So we back for another awesome week of survivor. I’m still getting over the excitement of last weeks episode where Tyson was blindsided by Sierra the underdog. This season is so unpredictable and with the memorable Oscar level cast, this is one great season.
Last week we saw Sierra reach out to Coach and Debbi and she was brushed off and disregarded. Sierra warned them that they will regret their move- and look at them now. The lost their power and are at Sierras mercy. Sierra certainly has come along way from that bad first impression and being without an alliance when Brendon was voted off. Like her or not, surviving for so long where you are on the outside of your tribe from the get go is a big accomplishment- so hats off to Sierra J
Also it should be worth noting that the Jalapoa three, JT, Stephen and Taj, have also achieved something that we rarely see. The fact that they had no numbers merge time did not hold them down, and as Jeff Probst always advises- they looked for a crack in Timbira and chipped away. And look at them now- they have risen to full power. I believe that they realized that Erinn was on the bottom of the totem pole of the remaining six Timbiras. For Erinn, this gave her the opportunity to jump ship and move from being the sixth person in an alliance to a possible forth place or better. Like Jeff also says: “It takes a big move to win this game”, and Erinn certainly has made a big move. This is why survivor is so difficult. Ignore the harsh elements; it’s the social game that proves most challenging. How do you keep an alliance with numbers, whilst ensure that no body in that alliance feels at the bottom? Would it be better to make empty promises for final two or three places to everyone and not keep them? Is it just better to have faith in the alliance and hope that everyone remains loyal? The tough thing is that you would have to control the way others perceive you. You can’t let them see you as a threat, as someone who may double cross, or someone who can masterfully work a jury and win. At the same time, you have to play the game for yourself to get to the end and prove why your gameplay is worthy of a million dollars.
The episode starts with JT and Stephen apologizing to Debbi and Coach for blindsiding Tyson. Coach sees that as honorable on their part and does not seem to hurt by this. Does Coach not see the writing on the wall and realize that the warrior alliance is over? Is his mission to acknowledge and appreciate the honor of the game blinding him from realizing that The Jalapoa Three is in power?
Debbi now plans on making some strategic moves. She realizes the power that JT, Stephen and Taj possess. But is it too late for her to do anything? She wants to regroup the remaining four Timbira…but it won’t be easy since the reason why the flipped was because they did not feel like part of Timbira.
The Reward Challenge and the Out of Camp Reward…
This is quite a popular challenge that tests ones perception of their competition. It’s quite dangerous too as the way people “chop the ropes” of their competitors is an indication of any possible alliances and the boot order. Who can forget Survivor: Marquesas, where Kathy realized that they where in danger after this challenge, and convinced Vecepia, Sean, Paschal and Neleh to vote of The Rotu Four Alliance, turned the game around and ended up as the final six? Then again, in Micronesia, Parvati was identified as the person who “mistakenly thought she was in control of the game” and unconsciously, the remaining Dabu members did not realize that she needed to be voted off, and she spun her web to the finals and ultimately (and deservingly) won the million dollars. This challenge is supposed to turn on the light bells of the remaining players. According to Jeff Probst, this challenge will not be played again, as many players conspired about their possible answers after reading tree mail.
Here’s a few of my opinions on the questions and answers:
1. Coach identified himself as not living up to his potential. If his stories true, I agree. At the same time, maybe he is as perceptive enough to realize that others think he is phony and his self created personality is some masterminded plot to win this game. (“Take me to the end. Everyone thinks I’m a fake. I can’t win”…is this the strategy he is playing?
2. Everyone says that they will trust JT with their life. A bit strange, considering that he voted off Brendon and Tyson. Seriously…I think that the most trustworthy is Sierra. Think about it- she betrayed no one. A bit inappropriate that everyone thinks that Sierra is most likely to stab you in the back. Seriously, Sierra may be the underdog, but she has played an extremely honest game and it has gotten her far.
3. The chopping order is Sierra, Coach, Debbi, Erinn, Jt, Taj and Stephen wins…don’t the old Timbiras realize that they are possibly the next four to go home and that if they unite, their four can overpower the Jalapoa.
Erinn is sent to Exile Island alone by Stephen. The strategy behind this is to keep their alliance of four in the grapevine about possible clues to a new idol. The Weather is not good and Erinn has a tough time at Exile Island and since she did not receive a new clue, her exile was pointless. Could this tick Erinn off and infuriate her so much to turn against the Jalapoa Three? Erinn wears glasses…could she have used the lenses to magnify light and start a fire?
