It's night 24 at Camp Aiga. Kelly is gone. EGG says his work is done and tells us his is a work of art, not unlike Picasso. Even Dave congratulates EGG on his fine work. The women of the former Galu tribe though, whisper that EGG is sneaky. This is of little concern to EGG and Shambo who laugh about how tribal council went down.
As day dawns on day 25, EGG is already out looking for the immunity idol (which Dimples has assured us has been put back into play) while the others sleep. While EGG is turning the jungle upside down, Shambo is talking to John and trying to get him onside to get rid of Laura.
The reward challenge involves having two teams. One member of each team lies face down in a suspended cradle while their team-mates maneuver the cradle using four ropes. The person in the cradle tries to pick up 15 flags. The first to collect all of their flags wins a trip to a neighbouring island, to have a picnic by a waterfall. They also get a Sprint phone with which to take pictures of the trip.
Natalie does a masterful job of hanging from her cradle suspended by one thigh and a string bikini to win it for her team (Shambo, Brett, EGG, Dave and Laura). So they head off on their trip where they discover that their Sprint phone has both a text message and a video clue to the whereabouts of the immunity idol. The text message talks about a rolling stone gathering no moss and the video shows a large square moss-covered rock being overturned to reveal the idol.
Back at camp Jaison and Mick are trying to woo Monica into voting Laura off, telling her that they already have a firm five notes. Monica guesses that the fifth vote is Galu's very own Shambo.
When the reward challenge winners arrive back at camp there is a mad scramble to find the hidden idol. Everyone is prowling the jungle looking for moss covered rocks. Dave (obviously thinking that EGG has some idol-finding radar) elects to follow EGG through the jungle. The scene reaches a Keystone Cops level as the two of them run through the trees. But EGG eventually gives Dave the slip, circles back to a promising area, overturns a rock under a small overhang and turns up the immunity idol.
As the idol hunt unfolds, Monica is telling Laura that there is a conspiracy against her. Don't trust Shambo, she says. Convinced that Foa Foa is out to get her she tells us that she must win a third immunity challenge to stay safe.
Right on cue, Dimples shows up in his alternative pale green shirt. The immunity challenge involves throwing a rock at rows of ceramic tiles. Each Survivor gets one rock and one throw. If they break a tile they get a spear and move on to stage two of the challenge. If they break a tile belonging to someone else, that person gets the spear. Laura throws her rock last and misses all of the tiles, causing Shambo to laugh out loud and shamelessly. Brett, Jaison, Monica, Mick all earn spears and move on to the final round, where Miok wins immunity. Shambo tells us it is now Laura's destiny to go home. EGG is certainly ready to get rid of her, and tells Brett that she is too strong and too manipulative to leave in the game. There is no more Galu, he tells Brett. For her part, Laura wants to get rid of EGG. A lot of plots and counterplots are hatched, but when the votes are counted at Tribal council it is, indeed, Laura who is heading home. But the vote is, by no means, straightforward. The first vote ends in a tie between Natalie and Laura. They vote again and in the second vote Laura is voted out. With Laura goes Debbie from our pool. Lets all wave to Debbie and Laura! Sadly, Jack voted for Laura to win so he is also crying in his pale American beer tonight.
Until next week,
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast
Pat (aka Erik I should get an award for being the jury member able to convey the most without using any actual words Cardona)
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Survivor Samoa Update - November 12, 2009
This is a turning point in this season of Survivor. This is the night where I gained a grudging respect for EGG. Its the same kind of respect one might have for the guys who figured out how to put satanic messages on 33 1/3 RPM records so that they could only be heard when played backwards. You don't really like them for it but you think its kind of cool they could do it. But lets not get ahead of ourselves.
Things really get rolling when Natalie, the southern belle, kills a rat with a stick and brings it back to camp in a coconut shell. She then shares in the booty, declaring it to taste like chicken. All of this gains her respect from the rest of the survivors, especially Jaison, who admires how far Natalie has come. Meanwhile EGG is wondering if, perhaps, a new immunity idol has been introduced to the game and if he might be able to find it without clues. He has, after all, already found one idol, played at the last Tribal Council.
