Thursday, May 10, 2007

'Survivor 14: Fiji' - Ep. 13 -or- "Go, Yau, go, Yau!"

Here's your big excitement in the reality television genre. Yup, right here with Survivor! The alliance of six is at the point where they have to start picking off their own to outwit, outplay, and outlast.

Six are left. Who will be voted out tonight?

The show opened (after the inevitable recap of last week's events) on Day 34 at the Bula Bula camp.

Boo thinks he's going to be a target, rightfully thought. So, he's setting up an eavesdropping spot by the water well. Perfect! He can hide in there and see if anyone's talking about voting him out.

Well, it's too bad that while he was setting up his hiding spot, the other castaways were all back at camp talking about... you got it... voting Boo out next. They know he's strong in challenges and he's a bit of a wild card, too.

Tree mail came with hints of the Reward Challenge and the tribe automatically knew it was the yearly car prize. Of course, with the car prize comes the Survivor car winner curse -- in the history of the show, the winner of the car has never won the million dollar prize at the end. Dreamz went on and on about how much he wanted the car. He doesn't have one and he believes it would truly change his life.
Cargo Net Crawl in Reward Challenge
It turned out that the prize wasn't a car, per se. It was a 2008 Ford truck. The tribe was split into two teams of three and tied together. Then they had to go over a series of see-saws, climb a cargo net crawl doohickey, find their buried hatchet and cut their rope. The winning three would take part in delivering needed school supplies to a local school, using the new truck of course. The winning three then had to compete against each other for the truck win.

The teams were Orange - Yau-Man, Boo, Stacy and Green - Dreamz, Earl, Cassandra. Yau-Man held his team back as he kept falling on the see-saw. Balance while walking just isn't his thing, I guess. But his team made up time in the cargo net crawl, then dug up their hatchet first. So, Orange won the first round for taking the supplies to the school.

In the second round, a hatchet toss, the first round winners had to throw a hatchet at a target. The first one to cut through the two ropes on the target won the car. And, it was Yau-Man!
Yau-Man Chan
In a surprise move, he decided to make a public deal with Dreamz. Dreamz wanted that truck so bad and Yau-Man, thinking on his feet better than he can balance on them, offered to give Dreamz the truck.

The hitch was that if they made it to the final four, Dreamz would have to give him Immunity if he won it. Dreamz jumped on the chance for the truck without even thinking it through. Had he thought it through, I think he probably would have taken the truck and his chances anyway. He wants that truck!

Then, continuing the surprises, Yau-Man sent himself to Exile Island. Later, on the island, he gave his reasons behind that to us. He thought Earl had been sent there too much and Cassandra wouldn't be able to handle it. He also explained to us that while a bit of giving the truck to Dreamz was because he thought it was a good deed, it was more strategy. He also mentioned his trust in Earl again and planned to share the latest clue with him. The clue indicated pine tree this time.

The reward shared by Boo, Stacy, and Dreamz seemed to really touch them. The children needed the supplies. The teachers even got a fully-loaded mobile office. It was one of those heart-warming do-good warm fuzzies all around rewards.

It took him a while, but Dreamz realized he was tricked by Yau-Man. He still thinks it was great for him to give him the car and he gave his word he'd give him the Immunity at that point if he won it. How to get out of it? Get Yau-Man out before that point. That way, he'd keep his word and the truck that went with it.

Earl poked around looking for the Idol based on the clues he and Boo got during their Exile Island stays. Dreamz worked on trying to get Cassandra to understand Yau-Man has to go first, then Boo. Cassandra is more worried about Boo.

At the Immunity Challenge, we got to see something different once again. Yay for no puzzles each and every week! It's Rounds which seems to be the keyword as of late. This was another challenge with rounds. In the first round, the castaways had to stand on a platform where there was a ball on a rope. They had to throw the ball into a hoop to bring down a balance beam. The next round had them on a perch using a grappling hook to get a buoy.

