For the first time ever an episode that isn’t a season premiere didn’t have a summary at the beginning. Instead, we started with the familiar “Come in Guys”.It used to be heard after 10 minutes of show time but these days, Jeff wants to be on TV, needs to be the big star so he can’t stay out of the action too long!
We were already in the Challenge arena.
There were some reactions from Kama when they saw that Lesu was intact but they were happy to see that the other Kama faction had stayed intact by eliminating Wendy. War Dog was quick to realize that those reactions meant that Kama was still going strong.
It’s strange that none of the twist from the previous episode was discussed during the merger feast. It had to be but it wasn’t significant; as we will soon see the small Kama faction didn’t continue working with the original Manu members.
Gavin had the first interview of the evening: “As soon as Jeff said we are merged that was like a dream come true but I don’t know what’s going to go down so I’m a little worried. That’s what makes Survivor great; you don’t know what’s looming around the corner.”
I wouldn’t read too much into the decision to give Gavin the first confessional in the all-important merger episode. His bit was a aired mostly because he said what production wanted us to hear: “Survivor is great”.
Probst thought that this moment was going to be seen as an iconic one.
Lame gimmicks are not what I call iconic. I couldn’t identify the male voice making the title comment: “There’s always a twist.”
Rick was the winner. He gave us an interview: “Before extinction, the game was getting the best of me but if I can win my way back into the game what the hell is out here that’s going to scare me? I can win these people over, I can win challenges. I’m a whole new man thanks to the edge of extinction.”
When the merged tribe left for the Manu camp (the chicken joke has to go on, it seems) Jeff told the five losers that they could go back to the Island of Extinction. All five were enthusiastic at the perspective... for now.
Aubry’s words were used to represent what the group thought: “When you think you’ve gone low on Survivor it can go so much lower and the lower you go the higher the high.” She felt like a child on Christmas morning.
Merge Tribe Day 17
There used to be symmetry to the game: You spent 19 days in tribes then the merger occurred on Day 20 so, once the feast was digested, you had 19 days to play the individual part. So many seasons have been lame during the tribal part that it gets reduced more and more.
Julia’s confessional: “We arrive at the merge feast and I have this overwhelming feeling of excitement and joy because we’re going into this merge with all the Kama members back together so we have eight people. If we can stick together we’re going to have the majority and that’s an incredible feeling.”
Kelley : “Of all the faces that I saw during that challenge, Devins was the one person I thought: Oh! hell! No! Like, why are you back here now? I don’t want him back here.”
This doesn’t make sense at all. Rick left Lesu quite amicably compared to Reem, Keith and Chris so I’d think she’d have been more disappointed in seeing one of them. Of course, she was probably dismissing Reem and Keith and probably even Wendy since they were not contenders to win that challenge but why didn’t she fear Chris the most? She had to fear him more because he was voted out specifically for targeting her. It just fits the story better to have Kelley saying this so don’t tell me this “reality TV” is real.
Rick’s next interview: “I’m back baby! I love it! I’m back in the game but there is definitely the fear that you are going to be the easy vote out because you just came back in. Maybe they resent it, maybe it’s just easy so I need to make a human connection real early so they don’t vote me out as the easy vote back to Extinction Island before they get to know me.”
Not surprisingly, the camera showed Kelley’s face when Rick said he had fears of being voted out right away.
Julie’s interview: “The minute I started speaking to Rick at the merge feast, I knew I really liked him and I thought he was a genuine person, just the fact that he had that big hero moment and he was able to win a spot back into this game. I’m rooting for him. I would never want to see him go back to the edge of extinction so quickly. It sounds like a scary place that I never want to go to.”
The cameras flew us back to the Island of Extinction even if I never want to go back there either but for different reasons than Julie: It doesn’t scare me, it just bores me. But I guess we had to see the two quitters. How lame?
Vata Day 17
Kelley’s interview: “I’m working with Lauren and we have two idols; that’s a lot of power. We can do a lot with that if done right. The problem is that I’m in this minority group and I’m going to need every tool that I can, given the situation that I’m in. I have to have a talk with Joe. Here I am again with Joe freaking Anglim who was in the majority alliance during Second Chance and here he is again in the majority alliance and I feel that I am at his mercy. Why? This is an absolute nightmare for me. We’ll see how well I can pitch him. This is a sale pitch for me.” Joe told Kelley that Aubry, Aurora and he were on the outs with the Kamas. Kelley went on: “I definitely feel that Joe will come with me but I am still trying to decipher, to figure out this Kama tribe so I think the best plan is to make it an easy vote, to take out Rick.”
