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Survivor: South Pacific 23.15 "Loyalties Will Be Broken" & Reunion Recap

Michael Salerno — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:50:58 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific 23.15 "Loyalties Will Be Broken" & Reunion Recap

If you don't know how we arrived at this season's finale episode, take a look at last week's recap.

The final episode of the season begins (after a season recap) on Redemption Island and Brandon's arrival. He says it hurts that he was stabbed in the back by his friends but he stands by his convictions. Ozzy doesn't have much sympathy for a blind faith game. Human beings are greedy and want that money! Back at Te Tuna, Sophie thinks Tribal Council was fantastic. Brandon is gone, and Albert chickened out in front of the Jury by not giving back the Immunity Necklace. Coach rips into Albert for lying to him, declaring he will not be made a fool. Albert, for his part, knows he needs to get back in the good graces of his tribe.

The next morning, Ozzy and Brandon read Tree Mail implying they will need to "hang on" in the final Duel. Ozzy tells the camera that he is psyched for the Duel because he has loved RI so much. They head into the Arena. Probst reiterates that this is the final Duel. For the Duel, the guys must hold onto a pole for as long as they can. Survivors ready...go! Probst notes that this is the most narrow foothold they've ever had for this challenge: only 1/4" wide. Twenty minutes elapses, with Ozzy stretching out just on his toes. After forty minutes, Ozzy readjusts and looks like he is going to lose it, but then Brandon starts to fall and has no footholds. Both players are moving a lot up and down the pole. Brandon starts to slide down, and then a bit more. Finally, Brandon falls, and Ozzy stays alive! Jeff notes that Brandon seems jubilant. The latter says he actually won because seven days in, he had a heart to heart with God and was told to hold bitterness toward no one. Brandon places his buff in the fire and departs. Ozzy thanks the others for sending him to RI so he would push himself to get back into the game.

The castaways return to their beach. Coach tells Ozzy that if he thinks Ozzy is in jeopardy, and he wins Immunity, he will give his Immunity to Ozzy. Ozzy isn't that dumb though. "Why would anyone want to take me to the end?" Ozzy wonders to the camera. Coach confesses that he wants to bring Ozzy to the end, but his alliances are so entrenched. It is his game to lose because everyone else wants to take him to the end. But will they after the...

...Immunity Challenge #1. For the Challenge the players will steady a balancing board with one hand, and with the other, build a house of cards. Survivors ready...go! Sophie says she has a book on how to build houses of cards. Ozzy, Coach and Sophie jump to the lead. Sophie, unfortunately, runs out of pieces and must start again. Coach's stack falls. Ozzy plays his last piece, but it's too short. Sophie gets close, but loses half her stack. She then commands Albert to drop his pieces and pick up her lost ones. He refuses, and when she pleads, Probst says it is an individual Challenge so he can't help her anyway. Coach is getting close again, as is Ozzy. Ozzy is one tile away, places it, and wins. Ozzy wins Immunity!

Back at the beach, Ozzy recounts his victory, much to the chagrin of the others. He feels great being able to finally shove it to the others. Coach thinks its terrible that they have to vote someone out, but loyalties will be broken. Coach and Albert suggest they send home Rick because he is the most likely to win (what?!?). Ozzy, attempting to sow dissent, tells Albert they should get rid of Sophie. Albert confides that Sophie maybe should go as she's won a couple Immunities and will be persuasive in front of the Jury. Coach tells Rick that Sophie has turned on him, which gives Rick a really bad feeling. He does get Coach to say he'll vote for Sophie, but Rick's not so sure Coach will follow through.

Albert tells Ozzy that they should go for Rick. Ozzy responds by telling him that Coach swore as a Christian man to take Ozzy to the end. Albert confronts Coach, but all Coach says is that he wants to vote out Ozzy. Albert thinks he may have to listen to Ozzy at the...

...Tribal Council. Ozzy, you knew you had to win, right? Yup. Probst calls out Coach's HII. Coach says he'll play it as it is the last chance to so do. Albert says he should stay because he can beat Ozzy in an Immunity Challenge. Sophie says she's won more Immunities than the others, so she can beat Ozzy. Rick says to keep him because they will all beat him in the Final Three. Coach says they are still a family so they should get rid of Ozzy when they can. Ozzy calls him out as wanting to take him to the end. Sophie doesn't care about honesty as Ozzy treated her like crap from the beginning by calling her a spoiled brat. Why does she care when she speaks about him behind his back? She says that it is personal because it was an attack on her character. Sophie begins to cry, saying that she never did anything to attack other people and has kept her character in tact. She regrets coming to the game because Ozzy said other people thought the same things about her. Probst tells her that the way she is acting will make them want to get rid of her. Does she want another opportunity to tell the guys why she should stay? Nope, let's vote.

They vote, and Jeff collects the ballots. Coach doesn't play the HII. The votes come back Rick, Sophie, Rick, Sophie. Jeff reads the final vote, "The sixteenth person voted out of Survivor: South Pacific...Rick!

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Survivor: South Pacific 23.15 "Loyalties Will Be Broken" & Reunion Recap

The Winner of Survivor: South Pacific Is....

Michael Salerno — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:43:16 +0000

The Winner of Survivor: South Pacific Is....

The winner of Survivor: South Pacific was just announced. Sophie took home this season's million dollar prize and the title of Sole Survivor. In a vote of 6 to 3 to 0, Sophie defeated Coach and Albert in the Final Tribal Council to take home the win. How did Sophie do it? Be sure to catch my full recap in the morning detailing Coach's victory, the reunion special, and details on where Survivor will be going next season, premiering in February 2012.

The Winner of Survivor: South Pacific Is....

Survivor: Survivor South Pacific 23.14 "Then There Were Five" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:53:02 +0000

Survivor: Survivor South Pacific 23.14 "Then There Were Five" Recap

If you missed last week's episode, you know what to do (click here!).

This penultimate episode of this twenty-third season of Survivor opens on Night 32 with Te Tuna returning to camp. The Final Five relish the fact that they have stayed true to each other since the first day. Of course, Brandon wants to pray, and of course, Coach knows that the real game begins now. Albert and Sophie contemplate who to vote out if Ozzy comes back. They toss around Rick and Brandon's names, but then Albert confesses to the camera that although she doesn't know it, Sophie is the next to go.

The next morning, Day 33, Coach tells Sophie that his head was spinning all night. Albert tells the camera that though he planned on going to the end with Coach and Sophie, the latter has been building too much of a resume. Albert needs to adapt his game to the players around him, and this calls for taking Rick to the end. He figures Rick is the least dangerous player left in the game. Who is the most dangerous? Likely the one playing in the...

...Duel. For this Duel, Edna and Ozzy will complete a slide puzzle to release a hatchet to be used to cut through a rope. Once cut, the rope will release a bag full of cubes that the players must stack so no color appears twice on a one side of the tower into which the blocks are stacked. Survivors ready...go! Ozzy quickly finishes the puzzle and releases his cubes. As he starts the final puzzle, Albert begins coaching Edna on the puzzle until she releases her hatchet and gets her cubes. Then all of Te Tuna tries to help Edna. She builds arranges her cubes outside of the tower, then swiftly places them. Does Edna have the solution? No! She has two reds on one side. That gives Ozzy time to place his cubes and call over Probst to check his work. Ozzy wins the Duel and stays alive! Edna burns her buff and departs. Ozzy heads back to Redemption Island and Te Tuna returns to their beach.

Though his tribe has spoken about it since the first day, Albert doesn't give one whit about honor or integrity. Brandon thinks that Albert will never write his name down, but Albert is more than willing to cut Brandon, though he tells Brandon that they should vote out Sophie next. Sophie points out to Coach that every player who goes to RI has Ozzy's comfort and final words ringing in their ears. She suggests they send Brandon to RI to put the two strongest players against each other. She then suggests that voting strategy to Rick, who agrees.

Albert goes to Coach to say that Sophie is the biggest threat. Coach fundamentally disagrees; he is disheartened because he has had a solid alliance with Sophie. Coach suggests that Albert is just scared of how much smarter she is than him. Brandon asks what they are talking about, and when they truthfully answer "jury votes," Brandon says they are lying. Coach tells him that he is bullying them, and acting like Russell. Brandon is offended and asks for a hug. Coach rips him some more in a confessional but then, indeed, gives him a hug. Whom Coach will vote out will have to be determined by the results of the...

...Immunity Challenge. For the Challenge, the castaways will climb a very steep wall and collect five bags of puzzle pieces. The puzzle pieces must be paired up, leaving three pieces that don't match. Those three that don't match have numbers that must be used to unlock a code and release a flag. The first to release his or her flag will win Immunity and a Reward of a pizza party. Survivors ready...go!

Brandon quickly has his first and second bags, as does Rick. They get their third bags, as does Coach. Brandon and Rick go for their final bags. Rick is the first down to his table, with Brandon close behind. Albert takes a big fall on his fourth bag, but eventually everyone works on the puzzle. Brandon and Coach move ahead. Brandon takes three numbers to the top of the wall, where he enters the code and releases his flag. Brandon wins Immunity! "Thank you Jesus! Thank you Father!" he shouts. Probst informs him he can share his pizza with only one other person. Brandon says his dad told him to play with his heart, and so he picks Rick. Rick exclaims for the first time all season. Coach is at peace with Brandon avoiding elimination, but he is still pissed.

In a very Probst-Ian entrance, the pizza guy arrives on a wave runner. Sophie says the worst case scenario has occurred: Brandon won Immunity. She asks Coach who should go home, and they agree it's Albert. When Sophie goes over to smell the pizza, Albert knows she is playing the game. She immediately tells the guys that she's voting for Albert. Rick says that Albert said the two of them are solid for the Final Three. Brandon brings this up in front of everyone, and they all start yelling at each other. Albert is in some deep stuff. Sophie revels in it all falling apart around Albert.

After, Albert knows he is in some major trouble, but if he can get Brandon back on his side, he should be OK. Albert plays on Brandon's religiosity by saying that he feels Brandon's heart is closed to him. Brandon tells the camera that he [Brandon] is a sinner as well, so he has to forgive Albert. With that, he tells Albert that he will vote with him, and in fact, might give Albert his Immunity necklace.

Brandon goes to Coach and says that God speaks to him. He hopes Coach will accept the fact that he might give his Immunity necklace to Albert because if they don't forgive Albert, how can they ask for forgiveness themselves? Coach confesses that this has complicated everything because he doesn't know who to trust and with whom to align. He tells Brandon that while that might be God's plan for Brandon, he needs to pray himself. Coach does, and one name appears over and over again. "My soul has never grieved as much as it is right now." What will be Coach's decision at...

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Survivor: Survivor South Pacific 23.14 "Then There Were Five" Recap

Survivor: South Pacific 23.13 "Ticking Time Bomb" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:40:05 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific 23.13 "Ticking Time Bomb" Recap

If you missed the "everybody saw it coming, except for Cochran, who should have drawn rocks instead of flipping on Savaii" vote last week, catch up with my recap here.

The episode begins at Redemption Island on Night 30. Cochran rues the fact that he may have been played by Upolu. Ozzy says the way to get back at them is to vote for him (Ozzy) in the Final Tribal Council. But what if Cochran can beat him in a Duel? "He doesn't stand a chance," is Ozzy's quick rejoinder.

The next morning at Te Tuna, Rick toasts his socks. Brandon wants to say a morning prayer, but Edna excuses herself as she's "not really part of the tribe." She feels duped by her tribe, like she's a second class citizen. She continues her rant to Coach, but she's interrupted by Brandon bringing back a Sprint phone (Blatant Product Placement!!) with videos from home. Rick hears from his wife, Edna her sister, Sophie her dad, Albert his mom, Coach his brother, and Brandon his dad. There is no time to cry, though Brandon would like to, because it is time for the...

...Duel. Jeff first takes the Sprint Evo 3D (BPP!!) before announcing a twist...to be announced later. For the Duel, the guys will use a grappling hook to grab bags of balls. They then take one ball and negotiate it through a maze using an overhead pulley system. Survivors ready...go! Ozzy gets his first and second bags while Cochran receives tips from the onlookers. Cochran scores his first bag as Ozzy gets his final one and starts the maze. Cochran eventually retrieves all his bags. Ozzy gets to the final ring of the maze, but his ball falls into the final hole and he has to start over. Cochran moves very fast and is close to the end, but he too falls into the hole and must restart. Cochran again maneuvers to the inner circle, where he is joined by Ozzy. Ozzy stops in the inner ring, giving Cochran time to quickly force his ball into the final ring. His ball, however, is unsteady, and falls into the final hole. Ozzy gets his ball into the center hole. Ozzy survives! Cochran talks about how great it was to play the game: this was the most incredible moment of his life. He's not the guy he thought going into the game, he's more. Jeff says a new part of him was born out there, but his adventure has come to an end.

Ozzy stays alive, and as a result, he is going to make a decision that will effect the others. With that, Jeff brings in the Loved Ones, and the highlights include Sophie placing a food order for the airport, and Rick grabbing his wife's ass! Ozzy has to decide one person to spend time with his or her loved one, and he picks Albert. Ozzy apologizes to the others, but gets to pick one more, and he picks Coach. Then he can pick one more person, and Ozzy chooses Brandon. Sophie, Edna and Rick head back to camp; everyone else goes back to Redemption Island.

Over on RI, the guys and their Loved Ones take pictures of themselves. Coach tells Ozzy that he's going to be straight with him and has a perfect Final Three scenario: the two of them and a third player. He gives his word as a "Christian man" he will take Ozzy to the end. Coach confesses that that is an unbreakable vow. Brandon tells his dad that he isn't there to win the million dollars or be sole survivor. Here's there to set an example for Christ. His dad is flabbergasted. When he tries to suggest that Brandon make a move to win, Brandon completely shuts him down. Dad confesses that he is shocked Brandon hasn't been voted out already. He asks Coach what his intentions are with Brandon. When Coach doesn't directly answer, Dad tells him to do whatever Coach tells him. Coach tells the camera that he won't be bullied by the Hantz family. Brandon is a ticking time bomb, and he won't be holding it when it goes off, likely after the next...

...Immunity Challenge. The object of the Challenge is to keep moving across the pineapple puzzle board. Once the player can't move anymore, the player is out. The players begin their moves and it is clear early that Edna is getting squeezed out. Coach makes a "Dragon Slayer move" (per Probst) as he's cut out a huge swath of the board for himself. Albert goes out, as does Brandon. Brandon tells Albert, and Jeff overhears, how Brandon was trying to box in Edna. Edna takes offense to this and begins to cry that she's being targeted. Rick goes out, as does Sophie. Edna makes her last move. Coach wins Immunity! Edna pleads, "Help a sister out, Coach." Brandon admits to the camera that he stuck his foot in his mouth, but he doesn't care because he'll be eating the Final Three feast on Day 39.

Sophie tells the camera that every day she is surprised by the actions of her tribe. Brandon was a bully the way he treated Edna. Rick confesses that Brandon acted like a jerk. Brandon tries to apologize (he's just honest!), but Edna isn't hearing it. Sophie says though apologies may get Brandon absolved in church, they won't on Survivor.

Edna pitches to Albert, Coach and Sophie that Brandon has had no honor, loyalty or integrity during the game. Coach is listening, as she's put a great argument forward. Edna asks if he will use his Hidden Immunity Idol for her, but he says no as he will be the next one to go if he does that. Coach tells her to tell Albert and Sophie that "everything is cool" and see how they vote. Albert says he is giving Edna's plan legitimate consideration, but he's worried about the numbers -- he won't vote out Brandon unless he is assured everyone is voting out Brandon. She assures them that Coach is 100% voting for Brandon, but will he at...

...Tribal Council. Jeff asks Edna if, based on Challenge, she is on the hot seat. "Who do you target?" he asks her. Brandon, she replies, as his actions and words have betrayed the Upolu mantra. Brandon, what is it like to hear that? It's OK because Edna is misconstruing things. Jeff corrects him that Edna is actually telling the truth: he really did tell lies to Stacey and Christine about Mikayla. He's never had a negative thing to say about Edna!, Brandon insists. Albert says they need to decide whether early promises will decide how the game plays out.

It's time to vote. They do, and Jeff collects the ballots. Edna and Brandon alternate the first two votes. The third vote is for Edna, as is the fourth. Jeff reads the fifth ballot, "The fourteenth person voted out of Survivor: South Pacific...Edna!" She hugs Coach, has her torch snuffed and heads off into the Blue Light of Death. Jeff says that from the beginning they said it would be the five of them at the end. "Now what?" he asks, before sending them back to camp.

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Survivor: South Pacific 23.13 "Ticking Time Bomb" Recap

Survivor: South Pacific 23.12 "Cult Like" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:58:04 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific 23.12 "Cult Like" Recap

You are not hallucinating: we are now on Episode 12 of this season's Survivor, and my last recap was for Episode 10. That is because Episode 11 was the annual Thanksgiving Eve recap episode. With relatives in town for the holiday, I didn't find time to recap a recap, but if you'd like to know if you missed anything important (you didn't, well........except for RICK SPEAKING!), take a quick perusal of Entertainment Weekly's recap provided by the illustrious Dalton Ross. I'll wait.............................................................................

Done? Good.

This week's episode begins on Night 27 at Te Tuna. Coach celebrates the elimination of Savaii. Edna confesses that she is paranoid about being at the bottom of her tribe. Cochran is also worried because it was said at Tribal Council that he is the next to go -- he knows the "family" could turn on him at any moment.

The next morning, Cochran talks about how he used to prank call girls in the fifth grade. Sophie believes that Cochran's personality used to be a benefit to him, but now she is just annoyed by him, as is evident by her furious wood chopping. Cochran notes that the "family" that is Coach's alliance is reminiscent of the Manson Family, Brandon in particular. Cochran needs a plan, or he might end up drinking the poisoned Kool-Aid. So, he calls a tribe meeting to make his case that he should be saved at the next Tribal Council in thanks for the move he made for their benefit. Sophie ain't having it. Coach and Albert want to make it a group decision, but they are in favor of keeping Cochran; they only need one more vote to keep him. Cocah contemplates who that other vote might on his way to...

...Redemption Island Arena. Jeff welcomes in Ozzy, Dawn and Whitney. For the Duel, the castaways must balance an increasing number of dishes, emulating the final Challenge from Survivor: China. The last one with dishes standing remains in the game. The losers become the third and fourth members of the Jury. They begin with a large plate, then a large bowl. Dawn loses her concentration for a moment and almost loses the whole stack. At nine dishes high, Jeff tells them to add a small plate. Ozzy starts wobbling a bit, but recovers. The players then add a large bowl. Dawn loses her balance and goes down. Next Jeff orders a large plate, then a small bowl. Whitney wobbles and the goes down. Ozzy stays alive! Dawn, Jeff asks, what's lesson did you learn about what you're capable in life? She responds that anything is possible. Whitney's response is that her family and friends will be proud of her. With the women dismissed, Jeff sends Ozzy back to RI, and Te Tuna back to their beach.

With Ozzy up a tree, we return from commercial to RI. Ozzy then goes fishing and brags about his skills at survival. He is home on RI. Back at Te Tuna, Albert is focused on strategy, while Edna cleans up the camp. Cochran goes fishing with Brandon, and though he didn't physically catch the fish, he will be physically carry it back to camp so he can win the accolades from the tribe.

Meanwhile, Albert accidentally puts out the fire when trying to pull out the laundry. Coach and Edna voice their frustration that Albert hasn't worked one day during the game; he just lies around and eats. Rick speaks! He goes on and on (and for Rick, that means two sentences) about how there is a reason they call him "Prince Albert." Edna asks Coach about how she can stay safe. She suggests that Cochran should be next, and Coach slightly, barely agrees. For him, keeping Cochran and Edna would be best for his game, but he doesn't know what to do.

Day 30. Coach teaches Cochran some more tai chi, noting that with their new-found serenity, one of them should win the Immunity Challenge. You see, Coach just plays the game so he can find a student, and he thinks he has done so with Cochran. With the support of Coach, Cochran believes he can win the...