Dreamz, Yau-Man, Earl, and Boo made it through the first round. The final round was between Yau-Man and Boo. Boo, knowing he pretty much has to win Immunity to stay in the game, gave it his all and won Immunity.
Earl Finds the Hidden Idol
Boo noticed that his win seemed to stir up the others and he thought they'd have to go to Plan B. Earl and Yau-Man didn't have time to think about Plan B. They had an Idol to find. Yau-Man stayed at the camp while Earl searched. Sure enough, Earl found it in a pine tree!

The scheming went on in camp with Dreamz trying to get everyone to vote Yau-Man while Earl and Yau-Man thought Stacy was the target. Stacy, without a doubt, bought the plan easily. She knew she would be the target as they couldn't vote for Boo to go.

Cassandra was a harder sell. She tried to think the situation through. If it backfired, she would make enemies of both Earl and Yau-Man. Was it a chance she was willing to take?

Yau-Man, smart dude that he is, was getting bad vibes. He told Earl, but Earl didn't think anything was going on. After all, he had talked to Dreamz, Cassandra and Boo. The plan was for a Stacy vote. No need to worry, right?

Then came Tribal Council. As Jeff asked questions, Loose Lips Sink Ships and Stacys, Stacy said she thought it would be a split vote and the game would get harder. Both Yau-Man and Earl jumped a bit to hear that.
Bye-bye Stacy
After Jeff tallied the votes, but before he read them, he once again said that if someone had the hidden Idol and wanted to use it, now was the time. Although it may have been editing, it seemed like forever before Yau-Man pulled out the Idol to save himself.

Sure enough, Yau-Man and Earl were the only ones to vote for Stacy. Everyone else voted for Yau-Man thinking he'd be confident that he was safe and not use the Idol. Had Stacy not mentioned the split vote, he wouldn't have used it. Stacy sent herself home.

The finale and reunion should be really interesting Sunday, huh?

31 comments:

Anonymous said...

...............................I wouldn't miss Sunday night for the world!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

This,again,was one of the most exciting episodes of Survivor! I was yelling my lungs out for Yau to pull that idol out of his pocket and sink those green meanies! I was clapping and jumping up and down when it went down. Did anybody else see the big "gulp" that Cassandra took....loved it!

I agree that Boo is now a huge threat,but I would vote that phony Dreamz off in a NY minute. Then take Boo down(IF he doesn't keep winning) and take that ultimate hanger-on Cassandra off at the end. I know it will be hard for Earl and Yau to go up against one another,but it will make for an exciting finish...no? Dreamz makes me sick,always begging everybody to give him this and that,cause he NEEDS it so bad. Don't they all or they wouldn't be out there,working and starving themselves.

I want the car curse to continue and Dreamz to say buh-bye sooner rather than later.And I DO believe that Earl and Yau will stay true to one another,I think they have an incredibly strong bond(unlike Cassandra,whose behind they saved many times over)and will take that to the end. Also,don't like Dreamz trying to play the race card by declaring he,Cass and Earl have an agreement to be the final three...say what????? I would be surprised if it's Yau,Earl and Cassandra at the end,if any of them would vote for her. Maybe it would be better to take Boo,but Alex,Ed,Stacy,Lisi and more might fall into their original alliance and vote him winner. What's every1 else think?????

Anonymous said...

as like amazing race, i will be ver sad to see survivor go this weekend darn it!!! go yau!!!
debbie in calif

Anonymous said...

Two things came to mind for me during the reward challenge,
#1 Was anyone else scared when Stacy was throwing her ax?
#2 Now maybe this comes from watching too many Ren and Stimpy episodes but I which folks would really pronounce the T in Super Duty.

Anonymous said...

A man's character is his fate, which Dreamz will learn. How ungrateful...first begging for the car and then stabbing Yau in the back. What a nasty piece of work and karma will get him as it always does. As for Cassandra, she has been a useless slug from the very first. She doesn't even make any effort in the challenges and is a nasty piece of work as well. I hope the final two are the two gentlemen, Yau and Earl. Thanks god, Yau realized that Dreamz was a snake in the grass and would betray him...I was so happy to see him play the idol. It would be awful for someone like Dreamz or Cassandra to even be in the final four. I'd rather Boo who at least wins immunity and fights for his place fairly.

