Survivor - Fiji

Thanks, Tico. Watching dreams as he watched the fireworks, I thought he looked younger than 25.

This has to be one of my favorite episodes to date. For the first time everything I said that they should do - they did! (I really should be on Survivor).

Cassandra really did pick smart. It also kept it to look like she wasn't in that close of an alliance with Earl. It was so funny when I said to hubby - they should use Dreamz to find out who has the immunity and will use it. And then I said well since it is either Mookie or Alex - they should vote for Ed.

There is no one I completely dislike - though I have those that I would prefer to win which makes this so much more fun. I love Yao - he is so much stronger, smarter and sneaky than you would imagine and he has such a nice way about him, that no one could dislike him.

Cassandra too - is much smarter and cunning than she appears on the surface.

So many smart people is what makes this so much more interesting.

Definitely.

Another smart thing Yau-man did was the whole "old man" schtick at tribal council. He's got the immunity idol around his neck, but comes across as this little old weakling -- which he's so not!

Dreamz is trying hard but he's just too confused, he goes with the flow and then gets caught in contradictions. The episode recap on the Survivor site makes it sound like he was in control, he so wasn't. He was scheming here and scheming there but didn't have a single plan that he made happen.

I think Earl's right to be suspicious of him.

Yeah, Roberta, looks like Alex and Mookie find Yau-man's idol. That worries me.

Plus... this is worse... pretty much everyone knows that the real idol is a carved turtle, now, so Yau-man's fake won't come into play. Phooey!

Noooo idea how the re-burying will play out. I read the Survivor blog, it's funny (I absolutely adore Rafe), and someone commented that when there are SO many twists it becomes a game of luck rather than a game of skill. (This was specifically about Michelle -- she didn't do anything wrong, it was just the weird shake-up that got her ousted.) I pretty much agree. Entertaining tho.

Will Mookie think to himself,
"Well Alex didn't vote for himself and Alex didn't vote for Boo... So that must mean Alex voted for...."

Not a good thing to do to a member of the jury.

Yup. I think Alex got some 'splainin' to do.

And his Tribal Council "give 'em hell" speech was awfully tepid.

I think that the mystery of why people dislike Stacy also was revealed tonight. She's bitchy. We first saw it, I think, with the episode over the french press coffee maker. Tonight she said, while talking about how marginalized Alex and Mookie were, something to the effect that they'll be lucky if they're given any food for the rest of the time that they're around.

Yau-Man handled Mookie's and Alex's threat well, by making a bigger deal of the rifling through his personal belongings than of having the immunity turtle itself. And now, the general knowledge changes things a bit, but he's still the one holding it -- and that could give him some power as others lobby him for its' protection, when they become vulnerable.

Earl played it well, also, by never indicating that he already knew about Yau-Man's immunity idol.

If I were a player, I'd really want to be the next one to go to Exile island.

I'm remembering when the two tribes were formed. The big guys were certain they would dominate. Ha!

Since the merge, immunity was won by Yao-man and Stacey. Interesting.

Dreamz seems confused, and yet he seems to land on his feet. How long can this last?

From my sitting-at-home-on-the-couch perspective, it doesn't get more alphaer than Earl.

Yup, Stacey is a bitch. Don't give them any food.

Alex may have pissed off a member of the jury, but he may have created a bit of an in with the in-crowd.

No, but a bold move to keep himself in the game. Which would you prefer to lose one vote at the final tribal or to be on the jury?

Have we ever determined whether people get to talk to each other once they're voted off? On the blog, they talk about the fun they had together after being voted off -- it seems like at least they're allowed to socialize, not kept in isolation -- but are they forbidden from talking about the game?

I ask because if Mookie and Edgardo can talk to each other, that would probably be at least 2 votes lost. I bet Rocky wouldn't be impressed, either.

Alex probably figured it would be a landslide anyway -- the alliance of 6 against him or Mookie -- and that not all of the votes would be read. He probably thought it'd be a drop in the bucket rather than a significant vote.

Anyway, interesting episode, loved when Alex and Mookie went running off. Those guys keep coming up with these "brilliant" plans that don't seem to actually have much to them. I mean I think it was probably smarter to try to use the knowledge they had then not, but I'm not sure a) that was the best way, or b) even if it was the best way it was so, like, awesome.

I think Earl and Yau-man handled it really well. I'm not sure if it's such a disaster for Yau-man -- he's been emerging from the radar anyway, pretty much since the archery competition. His "who me? I just a little old man" schtick was already starting to be contradicted by his actions.

Really good that Earl and Yau-man managed to not show that theirs is the primary/ strongest alliance.

What's up with Boo and the other idol being "easy to find"? That could certainly shake things up yet.

Oh and Stacey showed bitchiness earlier too -- remember when they got the coffee as a reward (back on Moto, when Moto was flush), and Cassandra and I think Dreamz weren't sure what to do with it, and Stacey was super condenscending about it? There was a lot of prima donna behavior that episode, a lot of it directed at Dreamz I think.

I mean this as in, will Mookie actually think of it at all. Maybe he will.... I think Alex made the wise and only available move to stay in the game. I don't think he has many fans on the Jury anyways. Alex played a part in most of them getting voted out and they know it. I imagine the jury must talk.

No, they don't show much of Stacy and the little that they do, she does say bitchy things.

