LAST EDITED ON 04-06-02 AT 12:34 PM (EST)

We have a confirmed merge for next episode, so that means we're talking about individual challenges. At first glance, it may seem as though we don't have any vidcaps to suggest what challenges might be used for individual reward or immunity, however, consider the "Night of Mysteries" teaser.

We have a mystery involving a skull and vidcaps of Neleh and Paschal examining it.

My guess is that there will be some sort of challenge requiring the contestants to solve a mystery. It may be akin to the shackled, prison break challenge from S2? Whether it's RC or IC is a mystery to me. Pun intended.

Another option for a challenge would be some sort of endurance-based challenge, standing on a log/plank or some other activity that drags on and on testing their willpower and stamina. The question is, who has the patience, willpower and motive to win this kind of challenge?

Okay, slim pickings, I know, but those are my thoughts for challenge possibilities.

• Memory Challenge?,Krautboy, 01:18 PM, 04-06-02
  • One prob my German friend,shakes the clown, 02:26 PM, 04-06-02
    • RE: One prob my German friend,Krautboy, 02:35 AM, 04-07-02
  • RE: Memory Challenge?,Loree, 02:33 PM, 04-06-02
• RE: Episode 7 Challenge Speculation,TechNoir, 02:38 PM, 04-06-02
  • RE: Episode 7 Challenge Speculation,KLicK, 08:05 PM, 04-06-02
    • RE: Episode 7 Challenge Speculation,TechNoir, 08:58 PM, 04-06-02
  • Endurance Challenge?,Krautboy, 03:17 AM, 04-07-02
    • RE: Endurance Challenge?,NightScribe, 12:03 PM, 04-07-02
      • RE: Endurance Challenge?,munson, 04:18 PM, 04-07-02
        • RE: Endurance Challenge?,Naked, 01:11 AM, 04-08-02
          • RE: Endurance Challenge?,hearkittykitty, 02:49 AM, 04-08-02
• RE: Episode 7 Challenge Speculation,Java, 08:44 PM, 04-07-02
• RE: Episode 7 Challenge Speculation,samboohoo, 09:18 AM, 04-08-02

Since this is the merge episode we probably don't have a RC, only an individual IC...

Does "Never Forget" refer to some sort of Memory challenge similar to those we've had in S2 and S3?

Is that the Immunity Idol in the background? Memory Challenge for Immunity?

Krautboy

>Is that the Immunity Idol in
>the background? Memory Challenge for
>Immunity?

..as we all know, the Immunity Idol gets retired at the merger in favor of some stupid necklace thing.

Ach Du Lieber! You're right, we all know, but some of us forgot...thanks Shakes.

Krautboy

Yes, we don't have a RC on the merge episode. And the idol gets retired for that lovely(?) necklace.

I'm guessing this challenge will be similar to the famous "I dunno" challenge with Rudy. They were told a story about the island and then had to use that knowledge to find clues and win the game. Maybe the next week we will get the "stand on pole/hold your breath underwater"-type challenge.

Whatever it is it does look interesting. I like the nighttime challenges.

Shakes make that "ugly necklace" --

The first IC after the merge is typically a personal endurance one. The IC competitions have been so limited and non-physical since the cow voices got down to 4 folks that a physical challenge of some sort would at least break the monotony. And the endurance/stamina one instantly pits alliance members against one another. So a mystery-based IC would certainly be a switch for EPM at this point in the competition. Not that he isn't capable of switching, of course

That said, I wonder if this might have something to do with the merge. These clips don't show enough to see if they are wearing buffs or what color they might be. I suspect that isn't accidental.

60 Pixel Series, No. 2

Paschal has on his yellow buff when they find the skull.

Good catch! So it isn't part of the IC.

60 Pixel Series, No. 2

TechNoir: Good point. I forgot that the merge episode challenge has always been some kind of endurance challenge. MB has not deviated from his show "formula" so far, so I don't see any reason for him to start now...

S1 EP7: Underwater breath holding
S2 EP7: Standing on a pole
S3 EP7: Holding Arm up in the Air
S4 EP7: Standing on Stilts???

The following Tahitipresse article describes a "traditional island game" of stiltwalking. Could this be the endurance/IC this week? Perhaps they must get up on stilts and stay up on them as long as they can. Last one still on their stilts wins immunity...

'Survivors' protected from terror - Source: World Online Tiscali
-

"...Few details of the actual show have leaked out. The contestants were kept out of sight on their arrival and were masked for their two-hour car journey between the airport and the main production base on the island.

AFP has learned that some of the tests which the two tribes have to undergo are traditional island games such as stilt racing or making objects with braided vegetation.

They have also had to go shrimp hunting at night in the rivers and eat a local kind of smelly raw fish..."