Tree mail arrives talking about a digital display and nuts. From his position inside his powder blue shirt, Dimples randomly divides the group into two teams. The teams go out in twos to retrieve long wooden poles, threaded with white and black coconuts. Once all the poles have been retrieved they must be strung up in horizontal rows to reveal a four digit digital number hidden within the pattern of the coconuts. Once the four digit number is established, a single blindfolded member of the tribe must use the number to open a combination lock. The winning tribe gets to go on a picnic beside a beautiful natural rock slide. As the odd person out, Natalie gets to pick the team she thinks will win. If they win she gets to go along on the picnic. If the other team wins, Natalie has to stay behind and hang with the losers. As it turns out Natalie picks the wrong team. Monica, Dave, Shambo, John and Kelly win reward. In the midst of their picnic basket they find a note, telling them that there is another immunity idol hidden at camp. They decide to keep this information exclusive to the former members of Galu. They also decide that EGG should be the next person to go, although Shambo doesn't think this is a good idea. Little do they know that while they are swimming, sliding and feasting, EGG is back at camp looking for the idol that he has already anticipated is there. And wonder of wonders, he finds it under the bridge.
Once the tribe is reunited back at camp, EGG tells Shambo that he has the idol. They devise a plan whereby they will focus all the attention on EGG so that Galu will vote for him. Meanwhile Foa Foa will vote for Laura. EGG will then play his idol and Laura will be gone. Shambo tells us that the only thing that can go wrong is if Laura wins immunity. Do you see where this is going??
The Immunity Challenge involves throwing grappling hooks out to retrieve bags of puzzle pieces. Each Survivor must retrieve two bags. The first three to do so move on to the second round. Mick and Shambo are the first two to get their bags. Russel snags his second bag and takes a little time to look around and smile smugly at the others. Meanwhile Laura has snagged her second bag and is reeling it in. Sure enough Laura narrowly beats out EGG and moves on to the final. In this round they have to fit the puzzle pegs into a board. Laura takes charge and never looks back, handily winning immunity for the second time in a row. And so Foa Foa, and their ally Shambo, need to go to Plan B. Plan B looks a lot like Plan A, except that Foa Foa all vote for Kelly, while hoping that Galu will all vote for EGG. And when the ballots are counted their plan has worked like a charm. For the second Tribal Council in a row, EGG plays his immunity idol. As a result, the Galu votes (all for him) are discarded, leaving only votes for Kelly to be counted. And so Kelly is heading back to her hairdressing career (with a brief stop on the jury, alongside Erik [my guy] Cardona). With Kelly goes her partner from our pool, Marie. No one voted for Kelly to take the money.
Is EGG really as smart as he thinks he is? Will Natalie get her own series opposite Les Stroud (Oh c'mon, surely I'm not the only one who watches Survivorman?)Will Shambo ever figure out she is a pawn? Stay tuned for the answers to these and other questions.
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast
Pat (aka Erik I really didn't enjoy getting slagged at Tribal council tonight Cardona)
Things really get rolling when Natalie, the southern belle, kills a rat with a stick and brings it back to camp in a coconut shell. She then shares in the booty, declaring it to taste like chicken. All of this gains her respect from the rest of the survivors, especially Jaison, who admires how far Natalie has come. Meanwhile EGG is wondering if, perhaps, a new immunity idol has been introduced to the game and if he might be able to find it without clues. He has, after all, already found one idol, played at the last Tribal Council.
Tree mail arrives talking about a digital display and nuts. From his position inside his powder blue shirt, Dimples randomly divides the group into two teams. The teams go out in twos to retrieve long wooden poles, threaded with white and black coconuts. Once all the poles have been retrieved they must be strung up in horizontal rows to reveal a four digit digital number hidden within the pattern of the coconuts. Once the four digit number is established, a single blindfolded member of the tribe must use the number to open a combination lock. The winning tribe gets to go on a picnic beside a beautiful natural rock slide. As the odd person out, Natalie gets to pick the team she thinks will win. If they win she gets to go along on the picnic. If the other team wins, Natalie has to stay behind and hang with the losers. As it turns out Natalie picks the wrong team. Monica, Dave, Shambo, John and Kelly win reward. In the midst of their picnic basket they find a note, telling them that there is another immunity idol hidden at camp. They decide to keep this information exclusive to the former members of Galu. They also decide that EGG should be the next person to go, although Shambo doesn't think this is a good idea. Little do they know that while they are swimming, sliding and feasting, EGG is back at camp looking for the idol that he has already anticipated is there. And wonder of wonders, he finds it under the bridge.
