Survivor: Palau - 3/30/05

Cafe Society
21

I don’t know. The thing that bothered me about the Ulong sign was the fact that it said “Ulong”. This is not inappropriate if one anticipates being flown over by a plane with a spotter that knows that there is an “Ulong” group out there- but if you are anticipating some unconnected plane flying over, it’s not so good.

Got Food struck me as kind of silly, but at least it tells anyone flying over that you are hoping to be seen and perhaps rescued- or at least fed. Also the Got food sign took up more (vertical) space as well as being out from under the tree line.

But that immunity challenge sure showed the difference between the two tribes- or at least the triads competing. If the one tribe ever moved a piece in the wrong direction, it wasn’t shown, and the other tribe ended up not much better than they started.

22

D’oh! I meant to write, “No player SHALL sitteth …” Blonde. Sorry!

23

I felt the same way, kick the man when he is down, why don’t you.

I think that Ulong got started right away, and the tide went out on them. I got the impression that they did not know when the plane was coming and wanted to have a good start. It doomed them. It was to Koror’s advantage to discuss who was playing and who was sitting, it gave them more beach when they got there.

I think this is just becoming too painful to watch. It’s no fun to see the pile on that’s happening, and Probst seems to be enjoying it way too much. You have to wonder if somebody said something early on, or even before it started that ticked him off. And that shelter is the greatest reward ever, that has to be a huge benefit to Koror. But, I’ll still watch it next week, just to see how they work it, so I guess they win.

However, I am still not buying printed Pringles.

24

I wonder if one person can manage one of those huge canoes…

My son pointed out that, in the instructions for the challenge, creativity would be rewarded, but when Jeff was talking to the jump master, all they talked about was being able to ID the drop zone. Creativity wasn’t mentioned, so all the guy seemed to be going off of was whether or not he could figure out where to drop the supplies. A big honkin’ fire might have worked better, particularly if they set the whole island on fire, but that would be bad.

Let’s see how long that Koror tribal unity keeps together if they merge next week and suddenly everybody has to compete with Tom, Ian, Steph and Bobby Jon in the individual immunity challenges…

25

I think I remember the Drop Master saying that Koror’s message was more creative than Ulong’s. Mostly he did mention, though, that because it was further out from the tree line it was easier to be seen.

26

Egg-zellent! Pringles is nasty!

27

Another thing I figured out is that Koror had a huge hidden advantage–they had an 8-person’s camp worth of firewood, extra coconuts and stuff to assemble into their big message, whereas Ulong had to take apart their worthless, loser bathroom to burn. Which, to be fair, they’ve probably been wanting to do for a while (as Colby pointed out in Australia, if you’re not eating much, you don’t really need a bathroom), but still…

28

Alrighty. Back at the keyboard. No more PDA pains from typing a big, long post! Once again, let me restate my absolute love for this season. It’s been said in this space that Koror is exhibiting the skills and camp life that Burnett and Co. likely envisioned before Hatch turned the game on its head. For those that have complained in past seasons that Survivor should really be called Machievelli, I give you Season 10! Of course, I am starting to feel guilty watching Ulong dwindle away. In related news, Michael Schiavo has gone to court to try to get Ulong’s feeding tube removed!

And now, the less anticipated, highly derivative RICH RANKINGS! (K or U for Tribe and Last Week’s Rankings in Parentheses).

FORGOT TO FILE A 1040- I guess you couldn’t outwit everyone!

Wanda,Jonathan,Jolanda, Ashlee,Jeff, Kim,Angie,(sniff) Willard, James— Now, the folks in Loser Lodge get to marvel at James’s balls hanging out. Their gain is America’s loss!

Ibrehem- (U/Jerky)- You know? As this season wore on, I realied Ib wasn’t shaved, he was balding. Changed my whole perspective on him.

EATING BEEF JERKY- You’re still playing, but you’re praying for a tribe scramble!

Janu-(K/Jerky)- She can’t even handle a simple challenge. The most disappointing player for me this season. I had high hopes. She is definetly the first Koror to go.
Bobby Jon- (U/Jerky)- This guy talks like he has never watched the show. Maybe that is why his team can’t win. Of course, it occurred to me that a team with three Alabama boys on it is destined not win much unless there is a football involved.
Stephanie- (U/Merge)- Downgraded because she is still talking about making it all the way. I wish we could send in Patrick from the Amazing Race to talk her down. I am glad she didn’t go home, though. I think she, of all the Ulongi, deserves to sit on the jury.

WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT A MERGE?- Middle of the pack players, the lotta ya!

Caryn- (K/Jerky)- Caryn’s first upgrade! Despite seeming bitchy, she showed that she was respected by her tribe in last night’s episode. Her work ethic seems pretty solid. I could see someone taking her along as a shield in the final vote.
Jennifer- (K/Mohawk)- A downgrade. Not only does she have little to no personality, I think she is more worried about her crush than the game. Plus, there are already people discussing her exit. Evn in the abstract, that’s not a good thing.

