April 29, 2010: Survivor Recap

After last week's dramatic Tribal Council which saw Parvati play two idols, the Survivors returned to camp, where Russell was severely pissed. I understand his point that Parvati shouldn't have kept that secret from him, but at the end of the day, the move she made with both of the idols was to protect their alliance. I don't think that he should have been that upset, but considering his personality, it was expected.

I think that Parvati's response to him was a little too cavalier, but her best defense probably would have been "Look, now nobody has an idol, and we're up 5 to 4. Do you have a problem with that?" And if she would have done what Russell had said, playing the idol for herself...then Jerri would have been gone and they would have been down 5 to 4.

Good move, Parvati. Suck it up, Russell.

Every time we come back from commercial now to see the tribe name, "Yin Yang" on the screen, I shake my head at the idiocy of the name. We get it...Heroes vs. Villains. Why didn't you just call yourself "Black/White", "Coke/Pepsi", or "Duke/North Carolina?"

After a season of recycling some great challenges from past seasons, along with impressive new ones, we were treated to...shuffleboard? Come on, are you kidding me? This is what we get after last week's 'stand on a pole the longest" competition? Very very weak.

And just as I was getting ready to write in my notes that "Colby sucks in a challenge yet again", he goes and wins the challenge on the final shot. Touche, Mr. Donaldson. I retract my statement.

Although I have to say that I thought the Reward itself was pretty cool...touring Robert Louis Stevenson's home and watching a personal screening of Treasure Island. But Amanda couldn't even enjoy the tour as she was obsessively looking for a clue to the next Hidden Immunity Idol. Was she really looking inside an old-school iron?

But with all of her compulsive searching throughout the reward, Amanda was just wasting her time as Danielle fell ass-backwards into the clue by simply munching on the popcorn during the movie. What ensued was one of the most entertaining sequences in Survivor history.

Danielle tried to hide the clue on the floor. Amanda asked what she put on the floor. Danielle said "nothing." Amanda went and sat on the side of the bed. Then Amanda picked up the clue and tried to run off with it. Danielle chased after her and demanded it back. Colby tried to watch the movie.

CATFIGHT!

Is this the first catfight in Survivor history? I think so, because I can't remember another one that wasn't part of a physical confrontation during a challenge. Amanda insisted that she wasn't giving it back, and Danielle responded by screaming and calling Amanda a psychopath and psychotic. Again, Colby just tried to watch the movie.

Danielle's tantrum wasnt working, and Amanda was standing her ground, so in true tantrum behaviour, Danielle whined to Colby for help. Colby then frustratedly paused the movie and played mediator.

Now, before I continue, I have to say that if you're sprawled out on a bed in the middle of Samoa with two hot girls in bikinis on either side of you...if you're the meat in that sandwich...and they start fighting with each other right in front of you...you don't stop and watch? Maybe....maybe... I could understand it if you were so into the movie that you weren't willing to miss it...but if you have the option to pause the movie...you PAUSE THE MOVIE!

But back to Colby's mediator role, and an unexpected turn of events. I fully anticipated hearing him tell them, "work it out on your own", or "It's Amanda's, she found it on the floor" (which would have been a pretty valid point), especially since he's in an alliance with Amanda. But instead, Colby declared that it was Danielle's since she found it. I couldn't decide what was more idiotic, Colby saying it was Danielle's...or Amanda just handing it over after he said that! What the hell?

I'll tell you, if I was Danielle and I found the clue in a situation like that, where tribal divisions are crystal clear, I would have just said "Yo, look what I found", and jammed it in the crotch of my bathing suit. I'm pretty sure no one is going after it there. Problem solved.

And then back at camp, Danielle told the others that to get the Idol back from Amanda, she "wrestled her to the ground and ripped it out of her hands." Um...no...you snitched to Colby and Amanda folded like a wet newspaper. Meanwhile, Colby's main story coming out of the Reward was that there wasn't a lot of room in that bed for all three of them to sleep together. Nothing like sleeping in the back of an Aztek with your mom, huh Colby? (How many times can I make that joke in one season? I'm guessing at least one more.)

Russell found his 6th Hidden Immunity Idol. The next clue should just say "Look in Russell's pocket." But as he has done every other time, he just went and told someone. But this time, instead of telling anyone in his own alliance, who kept an Idol secret from him, he went and told Candace in an effort to gain her trust. I thought that was a pretty stupid move, but it ended up being pretty smart.

Rupert's on-camera interviews have deteriorated into the same thing each time. Speak slowly in a gruff voice and then elongate your last point. "We...need...to..get...Russell..out of the...gaaaaaaaaame. He's a piece...of...garbaaaaaaage." Come on, pirate man, mix it up a bit!

Sandra was ranting about how she has been wanting Russell out of the game for 30 days. How has this game gone 30 days already? If the final Tribal Council is on the 39th day (as it always is), and there are still eight players left after tonight, how does that work? Are we headed for double eliminations? Injuries? Daily Tribal Councils?

At it's core, the House of Cards Immunity challenge sounds pretty stupid. Like...oh, I don't know...shuffleboard? But it was actually a pretty decent challenge that saw Russell and Jerri go right down to the wire to win. I didn't think that Jerri was going to pull it out after watching her tower wobble near the top. Good for her.

I didn't believe that Candace was actually going to flip. Especially after her conversation with Russell where she was talking about how Amanda has crossed her "too many times." I thought she was lying, and lying badly, until I saw her talking to Sandra right before Tribal Council. Now I believed that she was going to align with the Villains. Remember that she was my pick to win the whole thing in my Recap of the Season Premiere.

At Tribal Council, Courtney rocked the lime green, Coach wore a ball cap instead of a ninja robe, and J.T. entered in what was the ultimate 'Walk of Shame.' Russell made some ballsy statements about Sandra, telling everyone that "Sandra's just there with us." Dumb or smart, give the little troll credit...that took balls to say at a Tribal Council where you think she's flipping.

And it took balls to play the Idol again, even though it was unnecessary. I don't have a problem with it, much as I didn't have a problem with Parvati's move last week. The Idols are a tool to be used. Use them!

What I did have a problem with, was Parvati turning to Russell and telling him "you wasted one" by playing the Idol when he didn't need to. Wait a minute, just last week, she used two idols...which means that one of them was unnecessary and therefore wasted. Hypocritical, no?

Amanda had a great line after being voted out for the first time in her 3 seasons of Survivor: "Ok Jeff, I know you've been waiting forever to do this", as Mr. Blue Shirt snuffed her torch.

Now, for those of you that don't watch the closing commentary where you see the votes, please note that both Sandra and Candace voted for Amanda, making the vote 6-3, and meaning that not only did Sandra not flip as expected, but Candace did. I like her move, I think it will get her further in the game.

Next Week: All hell breaks lose, and Russell threatens everyone.