Thursday, March 08, 2007

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Ep. 5 -or- "It's Not Instant Coffee?"

Always so close, then the win slips away. I'm so ready for the merge or something to change this season.

Having the one tribe at such a disadvantage makes them spiral downwards more each episode. Of course, it works to put the fan base solidly in the camp of the wretched, but we can only sit and watch.

Fourteen are left. Who will be voted out tonight?
Yau-Man
The show started on Night 11 in the Ravu camp. Since Yau-Man and Earl each know some clues to where the hidden Immunity Idol is from their stays on Exile Island, they decide to work together. Well, Earl volunteered to steer the other tribe members away while Yau-Man tried to dig for the Idol. The main problem is that they have no shovel. In the morning, Earl led the others away on the pretense of looking for fruit. Alas, digging with a machete, Yau-Man tried to find the Idol but was unsuccessful.

The editors of the show make the Moto camp seem even more luxurious with a bouncy musical background. Feh. We join them as the tribe is looking through a book they received in tree mail. It's pictures of rewards they can choose. Each tribe must make two choices. Moto, lacking nothing in the survival goods, decided on coffee and toiletries. Flip back to Ravu and we see Earl speaking practicality. Sure enough, they thought smart by choosing fishing gear and potatoes.
Jeff Probst
The Reward Challenge was a physical one. Each tribe member had to face-off one at a time with a member from the opposing tribe. They were on a platform in water and had to joust with large padded bags. If his body was as strong as his mouth, Rocky (James, Boston, Whatever) would have taken all of Moto on. But his beef was with Dreamz (Andre, Dre, Whatever). The more I see of Rocky, the more I'm glad I don't know him. Dreamz isn't much better. I wanted them both to fall in, but it turned out Rocky went. Yau-Man actually won his bout. Yikes!

But it wasn't enough for Ravu to win. The rich get richer and Moto won the
Rocky and Dreamz Battle challenge. Not only did they get their two choices, but it was winner takes all. They also got (more) fishing gear and potatoes. They chose to send Earl to Exile Island. He would return before the Immunity Challenge.

Then it was Drama Time, the gap between Reward and Immunity. Over at Ravu, Rocky was freaking out about how the women were driving him crazy. He must be crazy as he was even confiding in Anthony (who drove him crazy in the last
episode). I swear that guy is way too antsy about everyone and everything. He's like a loaded gun walking around.

On Moto, Dreamz throws the coffee in a cup thinking it's instant. Rita was very condescending as she explained how to make coffee. I personally thought that he would wonder why they gave him a coffee press for instant coffee, but that may just be me. Alex tried to pull everyone together as he thought of the
numbers. He knows that most of the tribe doesn't care for either Cassandra or Dreamz... Cassandra because she's not a strong player, Dreamz due to the annoyance factor. After Alex smooths things over, a confessional with Dreamz told us that he and Cassandra plan to defect to the Ravu side after the merge. Huh. So they don't like them, either.

The Immunity Challenge wasn't physical at all, but the Ravu tribe is so out of it that a mental one isn't going to any easier at this point. The tribe members were faced with 30 flipboards. Each one had a number or a word on it. There were four dummy boards which matched nothing, but the others were all pairs. The castaways had to make matches and the first team with seven matches won.

Who won? Why, Moto, of course.

Back at the camp, Rocky freaked out. (What is new?) Yau-Man told Mookie he wanted either Rita or Anthony out. Earl thought Rocky was volatile and they should think of getting him out. The only problem with that is that he's one of the stronger members in the weakest tribe. In the end, it was Rita voted out. She and Michelle voted for Anthony while the rest of the tribe all voted for Rita.
Mookie
Apparently March Madness will affect the scheduling for the next few weeks. The next episode will air on Wednesday, March 21. The promos make it sound like Ravu may finally get something, but I wouldn't count on it. It's a shame. I think this is a good cast, but with the sides being in such different circumstance, I feel it's hurting the season on the whole.

Your thoughts?