Once the tribe is reunited back at camp, EGG tells Shambo that he has the idol. They devise a plan whereby they will focus all the attention on EGG so that Galu will vote for him. Meanwhile Foa Foa will vote for Laura. EGG will then play his idol and Laura will be gone. Shambo tells us that the only thing that can go wrong is if Laura wins immunity. Do you see where this is going??
The Immunity Challenge involves throwing grappling hooks out to retrieve bags of puzzle pieces. Each Survivor must retrieve two bags. The first three to do so move on to the second round. Mick and Shambo are the first two to get their bags. Russel snags his second bag and takes a little time to look around and smile smugly at the others. Meanwhile Laura has snagged her second bag and is reeling it in. Sure enough Laura narrowly beats out EGG and moves on to the final. In this round they have to fit the puzzle pegs into a board. Laura takes charge and never looks back, handily winning immunity for the second time in a row. And so Foa Foa, and their ally Shambo, need to go to Plan B. Plan B looks a lot like Plan A, except that Foa Foa all vote for Kelly, while hoping that Galu will all vote for EGG. And when the ballots are counted their plan has worked like a charm. For the second Tribal Council in a row, EGG plays his immunity idol. As a result, the Galu votes (all for him) are discarded, leaving only votes for Kelly to be counted. And so Kelly is heading back to her hairdressing career (with a brief stop on the jury, alongside Erik [my guy] Cardona). With Kelly goes her partner from our pool, Marie. No one voted for Kelly to take the money.
Is EGG really as smart as he thinks he is? Will Natalie get her own series opposite Les Stroud (Oh c'mon, surely I'm not the only one who watches Survivorman?)Will Shambo ever figure out she is a pawn? Stay tuned for the answers to these and other questions.
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast
Pat (aka Erik I really didn't enjoy getting slagged at Tribal council tonight Cardona)
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Survivor Samoa - November 5/09
It's night 18. Foa Foa has just sent Liz home, leaving only four of them to tuck each other in at night. There is general concern about going into the merge with such low numbers but Evil Garden Gnome (EGG)says he isn't worried at all. He is too good for this game, he tells us.
There is tension over at Camp Galu the next morning when Laura can't find her canteen. She asks Shambo where it is, whereupon Shambo goes into a tirade about power stuggles, 90210 young things and high school cheerleaders. Shambo is obviously working through some troubling high school experiences! From his home in the trunk of a tree, Erik tells us that they all know Shambo is crazy, so fighting with her just makes the fighter look bad.
Tree mail arrives with vague references to full bellies. Not knowing what to expect but wanting to be prepared for a merge, EGG takes his hidden immunity idol with him, lest they not return to camp. It turn out to be a good idea. When the tribes arrive at the clearing, there is no Dimples, just a treasure chest containing new blue buffs and a note indicating that the tribes will merge, there will be a feast and they will be living at the former Galu camp. So the members of Galu and Foa Foa all set about getting to know one another. EGG comments that Foa Foa is doing exactly what he told them to do (schmooze with Galu) and that he is the king of the kingdom.
When the tribes arrive at the former Galu camp they set about to choose a new name. They settle on Aiga which, according to John, means extended family in Samoan. Privately Erik tells us that he has an immunity idol and wonder how you say "get the hell off my island" in Samoan. Meanwhile EGG has decided that the way to make friends and influence Galuans is to show them his immunity idol. He starts with Laura. He tells Laura that if she takes him to the final 7 he will give her the idol. Laura is aghast that EGG would show her the idol, but when he tells her what the "rules" are she balks. EGG says one of the former Galuan men must be the next to go. Laura says that won't happen so EGG wanders away muttering that Laura will be the next to go. The next stop is Monica where he finds a more receptive audience (or at least one who can keep her qualms to herself). Finally, EGG shows the idol to John. But EGG finds his biggest ally in Shambo (and he doesn't even have to show her the idol). EGG believes Shambo is a good person (I'm not really sure what it means when EGG says you are a good person?. In any case EGG finds, in Shambo, a willing accomplice to help him get rid of his new enemy Laura. In no time at all there is consensus that Laura should go. EGG tells us that its way easier to control the minds of these people than he thought.