...Immunity Challenge. This is a typical Survivor De Ja Vu Challenge. The castaways will toss sandbags onto three crates. The first three to land their bags move to the final round to fire slingshots at targets. The first to knock down three targets wins Immunity and a Reward of a bush shower and massage treatment. Survivors ready...go!

Coach immediately lands two bags to everyone else's one. Sophie gets her second bag as does Rick. Albert gets his second, and third to advance. Rick gets his third, as does Sophie. Taking one coconut at a time, Albert, Sophie and Rick aim for their three targets. Albert gets his first, as does Rick. Rick then knocks down number two, quickly followed by Albert. Sophie can't hit the broad side of a barn. Albert knocks down his final target. Albert wins Immunity and Reward! Jeff informs him that there is a second massage table back at camp. He may pick one person to join him in the massage. Albert picks Coach, and then asks if he can pick a third person. When Jeff tells him no, Albert then asks if he can give his massage to someone else. Jeff says that is fine, so Albert gives his Reward to the birthday boy, Cochran. Cochran tells the camera that either Albert gave him the reward to curry favor for a possible alliance, or as a nice farewell before Cochran is voted off.

When the tribe returns RI camp, two massage tables and two masseuses await them. Cochran is psyched that his little lie about his birthday has won him something. His birthday was actually six months ago! It's not as evil/brilliant/devious as Jonny Fairplay having his "loved one" say his grandmother died, but it is just as effective. As he enjoys his massage and shower, Coach feels like he has everything right now, but he would also like Cochran to be safe tonight.

For his part, Cochran pulls Albert aside, and the latter confirms that Cochran is likely to go home. Albert says that Coach is likely on their side. They agree that they'd rather get rid of Rick at the next vote. Cochran immediately runs to Edna to tell her that Albert wants Rick out. She admits that they owe Cochran a debt and that she'd like to work with him. Cochran then goes to Coach to talk about voting out Rick. Coach contemplates this...and contemplates...and contemplates. He confides to the camera that he has the game in his hands, so he must make the right decision at...

...Tribal Council. Coach, how many possibilities are there at tonight's Tribal Council? Numerous as everyone is scavenging for votes. Cochran speaks to the debt that might be owed to him though he admits he is likely to be voted out tonight. Albert agrees and talks about how he wants to maintain the image of the tribe (why is everyone on Upolu obsessed with how the tribe looks on tv?). Edna is emotional because she knows she's in sixth position. She's sad because she's already been deceived numerous times.

Brandon chimes in that he is definitely voting for Cochran tonight, and then Edna at the next Tribal Council as that has always been the plan. According to Brandon, things are truly black and white, and if you're grey at all, that means you're lying. Jeff asks Coach if Brandon's unwillingness to change strategies is a disadvantage. Coach admits he is worried that Brandon isn't malleable. Brandon starts crying that there are times he wants to do the "wrong" things, but then there is a higher power forcing him to do the right thing. Jeff asks Cochran, is there a glimmer of hope because Brandon might not be able to handle the rigors of the game? Yup -- Brandon's not a great player to align with because he is utterly inflexible. Sophie tells Jeff she isn't worried about there even being a situation where they'd have to alter their plans, but what if Edna wins Immunity next? Cochran asks. "Then it's on," Sophie replies, although a bit unconvincingly. Noting this was one of the most interesting Tribals to date, it's is time to vote.

They do, and Jeff collects the ballots. The first vote is for Cochran, the second for Rick. Vote Three is for Rick and Vote Four is for Cochran. Vote Five, too, is for Cochran. "The thirteenth person voted out of Survivor: South Pacific and the fifth member of the Jury...Cochran!" Cochran's torch is snuffed and he stumbles out through the Blue Light of Death. Jeff mentions that a lot of information was revealed tonight, but it is up to the players as to what they do with it.

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Survivor: South Pacific 23.12 "Cult Like" Recap

Survivor: South Pacific 23.10 "Running the Show" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 13:19:50 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific 23.10 "Running the Show" Recap

If you missed last week's episode, do yourself a favor and catch up with my recap here.

This week's edition of Survivor begins on Night 24 at Redemption Island with Jim's arrival. The three former Savaiis laugh at the fact that they were supposed to be the Final Three. Jim confesses that Coach is leading a cult back at Te Tuna. Ozzy rues the fact that Coach will just bring Edna and Cochran to the end with him and win the game.

Over at the aforementioned Te Tuna, Coach says that Jim is the worst kind of guy because he has no loyalty. Coach confides that whomever is on the bottom of the alliance needs to be kept happy so they don't revolt. That's why he talks about loyalty so much and is always checking in with those on the bottom of the totem pole. Whitney can't understand how all of these smart people (i.e. Sophie and Cochran) can be so stupid as to fall for Coach's lines.

The next morning, Coach leads Cochran in some yoga. Cochran admits that he's drinking the Coach Kool-Aid. Coach tells his new acolyte that he's becoming worried about Brandon and Albert. Cochran notes the power struggle and feels nervous about his spot in the game. Perhaps he can clear his head while watching the...

...Duel. For this three-way Duel, each player will have his arms outstretched and hold two poles on the back of his hands and against an overhead beam. The first two players to drop a pole become members of the Jury. Jeff starts the Duel and ten minutes passes. Brandon says he's rooting for Jim; Whitney is rooting for Keith. Unsurprisingly, no one favors Ozzy. Jim loses his focus and drops his poles. Keith's pole close to edge, as does Ozzy's. Keith's pole drops and Ozzy stays alive. Keith asks Ozzy to win the game for them. Ozzy says he's in the best place in the game because he is eating lots of fish and doesn't have to trust anyone. Jim hopes there is a Double Redemption Island twist, but alas, he must throw his buff in the fire. Keith does the same as Ozzy and the others head back to their camps.

On Redemption Island, Ozzy swims for some fish. Being alone is a mini paradise for him. He's glad Te Tuna is missing his skills as no one is providing back at their beach. Plus, he doesn't have to deal with the normal end game of Survivor and all of its scheming, plotting and lying.

Back at Te Tuna, Ozzy's words appear to be true, as no one is eating. Dawn admits to Cochran that she should have flipped with him and now she's willing to do whatever she can to stay in the game. This leads Cochran to contemplate going back to Dawn and Whitney and likely earn more Jury votes. He will have to consider this plan after the...

...Immunity Challenge. For the Challenge, each player must balance a rice-filled bowl on his or her head. Without touching the bowl or spilling it, the players must race over two teeter-totters and pour the rice into a collection bowl. When enough rice has been added, the collection bowl will lower and a flag will be raised. The first to raise the flag wins Immunity. "Survivors ready....go!" Albert drops his first bowl of rice, as do Coach and Cochran. Dawn, Sophie and Brandon all negotiate the teeter-totters and drop off their first bowls. Coach scores a bowl, and Brandon gets his second in the collection bowl. Dawn and Sophie get their second bowls too. For her third bowl, Sophie overflows her bowl. Brandon scores his third, but it's not enough, nor does Dawn's. Sophie makes it the entire way with her overloaded bowl, and pours it into the collection bowl. It is way more than enough as her flag is raised. Sophie wins Immunity, and a hug from Rick (his only action the entire episode)! Jeff dresses Sophie in the Immunity Necklace, and announces that there will be a twist revealed at Tribal Council.

Day 27. Cochran was upset by his performance in the Challenge, leaving him in danger and what he thinks will be a double elimination. Dawn believes she will be the one to next head to RI. Whitney wants to make a move, but is having trouble finding the right people: Brandon is crazy, Rick isn't playing, and Coach is, well, Coach. Albert, therefore, is the target. She and Dawn approach him about teaming up. For his part, Albert wants to secure every Savaii vote he can, so maybe if he moves against Edna, he will be able to sew up Savaii's votes. He says he will get Cochran and try for one more vote to get rid of Edna.

Albert talks to Cochran and tells him he is in seventh place. This upsets Cochran who believes he should be rewarded for saving Upolu. Albert approaches Sophie about his plan, too. She is sympathetic as they are both strategic players. Cochran thinks Coach is getting suspicious of their maneuvering. Coach confides that whatever Albert is doing, whether it be trying to eliminate him or just trying to secure Savaii's votes, it is bad news. If anyone moves against The Family, they're dead. Will someone from Upolu pull a Fredo at...

...Tribal Council? Jeff welcomes the Jury: a clean-shaven Jim and a skirt-wearing Keith. Dawn, it appears to be time to find or create a crack in the alliance of seven. She replies that it is time for numbers 5, 6, and 7 in the Upolu alliance to make a move. Whitney, who are the bottom people? Jeff asks. Cochran is seven, but that's all she knows. Cochran recognizes that he is a latecomer to Upolu. True or false, Cochran, this is best time to make a move? Definitely true, and he, as a fan, would actually like to see a big move made. Dawn says she should be used to make a move because she has kept her word throughout the game, so she will be loyal. Coach, how concerning is it that one person could change the plan and the game could slip away? Coach replies that he's always thinking, but he isn't running the show. He worries, and plots, and trusts, all day long, and it is driving him nuts. Whitney says everyone reports back to Coach, so he must be the leader. Albert says Coach might just be a figurehead for the tribe. Coach likes the info he just received as he can use it to save himself when his life in the game is on the line, which he admits will be soon.

With that, it's time to vote. They do, and Jeff collects the ballots. No one plays the Hidden Immunity Idol. Dawn and Edna alternate the first four votes. Votes Five and Six are for Dawn. Jeff reads the seventh vote, "The eleventh person voted out of Survivor: South Pacific...Dawn!" She has her torch snuffed and makes her way to Redemption Island. Jeff then reveals the twist: it's time for another Tribal Council, following a second...

...Immunity Challenge. Jeff will ask the castaways survival-related questions. If a player gives a wrong answer, that player is out. Albert, Edna, and Rick all go out on first question. Cochran and Brandon are out on a coconut crab question. Coach is eliminated when he believes the flesh of a coconut is called coco sprouts. Whitney and Sophie remain. The next question is a true/false question, and as the women give opposite answers, it is the deciding question. The answer is False and Sophie wins Immunity! She receives the necklace and is asked to take the urn and immediately vote. Everyone does and Jeff collects and reads the votes. Vote One is for Cochran. Vote Two is for Whitney, as are Votes Three, Four and Five. Jeff reads the sixth vote, "The twelfth person voted out of Survivor: South Pacific...Whitney!" Her torch is snuffed, and she marches off into the Blue Light of Death. Jeff tells Te Tuna that the Good news is that they have accomplished eliminating Savaii. The bad news is that there is no place left to hide. With that, he sends them back to camp.

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Survivor: South Pacific 23.10 "Running the Show" Recap

Survivor: South Pacific 23.09 "Cut Throat" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:42:04 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific 23.09 "Cut Throat" Recap

If you missed last week's all important episode, make sure you catch up with my recap here.

This week's installment of Survivor: South Pacific begins after Te Tuna's first Tribal Council. Back at camp, Ozzy asks Cochran what's up with his vote. Cochran says that he has wanted to play this game so bad that the didn't want his fate decided by rocks. Brandon tries to butt in to make sure no one is being rough with Cochran, but Ozzy shoos him away. Ozzy says that Cochran stabbed him in the back "so hard." Cochran says it was self-preservation. Jim calls him a coward and says he never wants to speak to him again. Whitney then reads Cochran the riot act because she and Keith had saved him three times. Now, they'll be picked off one by one. "You disgust me," she concludes. On the other hand, Upolu welcomes Cochran with open arms (literally! Rick hugged him! And thus ends the Rick portion of the episode.).

The next morning, Day 22, Coach confesses that his tribe pulled off an amazing feat, against all odds (though it was 6 vs 6). It's time for some tai chi. He asks Cochran who should go home next, and Cochran replies he'd like Ozzy out on a strategy level, but Jim on a personal level. Ozzy confides that he needs to change his strategy now that Cochran turned on him. As he's likely the next target, it is important that he win the next...

...Immunity Challenge (this early? Must be a double elimination episode). For the Challenge, the castaways must toss coconuts into a ring. The first four to score their coconuts move on to the second round where they must crack coconuts open, gulp the coconut water and hold it in their mouths, climb through an obstacle, and spit the water into a tube. The first to fill up his or her tube wins Immunity. Survivors ready...go!

Dawn lands a coconut in her ring, followed by Whitney. Jim and Sophie quickly follow up to advance to the next round. Everyone else is out and Ozzy is beside himself. Jeff starts up the next round and offers this commentary, "Whitney getting a good mouthful." (No further comment necessary.) Sophie takes the lead, but Jim's larger mouth allows him to catch up. Jim is just short of the finish line, allowing Sophie to have a chance to win, but she begins to choke and has to spit out her water. Jim makes his way through the obstacle, raises his arms in pre-celebration, and wins Immunity!

After a very cool in-ocean turtle shot, Brandon says they need to vote Ozzy out. For his part, Ozzy tells Coach that he doesn't want to go. Coach says he doesn't want Ozzy to go either because of his newfound humility (Ozzy's, not Coach's). Dawn confesses that she can either stick with Savaii until the end, or flip to side with Upolu. Jim tells Whitney that he is the most hated man in the game now because he speaks his mind. He comes up with a plan where he will give the Immunity necklace to Ozzy and ask Upolu to vote out Cochran as Upolu will still have the advantage and they can get rid of a liar. Ozzy tells the camera that this is totally surreal right now, that Jim will actually give him the necklace at ...

...Tribal Council. Jeff asks Cochran what was the reaction to his move. Chilly, to put it mildly. Jim admits to acting a bit childish when they returned from the last Tribal Council. Cochran says his move was his chance to take control of his game, and play with people he wanted to play with...no offense intended. Jim says Cochran was saved three times by Whitney, Keith and him. Jim also has had a chance to know Upolu now, and thinks they would play with honor. Brandon says that Savaii's attitude has changed, as they made fun of Upolu's honor at the last Tribal Council. Jim says he's thinking about giving Ozzy his Immunity because they, as a group, can show people at home that the game can be played honorably. Coach is listening, but standing by Cochran. Ozzy says that if he is voted out, he will be back, and since he will only be feeding himself on RI, he'll be back stronger than he is now. Jeff asks if Jim is giving over his necklace? Nope, he's keeping it, and Ozzy's face drops.

It's time to vote, they do, and Jeff collects the votes. The first four voted alternate between Ozzy and Cochran. Votes Five and Six are for Ozzy. Vote Seven is for Ozzy. Jeff reads the Eighth ballot, "The ninth person voted out of Survivor: South Pacific...Ozzy!" Once again, the tribe has spoken. Ozzy runs off into the Blue Light of Death. Jeff tells Te Tuna that the game has been unpredictable for 22 days. Dawn, Whitney and Jim have to hope it stays that way. On RI, Keith asks if it was Cochran that betrayed them. "Of course!" Ozzy replies.

The next day, Ozzy is excited to have a chance to explore the reef off RI where he catches a HUGE fish. He is happy to be at RI and wondering what the other players are eating. Cut to...

...Immunity Challenge #2. For the Challenge, the players must stand on a balance beam while balancing a ball on a wooden bow. After a period of time, the players will move down the beam to make it harder. The last one still balancing their ball will win Immunity. There is a twist, however; if you are confident you are safe, you can sit out and feast on pastries and iced coffee. Coach is unmoved. He wants to compete today. Jim says there are seven people who don't need to compete today, which convinces Coach to sit out. Only Jim, Dawn and Whitney are going to play.

The Challenge begins and the seven not playing dig into their feast. Coach can only laugh when asked if he still wishes he was competing. Brandon practically has an orgasm. Jim drops his ball rather quickly, leaving Dawn and Whitney. Dawn says that she is going to stay in the Challenge so the Upolu folks can ea, earning huge cheers. She feels it is one tribe and she wants them to enjoy the muffins. The ladies move down the beam while the eating has slowed and Brandon rests his head on Cochran's shoulder. Dawn recovers from a huge stumble, earning more cheers. Whitney notes that is easy to tell who Brandon likes more. The support doesn't help as Dawn falls off the balance beam. Whitney wins Immunity! Albert tells the camera that he is upset without the way they treated Dawn at the Challenge: i.e. they were too inclusive. He needs to head that sentiment off before it gets too big.

The next day, Cochran sports Coach's blazer. Jim confides that Cochran is playing the greatest third place game in the history of Survivor. Jim tries to lay out a plan to Albert and Sophie, and tries to get them to vote out Edna. Albert thinks he has a much better plan: vote out Dawn because she is slowly working her way into the Upolu alliance. Albert poses this to Sophie, noting that people won't gravitate toward Jim. Sophie confesses that she'd rather get rid of Jim and just stick with the original plan. Albert asks Brandon and Coach their opinions. Coach offers to the camera an animal metaphor (Jim is a charging rhino, Dawn is a slithering snake), and a hope that they send home the right person tonight at...

...Tribal Council. Coach, is it fair to assume it is Dawn or Jim going home? Yes. Sophie, is Jim more of a threat in Challenge? Dawn is great in Challenges, she admits, but Jim is more dangerous. Albert, is Dawn the most likable? Yup, and strongest female player this season. Dawn says that if she was in the majority, she still would have competed in the Immunity Challenge, and, yes, Savaii would have picked off Upolu if they had the chance. Brandon thinks that she somehow lied and he goes on another rant, promising that they won't stop until all of Savaii is gone. Whitney cries because she feels she is being vilified -- Upolu doesn't even view them as people. Brandon, is it hard to see Whitney cry? Yes, but Upolu was ostracized until they had power. (What the hell is he taking about?!?)

They vote, and Jeff collects the ballots. The first three votes are for Edna. The next five are for Jim. Jeff reads the ninth vote, "The tenth person voted out of Survivor: South Pacific...Jim!" He has his torch snuffed, and heads off to RI. Jeff tells the departing Te Tuna tribe that a lot was said tonight, but was anything revealed that might help Dawn or Whitney?

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Survivor: South Pacific 23.09 "Cut Throat" Recap

Survivor: South Pacific 23.08 "Double Agent" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:06:53 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific 23.08 "Double Agent" Recap

If you missed one of the most bizarre moves in Survivor history, make sure you catch up with last week's recap.

This week's episode begins at Savaii the night of the last Tribal Council. Cochran notes how quickly the game changes, and thanks to Ozzy's plan, it has changed quickly again. The move may go down as one of the biggest moves in Survivor history. Cochran addresses the group about what he should say to Upolu upon The Merge. He's pretended to like the members of his tribe for eighteen days, he can pretend to like Upolu. Ozzy arrives at Redemption Island and tells Christine that Cochran pulled out the Hidden Immunity Idol and ousted him. He then confesses that his move could have been the craziest thing he has ever done, or, in the alternative, the ballsiest.

The next morning, Christine and Ozzy arrive at the RI Arena with all members of both tribes watching. Jeff asks Ozzy if he is surprised to be on RI? Ozzy protests way too much about his "betrayal," but Albert and Coach aren't buying it. For the Duel, the players must make a pole out of sticks to grab three keys. Then using the keys, they must unlock three locks. The first to step through their unlocked door wins. Besides just being able to stay on RI, the winner of Duel will return to the game proper. "Survivors ready....go."

Christine and Ozzy employ two different strategies: Christine uses fewer sticks by tying them together very close to their ends; Ozzy uses more sticks, but makes his pole a bit sturdier by overlapping them more. Ozzy's strategy is far superior. He quickly secures all three of his keys, unlocks his locks and runs through the door. Ozzy is back in the game, and after nineteen difficult days, Christine's game comes to an end. She places her buff in the fire and exits. Jeff sends Ozzy back to the remaining players, but with the command, "Drop your buffs because we are merged." As the new merged tribe departs the Arena, Ozzy tells the camera that he hopes Cochran can infiltrate Upolu.

