Hey Readers!
The next installment of Survivor is underway! Twenty Castaways are in sunny Caramoan to duke it out to decide who will be the next million dollar winner of the game. It is Survivor’s second time around with a Fans vs. Favourites theme. I wasn’t so impressed with the group they assembled, but the few I liked make up for my disappointment in spades. If you read my previous post, I spoke of my favs of the Favourites. They were Malcolm, Cochran, and Phillip. Yeah, if you have watched the last few seasons of this show, you’ll know what I mean. After watching this episode, I’m still surprised that the Favourites are such emotional players, especially since they’ve been through this game before, allowing for paranoia to set in early in the game. How did this happen? Read on, and you’ll see.
As most seasons of this game begin, Jeff Probst welcomed the Fans (or, as I will call them, Newbies) to Survivor, as well as to Caramoan. Jeff also introduced them to the other group of people they would be competing against: the Favourites fans like themselves had voted for. The Newbies were both elated, as well as in a competative mood, as each of the Favourites left the helicopter. Jeff then gave each tribe their buffs. The Newbies are called Gota, and the Favourites are called Bikal.
Once both sides sized each other up, Jeff Probst announced the first Reward Challenge for some flint and twenty pounds of beans, something a tribe could use to initially raise morale back at camp. For this Challenge, two members from each tribe had to battle each other get a lifesaver ring from a post set offshore, then bring it back to their tribe’s post that was closer to the shore. The catch: thee was only one ring, and the other tribe could do just about anything to take the ring from you and score for themselves. The tribe that won five rounds first won the Challenge. Well, Readers, it was a blow out. The Favourites came to play, winning five out of the six rounds played. This Challenge may have also sparked the beginnings of a feud between Fan Reynold and Favourite Malcolm.
Once they reached their beach, the Gota tribe marveled at the beauty of their beach and the long journey they had as they started their virgin adventure in the game. They also began to set up their camp. As usual, the men-folk felt they were the only ones capable to build their shelter. This allowed for the women of their tribe to begin to make strategies and formed alliances.
Back at Gota, Shamar, biting back his military urges, was commenting on how he didn’t want to set himself as a leader for this tribe, but he wanted to be chosen by the tribe to fulfill this role. He saw that the the rest of the tribe needed help starting fire without the aid of flint, so he waited until the right moment and created a spark to make fire. The tribe cheered and congratulated him on his fire making skills. Maybe Shamar’s plan will work?
Other sparks were flying between Reynold and Allie. While wading in the blue ocean, they decided to become an alliance with Eddie and another female player. They solidified their pact by using each other for body heat during the cold nights in Caramoan. Other Castaways noticed how close Reynold and Allie were becoming and have begun to label them as a romance alliance. Maybe these two should cool things down a bit, or else they will put an even bigger target in their backs, especially since it’s the beginning of the game. Other Castaways will this as a reason to vote you off.
At Bikal, the Favourites also began setting up their camp. Both sexes took part in this event. The only thing that was holding them back a bit was good old.Phillip trying to be the “leader,” giving advice to anyone around him.
While this was happening, Francesca, Dawn and Andrea agreed to form an alliance straightaway. Francesca also tried to bury the hatchet with Phillip after their last encounter on Survivor: Redemption Island, but Phillip, hard-headed as he is, turned his back on her olive branch.
While eating, Phillip decided he would take the lessons he learned from his Survivor “Yoda,” Boston Rob, and try to make everyone feel like family, as.well as try to form alliances within alliances. Some of the other Castaways caught on to his futile attempts, and caulked it up to Phillip being Phillip.
Cochran was feeling the heat early in the game , especially on his feet! Yes, Readers, Cochran had a sunburn on his feet already. He then turned as red as his feet as the rest of his tribe learned of his condition.
At the Immunity Challenge, two players from each team had to race up certain levels of a structure to find two crates (twelve in all), and throw them over the side to crash on the ground to release the two sandbags within them. Then two other members of their tribe had to retrieve these sandbags to then toss into six targets. The winning tribe would win Immunity, and if the Fans won, hey would also receive flint. Once again, it was a blow-out, but it was in the Newbies’ favour! Malcolm was bested by his new rival, Reynold, bringing the Immunity Idol to the Gota tribe.
Once Bikal got back to their camp, it was game-on for scrambling. Everyone was hustling, running around, sharing tidbits of information to.each other as they were trying to decide who should go home. Andrea has become quite the strategist, rallying many of her tribe mates together in getting rid of Francesca because she didn’t trust her. What happened to your alliance with Francesca? Alarm bells went off when this information got back to Francesca, and she was on the move, trying to get support to get rid of Andrea. Cochran and Dawn decided to pair back up again, and they were si confused as who they should vote out, that they were going to put their support where the numbers were to avoid being targeted themselves. Again, your alliance to Francesca, Dawn? What happened to it?
At Tribal Council, Jeff Probst had the Favourites light their torches, representing their life in the game, and letting them know that, soon, one of their torches would be snuffed out.
The topics brought up at Tribal Council were who was running their tribe, the continuing feud between Phillip and Francesca, and llaying on a tribe of returning players. They told Jeff that no one was really running their tribe. Where Phillip and Francesca were concerned, Phillip continued to be a jerk toward Francesca. As for playing with returning players, Andrea tried to downplay her skills while giving her opinion, and Cochran said that the tempo of the game is faster for them because they are all expecting to be blindsided, so paranoia has already begun to spread within their camp.
Jeff Probst revealed the vote. It was a close one, Readers! It was a 6-4 vite to have Francesca be the first Castaway to leave the game this season. Francesca also made Survivor history by being the first Castaway to be the first player to leave the game on two different seasons. That really sucks. I think this was the right move for the Favourites gang because Francesca didn’t really bring any strength to the Bikal tribe. I’m no fan of Andrea as a player, but the Favourites will need Andrea down the line to go a bit further in the game.
Well, Readers, we are on our way in this new season of Survivor. See what happens when just a bit of negative information gets spread about you in this game? I wonder how this will play itself out? Hopefully, the Favourites will get out their funk and work together to take the Newbies out. We’ll find out when the next episode airs.
Until my next post, Readers!
Reese.
Reese Speaks 