Deanna said...

What a great player Yau-man is... He knew before they went to Tribal Council that something was amiss and was getting "Bad Vibes". Smart. The thing that cracks me up, and it happens all the time, is Jeff asks them particular questions before the vote to see what he can pull from them. It is usually the players that aren't the brightest in the game of Survivor that run their mouth a bit too much. Stacy and Dreamz opened their mouths and inserted their dirty unwashed feet. I was so thrilled to see it happen, and so glad Yau used that idol.Smart! Now the sooner Dreamz-Cassandra and Boo go (in that order please), the better this game will be.

GO YAU & EARL! REGARDLESS OF WHO OF THE TWO WINS, IT WILL BE A CLASSY FINISH. :)

Anonymous said...

Glad to see brains winning and stupidity losing for a change. Maybe in Dreamz world his behavior is acceptable...most people would consider him the ultimate ingrate. Game or no game, Yau just acquiesed to his pleading for the car and then he organizes a movement to try to oust him. Not a nice man.

Anonymous said...

It was odd that stacy would fess up so much during tribal counsel concerning the split of votes. it made me wonder if she did that on purpose. She did tell Yao that she knew she would soon be voted out because she had no allies? Maybe she gave up knowing that Yao would have a better chance?

Brent McKee said...

I would hate to face Yau Man across a Poker Table. He has great skills that would be difficult to beat. The read he got on the four players outside of his alliance with Earl was dead on. In fact you could see that Earl thought that Yau playing the Idol when he did was a mistake. He knew exactly the raise that would get Dreamz to promise what he wanted, and sending himself to Exile Island so that he and his ally would control both immunity idols heading into the last two times they could be used was a thing of beauty. In fact I wouldn't put it past him to have used the reward challenge to set the whole thing in motion, to put the target on his back and draw out his opponents. Yau Man may be the greatest tactician the game has seen since Boston Rob in All Stars.

Anonymous said...

omg omg omg Brent!!
How could you compare Yau-Wow-Man and his smart, loyal game to Rob!!
I will continue my response later...that blew me away!!!
Shame on you Brent!

Steff

Anonymous said...

ok...I've recovered. I think...lol.
I understand that Rob never said he was a guy to be trusted...no, on the contary, even he admitted he is a snake in the grass. However Yau-man has taken the steps to assure everyone he means what he says. He has played this game honestly, sometimes to a fault. Yau-man pledged to tell Earl what he learned on Earl Island...aka... Exile Island. Hence he allowed Earl to find the re-hidden idol. So now they both have one.
Okay, now let me discuss Cassandra flying low to the ground...I hate to say it, but, SO HAS EARL! How has Earl performed in the challanges? not well...more effort than Cassandra, but the final results are the same...niether perform well. Yau-Wow-Man does very well in them...his balance was off tonight, but who won in the end? HE DID! Dreamz just go home...but not before the turn-coat Cassandra...I'm still having a hard time seeing her vote to oust Yau!!
So for my final theory...I'd like to see 5th to leave...Cassandra.
4th Boo, 3rd Earl, that would leave Dreamz vs. Yau in the final two...guess what Dreamz...you got the F350 truck thanks to Yau, much more than you deserve cheerleader!
Mind y'all...it's just my opinion!
Thanks for all you do Jackie!

Steff

Anonymous said...

ok....I'm going to edit myself...5th off, the turncoat Cassandra...4th off Earl...the Immunity Idol would no longer be in play...3rd Boo or Dreamz...doesn't really matter, but I would perfer Dreamz and his pea brain to go head to head against Yau-Wow-MAN. Again,just my opinion.

Steff

Anonymous said...

Jackie -- it was Boo, Stacy & Dreamz (not Cassandra) at the reward challenge.

I think Yau was falling off the beam on purpose. He wanted Earl to win the truck. He kept looking at the other team each time he fell off. Had Boo not pulled them along, they never would have made it to the end first.

Anonymous said...

I think the time has come for earl
and yaw to try and get boo to vote
with them.........dreamz must go
next time

Anonymous said...

