower. Once all eight members are on the tower a winner in determined.

Loads of never before-seen-footage featured, includes a scene where Candice and Adam go on a boat trip only to encounter a storm that leaves them cold and shivering and stranded on a sandbar. Another new scene involves Yul who, after discovering the Immunity Idol on Exile Island, decides to cover the evidence by taking the small box that once held his prize, wrapping it in coconut husks and setting it adrift. During their individual time on Exile Island, Jonathan, Adam and Candice search in vain for the Immunity Idol. In addition, the Raro tribe enjoys their wine reward around a campfire and the normally soft-spoken Stephannie becomes deliriously drunk and nearly passes out. Rewards Challenge finds each tribe designating three members to hold onto a post while the opposing members try to physically drag them across the sand to the finish line. The first tribe to get all three opposing members across the line would win a feast of lamb, breads and apple cider. There would be no Immunity Challenge, instead both tribes would be sent to tribal council.

Rewards Challenge would see two members designated as swimmers. One at a time they will grab a club and swim out to a platform. Climbing onto the platform, they must leap off and smash a box in midair with the club to release a key. After retrieving the key the will swim back to shore and the next swimmer continues on, until all 6 keys are found. The keys will open a box and reveal puzzle pieces for others to put together. Winners receive potatoes and peanut butter. Immunity Challenge has each member assembling a stair case out of logs to reach the top of a tower. Once all members are on the tower, three will repel down a zip line and retrieve a bag of puzzle pieces from the water. Once back on the tower, the remaining three members will assemble the puzzle.

One castaway collapses from exhaustion during the reward challenge, leaving teammates to complete the task. On Exile Island, a thunderous storm makes life miserable for one player. Members are allowed to switch teams by claiming a mutiny. Rewards Challenge finds two members stuck in a barrel while their two tribe mates roll them through and obstacle course to retrieve four buoys. Next they are rolled through a water obstacle where they must collect four flags. Winners received coffee, danishes, muffins and letters from home. Immunity Challenge has four tribe members paddling a glass bottomed boat to be placed over a target. Lined up, a cannonball is dropped to release a buoy. Once six buoys are collected they will be used to spell out an answer and then a winner is determined.

Rewards Challenge features two members armed with a compass who will race from a sixteen-point rose to find a buried treasure in the sand. Once a chest is found they will open it to find the next coordinates. After all four chests are found they can remove all seven nautical flags, winning the contest. The tribe will partake in a feast and a local celebration. The exiled member feels sorrow over being sent there. Jonathon is upset with the tribe mates work ethic. The tribes were to have studied the map for the Immunity Challenge. Each member must swim to a pontoon and unclip a stack of players names. Once they swim back the next contestant goes. When they have each finished then they must identify ten islands from the map.

Jonathon tries motivating his tribe again which makes some members feel like he is more of a father or a boss of the tribe. Aitu is feeling the pain of having to compete with just four members at each challenge. Jeff reveals that the tribes will now merge together as one. Yul reveals that he has the Immunity Idol. The Immunity Challenge will have all the contestants hang onto a pole. As soon as they release their grip, they are eliminated.

Reward Challenge is going to be an auction. Each member will receive $500 and bid on certain items such as food, a bubble bath and cake, a note with a guarantee of power, a hot dog with fries and a beer, an ice cream machine and a pepperoni pizza. A member reveals that he has the immunity idol. The Immunity Challenge will test the members memory of the last 30 days. Four questions with a numeric answer will reveal the location of key. The key will unlock a flag which when raised will unveil the winner.

A member needs medical attention after slicing a finger with a rusted machete. Rewards Challenge finds all the members blindfolded they will fill a bucket of ocean water and dump it in a bucket. The weight of the water will raise the winners flag. But there is more to this challenge. Jeff introduces a family member of each contestant and they will be their partner for the challenge. The winner will share the reward with the family member which consists of a tour to a local cave and a picnic with the locals. Immunity Challenge will have each contestant swimming through an obstacle course to retrieve a pile of sticks. Once two piles of sticks are found they must take the sticks and tie them together to make a long pole. With the pole they must reach a pair of rings. The winner is the first to fetch both rings.

Rewards Challenge has the members diving into a mud pit, return back to the starting point and scraping off as much mud into a bucket as they can. This will continue for ten minutes and the winner will be the tribal member with the heaviest bucket of mud. Winner will receive a day at a spa, complete with a massage, swimming pool, beer and plenty of food. Immunity Challenge has the members retrieving a bag of puzzle pieces, returning and putting together a table maze. Once completed a cannonball will be placed on the maze and the table will need to be maneuvered to guide the ball to the end and into a hole.

The Rewards Challenge has the contestants running through a maze of ropes collecting a bag of puzzle pieces at the eight stations. Once a bag is found they must deliver it back to the table. After all the bags are found then a puzzle is to be constructed of an eight point rose. The winner will receive Immunity guaranteeing their spot in the finals. The Immunity Challenge has the contestants up on a perch above the water. With each players perch fitted to their shoe size, no one will have an advantage. Every 15 minutes a piece of the perch is removed. The winner is also guaranteed a spot in the finals.

In a particularly nice bit of irony, the reunion begins with Parvati, who has apparently been appointed Our National Spokesboxer, gassing on about how smart Yul is, because he's "Harvard-Yale-Stanford guy. " And if anyone would know a smart guy, it would be Parvati. We then see Yul asking Jonathan to be his ally again.