There’s an odd trend on “Survivor” that rarely comes into play, and I’ve actually yet to have a season until now where it bears commenting on, but tonight, I’m forced to. That trend is that, for whatever reason, when two people with the same first name appear on the same season of “Survivor”, one of them must go, usually very early. On “Survivor Pearl Islands” we had Ryan Opray and Ryan “Skinny Ryan” Shoulders, both of the Morgan Tribe, and Skinny Ryan was second to go. On “Survivor All-Stars”, we had Jenna Lewis and Jenna Morasca, as well as Rob Cesternino and Rob “Boston Rob” Mariano, with Jenna Morasca and Rob Cesternino going third and fourth respectively. There was also “Survivor Vanuatu”, which gave us John “J.P.” Palyok and John Kenney, with J.P. being third to go. And let us not forget “Survivor Samoa”, which had both Russell Hantz and Russell Swan, and while Russell Swan lasted a few episodes, for how well remembered he is from that season, he may as well have been out early. There were other seasons, of course, such as “Survivor Nicaragua”, but this intro’s far too long as it is, and I think the point stands. Now, there are exceptions to this rule. Notably, “Survivor Africa” had both Kim Powers and Kim Johnson survive until the final 6, but it’s more the exception than the rule. That rule was played out in full tonight, as at Galang’s first Tribal council, the only targets were people named “Laura”. But let’s take it from the top, shall we.
Ok, ok, I know it’s coming, let’s get that damn Redemption Island scene that we already saw out of the way… Oh hey, we’re looking at Tadhana! Now that’s much more interesting. Perhaps the producers are finally learning something. So we see that everyone is still a little shell-shocked, which is to be expected given how hectic that last Tribal Council was. The only really interesting tidbit comes to us from Ciera, who points out that now she has an opening to take out one of the guys, due to this move fragmenting them somewhat, and making Caleb seem untrustworthy. Gotta admit, while I’m not a big Ciera fan, and I think she oversells herself a bit, this is a solid plan. Nothing Earth-shattering, mind you, and I doubt it’s going to work quite like she thinks, but she’s watching her surroundings, and making the best possible use of them. Kudos to her for putting in the effort.
Well, that was fun, let’s see what’s happening at Galang… Oh, NOW we get the stupid Redemption Island scene. As per usual, people are pissed at Brad, though give him credit that he at least TRIES to be civil and polite about the whole thing. Thank God for small favors.
So NOW we get to see Galang, where Laura Morett is desperately trying to give herself a chance. Her idea is adequate, deducing that Aras is in with the majority, and trying to get in his good books via massage, but she’s not subtle at all about it, and Aras, game savvy that he is, sees right through it. This makes him not improperly paranoid. Then again, perhaps it’s just Colton’s influence on the tribe making massages unpopular.
One Laura in trouble just isn’t enough, however, so we get Laura Boneham commenting on how she’s the odd one out for never having played the game before. This is not too surprising, but fair. Not much else to say. Moving on.
I feel like we’re getting whiplash as we head on over to Redemption Island to see the march in of Candice, John, and BRAD? What the hell, Probst, I thought you were all for calling him “Culpepper”? Huh. I guess getting sent to Redemption Island gets your nickname status demoted.
Monica is, to be expected, upset about this, even offering to take Brad’s place in the game. Brad, correctly realizing that he’d just be voted out again should he accept, and that then more than likely both he AND his wife would be out of the running for the prize, declines. The problem, however, is that Monica is more upset about this than she should be. No, this is not my heartless cynicism leaking into the blog again. I accept that it must be hard to see a loved one go, and do allow for some grieving. Monica, however, is going way too far, making it clear that she’s playing for two (as opposed to for her alliance), and associating herself too closely with Brad, which, given how he’s perceived, could lead to problems down the road. Particularly egregious is her getting mad at Candice for trashing Brad, to which Candice for once fairly replies that Monica voted Candice out, so if anything, Candice has more of a reason to be mad at Monica, which actually makes a lot of sense. Seriously, Monica, GET OVER IT!
So, where is today’s Rehash Island challenge from? Well, hate to say it, folks, but for once my powers of recall fail me. I know this challenge has been done before, and my gut tells me it’s from either “Survivor South Pacific” or “Survivor One World”, but for the life of me I can’t remember which one it is. I hang my “Survivor Nerd” hat in shame. The challenge itself, in any case, is one I enjoy. Our duelists must disassemble a box, and use the boards to solve a puzzle bridge. Having completed the bridge, they must then disassemble the bridge, selecting out pieces that have paint on the other side to solve a puzzle. First two to solve the puzzle stay alive, and the first one once again gets to give someone in the game a clue. For once, I’m actually ok with this challenge. It’s fairly clever, pretty well balanced (if a bit heavy on the puzzle side), and not one we’ve seen a million times before. I particularly like that with the second puzzle, not every piece will be used. It’s an added layer of difficulty you don’t often see on the show. Also, there’s a metaphor here somewhere with the building of a bridge only to tear it down, I’m just not sure what.
