Survivor Nicaragua - December 19/10

Imagine my mood when we turned on the television to watch the season finale of Survivor only to find...The Simpsons? Yup. On every channel that promised me Survivor was Homer. We have low budget satellite service so don't get any US channels. The mystery was solved when a little ticker across the bottom of the screen told us that Survivor was delayed by 18 minutes due to football programming on the originating network. So Jack, Kathy, Selina and Jeff...while you were watching somebody beat somebody else at football, I had to watch the Simpsons for 18 minutes.

But enough about Pat. Day 37 begins with Fabio musing about the need to break up Holly, Chase and Sash (why they didn't do it by voting out Holly at Tribal Council remains a mystery to me). When Fabio approaches Holly about voting for Sash or Chase, she is non-commital. Sash eagerly tells Fabio whatever he wants to hear and Chase confirms that he wants to take Fabio to the final three.

The first immunity challenge involves finding a post with the correct answer to a trivia question about Nicaragua, then removing a bag from that post. If the answer is correct the bag contains puzzle pieces. After obtaining three such bags, the pieces can be put together to form the Survivor Nicaragua logo. Fabio needs to win this one, but is far behind in the collection of his puzzle pieces. However, while Sash struggles and Chase looks puzzled, Fabio throws his logo together and wins immunity.

Back at camp Fabio is ecstatic. He tells us that he always knew he would wait until the end of the game to begin playing aggressively. He talks to both Chase and Sash about getting Holly out. Dan also makes a pitch against Holly. But when the votes are tallied it is Dan who is heading to the showers. With Dan goes Pam from the pool. Now Fabio knows he has to win another challenge to stay in the game since Holly, Chase and Sash have remained firm.

The next day there is another Immunity Challenge. Survivors do the traditional walk down memory lane and burn wooden shields with the names of the Survivors who have not made it to this point. Then it's down to business. With one hand they must balance a sword. With the other they must continue to add coins to a pile balanced on the sword's handle. Fabio's pile of coins looks wobbly right from the beginning but, against all odds, he holds on to win another immunity challenge. Suddenly the tables have turned. Fabio will be going to the final three and the others have to scramble to ensure that Fabio takes them along. Sash tells us privately that he is as desperate as he has ever been in the game. He does some major sucking up to Fabio, telling him he is his best friend in the game. Fabio's response is a knowing smile (quite the change from the Fabio who believed everything everyone said at the beginning of the show). Fabio tells Chase that Sash was selling him out. Chase is PO'd and tells Fabio that had he not won immunity the alliance would have sent him packing. Holly confirms this when Fabio talks to her. Fabio confides that Holly is the only one of the three who has never lied to him and he believes that perhaps she deserves to go to the final. But, alas, at Tribal Council Holly is sent home taking Roberta, from our pool, with her.

We are now down to three. Fabio is in a position of power. Sash feels humbled because he was called out on all his lying and conniving at Tribal Council. Chase is still working the game, hoping that Fabio will get overconfident and blow it with the jury. The threesome awake on day 39 to a final day breakfast. They clean up the camp and burn the shelter then head off to meet the jury. All in all there is not a lot of drama from the jury. Even Jane doesn't go too far off the wall. They ask the usual questions. Fabio has one very emotional moment and then the votes are cast. Dimples then takes the urn containing the votes and (so they would have us believe) walks all the way from Nicaragua to New York where he arrives at the finale wearing the same shirt which must smell really really bad considering he has just walked all the way from Nicaragua. Dimples counts the votes and it is the airheaded Fabio who wins the million. While I am not sure I believe Fabio should have won, I am very happy that my good buddy Lynn, co-founder of the pool and sometime author of this update has won the $150.00.

No one picked Fabio to win the million. However two people picked Sash (Marie and Donna) and one person (me) picked Chase. I got Rick (who is busy making toffee and peanut brittle!!) to draw from among these three names. I am proud to announce that Donna is the winner of a genuine red Survivor Nicaragua buff.

The next season of Survivor begins on February 16. It promises a new twist. Anyone voted off goes to Redemption Island where they can win a chance to return. Should be interesting. Until February....
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast
Pat (aka Jill was I at the reunion? Behm)