What a lovely bunch of coconuts.

From the looks of things the RC (round 1) becomes an insoluable draw where they are all expected to battle to the point of exhaustion and collapse. So, maybe one of the six loses his/her temper at some point, things get out of hand? I think we'd have a differently worded hint if that were the case, really. Maybe Artis gets upset about cutting a deal? Taking a break?

I agree that this challenge looks like it could become an insoluble draw, especially in that mud and with the exhaustion that they must be feeling after almost 2 weeks in the rain.

I am not sure how Artis comment about "keeping all that mess to yourself" could relate to a deal though. Sounds more like a physical mess than a situational one.

Just a quick non sequitur...

made me think of

Also... I think Katie was NOT IMPRESSED with the deal that apparently is going on between Penner and Skupin.

Back to the spoiling at hand... what if Penner and Skupin reaches a deal to share the reward? Would Jiffy step in and say, "no we can't do that, there's got to be a winner"? It would fit in with the 'unprecedented' blurb, though, as we've never seen a challenge stopped with both sides agreeing to split the spoils.

From CBS via SurvivorFever (ty Mayan Sun)

http://www.survivorfever.net/s25_ep6_press_images.html

Tagged as Reward Challenge

Tagged as Reward

Tagged as Immunity Challenge

Interesting that only Malcolm is watching the challenge.

>

LAST EDITED ON 10-19-12 AT 11:16 AM (EST)

Reward Challenge: We have 4 Tandangs sitting out...RC, Malcolm, Artis, and Abi, only 2 Matsings: Jeff and Katie. I am wondering if they start out with 2 on 2, and whoever wins that, it is noted. Then perhaps a 3 on 3 round, what we are seeing in the vidcaps, then perhaps a 5 on 5 round? Best 2 out of 3 rounds will win it?

I just don't see why they would have any sit outs on the side with the tribe with fewer numbers

Here is Skupin straddling Penner...yikes.

ETA: Actually, on review...

We can see that the first round is the 3 v 3. So, I wonder if the next round will be 4 v 4, and then the last round could be 5 v 5....best 2 out of 3 rounds wins it?

WhWhy do you think latter rounds will not be 3 on 3? I sort of assumed that each round would be 3 on 3 using different combinations of the 5 players each tribe has active for the challenge.

I guess other rounds could involve different numbers of players (2 on 2, 4 on 4) but we don't see anything yet to indicate that.

The only pic we have so far:

We can see the Immunity Idol behind Jiffy, so good call on which challenge.

Now what to make of the challenge. All we can see are 3 sets of very tall poles behind the survivors. They look almost like the frames of teepees. Interesting that for all 3 sets we see, 2 of the poles are wrapped in red and only 1 is wrapped in yellow. Are they wrapped that way as the colours of the tribes?

I see the yellow and red poles too. Maybe each team has to unwrap something (ribbon?) on each pole, while the other team is working there too. I think there was a challenge having to do with unwrapping a pole...so maybe it is similar to that...each team working on same pole would be chaotic. Tetherball anyone?

The season with Cochran and Coach they did something like this. Hard to tell if this season's challenge will be run exactly the same, especially since they have less people on each tribe, but here's the description I dug up from wikipedia:

Four members from each tribe would unwind ribbons from a maypole to release a set of keys. One of the four would then use the keys to free four other tribemates. Those four tribemates would then push crates around a platform to clear the way for a large crate to pass under a pole. The entire tribe would then carry the large crate to a finish platform. The first tribe to have their large crate onto the finish platform would win.

Reward for five, right this way please....

Sure looks like Kalabaw is going to win. This table is set for five, not seven. Clue to a Kalabaw win? Or, how about a clue for a Kalabaw bargain?

Survivor: Philippines - Down and Dirty (Preview)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LA2cMofFsIo

Published on Oct 19, 2012 by CBS

As castaways get down and dirty to battle it out for a fruitful feast, in an unprecedented move, opposing tribes take to the bargaining table to strike a deal mid-challenge on the next episode of Survivor: Philippines airing Wednesday at 8/7c. Only CBS

Thanks Sheldor! So it's all about the returning players -- Penner and Skrupin make a deal in the RC, which further puts targets on their backs. All the focus on RC seems to be more confirmation that it's a boring episode and Katie most likely goes.

LAST EDITED ON 10-20-12 AT 05:20 PM (EST)

The promo during College football had the announcer saying that a deal between returning players had angered the tribe.

That promo showed nothing of Tandang so it's a good guess Kalabaw goes to TC.

We saw Kent saying: "We can't let him see it coming" and we then see Penner. They might target Jonathan but he has the idol so they have to put some votes on Katie. She probably goes, either because of Jonathan using the idol or by a miscount in the vote split.

