Better late than never!

Episode 12 of the Sensible Shoes Alternate History

Link to Episode 11 with previous episode links
http://www.survivorblows.com/survivorblows/boards/DCForumID4/43.shtml

Still on the island
Kelly
Joel
Colleen
Jenna
Richard

Last time on Survivor:

Island life began to take its toll as dirk became increasingly ill and Colleen’s legs became a source of worry. Joel won a night on a yacht and took his buddy Dirk in hopes a healthy meal would help him feel better. Joel’s mother brought care packages from home. Kelly outlasted the others and won the walk the plank contest. Health concerns motivated the voting but, in the end, Richard betrayed the male alliance and Dirk was sent home.

Day 34 – Puala Beach
It’s raining and most of the tribe are crouched under the Target ad. Rich stands alone off to the side.

Shot of Kelly in her rain suit . “It’s been raining pretty bad. The funny thing is that stupid Target parachute has been the most waterproof thing on the island so far. And what’s even funnier is watching Joel. He’s been this big, strong, macho guy all along telling everyone what to do like he’s God’s gift and now he knows he’s powerless. The rest of us can vote him off on a whim.”

Richard wandering on the beach, “I’m actually feeling more confident now than I have been for the past few days. One way or another this is over is six weeks. I think breaking the gender alliances up helped me. But, honestly, I’m tired. Trying to keep my finger on the pulse of these 15 people who I really don’t care about and keeping myself on the island is mentally draining. I want to get this over with, of course I want to win, but I’ll be happy to get back to my real life.”

Jenna and Colleen fetch firewood. “It’s so hard to believe.” Remarks Colleen with wonder “One of us is going to win a million dollars!”

Jenna “Yeah and there are only two men left so it could be one of us women.”

“Do we count Rich as a man?” Colleen asks and both burst out laughing.

Joel “This is going to be tough. My only real hope right now is to win immunity. I think…for whatever reason, the women have something against me. I don’t know. I started out being really polite and nice to them and that seemed to bother them. So I started treating them just like everybody else and that seems to bother them too. I guess I can’t win. Still, I thought I’d be gone just after the merger and I’m not gone yet. I guess Rich turned on us.”

Back to Richard “Is Joel upset with me? Yes I believe he is. So is Kelly and I’m not sure Colleen likes me. That could mean I’m gone tonight. Maybe voting against Dirk was a mistake and, if I’m voted off tonight, I’ll look straight at the camera and admit ‘I screwed up. I’m out of here.’”

Later, as the sun peaks out form behind the clouds we see Kelly and Jenna fighting on the beach.

“Why should I make a deal with you?” Jenna asks “You’ve been playing both sides since we met!”

“No” a more calm Kelly tries to plead “I broke up the alliance. It’s Rich you should be worried about.”

“Sue though she was your friend. Why didn’t you turn on Rich then?”

“Because other people wanted to get rid of Sue! Should I have let them vote you off?”

“You could have publicly said something a lot earlier, before Gretchen went. Then we could have broken the alliance up right away.”

“I didn’t know you then.”

“Well I don’t know you now.” Jenna says as she storms away.

“Jenna…Jenna will you talk to me?”

“I’ve heard enough.”

Colleen in her tree “It’s getting really conniving here. Rich comes to me and warns me about Kelly. Kelly comes to me and warns me about Rich. Jenna is trying to form an alliance with me but I think she voted for Greg back when we were all trying to stick together. And Joel…” she smirks “Joel just looks lost.”

Rich brings in food, a ray and a nurse shark. Joel helps him clean them and Rich speaks to him. We hear a few words “Knew it would be a tie…suspicious of the men…doesn’t mean we can’t work together...” Joel looks sceptical.

Day 35
Jenna and Rich find a bucket of mud. Though Jenna is reluctant Rich eagerly digs in and finds the clue.

As word spreads about the challenge Joel comments “I like beer.”

The tribe reassembles at the mud volcano where Jeff Probst, who looks clean by comparison now and is only going to look cleaner in a few minutes, explains the mud game and the prizes. Canadian ever wonder why Bud Light is considered a prize when they already get unlimited water. Jenna is ecstatic when she hear she’ll be able to see the first five minutes of episode 1 and wonders how she’ll look.

And now the moment we’ve all been waiting for, the five line up and with Jeff’s prompting take off running for the mud. Kelly and Jenna take an early lead and hit the mud scooping. Richard jumps in up to his waist with Kelly and Joel hot behind. The women slather mud on top of themselves with Jenna really piling it on her dwindling breasts. We’re “treated” to an absolutely disgusting shot of Richard shaking mud out of his shorts. Joel loses his balance on several occasions and looks like he has no hope of winning. Kelly is the first to pile mud on her head and race back to drop it off.

