Survivor Phillipines - November 28/12

Our Survivors are back at camp having sent Pete to the jury. Abi is bitter about her treatment at Tribal Council but Denise has little sympathy. Unless Abi wins immunity she is the next to go. Abi is still smarting when she and Malcolm go to collect tree mail. She begins to cry, and Malcolm feels his heart going out to her. He ends up giving her a hug telling us that, last night, the truck ran over Abi then backed up and ran over her again. *Editors note: could we just crank up that Mac truck one more time...for me?

The reward challenge involves bidding on food. Each Survivor starts with 500.00 .Dimples uncovers the first plate and Denise immediately bids her entire $500.00 on the pancakes, bacon, maple syrup and OJ. Skupin bids all of his money on a plate of crackers and cheese and a glass of wine (Skupin doesn't drink - WTF!). Malcolm buys iced coffee and donuts and Penner gets a bargain, spending $100.00 on a mystery plate that turns out to be fried chicken and fries. Carter buys another covered dish for $200.00 which turns out to be a baked potato with all the fixin's. There is a twist on this one though, in that Carter can keep the potato or trade it for a bag each of rice and beans for the tribe. Carter selects the rice and beans, earning several attaboys from his tribe mates. Lisa spends $320.00 on two subs and a coke. When Dimples announces that the next item is an advantage in the next challenge, Abi wastes no time in bidding her full $500.00 wad - this is exactly what she was hoping for. The last item is another covered item purchased by Carter. Again it turns out to be a purchase that benefits the tribe - a veal shank. The entire tribe gets to share it and they have 60 seconds to eat as much as they can. And so the auction ends with Carter earning his tribe more food.

They return to camp with joy in their hearts and veal hanging from their teeth. The exuberant mood is dampened, though, when Abi demands that Penner apologize for being mean to her at Tribal Council. Penner makes an apology of sorts, but tells us that the more toxic Abi is, the better it is for him. Abi tells us that others will have to start to work with her now, since they don't know what "advantage" she purchased at the auction. When she reads the note it tells her that she has won a free entry into the final round of the next immunity challenge. Given Abi's none-existant to poor performance at challenges, this is hardly a gimme. However, Abi decides to try to trick her tribe mates into believing she has found another idol. She wanders around all day, then tells Malcolm that she isn't going home and that she has an idol. "You guys are going to have to make some decisions", she tells him. Malcolm says that Abi is like the girlfriend that you have broken up with, who won't leave.

The Immunity Challenge is a three parter and Abi gets to sit out the first two parts (as she has sat out virtually every challenge to date). Before the challenge begins, Dimples asks her to read the paper that she purchased in the auction. She says it is a two part note and that she is only obligate to read the first part. She tells them she has won a bye into the final round of the challenge. She then quickly tears up the note, implying that there is something there she doesn't want them to know. If I were Dimples I would have blown her cover, but Dimples never lets on that there is no second part to the note.

For the challenge Survivors wear a belt attached to a rope. The rope is wound around a balance beam type of thing. They have to move over and under the beam to reach the end of the rope. At the beginning of each round they are asked a question. An incorrect answer means that they have to carry 5% of their body weight during the challenge. In spite of carrying some extra weight, Denise wins the first round. She, Carter, Skupin, Malcolm and Penner all move on. Round two involves a three dimensional maze that they must follow their rope through and around. Denise now carries 10% of her body weight, while Carter and Skupin carry 5%. Penner and Carter win this round and join Abi for the third and final round. This round is less physical and involves untying knots to move through a course. In some sort of weird freakish distortion of the natural order, Abi wins. Malcolm tells us that hell has frozen over and Abi has won a challenge. But, unlike the others who were counting on getting rid of Abi, he isn't really that upset. This gives him the perfect opportunity to get rid of Penner, who he considers a much greater threat.

Abi's win has a much more profound effect on Lisa. Because Penner is now the target, Lisa is stricken. She has an alliance with Denise and Malcolm, but she really likes Penner. She and Penner go for a walk and she tells him her conundrum. "I've been told to write down your name", she says. "Well what are we going to do about it?" asks Penner. "Work your magic", says Lisa, "because I really want to go to the final three with you".

Penner does his best. He sees his earlier error in not agreeing earlier to ally with Lisa, Denise and Malcolm. He tries to start a movement to oust Denise. Skupin becomes the swing vote. But when the votes are counted, Penner's last minute push has failed and he is heading (somewhat ungraciously) over to the jury. Too bad, as your faithful scribe had become kind of fond of Penner, whose voice sounded just like Hawkeye on the old MASH shows. With Jonathan Penner goes Jack from our pool. With the closing music from MASH playing in my head we wave goodbye to Jack. No one voted for Penner to win so Jack is alone in his misery.

until next week..
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast
Pat (aka Abi Marie I can't understand why you all hate me Gomez)