The group arrives at their new beach and an awaiting Merge Feast with their new yellow buffs. Coach asks Cochran how he feels about last night, to which Cochran says things can only get better. Cochran confides that everything has worked out so he can be a double agent. He then tells Coach that Keith has ostracized him from the beginning. Coach doesn't believe what Cochran is telling him, and flat calls him out for the exact plan Savaii cooked up! Coach insists that Upolu is six players strong. Coach immediately works to sway Cochran by drawing a line in the sand and saying he knows about how people try to cut down those that are superior to him.

Cochran then tells Coach, Albert and Sophie about Ozzy's plan, and how he, Cochran, is supposed to be a double agent. Brandon then asks who has given Cochran the most trouble. The latter replies that though Jim has a temper, Keith is the most rude. Brandon assures Cochran that he would be safe amongst Upolu. Cochran does give the HII back to Ozzy, but he recognizes that he has the power to decide how the game will take shape from here on out.

Day 21. Dawn asks Cochran about his plan. He says he doesn't want to draw rocks if there is a tie. Dawn admits she feels no loyalty toward Savaii as she and Cochran have not been given any respect. She begins to cry because they agreed to stay with the tribe, but Savaii really aren't nice people. She confides that she should have stuck up for Cochran sooner, but you have to protect your own interests in this game. Cochran points out that they finally have a chance to guide the game after the...

...Immunity Challenge. The merged tribe's name is Te Tuna. Jeff takes back the Tribal Immunity Idol, and revels not one, but two Immunity Necklaces. One for a man, and one for a woman. For the Challenge, each player must balance on a perch while holding a coconut between two ropes. If the player drops his or her coconut or falls off his or her perch, the player is out. After a few minutes, the ropes will be lengthened to make it harder. The last remaining male and female will win Immunity. "Survivors ready....go!"

Cochran immediately starts wavering. Edna is out by putting the coconut against her body. Cochran falls out next. The first round is over, so the players replace their coconuts and lengthen their ropes. Whitney goes out, as does Sophie, so Dawn wins Immunity! Rick and Jim start having a hard time, but Coach goes out first. Rick finally drops his coconut, and Jim and Keith go out right before the end of round. This leaves Brandon, Ozzy and Albert for the third and final round. On one of hottest days of the game so far the men struggle to stay in the game. Brandon drops his coconut. Ozzy starts to wobble, but it is Albert who drops his coconut, Ozzy wins Immunity as well!

Back at camp, Ozzy and Whitney want Sophie out, but Jim wants Rick. He also wants everyone to confirm that they are OK going to rocks in the case of a tie vote. There are ten rocks, and two Savaii have Immunity, plus one person could play the HII, and the person originally voted for would be safe. Leaving only two people on Savaii at risk of going home. Cochran confesses that he still isn't down with going to rocks. He finds Sophie and tells her Savaii's plan. Cochran tells Coach that Savaii are going to eat him alive tonight, but Coach promises him that he will be safe if he flips.

Dawn wonders if Cochran will indeed turn on Savaii on the second vote. She is concerned that Upolu has no reason to protect him. Further, she has backed off her desire to flip because she actually does like her tribe. She's praying that Cochran doesn't betray Savaii at...

...Tribal Council. Coach, The Merge has arrived with the former tribes at six and six. Is it safe to assume a tie vote tonight? That is correct, Coach responds. Ozzy agrees. The only way to break up a tie is someone flipping, Jeff notes. Edna, can you see a scenario in which that happens? Sure, she responds, if someone doesn't feel a part of their tribe. Cochran, you're a student of the game, what are odds two tribes are this solid at The Merge? He doesn't know. Jim, is there a chance someone from Savaii could flip? Zero chance, he says, as Savaii has the odds in its favor should they have to pick rocks. Albert calls Ozzy's actions at RI ridiculous. Sophie says she was offended by his pretension. Ozzy admits that he may have been a bit over the top, but he was just trying to protect his tribe. In have he, no they, have the HII (Ozzy! SHUT UP!! Stop telling people you have an HII!!!).

With that, it's time to vote. They do and Jeff collects the ballots. Ozzy plays his HII, but for Whitney. The gesture is for naught, as the first vote is for Keith, as are the second through sixth. Votes seven through twelve are all for Rick so we have a tie vote. For the second round of voting, the players may only vote for Keith or Rick, and those two don't vote. The players re-vote. The first five votes are for Keith. The next four are for Rick with one vote remaining. "The eighth person voted out of Survivor: South Pacific...Keith!" Cochran immediately admits to Ozzy and Jim that was the deciding vote. Jim calls him a coward, but Brandon stands up to him and says that this is what he gets for the way he treated Cochran. Keith has his torch snuffed and heads through the Blue Light of Death to Redemption Island. As they depart, Brandon tells Cochran to stay close to him.

Next Time on....Survivor!!!

Savaii lights up Cochran for his actions. Sophie says Albert is thinking about the game a lot. Ozzy says he will keep fighting.

I have to be honest, I was bit upset that Ozzy's plan worked out, at least up until the point that Cochran flipped on his tribe. There would have been something poetic if Ozzy has been ousted by Christine and thrown Savaii into chaos. Well, I guess Savaii ended up in chaos anyway thanks to the nerdy law student. Personally, I don't understand Cochran's move. When the game enters The Merge, it immediately becomes about the Numbers. While Cochran may have been the next to go in a Savaii vote, they need to keep him around now to try to maintain a numerical advantage over a very solid Upolu tribe. Instead, Cochran decided to switch alliances. Now, instead of being a vital part of the Savaii alliance for a couple more votes, he is now the most expendable person in the game: Savaii hates him, and he is at the very bottom of the Upolu alliance, if they even care to pull him along. What he should have done was stick with Savaii for a couple more votes, then find the weak links within Savaii, and team up with the remaining Upolu members to make a major move. But hey, the game has taken some weird twists this season, so I wouldn't be surprised if Cochran ends up in the Finals (actually, I would be VERY surprised).

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Survivor: South Pacific 23.08 "Double Agent" Recap

Survivor: South Pacific 23.07 "Trojan Horse" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 12:40:32 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific 23.07 "Trojan Horse" Recap

If you missed last week's episode, please make sure you catch up with my recap.

This week's episode begins on Night 16 at Upolu. Edna is upset that her name keeps coming up at Tribal Council, but recognizes that Brandon's outbursts are costing him. Coach insists to Rick that they can control Brandon, but to the camera, Coach says that if the time comes to cut Brandon, he will.

Day 17. The Redemption Island Arena. Christine and Mikayla enter, much to the amazement of Ozzy and Cochran. For the Duel, they must take apart a crate and use the slats to build a bridge. They then must take the bridge apart and use some of the slats to solve a puzzle. With the rules explained, Jeff starts the Duel.

Christine quickly takes the crate apart by sliding out four slats at a time. She quickly moves to building her bridge. Mikayla, taking Albert's advice, catches up. Christine finishes her bridge, but Mikayla follows close behind. Christine grabs all of her puzzle pieces, and begins solving the puzzle. Mikayla catches upand is the first to put together the RI Arena symbol, but it's not exactly right. This give Christine time to solve the puzzle. "Christine stays alive!" Mikayla places her buff in the fire and departs. Jeff says Christine has become a legitimate force in the game. She, however, corrects him -- she has always been a force. As the other players depart the Arena, Ozzy confides that Christine might flip if she re-enters the game, but she could also return to Upolu. He says that with The Merge coming up, if they lose the next Immunity Challenge, maybe they should send someone to RI that can beat Christine.

Savaii, Day 17. Ozzy says to Cochran that they should help each other. He also discusses his worst case scenario plan: if it comes down to it, he will go to RI. He'd give the HII to someone in hopes that they would give it back when he returns. "Sometimes you just have to sack up and go for it," Ozzy confesses to the camera.

Over at Upolu, Coach does some tai chi and tells God that he's not worthy of everything he has received. He thinks the only way to get the tribe's spirits up is to tell them all he has the HII. Coach and Brandon then lead the tribe in a prayer circle. Sophie participates, but she finds it all suspect when Coach prays to find the HII with the HII in his pocket. They then search for the HII, but Coach and Sophie find Tree Mail instead. Tree Mail tells them to paint themselves in pairs. Coach then grabs the HII and tells the tribe that they just found it. Brandon thinks this means God is on their side. Will He be at the...

...Immunity Challenge? In addition to Immunity, the winning tribe will receive a Reward of a trip to the Survivor Cinema to see Jack and Jill starring Adam Sandler. Not surprisingly (and somehow better integrated than the Gulliver's Travels tie-in), the Challenge requires the players to utilize the bonds that help you survive in this game. One set of "twins" are callers. The other sets are blindfolded and led through obstacles to grab four bags of masks. Once the bags are returned to the beginning of the course, one pair will only use touch to pair off the masks. The first tribe to pair all of the masks will win Immunity and Reward.

Rick and Coach, and Jim and Cochran are the callers. Survivors ready...go! Edna immediately smashes her head on an obstacle. She and Brandon get their first bag and head back. Keith and Dawn get their first bag as well. Both tribes gather their second bags, and then plunge into the water to grab their third bags. Dawn practically drowns, but Savaii is still back first with a pretty large lead. That lead is lost, however, when Cochran can't manage to unclip Ozzy and Dawn and clip Whitney and Keith to the guide rope. Upolu is able to take a huge lead as a result, but that lead is lost when Albert can't get his fourth bag released. Upolu does emerge with a small lead. The lead is widened when Whitney struggles to make it back to the beach. Albert and Sophie begin on their puzzle, leading Coach to start praying for victory. Ozzy and Whitney finally get back, but it is too late. "Upolu wins Immunity and Reward!" Coach gets the whole tribe on their knees to pray while Ozzy freaks out and tries to destroy the Challenge set. Coach says they are a loving family who gives their praise to God. Jeff then asks Ozzy what he is feeling now. Frustration. Frustration so strong he can't begin to describe it.

Upolu arrives at the Survivor Cinema to enjoy hot dogs, candy, soda, and tolerate Jack and Jill. Back at Savaii, Ozzy declares the Challenge a disaster. He doesn't understand what was so difficult about managing the ropes correctly. Cochran has always felt ostracized, but this brings it to a whole new level. As a group, they need to decide who's going to go. Ozzy clearly calls out Cochran, who admits he was responsible for their loss. Keith says Cochran needs to believe that he can earn his redemption. Cochran isn't so sure. He's the court jester, what is he supposed to do? He's not here to be a hero and save his tribe - he's there to make it as far as he can go.

The next morning, Cochran tries to stop apologizing for losing the Challenge. Dawn tells him that's why it is called Redemption Island. Ozzy had dreams that he did what he said he was going to do and go to RI. So, he gathers the HII and brings it to camp. Ozzy then tells the tribe he should be the one to go to RI as he has better odds of defeating Christine and making sure the tribes enter The Merge on even footing. The problem, however, is that the rest of the tribe doesn't want to follow along. Keith worries that The Merge might not happen when they think it will. What if there is another team Challenge? A big decision must be made at...

...Tribal Council. Jeff asks Ozzy if there was any finger pointing after the Challenge. Uh...yeah! Most of fingers pointed at Cochran. He panicked when he couldn't figure out the ropes. Jeff asks Cochran is he has ever found himself in situations like this? He responds that he is usually calm, but knowing that The Merge is probably in the morning, maybe RI can help them. Dawn describes their strategy in voting out someone to take on Christine. Jeff is confused because why would Cochran fight for them if they vote him out? Ozzy says he is going to be the one who sacrifices himself. Jeff is dumbfounded. Ozzy says his gut tells him to go to RI and prove himself to the tribe. Ozzy then says he will give HII to someone else. He has a plan to tell Christine that Cochran had the HII, played it, and did Ozzy in. But what if there is no Merge, Jeff asks. Well, at least he went out on his own terms, Ozzy responds. What if Ozzy loses the Duel? Then he is a bigger fool than last time he played. Keith isn't really on board with this plan. Jeff says it is definitely a risky move, so let's see if they have the courage to go through with it.

It's time to vote. They do, and Jeff gathers the ballots. Jeff asks if anyone wants to play, or give away, the HII. Ozzy says he changes his mind and will let Cochran go to RI. "Just kidding," he laughs. He gives the HII to Cochran. Jeff reads the votes. The first three are for Ozzy. "The seventh person voted out of Survivor: South Pacific...Ozzy!" Ozzy happily bounds down to have his torch snuffed, and runs out of Tribal Council. Jeff tells Upolu that they have made one of biggest moves in the history of the game, all based on one huge assumption: that The Merge is coming.

Next Time on......Survivor!!

Ozzy must win Duel, and Cochran must stay loyal.

Next week is shaping up to be an incredible episode of Survivor. I'm actually moving next Wednesday, so let's hope the cable guy shows up on time! That said, I am very excited to see what the heck is going to happen. Will Ozzy win the Duel? (I bet he does.) Will The Merge happen? (I bet it does.) But there is one more important question that was not actually asked: Will the winner of the next Duel re-enter the game at The Merge? (I bet he/she doesn't.) It is entirely possible that the RI winner won't rejoin the game at The Merge. That was the situation last season with Matt and Survivor: Redemption Island, but it would be just like the Survivor producers to switch that scenario up for this season. If re-entry is delayed, Ozzy will be likely be at a huge disadvantage should he survive RI because the remaining Upolu members will have the numerical advantage at The Merge. Then again, it wouldn't surprise me if the Powers That Be decide they really want Ozzy back in the game and do have the RI winner re-enter the game at The Merge, but I'm just surprised Ozzy never considered the possibility that the RI winner might not come back until much later in the game. However it turns out, it will be very interesting to watch next week.

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Survivor: South Pacific 23.07 "Trojan Horse" Recap

Survivor: South Pacific 23.06 "Free Agent" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 12:49:50 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific 23.06 "Free Agent" Recap

If you missed last week's rather important episode, make sure you read my recap before moving on.

The episode begins at Savaii on Night 14. The tribe returns to camp where Ozzy voices his displeasure at being blindsided. He confesses that he can't trust Keith and Whitney. He announces that he is done playing in an "alliance way," and is now a free agent that will be playing for himself. Whitney says the vote wasn't against him, but Ozzy protests that they were keeping secrets form him. Dawn says he's keeping stuff from them, and he replies that he has the Hidden Immunity Idol. "Screw it, I'm just going to let everything hang out there," he says, finishing by saying that he always has Redemption Island if things don't work out.

The next morning at Savaii, Ozzy is still dumbfounded that his tribe ousted Elyse. If the tribe wants to win Challenges, they need to trust him. Jim thinks his plan is going perfectly as Ozzy is throwing a hissy fit. In Jim's opinion, Ozzy should apologize for his behavior. Cochran confides that Ozzy acting like a crybaby is great for him as it keeps him out of the spotlight.

Over at Upolu, Coach is psyched about having the HII, but he won't tell Brandon because he is a loose cannon. For his part, Brandon wants to find the HII, and does find a clue. Albert affects surprise when Brandon shows him and Coach the clue. Coach tells the camera that thou they agreed to play as "Christian men," withholding information from Brandon is not lying. As they "search" for the clue, Brandon gets a very Russell look about him. Albert advises Coach to not tell Brandon about the HII, as Brandon is likely to lose his mind (as if he hasn't already).

On to the RI Arena. Christine and Elyse enter, with Rick, Sophie, Ozzy and Keith observing. Jeff asks Elyse about having people there watching who just voted her out. She says it is hard when she trusted those people. Jeff mentions that RI has become like home for Christine, who breaks down at that thought. She says she appears to be strong, but RI can break you.

For the Duel, they must compete in Survivor's version of shuffleboard. The object is to knock the opponent's four pucks off the board. The last one with a puck on the board wins. Christine scores first, after flipping off Rick who was cheering for her. Elyse then scores. Christine knocks off another one, followed by Elyse knocking off her own puck. Christine has a chance to win, but misses. Elyse knocks off another of Christine's pucks, then another. It's a tie game. Christine scores the last one and stays alive! Elyse tells Jeff that she takes a sense of accomplishment away from the game because she gave her all. She throws her buff in the fire and departs. Christine doesn't want to go back to RI, but as she leaves, Rick confesses that he can tell she will flip on Upolu the second she gets back into the game.

As they return to camp, Sophie and Christine talk about Christine flipping them off. Sophie thinks Christine would be the worst person to have back in the game for this fact. Edna has been cozying up next to Coach in an attempt to solidify her place in the tribe. Coach likes her and thinks she would give anything for him. So, Mikayla is the next to go, as Coach tells Edna.

Over at Savaii, Ozzy and Keith return from RI. Ozzy realizes that he made a mistake by having a tantrum. He talks to Keith about keeping their alliance strong. He then apologizes for his behavior to the rest of the tribe. He says he told them about the HII to be honest and prove his loyalty. Jim is fine with Ozzy staying on the tribe because he helps win Challenges, and then is a target after The Merge. Hopefully he won't have to make a decision on ousting Ozzy after the...

...Immunity Challenge. For the Challenge, three members of each tribe must assemble a wheelbarrow, and then push it through obstacles to collect two loads of coconuts. Then, the other three tribe members must take the wheelbarrow apart to create a slingshot to be used with the coconuts to break six targets. The tribes are also playing for a Reward of a picnic at the Sliding Rocks natural water slide. Edna sits for Upolu. Jeff announces, "Survivors ready...go!"

The tribes are tied as they finish their wheelbarrows and head out onto the course, but Ozzy runs into a post. Upolu is the first to reach the first set of coconuts and dumps them into their wheelbarrow. Savaii is very far behind when Albert knocks down Upolu's first target. Savaii finally finishes its slingshot. Keith scores for Savaii. Coach wants Mikayla to step out of the Challenge. Albert scores number two. Mikayla won't use two hands to shoot the coconuts and keeps coming up short. Jim scores number two for Savaii. Albert gets three, as does Keith. Jim gets number four after Mikayla misses, and Keith gets number five. Jim hits number six and wins Immunity and Reward for Savaii! Coach says it was Mikayla's fault they lost. If he is to coach the tribe, she needs to listen. She didn't, so she should go home.

Savaii goes to their Reward where Dawn confesses that the win couldn't have come at a better time. Ozzy says that the win makes him want someone from his tribe to win the game. Cochran sheds his sweater vest to slide down the rocks. Back at Upolu, Brandon says they lost as a team. Will it be Mikayla or Edna going home tonight? Albert tells Mikayla that he will go to war for her with Coach. She is dumbfounded that she might be voted out because if they want to keep the tribe strong they shouldn't keep someone like Edna who is smaller and twice Mikayla's age.

Albert works on Rick by pointing out that they keep sitting Edna, so she's no help in the Challenges. Besides, Edna knows that she is at the bottom, and she is smart enough to flip to Savaii the second she has the chance. Sophie is on board, but they need to convince Coach and Brandon. Brandon says he is beginning to trust Mikayla more because Edna is acting too sweet. Brandon says he will keep his word though, and vote out Mikayla, even if it means his own ouster.

Frustrated by Brandon, Albert and Sophie go to Coach to make their pitch to keep Mikayla. Coach says he lost the Challenge because Mikayla didn't listen to him. Albert thinks Edna is playing them all, but Coach trusts her. Coach then goes to Rick to secure his vote. Albert then returns to Rick and says Rick is the swing vote heading into...

...Tribal Council. Jeff asks Coach what happened at the Challenge. He puts the blame on Mikayla. Edna, what message is the tribe sending her by sitting her out? Edna states that no one wants to be the last one picked at school. Brandon, is it important to have numbers? Of course, you need to have numbers headed into The Merge. Jeff then asks if it is more important to keep players who can help you get to The Merge, or players who will be loyal after The Merge? What if the person who will help you get there isn't the most loyal? Albert says you need to get there first. Sophie says you need numbers period. Coach says the tribe is divided because loyalty is the most important. Albert says a player can't fake strength, but one can certainly fake loyalty. Brandon says if they are talking loyalty, they all agreed to get rid of Mikayla. Brandon then says if they are not going to play based on loyalty, they should vote him out. He doesn't trust either Mikayla or Edna, but he promised to keep Edna, so that is how he is voting. Coach says that it is possible to be too honest -- sometimes, in this game, you must keep the truth hidden for a time. Brandon objects to the idea that they are "just playing a game." Small little lies are still lies. It's black or white.

