This week Survivor editors – and viewers – were treated to the answer to the immortal question ‘what would we do if absolutely nothing interesting happened and all it did was rain for three days?’ Sadly, the answer was a sodden attempt to manufacture tension only broken up by the return of the not-missed-by-this-reviewer ‘Gross Food Frappe’ challenge. It’s one thing to see if Survivors can overcome their cultural (read American since the rules preclude casting anyone who is not from the U.S.A.) prejudices and eat what are staples to the local population but unpalatable to more western ways of thinking. Putting various combinations of raw things in a blender and whipping them up is in no way cultural. It’s just disgusting. And letting the other tribe heckle someone who’s clearly fighting to overcome the gag reflex is just not fair.

But, I am getting ahead of myself.

Last week Galu discovered Tribal Council for the first time – and the show is one-third over already. They voted of the Mouth That Roared, rather than the Snorkel-breaking, Chicken-losing, sleeping by herself in her own shelter outcast Shambo.

In fact, the only one who didn’t like voting off Yasmin was erstwhile leader Russell S. who eventually went along with the majority (unlike clueless Shambo who voted for Monica.) In fact the theme of this whole episode can be summed up with ‘let’s make the audience like Shambo’ which translates to ‘she’s not long for The Game.’ Indeed the only tension, that is so thin you can see through it is – will she make it to the merge so that she can ‘flip’ over and join her friends on Foa Foa. Of course, she’d do well there. After all, this is the woman who announced that ‘there are no hidden agendas here’ (cut to RussHell glowering).

We start at Galu and the waves are high and knock someone named Erik over. If he’s on the show to get face time for his acting career, he probably is disappointed with his screen time to date.

Quick, back to Foa Foa (guess we know who’s going to lose the challenge again) - Jaison and Ashley are also commenting on the waves. Jaison hopes that the immunity challenge win portends a change in fortune for F-F and good weather.

Then we have the gross food challenge and RussHell tells Liz that he’s worried about her – but she promises she’s the kind of girl who will eat anything. She also adds that others on the tribe won’t even eat coconut – indicating Ashley. RussHell uses this conversation to talk to Mick and Jaison about how Liz is a problem.

The challenge is gross and pointless – not even a race – just get it down and win a point. Ashley – who won’t even eat coconut – has trouble and F-F loses the reward challenge. Part of the reward – a barbeque – is that one person from Galu has to miss the reward and go to F-F. Anyone surprised when Russell names ‘Shambo’? She is, saying ‘Excuse me?’ She doesn’t think it is fair that she goes again. Russell makes a comment that it is payback for losing the chicken after she goes – a ‘reason’ he explains again at camp. How about the truth, Russell? You don’t like her. No one likes her and you’re getting ready for her to not be there when you lose your next immunity. And you’re not particularly worried about her finding the HII or making an alliance with F-F either.

Foa Foa is annoyed they Lost, but Shambo puts it in perspective – she won and still doesn’t get the reward and is stuck with them…not that she minds…she likes them... She doesn’t need a steak…just a group hug….aw!

Ashley is blaming herself. Natalie tries to help her feel better. Hey, she’s acting like she’s sure she’s going home – kinda ruins the suspense over which tribe will lose the upcoming immunity challenge.

But at Galu all is not rosy. Russell continues to justify his decision. But more important is – he cannot start a fire – even with candles to keep a flame. Dave is annoyed and tries to tell Russell what to do. Russell gets testy and tells Dave he’s all talk and no action. We get the ‘I know you are but what am I?’ argument going.

Dave confesses that he sometimes gets arrogant, but he’s afraid that will be his downfall. He starts the fire while “trying to downplay my awesomeness because it speaks for itself.” Wow, what’s worse than being arrogant? How about knowing you are but still not being able to avoid it.

Shambo decides to tell her friends on F-F all the HII clues. She goes to the right tree and gives it a gynecological exam. It’s not there and Shambo comes to the BRILLIANT conclusion that Ben must have had it and not played it when he was voted out. Liz pretends to agree, but confesses that she thinks RussHell must have it. She tells him so and that she believes he’s lying to her. And we know how well he takes that. If he didn’t want to vote her out for sure before, he sure will now.

Night and rain come. Galu is all wet. Kelly is the first to vocalize (to us) that it was a bad decision to pick the absorbent blankets instead of the water repelling tarp. Too bad, because it was the women he was trying to impress with the decision.

It’s still raining the next day and Super Dave Osborne builds a bridge through the raging torrent to make it to the safety and security of Treemail. It’s a clue. His awesomeness fairly leaps off the screen.

At the Immunity Challenge, only Erik welcomes Shambo back. Jeff points this out. Monica pipes up that it’s a game and that she shouldn’t take it personally, it is raining and everyone is trying to stay warm (because goodness knows a group hug doesn’t share warmth).