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Would anyone care to join the AnybodyButLisi and AnybodyButRita club?? They were so rude and condescending. Dreamz, Dre, whoever, is not my favorite, either, but common courtesy should prevail. I was just appalled at the blatant disrespect. They are obviously feeling a certain amount of "entitlement" right now, and it will be a pleasure to watch both of them get knocked down a few notches!

Give us a merge, give us something to change up the game and create some excitement!! I am getting a bit bored with it all. Am I missing something??

Here's to "newness" in the next episode ~

Have a great week!

dla

Anonymous said...

Take a poll....how many men would know what a French Press is? Most would say a piece of gym equipment or go "HUH". What got me is Dreamz does not know the difference between instant and ground coffee. @@

I agree, a shake up is needed...tired of the unevenness. Survivor is one thing but haves and have nots, is not fair at all. All need put on more even ground but unfortunately even re-dividing the tribes some will still be in the same situation.

Anonymous said...

I'm with you dla... And Cassandra surely wasn't thinking about drinking that stuff she had in the cup. I mean, with all the luxeries they have, I think I could have forgone a cup of coffee (and I like coffee), if I didn't know how to make it.

Well, the merge is coming and I can't wait to see who gets the best camp. Fair would be to just keep the same two teams for a couple more weeks (days for them) and switch the camps. Let the Ravu get some nourishment.

What would really have been fun to watch would be one of the cast from the Moto group getting sent to Exile Island and finding out the Idol was at the Ravu camp.

Wonder how the merge will affect the idol. They must all end up over at Ravu??

Anonymous said...

There is probably an idol buried at Moto too.

tbc

Anonymous said...

There was a headline on an entertainment page that said that the torture on 24 was unacceptable. I kept thinking of that as I watched last night's Survivor. Last season was the racial division and this season is the haves against the have nots. Watching it from a purely social experience perspective makes it even more depressing. I see that Jeff is doing what he can to give the have nots a chance, but they can't respond for a variety of reasons...mostly boiling down to their have not situation. It seems to show that even a have (such as the smart guy or the architect) sinks into a have not when denied enough. I said it last week and say it again. The show I used to find uplifting as people overcame obstacles I now just see as depressing. Thank you Jackie. I like your updates, but enjoy your editorial comments the best. Your insight often involves a detail that flew completely over my head. : ) Sue

Anonymous said...

Morning Jackie...well waited to comment cause so far its drving me nuts. I dislike the "have and have not" scenario, the teams are s lopsided. Its cfuel to watch poor ravu be ravaged and turned into a melting pot...Lisi makes me want to see her fail, she is so cocky and tacky. She lost me whne she didnt want to babysit Papa Smurf...human kindness?? she doesnt have any. Right Now I am rooting for SOME Equality and justice for all!

Sydney said...

Hmmm.... I understood that there was an idol buried at each camp, and that the clues would be left for each, depending on which team had a member sent to Exile Island.

Anonymous said...

On Moto, Dreamz throws the coffee in a cup thinking it's instant. Rita was very condescending as she explained how to make coffee.

I think you meant Stacy. Both Stacy and Lisi are a couple of snots! I so hope they all get booted over to the other camp without their precious coffee!

Someone said they would rather read your recaps Jackie than watch the show at this point, I whole heartedly agree!

H♥lly

Anonymous said...

PS...if the ladies, ALL the ladies, don't wake up real quick, they are going to find their butts on a plane ride home. Only Gary so far has left from the testosterone tribe!

H♥lly

Anonymous said...

I really dont like survivor this season so much either. It is too one sided right now. Those two ladies did not need to be so mean about the coffee issue. Not everyone knows what a french press is or how to use it. I do not like Lisi or Stacy. They seem to think they are so perfect.

Anonymous said...

Hey all....I missed all your comments,and had to have a "Jackie" fix and catch all up when I got home.

How depressing is this show? Those poor RAVU's just keep getting more and more down. And it doesn't matter what kind of a challenge they have,physical or mental,they just cannot compete.I have to say...way to go,YAU.....that little old guy was the only one to reach down and find some inner strength and it was a double pleasure since he slide ole STACY's butt in the mud as well.