With that, it's time to vote. Brandon votes for Mikayla, and Mikayla votes for Edna. Albert votes for Edna, and Edna hopes Mikayla's time on the show has helped her modeling career. Jeff gathers the votes. Mikayla and Edna alternate the first six votes. Jeff reads the final vote, "The sixth person voted out of Survivor: South Pacific...Mikayla!" Coach and Brandon say they love each other as Mikayla has her torch snuffed out. Jeff notes that for all the talk of loyalty, Upolu still split the vote. As great as loyalty is, it is not always the answer.

Next Time on...Survivor!!!

Ozzy says he will go to Redemption Island if need be. Coach asks God for rejuvenation and says he will get rid of Brandon if he must.

This was another pretty great episode of Survivor, even if one of my favorites was voted out. After last week when Savaii had a bit of a meltdown when Keith and Whitney decided to vote against their own alliance (and yes, not voting for Cochran was voting against Elyse), Upolu followed suit by dividing itself into two distinct camps. Albert seems like a smart enough guy to be able to say to Coach, "Look, we had a difference in opinion of how to keep the tribe strong, but we are still solid," especially as he and Sophie (the two players on the outs with Coach due to their vote) are the ones who know about Coach's HII. Whether Coach accepts that excuse, however, will be interesting to see.

If I was a betting man, I would venture the following: 1) Upolu will win the Immunity Challenge; 2) Jim, in an effort to show Ozzy he is with him (though he's not), will agree to vote out Cochran; 3) Brandon will act like an ass, and now argue that Edna is trying to seduce him with the way she collects firewood; and 4) Coach, Albert and Sophie will make up. I am fully prepared for all of these predictions to be wrong, but I feel strongest about #3.

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Survivor: South Pacific 23.06 "Free Agent" Recap

Survivor: South Pacific 23.05 "Taste the Victory" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:28:47 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific 23.05 "Taste the Victory" Recap

If you missed last week's episode of Survivor: South Pacific, catch up with my recap here.

This week's installment begins at Redemption Island where Stacey arrives and wakes up Christine. Stacey tells Christine that Coach is running things at Upolu. She thinks Coach is acting "holier than thou," but he will receive his comeuppance soon because when Stacey has the chance, she is going to spill the beans on Coach and his alliance.

The next morning at Upolu, Brandon notifies the tribe that Tree Mail has arrived. He complains to the camera that Mikayla said she didn't like him because he's a Hantz. He protests that he doesn't care what people think about him...but his tears betray his true feelings. Albert and Mikayla go to the RI Arena, as do Dawn and Whitney. Stacey tells Savaii that "Benjamin" is running the tribe, and that they are a bunch of liars. When Jeff calls her out for using Coach's real name, Stacey says she doesn't honor the Coach name. "Sour grapes," mutters Albert (he speaks!).

For the Duel, Christine and Stacey must drop a ball down a chute and catch it at the end. Every few minutes, they must add a ball. First player to drop a ball is out. Concentration is the key to the challenge, Jeff notes as he starts the Duel. A second ball is added, and then a third. Stacey is not paying attention to the spacing of the balls. Christine almost drops one, and then has another nice save! Eventually, Stacey drops a ball and Christine stays alive! Stacey says that this game challenged her, and that she had fun. Mikayla just shakes her head as Stacey burns her buff and departs. Albert is pissed that Stacey called him and Coach out, and making their tribe look bad in front of Savaii.

Day 12. Albert and Mikayla return to camp, and tell Coach everything that Stacey said. As a result, Coach is concerned that at The Merge he will be enemy number one. Over at Savaii, Elyse brags about how awesome her alliance of five is, but even more awesome is her alliance with Ozzy. Cochran brings in a load of firewood, which earns him nothing but mockery from Ozzy and Elyse. Ozzy even asks how to spell his name (for ballot purposes). Whitney and Dawn tell them about Stacey's Duel histrionics. Ozzy says that Coach should get rid of Albert. Jim picks up on this as a bit of strategy leaking, meaning that Ozzy would get rid of a strong player like Keith or himself sooner rather than later.

Back at Upolu, Albert confesses that his game has been damaged by Stacey, and that he will be a big target after The Merge, so he needs to go find the Hidden Immunity Idol. Albert immediately finds a clue, and begins to climb a number of trees in search of the HII, but to no avail. So he tells Coach and Sophie about the clue so they can help him look. When Coach doesn't find the HII during his initial search, he prays on it, and then immediately finds the HII! He shows it to Albert and Sophie, and declares that they "have the game by the balls."

Day 14 dawns at Savaii (no pun intended, because, you know, Dawn is a member of Savaii), and Cochran prepares to fish with Ozzy. Ozzy knows his reputation is that he is a master fisherman, but it takes a lot out of him, although it solidifies his position as the leader of the tribe. Cochran says that Ozzy is now a "middle-aged Ozzy" who lays around all day and only has a couple flashes of brilliance. Will one of those flashes occur at the...

...Immunity Challenge? Rick has a big moment of "Wow" upon seeing the large pigs on the spit. For the Challenge, the castaways will have their hands tied behind their backs, will rip meat off the pigs with their mouths, and deposit the pieces on a scale. The tribe with the most transferred meat will win Immunity, as well as a Reward of veggies, spices and bread. "Survivors ready....go!"

Really, there's not much to detail during this Challenge. The players try to bite off as much as they can chew and spit it, grossly, into the a basket. Highlights include Dawn pulling a piece of meat out from Keith's mouth that got stuck. Coach does the same for Edna. "This is a disgusting Challenge," notes Jeff. Mikayla picks up a piece Rick dropped on the ground. After the biting and spitting has concluded, Jeff weighs Savaii's basket at 22 lbs 12 oz. He then weighs Upolu's basket at 22 lbs.......14 oz! Upolu wins Immunity. Moreover, they get to take home all the meat they collected!

Back at his beach, Brandon prepares the pork for the tribe, his family. "Taste the victory!" cries Coach, as he chews on a nice chunk of pork. Over at Savaii, however, the tribe complains about their Challenge maladies. Scratches on their mouths, a cracked tooth for Ozzy and a broken molar for Dawn. Cochran is concerned that they might contract oral herpes. As he tries to open a coconut, Elyse remarks to Whitney that Cochran is trying so hard to prove his worth. Ozzy confides that despite Cochran's efforts, Cochran is the weakest link.

Dawn wants Elyse gone. She meets with Cochran and Jim, who says he thinks he can get Keith to switch. Jim tells Keith about his theory that Ozzy wants to get one of them out. They agree that Elyse should go, but when Jim says not to tell Ozzy, Keith balks -- Ozzy won't trust him anymore if he votes for Elyse. Whitney confesses that the alliance will be gone if they vote out Elyse because Ozzy will be betrayed. She tries to figure out a way to play both sides, perhaps by not voting for either Cochran or Elyse. Jim assures Cochran that he is safe as they head to...

...Tribal Council. Jeff asks Ozzy where are we at from a game point of view? The Merge is too far off, so the tribe needs to stay as strong as possible. Elyse says "strong" is defined as someone who is strong across the board. Jeff notes that Cochran has received votes at every Tribal Council. Jim says they are all tried, and they are all injured. Dawn thinks Cochran is endearing, even if he worries them about possible viral infection because the game is about bringing people together. Keith doesn't see the joke in communicable diseases. Jeff asks Elyse if she can you feel for Cochran? Yes, because they've all been picked last. Is it hard to vote Cochran out because of all he's gone through? Elyse responds that Cochran, no matter the outcome, will appreciate the experience he has had. Jeff asks Jim if his votes are personal? He replies that even the most obvious votes are always a bit personal.

It is time to vote. They do, and Jeff collects and reads the ballots. The first is for Cochran, the second for Elyse. The two similarly trade votes three and four. Vote Five is for Dawn, as is Vote Six, with one vote left. "The fifth person voted out of Survivor: South Pacific.....Elyse!" Ozzy is confounded as Elyse has her torch snuffed, and marches off into the Blue Light of Death. Jeff says it is clear Savaii just had their first blindside. "This game just took a big turn."

Next Week on...Survivor!!

Brandon looks like Russell, and it scares Coach. Ozzy declares himself a free agent, and Cochran is a hindrance in the Challenge.

I have to say, I am greatly looking forward to next week's episode. I mean, I always look forward to Survivor, but what Keith and Whitney did has thrown a major wrench into this season. I'm sure it's not unprecedented, but them essentially willingly breaking up their alliance (yes, I know Jim effectively did this, but if they stuck with Ozzy and Elyse they would still have the numbers over Jim and Dawn), not by flipping sides, but by essentially sitting out was a huge move. I know they think they were not upsetting anybody (and by anybody I mean Ozzy) by not voting with Jim, but they made themselves much weaker by seeming wishy-washy. Yes, Jim is the real turncoat here vis a vis Ozzy, but it is going to take some strong and inspired dialogue to get Keith and Whitney back in Ozzy's good graces. Then again, they are the only two that know he has the HII -- can Ozzy afford to not keep his alliance with them?

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Survivor: South Pacific 23.05 "Taste the Victory" Recap

Survivor: South Pacific 23.04 "Survivalism" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 12:38:08 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific 23.04 "Survivalism" Recap

If you missed last week's recap (and my analysis in haiku!), catch up with my recap here.

This week's episode begins at Savaii on then morning of Day Nine. Elyse lies in a hammock with Ozzy who says his family isn't sporty, but he loved Robinson Crusoe as a kid. Jim notices the bond between the two, and is wary of Ozzy running the game like Rob, so he wants to get Elyse out. Jim runs to Cochran and says they should get rid of the "Variable," Elyse. Cochran says Jim is a sleazy, untrustworthy guy, but Elyse going next is music to his ears.

Over at Upolu, Brandon says that his pride has ruined his game, so he's decided to be a better player. He apologizes to Mikayla for his temper, and though Mikayla confesses that it's nice he apologized, maybe he should think before he speaks. Brandon then goes to Edna and says that he cares about her because she's been a good friend. He tells her about the Core Five, and Edna says she's surprised to not be part of it. Edna confides to the camera that she now believes she will be the next to go as the others simply tolerate her.

Tree Mail arrives at the Savaii camp in the form of new swimsuits! Two must also go to the Redemption Island Arena. No one jumps to go, but Jim and Cochran reluctantly agree to go. Seeing Whitney and Elyse running around in their bathing suits, Dawn worries about her age -- she needs to show the tribe what she can do immediately or she'll be the next to go. Ozzy notices that Jim is trying to play the game too hard, too early by asking about what he should say to the other tribe at the...

...Duel. Edna and Brandon for Upolu, and Jim and Cochran for Savaii arrive in the Arena. Jeff asks Papa Bear how it feels to see Jim and Cochran there. It doesn't bother him because he will immediately go to Upolu if, sorry, when, he makes it back into the game. Brandon says that sounds great, but he wants to apologize to Christine for the way he played the game for the first seven days. Christine thinks the apology is nice, but she doesn't believe he is sincere. She'd rather concentrate on the Duel

For said Duel, each player will toss sand bags onto crates. The first person to get one bag on each of the ten crates remains in the game. The Duel begins with both players landing their first bags. Christine goes five for her first five throws, but Papa Bear eventually gets up to number four. Christine scores her next two, but Papa Bear answers with his next to, and is up to six. Christine eventually lands her ninth, but it falls off, allowing Papa Bear to tie it up at eight. Christine gets nine as does Papa Bear. Christine's next throw is true, and she lands number ten. Christine survives! Papa Bear places his buff in the fire and departs. Jeff congratulates Christine and sends her back to RI. She confides that she wants the spectators to see she's not out of this game.

Back at Upolu, over coffee, Edna says that she needs to be cordial and polite as this is a social game. Stacey can't stand her because she doesn't have an off switch. Likewise, Mikayla is annoyed by Edna because of all the questions she asks. Over at Savaii, Dawn tells Cochran that while he and Jim were gone, Ozzy shut down all strategizing, like he already has the game in the bag. Cochran steers the conversation to taking out Elyse because they can't get Ozzy out yet. Cochran believes it is time for them to make a move, bearing the results of the...

...Immunity Challenge. For the Challenge, three members of each tribe (two men and one woman) will have poles across their shoulders where weight will be added by the other tribe in twenty pound increments. The last person standing wins Immunity for his or her tribe and a Reward of one rooster and two hens. Keith, Dawn and Jim are selected for Savaii. Brandon, Stacey and Albert will play for Upolu. Albert and Keith get the first set of twenty pounds. Jim and Brandon get the next set. Dawn and Stacey receive the third. After 26 minutes, the women are bearing 100 pounds each, Albert and Keith are at 180 pounds, and Jim and Brandon are at 200 pounds. Keith struggles and he goes out. Brandon and Jim get the next bags of weight and tie a Survivor record of 220 pounds. Albert stumbles and falls out. Jim and Brandon now set the record at 240 pounds each! Jim quickly drops out, as does Brandon, leaving Dawn and Stacey, moving up to 120 pounds. Dawn starts losing her pole, but recovers in time for both she and Stacey to receive twenty more pounds. Stacey's legs begin to shake. "You cannot let go now!" cries Jeff. Stacey tries to adjust her pole, but drops in. "Savaii win Immunity and Reward!" Dawn is psyched as she receives the Immunity Idol from the Emmy-Winning Host..

Back at camp, Stacey thinks she proved to the tribe that she is strong. Coach tries to rally the troops and tells them to pick themselves up. Edna doesn't need the pep talk as she feels confident in her alliance, but still has a small voice insider her that says she is the weakest link. She voices that concern to Stacey who doesn't disabuse her of that belief. Stacey confesses that she's offended that Edna came to her after not speaking to her the whole game.

Coach approaches Stacey who asks him where she stands. He does his best George Washington impression (stating that he cannot tell a lie) and says it is either her or Edna. Stacey tells the camera that she's not buying what Coach is selling. She then approaches Brandon and tells him to be aware of Mikayla, Sophie and Albert, who are aligning against him and Coach (a bald-faced lie if I ever heard one). Brandon, of course, immediately runs to Coach. "Stop it. Just stop it!" Coach admonishes Brandon. This game is going to get crazy; he shouldn't listen to someone who's on Death Row and will say anything to stay in the game. Sophie confesses that Brandon is just a small Russell Hantz who needs to be watched. Coach is worried that Brandon will ruin the game for all of them at the least opportune time, namely, right before...

...Tribal Council. Jeff asks Stacey what happened at the Challenge. She says she did a good job. Coach says that if they were voting just on warrior spirit, Stacey would be safe. Jeff says that the tribe has always said they would keep the tribe strong. Wouldn't keeping Stacey make the tribe stronger? Sophie answers that it is a balance of numbers and strength. Jeff then asks Rick what is the most annoying thing about Albert. After a loooooong pause, Rick answers that Albert snores. Brandon, what is the most annoying thing about Edna? She has a lot to say about a lot of stuff. Edna doesn't believe that rings true. Jeff then asks Edna what is the most annoying thing about Stacey. Edna replies that Stacey is difficult to engage. Stacey is it hard for you to open up, Jeff asks? No, she's opened up to a few people. Mikayla, what is the most annoying thing about Brandon? Well, while Brandon is a "nice kid," she knows who his uncle is. Brandon says he loves his uncle, but he's playing his own game. He then gets upset because he wants to be someone of whom God is proud. He feels a responsibility to reclaim the family name.

It is time to vote. They castaways do, and Jeff gathers the ballots. The first vote is for Edna; the next for Stacey. Votes Three and Four are for Stacey. Vote Five is for Stacey. Jeff reads the sixth Vote, "The fourth person voted out of Survivor: South Pacific...Stacey!". She won't accept any of the hugs the tribe tries to give her. Jeff snuffs her torch and she marches off into the Blue Light of Death. Jeff tells Upolu that it is clear trust and unity are two qualities the tribe is trying to base the tribe on, but they are the two hardest to maintain.

Next time on...Survivor!

Everyone calls Coach "Benjamin," and the Immunity Challenge involves the tribes ripping meat off a spit and passing it to each other with their mouths. That, I can honestly say, is a completely new Challenge!

What I have found very interesting about these first four episode of Survivor is that although there has been absolutely nothing surprising about anything that has occurred (even Ozzy finding the HII wasn't surprising), I'm still thoroughly entertained by this season. It must be a function of the casting and the design of the Challenges (though I desperately miss separate Immunity and Reward Challenges!) because I am finding this to be one of the better Survivor seasons. Yes, I could completely do without the continued focus on Brandon, but as other people are mocking him, I'm actually OK with the spotlight that he has been given. He's certainly less annoying that Phillip was.

If I have one complaint (I'm a critic, of course I have a complaint) it's that there are still players that are getting little to no screen time for multiple weeks in a row. I said to my wife prior to Tribal Council, "Man, I don't think Rick has said literally anything in two weeks." To which she replied, "Who is Rick?" My point exactly. Rick, Whitney, Albert, Edna (until this week), and even Elyse to a certain extent have been given short shrift by the producers and editors. By Week 4, I really should know whom everyone is.

As far as next week, well, why should I expect anything different from we have already been getting? If Savaii loses, Elyse will be a target, but it will be more likely Cochran or maaaaaaybe Dawn will go. If it is Upolu back at Tribal Council, I fear Edna will go, unless Brandon finally pisses everyone off.

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Survivor: South Pacific 23.04 "Survivalism" Recap

Survivor: South Pacific 23.03 "Reap What You Sow" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:28:18 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific 23.03 "Reap What You Sow" Recap
In case you missed last week's episode, catch up with my recap here.

The episode begins at Redemption Island where Christine arrives and tries to wake up Semhar. Christine doesn't know what happened at Tribal Council. Maybe her tribe just didn't want someone who was ready to play the game from the beginning. At least RI gives her another chance to play. Back at Upolu, the tribe returns from Tribal Council. Mikayla can't figure out what she did to Brandon. She's glad Coach took the heat off her at Tribal. Brandon confesses that he regrets his blatant lie, as he didn't want to play like his uncle. "I reap what I sow, man."

The next morning at Upolu, the tribe receives Tree Mail instructing them to send two members to the RI Arena. Coach and Stacey will go for Upolu. Coach hopes Christine loses so she can't come back to haunt him. At the Arena, Jeff welcomes in Semhar and Christine. Ozzy and Elyse are there for Savaii. Christine calls out Coach for his part in ousting her. Semhar admits RI is scary before they move to the Duel. For the Duel, they each must place a totem on top of a pole. After a time, they must add more pieces of the pole. The first one to have her totem fall is eliminated. "One shot," Jeff says, "Take your spots."

Semhar recites one of her poems about her man and birthing his baby, causing Jeff to sighs. Each player put their totem on top of her first pole piece. They each add a second and a third section of pole. Semhar's totem rocks, but stays up. Christine's totem starts to wobble, but Semhar's falls and Christine stays alive! Jeff asks Semhar what emotion she is feeling. She feels like she has been abandoned so many times in her life; she can't understand why her tribe abandoned her. Semhar says she played faithfully and as a good person. She puts her buff in the fire and leaves the Arena. Christine has a thumbs up for Stacey before departing back to RI. She hopes to pull a Matt and have a run on RI to get back at Coach.

Day 7 at Upolu. Brandon is not pleased with himself; he doesn't want to lie anymore. So he gathers the tribe and takes off his shirt in front of everyone, admitting that he is Russell's nephew. He accepts the consequences of what he did. Brandon then tells the group that he'd rather make friends than win a million dollars. Mikayla doesn't trust him, "It's like he's covering his tracks before he even makes them." Coach commends Brandon for being honest. He has no beef with Brandon whatsoever, but he confesses he wouldn't have admitted what Brandon did. Brandon is an asset, according to Coach. He trusts Brandon, but not completely anymore.

