Suvivor: Panama

Sally was voted out and Terry is now the last remaining La Mina.

Terry pretty much cut his own game throat when the merge took place and he failed to use the immunity idol to strategically turn the numbers around. Even if Terry wins every immunity challenge and makes it to the final two, the jury will be stacked with Casaya. I don't think Casaya jury members will reward Terry for being strong in challenges. They think he's too cocky and needs to be taken down.

It appears that Casaya wants to vote out Aras. He was the only one who didn't feel confident enough to sit out the last immunity challenge. The "confident five" decided to stuff their faces while Terry, Sally, and Aras competed.

There isn't a whole lot of interesting strategic playing going on this season.

He thinks he can win every immunity challenge.

I really think that's hubris, and while he may or may not get to the final four, I don't think he'll be in the final two.

I think Shane and Cirie are likely.

Cirie's been strategically interesting!

We still don't know whether there is going to be a medical emergency, nor who it will be if so. That could still shake things up considerably.

Speaking of medical emergencies, the whole diaper rash thing was hilarious!

I missed the first 15 minutes or so of this one (frustrating since I'd missed last week and wanted to see the recap, but my kid was asking me to watch the sunset together and I just couldn't bring myself to say "sunset, schmunset, I've got a TV SHOW to watch!) so anything interesting happen there?

Brian has a good point, on the Survivor blog:

I was curious why Sally and Terry never approached Aras. It seemed obvious that Aras felt threatened. Why didn't they ask Aras to switch? He seemed to be the only one they didn't approach. In any case, there is really no individual that seems to be a favorite of mine - they are all pretty much unlikable.

I thought the same thing about Terry too - that even if he is a final two, he will lose on votes. Maybe there will be enough backstabbing coming up where they will have to vote some one else, that out of spite, Terry could get enough votes.

So it wasn't false advertising...

Poor Bruce! Hope he's OK. I assume he must be, but will look forward to getting confirmation.

I think this is all actually bad for Terry. I think this was a prime moment to do a power play, after that "pecking order" challenge, and Bruce would've been a perfect person to try to turn as the second one out. I think Terry would've had a real shot if he'd been able to get Bruce, Courtney, and one more... maybe Danielle? Or even just those two and use the immunity idol (though I know he doesn't want to).

Aras is smart! I think he threw the challenge because he knew he'd be chosen to go and so he wouldn't have to get the bad karma points that Cirie did for choosing some people (and not choosing others).

The challenge showed how well Cirie is playing the game on the social level (and she's pretty strong physically, too). 'Course, it points that out to everyone else, too...

I just loved Shane's big eye-goggling-commuppence!

Last week's preview showed Shane cozying up to Terry but that didn't happen this week. Hmmm....

I think it might all work out okay for Terry as it gives all those guys a full week to stew about who is who.

I hope Bruce is okay too.

I'm hoping they bring Bruce back next season and allow him to play out a full game (assuming he wants to).

Poor Bruce - you can't help but love the guy!

What an emotional wreck Shane is! Funny how he and Courtney the two emotional types were left alone. Should be interesting - love the questions - they were so obvious to cause trouble amongst them I can't believe they got so upset.

Go Terry! Go Terry!

He really deserves to win. At least he's made it to the final four - given that he still has the immunity idol.

What was up last night though, I watched but lost track in all the negotiating. Shane looked stunned. I can't wait for him to bite the dust.

Cirie laughed and laughed, and was revealed as a puppetmaster!

Cirie deserves honorable mention for her strategic game play. I still can't see Cirie making it to the final two unless, by some miracle, she wins the final immunity challenge. And, if I remember correctly, the final immunity challenge has always been an endurance contest. Cirie hasn't shown that she has any physical endurance. . . .

But, getting rid of Courtney was definitely a brilliant move.

Terry won the vehicle at the luxury contest. Winning the vehicle has always been the "kiss of death" in the past. With the jury stacked with Casaya members, Terry didn't have much hope of winning the game even if he made it to the final two. Now, with the "curse of the car" hanging over his head, his chances are even more slim.

I see Danielle and Cirie teaming up with Terry to make it to the final three. I think they have accepted that it's darn near impossible to vote him out--so they might as well use him to get to the end of the game.