And the screencaps...
Courtesy of SurvivorFever (ty Mayan Sun)

http://www.survivorfever.net/vc_s25_ep6_wp.html

Transcript:

Announcer: Tired of all the mudslinging? Well you haven't seen anything yet.

Jeff Probst (starting Reward Challenge): Go!

Probst (calling Reward Challenge): It's getting physical right off the bat! We're in a full lockdown. I'm pretty sure this is unprecedented.

Announcer: A dirty deal between returning players...

Pete (camera confessional): Mike makes horrible decisions.

Announcer: ...makes the castaways ready to clean house.

Artis: (camera confessional): With us getting Malcolm, Mike has become expendable.

Katie: I think we've got to get rid of Penner.

Jeff Kent: We just gotta make sure that he doesn't know it's coming.

Promo on during College Football

http://www.survivorfever.net/vc_s25_ep6_10_20.html

Transcript:

Announcer: A dirty deal between returning players makes the castaways ready to clean house.

Jeff Kent: We just gotta make sure that he doesn't know it's coming.

LAST EDITED ON 10-21-12 AT 01:44 PM (EST)

LAST EDITED ON 10-21-12 AT 01:43 PM (EST)

Thanks Blind Freddy! All the focus on Penner in this latest college football promo seems to confirm that Penner's tribe goes to TC this week. Looks like Katie is trying to save herself by bringing up Penner as the boot possibility to Kent, knowing that was Kent's original train of thought. But given that they're going to be 3 down, would Kent really entertain throwing Penner under the bus for Katie? Smells like misdirection.

P.S. I was just watching all the Insider Clips from this last episode, and Pete, Abi and Artis were already talking about Mike being expendable now with Malcolm on board, so I think all of the Skrupin boot talk is pre-IC.

On a related note, the broken mask is still coming up in Insider Clips as an example of Mike's ineptness. So I wonder if Skrupin cuts a deal at the RC with Penner, if that will just add insult to injury for his tribemates such as Artis and Pete?

Also, note how happy Mike looks with that fishing net in the one press pic. Did his tribe have fishing nets all along? I can't recall who won what, but could that be part of the "bargain"? I could definitely see Penner trying to get food for his tribe and offering the nets up in exchange (especially since he knows the merge is coming soon)....and Mike might think it's a way to "make up for" breaking the mask? But I'm sure his tribe will be PO'd that they didn't get the food! And an argument could be made that you shouldn't give the other tribe the chance to eat and get stronger, get momentum on their side, etc. I'm sure that's why Artis is so angry about the "deal."

Ep. 3: Kalabaw won the canoe and big fishing kit, Tandang won a smaller fishing kit.

Squid: You hit the nail on the head. Kona at Mess had spec'd that Tandang got those nets from Kalabaw, who had won them earlier in the big fishing kit, while as Dabo notes, Tandang had won a fishing kit without the nets. So, that makes sense.

Skupin and Malcolm possibly doing a little bonding while the Pete/Abi/Artis group plot. These promos clearly spell out the divisions in the tribes for me. Katie perhaps suggests rallying the group to get rid of Penner as a last ditch effort to save herself, but it won't work. Kent, Carter, Denise are solidly with Penner and his idol, imo. It's misdirection and she is next on the hit list.

While, Pete, Abi, and Artis may be feeling a little too good with Malcolm's arrival and underestimate Malcolm's loyalties. It will lead to Artis' demise sooner rather than later. Either he or Pete will be walking the walk soon, imo. At least that's my read on it. With Artis' stock going up recently, and it's all associated with plotting Skupin's demise, clearly Artis will fall short soon....just appearing so cocky. Alliances revealed and all of that!

>With Artis' stock going up recently, and it's all associated with plotting Skupin's demise, clearly Artis will fall short soon....just appearing so cocky. Alliances revealed and all of
that!

Agreed. He's been invisible up to this point, and both of the previews this week show him in a negative light. With that sort of introduction to the viewers, Artis will not be long for this game.

The fact that Mike has been so under the radar for four episodes says to me that he is going to last long. If he was going to be the first boot from Tandang or early boot you'd think the show would want to take advantage of him like they did with Russell. I think his vote will be crucial in a couple of power swings that take out the big players of the pre-merge once the merge hits.

So will the merge happen next week?

You'd think that Tandang would just pick off Penner's tribe...but on the other hand, there's so much animosity between the factions on Tandang...and you have the wildcard of Malcolm and Denise reuniting and potentially pulling together stragglers for a cross-tribe alliance....and we have 3 HIIs floating around....should be very interesting. Can't wait!