Over at Savaii (finally), Papa Bear says they are doing well as a tribe, but there is a pecking order. He, Dawn and Cochran are, clearly, at the bottom. Meanwhile, Ozzy thinks he and Keith are brothers and he needs to trust someone, so he tells Keith he has the Hidden Immunity Idol. Keith immediately tells Whitney what Ozzy told him. Keith confides to the camera that he's mad Ozzy has the HII because it gives Ozzy all the power. He told Whitney to try to keep numbers on his side in case Ozzy makes a move against him.

Back at Upolu, Mikayla asks Brandon what the deal is. He admits he doesn't like her, supposedly because of her attitude. He then calls everyone over and says Mikayla attacked him because she doesn't have much of an alliance. Brandon confesses that he wants to stay out of the drama, but he IS the drama!! Sophie was in shock by the whole display. Brandon, Sophie says, is torn between whatever "crazy religious beliefs he has," and that in his bloodlines he's a jerk. Brandon said that he shouldn't have lost his temper. He is in a constant battle between the good and evil within him, and asks the Lord to not sin anymore. Coach tells Sophie that he is concerned with Brandon's outbursts. Unfortunately, he sees a little Russell in him. This is not a good way for Upolu to go into the...

...Immunity Challenge. For the Challenge, one player from each tribe will run across a floating bridge carrying a body board attached to a long rope. When they reach a platform, they must grab a bag, jump onto the body board, and have other members of the tribe winch the board and player back to shore. After collecting five bags, two remaining tribemates will use grappling hooks to bring bags up a wall. The bags contain five puzzle banners that must be arranged to create a picture. Besides Immunity, the tribes are playing for a Reward of coffee, tea ,sugar, milk, chocolate, etc.

Ozzy and Brandon run out on the bridges first. Savaii gets a knot in their rope immediately, allowing Brandon to get his first bag. Ozzy recovers and grabs his first bag. Papa Bear has trouble keeping up, but Albert loses Upolu's lead to Dawn. Upolu loses all momentum, but Ozzy drops his board going for the final bag, letting Albert get back to the beach with Upolu's final bag first.

Coach and Edna, and Elyse and Whitney are armed with the grappling hooks. Coach and Whitney alternate in securing their puzzle bags, but when Whitney tries to get the fifth, she can't grab it. This allows Upolu to quickly unfurl and arrange their banners. Upolu wins Immunity! Jim tells the camera that Papa Bear slows them down too much, and should have been first one voted out.

Savaii, Day 8. Cochran feels they are still the stronger tribe. Ozzy admits losing is bad for morale.   Dawn did great, according to Ozzy, so it is between Papa Bear and Cochran. Those two talk about not being in the "group of five." It's obvious they are the next two to go. Ozzy says Papa Bear was worthless in the Challenge. He tells Cochran that they are going to tell Papa Bear that it is Cochran who they are voting out, but it's really Papa Bear. Cochran is worried that his name keeps coming up, but he doesn't want to be known as the "nervous scrambler."

Papa Bear asks Jim and Ozzy if it is Cochran, and though they say yes, he knows that he is on the chopping block. Finding the HII is his only hope, so Papa Bear goes on a dead sprint into the jungle. Elyse notices, so she and Jim follow after him. He can't find it, so he makes a fake Idol to make the tribe believe he has the HII. Cochran notices the obvious charade, but Jim think Papa Bear might have it. Ozzy just hopes nothing goes wrong at...

...Tribal Council. Cochran says he's trying to make himself more of an asset. Cochran, are you a little defensive in life, Jeff wonders? Papa Bear says Cochran is a physical threat to himself. Cochran is asked who are the leaders on the tribe. Ozzy, he responds. Papa Bear says they are all leaders. Jeff asks Papa Bear what he did for a living. He's an NYPD detective, a natural leader, but has nothing in common with the rest of his tribe. Dawn is asked about alliances in the tribe, and says that the alliances shift all the time. Papa Bear admonishes her, saying he, Dawn and Cochran aren't in "the five." Jim says Dawn is right, but Papa Bear cuts him off. Jeff asks Jim if he is worried about the HII. He is, because it guarantees its holder with three more days. Jeff points out that Ozzy was voted out with an HII in his hand, so it's not automatic extra three days. Cochran says searching for HII is not best way to stay off the chopping block because it doesn't foster trust with one's tribemates.

With that, it's time to vote. Jim votes for Cochran in case Papa Bear has the HII. Jeff gathers the votes and asks if anyone wants to okay the HII. No one rises so Jeff reads the votes. The first vote is for Papa Bear, while the second is for Cochran and the third for Jim. Vote Four is for Papa Bear, as is Vote Five. Jeff reads the sixth vote, "The third person voted out of Survivor: South Pacific...Papa Bear!" Papa Bear's torch is snuffed and he's off to RI through the Blue Light of Death. Jeff tells the remaining Savaii members that the good news is that both votes have been decisive. The bad news is they are down two members. The question that remains is: have they been voting out the right people?

But Wait...There's More on Page 2!!

Survivor: South Pacific 23.03 "Reap What You Sow" Recap

Survivor: South Pacific 23.02 "He Has Demons" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:16:06 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific 23.02 "He Has Demons" Recap
Welcome Survivor fans! If you missed last week's season premiere, catch up with my recap here.

The episode begins on Redemption Island. Semhar arrives and says she feels abandoned by her tribe. She doesn't understand how people can be so cold-hearted. She then does what she does best...recite poetry. Over at Savai'i, Cochran thanks everyone for keeping him. He confesses to going into fight or flight mode at Tribal Council, and he fought. He needs to chill out though, and change his attitude to best help the tribe, and stop drawing attention to himself. Ozzy identifies with Cochran's desire to play, but he needs to put in a better effort. Ozzy shares thoughts on Cochran with Keith, who agrees that Cochran should have an opportunity to prove his worth. Keith tells the camera that he likes Ozzy, and would normally want to align with him, but Ozzy has played before so he needs to be watched.

Day 4 at Upolu. Coach tells Edna he's getting some bad feelings from the girls, but she helped him out after the first Duel. Rick, Sophie, Brandon and Albert are in Coach's alliance, but Edna is a good friend. Coach asks her if Christine found an Hidden Immunity Idol, and she points out that Christine and Stacey have stopped looking so they might have found one. More importantly, that pair is quite tight. Edna confides that she is probably at the bottom of the tribe, so she has aligned herself with Coach. She promises that she is solidly with him, and as a result, he promises to protect her.

At Savaii, Cochran gets to work on coconuts. He needs his tribe to stop thinking of him as a liability. Ozzy says he's going fishing, but looks for the HII instead. He climbs in a tree over the water, and under a rock stuck in the branches. Lo and behold, he finds an HII!!! (I thought it was going to be hard to find them this season!) Ozzy figures that if he can make it to the Merge and then play his HII, he could make it to the Finals.

Brandon confesses that he wants to emulate Coach and play honorably, but he feels like a hypocrite as he's been lying about his uncle. It's tearing him up inside, so he confesses to Coach (and his blircle!) that he is Russell's nephew. Coach becomes very wary of Brandon because Russell had given Coach his word, then stabbed him in the back. Then again, Brandon had nothing to gain by telling him what he did, so he's good with Brandon.

Back at Savaii, Elyse is hungry and to catch some fish, she needs to channel her Native American ancestry. Jim goes fishing with Ozzy and Keith, which gives him a chance to enact his 3 + 2 Plan: an alliance of the three guys and Elyse and Whitney. Keith tells the camera that Jim's plan is funny because Jim has no idea that Keith and Ozzy already have an alliance. Jim says Cochran, Papa Bear and Dawn are the next to go.

Day 5. Upolu passes around coconuts before Mikayla goes fishing with Brandon. She says she is just a strong, solid person. Brandon, of course, can't stand Mikayla because she's evidently using her seductive ways to get attention. He calls her Parvati, and swears he will get her voted out of the game. Meanwhile, Christine tries to look for the HII clue. Sophie says she thinks Christine already has the HII, but Stacey says she hasn't told her anything. Christine goes back to where Stacey missed the clue, and finds it herself. Does she tell her tribe about it before they head to the...

...Immunity Challenge. All of Upolu are eating some fruit as they enter to send a message to Savaii. For the Challenge, four members of each tribe will race to untie ribbons wrapped around a May pole, to release a set of keys. The keys will be used to unlock the other four members of the tribe. Those four players will move large crates in a puzzle to release the largest crate. The first tribe to get the largest crate on their mat wins Immunity, as well as a Reward of pillows, hammock, and blankets. Upolu decides Edna will sit out, and the players line up to start the Challenge.

All of the female players are on the poles except Cochran. Savaii has trouble unwinding the ribbons, letting Upolu take a huge lead, and releasing their keys. Stacey unlocks the Upolu guys to work on their puzzle. Dawn, eventually, secures Savaii's keys, allowing Elyse to unlock her tribemates. Savaii finally gets to the puzzle, and immediately start flying through it! Upolu falls behind quickly. Savaii comes from behind and releases their large crate. The first four members of the tribe help lift it onto their mat. "Savaii wins Immunity!" Jeff hand off the Immunity Idol to Savaii and sends them back to their beach. On Upolu's exit, Brandon admits they were overconfident, but now that they must face voting out someone, he will make sure Mikayla goes home tonight.

Back at Upolu, Coach congratulates the women for kicking ass. Christine thinks the guys could have moved faster. Coach tells his alliance that they should split their votes between Christine and Stacey in case one of them has an HII. Further, he informs his guys that Edna is loyal and not a threat, but on a need to know basis. In a quiet moment, Brandon tells Coach that he's uncomfortable around Mikayla; she reminds him too much of Parvati. Coach understands Brandon's concerns, but Mikayla is strong and needed for Challenges. "He has demons," Coach says of Brandon. Sophie doesn't understand why Brandon wants Mikayla gone because she's so strong. Moreover, as Sophie considers herself a strong woman, would Mikayla's ouster mean Brandon would want her (Sophie) out next? Coach confers with his alliance, but when Mikayla walks over, Coach asks her for privacy. Then Stacey comes over so he walks away. Albert tries to cover for the Dragon Slayer, by saying Coach is just being paranoid.

Christine asks Edna what's going on, and the latter responds that they were talking about Sophie, but Christine points out that Sophie was part of the conversation! Brandon tells Christine that he's voting for Mikayla. This makes no sense whatsoever to Christine; she must be the real target. As she's nervous about her place, Christine goes to look for the HII. Brandon approaches Coach and flatly lies to him by saying Christine and Stacey are voting for Mikayla. Coach confides that Brandon is making him nervous with his insistence in voting our Mikayla. Is Brandon loyal or not? Coach will find out at...

...Tribal Council. Upolu receives their torches and fire. Jeff asks Brandon if he thinks he made a good first impression. Yup because he is a hard worker. Coach, what was the tribe's first impression of you? Bad, he responds as he lost the first Challenge. Coach, unprovoked, then calls out Christine and Stacey for wanting to vote out Mikayla. The women, of course, deny this. "So glad you're back Coach," says Jeff. Coach wants Mikayla to stay because of her ability in Challenges. Mikayla doesn't get why she would be a target. Stacey says she never talked to Coach about Mikayla, and Christine says she never even said Mikayla's name. Who did Coach hear that from then?

Albert sticks up for Coach, and says that the tribe's general dishonesty is coming from the HII. Coach says Christine went and looked for the HII a lot. Christine responds that, obviously, he's threatened by her. "He knows he's temporary," Christine states. Jeff wonders why Mikayla hasn't asked Christine and Stacey if they actually said they were targeting her. They deny the accusation again. All the while, Brandon has become visibly agitated. Noticing this, Jeff asks him if he has something on his mind. Brandon finally speaks up and admits he told them to vote for Mikayla. "Boom!" exclaims Stacey. "Welcome to Survivor," says Jeff. He asks Albert if it worries him that his tribe is in such disarray? He responds by saying that people are revealing themselves, despite how much they might try to hide it.

Jeff admits that he has no idea what will happen, but it's time to vote. They do, and Jeff grabs the urn. He asks if anyone wants to play an HII, but no one does. The first vote is for Sophie, the next for Edna. Vote Three is for Christine, and Vote Four for Stacey. Christine and Stacey each receive another two votes each, leaving them tied with three apiece and one vote remaining. "The second player voted out of Survivor: South Pacific...Christine!" Jeff snuffs her torch before Christine marches off into the Blue Light of Death. He notes that they are only five days in, yet already Upolu's biggest obstacle is trust. With that, he sends them back to their beach.

But Wait....There's More on Page 2!!

Survivor: South Pacific 23.02 "He Has Demons" Recap

Survivor: South Pacific "I Need Redemption" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:32:31 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific "I Need Redemption" Recap
Survivor: South Pacific opens in the way only Survivor can -- with a helicopter! Under the dulcet narration of our 2011 Emmy-winning Best Reality Host Jeff Probst, Ozzy and Coach fly their way into the game. Coach wants to prove he can own the game with honor and integrity. Ozzy admits he never had the best strategy in his previous turns at the game. He needs redemption because he hasn't been able to lock his hands on the million dollars.

Meanwhile, with the veterans passing overhead, the newbies paddle their rafts to the beach. Jeff introduces us to the Redemption Island Arena before John talks up his Survivor fanhood. Elyse tells the camera that she hopes her Native American background will help her in some mystical spirit horse kind of way. Rick says if you have to haven't been training before coming on the game, you're an idiot. Stacey said she's ready to spy on others (and is incredibly boring while doing so). Brandon plans on keeping secret that he is Russell's nephew.

All the new players enter the RI Arena where Jeff welcomes them to the game. He tells the sixteen players that there are still two more players arriving. Who are these veteran players? Edna says to Brandon that she hopes it's not Russell! Brandon confesses that he found this funny, but he has to keep his shirt on because his tattoos say "Hantz." Dawn suggests Savaii welcome the veterans with open arms. Mikayla wants Ozzy on her tribe because of his skills. On the other hand, "Coach is just going to be nuts," she says. Christine reluctantly says it is nice to have the veterans back. "They're temporary players," she admits. When Jeff calls on John, he first responds that he wants to be called Cochran because the great Survivor players have been called by their last names. Jeff accedes and calls John "Cochran." Cochran thinks the veterans will be assets, and quickly rattles off the number of times each played and a bit of Survivor resume on each. His fanhood is, admittedly, transparent.

To choose tribes, Jeff has two eggs filled with paint, one in each of the tribes' colors. When smashed, Ozzy's is red for Savaii. Coach's is blue for Upolu. Coach confesses that he is not receiving a warm welcome from the embers of Upolu, especially Rick. Ozzy, conversely, is group hugged by his tribe. Jeff explains RI before they move to their first Challenge, a Hero Challenge where Ozzy will face off with Coach for a Reward of taro and flint. They must climb to the top of a 12-foot pole and grab a wooden turtle. They then must dig out a hole underneath a log and crawl underneath it. Last, they must transfer a pyramid puzzle one piece at a time, and only smaller pieces on top of bigger pieces, from one pedestal to a third.

Both players do some yoga breathing before Jeff announces "Survivor ready....go!" Ozzy, unsurprisingly, is up the pole first, but Coach quickly catches up on the digging portion. Ozzy tries to get under and does. Coach struggles at first, but then gets through. Both players mess up their puzzles by not following the rules. Jeff tells them both to slow down and think. Ozzy asks for help from his observing tribemates. Both tribes eventually start barking out assistance, but Savaii is helpful whereas Stacey keeps confusing and contradicting the rest of Upolu. Ozzy takes a commanding lead. He moves his last couple pieces and places his turtle on top. Ozzy wins for Savaii! Jeff notes that he should be congratulating Ozzy on a tribe victory. Hell yeah it was a tribe victory! Jeff sends Savaii off with their Reward. All Jeff has for Upolu is a map to their beach. Edna offers to help Coach with his stuff, but the rest of the tribe just walks off. Coach confesses he is faced with the fear of being the first one voted off.

Savaii. Mark immediately points at Ozzy to lead. Ozzy confides that he knows they want him to do everything, but he is going to be a strategic player this time around. Each of the players says what he or she does for a living. When she states that she is a poet, Semhar is asked to recite some poetry, which she does because she needs to step up. Ozzy thinks she's beautiful and wants to align with her. He tells his tribe that they should relax and enjoy their win by going swimming. Cochran is a bit upset about getting into his underwear because of his transparent skin and lack of physique, but he eventually gets in the water.

Over at Upolu, Coach is afraid of his tribe, but admits one can't run away from obstacles. He announces to everyone that he isn't a strategic player so they don't need to be afraid of him. When Upolu plays the "getting to know you" game, Sophie says she was a Russian major, leading Coach to start speaking to her in Russian! They then get to the task of building a shelter, with Coach in the lead. Edna likes him because he shows them some tricks for survival. Christine announces she is going to look for firewood, but instead starts looking for a Hidden Immunity Idol. Coach sees what she is doing and decides that she is target Number One.

The rest of Day 1 passes with a few highlights: Jim is happy for hot girls on his tribe; Mark has a boyfriend and wants to be called Papa Bear; Dawn is worried that they aren't working on a shelter; Brandon regrets his "Loco" neck tattoo because he is a good church-going boy now, and that he is uncomfortable with Mikayla flaunting her sexiness by jumping atop the shelter to construct it (huh?!? That's threatening to him as a Christian??)

That first night 1 at Upolu, everyone marvels at the stars and make fun of Coach's stories. He tells Brandon, Albert, Sophie and Rick that he wants to win every Immunity challenge. Further, if they have a strong five-person alliance, they will be unstoppable. Albert agrees, so Coach feels pretty safe.

The next morning at Savaii, Dawn accidentally puts out the fire. She's admits to having a mini breakdown. Mark warns her to be strong because the young folks will turn on them. Dawn confesses that for the first time she feels old. Dawn then tries to swing on a vine, but it snaps and she falls on her ass in front of Elyse! Dawn admits to Ozzy that she is cracking. She worries that she is going to go because that's what happens to the person who has a breakdown. Ozzy tries to calm her down but she worries that she has no common ground with the other players. He confides to the camera that he is the tribe's anchor, so he needs Dawn to keep her cool. If she can get out of her head and trust Ozzy, she can be a valuable ally. If she doesn't, she'll be going home.

The show skips to Day 3 at Savaii. Semhar tries to teach them how to make a toothbrush. Ozzy knows they need to build the shelter though he'll be OK if he hast to sleep on the beach; The rest of the tribe, however, needs to be reassured. Elyse tries to teach Cochran how to open a coconut. Ozzy is skeptical of him due to his lack of physical prowess, but for his part, Cochran thinks he has enough social game to compensate for his lack of physical skill.

Over at Upolu, Brandon tries to provide for the tribe and catches the first fish (how did Upolu get fishing gear?!?!). He reiterates that he won't show his Hantz tattoos as he doesn't want to be judged by his uncle's reputation. Sophie is worried about Brandon because she has a gut feeling that he is hiding something. Will that something be revealed at...

...the Immunity Challenge. It's a classic Survivor Obstacle course. The tribes must negotiate some rope pathways, a web of coconuts, and then a ten foot wall. Once over the wall, one member of each tribe will dig up a machete, and use it to cut through five ropes to release some coconuts. Three players then shoot coconuts into a basket. Once enough are in the basket, the tribe's banner will be raised in victory. The winner will receive Immunity, but also a clue to an HII. The tribes plot, with Semhar saying she is glad to step up and shoot coconuts at the end of the course (we all know how that is going to go). Jeff lines them up. "Survivors ready...go!"

Both tribes negotiate the paths quickly, but Mark lags a bit behind. Upolu is to the wall first. Cochran has a moment where he has no clue how to climb over the wall. In a truly impressive physical feat, Albert dead lifts Brandon by himself up over the wall. Rick digs for the machete, but is quickly followed by Ozzy for Savaii. Rick has the machete, as does Ozzy quickly thereafter. Rick quickly cut through his ropes, releasing Upolu's coconuts. Brandon, Albert and Mikayla shoot for Upolu, while Ozzy, Semhar and Keith shoot for Savaii.

