This week on Survivor… Mike sure did have fun at Tribal Council, using that Idol of his to cause a little disruption and put a dent into the plans of Rodney and Dan; Mike is a happy man. However! Mike is now sans Idol and he needs to either find a new one, win immunity or he is OUT of the contest. Dan… This guy! Dan is talking about Mike using words like “selfish”, “self-centered” and he then goes on about how he’s so impressed with Mike’s Idol move, but he’s next to go; he only had one. Dan the Postman has zero interest in working with Mike because he is being a “hero” then “arrogant” and “condescending” fall out of Dan’s mouth to describe Mike. Around the campfire Dan says to Mike “Every now and then somebody else likes to win a shot, Mike.” Um…
This is Survivor, not a little kid’s soccer game in which we don’t keep score and make sure everyone gets to score a goal then goes home with a trophy. I mean, if Dan thinks Mike is being a hero, using words like those to describe him, what does that make you, Dan? You just described YOURSELF because Mike didn’t flip on you and your alliance, you did! You are the flipper and you said it yourself that flippers never win, but you know deep down that you did flip on Mike and you have sealed your fate in this game buddy. You know it, I know it, the American people know it, everyone knows that you’re being a villain because you’re trying to turn the hero into a villain and that’s what villains do in every movie! lol Anyway, Dan still has his extra vote, which makes Carolyn nervous, but he thinks she is nervous about Mike. Dan comforts her to let her know that they will get rid of him. Everything is going to be okay. Dan the Postman has a plan to keep Carolyn safe. They will get rid of big, bad Mike, but Dan’s plan hinges on Mike not winning Immunity instead of his own wits. 😉
What Dan doesn’t realize is that Carolyn has an idol, so she knows that she is safe this week no matter what and she’s starting to think that Mike is looking like a really good option to keep her safer in the game. All this apprehension she is feeling is not an act, but it’s not really totally directed towards Mike. On the beach later, alone, Mike and Carolyn agree that Dan has got to go! He has to be next, but they don’t really have the numbers to get rid of him. Carolyn takes this opportunity to tell Mike what Dan’s advantage is and he is a little confused at first, but then he thinks about the impact of an extra vote. Mike is very happy that he has a little angel in the form of Carolyn around; now he knows what Dan’s advantage is and that Carolyn is open to different options. Carolyn likes having options! She’s got a little sum sum going on here, there and everywhere. She is still going to vote him out if she can, though. She doesn’t want to work with Mike that badly! lol I don’t blame anyone for wanting to get rid of the hero. Both heroes and villains win this game. 😉
Time for Reward! Will Rodney get his reward this week? lol If he can get his team through an obstacle course and unscramble a phrase with letter tiles, yes, yes he can! Or if someone wants to give him reward… The winning team of three will go on a helicopter ride to tour the area and then they get some surf and turf with wine and the teams are: Dan, Seirra and Rodney; Mike, Carolyn and Will. Down the net they go, over the rope bridge, down the bamboo slide to the bridge that will lower once they untie the knots to release it. Dan and Mike work on untying the hatchet to chop the rope to release the tiles, which must be sorted through to find ones with letters, collect them all then get started on the puzzle. Both teams get through this pretty quickly… Thirty minutes later, everyone is still stumped on the phrase “A Reward With All The Fixins”. Both teams have gotten close, but Dan blew off Seirra’s suggest of using “fixin” in the last word and everyone is all worried about cheating so much that not even Jeff can see the progress they are making! So… Jeff starts dropping some hints, but no one is picking up what he’s laying down. After an hour, he start dropping more hints; Seirra isn’t let Jeff distracting her, though, and finally something clicks for Carolyn and her team wins all the reward with all the fixin’s. Then she gets all wishy washy about giving up her spot to Rodney, Jeff stirs this pot, but Carolyn decides to keep it for herself and giving Rodney hope, again, then dashing it, again, is probably going to come back to haunt her. Sure, Carolyn feels bad, but not that bad for Rodney; this is her Survivor experience too and that’s fine, but she should have kept her mouth shut.
As always, the Reward is awesome for the winners and eventually the chatter becomes relevant. Mike wants to know what Will and Carolyn think of calling this little group the Final Three. Carolyn says it could be a strong group, they got all three color collars, she could work with him, it’s a big move, but it could be wrong. Will has already thought about it with Mama C, but Mike is a huge threat all the way until the end. All Mike really wants to ask is that they don’t let Rodney beat him in this game. No one wants that to happen! lol Rodney is getting annoying to everyone, what with all the guilt trips about not being taken on Reward. So, Mike hopes Carolyn is on board or that he wins Immunity. Back at camp Rodney is still kicking rocks with his head hung low, but he’s doing okay. He’s actually really relaxed and not all hot and bothered. He knows Mike is gone next and then Carolyn will be on her way to Ponderosa right after him.
While everyone takes a nap, Dan steps out into the jungle and finds some fruit for himself, Seirra and Rodney to enjoy. What a treat! It’s the best day ever for Rodney. As they enjoy their treat, they all agree – the next one to go is either Mike or Carolyn. The next day, Dan reiterates how important it is that Mike not win Immunity then we cut to Mike talking to Seirra about how important it is that she realize that Dan is taking Will and Rodney to the end. The boys in blue, not the girl, are the only people left in the game that Dan can beat and he just wanted to tell Seirra that while he had the chance. How would they feel if those three were the Final Three? Seirra agrees – not that great. How would they ever vote for a winner between the three of them??? She knows that Mike has a good point and Dan has that advantage, he could use it to help or harm her, but Mike is still gone if he doesn’t win Immunity. Mike is still the bigger threat.