Jt is on a reward challenge yet again. This certainly must be fueling him up and helps him endure the highlands better. A moment that I enjoyed was Taj’s interaction with the little girl that put her into “mummy mode”. As I mentioned in a previous post, Taj’s strategy and social game reminds me of Cirrie Fields (Exile Island, Fans vs. Favorites, and Heroes vs. Villains). Cirrie also had a similar interaction with a child on her reward during Survivor: Panama Exile Island. Also, if I may compare them further, Cirrie was voted off by Amanda in Micronesia because, as a mother and a lovable social player, Cirrie would win. Taj’s’ loving and fun- to- be- around personality may sadly be her Achilles Heel if someone realizes how big of a threat she would be for Jury votes.
When the cats away, the mice do play…
Debbi and Coach’s eyes have opened. After the Jalapoa Three went on the reward together, they realized that they are no longer in control. They now want to pull in Sierra and Erinn into voting with them. Too bad for them- Sierra has been hurt by them already and will not trust them again. However, something that struck me as a “what if” scenario, is that Sierra should probably have joined forces with them. They are at her mercy and would possibly do anything to stay in this game- Sierra would be bestowed upon her the sacred powers of The Dragon Slayer (lol). Also, Sierra was the first to be chopped off at the reward challenge. This should have also been a red light for her. But in Sierra defense, she trusted Coach and Debbi once and they betrayed her and she would be a fool to trust them again and be betrayed once more.
Is Coach playing with the integrity that he professes to have?
Absolutely not. I have a lot of respect for Coach and his supposedly honorable game play and voting strategy. However, he lying about Sierra to throw her under the bus made me a little disappointed. If anything, Coach should have been honest with JT and Stephen, because in order for there to the trust, there must be truth. Also, this could have tarnished Coach’s entire reputation and may bring everything he said (yes, I’m referring to his exploits with the Amazon Tribe) in question. As Stephen puts it: “He may just be one pathological liar”. I do feel a twinge of pity for Sierra. She knows that she has been honest throughout this game, and to be accused of lying by the liar who claims to always be honest must really hurt. Sierra was also willing to confront Coach, which is quite a noble thing to do, which I’m a little surprised that Coach was not impressed by this as a “sign of warriors courage”.
The Dragon Slayer earns immunity…
Well done to Coach for winning immunity. He is finally lived up his reputation and earned immunity. Debbi and Jt come close to winning…and given their track record at challenges- I would seriously consider voting them off or they could go on an immunity run and skate to the finals. Would Coach say that the reason why he won this challenge was because he once had to make a lasso out of tree vines to reach a dagger to fight the Amazons? Also, I think that Coach has the discipline to remain cautious and calm, which helped him in this challenge. If Coach didn’t win immunity, he could have been the next to go home as he jokingly says.
The mother and Daughter fight…
The argument between Debbi and Sierra looked liked a mother disciplining her rebellious child. “When did you become this angry person. You are not the person I know”, Debbi tells her. Sierra retaliates by throwing her words back at her and saying: “You are not the person I know anymore”. It looks like Debbi tries to get out of the argument by saying that she is too old for this. With all due respects, Debbi is quite young at heart and her exceptional performance at challenges reflects this. I think that the problem is desperation. Both Sierra and Debbi know that either one of them are going home and are therefore on edge with each other.
At Tribal council…
Taj admits that she loves the drama. And yes, drama amongst others is one good way of keeping the attention of you. Taj and the other two Jalapoa’s, are actually quite skilled at watching the Timbira disintegrate by their own dysfunctions, which is why they are still in this game.
A random vote goes to Stephen. It looks. Like he had a slight heart attack and this vote puzzled me. So I did some digging and asked the voter Erinn Lobdell on twitter (follow her- @emarielo) about why she cast this vote, and she revealed to me that it was a throw away vote. She knew that Stephen was safe and discussed this with him before it happened (off camera). Possibly, Erinn, being born into Timbira, did not want to choose between her original two fellow tribe mates. This could also be a good move on her part, as she is not responsible for sending someone home and that person may feel more inclined to give Erinn a million dollar vote at the end. This is quite a great strategy, by keeping with the majority, but not being responsible for ending someone’s dream.
Debbi receives two votes. One from Sierra and the other from Taj. I think the consensus was that Sierra was going home, and Taj’s vote did not matter. Also, I’m sure that Taj and Sierra had a friendship, not counting the Exile Alliance, which developed when they were exile together. I don’t think Taj wanted to betray this friendship. Another theory is possibly in the case of Sierra pulling out a Hidden Immunity Idol; Debbi would then have the next highest votes and be sent home.
Sadly, Sierra is sent home. But as I mentioned, she came a long way in this game and at least she goes home knowing that she did not succumb to scrambling and lies.
Next week…we see a deeper and emotional side of Taj that will bring a warm smile to many viewers. It’s not a moment that can be missed. Also, Debbi tries to shake things up by turning on Coach…how will this this turn out?
Until next week….
