Thanks to Thanksgiving it was time for the annual Survivor recap episode and this year we were treated to more extras then ever before! Many new scenes were broadcast to our screens tonight along with the application videos of the final eight of Survivor Gabon. Randy started things off by giving us a glimpse into his home. He was talking to his dead dog’s urn, not surprising, but it makes reference to a future “New Scene” were Randy shows his softer side to Matty. Crystal’s audition seemed to be at a casting call where she called out her golden medal, saying that they’ve “probably already heard of her”. Sugar seemed a completely different person and nothing like she is on the show. Wearing a full on nose ring, Sugar exclaimed her homelessness and want for Survivor to help her grow up. Bob’s application was completely done at this school that he teaches. He seemed more fun and lighthearted then he is portrayed on the show as he cracked jokes with the lunch ladies.
Corinne’s audition was next and she was full on bitch, similar to her new scenes as well. Wearing a bikini, Corinne waded by the pool, rattled off her college degrees and let producers know she tells it like it is. Susie’s application was a complete sit down and somewhat nice to see. It was in her element, her home, and she seemed much more sane there. Kenny’s was rather odd as he seemed five years younger when he made it. With braces on you could hardly tell it was Kenny but sure enough it was! He let producers know that his strategy would be to always think ten times ahead. Pretty much what he’s been doing. Matty’s was last and it seemed almost TOO well done. The quality was the best out of all of them, as if CBS sent a film crew to his house after realizing he was probably “casted” and never sent in a tape.
After the applications it was time for the recap. Unlike past years the show actually focused on new scenes rather then just rattling off everything that happened. In the first new snippet we saw first Fang swimming and getting leeches. Randy was first to get one followed by Matty, who swore he wouldn’t get any. He didn’t seem to happy but it was obvious they were in there. There weren’t many new scenes about first Kota other then Bob’s ability to create stuff around camp. It was nice to see a glimpse of Bob from the start as he wasn’t shown much when the first episodes aired. After the merge the rest of the show was pretty much about Sugar. She had a completely new segment from the Sugar Shack, aka Exile Island, where she skinny dipped and acted as if she was at a nude beach. Surely we didn’t see THAT on the show. Sometimes I wonder why clips like that miss air, maybe we can blame Marcus for that one. She also got a few nods from Jeff as being in control of the whole Nobag tribe. It seemed they were setting it up for a “underdog” them with only Bob and Corinne seen as the “power houses”. Although they WERE in power, Bob and Corinne are lambs to the slaughter, using Ace’s term, for the next episodes unless a big change occurs. Knowing this group and the craziness of the past episodes though, I have a feeling we haven’t seen the craziest go down just yet.
On last weeks Survivor, Charlie was kicked out of the game thanks to Nobag’s weakest members. Tonight those who were friends with Charlie weren’t too happy as Randy and Corinne silently freaked out, well for the night following Tribal Council at least. The following day it was all about the hidden idols. Yes I put an s on that, although there really aren’t two. Bob found it smart, for some reason, to tell Sugar, and only Sugar, that he made a fake Immunity Idol. She played it off well as she didn’t let on that she has the real one. In the end Sugar just became even more powerful as she has the real idol and knows that there is another one now floating around. Who would have though she’d become the most powerful person in the game? I sure didn’t! With the idols now out in the air it was time for the next reward. While getting the tree mail both Corinne and Randy talked about how much they hated everyone remaining. They feel they are the only two now aligned from old Kota and realized that Matty had to switch over.
This tie with Matty played a role in the next reward challenge which brought back the Survivor Auction. Each of the players were given $500 and given the chance to bid on several items. First up were three cold beers and it was a bidding war between Randy and Sugar. She kept bidding to get Randy’s bid higher and higher and it worked. After getting the beer, Randy was left with only $320. The next item up was the dreaded covered item and Kenny took it home. It was a note to send someone to Exile Island and gain their money. Kenny didn’t waste any time and sent Bob to exile once again, knowing there is no idol and knowing Bob thinks there is. Sugar, who had been very vocal, got the next item of chocolate and peanut butter while Susie won a bubble bathe. Corinne won the only other individual reward in an advantage in the next immunity challenge. Kenny could have outbid her but in the end he didn’t need it. The last item was for the tribe and Randy won cookies for everyone. Although it was a nice gesture he turned into an idiot. He wanted to “own all the cookies” and designated who got the most. He gave Corinne and Matty one and half each while everyone received one. In the end only one cookie remained and, since she didn’t take one at first, Sugar took the last cookie and gave it to Matty. Randy wasn’t to happy about that move and made everyone know when returning to camp.
