Survivor One World - February 29/12

We rejoin the women of Salani as they return to camp. Nina has been sent back to the retirement home leaving the camp to the nubile younger women. The eyes of those younger women are firmly on Kat who narrowly survived going home herself. Alicia comforts her and tells her to avoid crying at Tribal Council lest it shorten her stay on the island. The women all agree that they need some glimmer of hope. So far, that glimmer is hidden behind some really dark clouds. A storm is rolling in and it is windy and cold. Colton comes over to invite the girls over to the men's camp to ride out the storm under their tarp. To their credit, the women decline and spend a cold wet night huddled in their leaky shelter. By morning their fire is out and they add hunger to their list of maladies. They head over to the men's camp to sit by the fire. Matt, who has been out crab hunting returns to find the shelter crowded by cold wet women. Only Colton, and apparently Matt, could miss the opportunities inherent in this situation. Matt isn't pleased. The male/female rivalry goes from bad to worse when the women win the next reward challenge. A memory test where pairs must remember the order of a series of objects brings out the best in the women. They win every round and, for their trouble, win a canoe with paddles and fishing gear. The women head off to find their boat, full of plans to get a fire going and repair their shelter. More rain rolls in though and it is more than some of the women can handle. They go over to ask the men for an ember to start their fire. The men grudgingly give them an ember which apparently goes out because Alicia and Chelsea are soon over again asking to sit by the fire. When the men suggest that maybe their kindness might be repaid by the occasional use of the canoe, the women are less than receptive. "We will check with the others" say Alicia and Chelsea as they head back to their own camp. The men believe their request quite legitimate given that the women have been asking for plenty of favours over the last few hours. Over at Camp Salani Chelsea is in tears saying she would gladly give the men the &^%( boat if she could just get warm. By the next morning the sun has come out and the mood of the women of Salani has markedly improved. They even manage to spear three small fish. But all good things must be interupted by a challenge. In this case the challenge involves 6 members of the tribe being blindfolded and heading out in pairs under the direction of a "caller" who must guide them verbally through an obstacle course. The tribe must find and release 5 tubs of water, each of which contain a bag of puzzle pieces. Once all five bags have been retrieved the caller must open the bags and assemble the puzzle. The men take a commanding lead as Sabrina stumbles in her directions to the women. However when it comes down to Sabrina and Bill assembling the puzzle, Sabrina (with help from Monica) wins the day for the women. Back at camp the women are elated over their victory...the men not so much. Colton is supremely annoyed by Bill, who he calls ghetto trash, and wants him gone. Surprisingly (at least to your humble scribe) Colton is heading up a pretty loyal alliance of Tarzan, Troy, Jason and Leif. The numbers are on their side. At one point during a strategy meeting Jay shows up. Tarzan asks him if he has the courage to vote with them to get rid of Bill. Backed into a corner Jay agrees that he will. Imagine Jay's horror then when his alliance show up in the person of Matt, who asks what they are talking about. Mumble. Shuffle. Mumble. "Strategy" says Tarzan. Wondering what these guys could possibly be planning (after all he has things firmly in hand), Matt pulls Troy aside. "We are two heads of a snake", he tells Troy. You head the Average Joes while I head the Muscle Alliance. There is a lot of other stuff about roosters too, to which Troy smiles, nods and agrees. But privately Troy tells us "it ain't Survivor unless you're lying". He reports back to his Average Joe alliance and even Colton becomes convinced that Matt should be the next to go. When the votes are cast at Tribal Council it is the "in control" Matt who is watching his torch get snuffed. Along with Matt goes Lynn from our pool. Cheryl voted for Matt as the ultimate winner so she too is mourning this evening. Until next week... Outwit, Outplay, Outlast Pat (aka Kat I spell it R E P R I E V E Edorsson)