Come on in, guys! Time for Immunity! Each person must use a grappling hook to snag bags that contain balls and once they get all three they can use one to solve a table maze to roll the ball to the middle and into its home there. Dan is the first to claim a bag, but the others aren’t far behind him. Mike grabs his third bag first and takes the lead while Rodney is having serious trouble with this rope. Dan is next to join the crazy maze race while Rodney is still having serious trouble with his rope. Both Dan and Mike are rushing through the maze, but that is not helping then Seirra joins them while the remaining three struggle to retrieve bags. Mike staying pretty calm and collected, concentrated and it pays off because he finally makes it to the middle, but now he has to land it in the spot and OMG what a nail biter! Seirra catches up with Mike and now they are both struggling to land their balls in the depression in the middle of the table. And it feels like five minutes pass before MIKE wins Immunity! Mwah ha ha ha ha! I love it. So does Mike! It’s like the 4th of July!
Back at camp… Let the fireworks begin! It’s time to do the Survivor Shuffle, not the Scramble because no one that needs to be scrambling thinks they have eggs in the pan getting ready to be scrambled. Nope! Every day since that auction, Mike’s been shuffling around that island and it’s finally time that one of them listens. Before he begins, Dan the Postman, the arch nemisis of Merica Mike, has a little meltdown. Damn you, Merica Mike, thwarting my plans for total destruction! ARGH! Tending to his minions, Dan shakes a stick at Will and Rodney – They are voting for Carolyn, right? RIGHT? Yup! Right-O, Dan-O! Even Seirra is voting for Carolyn. You can calm down, dude! What are you so… Oh that’s right. You have a big advantage and everyone is nervous about it. Tension sets in when Mike and Carolyn saunter back to camp, Dan takes off into the jungle then safest people in the bunch confirm that everyone is voting for Dan, which his the plan, for the other blues and Will to lie, but Mike is a little too smart for that. Everyone is a little too quick to turn on Dan…
So Mike shuffles off to talk to Dan! He tells him that his alliance is gunning for him, that he doesn’t even have to do anything tonight to make sure he leaves. He could throw his vote to anyone and Dan will still be snuffed out tonight. Oh the audacity, says Dan, but not to Mike’s face of course. The absolute GALL of Mike to say that only he can save Dan tonight! It’s true, though, because all he has to do is turn Seirra. Dan’s gotta know that Carolyn is voting for him and that he only has Will and Rodney… And Seirra, but I guess he doesn’t know that Seirra is thinking about options so Dan’s not really thinking about math and numbers right now, plus he’s got that extra vote! Over-confidence has taken hold of Dan the Postman. Since Mike is smart, he sees this as a cue that one of the girls is being targeted; Dan feels far too safe, which means Mike knows he’s got the boys on his coat tails. So… Mike shuffles over to Carolyn, and scares the crap out of Seirra by accident, then asks the ladies to notice who’s in the shelter sleeping, indicating that they are not worried at all about going home tonight. It’s Rodney and Dan. Mike says that those three boys will be voting for one of them, 100% and Mike says he thinks that it is Carolyn. Seirra thinks he’s lost his mind, but Carolyn is seriously thinking about Mike’s warning.
To Tribal! The Jury looks really happy to see Mike wearing that necklace then Jeff begins to talk about trust. Mike says everyone still has a common enemy, him, so there is trust among the group, but one of them is going home tonight! Rodney tried to talk about trust, but for some reason he cannot form a sentence; Jeff suggests it could be fatigue and lack of food. Rodney agrees then rambles on then forgets what he was talking about, oh yeah, trust. Carolyn says she wants to trust who she wants to trust, but she knows she could be the one leaving. Dan says that Carolyn is a threat because she’s good at challenges, but he’s not the only threat and he doesn’t know what to do. Will points out that Dan has his advantage and Rodney says that advantage can be used to strong arm people. Everyone’s been talking about idols and advantages and let’s just get to this.
It’s time to vote! So the votes are cast, but after Jeff says he’s going to tally the votes, Dan speaks up. He would like to use his advantage so he does and he casts his vote. Jeff retrieves the votes and asks if anyone would like to play a hidden Immunity Idol. Carolyn speaks up. She’s not going home tonight. She would like to use her Immunity Idol and YUP! It’s a real idol. Oh crap… Here we go again! lol Looks of shock and ahhhh damnit all around. She and Mike high five then Jeff gets to the votes: All Carolyns, which do not count, followed by two votes for Dan! At least he went down swinging, right? SO! Next week! Season finale! I hope everyone is voting for Shirin and what a crazy list of people to vote for that is at CBS.COM, eh? Some really old school names on those lists, right? I really don’t see anyone, but Mike or Carolyn winning this season, both of whom you can vote for along with Joe. My friend and I hashed out scenarios last night and there is just no way anyone else is winning, we think, but… WHO knows?! (Also, yes, I know there IS an error in my grammar hidden away in here… Maybe a few.)