Everyone arrives at the immunity challenge to find Dimples wearing (gasp) a pale green shirt. It turns out that the challenge involves a game of Survivor T-Ball. The ball is batted into an area assigned with a specific point value. There is one shot per Survivor and the man and woman with the highest points both win immunity. John and Laura are the winners. And so the Aigavians have to develop a new strategy, since it seems that Laura will be staying for a while yet. Laura tells Erik that EGG has the immunity idol. They decide to get the word out that EGG is the one being voted out, in order to get him to play his idol. Meanwhile they will vote for Jaison. It is a brilliant plan for the 30 seconds or so that it is in effect. Foa Foa, and Jaison in particular has taken a dislike to Erik. Then the women of Galu begin to turn on him too (nooooooo, Erik is MY guy!). Whatever is going on, even EGG admits that he doesn't know what's going on. At Tribal Council Erik slags all of the former Foa Foa members with his nastiest comments reserved for Jaison. When the votes are cast EGG turns in his immunity idol. It turns out it was in vain though because EGG doesn't get a single vote. Instead it is Erik (and me) who are trudging out of Tribal Council with what I can only describe as "oh shit" expressions. And so both idols are out of the game and we are down to one tribe of 11 people. Who will be next? See you next week to find out. Until then...
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast
Pat (aka Erik oh shit Cardona)
There is tension over at Camp Galu the next morning when Laura can't find her canteen. She asks Shambo where it is, whereupon Shambo goes into a tirade about power stuggles, 90210 young things and high school cheerleaders. Shambo is obviously working through some troubling high school experiences! From his home in the trunk of a tree, Erik tells us that they all know Shambo is crazy, so fighting with her just makes the fighter look bad.
Tree mail arrives with vague references to full bellies. Not knowing what to expect but wanting to be prepared for a merge, EGG takes his hidden immunity idol with him, lest they not return to camp. It turn out to be a good idea. When the tribes arrive at the clearing, there is no Dimples, just a treasure chest containing new blue buffs and a note indicating that the tribes will merge, there will be a feast and they will be living at the former Galu camp. So the members of Galu and Foa Foa all set about getting to know one another. EGG comments that Foa Foa is doing exactly what he told them to do (schmooze with Galu) and that he is the king of the kingdom.
When the tribes arrive at the former Galu camp they set about to choose a new name. They settle on Aiga which, according to John, means extended family in Samoan. Privately Erik tells us that he has an immunity idol and wonder how you say "get the hell off my island" in Samoan. Meanwhile EGG has decided that the way to make friends and influence Galuans is to show them his immunity idol. He starts with Laura. He tells Laura that if she takes him to the final 7 he will give her the idol. Laura is aghast that EGG would show her the idol, but when he tells her what the "rules" are she balks. EGG says one of the former Galuan men must be the next to go. Laura says that won't happen so EGG wanders away muttering that Laura will be the next to go. The next stop is Monica where he finds a more receptive audience (or at least one who can keep her qualms to herself). Finally, EGG shows the idol to John. But EGG finds his biggest ally in Shambo (and he doesn't even have to show her the idol). EGG believes Shambo is a good person (I'm not really sure what it means when EGG says you are a good person?. In any case EGG finds, in Shambo, a willing accomplice to help him get rid of his new enemy Laura. In no time at all there is consensus that Laura should go. EGG tells us that its way easier to control the minds of these people than he thought.
Everyone arrives at the immunity challenge to find Dimples wearing (gasp) a pale green shirt. It turns out that the challenge involves a game of Survivor T-Ball. The ball is batted into an area assigned with a specific point value. There is one shot per Survivor and the man and woman with the highest points both win immunity. John and Laura are the winners. And so the Aigavians have to develop a new strategy, since it seems that Laura will be staying for a while yet. Laura tells Erik that EGG has the immunity idol. They decide to get the word out that EGG is the one being voted out, in order to get him to play his idol. Meanwhile they will vote for Jaison. It is a brilliant plan for the 30 seconds or so that it is in effect. Foa Foa, and Jaison in particular has taken a dislike to Erik. Then the women of Galu begin to turn on him too (nooooooo, Erik is MY guy!). Whatever is going on, even EGG admits that he doesn't know what's going on. At Tribal Council Erik slags all of the former Foa Foa members with his nastiest comments reserved for Jaison. When the votes are cast EGG turns in his immunity idol. It turns out it was in vain though because EGG doesn't get a single vote. Instead it is Erik (and me) who are trudging out of Tribal Council with what I can only describe as "oh shit" expressions. And so both idols are out of the game and we are down to one tribe of 11 people. Who will be next? See you next week to find out. Until then...
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast
Pat (aka Erik oh shit Cardona)
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