This week of Survivor… My mom came to visit me over the weekend so I’m rushing to get this thing done and posted for ya’ll. It’s Monday afternoon… But on Survivor, we’re in the middle of Night 16 at the Gondol camp and after returning from Tribal Council, Joe expresses to Scot that he was confused when he said “original plan”. Scot says voting out Peter WAS the original plan and he wanted to make sure Julia voted the right way – what’s up with the Brains not being able to make a decision and stick to it? So the tables have turned… Because of their indecision, Scot is targeting both Joe and Aubry. Regardless of whom her final vote was for, Aubry wrote down Julia’s name so Scot is going to be a little indecisive at the next Tribal they go to and cross out Joe and Aubry a few times before deciding. The next morning, Tai is battling some fowl play as their last chicken attempts to claim nips of the coconut meat the Tai is harvesting. Apparently, the chicken really loves coconut because as soon as Tai flings a chunk accidentally on the ground, the chicken is almost instantly pecking at it. As Joe watches this interaction, he compares it to a father and son because Tai just LOVES that chicken but Joe is also contemplating his fate in the game – at least Aubry changed her vote to Peter. He figures he’s definitely the one to be voted out if they go to the next Tribal Council.
At Chan Loh, Neal is gathering crabs to eat and Cyd, sitting in the shelter with Jason, notices a bulge in Neal’s cargo pants pocket that looks very familiar – it looks like an Idol and she would know because she’s seen one. As Neal returns to the shelter, Cyd quietly points out where Neal to look and Jason is pleased as punch. Sure, they have to flush the Idol, but knowing that Neal has one is very powerful information. The pieces on Jason’s game board couldn’t be lining up any better. All he has to do is plant the right seeds and wait for the right time to let them sprout out and grow. A short while later, a boat arrives at camp with a note: they have five minutes to gather what they want and need the most and board the boat that will take them to their new home. Michele is thrilled that her dream of making the Merge come true, but she was in a good spot with Chan Loh so she’s nervous about what’s going to happen next. Debbie is super excited about the Merge, everyone will be dangling and she’s gonna be there to pull in and lock down all the best puppets for her play at prize. And I haven’t said it, but Debbie has been breaking the #1 Rule of the Survivor for a couple of episodes and mark my words, it’s gonna catch up to her…
When Gondol finally notices Chan Loh approaching their camp, there excitement all around for everyone and Scot is happy to have his old Brawny team mates back. It’s time for the playoffs, yo! Aubry feels that her life in the game has been rejuvenated now that she’s back with all the Brains. As everyone enjoys the Merge feast, Tai talks over the scene to comment that it’s now four Beauties, four Brains, and three Brawns. How they will line up is unknown, but Tai feels like Scot is his best and only real ally and he is the most logical choice since Scot knows about Tai’s Idol. At this point Debbie interrupts the meal to confess to Nick that she just wanted to cuddle with him just once! She’s happily married, but – not being able to properly spell the sound Debbie makes – HELLOOOOOO, NURSE! (Animaniacs is on Netflix, ya’ll!) Jason addresses Tai and makes the same noise; Scot tells him to back off and Jason says he’s taking him! Tai grabs Scot from behind and says Noooo! Scot tells Tai that he will protect him from the scary pirate and everyone is eating, drinking wine, laughing, and having a great time together. And Nick is observing the whole scene to see what information he can glean from how people are interacting with each other…
So, let’s talk about Nick because the next sequence of events is all about him really because he watches Debbie and Aubry talk after the feast – Debbie says the Brains are solid, by the way – And then he goes off talkin’ and walkin’ with Neal and Aubry who reveal to him that they think the same think that he does about the Brawns – they are super tight. Nick also thinks they are arrogantly tossing about their chests as if they are unstoppable and he doubts the Brains will want to work with them because they are the exact opposite and don’t like to play so blatantly “in your face”. This hunch is pretty much confirmed when Neal asks about a Beauty/Brain alliance and how tight he feels with his former tribe – Nick actually doesn’t feel great about it, he says to Neal, because Tai and Scot are close and he’s pretty certain they saved Julia so she’ll probably stick with them. Neal asks about Michele and yeah, Nick’s pretty sure he can swing Michele to their side. While it’s smart to go with the Brains, Nick doesn’t want to back himself into a corner – that’s not good Survivor so he’s still in loosey-goosey mode, which is such a smart mode to be in at this point in the game. Later, while some of the girls paint up the new tribe flag, the new name is Dara, by the way – why? Who knows! We never get to watch them come up with the tribe name anymore…Why? Who knows!