Let me start by saying that I am not a fan of Dreamz. With that said, I feel like I have to defend what he did just a little bit. You have to give him credit for figuring out that Yau wasn't just being a nice guy and giving him a truck, but was instead trying to ensure getting rid of Dreamz at final four. It was a very smart move on Dreamz'part to try to get rid of Yau now, so that he would not have to honor his promise. Luckily for us Yau fans the plan didn't work. But I give Dreamz props for trying. Cassandra on the other hand was the biggest disapointment to me. How could she turn on Yau after the way he and Earl have been carrying her along. I still think Boo needs to go next, because he's the biggest physical threat. The best case scenario for Sunday would be for either Earl or Yau to win immunity. If Earl wins immunity he can give his immunity idol to Yau. That way they will both go safely into the final 4.

I'm guessing that there will be another 3 person finale this season since they still have 5 people left. I don't know how they're gonna fit all this into a two-hour show. But I'll be glued to the TV the entire time. This has been the best season of Survivor in quite a while.

Go Earl and Yau - both winners in my book.

Rbennie

Anonymous said...

Will Yau have to borrow the II from Earl now that the others have forced his out? Currently they don’t know Earl has the other II so the three will feel safe trying to oust Yau again.

You may be right Orkmommy about Yau falling off on purpose. He may have wanted Earl to not feel too bad about losing to him in the end by helping him win the truck.

Carumba…I can’t believe it’s over Sunday, but wow what a sssssllllllooooowwwwwwww start to this season! That crazy Burnett sure knows how to keep people coming back for more! Anyhoo…on to Big Bro!

H♥lly

PS...loved Earl pushing Dreamz in the water after the challenge! =0)

Anonymous said...

Go Yau! Like Jackie said, it may have been the editing. But first Stacy said something about a split vote. Then Jeff waited so long to see what someone might do, almost like he was giving Yau a clue, and while they were waiting, everyone look so nervous, and were cutting their eyes toward Yau to see what might happen, I almost think it tipped him off.

On the other hand, I was sitting there screaming at him so loud to play the idol, that maybe he heard me! :)

Now, next week, Dreamz will still be after Yau, and everyone thinks they can get him now. If he and Earl can keep quiet about the second idol, Earl should give it to Yau, and fool them all again!

Sydney said...

Go Yau- man for making one of the most complex, mulit layered and brilliant any-way-you-slice-it move in Survivor history! Boy did he raise the bar. Hope they pay attention in casting contestants next year, because they make all the difference.

I want Yau to win and if he's in the final two or three I imagine he would win hands down. I don't think Dreamz is a heel (or Cassandra) or trying to get Yau-man out. It is smart for both, as this IS a game and THEY too are trying to outwit and outlast for a MILLION DOLLARS. A s much as Yau gave this to Dreamz to change his life, it was just as much if not more to get to the final two... to banish himself to Exile was to get another clue and find that second idol, as much as it was that "Earl had been there too many times and Cassandra wouldn't survive it". The fact that his move covers BOTH ends of the intention is the beautifulm beautiful thing. OUTWITTING to the 10th POWER!!!!

Cassandra would be a fool to not take the opportunity to get Yaw out while she could, from the point of view of her winning the game. SO I respect both and don't think they are snakes or turncoats, jsut becasue I favor Yau.

The only bummer for me was when he had to add at Tribal council that it's his big heart that made him give away the car... if it was really that, no need to point it out. But let me know split hairs.... Go Yau!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I do think Yau has a big heart...he could beat someone like Dreamz in his sleep and could have found another way. In fact, I think he was accomplishing two things with his proposal to Dreamz...helping him realize his dream to have a car and also furthering his own chances in the game. But with or without the "gift" to Dreamz he would have outsmarted him. Dreamz is not the brightest bulb in the pack whereas Yau was a physics major in college...and as men, they are world's apart in ethics and actions.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe someone like Cassandra can even fool herself that she could make it to the finals...better to have settled for going as far as she could and not betraying Yau...now she has revealed that 1) she is stupid 2) she backed the wrong horse 3) she can't be trusted and therefore will be given the boot sooner rather than later. Was that one of the worst performances in the challenge you've ever seen at this stage of the game...she and Stacy so did not belong there. I would have loved to see the famale Marine that Lisi maneuvered out at the end with Yau and Earl and Boo.