After two shots, Semhar is soooooo exhausted. Mikayla is a scoring machine! Semhar asks to switch out, but Jeff says they can't. Keith and Ozzy score, as do Brandon and Mikayla. Keith and Mikayla trade baskets, but Mikayla's is enough to raise her banner. Upolu wins Immunity! Savaii was only one coconut away! Jeff hands the Immunity Idol to Upolu and tells them that there is a hidden clue to the HII at their camp. After sending them off, Jeff asks Semhar if she is exhausted or depressed? She is "sorta bad" she admits. Jim is apoplectic at her qualifier "sorta" and calls her out in front of everyone. He then confesses as they march back to their beach that there is no reason to keep Semhar.

Back at camp, Upolu celebrates. Christine thinks there is an uneasiness because Jeff mentioned the HII clue. Christine and Stacey immediately go off to look for the clue. Stacey thinks she probably stumbled on it and didn't know it. The great camera work shows us the clue wrapped around a branch in the tree knot in which Stacey was just looking!

Back at Savaii, the usual pre-Tribal Council scrambling occurs. It quickly comes down to Semhar or Cochran. Jim is wary of the fact that Ozzy is fighting to keep Semhar so badly. Could Ozzy have an alliance with the three younger women? Mark promises to never write down Dawn's name, and vice versa. Jim tells Cochran about his plan to oust the latter, resulting in major paranoia on Cochran's part. he is certainly not looking forward to...

But wait!! There's More on Page 2!!

Survivor: South Pacific "I Need Redemption" Recap

Survivor: South Pacific - My Odds to Win

Michael Salerno — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:18:44 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific - My Odds to Win
Tonight is the night, fellow Survivor lovers!! Tonight, at 8:00pm ET/PT, Survivor: South Pacific premieres on CBS. Jeff Probst will welcome sixteen new castaways, and Survivor veterans Ozzy and Coach, to Samoa for thirty-nine more days of Outwitting, Outplaying, and Outlasting. Once again, Redemption Island will be in play, though this time, there will only be one-on-one Duels. A (wise) correction has been made and there will be no more three-way or four-way Duels. Win or you go home.

Now, how Redemption Island will play out should be very interesting since these players have seen how it works. Will there be more strategic voting by purposefully putting someone on RI to oust a strong player from the other tribe? When will the winner of RI return to the game? Will that returning player receive Immunity the first Tribal Council so another Matt situation doesn't occur? Hopefully the answers to these questions will keep RI interesting this season.

Then we have Ozzy and Coach. As you'll see below, I don't have the highest of prospects for either of them. It would be hard enough as returning players to make it to the end, but since Rob won the game last season, will any new player really allow one of these guys to make it to the Final Three (or, hopefully, the Final Two)? Maybe the newbies will be just as starstruck as Rob's tribe was with him. The veterans' life in the game may come down to, once again, which tribe they are on.

The last twist we know about pregame involves the Hidden Immunity Idols. To be honest, the HIIs have become absolutely ludicrous. Once the show started planting one in each camp, and the players knew to look for them, well, the only excitement was generated by the idea that Russell could find one without a clue. This season, the producers have promised that the HIIs will be much harder to acquire as the clues will be hidden. I'm not exactly sure how this is going to work, but color me intrigued. (I suppose in a place where an HII would normally be hidden, there will be a clue instead. Will there be clues to the clues hidden in Rewards??)

This cast seems pretty good to me, in that they are a diverse group, but there aren't the two or three people who just look like they are gong to dominate the game. Parity has done wonderful things for the NFL, so perhaps a little bit of parity will offer up an exciting season of Survivor. The downside of this parity, however, is that it makes my preseason Odds to Win that much harder to calculate!

If you missed my rundown of the new players, make sure to check out my take here first. Below you will find the players grouped by their chances for victory and the Odds that they will win the whole game: the Favorites who seem to have the innate qualities necessary of Sole Survivors; the Dark Horses who, with a couple of breaks, could be triumphant; and the Long Shots who, barring some major upheaval, will just be fighting to make the Jury. Remember, I am not trying to predict the order in which they will be voted off (an even trickier proposition with the introduction of Redemption Island), just the likelihood that a particular contestant will win the kit ‘n caboodle. Away we go!

Up First, the Favorites!

Survivor: South Pacific - My Odds to Win

Survivor: South Pacific - A Look at the Cast

Michael Salerno — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 18:07:30 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific - A Look at the Cast
On Wednesday night, September 14 at 8:00pm ET/PT, Survivor will debut its 23rd season, Survivor: South Pacific. The season premiere will be an extended 90 minutes, and will lead into the season finale of Big Brother. Following the general success of Survivor: Redemption Island, the good folks on the granddaddy of all reality competition shows are bringing back that season's major twist: Redemption Island. Like last season, players that are voted out of the game will not return home, but head to Redemption Island where he or she will Duel another ousted castaway to eventually return to the game. One big change, however, is that unlike the end of last season when three or even four ousted players met on Redemption Island, with only one person going home per Duel, only two players will ever meet in a Duel. This avoids the situation where "just not being worst" kept someone in the game.

Of course, this wouldn't be Survivor without a second twist. This season, Hidden Immunity Idols will become even hard to find (thank God!) because players won't receive clues to the HIIs in Rewards won at Challenges. Instead, the Hidden Immunity Idol clues will be hidden themselves! How this will work, I'm not exactly sure, but I'm very interested to find out.

Finally, like last season, two former players are returning for another shot at the title of Sole Survivor: Coach and Ozzy. As I complained about last season, if former players are going to participate again, I'd prefer contestants that aren't playing for their third times each. Moreover, where are the great female players from seasons past? Where's Shambo? Where's Danni? Where are Christy and Heidi? That said, Survivor could have done worse than Coach and Ozzy. Coach is really, really entertaining, and Ozzy is one of the fiercest physical competitors in the show's history, and as Jeff pointed out to EW's Dalton Ross, both have previous deficiencies in their social games to overcome. That may not be the only thing, however, that they need to overcome. After all of these contestants saw Rob play his fawning tribe like a fiddle, will the newbies really allow either of these returning veterans to get anywhere near the Merge?

The answer to that question will come in my Odds to Win column the week before the premiere. Until then, let's take a look with whom Coach and Ozzy will be sharing a tribe. While the tribes they are on will be revealed in a blind pick during the marooning in the premiere, the other sixteen players have been assigned to one of two tribes: Savaii and Upolu (both islands in Samoa, where the season was filmed). Let's take a look at the two tribes (and hover over the accompanying pictures to see who are my early favorites based on the bios and videos provided by CBS and Entertainment Weekly).

SAVAII

Dawn: 41, an English professor from South Jordan, UT. A mother of six adopted children, Dawn doesn't want her competitors to know that fact, lest she be deemed too much of a sentimental vote to bring to the Finals. She was actually cast on Survivor: Redemption Island, but was cut days before leaving home. As a result, she is as prepared to play as possible, and is looking forward to playing with the younger players because that's who she deals with on a daily basis.

Elyse: 27, a dance team manager from Las Vegas. This purveyor of corny jokes doesn't really care what other people say about her, as most either love to hate her or hate to love her. Elyse is eager to learn about the other players and let them into her game, as she feels she needs to trust someone. As Parvati is whom she would like to model her gameplay, Elyse isn't above flirting her way to being Sole Survivor.

Jim: 35, a medical marijuana dispenser from Denver. What doesn't make Jim the Ultimate Survivor player? He's worked on Wall Street, been a professional poker player, owned a wine store, and now dispenses medical marijuana. He believes his unique life full of varied experiences will help this...*ahem*...confident...guy

John: 24, a Harvard law student from Washington, D.C. This self-described weak geek who is bad at puzzles may actually be Survivor's biggest fan. He wrote a Survivor newsletter in high school, had "The tribe has spoken," as his yearbook quote, and wrote a law school paper on Tribal Councils and the Jury system (why didn't I think of that?!?). Clearly, John is a student of the game. Now, if he could just remember why he's excited to play, and not scared s#!tless to be the first person voted out.

Keith: 26, a water treatment tech from San Diego. Keith seems to have been built for this game as he has experience hunting, fishing and camping. Further, he lived in Hawaii and spent time climbing coconut trees. As a water treatment tech, he certainly knows how to take care of his water supply. What are his drawbacks then? He hates when people talk about him behind his back(!), and he has a pacemaker, that while it won't slow him down physically, it could lead to players not wanting to sit next to him in the Final Three as he might be too sympathetic.

Mark-Anthony: 48, a retired NYPD detective from Forest Hills, NY. This retired NYPD detective feels dealing with homophobia from former colleagues has made him stronger. He applied for the show through the Sears Casting Call, but swears he is not Jimmy T. Mark wants to see what his 48-yr old body can still do, and while he will miss the comforts of home, he feels his being a strong New Yorker will prove beneficial.

Semhar: 24, a spoken word artist from Los Angeles. "Words are everything" to Semhar, a former Miss Eritrea. She has no desire to see former players, but especially NaOnka, as it isn't fair to the newbies who want their shot at winning the game. Semhar is "not psyched" to be in nature and all of its smelliness. Though this doesn't compare with her fear of being alone on Redemption Island.

Whitney: 27, a country music singer from Nashville. This country music singer (and fifth-place finisher on Nashville Star) thinks her fans will get a kick out of seeing her on Survivor. While she may look like Barbie, she thinks she's more like Kick-Ass Barbie. Whitney grew up in the woods, and isn't afraid to get dirty. Nor is she above lying her way through the game.

Survivor: South Pacific - A Look at the Cast

Photos - Survivor: South Pacific Contestants, Up Close

Jon Lachonis — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 20:27:40 +0000

Photos - Survivor: South Pacific Contestants, Up Close
Has Survivor ever had a more eclectic blend of competitors than those set to out-wit and out-last one another on Survivor: South Pacific? For each Law Student, a lingerie football player; for each anesthesiologist, a medical marijuana dispenser (hey wait, those two are related right? Never mind...).

Of course a wide range of backgrounds and personalities is part of what makes Survivor so entertaining to watch, and the producers seem to have worked overtime on stocking this season with colorful personalities. Click on through to get an up-close look at each of Survivor: South Pacific's contestants. Also be sure to check out the latest cast news by our resident Survivor expert, Michael Salerno. Mike will be back next week with an in-depth look at the new cast, and right before the season starts, his biannual preseason Odds to Win column. Until then, enjoy the gallery of Survivor: South Pacific's new castaways.

Eighteen castaways will compete on SURVIVOR: SOUTH PACIFIC when the Emmy Award-winning series returns on Wednesdays with the game-changing element: Redemption Island. The 18 castaways will be divided into two Tribes of nine: the Savaii Tribe and the Upolu Tribe, named after the two islands of Samoa. The tribes are comprised of individuals from all different backgrounds with the same ultimate goal: to be the Sole Survivor. While 16 of the contestants are new to the competition, two are former castaways who have returned to seek Redemption.   In the end, only one will remain to claim the Million Dollar Prize and Title of Sole Survivor. The show is hosted by Emmy Award winner Jeff Probst.

Begins its 23rd installment on the CBS Television Network on September 14, 2011.

Photos - Survivor: South Pacific Contestants, Up Close

Survivor: South Pacific Returning Players Announced!

Michael Salerno — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:35:45 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific Returning Players Announced!
Prepare your screeching eagle sound effects and Asian flute underscoring because the Dragonslayer himself, "Coach" Ben Wade is back on Survivor! In an exclusive to Dalton Ross at Entertainment Weekly, it was revealed that Coach (of Survivor: Tocantins and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains) and fan favorite Ozzy (originally of Survivor: Cook Islands, and then of Survivor: Fans vs. Favorites) will be joining the sixteen new castaways and try to earn their chance at redemption.

Like last season, the two returning players will be split up between the two tribes. Though they don't share a mutual rivalry like Boston Rob and Russell did, Jeff Probst does point out to Dalton that the pair do share something: terrible social games. Undoubtedly, their paths to victory were made much more difficult by Boston Rob enthralling his tribe and playing them for sheep on his way to becoming last season's Sole Survivor. With the new players having seen Rob's romp through the game, do Ozzy and Coach stand a chance?

I'll be back early next week with my thoughts on this season's cast, followed by my preseason Odds to Win the week before the season premiere on September 14 at 8:00 ET/PT on CBS. Until then, please leave your comments below on this casting news. Are you happy to have Coach and Ozzy back for the third times each? Would you rather have seen someone else who has only played once before? What do you think about having returning players again in the first place? Please drop your thoughts in the Comments section below, and be sure to keep checking TVOvermind for all of your TV news and updates.

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Survivor: South Pacific Returning Players Announced!

Survivor: South Pacific Cast Revealed!!

Michael Salerno — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 14:22:33 +0000

Survivor: South Pacific Cast Revealed!!
Yes folks, it's that time of year: the biannual release of the new Survivor cast! As well, a number of twists have been revealed. Russell Hantz, thankfully, is not part of the cast, but his 19-yr old nephew is! Further, Hidden Immunity Idols will actually be more difficult to find this year. How? Well, the good folks at Survivor have hidden the clues to the HII's! Lastly, in addition to the sixteen contestants you see above, two Survivor veterans (to be revealed later this week) will be joining them. Will the newbies, who likely watched the most recent season (and Boston Rob winning the whole thing) be smart enough to kick the veterans off early? Personally, I think it depends on how much of a fan favorite the returning players are, but we'll have to see.

The new cast has the usual melange of people with weird/interesting jobs, including a lingerie football player, a baseball/dating coach, and a mortician. Oddly, there are no lawyers (though there is a Harvard Law Student). Of course, I will have a lot more information on the cast and my initial reactions to them when the returning players are revealed later this week. Until then, thanks to the irreplaceable Dalton Ross at Entertainment Weekly, here are the stats for the sixteen new players:

Albert Destrade
Baseball/Dating Coach
Plantation, Fla.; Age: 26

Brandon Hantz
Oil Tanker Crewman
Katy, Texas; Age: 19

Christine Shields Markoski
Teacher
Merrick, NY; Age: 39

Dawn Meehan
English Professor
South Jordan, Utah; Age: 41

Edna Ma
Anesthesiologist
Los Angeles, Calif.; Age: 35

Elyse Umemoto
Dance Team Manager
Las Vegas, Nev.; Age: 27

Jim Rice
Medical Marijuana Dispenser
Denver, Colo.; Age: 35

John Cochran
Harvard Law Student
Washington, D.C..; Age: 24

Keith Tollefson
Water Treatment Tech
San Diego, Calif.; Age:26

Mark-Anthony Caruso
Retired NYPD Detective
Forest Hills, NY; Age: 48

Mikayla Wingle
Lingerie Football Player
Tampa, Fla.; Age: 22

Rick Nelson
Rancher
Aurora, Utah; Age: 51

Semhar Tadesse
Spoken Work Artist
Los Angeles, Calif; Age: 24

Sophie Clarke
Medical Student
Willsboro, NY; Age: 22

Stacey Powell
Mortician
Grand Prairie, Texas; Age: 44

Whitney Duncan
Country Music Singer
Nashville, Tenn.; Age: 27

Once the whole cast is revealed, and CBS posts its videos with the players, I will be back with my initial cast thoughts and my first Odds to Win of the season. What are your initial impressions of the cast? Anyone jump out to you for good or for ill? Please leave your comments below, and get ready for a brand new season of Survivor!

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Survivor: South Pacific Cast Revealed!!

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.14 "Seems Like a No-Brainer" Finale & Reunion Recap

Michael Salerno — Mon, 16 May 2011 13:28:12 +0000

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.14 "Seems Like a No-Brainer" Finale & Reunion Recap
Before we get to the finale of Survivor: Redemption Island, make sure you know where we are by catching up with last week's recap.

The finale begins on Night 35 at Redemption Island. Grant arrives, saying he didn't think he would be voted out. It's possible Rob or Phillip betrayed him, but he's A-OK with that. Andrea didn't want Grant showing up because the Duel will make her the under-underdog. Over at Murlonio, the final four Ometepes return to camp. Rob says he is sure Grant feels bad right now, but that's the game. As much as Rob likes to think he's a cold, calculating player, it still hurts to vote out his friend. Grant might be the only person to come back from RI that he might vote right back out. Ashley needs to go next in Rob's opinion.

The next morning at RI, Matt feels really great. RI has become home for him on this 29th day for him on RI. Grant and Andrea get Tree Mail about the final Duel. They will be required to "dig deep." Mike has been out on RI for 14 days, so he'll miss it a bit. "RI purgatory is coming to an end," he remarks. Matt says a prayer for all of them, and then runs through the stats of his game (seven days in the game proper, eleven RI Duels), and gives glory to God.

RI Arena. For the final Duel, each player will place a foot on one end of a balancing board with a vase on the other end. If their balance falters, the vase will crash to the ground. The last person with his or her vase unbroken rejoins the game. The other three become the fifth, sixth and seventh members of the Jury. Each player takes his or her position and the Duel begins. After 20 minutes, Grant starts to falter, as do Matt and Mike, but they recover. At the 40 minute mark, Grant tries to stretch his leg, but his vase falls, and he is out. One hour elapses, and Matt's vase falls. After 36 days in the game, Matt fell short and became the sixth member of the Jury. Mike sways a bit, but recovers. When Andrea begins to lose her balance, Mike looks toward her, loses his balance, and eventually, his vase falls. Andrea stays alive and reenters the game!

The players congratulate Matt for his hard work. Grant is Juror Number Five and places his buff in the fire. Matt is Juror Number Six, places his buff in the fire and leaves to applause. He believes God's will was ultimately done. Mike is the seventh member of the Jury. He, too, places his buff in the fire. He says it wasn't meant to be, but that's alright. Jeff brings the other players down to greet Andrea. Does she feel like part of the fivesome, when she was blindsided by them not too long ago? No, because now it's an individual game. Rob confesses that as long as Ashley doesn't win Immunity, Andrea gets to stay another day.

Day 36 at Murlonio. Andrea notes that no one is happy to see her. She doesn't feel completely welcomed, but she needs to try something to stay in the game. Andrea tells the girls that the guys at RI told her that they thought all of the girls were Rob's puppets. She then lies and say the guys were considering giving their final votes to Phillip. when Andrea leaves, Ashley asks Natalie if they are going to vote our Phillip if Andrea wins Immunity.

Rob and Phillip discuss how Ashley is telling them that they should vote out the other of the guys. Rob confides that Natalie is a pure soul and Ashley is corrupting that. He tells Phillip that they need to convince the girls they are voting for Andrea. The next morning it is time for the...

...Immunity Challenge. The players will race across a balance beam collecting bags of tiles numbered 1-100. Once they retrieve a bag, they must place the tiles in order on a game board. The first to have all 100 numbers in place wins Immunity. "Survivors ready...go!" Rob has first bag, but is quickly followed by the others. Rob gets his tiles (1-10) in order, followed by Andrea and Ashley. Rob is back with his second bag before Phillip returns to the beginning of the balance beam. The girls get back with their second bags, which contain twenty tiles each. Phillip falls off the beam and has to go back to the beginning. Ashley and Rob finish at the same time and hustle back for their third bags.  Ashley and Rob work on their third bag's tiles. Phillip is way behind and Natalie may as well sit down. Ashley goes for her fourth and final bag, and is back with the bag before Andrea and Rob can go for their last bags. There are forty numbers in the final bag. Rob and Andrea start working on their final set of pieces, but Ashley is on her final row. Ashley pops in the number 100 with Rob on 98. Ashley wins Immunity!  She is at a loss for words because this win was so huge. Andrea confides that's it.  It makes sense to vote out Rob, so hopefully the girls will see that.

Day 37 and Murlonio returns to camp. Ashley wishes this Challenge was the Final Immunity Challenge. Rob tells Andrea, to her face, that he's sorry, but she's next. Rob tells the camera that Andrea is a hard worker who has good relationships, so it "seems like a no-brainer" to vote her out. He then confesses he has the HII, but he's so in charge of the game that he doesn't even need to use it.

