Survivor South Pacific October 5/11

WTH! I am gone for three weeks and you guys can't cut me some slack? I come back to find myself wallowing in self-pity on Redemption Island.

But that aside, I'd like to thank Lynn for taking over the scribe duties while I was away. There were only four votes that I could locate among my e-mails for the final winner of this season. They are as follows:

Donna voted for Ozzie
Jack voted for Albert
Selina voted for Edna
Jeff voted for Rick

If someone sent either Lynn or I a vote and we missed it please let us know, but I think this is it.

I was very much feeling my way around this episode, trying to figure out who was who. In myfirst view of the mighty Ozzie (one of my all-time favourites) he is curled up on a hammock with Elyse. Jim is sizing up the situation. Ozzie is dangerous. Couples are dangerous. Ozzie in a couple is REALLY dangerous. He and Cochran hatch a plot to oust Elyse. We discover that Dawn is a Mormon who is uncomfortable swimming in her underwear, but is quite comfortable joining in the plot to oust Elyse. When Jim and Cochran leave for Redemption Island to observe the duel, Ozzie admonishes Jim not to play the strategy game too hard.

At Upolu, Brandon is aplogizing to everyone. He is upset that he let his temper get away from him. I wish he would stop apologizing says one of the women, as Brandon moves over to apologize to Edna. The apologies continue when Brandon gets to Redemption Island and he has to stop the challenge so that he can also apologize to Christine. OK we get it. New leaf, blah blah blah.

The Redemption Island duel involves Papa Bear and Christine tossing sandbags onto the top of barrels. The first to get one sandbag on top of each of the 10 barrels will get to hang around for a while longer. It is close, but Christine beats out Papa Bear, ending his Survivor dream. With Papa Bear Mark goes Jan from the pool.

Day 10 on Upolu sees Edna annoying everyone. She tells us she needs to play a social game since she can't beat these people in the physical challenges. You may be right Edna, but you seem to be trying just a little too hard. The cutesy giggle, the incessant chatter, walking on Coach's back?! Stacey wonders if Edna has a disconnect button somewhere that she might access to turn the woman off.

For the immunity challenge each tribe is asked to select two men and a woman. These three have poles placed across their shoulders. The opposing tribe determines who will get weight added to their pole during each stage of the challenge. Stacey, Brandon and Albert take on Keith, Dawy and Jim. In the end it comes down to the two women and Dawn narrowly wins over Stacey. Savaii wins reward, a crate of chickens, immunity and a clue to the hidden immunity idol.

It seems pretty clear that it will either be Edna or Stacey who will be heading over to Redemption Island. An insecure Edna asks Stacey if she should take her stuff to Tribal Council and Stacey tells her to do whatever she needs to do. Meanwhile Stacey talks to Coach who tells her he likes her, but Stacey is not taken in by Coach's BS.She tells Brandon that Sophie, Mikhayla and Albert have something going on, but when Brandon passes the news on the Coach he gets reprimanded for believing information coming from a condemned woman. Privately Coach tells us that Brandon worries him and that this has to be his (Coach's) game.

At Tribal Council Dimples introduces a new game that I will call "What do you find most annoying about _____". While this game is obviously meant to stir up trouble, no one really takes the bait. But when Brandon is asked what he finds most annoying about Edna, he mentions her chattiness, then suddenly starts to cry. He feels responsible to paint his family in a more positive light. Apparently old Uncle Russell made the family feel a little uncomfortable and Brandon feels he needs to undo all of that. In any case Brandon gets himself together and the vote is cast. In spite of her valiant effort at the Immunity Challenge, it is Stacey (along with Lynn) who is heading over to Redemption Island. This sets the stage for a Pat/Lynn duel next week and one of us will be out of the competition. Sigh. As Stacey is leaving Coach asks the tribe to give her a hug, but she brushes past Coach, refusing his hug and telling Dimples that it "wasn't real".

Until next week
Outplay, Outwit, Outlast
Pat (aka Christine I hope you didn't get too attached to me Markoski)