Whoa! A topsy-turvy, good alliance, bad alliance, smokin', shoot 'em to the moon (or off the show), break up to make up, karate choppin' hoe down of a show tonight. As always, I named the episode myself. It's of no consequence that the producers name each episode when I can do it myself, right? Tonight's episode is named "Alliances, Double Whammy and One Down From the Boys' Club." Yep, that's it.
11 are left. Who will be voted out tonight?
The show opened looking in on the Casaya camp. Shane is fussing and fretting. (I know ... that's nothing new.) Now he wants out of his alliance with Courtney, Danielle and Aras. Well, out of the relationship with the two girls. Since he swore on his son, he wants them to take his name off of it and rescind the swear with their permission. Or, something odd to that effect. Oy! Of course, the girls want him gone, so they're fine with it. Aras is just befuddled. He thinks Shane is crazy. Well, they all think that, I guess. I think it and I bet you might think it, too! Not one person in the alliance trusts him. After allowing him to back out of the alliance, the plan goes into effect that he'll be the next voted off. Uh-oh, he realizes it after all is said and done. Poor crazy Shane. Meanwhile, Cirie is so loving it all. If Shane goes next, then it might be Bruce before it gets around to her.
Over at the La Mina camp, the Boys' Club and Sally are struggling with leftover beans and itsy bitsy minnows they're catching at the edge of the water. Dan decided he liked everyone so much that he first told Nick about his space travels on shuttle missions. Then he told everyone. The tribe, especially the men, have bonded very well. Both Nick and Austin are in awe of Dan and can't praise him enough. (C'mon, guys ... this is Survivor! Backstab! Stop being all truthfully friendly! What's wrong with you?) Sally, but of course, is the fifth wheel.
The tree mail was a creepy spooky smiling skull doohickey. Well, well ... the Rewards Challenge will be combined with the Immunity Challenge. This is the one the tribes must give their best effort - Immunity is at stake. But one tribe won't make the grade.
Both tribes met up with Jeff in a field where an obstacle course was all set up, skulls playing a big part in the challenge. Courtney sat out for Casaya as they were one person ahead. Three members of each tribe had to go through the course, untying knots and getting puzzle pieces. Once four puzzle pieces were brought back, the remaining two tribe members had to solve the puzzle. The Reward being played for was a Panamanian barbeque, party and delivering toys to native children. Also, the winning tribe would choose one member of the losing tribe to be exiled off to Exile Island. This exile would be a bit of a reward for the person chosen as that person would be safe from Tribal Council. So, a strategic decision must be made.
Shane slowed things down a bit for Casaya, but in the end it was Dan who just couldn't get the puzzle started right for La Mina. Casaya won immunity and they wisely chose Sally to go to Exile Island. Sally would have been the boot. She knew it; we knew it. They would make a dent in the Boys' Club - the one true alliance on the show.
Casaya headed off to the barbeque where fun and frolicking was had by all - the show folks and the Panamanians. The kids loved it. Shane bartered for a cigarette. And everything was all lovey-dovey betwixt the previously battling alliance, much to Cirie's chagrin. Good times can cure all kinds of ills. I doubt Cirie has too much to worry about. Those good times aren't going to be eternal. One bad challenge and all should rightfully turn on Shane despite his apologies.
Back at La Mina, everyone is in the doldrums. The Boys' Club guys really, really like each other. Who should go? Dan is obviously the weakest member of the tribe, plus he loused up the puzzle at the challenge. Terry and Dan had
agreed to never vote for each other, but Terry decides to look at things from a managerial perspective for the good of the tribe. Dan hopes it will be a tie, but knows things won't go that way. Sure enough, at Tribal Council the whole thing was discussed and Dan was ousted. He took it well and said he had a great time although he would never have voted for Terry.
And, that was that.
Will Casaya stay all lovey-dovey? How will the Boys' Club react to Sally when she returns? Isn't the merge within the next few weeks? Will Cirie be able to keep flying under the radar? I guess we'll just have to keep watching!