Ashley tells Natalie that if it comes down to it in the next Tribal Council, she wants to make sure Phillip is the next one to go instead of her. They pinkie swear, but Phillip saw the whole conversation. When Rob gets back, Phillip gives him a full report. The guys have this whole conversation right in front of Andrea. Hearing this plotting, Andrea thinks there's a chance she can make a play.  She approaches the girls and tells them that she wouldn't want to be up against Rob in the finals. It makes more sense to get rid of one of the guys. Rob and Phillip talk in the woods about the situation, while Natalie confides that it is tough because Rob will likely win if he gets into the finals.

Rob tells the camera that on Day 37, he can predict what the girls are going to do. He can dictate the vote as long as he has Natalie on his side. He doesn't even need the HII. He likes to gamble, so he likely won't play the HII at...

...Tribal Council. Jeff asks Rob how high the paranoia is. Very high, with lots of different stories and conversations floating around, he responds. Has Phillip been part of this conversations? Phillip replies that Jeff must have forgotten his name, the "Undercover Specialist." Of course he's been part of the conversations. Rob admits he asked Phillip to keep his ears open and listen to any grumblings that Rob might be voted out. Ashley says who wouldn't want to take out Boston Rob? Jeff asks Andrea if it would make sense for the girls to band together. She answers that the Jury is smart and will reward payers who make a strong move, as opposed to how the girls have played so far. Natalie says it is obvious Rob is a strong player. Rob says Andrea is also strong with a lot of friends in the game.

With that, its time to vote. They do, Andrea votes for Rob, and Jeff collects the ballots. He asks if anyone wants to play an HII. Rob says his mother told him it is better to be safe than sorry, and gives Jeff the HII, so votes for him don't count. The first vote is for Rob. The second is for Andrea, as is the third. Jeff reads the fourth vote, "The sixteenth person voted out of this game...Andrea!"  Jeff snuffs her torch, and off she marches into the Blue Light of Death, bound for Ponderosa. Jeff offers his congratulations to the Final Four who will compete the next day in the Final Immunity Challenge.

But Wait...There's More on Page 2!!

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.14 "Seems Like a No-Brainer" Finale & Reunion Recap

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.13 "Too Close for Comfort" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 12 May 2011 13:44:51 +0000

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.13 "Too Close for Comfort" Recap
If you missed last week's episode of Survivor: Redemption Island, catch up with my recap here.

The episode begins on Night 32 at Murlonio. Ashley says Tribal Council was enjoyable because she loves blindsides. She's happy to see Andrea gone because she was never close to Natalie and her. For her part, Natalie is leaning toward sticking with Rob and ditching Ashley. Natalie then goes and tells Rob that Ashley was trying to reassure her of their alliance. Rob tells the camera that it might be best to get rid of Ashley next so he can keep control of the tribe in the last seven days.

Night 32, Redemption Island. Andrea arrives, and Matt says that he was most betrayed by her. She swore an allegiance with him and then quickly turned on him. Andrea says she understands that Matt hates her, but Matt was wishy-washy and threw under the bus with Rob. Matt half-heartedly apologizes, and says he's tired so they should all go to sleep. Ralph insists that Andrea sleep on the ground as punishment for taking the tarp after The Merge.

RI Arena. Jeff brings in the competitors and asks Andrea about the blindside that ousted her. It's amazing to her that she can look into her former alliance's eyes and realize that they all lied to her. She then cries because she feels so betrayed. Moving on, Jeff explains the Duel: each player will move a handle through a table maze. Once the handle is freed, they will use the handle to smash a box and retrieve a bag of puzzle pieces. The first three to solve the puzzle stay alive.

Ralph takes an immediate and large lead in the maze. Andrea starts freaking out that she keeps getting stuck, so Jeff warns her to not let her bad mood get in her way. Ralph is the first through the maze and moves on to his puzzle pieces. Jeff notes that Matt and Mike, Duel veterans, are staying calm while Andrea continues to lose her mind. Mike finishes the maze, as does Matt. Andrea finally finishes herself, and moves to the puzzle. Ralph's lead has disappeared. Mike and Matt get close to finishing, but Mike is missing a piece. He finds it, drops it in place and completes his puzzle. Mike advances. Andrea peeks at Mike's board to get the answer. She and Matt place their final pieces at the same time. Jeff checks them both, and both are correct. Matt and Andrea stay alive, and Ralph is the next member of The Jury. He drops his buff in the fire, and Jeff sends everyone back to their camps. Rob tells the camera he has more heart than anyone else out there, but RI is complicating things. He wants RI to be over so he doesn't have to worry about it anymore.

Day 33, back at Murlonio. Everyone is hungry. Phillip says they can afford a cup each of rice because people will be leaving every couple days. Rob says they should try not to exert too much energy.  He and Grant talk about ousting Ashley, because then Natalie won't think of turning on them. Phillip is still concerned about the amount of rice each person has, and tells the girls that because Grant is a man, he should get more rice than them; girls don't need as much energy and food as someone built like Grant. This is actually a factual statement, but of course, the girls take umbrage. A typical Phillip/anyone else argument erupts. "Get out of our faces!" screams Natalie as she storms out of the shelter.

Rob confides to the camera that Phillip is crazy. He says the girls are getting too close for comfort with each other, so he needs to split them up, but then Phillip drives them back together, making Rob's job that much harder. Rob tells Natalie that they need to keep Ashley happy, so if she hears Ashley say anything other than getting Phillip out, to tell him (Rob). He then says that they are likely to vote out Ashley because she seems to be plotting against them, so he promises he will take Natalie to the end if she follows along. Ashley knows Rob will take Natalie and not her to the end, so she knows she needs to make a big move.

Ashley talks to Natalie and Rob about ousting Grant so he can win Redemption Island. Rob says it is something to consider, but then confesses that he has run this scenario through his mind weeks ago, and it doesn't make sense. He immediately tells Grant that Ashley wants to vote him out. The safest play is for the two of them need to win Immunity from here on out.

Day 35, because evidently nothing interesting happened on Day 34. Grant confesses that Stealth R Us are sticking together. The three guys go off into the woods. Rob says Ashley's free ride is about to end. Ashley is worried that Rob wasn't "all about" blindsiding Grant. Rob then tells Natalie that he has her back and will tell her who to vote for right before Tribal Council so she doesn't have to lie to Ashley. He continues, telling Natalie that he sees what Ashley is doing, trying to tell Natalie what to do (as if he isn't doing the exact same thing). Rob confesses that Natalie is pure and impressionable, and Ashley is corrupting that. The guys bring back and read Tree Mail, but they can't figure out the clue to the...

...Immunity Challenge. For the Challenge, the players will use large fish hooks to retrieve bags of puzzle pieces. Then they must use the pieces to form a fish skeleton in which none of the pieces can be touching each other. They must do this all with one arm tied behind his or her back. They are playing for Reward too: a three-course meal delivered to camp. "Survivors ready...go!"

Grant, combining three hooks, is the first to get a bag. Rob, Ashley, Phillip, and then finally Natalie follow suit. Grant ably puts his pieces in the fish skeleton, and finishes his first section. He then rushes back to the start to to combine four hooks. Rob and Phillip finish and start on bag two. Phillip drops his second bag, but recovers, and along with Rob starts on the second section of the puzzle. Ashley gets her second bag, and so does Grant. Ashley is the first to finish the second section, then Grant and then Phillip. Natalie, meanwhile, is still on her first section. Ashley quickly gets all five hooks of the final set together and drags back her final bag of puzzle pieces, quickly followed by Rob and Phillip. Ashley, Phillip and Rob work on the final section of the puzzle. Ashley and Rob are close to finishing, but two of Ashley's pieces are touching. She nimbly fixes them. "Ashley wins Immunity and Reward!" Jeff places the Immunity Necklace around her neck, and then shows her a room service menu. He shows her that there is a space for a second diner. She can pick one person to join her, and without much hesitation, she chooses Natalie.

Murlonio returns to camp. Rob confesses that days like today make him want to stay home. All of a sudden, Ashley is a genius because since she won Immunity, he has to go along with her plan. In a confessional, he apologizes to Grant that he's going to have to vote him out because he wants to win the game. Rob confers with the girls and says he will vote for Grant.  Rob then pulls Phillip aside and says they have to put on an act for Grant that they're voting for Natalie. Rob concludes by saying it is exhausting having to do all of the work.

Grant pulls Rob aside so the can decide who should go between Phillip and Natalie. Grant suggests they break up the "couple" of Natalie and Ashley. Grant confides that he gets a good feeling that Rob will stick to their alliance. Waiters show up to deliver the "room service," including a personal pizza for each and some chocolate cake. The girls feel gross after gorging themselves on all the food. Rob tells the camera that Natalie and Ashley are getting too close. "Couples," like he and Amber were in Survivor: All-Stars, "are very powerful in this game."

Ashley tells Natalie that they may have to side with the person who comes back from RI to take on Rob. Natalie confides to the camera that she was actually a bit upset that Ashley took her on the Reward. She immediately runs to Rob to tell him that Ashley feels overly confident, and thinks the two girls are solidly together. Rob confesses that with the two girls together, someone from RI could side with them to take him out. He really likes Grant, so maybe he should keep him. Either way, Rob is sitting pretty at tonight's Tribal Council. "One man shouldn't have so much power in the game," Rob notes, "but fortunately, I'm not an ordinary man."

But Wait...There's More on Page 2!!

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.13 "Too Close for Comfort" Recap

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.12 "You Mangled My Nets" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 05 May 2011 14:24:29 +0000

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.12 "You Mangled My Nets" Recap
If you missed last week's installment of Survivor: Redemption Island, catch up with my recap here.

The episode begins on Redemption Island on Night 30. Ralph arrives at RI. He says he and Steve were fighting with Phillip over rice. Immediately, Steve shows up. Mike says things at RI are getting crazier and crazier. Steve is just happy to see really good people. What are the Ometepe folks going to do now, especially with the whole Jury made up of Zapatera's?

Over at Murlonio, the Ometepe Six celebrate eliminating all of Zapatera. Andrea is excited to really play the game now. Natalie cries some "hormone tears." She is emotional because now they need to knock each other off, which turns into thoughts of family and friends back home. Rob confesses that there have been times where Natalie has been really mature, and times when she has acted 19 years old. She's his main alliance, so he needs to make sure she's OK. There are only eight days left, so Rob needs to keep everything together, and make sure no one talks to each other and realize that he should be the one voted out.

Day 31 at Murlonio. Andrea and Ashley retrieve Tree Mail. The top of the box says it is from Sprint. Is it their Loved Ones? It's time to go to the Duel, but first they have to check out videos on the Sprint Epic 4G phone (Blatant Product Placement!!) from their family members. At RI, the guys get the same Tree Mail, and the same videos from home. Will God appear in Matt's video? Nope, it's just his brother. Seeing his brother makes every RI struggle worth it. If he can see his brother in person, he will do what ever he can to win the Duel.

Everyone heads to the RI Arena. Jeff explains that the Sprint Epic 4G (BPP!) was received by all of them. Love from home is nice, but love in person is better. The winner of the Duel will win time with his Loved One. Fr the Duel, each player will have four tiles that must be broken with a tossed ball. The first three to break all of his tiles will stay alive in the game. Whomever is the first to break all of his tiles gets to see his Loved One.

Jeff starts the Duel. In Round One, Matt chips his tile, but doesn't break it. Mike breaks his, Ralph and Steve miss. Round Two: Matt breaks, Mike breaks, Ralph breaks, Steve breaks. Round Three: Matt breaks, Mike breaks, Ralph breaks, Steve misses. Round Four: Matt misses, Mike breaks. Mike stays alive, but also wins some in-person love from his family. Ralph misses, and Steve misses. Round Five: Matt breaks, Ralph breaks, Steve misses. Round Six: Matt breaks and stays alive. Ralph breaks and stays alive. Steve is out of the game.

Jeff congratulates Mike for winning some family love. Steve puts his buff in the urn and joins the Jury. Now it's time for the Reward. Mike's mom, Jane, comes out. Before they embrace, Jeff tells Mike he can forego his visit with his mom to try to buy good will with the others by giving family love to Matt and Ralph. That's his first choice. His second choice is he can give love to everyone left in game (the Ometepe Six). Mike says he has been reading the Bible which instructs him to "do unto others," so if he can gives the most good to the most people, that is the only play. He's giving up love for him, Matt and Ralph to give it to everyone else. This doesn't surprise his mom, as Mike has always done the right thing. Mike, Matt and Ralph's Loved Ones head out, and the guys head back to RI. The Others get to join their Loved Ones and head back to camp.

The guys return to RI. Ralph is pissed that Mike made the decision he did. The way Matt and Ralph were treated by Ometepe, they wouldn't have given them anything. Mike confesses that he wasn't making a strategic move, he just thought it was the right thing to do.

Over at Murlonio, Ashley says it is surreal that they have their family members there. Grant confides to the camera that it is motivating to have them there. Natalie has never been away from home for more than two weeks, so it was great to see her mom and be told how proud her mom is of her. Phillip tells his sister that acting crazy has been his strategy. He is renewed, and ready to continue his "domination" of the game. Rob says Phillip is crazy and he's going to bring him to the end because Phillip won't get any votes. In fact, everyone thinks Rob is going to the end with them, so all they have to do is talk to each other to blow up his plans, but he knows they won't. He has to win Survivor, as he's been trying to for ten years, so he can't screw it up one.

More Tree Mail arrives, and it regards the next Immunity Challenge. Rob doesn't feel too bad about his position in the game. He states that only Andrea can't win because she's good at Challenges and knows a lot about the game. Whatever happens, from Rob's standpoint, Andrea can't win the...

...Immunity Challenge. As they enter the Challenge space, the players are awed by the structure before them. For the challenge, the players will race to collect puzzle steps, then put the steps in order to build a staircase. First to the top wins Immunity. Jeff wrns them that whatever they have in their tank, they need to use right now. "Survivors ready...go!".

Rob, Grant and Andrea get their first boards in place. They can only bring one plank at a time. Andrea is the first to work on her second set of steps, with Rob and Grant quickly behind. Phillip, Ashley and Natalie almost immediately fall out of contention. Andrea opens a couple step lead over Grant, but then makes a mistake. Now Rob and Grant roar back. Grant has his second set of steps done first. Jeff notes that it is about 110 degrees. Rob finishes his second set, as does Andrea. Grant is wrong with one of hissteps, so Rob and Andrea jump ahead. Rob struggles to make it up and down the stairs. Andrea needs a mistake from Rob to win, but it never comes. Rob may struggle, but he gets to the top.. Rob wins Immunity!

They're all dying from exhaustion after the Challenge. Rob wants to get up, but Jeff tells him to sit still. Rob calls for water, but doesn't want Medical to look at him. He asks for Grant and Jeff to help him up. He staggers, but says he's OK. Rob is safe at Tribal Council, and after the six of them fighting together, they now have to turn on each other.

Murlonio Day 32. Rob says his legs are like a Jell-O. He had to give everything he had. All of his options are open, so he can decide who will go home. Natalie says they are voting for Andrea because she is strong and still has a relationship with Matt. Andrea thinks they are voting for Phillip.

Rob says they were all ready to get rid of Andrea, but then Phillip started annoying everyone again by taking down parts of the shelter. Phillip confesses that though he could be wrong, he feels safe. From the beginning, he made himself the villain so they will take him to the end. This means that every now and then, he needs to play that card again. Phillip says he has an oral argument that no one has thought of to defeat Rob in the Final Vote.

Rob tells Grant that maybe they should get rid of Phillip, even if he is the perfect person to bring to the end. What if Phillip is playing him? Then again, Andrea is a great payer that could beat him in the end. Who will he vote for at...

Concluded on next page...

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.12 "You Mangled My Nets" Recap

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.11 "A Mystery Package" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:34:46 +0000

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.11 "A Mystery Package" Recap
If you missed last week's race war...uh...I mean rice war, check out my recap here.

The episode begins on Night 27 as Murlonio returns to camp after Tribal Council. Steve says it was a crazy Tribal Council. He approaches Phillip and shakes his hand, saying that he's sorry if Phillip felt anything he said was racist because he's not that kind of guy. Phillip confesses that he doesn't think Steve's apology is totally "genuous." He figures Steve will go next. Steve confides that any man worth his salt would reach out to someone he argued with, but Steve did it instead. Steve tells the group that it was a nice blindside of Julie. Rob confides that Phillip is looking to Rob for protection. If Phillip keeps up his stupid antics, Phillip will be coming to Rob all the way to the end.

Day 28. Steve and Ralph talk about being the last Zapatera. Steve hopes Phillip will jump off the big rock he likes to meditate on. Phillip, for his part, had another premonition from his full-blooded Cherokee great grandfather that he would find his shorts. He is drawn to near the water and looks under a rock, but finds nothing. He digs under a second rock, and finds his shorts! (Maybe his premonitions are true?!?) "Don't mess with the undercover specialist," Phillip tells the camera, before misquoting A Few Good Men by saying, "You cant stand the truth!"  After Phillip returns triumphantly to camp waving his shorts, Steve says Phillip is a different breed -- "crazy." He figures even the Ometepes must be getting tired of him, too. Phillip is excited to show Julie his shorts at...

...Redemption Island. Julie stokes the fire, saying she slept very well. Mike notes that Matt has had incredible strength to get through RI the first time. Now, he's on a downward spiral after being betrayed the second time. Matt can endure a lot because of his faith, but Mike can tell he's at his breaking point. Matt confides that this is unlike anything he has ever experienced. He misses family desparately.  Matt says God wants him there, but he doesn't know the reason why. He's so beat up, and that it is God that has been carrying him for the past four days. Matt is just over the game. Will he possibly throw the Duel?

RI Arena. Jeff asks Matt about his 21 days on RI. "Where are you at?" Matt replies that he actually has an overwhelming peace about everything. Jeff notes that he's seeing a very different Matt than he has seen before. "Are you ready to go home?" Matt says that he will try to win the Duel, but yes, he's ready to go if that's what God wants.

For the Duel, each player will have their own shuffleboard track with obstacles on it, and three pucks. The first two to get all three of their pucks in the end zone advance. In the first round, only Mike lands a puck in the end zone with a nice bank shot. In round two, Mike and Julie land their pucks safely. Leading off the third round, Matt finally lands a puck in the end zone.  Andrea looks to Matt, but he sneers back at her. Mike and Julie both miss in round three. In round four, again, Matt makes, but Mike and Julie miss. Leading round five, Matt lands his final puck in the end zone, and wins the Duel.  Mike is JUST short. Julie lands hers in the end zone, but knocks her first puck out in the process. Mike tries his lat puck again and lands in the end zone. Mike and Matt stay alive!

Julie says it was meant to be. Jeff asks Matt, "Are you frustrated with God now [for keeping you in the game]?" Matt responds that he has to be accepting of God's will. Jeff says it is interesting that Survivor is 39 days when Jesus was in the desert for 40 days. Jeff asks Julie why she played the game. She answers that she wasn't there to make friends. Her house is in foreclosure so this was an opportunity to make life better for her girls. Her life has changed because of the game and she has been inspired by Matt to find a church at home. Jeff tells Julie she is the second member of the Jury. She places her buff in the fire and departs. Jeff sends everyone else on their way, too. Andrea hopes that Matt stays in the game and comes back. She'll try to talk to him, but she figures he can't talk to her in this game ever again.

Back at camp, people say Matt was weird. Andrea feels bad for him, and she thinks he's pissed at her. Rob says not to worry because they all put him there. Andrea takes little solace in this because she feels she took a big part in breaking him. Grant tells Rob they should get Andrea out first when the time comes. She's good at puzzles and Challenges in general. Grant confides that he's still concerned about Andrea and Matt's relationship. Should they get her out before Steve and Ralph? Grant answers his own question by saying timing is important -- it may come down to...