Anonymous said...

L♥L...Stacy was just on The Early Show and gave them a french coffee press and the goober host didn't even get the humor!

Anonymous said...

Sharon I see Earl every week in the forefront, but what has he done? Has he won anything? Cassandra is a hanger-on and does nada, but she is still there.

Nancy Agree whole-heartedly Dreamz is a waste of time.

Loved it when Stacy mentioned the split vote and Yau's brain ran with that. If Kelly was a snake in the 1st Survivor what does that make Dreamz?????

Brent what a read on Yau...he should make himself a career in Tx Hold em, he would not need a hoodie or sunglasses.

Yau has everyone's number and will play it out. I just wish someone had the fake Idol Yau made and re-hid. Try to play it and oops. IMAO Plus I think Yau threw the IC to Boo, he has his reason.

Finally, the line was drawn in the sand last night. Yau and Earl know who is who.

Brent McKee said...

When I compared Yau-Man to Rob it wasn't a comparison of their strategies; those are clearly different. On the other hand Yau and Rob are both master tacticians even if their tactics are totally at odds with each other. Both men have strong reads on their opponents, both had strong core alliances (though I doubt that Yau will propose to his at the reunion show ;-)) as well as significant sub-alliances that have brought them into the finals. It's that understanding of the game and of people that makes them superior players, despite not being the most physical people in the game.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Brent. Yau-man and Rob are both superior players and excellent strategists. The only difference I can see is that Yau-man is a good bit more of a gentleman about it. I think they're two of the top players of Survival. Brent....loved the proposal comment. LOL .O

Anonymous said...

I had wondered how dreamz was going to get the truck to the school then saw in a short second that Boo was driving.
I hope YauMan wins. He has played an excellent game.

Anonymous said...

delee,I know that Earl has not won anything but I am thinking that may have been part of his game plan all along. I thought,early on,he said something about being low key and not drawing attention to himself and just sitting back and watching. I guess the reason I like him is that he has been very loyal to his original alliance and has played a pretty square on game. He plots to do things but within his circle or tries to pitch his ideas and then lets others pitch theirs. He wasn't thrilled when they split the vote that time and it didn't go as they had planned. I don't know,I just like him and he did work and fish and all,he wasn't a lay about or shirker. I will not be upset if he wins instead of Yau,but I still would like Yau to win!

Anonymous said...

Along with lots of others, I was screaming at my TV for Yau to play the Idol. I hope he wins--that guy has mad skills.

I like Earl as well, though. Either of them would be a very deserving winner.

Anonymous said...

I agree with you Sharon and, I also am rooting for Earl if Yau-man doesn't make it to the final two. But I REALLY hope Yau-man makes it all the way. He deserves it so much more than Dreamz, Boo, Cassandra or even Earl.

Anonymous said...

There have been a lot of comments about Earl not winning any challenges it is not necessary all the time to win challenge and still be a good player. Usually on these type of reality shows a strong player is the one that get the target on their back. So like someone said Earl have a different stragety lay back and do what is necessary to keep him in the game without drawing to much attention on what he is doing stragety wise. I see Earl strategy as working around the camp and been friends with everybody even if he do not care for them. He makes them think he is working with them.

Sydney said...

I think Stacey's slip was just that. I think she wanted to stay. And along those lines, I too wondered at first if Yau was throwing the car competition... but he had to have thought out that deal for Dreamz before hand... in the event that he won. Even thoguh Boo dragged them over the first finish line, if Yau's plan was to lose, he could have fudged the axe-and-rope challenge as well. Who knows, just my take on it.

Anonymous said...

Can anyone refresh my memory on the French coffee press????
Thanks so much!
PattyQ
Holly said...
L♥L...Stacy was just on The Early Show and gave them a french coffee press and the goober host didn't even get the humor!

5/11/2007 11:50 AM