The pattern has been that the IC in EP7 is an endurance challenge. Stilt walking fits the pattern...

Krautboy

Stilt walking would be more of a balancing challenge wouldn't it? But then again, what do I know? I've never been on stilts. Sounds like it could be humorous nonetheless.

I do think the "Night of Mysteries" challenge is a team based RC. If memory serves me (and it rarely does) I recall that the merge in S3 took place AT the IC, after they had competed in a team based RC the same episode. Since Paschal is shown wearing his yellow buff, and he and Neleh are trying to figure out the clue of the skull, I'm thinking we're going to have that same kind of merge. You know, where they're sitting around expecting a merge, then have to go compete as a tribe at the RC.

They merge at the IC, and that gives them plenty of time in between the IC and TC to tell a bunch of lies and stir up some controversy.

If memory serves me (and it rarely does) I recall that the merge in S3 took place AT the IC, after they had competed in a team based RC the same episode.

You could be right Scribe, but my recollection was that the tribes showed up for what they thought would be the RC only to find out they would merge and the challenge was a combined RC/IC. The reward was the feast (if you consider wine and cheese & crackers a feast!) following the challenge. For the life of me, I can't remember an E7 RC in S3, just a lot of pre-challenge packing up and waiting for notification of the merge....??? Anyone else?

Of course, either scenario does not preclude a completely different scenario for S4.

Munson,

Unless you count the rock paper scissors game between Theresa and Clarence as another challange, then there was only one challange in S3, and it was an IC.

This does not mean that there will be no RC this season. Scribe's got a good theory going about the "Night of Mystery" challenge being an RC.

One thing that has been bothering me though is the last thing Jeff Probst said last EP was "I'll see you in the morning." It struck interest in me when he said it, and then when the promos came for the next EP and we saw a merge, I just assumed that he would be meeting them in the morning to merge the tribes. These caps of N/P at night with yellow buffs have gotten me a little confused. Maby they are taken the same night as the Gina boot TC, or maby they are challenge pics.

any ideas.....

Doesn't JP visit them every day - even though we don't see that? I could have sworn that I've read that in articles published regarding S2, S3 and S4.

LAST EDITED ON 04-07-02 AT 08:46 PM (EST)

The question is, who has the patience, willpower and motive to win this kind of challenge?

I believe that MB will follow his normal routine and have no RC, with an endurance IC.

Kathy is obviously worried about being the next target. She was shown practicing a form of yoga, which can greatly enhance your balance and the ability to "zone out". She could be a contender.

Vee is also vulnerable. She has no alliance and may feel that she has to win, a la Teresa in S3. She hasn't had face time yet and will need to be featured more at some point.

Rob has the youth and willpower necessary to win.

John will just want to win the first individual challenge.

I think the winner will be one of these four. I would definitely cross Tammy, Zoe and Robert off the list. They know that they won't be targeted before John, and shouldn't draw attention to themselves as strong players (a la Alicia in S2). Neleh doesn't have the attention span needed. Pappy doesn't have the strength. Sean is, well, Sean.

I'm leaning toward Vee. I remember how surprised I was when Teresa won in S3, and I see a lot of similarities in the way that MB is telling their stories.

J A V A
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

edited for a wayward /

Okay, I just did a little research on the CBS sites regarding the "Merge Episodes." Here's what we have:

Survivor 1: There was no Reward Challenge. Jenna and Sean were ambassadors (can't remember if MB chose them or the teams chose them, and I didn't see their appointment information on the site). In any event, Jenna visited the Tagi beach and Sean visited the Pagong beach. Then those 2 spent the night together making the decisions (where to live, name of tribe, etc.). The merged and lived at Tagi beach (Sean's original beach) and were called Ratanna. The Immunity Challenge was an underwater/hold your breath challenge -- endurance.

Survivor 2: There was no Reward Challenge. The men from Ogakor went to Kucha and the women from Kucha went to Ogakor. This had all the men dining together and all the women dining together. The next morning they received tree mail directing them to a new location for the merge, where they had to build everything up again. The immunity challenge was where they stood on the logs -- endurance.

Survivor 3: There was no Reward Challenge. And of course MB made them suffer with a delayed merge. They showed up at the IC and that's when the merge happened. The IC was the holding your arm up/bucket challenge -- again endurance. They all then decided to go live at Boran.

In all 3 of the previous shows, there has been no RC, and the new names of the merged tribe was created after a night of drinking. All of the IC's were endurance challenges.

I think it's safe to say there will be no RC this time either. From the previews, it looks like there will be ambassadors again (Kathy & Rob), and it does look like they merge to Rotu's beach. Or, maybe Rob and Kathy go off to a summit, and the others have to solve a mystery and find them.

I would also guess that the IC is going to be an endurance type of challenge. If it involves water, Sean won't win it.