...the Immunity Challenge. The Challenge is a basic Log Roll. The first person to hit the water is out. They are also playing for Reward: chocolate cake and milk! Plus, there is another twist they will discuss later. They draw for match-ups and begin. First up is Grant vs Rob, and Rob goes out. Ashley defeats Andrea, and Ralph knocks out Steve. Natalie takes down Phillip to complete the first round. Grant takes on Ashley and disposes of her. Ralph faces Phillip and kicks the latter out. In the final, it is Grant vs Ralph. They actually have a great match, with both recovering from near falls, but Ralph loses his balance and falls into the water. "Grant wins Immunity and chocolate cake!" the cake is absolutely huge, so Jeff tells Grant to pick one person to share it.  He selects Rob. Then Jeff says he can pick one more person, and Grant chooses Andrea. Jeff gives a wrapped package to Steve and tells him the Twist is to be opened at Tribal Council. Jeff then gives Grant, Rob and Andrea two minutes to eat as much cake as they can. After the abbreviated feast, Grant confides that he chose Andrea to make her comfortable so she doesn't suspect anything if they need to vote her out.

It's Day 30 and the players head back to camp after the Challenge. Andrea suspects the Twist will be a double elimination. Steve says the Twist package feels like a deck of cards. Perhaps if you pick the wrong one you go home? Andrea says the next two votes are easy votes: Ralph and Steve. Ralph tells Steve that he gave it all he had; he has to hope the Twist can save him. Steve replies that he is ready to go home again. Seeing Steve's sad state (oooh, alliteration!), Rob confesses that Steve has had it, so Steve won't cause any problems. Ralph, on the other hand, still has his head in the game, so he is dangerous and has to go. Rob figures the twist could be a second Immunity Challenge, or could be a second elimination but only one vote, so the person with the second most votes goes home. He will have to hedge his bets and have back-up plans based on the Twist. Maybe they should get rid of Andrea.

Rob asks Ashley and Natalie about Andrea.  He says they should vote Ralph out first, and then Andrea if there is a second vote. Ashley confides that they are voting for Ralph, and then Andrea because of Andrea's soft spot for Matt. Oh, and because "Rob is soooooo smart!" Steve tells Natalie and Ashley that he and Ralph are voting for Rob, because it is so clear he's running the game.  Ashley says they'll think about it.  She turns to Natalie and says Steve's plan would work if they get Andrea on board, but they don't want to do that. Ashley and Natalie then immediately run and tell Rob what Steve said. Rob confesses that maybe Steve caught his second wind. If so, Rob may have to keep Andrea after...

...Tribal Council. Jeff brings in the David and Julie on the Jury. Jeff asks Rob about voting out all of the former Zapatera. Is it going to happen again? "Yup, unless there's something we don't know about," Rob simply replies. Steve said they tried to shake it up, but the former Ometepes are solid. Jeff tells Andrea that at some point someone in Ometepe has to make a move. She feels rock solid about how hard they've worked, so she is sticking with them. Ralph thinks it's he who is going home, as does Steve because Ralph has been better in Challenges. Jeff asks Rob about Steve saying the perfect thing, that he's not a threat. Grant chimes in and says Steve played in the NFL, so he's not a quitter. Phillip thinks Steve can step up in the right Challenge, win it, and say "Gotcha!" Steve tries to show how Rob is going to backstab someone by bringing up Rob asking Lex to save Amber, then cutting Lex's throat at the subsequent Tribal Council in Survivor: All-Stars. Andrea says if you trust Rob, he'll take you all the way. Rob notes that he hasn't abandoned Amber yet (as they are happily married with two kids).

It's time to vote.   They do, and Jeff collects the ballots. Does anyone want to play a Hidden Immunity Idol? No. The first two votes are for Rob. The next four are for Ralph. Jeff reads the seventh vote, "The twelfth person voted out of Survivor: Redemption Island...Ralph!" Jeff snuffs his torch and Ralph starts to walk into the Blue Light of Death. "Not so fast!" Jeff yells. Is this the Twist? No, Ralph just forgot his torch. "Grab your torch and head to RI." With Ralph gone, it is now to the Twist. Steve unwraps the package and reads the top card: They will now compete in the next Immunity Challenge, and then immediately vote out a tribe member.

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Survivor: Redemption Island 22.11 "A Mystery Package" Recap

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.10 "Rice Wars" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:29:30 +0000

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.10 "Rice Wars" Recap
If you missed last week's episode, you know what to do (click here!).

The episode begins on Night 24 at Redemption Island. Matt prays for victory in the Duel, but only if God wants it. He's broken down, but getting in the mindset for more time on RI. David wants to "make noise" at the Duel and show he's going to be in the game for a while. Matt says they have no idea what is going on, if there will be a three-way Duel, or how many of them will be going home. What if this is the last Duel or now there are only three-way Duels?

The next morning at Murlonio, Steve is happy David was voted out instead of him. Steve's whole attitude has changed, and he wants to be there. His alliance, however, is now down six to three. Steve would like to infiltrate Ometepe and pull someone out of that alliance, but Steve doesn't know who to target. Steve can't figure Phillip out. How is someone that strange? Steve notes that Rob has his alliance on a tight leash.  His whole hope for survival is based on how irritated the rest of Ometepe is with Phillip.

Speaking of Phillip, he climbs what I now call Confession Rock (after the place where Matt stupidly told Rob he was planning on blindsiding him), and begins meditating with (supposedly) Native American chants. He likes meditating because it allows him to accept nature for what it is. He has a premonition that his relationship with Rob has come to a "Full Circle of Trust." Phillip is still trying to win the game though -- he just knows he won't turn on Rob. Julie, back at camp, says Zapatera has an abundance of food, so they're happy (the former tribes have kept their rice reserves separate from each other). Phillip, assuming all of the rice is communal, begins to flip out to his alliance because he counted Julie having seven and a half spoonfuls of rice. Phillip decides he is going to steal rice from Zapatera, and does.

Steve and Julie get Tree Mail, which tells them all to head to the RI Arena for a Duel. The Duel is a replay of the final Immunity Challenge from Survivor: Gabon.  Each player will have 150 wooden tiles with which to construct an eight foot tall house of cards. The first two people to reach the eight foot mark will stay on RI. The last place finisher will go home. With that, Jeff starts the Duel. Mike does very well and is the first to reach the six foot mark. Matt drops some tiles at five feet, but quickly recovers. Mike is the first to use the ladder, but David and Matt catch up. Mike adds a last tile, but is still short with his tower wavering. David and Matt both get on their ladders. Mike's hands are shaking almost uncontrollably. He builds up one more level and adds a final standing tile. He backs away and the tower stands. Mike is through. Matt adds two final tiles, and backs away. His tower stands. Matt and Mike stay alive!  Jeff informs David that he is the first member of the Jury. David places his buff in the fire and departs. Rob confesses that he sent Mike and David to RI to beat Matt, and David failed. He knows RI will still play a major part in this game because if Matt makes it to the end, he wins it all.

Back at Murlonio, Ometepe goes to make some rice, but find maggots inside. They dump the rice out on a blanket to pick the maggots out. Phillip wants to put their good rice in Zapatera's can, but Steve says no. Phillip can't believe people behave like that. Phillip then attacks Steve about the rice situation. He announces that the first time Steve isn't watching their can, Phillip is going to take it. Phillip says he is a reasonable person, but Steve says he's a lunatic. Phillip then agrees with Steve about his lunacy!

Phillip then says that he is being treated this way because he is black, though race was never discussed until that moment. Grant, hearing the fight, is stone cold shocked that Phillip plays the race card. Steve, too, is incredulous. Remember, Phillip warns, he is a Chief of Counter Intelligence -- if you start it, Phillip will finish it. Phillip continues to rant, saying every time he brings up something with Zapatera, someone calls him crazy. That's what happens with some white folks: when a black man brings up something they don't want to hear, they call the black guy crazy. This, according to Phillip, is like calling him the N-Word. Phillip says he's never been to jail, he's never been arrested, so there is no reason he should be called the N-Word (which no one has, except himself).

Steve confesses that Phillip is just nuts. "He doesn't have a chip, but a log on his shoulder."  Continuing, Steve says Phillip is a pain in the ass, and a little scary, so everyone would be a little better if Phillip was gone. Rob confides that once Zapatera is eliminated, the old Phillip will be back again, but for now, he can't understand what Phillip is doing. Somehow, he made a fight about white rice racial.  Clearly, Phillip is Public Enemy Number One; Rob just needs to figure out who is Public Enemy Number Two, so he can bring that person to the Final Three with him and Phillip. That is if Rob can get there himself. What would be helpful in accomplishing that goal would be winning the...

...Immunity Challenge. For this Challenge, the players will build a multistage puzzle wheel. First, they must spin around holding onto a puzzle wheel to release it, and bring it to a table with some puzzle pieces. The first six players to complete the first puzzle advance to the second round. There, they will encounter a larger, and more difficult, second puzzle. The first to complete the second puzzle wins Immunity. "Survivors ready....go!"

Steve and Rob quickly spin around their wheel and release it. Andrea, Grant, Ralph and Julie quickly follow. Ashley, dizzy, decks in her attempt to make it to the puzzle pieces table. Natalie and Phillip bring up the rear. Rob quickly assembles the puzzle and moves on. Julie and Ralph solve the puzzle next, as do Andrea, Steve and Grant. Jeff begins the second round, and Andrea does a nice job jumping out to the lead. Rob quickly storms back, followed closely by Steve. Jeff notes that the pieces will fit together easily when placed in the correct spot, but Rob starts trying to bang them together. "Easy brother," Jeff warns Rob. Steve and Rob race to the finish, but it is Rob who completes the puzzle literally one second before Steve. Rob wins Immunity!

On Day 27. the tribe eats rice. Julie has never eaten so much rice in her life. She says they need just two Ometepe votes to get Phillip out. Further, Ometepe can spare a player, so maybe they can get the votes if Phillip becomes too much of a pariah. To push Phillip's hysteria along, Julie steals and buries his clothes so Phillip has to hang out in his pink underwear. Later, Phillip inquires as to the whereabouts of his swim trunks. Ashley confesses that everyone in camp is over Phillip. Phillip begins, as Steve puts it, to make an ass out of himself.  Phillip goes off, saying if he doesn't get his trunks back, it will be a crazy...

...Tribal Council. Jeff brings in David as the first jury member. Seeing Phillip's get-up (the underwear, feather headdress and nothing else), Jeff asks him is he has had another meditation. Phillip has had another meditaion, but explains that someone in the tribe thought it would be cute to steal his clothes. He looks at Steve, leading Jeff to asks if Phillip's accusation is based on his federal agent work. Phillip relays the confrontation over the rice. Steve tells Jeff that Zapatera hasn't had to ration their rice as much because more of their former tribe members are gone.

Steve then mentions the racial aspect of the rice argument. Julie says that Phillip threatened them, and that Phillip brought up the N-Word. Jeff asks Phillip if that is true and he replies, "Absolutely." Jeff continues, asking Phillip that in his mind, when Steve calls him "crazy," he really means the N-Word. Jeff notes the ugly history surrounding the word so such an accusation is quite serious. Phillip asks Jeff if he knows what it is like to be a woman. Jeff replies in the negative. So, Phillip continues, he doesn't know what it's like to be a black man either. Phillip knows racism when he sees it. Jeff responds, asking how Phillip knows what Steve is thinking or meaning? Phillip then tells a story about being with his dad at a grocery when he was a kid, and the grocer asking, "How can I help you, boy?" Phillip explains how his father was denigrated and demeaned with such a phrasing. The grocer wasn't flat out calling his father the N-Word, but that was the underlying meaning.

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Survivor: Redemption Island 22.10 "Rice Wars" Recap

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.09 "The Buddy System" Recap

Michael Salerno — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:42:28 +0000

Survivor: Redemption Island 22.09 "The Buddy System" Recap
If you missed last week's twisty episode of Survivor: Redemption Island, check out my recap here.

The episode begins on Redemption Island. Matt congratulates himself on being most naive person to play Survivor. He can't believe he was blindsided twice by the same people. "It's like a big practical joke," he says. Of course, this is all just God's plan, so he thanks the Lord for the opportunity to come back to RI.

Murlonio, Day 22. David says voting out Matt was a great play by "them," but Mike corrects him: it was Rob who maneuvered Matt out of the game. David likens Ron to the Godfather, and says that they need to take Rob out on the fishing boat. Mike compliments Rob to his face on Matt's ouster. Julie laments what happened to Matt, saying voting him out right after he returned to the game was cold-blooded. Do they have no feeling for the kid? She laments that there is no breaking Ometepe's shield of loyalty to Rob. Ralph tries to when he works on Ashley by asking her if he's on the "chop block." Ashley won't give up any of Ometepe's plans. Ralph replies that he'd vote for them in the Final Three and not Rob if they helped him stay in the game, but he is only met with his own aggravation that they won't give up any information.

Rob tells his troops that they need to use the buddy system: no one should talk to anyone from Zapatera by themselves. Rob confesses that voting off Matt brought Ometepe together. He wants to keep an "us vs. them" mentality amongst his alliance. He wants his group to hate Zapatera, and moreover, wants them to be arrogant about it. Not that he will act that way though. He needs to be likeable to win the money. Natalie tells Rob about Ashley and Ralph's conversation and that Ashley wouldn't tell Rob about it herself. Rob confides that he's going to vote out Ashley now because she has to tell him everything. He may get an opportunity after the...

...Immunity Challenge! Phillip enters with a headdress consisting of one sole feather. Jeff asks if he had a collision with a bird. No, but he did have a meditation. Phillip was meditating and asked for a sign. The feather appeared out of nowhere. When he picked it up, he had a vision that everything looks good for the former Ometepe tribe members. Jeff laughs and explains the Challenge. Each player will dig down into the sand to retrieve club and then use that club to smash a tile. The first six players to do that advance to the next round. Those six then must submerge their heads in a water trough, grab water in their mouth, climb under the trough and spit the water into a tube until it reaches the line. The first three to reach the line advance to teh final round where they must solve a puzzle. First to solve the puzzle wins Immunity. The players draw for spots and get ready to start the Challenge. "Survivors ready...go!"

Grant and Rob make short work of the sand pit, and smash through their tiles with such force Jeff gets hit by the pieces. Ralph, Mike, David and Julie move on, too. In the second leg, Grant and Rob continue their dominance. Julie misses her tube. Grant and Rob are moving fast, but Rob doesn't seem to be taking large enough gulps of water, allowing Mike and David to catch up. Grant is through, with Mike and David joining him. The three start on the puzzle, which is a smaller version of the same puzzle in the season's first challenge.  Grant and Mike make short work of the puzzle, while self-proclaimed puzzle master David can't seem to figure it out at all. Mike and Grant maneuver their final pieces, but it is Grant who wins Immunity!

In slow-motion, the players head back to camp. Mike says it is going to be one of Zapatera tonight unless there is a miracle. He notices that the tribe flagpole has moved. Thinking there might be a Hidden Immunity Idol underneath it, he and David start digging. They want to woo some Ometepe members over, but Rob has them on lockdown. Rob notices the guys digging, so he and Phillip run to join them. Rob and Phillip continue digging with shovels, much to the delight of David and Mike who had found nothing. Rob confesses that he can't shake his HII paranoia, as that was how he was ousted last time he played. He believes another HII could be in play at this point. Mike relishes the fun he is having playing with "these clowns." Rob brings Ometepe together to get ideas for how they will vote. Who will have best chance to beat Matt at RI? Rob says the one time to gamble and make a move is at...

...Tribal Council #1. Jeff asks Phillip about the omen he received with his feather that Ometepe would win. It happened! Phillip isn't surprised as his grandfather was full Cherokee (of course he was!). Mike says being down in numbers is not a fun situation. Jeff asks Julie if she thinks about who is at the bottom of the Ometepe alliance. She admits she does, but it is David that says it is Phillip who is on the bottom. "I like being on the bottom," Phillip replies without a hint of irony. He likes being on the bottom because he can look up at everything from there. Phillip runs his mouth about how he is close to his family, but here, he has a new family he can trust. Julie responds that Matt thought they were his family, too.  David hopes a feather might come for his side soon. Phillip responds that he needs to keep his mouth shut and be tough to get a feather. David calls Phillip out for acting like a lunatic, who in return, calls David the bottom of a cesspool(?!?). Jeff asks David if he knows how the vote is going to go down. David answers that he has a pretty good idea it will be one of Zapatera.

It's time to vote. Steve votes for Phillip, calling him an odd duck. Jeff collects the ballots. The first five votes are for Phillip. It appears whomever's name is the next spoken will be the one leaving. The Sixth Vote is for Mike, as are the next four. With the tally five to five, Jeff reads the final vote. "The ninth person voted out of Survivor: Redemption Island...Mike!" Mike brings his torch to be snuffed, and marches off into the Blue Light of Death toward RI. Jeff tells the remaining players that it is clear the former Zapatera is on the wrong side of numbers so they need to dig deep and change their fortunes.

Night 22 at Murlonio, after Tribal Council. Rob calls Phillip a soldier and tells him that Phillip is at the top of Rob's list. Rob confides that over the last couple days he has learned that Phillip is a loyal soldier. Rob is thinking about the Jury vote, so he wants Natalie and Phillip in the Final Three.

The next morning, Phillip confesses that he knows everyone wants to be next to someone like him (i.e. flippin' crazy) in the Final Three. He knows he needs to make something happen, but that time is not yet. Ralph, however, wants to make a move. David warns him to not do something stupid. Ralph tells Phillip that once The Merge happens, it's a one on one game. Does Phillip want to win, or does he want Rob to win a million bucks? Phillip doesn't want to talk about strategy, but Ralph wants to talk about the game, not his home life. David says it's no fun when they don't want to play the game. Will the former Ometepe members play the game at the next...

...Immunity Challenge (#2). The first thing everyone notices are the cheeseburgers! For this Challenge, the players will hang from a bar as long as they can. After twenty minutes, they will only be allowed to use their legs to hang. Jeff asks each player to choose a white rock and a black rock. If they put forward the black rock, it means that person wants to play for Immunity. If he or she puts forward the white rock, it means that player will enjoy cheeseburgers and french fries. The players hold out their hands and reveal their rocks at the same time. Phillip and Steve are the only ones eating. They sit down at the table while the others climb the bars to their positions.  "Survivors ready...Go."

Rob, almost immediately, loses his hat (the same hat, by the way, that he has worn all four seasons. Can you imagine how gross that thing is by now?).  He struggles to get comfortable, and eventually falls. Phillip taunts David while chowing down, but David says he has no problem with Phillip. For his part, Phillip says he has a lot of problems with David. Twenty minutes pass, so the players must use their legs only. David and Ralph choose to hang by one leg only, while the girls all use their flexibility to reach up and grab their feet. Julie drops, and Grant and Ralph follow closely behind. David is the last Zapatera, up against Natalie, Ashley and Andrea. Jeff tellst them that they must fight through the pain. David's leg literally starts turning blue, and he falls out. The girls negotiate a winner amongst them, and Ashley and Natalie drop. Andrea wins Individual Immunity! Before sending them back to camp, Jeff announces that the next person voted out will meet Matt and Mike in a Duel on RI.

Day 24. Back at Murlonio's camp. Rob doesn't like losing because he doesn't want Zapatera gaining any momentum. Fortunately, an Ompetepe won the Challenge. Ralph checks the fishing net, and has caught about fifty fish! Rob says they're dead so they can't be eaten, but Julie thinks Rob just doesn't want his people to take anything from Zapatera. Rob is running his alliance like an army. The Zapatera folks invite the Ometepes to share the fish, but they just look on blankly as, literally, Rob has forbid them from having any. Grant, finally showing some backbone, tastes some fish. He confesses he is his own man; this isn't a dictatorship. Maybe Rob wants to keep them weak. David notes that Rob showed his power with the Matt situation, and now with the fish. It's obvious: you can't cross Rob, especially at...

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Survivor: Redemption Island 22.09 "The Buddy System" Recap