I can't stand LISI OR STACY and hope their tribe gets a chance to send them home soon. What snide b**ches they are!And it will be interesting to watch if CASSANDRA and DREMZ join up with the RAVUs if they make it to the merge. Then they can pick off the MOTOs one by one!

This is not exciting TV so far.It's made even more frustrating that they are always so close to winning something and then fail by a hair. I was sad to see RITA go,the men are picking the women off one by one.Look out Michelle!!

Anonymous said...

My only comment is this....out of all the people on the Ravu tribe, Yau-man was the only one who could knock his person off the platform? Yikes! Even if it was a female, both of them were about even. Plus did you notice how muddy it was....I wonder how much not having good footing was not to Ravu's advantage?

Glad to see a merge is coming soon! (from the previews)

Thanks for the hard work, Jackie! I always come back to read what you've written...just to see if we agree! :)

Sydney said...

Lets hope the changes we saw on the preview for March 21 does the shakingup this show needs.

Anonymous said...

Jackie -- Thanks for the recap. I haven't watched Survivor for a few weeks because I'm a hardcore Idol fan and I couldn't miss that! I was looking forward to catching it when the Thursday Idol shows end, but now you tell us the next episode is on a Wednesday. I'll probably miss that one too :)

Obviously I didn't catch the coffee thing, but I'm not a coffee drinker so I wouldn't know a french press if one said HI to me on the street...nor would I know the difference between instant & grounds. I'm a tea person and even that comes in a bag ;)

Anonymous said...

Orkmommy,

Great new pic.

jk in Los Angeles

Anonymous said...

Yes, ork, great picture.

tbc

Anonymous said...

orkmommy - You look much younger in the new pic. Nice smile, too!

Anonymous said...

Thanks all for the compliments! It's amazing how much a pair of contacts and a haircut can change ones appearance :)

Anonymous said...

I am a coffee drinker, I have seen a coffee press, I have witness a coffee press in action. Can I USE one? Heck NO!! Dreamz did what millions, who don't frequent the almight coffee gaint Starbucks, would have done!!! Ms. Great body, Stacy, and Smug Lisi just should have made the coffee and drama would have been over. Alec and Eduardo will have no use for them after this coming up episode. It appears to me that it won't be a merge but a resuffling of the tribes. Not new not fresh. We've seen it before. Looks to me that Dreamz and Rocky will hook up on the same tribe. The Snot girls will be split and these new tribes will have a luck of the draw for who will get the better camp ground. I think Rocky's dreams will be squashed when he returns to Ravu camp, and Earl will smile just a little brighter when he goes to Moto camp. I bet with this new shake up, they next 2 voted off will not be the women!! Not very many men who won Survior were the stronger or provider. Best Survior in history with moral and physical characteristics was OZZIE, and he didn't even win!! Tom was second in my opinion and he won. I lost some respect for him when he took the stupid girl with him to the finale. Ian was playing the game, the game wasn't playing him.

I can't remember how many jurors there are, but 14 and even 12 is way too many for juror panel. Look for full tribe merge after March Madness.

Just my thoughts.

Kim relocated to Tx from CA

Sydney said...

Hi Kim -

Not new or fresh perhaps, but it will at least breather SOME kind of change into this hideously lopsided and thus depressing thing we've all been complaining about... or at least I hope. Interesting you say you think Rocky will end up in his same camp... I thought that too. Can we all guess how he will react when he's sent back? At least having a few new peeps in that camp, and splitting Lisi and Stacy will be enough for me to tune in again with renewed interest. The question is, where will Cassandra land....

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the producers had any idea that this edition of Survivor would be such a turn off for viewers and longtime fans of the show. No one likes to see lopsided teams, no one enjoys seeing Moto win every event, take every prize and still act nasty to one another. That coffee thing was very revealing of Stacy and Lisi's lack of any character. Thay just scored a big win..if you know how to use a French Press be a sport and make coffee for your fellow tribemates...all of them...have some class.

Anonymous said...

Lookin good orkmommy...did deadbeat dad come through with some bucks?