The challenge requires a man and woman from each tribe to hold a rope that keeps a basket in the air as the other tribe attempts (in the case of Foa-Foa) to fill (in the case of Galu) the basket with coconuts (there are plenty as Ashley doesn’t eat them). The net-holders are Liz and Russell for Foa Foa, and Russell and Laura for Galu.

At one point Probst helpfully points out that Ashley hasn’t made a single shot.

How cool is it that RussHell lets go before Liz? In fact, she earns the ‘this girl is crazy’ respect from Galu’s Erik for her tenacity but eventually the weight in her basket is to pull her off her feet. Guess the double whammy for RussHell is that she lasted longer than him, and earned the admiration of even the other tribe.

Foa Foa returns to the camp and tries to reinforce their pathetic shelter. We see images of wrinkled fingers and toes. Jaison says it is misery. Jaison confesses that he just wants to get out of there. Oh, the humanity, oh the misdirection. In the shelter they cannot scramble around and Ashley whispers to Natalie that she just wants to go to Tribal Council and get it over with. (We see later that Tribal is under cover and gives them a chance to dry off and warm up – with the vote a foregone conclusion, I don’t blame her a bit.)

We hear bits of confessionals – how cruel is that? Dragging the wet, tired, cold survivors out in the rain to make them tell what they are thinking? Fortunately it does give us insight into the fact that they are wet, tired and cold. RussHell doesn’t like the fact that they’re all together so he cannot play his games.

And it’s off to tribal where we ‘learn’
1. Jaison was on the U.S.A. National water polo team and was actually less wet than on Survivor
2. There is a roof over tribal this season, and Ashley says it sucks to send someone home, but at least they’re warm and dry (for the time being)
3. Mick says its hard when they have to talk in a group and cannot engage in sidebar conversations to strategize
4. Natalie says the weather had a big impact on their lack of ability to strategize – (although we did hear some discussion if they should all talk about it or each vote their own opinion.)
5. RussHell says that that they have been through has built trust, which is ‘gold’ in The Game. He trusts everyone around him now. (His game has gotten more subtle and better as the season has progressed.)
6. Ashley trusts everyone, but her best buddies are Natalie and RussHell, he pulled her under his wing early on (oh, please, I bet she’s wishing she could take THAT back after watching the first few episodes!)
7. Liz trusts everyone and, after going through three Tribal Councils, and all their losses, they are closer together. She is surprised that she has so much trust in them, but she does.
8. Mick thinks that they’ll be better organized and stronger at challenges after the vote.
9. Jaison thinks that they could be stronger, depending on who gets voted out. But it might upset someone (Natalie) if their ally (Ashley) was voted out.
10. RussHell doesn’t like the feeling that everything is up in the air. The Game should be strategic. Darn that nasty weather. It’s on thin ice with him! Doesn’t it know not to mess with him? He’s controlling the whole planet, right down to global warming!

Ashley votes for Liz, saying she trusts her the least out of everybody.
Jaison votes Ashley.

Snuff. She wishes the tribe well as she leaves. Probst wonders if they can dig deep enough to turn The Game around, then sends them back to camp.

Final Words
Ashley is impressed with her ability to not be so high maintenance. She hopes someone on her tribe (meaning RussHell) wins the million.

Next Time on Survivor
1. It rains some more.
2. Someone gets injured at a challenge to the extent that medical is called.

Excellent summary.....

I wouldn't be eating anything that had loads of flies landing on it.......is there no concern for safety there?? Flies leave disease.......

Russell's decision to take the comfort versus the tarp is certainly putting Shambo losing a chicken into perspective.......she chugged down that slug frappe with style.........

As he's leaving she should point out to him that losing a chicken is not half as bad as not picking a tarp when you have had 5 days of rain.......

I'll say the same thing that I said last week; Shambo insisting that she is a provider and a key part of the team does not make it so. While I certainly empathize with her feeling that she doesn't fit in with them, it doesn't excuse her being snarky and downright antagonistic towards them. When are people going to learn that it doesn't matter what you really think of people or if you even like them, in Survivor you have to make everyone think you are their best friend and make sure that they love you. THAT is how you win The Game. And geez Shambo, at this point even someone like Kelly (Kelli?) is playing a better game than you are. While Kelly might be useless, at least she hasn't been actively harmful in losing fishing gear and a chicken like you have. I don't dislike Shambo like I have other players (i.e. Ben) but her strategy (and I use the term VERY loosely) is just awful.

I think what you are saying makes perfect sense but the problem I see for Shambo is her appearence...she stands out and some ppl (especially those in her tribe who are younger) may view her as "odd (wo)man out"...purely on appearence. Let's face it, the young are shallow and Shambo is set in her ways...not a good combination.

Oh, Great summary as always!