HEY! LOOK AT HIS MOHAWK-You might make the merge, but you’re grimacing from the jury row!

Katie- (K/Mohawk)- Another upgrade. You are not solidly in any alliance it would seem. But I think that post-merge, that may be a benefit and not a burden this season. Plus, I thought the Birth of Venus comment was clever.

LOOKING FOR A BIG TOM TO ENGLISH DICTIONARY- Big Tom has spent more combined days on the show than anyone. But he didn’t quite grab the brass ring.

Coby- (K/Rat)- I almost downgraded him two spots, because his smug looks couldn’t be winning any friends. Plus, he seems TOO confident about his and Gregg’s coup. But he has a pretty good eye for what really counts in the game. I could see him stabbing Gregg in the back as well.
Gregg- (K/Tom)- I toyed with moving him back up to Rat/Snake. It is clear he has a locked vote in Jennifer, but he isn’t going to hand her a million dollars. It will be fun to see if he has it in him to topple Tom.

ARE YOU A RAT OR A SNAKE?- Reserved for a MAXIMUM of two players. You have to be in the driver’s seat for this spot.

Ian-(K/Tom)- Moves back up by catching a HUGE clam. He just keeps doing things that make him seem like an Ultimate Survivor. Plus, I think Tom is the bigger target of the two once the bloodletting begins.
Tom-(K/Rat)- But Tom DID kill a shark with a machete! That keeps him in the penthouse in this column! If what Coby said is true, and his assessment of the game has been solid, then Tom may have a Boston Rob aura about him. He’s the guy everyone KNOWS that they should rebel against, but for some reason they all feel unworthy of toppling him.

Bold Call time-

Final Four Prediction- Tom, Ian, Katie and Caryn
Winner- Ian over Caryn

29

Something from last week–it’s interesting that, when Rupert’s in the game, if the fishing spear gets broken, it’s a tragedy of epic proportions that almost results in physical violence (what a fine and talented youth mentor he must be…), but when Bobby Jon breaks it, it’s “well, guess it’s time to fix the sling…” and nobody even mentions it…

30

perhaps it’s because the Ulong’s spear is so useful the tribe is considered well-fed by that less than palm-sized fish they caught. [sub]giant clam not withstanding[/sub]

31

Forgot all the tribe stuff; I wanted to see Tom actually catch the shark! As far as I could tell, it seemed like the camera people were focused on Ian and Gregg (?), and not on Tom as he went off down the beach. machete in hand.

32

Judith, I have to assume that the sight of Tom hauling off and butchering a live shark with a machete might not make it past the censors. Animal cruelty, you know…

33

Yeah, I bet heads will roll over that. Because seeing that Tom killed a shark with only a machete = good TV, but seeing Tom actually kill the shark with only a machete = GREAT TV.

Oh, and because I haven’t mentioned it yet? I lurve Ian.

34

The product isn’t nearly as bad as those disgusting commercials they run. Am I the only person who thinks the girl in them can’t be more than thirteen? The whole campaign reeks of pedophila.

35

Yeah, I know. But we did kind of see him butcher it on the beach, and then take the still-moving headless body into the water to wash it off. I was waiting for a shot of Tom wading into the water, hacking the shark, and then dragging it onto the beach. TPTB could have cut quickly away, perhaps, at the actual hacking, but IMHO it’s just a big fish, and we see them quivering on spears all the time.

Anyway, it’s not really the most important part of the episode, but I can’t help but think someone wasn’t as on top of their camera game as they should have been.

I have to say that this becoming one of my favorite seasons of Survivor.

36

There was also a quick shot (coming back from commercial, I think) of the head mounted on a bamboo pole, trophy-style. I thought it was kind of neat, but I bet some people would hated it.

37

I am loving more and more the idea of no merge. There could be an immunity challenge between Ulong and a quarter of Kuror, then, if Ulong loses (what do I mean, if? :slight_smile: ), an individual immunity between Steph and Bobby Jon.

I just really like the idea of Steph all alone over at that beach, with absolutely nothing to do.

38

Except lie in the fetal position, rocking back and forth, and repeating over and over, “It’s not my time and I’m not ready to go.”

39

Actually, if (hah–when) Steph is all alone, she’ll have absolutely everything to do–get water, firewood, fish, repair the shelter…

40

Koror is probably driving the camera teams crazy. Here they’ve gotten used to sluggish, predictable contestants the last few seasons and suddenly they throw this bunch at them! Always off doing SOMETHING, poking at snakes or chasing sharks or swimming for clams or watching the couple canoodle… the poor camera crew have had to work harder this season than they’ve had to since probably Marquesas.