Kelley can’t see why she’s always in the minority while Joe is in the majority but the answer is simple: Joe wins, she doesn’t. Of course, it could be that it’s the role production wants her to have because she played very well in Second chance when her back was up against the wall. I don’t recall her being so negative back then and it was about to get worse. Haven’t they learned that a minority should offer their votes to the other side, not impose their choice?
As soon as she heard Lauren and Kelley’s plan, Julie reacted: “I am shocked; Kelley and Lauren want to vote out Devins out first and send him right back to the edge of Extinction. Just from a moral standpoint, I don’t understand how you can do that to somebody, to send them right back from where they came after facing the odds. Kelley and Lauren seem like they are so brutal that maybe one of them should be sent on their merry way off to the edge of extinction.”
Vata Day 18
Rick in confessional: “When I got back to camp, I opened my bag and there was something in there, I was trying to keep a straight face...I have to find out what is sitting in my bag...” For returning onto the game, he received a conditional idol: He’d have to give half to someone and it wouldn’t be good for the next Tribal Council but the one after that.
Vata Night 18
Rick shared his idol with David, the person he trusted the most.
We can certainly question Rick’s decision: Yes, David is the player he can trust but David was already in his corner. As bargaining chip, the half idol could have gained him a new ally, like Julie who showed him she was partial to his plight.
The Immunity Challenge
It was a balancing endurance challenge and while Joe and Lauren gave a great effort it was Julie who won it, displaying her strong upper body in the process.
Kelley gave us the exit interview: “The plan to vote out Devens has been discussed with everyone and everyone appears to be on board but there are so many different ways this could go. All I know is I have a Hidden Immunity Idol. I’m very excited that I have that; it’s a little cushion because, playing Survivor before, I know how crazy the voting is after the merge so I may have to bring out the big guns.”
Vata Day 19
Julie was so excited to give an interview: “I would have been scared to death going into Tribal Council tonight but the fact that I’ll be wearing the immunity necklace there’s no blindsides on me tonight and that’s like the most comfortable feeling I can have.”
What? Why Julie would have been scared to death? It’s not as if she’s in the minority and a huge target, is she? If ever a confessional was scripted it’s this one. Julie wanted to eliminate Kelley. Is she related to David?! Julie’s confessional continued: “Kelley is a huge threat and, as a returning player, she needs to go. These are the kind of things that I knew I had to start orchestrating. I’m not simply going along with what people are telling me.”
Julie told Rick that everyone on his old tribe want to give him a return ticket to the Island of Extinction.
Rick’s interview: “I feel totally betrayed by those three Lesu members. To send me right back is a total stab in the back but i got people on my side apparently which is awesome.”
Informed of Lesu’s betrayal, David told Rick that the vote should go against Wentworth.
Chase the old habits away and they come galloping right back, I see! Notwithstanding that Lauren and Kelley did bring their names up, a Survivor player should never be so gullible. David and Rick should have talked to Lauren and Kelley to verify Julie’s words. If they are so easily manipulated then the Kama 6 won’t have much problem navigating to the end.
Rick’s interview continued: “There’s a whole lot on the line tonight. I feel like if I can get through tonight then we have that Hidden Immunity Idol and it could be whole new ball game. It might be the path forward in this game that I’ve been looking for.”
Why does U2’s song: “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for” came to mind?! Probably because we’ve heard something identical EVERY SINGLE TIME someone found a new advantage in the game. What they don’t say is that many of those “advantages” have come back to bite them in the butt.
While Joe wanted to finish painting the tribal flag, the others went hunting for Wendy’s chickens. Ron stayed in camp to talk to Joe and feel him out about his plans. Joe didn’t give Ron anything as far as which way he wanted to vote. “I don’t know” doesn’t cut it when talking to an ally.
Ron’s interview: “Joe made a mistake” I asked: Joe who do I vote for, what’s going on and he was very vague and that didn’t make me feel good. Joe is like brushing me aside and right now, I don’t know that I can trust him. What he doesn’t know is that my true alliance is Eric, Julie, Julia, Gavin and Victoria. We’re the Kama 6 so I’m thinking that Joe losing is a great opportunity because, if you’re playing Survivor and you have a chance to take out Joe, every time is the right time. I have to convince the Kama 6 that it’s Joe tonight.”
It has to be noted that Joe made a rookie mistake but we all know that Joe isn’t smart when it comes to strategy. He had to give Ron something or at least say that he was going to vote with him. Voting out Joe doesn’t accomplish anything because it’s exactly like giving him individual immunity up to the returning challenge but the Kama 6 haven’t learned how to deal with the new reality that is the Island of Extinction.
Victoria’s interview: “Ron wants to do Joe because Joe lost. Now it’s time to get rid of Joe. I’d rather go the safer option and get rid of Kelley but it’s definitely important to get the decision right tonight. It’s hard to know what’s right.”
