Survivor Tocantins - April 2, 2009

Its day 16. Spencer is gone. In Camp Jalapoa Sydney is feeling she may be next. But Joe reassures here that she is safe "because she is gorgeous and he has a little thing for her". Now that's strategy! JT tells us that things are getting strange, but says he has been honest and will continue to be (sigh...that's MY guy). Taj wants to tell JT that she has the idol but Stephen doesn't think this is such a good idea. Its not that Stephen doesn't want JT to know, he just wants to continue to be the go-between. Direct Taj/JT contact isn't in his best interest. Besides, Stephen isn't so sure he is ready to bring JT into their alliance.

At Timbira Coach is working his personal magic yet again. Believing the pot of cooked beans are not soft enough he dumps some dirty river water in. This means having to boil the beans even longer. It starts to rain and Coach heads for cover. By the time the rain is over the beans have burned to the bottom of the pot. Sierra isn't happy and says so. Coach says there is no need to blame anyone and gives an apology as phony as two dollar bill. Brendan is not pleased with Coach either but tells us that Coach is predictable. I have a feeling Coach would consider being predictable the worst insult of all.

So its time for a challenge. In this one each team is given five minutes to build a barricade inside the other tribe's frame. Then the tribes must try to throw ceramic pigs (yes, you read that correctly) through the barricade. The tribe to successfully get the most pigs through the barricade without breaking them in the five minute time limit wins reward. This is a close one but Timbira wins thanks to some fine tossing and catching by Tyson, Coach and Sierra. Timbira elects to send Joe to Exile Island and Joe chooses Erin to go with him (because she is a fine looking woman).

Timbira heads off to enjoy their reward - a barbeque by a waterfall, complete with burgers, watermelon, chips and beverages. The group eats "like animals" ** then play in the pond below the falls. At Exile Island Joe insists that Erin chose her urn first. Hers contains the clues to the hidden immunity idol. Erin figures out that the idols are hidden back at their respective camps and can hardly wait to tell Joe that he too can have an idol once he gets back to camp. But back at Camp Jalopoa Stephen and Taj are participating in what has become a Survivor tradition...the making of the fake idol. Taj puts together some leather and some feathers and hides it under the grass skirt of the tree mail statue. She then hides her real idol in a bag. JT goes hunting for a bag to take fishing and finds the idol. He talks to Stephen about it and Stephen tries (badly) to play innocent. But when Taj comes back to camp she shows JT the idol and tells him and Stephen that if they need it they can have it. Thus JT's trust in Taj is cemented. The three tuck the idol into Stephen's dress pants pocket for safe keeping.

Joe and Erinn arrive back from Exile Island in time for the immunity challenge. In this one tribe members must use a slingshot to break a ceramic tile. Breaking the tile releases sand and when enough sand runs through the hole, a bag of puzzle pieces is released. The first tribe to get all three bags and correctly assemble their puzzle wins immunity. JT and Tyson duke it out with the slingshots but Tyson gets all three of his bags first and Timbira goes on to win immunity.

Back at camp JT is apologetic for not winning the challenge, Joe is nursing a festering wound on his leg, and Joe gallops off to find the immunity idol (which is fake but he doesn't know that). Sydney and Joe are convinced that Taj is going home. JT and Stephen try to convince Joe that Taj should stay since she has such great connections in the other tribe. But Joe won't be convinced to send Sydney home instead of Taj. That is when the dark forces begin to speak to Stephen and my JT. Stephen has the idol hidden in his pants. They can vote Taj off and keep the idol. JT is torn with this decision and says he is going to hell. Still when the votes are counted at Tribal Council, it seems my hero had a change of heart. It is Sydney who loses the vote and has to go home. With Sydney goes Jack from the pool who can now take that Sydney pin-up poster off his bedroom wall. No one voted for Sydney to win the million so Jack is alone in his sorrow.

Until next week
Outwit, outplay outlast
Pat (aka JT see I still have scruples Thomas)

**Editors note: re the phrase eating like animals...it should be noted there was a shot of a monkey and he was eating quite demurely...unlike the humans.