Well, seeing as Probst talks up Candice’s challenge ability, so you know that means that Candice will be losing this challenge. Props to the editors on this one, however, they did make it very tense, with a nail-biter of a conclusive battle between Candice and Brad. It would have been more tense were it between Candice and John, but hey, it’s reality tv, you can’t control these things. Galang cheers Brad all the way, seemingly to cheer up Monica, but I think there might be a deeper layer to it. As we’ll see later, Tadhana is a much more united front with Brad out of the tribe. If Brad sticks around long enough to come back, he might be a way to divide and conquer Tadhana, should they have a sudden winning streak. Excellent forward thinking on their part, if that’s true.
Candice, as I said, loses, and so must leave. I kind of wish she’d stuck around, partly to get more exploration into how the relationship survives such a trial, as well as dilemmas about how you fight your loved one in a game like this. I’d also rather she stuck around over John, as while I’m not a fan of Candice’s character, she at least HAD a character. John is just bland on bland with a side of bland. Hey, Cochran! I need an ice cream metaphor here! Still, all things considered, I’m not sorry to see Candice go. It’s a bummer she never really got to play and all, but her character was never that good to begin with, and she seemed really whiny this season. Yeah, I’d rather John or even Brad went, but all things considered, she’s not a huge loss.
John, being unable to think without Candice, gives the clue to Monica again, who just throws it in the fire. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
It’s a shame Monica can’t read this blog on the island, or else, I think she wouldn’t behave quite like she did at camp, complaining to people in general and Tina in particular about Brad’s treatment, even going so far as to say they’re essentially the same person, at least in terms of personality, to which I refer her to my earlier comment of “That’s not a good thing”. Tina assures Monica that he’ll come back, but as to be expected, Tina points out that Monica’s thoughts might have some very negative consequences. She doesn’t know what yet, so she’s not going to be hasty, which at the moment I think is a smart decision, particularly given that you don’t know what will happen with Redemption Island. Still, rest assured that if Monica keeps this up, Tina will get rid of her very quickly. Not useful? GONE.
Speaking of Tina, I guess now is as good a time as any to address my assessment of Tina pre-season. I sort of left Tina as a blank slate, as I acknowledged that she was good in the past, but had no idea how well both her social and physical games had held up over the years. I can now attest that both have held up exceedingly well. Tina’s not getting a lot of interviews, but you can tell she’s playing, and still as savvy as ever. Moreover, given how often she’s been competing in challenges, I would venture to say that her physical game is holding up quite well. So good for her, it looks like Tina’s in for the long haul this time around, and I’m excited!
Ciera, over at Tadhana, utters the immortal words “There’s no way this can get any worse.”, with regards to the physical camp situation. CUE RAINSTORM! In all seriousness, we actually get a rainstorm of injury litanies, culminating with Katie’s complains about a foot fungus growing under her toenails, causing them to fall off. Thank you so much for sharing!
Super Vytas, despite his super-durability, is also not immune to the grossness of such injuries. Perhaps it’s his Kryptonite. Still, he valiantly bears it for a brief period, before heading off to talk strategy with Caleb. The two casually comment on liking Ciera, which is really double-talk for what they tell the cameras. Caleb, in the more obvious and less interesting confessional, says it’s good to be the swing vote, and uses the word “Kahuna” in completely the wrong country, a hanging shame if ever there was one. Super Vytas, on the other hand, tries to sense the aura around Caleb to get a sense of his alignment in the fight between good and evil. However, while he’s read everyone else, Caleb’s aura is clouded. This makes Super Vytas suspicious, but his first priority is to prevent Caleb from taking his rival for tribe head permanently, leading Super Vytas to try to bond with Caleb. It’s a good strategy for now, but there will doubtless be a time soonish that it needs to be dropped. The superhero’s life is a lonely one, after all.
The next day reveals that, whatever Super Vytas’ super origin, he’s solar powered, as he performs his daily yoga on top of a mountain to keep his powers in check, doing the very impressive move of a split while simultaneously standing on one’s hands. He then decides to use his inspiring presence to motivate Tadhana to a victory. Well, nothing else worked, I guess this is worth a shot.
Challenge time, and I’m in the rare position of WISHING for another Redemption Island challenge. Today we get a mixed rehash from “Survivor Fiji”, and “Survivor One World”. Running in pairs, one person from each tribe will slide down a water slide, grabbing a large ring on the way. Once at the bottom, they then try to get the ring around a post, the first one to do so scoring a point, first to get 5 points wins immunity, plus a choice between a steak dinner and fishing gear for a reward. I’ve said before and I’ll say again that water slides of “Survivor” DO NOT WORK! They don’t fit the “Native Islander” themes at all, and just feel lazy and tacked on. Ok, so the one on “Survivor Gabon” was kind of cool, but that one was also built into the cliffside. Furthermore, this one is not remotely challenging, with the ring just lying there, and the post having so many nooks and crannies of it, that it seems far too easy to hook a ring on it.