I think it’s quite telling that the person we saw Ron approaching first and the one giving the corresponding interview was Victoria. I have no doubt that Ron talked to each member of the Kama 6 and while Victoria may have actually been the first he contacted with this new plan, it didn’t have to be shown that way. Any conversation that Ron had could have been inserted here. The way it was presented gave Victoria the role of mediator within the alliance; the one that presented the different options to the other members.
After talking to Victoria, Gavin had a confessional: “There are a lot of different options tonight, Joe being one of them. I’ve heard Rick’s name thrown out there, I’ve heard Kelley Wentworth’s name thrown out there. There are three very good options on the table and we need to figure which one is going to best suit us.”
War Dog’s name was never mentioned! The combination of Wendy telling Kama that Kelley was the alliance leader and his own poor display in challenges have effectively shielded War Dog from the chopping block. His method of playing is proving to be quite efficient.
When it looked like the Kama 6 were having a hard time coming to a consensus, the editors turned to an old trick: Using the smoke from the camp fire as a symbol for “The Fogs of War”!! The smoke was heavy this time, the chant more like a lament and the music was deeply sombre while Julie gave the interview that is transcribed below. The smoke enveloped Julia, Eric, Kelley, Joe and especially Ron while he was resting in the shelter. Notably, we had clean images of Julie, Gavin and Victoria during that time, two of the three that wanted Kelley out first. Was it to indicate that Kelley would have been the better choice but that the Fogs of War confused the Kama 6 and lead them to the wrong decision?
Julie’s interview that was heard during the “Fogs of War” scene: “There is not a general consensus as to who should be voted out because all of us could make a different case as to why Kelley or Joe should be voted out because all are good cases, it’s getting tricky, it’s getting very tricky. It’s really important to make the right decision because the very first vote after the merge can dictate the game.”
Tribal Council
First, five people had to grab their torch, never having attended TC before and then Jeff surprised the players by saying: “We will now bring in the members of the jury.”
While it figured that the players on the Island of Extinction would make the jury I wasn’t sure if they’d be allowed to attend TC. They could have received their information strictly from the person voted out but now we’ll have to see Reem’s face at the end of each episode. In his latest interview, Jeff calls her a star but that just shows how disconnected Jeff is with our section of the viewing audience.
Julie told Jeff that she was excited to meet new people. Ron reacted to that because, as he said, he loves Kama.
Kelley was thinking that new relationships had developed.
When asked if there had been any talks of sending Rick back to the purgatory, Victoria answered “Absolutely not. That would be pure evil and why would we vote out somebody that isn’t a big threat coming to the merge.”
Here I thought we were back to Redemption Island where Boston Rob said he loved playing with newbies because they talk too much. What Victoria said should have alerted Kelley and Lauren that the plan had changed. At least Joe’s radar registered a hit.
Victoria tried to cover her tracks by saying she didn’t mention physical threats.
Ron said he didn’t know if there were idols which led to War Dog’s intervention: “Every season, you feel that way until, all of a sudden, four idols pop up at the same time.”
Joe explained that he was relying on his Kama allies. Ron added that, having the majority, they didn’t need to scramble.
Kelley chuckled at that.
It was time to vote and when Jeff asked if anyone wanted to play an idol, Kelley and Lauren sat on theirs.
Kelley, Lauren and War Dog voted for David.
Rick and David voted for Kelley
Aurora and Joe voted for Rick
The Kama 6 voted against Joe.
Kelley said it was a good play, Lauren added that it was brilliant while, from the peanut gallery, Reem judged it lame.
Joe left saying they made a big mistake, leaving the door wide open which was the worst thing they could have done.
The StoryI was hoping the story was leading us to the three Manu players joining the four Lesu and taking over the game but, in a rather linear way of playing, the original Kama 6 got back together. However, despite all the talk of being strong, I don’t think they will make it to the end. First, I think they’ve already made mistakes, most notably in leaving Rick and David out of the loop. Julie even told Rick that they couldn’t give them much information so that has to tell them that they have no future working with them. Can they go back with the other three Lesu who betrayed them so completely? Well, Kelley and Lauren could say that they voted for David only because that’s what they were instructed to do and it was only a way to stay safe. Another mistake was leaving Aurora out of the loop in a time when her vote still matters: It’s still only an alliance of 6 in a tribe of twelve. Things could get tricky for the next vote and half of the Kama 6 has already shown that they don’t have the guts to go to rocks.