Yau-man and Earl should stop looking so happy at tribal, imo. And while I love Yau, I wish he hadn't sounded so sure at tribal. Sounding anything close to cocky seems to lead to trouble.

Of course Boo would hurt himself again. And did he even look for the idol? With the editing, it made it seem as though he just assumed the two of the four horseman found it.

Alex will try anything to stay in the game. That'll make next week interesting.

The challenges this season are great and new.

Alex's plot to topple Yao-man was probably not as much of a threat as the producers wanted us to believe. They have to create some kind of tension (through editing). It would be helpful to know ALL the votes. Then everyone would have a better sense of who did what.

I'm guessing that Boo will be gone next week. Then maybe Stacey. Then things will get mighty interesting.

I don't know why Earl thinks the new idol is on the island where they live. From what he read, it sounded to be like it was on Exile Island. Of course, I can't see the lay of the land all that well, but I thought the clue mentioned a tower. Is there one where they live? I' know there's one on Exile Island.

I believe the first clue stated that the idol was on their beach area.

Oh, thanks. Missed that.

I think Alex, sharp lawyer as he no doubt is, watched too much television while growing up. Ninja, the four horsemen, stealth mode, etc. Well now he and Mookie can put their wooden heads together to figure out how they were outplayed. I think one of the essential flaws of his strategy was not respecting the abilities of the other players, not even considering them. It's like he lived the game as a cartoon.

Roberta, the official site does display the voting records of all members. If it's updated today, I'll come back here with the link.

Why is Cassandra so tied to flipflopping Dreamz? Is it a mothering instinct? Although I'm not taken with Dre, I did appreciate his "private" moment with the letter from home.

Wasn't that trip down the narrow river ravine incredible?

Hope Earl finds the hidden immunity idol. I think the tower that was referred to, Roberta, was some tower of rocks beside a trail.

I agree about editing, I was thinking about that too. (Whether Alex actually came as close as it appears.)

In the very last segment of the show, they show each person making their vote, while the ousted person says his or her bit. I think I remember that EVERYONE voted for Alex (except for Alex, of course). Even Dreamz.

I think Cassandra and Dreamz bonded as dissed outsiders on the original Moto.

Earl came close to being too bossy when discussing the split. When he said "I'm not going to let..." I winced (captions paused there) but when he ended with "...anyone convince me of something I'm against again..." I relaxed a bit.

I think Earl's positioned well as having power but not being the obvious power broker -- people are more focused on Yau-man, as having the idol.

I hope Earl finds the next idol, too. Still like him best. I also like Yau-man. Not sure about Dreamz -- compelling story, but don't really respect how he's played the game so far. Cassandra seems like a sharp cookie, I like here, kind of the opposite problem from Dreamz (Dreamz -- always works hard, but kinda cluless and random when it comes to game schemes. Cassandra -- seems to be playing the mental game well, pretty weak in challenges etc. though).

Did Cassandra make an enemy out of Alex by coming so close to saving him and then changing her mind?

Anyway, the others who are left: Boo's interesting, I think there's probably more depth there than editing indicates, he may yet be a major threat. Stacey has been pulling out some good last-minute strategy, I don't discount her either. One of those two will be coming up with a scheme next week, probably. Alex has been the schemer for the last several episodes, everyone else just reacts.

I agree with you Sozobe - I was saying to the TV - quiet Earl you going to blow it, but he has such a way with handling things.

Any way I do remember checking in the end and everyone did vote for Alex. (except Alex of course).

Not sure if I like Boo - but he does make me laugh. I think Earl is either smart or just lucky that Yao held onto the immunity - it keeps the focus off him. Seems so strange that no one ever mentioned Earl as threat - at least in their little group.

On the Earl as perceived threat thing ~ I agree. One little thing that made me think last night -- during the immunity challenge, Jeff is calling the play-by-play (which is sometimes really annoying) "Cassandra's hardly trying!", "Yau-Man's got his unorthodox method!". "Alex is dumping all his sand in Yau-Man's lane!" etc. But what got me was that he didn't note Earl, and the camera barely touched Earl. I had to strain to see that Earl was even in the contest. Did anyone else note this? Or did I not see something? If my perception was right, was this an editing ploy? Or was Earl determined to lose and get to Exile Island?

For Roberta, here's the link to the voting history page: voting history

That wasn't what sent him to Exile Island though, was it? I thought it was the reward challenge, and then it was Boo's choice. (As in, even if Earl purposely came in last, he wouldn't necessarily go...)

One thing I did wonder about though -- Alex seemed to have some sort of digging implement at one point. What was that? Everyone else was digging with their hands, and it looked painful.

Ooops, you're right, I'm wrong -- that wasn't what sent Earl to Exile. Later today, or tomorrow, I'll re-watch the show, on line, and get my facts straight.

I do remember when Boo was trying to decide who was going to Exile, the camera panned the group and Earl seemed to be giving Boo a little nod, before Boo actually said his name. There's no doubt that Earl wanted to get the next clue.

If he finds it, would he share? (I wouldn't.)

Yeah I thought about that too. Especially the getting to Exile Island - I wouldn't doubt he asked to be sent there or volunteered. If he was smart (and he is) he could have also posed it like - so there is no rift among us, if you win I would be willing for you to send me, if I win then I will send so and so.