Anyway, back to Nick… Later, he’s hanging out with the Brawns while some of the women paint the flag. Nick starts in with his innocent line of questioning that actually isn’t innocent, but since everyone seems to be feeling so confident in their alliances people aren’t seeing what Nick is doing – He’s pumping people for information and they are just dishing it out for him, swirling chocolate syrup over all over the place and there is no shortage of sprinkles and cherries for the top for Nick. Scot welcomes Nick right away, and Nick’s not sure if it was the rum or what, but later when Jason, Nick, and Scot are walking alone away from camp, Jason tells them that he thinks Neal has an idol. Then Scot – saying that this info stays ONLY between the three of them and that not even Cyd should know – goes and blurts out that TAI has an Idol and Nick is just sooo thankful for the information. Nick doesn’t like Scot and Jason’s arrogant attitudes, but their over-confidence is too good of a tool to use. While they grunt around and beat their chests, Nick can watch and wait for the best time to blindside them and they will never, ever see it coming because all the attitude has and will continue to blur their vision and scramble their radar. MWAH HA HA HA HA HA HA! Nick is perfectly aligned to do some real damage to the games of the players who think they’ve got this whole show in the bag… And there are a few that do…
Speaking of players that are over-confident… The next day, Tai is barely awake when Debbie pounces on him to form an alliance. He says “okay”, “it’s a done deal”, and shakes on it, buuuuuuuuut, I don’t buy it. The dude is just regaining consciousness and this woman is all over him with serious game talk like, they are going to Tribal Council in an hour. She wants to know what his strategy is, he says he’d have to figure out who he’d want to go into an alliance with – “you just did” she says… And duuude… Debbie just has her foot on the gas and the peddle on the floor. Tai doesn’t like it her aggressive strategy, doesn’t buy her story, and he ain’t no fool! Tai see’s right through her. Nick is also, conveniently, present for this fake alignment and Debbie interrogates him as well – is he with them? Nick is VERY ambiguous about answering, but Debbie doesn’t seem to notice. Neal and Aubry; however, are very aware that Nick doesn’t say “yes” – Debbie is “not being very “finesse-y” about this whole thing”… Aubry says Debbie is double and triple teaming people and it shows desperation, not confidence in the alliances made like Debbie thinks. She’s playing too hard, too fast and Debbie needs to cool her jets. YUP! Aubry is so smart…
In the shelter, Jason, Cyd, and Scot are with Julia and Michele – Jason proposes a Brawn/Beauty alliance. They can just make a family of seven to a family of four and figure it out from there. Jason says Beauty never goes for Brains – they always date the jocks and the jocks are just shoving geeks in lockers at this point. Jason reveals that they would like to take out Neal, but since he has an Idol they are going to shoot to cripple his strength by targeting Aubry, his closest friend on the island. When Michele comment on the situation, she says she’s never counted out working with the Brains and doesn’t like Jason’s “shoving geeks in lockers” attitude. Later, Aubry talks alone with Nick about Debbie’s aggressive nature and tries to gain some favor and trust with Nick, but Debbie is just to aggravating… Neal and Aubry talk later about how bad the situation is with Debbie. No one likes her aggressiveness and it’s going to ruin the games of the Brains. At this point, Neal reveals to Aubry that he has an Idol that no one knows about… Aubry feels so much better now. Neal’s Idol is something they can work with and the game is ON!