I think Aras and Shane are toast.

My prediction: Terry or Danielle will win final immunity and take each other to the final two. Neither one of them would want to be sitting next to Cirie at the end. Cirie is way too nice--way too polished in her political and speaking skills--to risk taking her to the end. Cirie would win for sure.

Final two: Terry & Danielle with Danielle taking home the title of "Sole Survivor" and winning the million bucks.

Damn, I go on vacation for two weeks and miss all the good stuff.

Joe(who?what? When?)Nation

Okay/

I'm caught up.

And now Sean is gone.

Joe(good)Nation

That was fun!!

Buh-bye Shane!

I really thought he'd be brought to the final two as a foil -- the evil guy.

Cirie, who thinks she'll get there by being brought along, wants to get rid of the others who would be brought along -- good for her.

Terry's doing the physical game great, Cirie (and Aras) are doing the mental/ "outwit" game great. Danielle's fine but is mostly blowing where the wind takes her.

I'd love to see Terry vs. Cirie in the final two, and Cirie winning it all.

What I think might still happen is Terry not even making it to the final two. He's come really close to losing challenges a lot, and both Aras and Cirie are gonna kick it WAY up. Cirie is really no slouch, physically speaking.

A final two of Aras and Cirie would be my two favorites, would still want Cirie to win.

I still like Terry

Cirie has earned my respect. She started out being afraid to sleep on some leaves and now is catching fish, smashing snails, and manipulating everyone in the game. I think Terry will be in the final two because he has the idol and the physical strength to keep wining challenges. However, because I always like it when brains wins over brawn (Terry's strategy has always been weak and obvious),I'm hoping Cirie takes home the money.

I'm reminded of the first Survivor when the tough girl who won challenge after challenge (four in a row at the last if I remember) faced fat naked man in the final two. Fat naked guy (now under indictment for fraud and theft) had manipulated his way (and the way of old tough grizzled veteran guy) to get the the final two, but tough girl got no respect from the jury even though she WAS the Survivor.(Trucker Susan's 'you are a snake speech' killed her chances, tough girl had no solid reply to that wacko.) She would have been voted off if she had lost one challenge (just like Terry, except for the hidden idol)

So, who's the Survivor this time? Terry is. But he won't win either.

Joe(Cirie will)Nation

Terry's smirking and rolling of eyes did not endear me to him. What's up with being in a "God position?" Ugh.

Still, he's pretty damn good to win five immunity challenges in a row, plus have the hidden immunity idol.

The thing about not having to show up for the next immunity challenge could bite him in the butt, though.

I like Cirie, too, but I just don't see her winning; everyone likes her, so no one will pick her to go to the finals.

Terry may be winning the immunity challenges, but he's losing the political game. Terry placed himself on a pedastal and referred to himself as having god-like powers. Well, the only one who worships Terry is Terry.

At the tribal council, Aras said winning immunity challenges doesn't mean winning the million bucks. Terry can roll his eyes all he wants, but there was a lot of common sense in Aras' words---and that common sense seems to escape Terry.

Another one lacking common sense is Shane. He thought everyone else's goal was to drag him into the finals. Shane was not paying attention. That might have been an acceptable goal for the others except for Terry's presence in the game. Aras, Cirie, and Danielle understood that they probably couldn't get Terry out of the game due to his strength in challenges and the probability that he had the immunity idol in his back pocket. The only thing they could do to better their own chances was to eliminate the people that Terry would probably choose to take with him if Terry won the final immunity challenge.

Terry wanted to take Courtney--so Courtney is gone.

Next, Terry wanted to take Shane--so Shane is gone.

And who saw that and made sure that they were gone? Cirie.

Completely agreed about the wisdom of Aras' words and Terry's annoying reaction to it.

Terry's completely failed at strategy -- he's won immunity 5 times and he's also failed to make his voting scheme come to fruition 5 times. (Actually, is it 6 now?) All his eggs are in one basket, the immunity challenge basket. One loss sends him packing. (The immunity idol stops working when...? It doesn't work all the way to the final two, but I'm not sure if it's done now or next challenge... I think it stops working in the final four tribal council, like next vote, then that's it.)