Survivor Samoa - Oct. 1/09

I'm back. Thank you Donna for so capably filling in last week while I wined and dined with my dragon boat team mates.

Its day 7 and Jaison is making the case that Ben should be the next to go, calling him a mental plague. Russell (Evil Garden Gnome who from now on shall be called EGG)complains that nobody is playing the game except for him. He thinks they might well be the worst group in history and are walking around like zombies. He, on the other hand, is unquestionably the best (the best EGG, one wonders?). While EGG's ego is full to overflowing, Ben is having his own little self love-in. After watching Mick unsuccessfully try to make a fire he tells us that "these people would die" without him. He then tell the women that they shouldn't even try making fire because they won't be able to do it and will just ruin the flint. He finishes by telling them that he had the biggest poop of his life and wonders how the other are doing, poop-wise.

Things are much more sophisticated at Galu, where Laura is leading them in a yoga class. A huffy Shambo isn't participating with her "90210 clique" tribe-mates. She says they have no food, no water and no firewood and says they can "screw yoga".

Back at Foa Foa (because really Galu just seems pretty boring and gets very little air time during this episode)EGG tells Ben that Ashley was leader of a plot to have Ben ousted at the last Tribal Council.Privately EGG tells us that he has planted a "Russell seed" which will grow in Ben's brain. EGG feels he needs Ben for challenges and that Ashley is more expendable.

Tree mail arrives including a bag 'o bathing suits. One can almost see a production meeting where the crew discuss the problem of survivors wearing shirts and pants. The guy who suggested giving each tribe a bag of skimpy bikini's guaranteed to reveal boobs during the physical challenges probably got a raise. In any case the tribes traipse off to reward/immunity challenge wearing their new bikinis (well not the men. The men presumably got bathing suits too, but they didn't get much camera time).

For the challenge two tribe mates must swim out and retrieve a crate. The catch is that they have to go through a battle zone, defended by two members of the opposing tribe. Once 4 crates have been retrieved the must be untied and stacked so that there are no colour repetitions on any one side. Galu has an early lead and hangs on to win. Russell (not the evil EGG, but the other one) has to make a choice of reward. He can take comfort (blankets and pillows) or function (a tarp and pots). He chooses comfort against his own good judgement, saying it is necessary to keep the women happy. The decision is much less popular among the Galu men, however. Russell also has to select a Galuvian to go back to camp with the Foa Foa tribe. He selects Shambo, who receives a clue to the location of the immunity idol hidden in Camp Foa Foa.

Back at the Foa Foa camp, Shambo is a hit. The Foa Foalites feel she has good energy and want to adopt her. For her part, Shambo feels she has more in common with Galu than with her own tribe. And building relationships with them now can't hurt later when the tribes merge. In between teaching the Foa Foans tricks with palm fronds, Shambo has to find time to look for the immunity idol. The clue indicates it is near the fire and on the ground. EGG is chuckling because he already has the idol, but Shambo doesn't know that.She needs to find time to hunt for the idol. In a classic scene, Shambo is laying on the ground with the entire upper half of her body inside the trunk of a tree, while three of the Foa Foa women stand nearby. They apparently think that the Galu tribe lays on the ground with their heads inside trees all the time, because they don't even comment on Shambo's odd behaviour.

Jaison is desperate to be rid of Ben and tells Ashley that if Ben doesn't go he will. He tells us he really has not intention of leaving, but hopes he will sway the tribe into voting for Ben instead of Ashley. This conflicts with EGG's plan to get rid of Ashley. EGG tries to convince Mick to vote for Ashley and, to gain his confidence, he shows Mick the immunity idol. Mick is torn between conflicting loyalties to EGG and to Jaison. Jaison then makes his pitch to EGG suggesting that Ben is not a big asset in challenges and is a definite downer around camp. EGG seems to realize he can't push the Ashley thing any more without causing mistrust.

At Tribal Council Jaison tells Dimples that he wishes they could trade Shambo for Ben. This sets off an argument between Ben and Jaison that has some members of the tribe cringing and some smirking.When the votes are counted Ben is gone and Ashley is safe. For the first time EGG's zombie diciples did something other than his bidding. Instead it was Jaison they listened too. Oooooh, I think EGG will have to get rid of Jaison real quick.

With the uncouth Ben goes our own very couth Pam. Sorry to see you go so soon Pam. No one voted for Ben to win.

Until next week,
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast

Pat (aka Erik why the heck did Russell tell me to sit out that rough and tumble immunity challenge Cardona)