Generally Double Tribal Councils tend to hurt the game as they are used to vote off the weak and tend to be rather boring. Tonight’s Double Tribal was the complete opposite though as not one but two rather shocking votes offs took place. Once again we started at our favorite Fang tribe after their millionth tribal council. After voting off Kelly the group wasn’t much different but the next morning the food issue returned. After measuring out 30 scoops of rice, and complaining about their lack of it, Crystal then went on to spill the rice on the ground. Nobody really spoke up about it but you could tell they were all a bit pissed. She then went on to not eat the next meal and quarreled with Ace about it. It kind of solidified Ace and Matty’s alliance as both were angry about the rice. It’s crazy how a simple mistake always screws someone over in Survivor.
Over at Kota Corrine’s self proclaimed bitchy side finally showed through! She’s no Jerri Manthey but definitely approaching crazy Natalie! Dan was the focus of the pre-reward segment as he told everyone that he needed to fit into the group. Nobody really talks to him yet he remains paranoid and basically begged to be accepted. It surely hurt him as it made the others see him as somewhat an idiot. I mean Corinne even called him a “once fatty” and “scared as a kid” while Marcus kind of said it…. but in a nicer way. It was then off to the next reward challenge where the winning tribe would go on a helicopter ride and lunch to a canyon in Gabon. It was a large game of monkey in the middle where the tribes would through a breakable ball around a ring while an opposing tribe member would try and break the ball.
Tonight’s Survivor showcased another Fang loss, two to be exact and another Fang Tribal Council. After last weeks vote out of GC both Ace and Sugar knew something had to happen in order to keep them safe the next round. When Matty realized he wasn’t really in with anyone in the tribe he pulled Ace aside. The two then created an alliance based on swearing on a loved one. Matty swore on his girlfriend while Ace swore on his mother that they would never vote each other out. They quickily disbanded, knowing they weren’t really trusting each other but at least it adds something to the lacking strategy of Fang.
Over at Kota they began to complain about something. Guess all isn’t happy in perfect land. With their abundance of food Kota has been eating well but one tribe member has been eating too well. It seems Dan has been eating four portions per meal and it isn’t sitting to well with Corrine. She doesn’t understand why she has to feed Dan and Dan alone. Maybe if she would throw a challenge things would be all better! Back over at Fang food issues were also springing up. Since they only have six days of rice left everyone realized they weren’t doing so well. Sugar and Ace took some time to forget about their food shortage by discussing the idol. Somehow Ace knew that the others found Sugar’s idol and told her about it. She then said she would give it to Ace, for “safe keeping” and in reality handing over her safety to the devil. He didn’t try to dissuade her so she handed it over, it sure didn’t last long though!
Why is it that each and every season there tends to be a tribe that just sucks? Gabon’s resident “horrible” tribe is Fang who, once again, lost double challenges and sent yet another out of the game. As we begin from last episode we join the Fang tribe post-tribal council. Ace wasn’t too happy with Jacquie going home but was at least excited to have Sugar back. She returned from her third run in with Exile Island to learn Kelly stayed while Jacquie was voted out. Sugar wasn’t happy as well as she was close to Jacquie and hid her anger through the dark.
The next morning the old Fang members over at Kota were realizing how much better their lives were. They had food food and more food with the several fish they caught. They even had a very interesting shocking fish, which made a somewhat boring moment at least somewhat interesting. Back over at Kota things were completely opposite with the fighting beginning once again. While cooking rice, GC didn’t want to eat but was told by Crystal to eat his rice. She was doing so in a very joking manor but GC couldn’t take it and fought back. Ace was excited for it all though knowing there were cracks in the alliance of old Fang members. That’s all he really needed to weasel his way to the next round.
Survivor generally has a tribal swap sometime throughout its run but on Survivor Gabon the tribes got swapping just a bit earlier then usual. On the last episode we saw Paloma sent home, even after trying to get the tribe to turn on enemy Ace. Following that leave the Kota tribe returned from their, much needed, Tribal Council with an outcast: Kelly. Being only friends with Paloma, Kelly now had nobody on the tribe and realized she would probably be the next to go if they lost. Since Paloma was gone to hate on Ace then moved onto hating Kelly, calling her a fat cow for no apparent reason at all.
Over at the Fang tribe things were back to normal with Randy telling everyone the truth about their rice situation yet them all still wanting to eat three meals a day. While Randy, Dan, Susie and Matty went to “collect fruit” the three remaining tribemates realized they had to bind together to stay in the game. GC, Crystal and Kenny then created the first alliance on Fang but they weren’t the only one. Out in the woods the fruit gatherers were also creating an alliance splitting the tribe once again but not for long!