As time begins to run down Joel is far behind and Colleen has also made fewer trips back than the others (the mud mercifully coats her injured legs). As Rich, Kelly and Jenna race back Colleen is desperately trying to pile mud all over her pixie-like frame when Joel takes a look at the others racing back and turns to Colleen saying “Lie on your back!” Colleen looks utterly confused and Joel earnestly looks her in the eye and says “Trust me.” Colleen, already behind, dutifully lies on her back in the mud. Joel scoops several huge handfuls of mud onto her and then picks her up in his arms and races back carrying her. Arrving back just in time Colleen leans forward to let the huge pile of mud slide off her. Not defeated Kelly races back towards the mudhole but the final ten second count has begun. Joel doesn’t even bother to unload the remaining mud from his body while Jenna and Rich scrape off every last bit they can into their buckets.

Time runs out and Jeff summons Kelly back.

“Interesting strategy there Joel.” Says Jeff.

Joel shrugs “Hey I was out of it I figured I’d have some fun and give somebody else a boost. That’s ok right?”

“That’s not fair.” Whines a returning Kelly.

“The rules said people could only bring back mud with their body. Didn’t say anything about having to move your body yourself.” Jeff explains with full mock sympathy for Kelly “If Colleen wins it counts. Let me weigh.”

Joel weighs in first with a mere 11 pounds. Jenna comes in with 14.8 pounds with Richard getting just behind at 14.2. Building suspense Jeff weighs Kelly’s next with 16.2 pound and finally Colleen’s…17.3.

“Colleen,” says Jeff handing her a beer “This is a warm-up for tonight I’m going to pick you up at sunset and we’re going to a local bar for the evening.”

Colleen gives a heartfelt woohoo as Rich and Joel both congratulate her. Jeff gives Colleen a big hug, besmirching his island fastidiousness and, as we fade to commercial, Colleen gives Joel a big hug as Kelly and Jenna start wandering back with Richard watching both sides all gears working…

Hmm Bud Lights ads…who would have ever guessed? Oh well, better them than Big Brother ads.

Open on Colleen “This is going to be SO cool! I get another meal and more beer. I seem to win all the food and beer challenges.”

Cut to Joel “Was it a calculated move? Maybe a little. But what the heck. Seeing mom again reminded me everything she taught me about women. And if I was going to lose anyway ehy not help out somebody else who had a disadvantage?”

Jenna “I don’t know who I’m more upset with. Joel for pulling that crap or Colleen for actually falling for it.”

Kelly “No I don’t think it was fair. These are supposed to be individual challenges and they teamed up.”

Richard “Oh this is fascinating. Joel’s little move through the entire dynamic off. I think I can play this to my advantage.”

Back to Colleen “Was Joel trying to influence me? Yeah probably, but who isn’t trying to influence everybody else now? It’s a game and we’re all trying to win the money. So he got me a meal instead of somebody else…I don’t know…maybe that will affect my vote, at least this time.”

Colleen and Jeff enjoy a night out. Colleen comments on the island dynamic “Look we’re all playing a game, it’s not as much fun anymore but none of us a bad people we’re just all people trying to win a game.”

Day 36
Jenna talks about wanting to get his over with and see her family again.

Rich constantly reminds himself there are only 4 days left.

Joel talks about having to try to anticipate who everyone else is voting for to try to save himself.

Colleen whines that Kelly is whining after the last challenge and says she is really getting sick of her.

The video-tape for the “Survivor Witch Hunt” challenge which makes fun of such oh-so-timely films as The Blair Witch Project and The Matrix, now over a year old.

Colleen and Jenna are excited to get a chance to see Pagong Beach again. Jeff tells his story of tribal lore then distributes the video cameras to the tribemembers and starts the race.

Colleen stumbles several times and cuts her leg, leaving one bleeding. Joel moves fast and seems to be answering well. Jenna, Rich and Kelly also grab the masks and answer the questions. However Joel misses a key aspect of one answer (scattering the blood of the sacrificed goat under a Banyan tree) . So, despite finishing first, Joel is disqualified and a second place Kelly wins immunity again.

Back on Tagi beach the castaways begin to pack for Tribal council.

“Tonight.” Says Joel “I’m taking everything. There’s a pretty good chance I’m not coming back.”