So, the big question is: Was it a good play for the Kama 6 or was it a big mistake? It certainly had brilliance in it because they completely divided their opponents, getting them to vote for three different players and turning on each other in the process but I see it as a mistake still. They’ve effectively given the equivalent of Individual Immunity to Joe and they’ve shown the other half of the tribe that they cannot be trusted. And that half of the tribe possess the three idols that are in play. More symbolically, the Fogs of War scene showed that these players aren’t seeing the battlefield properly. Of the players that had an opinion, Julie and Victoria were the only ones not enveloped in smoke but their voices were overruled by Ron, the player that was clearly shown being engulfed in that fog. I think the group of 6 will soon regret getting rid of someone that was in their back pocket.
The Characters Who Dat? – These characters still have no depth
Aurora: I don’t know much about Aurora’s game play besides voting with Joe. One thing I know is that she won’t be our Sole Survivor.
Julia: By voting against Joe she clearly didn’t listen to his advice of protecting the strong challenge players which is how she views herself. As someone featured in the Fogs of War scene, I don’t have any hopes for Julia.
Eric: His main role seems to be to lead the tribe on their chicken hunt. It’s not the role a player would want but that’s mostly what he’s received. He was also caught in the cloud of smoke when Julie was talking of the importance of making the right decision.
The Failing Players – These players don’t seem to be on the right course:
Gavin: Compared to the other three, Gavin wasn’t ignored in this pivotal episode but consider his two interviews. In the first, delivered right after the merger, he complained: “but I don’t know what’s going to go down so I’m a little worried” while in his second he said: “There are three very good options on the table and we need to figure which one is going to best suit us”. To the viewers we aren’t presented to a decision maker but a mere follower.
David: For one week, David seemed to understand that his game would work better if he played with Kelley instead of against her but this week, his old habit returned in a hurry. As soon as he heard he was being targeted by his old Lesu tribe mate, he decided to vote against her in return. It would have been smarter to talk about the new developments. Then, maybe, the 6 person voting bloc wouldn’t have been able to decide the vote in a 13 person tribe.
Rick: I was surprised that he didn’t react negatively when Julie told him she couldn’t reveal much information. That and his decision not to use his idol as a bargaining chip make me think that Rick won’t succeed.
Ron: It was his decision that turned the Kama ship from its original course and it seems that decision wasn’t the right one so that should spell trouble for Ron. Add the fact that he was completely engulfed in smoke when Julie talked about being unable to make a decision and we have serious doubts about his chances of making it to the end.
Julie: This episode was certainly her coming out party. Winning the merger immunity challenge compensates fully for a very weak role in the first six episodes and maybe it is the start of her winning story but I think she was led on the wrong path by Ron. The Kama 6 showed their hands and they aren’t the majority yet. They don’t even possess a single idol to level the playing field.
Kelley: While it was Lauren that mentioned Rick’s name as a possible vote, we know that Kelley was behind what was called an evil decision.
Aubry: She may be able to win the 2nd challenge to return to the game but we know that she doesn’t have the physical capabilities to win two or three in a row. She failed during Kaoh Rong against fairly weak competition so even if she makes it back she doesn’t has what it takes to win it all. The Island of Extinction concept doesn’t fit with her type of game.
Still Hanging On – The Contenders
Lauren: Like Kelley, she was ready to go after Rick but even Jeff said that was a natural move to make with a player that had already been voted out. She hung on to her idol so the main question remains her heath. Her challenge performance was encouraging but we know that something will happen during the next challenge. Let’s hope she’ll be OK.
Victoria She should be lumped in with the other Kama 6 and her words at Tribal Council makes me wonder if she’s forgotten her vow not to say too much but there’s still something different about her presentation and those of her allies. She wasn’t driving the vote against Kelley and she wasn’t sure voting against Joe was the right move yet she was the first that talked with Ron and she also talked with Julie so maybe she’ll be able to find the right path later on.
War Dog: This was an unusually quiet episode for the star of the first 6 episodes. Maybe the intent was to show that he was able to adapt and make sure the target wasn’t on his back. He’ll need a strong episode to reverse the situation and maybe that’s simply not in the card but it would fit with the Phoenix theme that could be emerging this season.
Chris: Despite his penalty, Chris came very close to winning to return ticket so he has to be seen as another strong contender for the second invitation back.
Joe: This game is much too complex for Joe’s simple approach. Even if he was in a good position at the merger, he made a huge mistake when he talked to Ron. After talking to Kelley about working together, he was conflicted about his alliance with Kama and he couldn’t even find a way to work around his dilemma. All he had to do was tell Ron that he’d vote with him and that they had to stick together. Now that he’s on the Island of Extinction the game becomes as easy as if he’d been given the necklace for each and every Tribal Council and we know that his survival skills will put him in the good graces of the jury. Instead of providing for the tribe he’ll be providing for the jurors. That’s a much better investment. All he’ll have to do is win 2 or three challenges when the time comes.
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