Come on in guys! It’s time for Immunity, buuuuuuuuuut, you know what? Immunity doesn’t really effing matter this week. At the top of the challenge, Jeff brings up the medical issues the players have faced thus far in the season and the people left in the game reveal that they have a lot of cuts and infections. Neal has gross spots, Aubry does too, so does Tai and Scot and everyone is really banged up at this point. Jason says they’ve all just soldiered on and Jeff commences with the challenge, but like I said, it doesn’t matter so I’m not going to talk about it much since I’m rushing to get this thing finished this week. Nick wins, for those of you that haven’t seen the episode and just need to know who wins, but I think most of my readers watch the show and know how this all plays out from here. The only thing worth mentioning is the fact that Jeff says “Tai’s balls banging into each other – never good”… WTF, JEFF?! lol I thought I was the dirty-minded comedian here… Jeff also says “Nick with a lot of movement – his balls dancing all over the place”. I mean… Eric Curto – you are so brilliant and awesome for introducing me to #ShitJeffSays. I love you, man!
So… As I was saying… Immunity doesn’t matter this week. It doesn’t matter that Nick won. It doesn’t matter that the Beauty/Brawn alliance was going to attempt to vote out Aubry. About the time we, the audience, are traveling to Tribal Council with the players via our television screens, Jeff motors into camp with a doctor to look at everyone’s various wounds because he’s concerned about their health and well-being. The nice doctor, Rupert, looks at Tai’s inner thigh wounds, that he acquired from “climbing trees for mangos”, first and he’s healing up really nicely so Tai is all good. Scot’s inner thigh wound is next and despite it being infected and slightly painful for Scot, the doc clears him saying he wants to keep an eye on it. Aubry’s inner thigh wound is next… And JEEZ! What’s with the inner thigh wounds, yo!? In regards to Aubry’s wound, Dr. Rupert decides against lancing it and says that Aubry should be put on an antibiotic. Her injuries are not life-threatening and won’t have any serious effects on her body in the future so Aubry can stay. Then Neal steps up and the doctor examines the wounds on Neal with an alarmed look. Jeff suggests they find a clean environment for them to further examine Neal…
So… Jeff and the doctor sit Neal down on a COOLER, just a regular ol’ cooler that you put beer in when you go to the lake, sitting on the sand… As if sitting on a cooler is sooooooooooo much more sterile than sitting on a log that is also, as the cooler is, sitting on the SAND and seems to only be a few feet away from said log… I mean… LOL! WTF? It don’t make no SENSE! ANYWAY… the really gross thing on Neal’s back doesn’t really concern Dr. Rupert at all – and you are very very very welcome again for not posting pics of the nasty thing on Neal’s back – It’s the thing on Neal’s knee that throw up red flags. Because the wound is really close to Neal’s joint, the infection could spread to his joint and cause permanent damage within a matter of hours. Neal doesn’t think it’s that bad, he feels fine, but Doctor Doomsday is very concerned and Neal becomes emotional very quickly because he knows what’s about to happen and so do we… He’s being pulled from the game for medical reasons and I HATE when people get pulled for medical reasons! Especially big fans of the game like Neal. Anyway… Aubry is really upset that Neal is leaving – he’s her closest ally, but then she thinks of that Idol he has and hopes that maybe he’ll give her to her before he leaves, BUT HE DOESN’T! What a douche! Some alliance member he turned out to be! 😉
SO! Next time on Survivor… It’s total chaos when the Brains start having issues and Cydney seemingly begins to turn on the Brawns. Ooohhh whoooo whooooo! That’ll be fun! As always… We’ve got Amazing Race recaps, Big Brother Canada Coverage Galore, Hell’s Kitchen, Bravo Shows, The Bachelor, video recaps… We do a lot. You should really surf around. 😉 And if you’re shopping on Amazon, use this link – it doesn’t cost you more and it helps us out a bit!