“It’s interesting.” Said Rich “How Kelly keeps winning. I have a funny feeling if she wasn’t she’d have already been gone. Who knows I may be out tonight.”

“I had the doctor over to look at my leg,” says Colleen “Jeff said it wasn’t optional. He told me I’d be a lot better off if I got treatment right now. But it’s only 3 more days and I’m not going to quit now.”

“I think Colleen was mad at me for how I treated her after the reward challenge.” Says Kelly “But you know what? I don’t care. If I’m going to win now I’m going to win as me. I’m going to say what I want to who I want and if I get voted off I don’t care. Who knows, maybe I can win the rest of the challenges.”

Tribal Council…
The castaways file in and sit down. The jury of Greg, Sue, Dirk and Sonja also file in all looking hale and healthy. Jeff launches into the questions:

“Joel. Why did you help Colleen win the reward challenge?”

“Well why not?” forced laughter “Seriously though. Winning last week and seeing my mom again reminded me of the values she tried to teach me. And that includes helping someone who’s having trouble.”

“Kelly” Jeff continues “You don’t seem too happy about that.”

“No I’m not.” Kelly says “Why help Colleen and not somebody else? I mean it’s a game and he made it unfair.”

“You wanna respond to that Joel?”

“Colleen seemed most disadvantaged in that challenge with her legs hurting and being smaller.”

“Colleen did you need help?” asks Jeff.

“Well I wouldn’t have won otherwise. So it did help.”

“Is that going to affect your voting tonight?” Jeff asks.

Colleen gives her regular smile, where she shrinks into herself, and devilishly adds“I think, more than what he did, how people reacted may affect future voting more.”

Jenna and Kelly force laughter in response.

“Rich” Jeff asks “It’s near the end.”

“I’m counting the hours Jeffie boy.”

“In these final hours how does strategy start to change?”

“Well, by now I think people are trying to figure out how they can make it to the final two and who is the best person to be up against.”

“Do you feel confident?”

“I don’t know Jeff. The process has evolved a lot. No one has ever played this game before so there really is no way to know the best way to win.”

“Well, we’ll see who has the best strategy tonight. It’s time to vote. Jenna you’re up first.

Jenna heads into the booth “I’m voting for Colleen. I think she’s turned on me and Kelly and Kelly has immunity so I think she’s voting for me.”

Colleen heads in next and votes for Rich “I’m so tired of hearing him talk about strategy and with three days left I don’t need to worry about fish.”

Rich votes next, unseen, then Kelly who votes for Joel “He’s even worse now that he thinks he helped a woman.”

Finally Joel votes.

Jeff retires to tally the votes and returns. He reminds them again that the votes are final and once voted off the losing member must leave the tribal council area immediately. He then begins to read.

Colleen
Joel
Rich
Joel
And
Colleen

“Our first tie!” Richard remarks!

“Ok,” says Jeff “here’s how this is going to work. Colleen and Joel will not vote. The rest of you can now only vote for Colleen or Joel. Now Colleen and Joel will each get thirty second to appeal to the others as to why they shouldn’t vote for you. Colleen you can go first.”

Colleen begins “I know I look like I’m in bad shape but I can make it to the end. I don’t want sympathy I want to stay a little longer.”

Joel goes next “I think some of the women have had a problem with my attiutude. I just want to say again I am not a sexist. I was raised to be polite and to help people but I think everyone here is just as capable and just as tough. Sorry to be fighting against you here Colleen but remember this everyone if I am such a sexist there are going to be a lot of women on the jury for the final vote.”

“Ok” says Jeff “Let’s vote again.”

Jenna votes first, for Colleen “Even if she didn’t vote for me last time I still think she’s milking for sympathy way too much.”

Kelly votes next, for Joel, “Same reason.”

Finally Rich votes, again unseen.

Jeff comes back with the three votes.

“First vote Colleen, next Joel and the third vote is…Colleen. Colleen I see your torch has already gone out.”

“Be good everyone, play nice.” Colleen says as she approaches.

“Colleen,” says Jeff “The jungle has spoken, the tribe has spoken. It’s time to go. The rest of you have made it to the final four. We’ll have another immunity challenge tomorrow, now get some rest.”

The tribe heads home and we get told to “Stay Tuned for scenes from next week’s episode.” Of course when we do come back we instead get a promo that refuses to show us a single second from the next episode.

In her final words Colleen says she thinks, if she’d played more cut-throat she could have won. But it’s going to get really nasty from here and she’s kind of glad to be going now. She says everyone was great, even Rich who she badmouthed and Joel who beat her today. Ultimately she just wants some ice cream.