Galang chooses to run Tina and Kat, so they must be smoking something. Tina I can understand, but you’d run KAT in a challenge over either Laura or Monica? What is your major malfunction sir?
Stupidity on Galang, coupled with the inspiring presence of Super Vytas (who earns redemption against arch-nemesis Aras-Man) actually earns Tadhana a victory. Guess it really was Brad Culpepper’s attitude that held them back. They choose to take the steak, and I’d normally chastise them for not taking the long term fishing gear reward, but given that the tribes seem to have fishing spears already, I don’t see it as much of a loss.
Now THIS is interesting! Galang really has to strategize now! Which is why they do the obvious of target Laura Boneham as being an easy first out. Laura doesn’t help matters by awkwardly commenting on the situation in a transparent plea for comfort, which is rendered all the more hilarious by Gervase’s apparent silence on the matter. Give Laura B. some credit, though, when she sees this isn’t working, she tries a new tactic. Specifically she tries the “create conflict to shelter myself tactic”. She’s not subtle about it, but she’s at least trying. So, how do you get around being completely unsubtle about strategy? Why, by going to the brainless wonder, KAT! Laura B. tells Kat that both Laura M. and Monica thought they should have been in the challenge, which is true, but put a lot more vindictively by Laura B. than was actually intended in the conversation. Kat, for her part, seems to be falling for it, but then looks at her handler of Tyson and Tina, who quickly defuse the situation. Nice, quick thinking on their part.
Well, if Laura B. isn’t going to be saved by her own hand, then by who’s hand. The answer to that is Aras, who rattles off the alliance for about the FIFTH time this episode (though with the new addition of Kat, who seems to have been grafted on as a safety net for her stupidity), and points out that both Laura’s are on the outs, with Laura B. looking to go first. However, Aras doesn’t trust Laura M., and has also noticed Monica’s loyalty towards her husband, and thinks it would be better if he was out of the game. To this end, he decides to recruit his alliance to vote off Laura M., in the hopes of her challenge proficiency eliminating Brad on Redemption Island. Now, I do agree that Laura M. would be the smarter move overall, just because despite appearances, she’s quite game savvy, and could throw a wrench in your plans later on, whereas Laura B., God bless her, is not nearly as on the ball in terms of gameplay. Also, Laura M. knows that she’s not fully in with you all, and might flip, whereas Laura B. has no reason to flip. However, I must protest the “Laura M. is more of a challenge threat” explanation. True, Laura M. is more well-rounded in challenges I would say, but Laura B. is no pushover either. In fact, from what we’ve seen of her, she’s a force to be reckoned with. give her some credit.
Still, with that angle, you have to wonder how they’ll justify it to Monica. They don’t. They just suggest the idea, and she too trashes Laura B.’s challenge ability. Swell.
History is the theme of Tribal tonight, as we get fairly interesting takes from Gervase and Tina about how the game has changed in the 13 odd years it’s been since their first forays. Both agree that it’s harder, and things move faster, though given Tina’s gameplay on “Survivor The Australian Outback”, I contest the claim that Tina has played harder thus far in the game than she did on that season. We then get to the targets, with Laura M. giving a solid, but generic, interview. Laura B. gives us a bit more, giving what I thought quite an honest answer to Probst’s question. True, she’s contributed, but there’s no question that they would have preferred Rupert being there. In a sense, that could be seen as a metaphor for life. It’s hard enough being a spouse to a famous person, but when that someone is one of the most famous people to ever come off the show, coupled with his big public works, I expect Laura B. gets shunted to the side a lot in real life. Now she finally has a chance to shine, and she’s likely to be first off again. It’s these kinds of complex problems that make this season a lot of fun.
But enough of that! Let’s hear Laura M. trashing Laura B. for never having her torch snuffed. Probst thinks this is a good note to end on, though personally I think it would’ve been even better to end on someone pointing out that Aras never had his torch snuffed either, but that’s just me.
We watch everyone voting, as the producers have a field day with the rare treat of being able to show at least part of everyone’s vote, due to “Laura” applying to both women. Aras-Man’s Black Yogic Arts win out in the end, and Laura M. goes home, much to my delight. Laura B. is not the best gameplayer, nor the most interesting character, but there’s something about her determination that I like, and Laura M.’s character is egotistical at best, unpleasant at worst. Hope she loses the next challenge. Yes, even over John.
As I said, smart vote out, so this episode comes in ok for me. Nothing spectacular or groundbreaking, but it had a good moment here and there, and nothing was unpleasant, so just an average, but fun, episode. Next week we get what looks to be a tribe switch, and I’m excited!
Oh, and I just looked it up, the box breaking challenge was from “Survivor South Pacific”! Hah! Come here, “Survivor Nerd” hat!
-Matt
Title Credit to Jean Storrs.
idolspeculation 