Episode 12: “Ninja Mode”
Surviving Fiji, Episode 12: “Ninja Mode” by David Bloomberg -- 05/04/2007 Alex knows he’s in danger, and it’s time to go into “ninja mode.” What does that mean, exactly? Is he going to hide and then jump out at people swinging a sword? Well, that’s not too far from the plan, actually. Will anybody be cut down by him, or is he doomed to follow his previous allies? Last week, we ended with host Jeff Probst noting that Alex is either the odd man out or the most important swing vote in the game. That leaves us entering this week’s episode wondering if the six members of the Earlliance will stick together or fracture apart. Indeed, Alex’s future depends on it, but so do the futures of several other people. Stacy and Boo, for example, cannot possibly think they are in strong positions. But even with Alex, they would need another person to break away. What will happen? Let’s find out! Upon returning to camp after Tribal Council, Earl tells several members of his alliance they knew he wanted to vote straight Alex, because he was afraid something like this might happen. (As you’ll recall, Boo had a paranoid fantasy that Mookie or Alex might have somehow, without any clues, refound the hidden immunity idol, so splitting the vote was his idea of a way to ensure the idol couldn’t come into play.) Dreamz is trying to do the math and figure out how Mookie left, while Alex says he just went with his guy and voted against Mookie – it saved him! Earl continues talking to several alliance members, saying this is the last time he’s going to do something he’s against. He tells us Alex is more of a threat and should have gone, but “for some strange reason,” they wanted to split the vote, and nobody considered the fact that Mookie or Alex might vote for the other. Stacy talks to Alex, saying she doesn’t want there to be a rift between them. She says if she’s wrong, she’s willing to say she’s wrong. Alex says what I’m thinking: “Whatever.” This, after all, is coming from the little bitch who last week was saying the rest of the tribe shouldn’t even feed Mookie and Alex, after Alex had saved her bacon. Alex tells us how Stacy came up to him and wanted to be friends. “Like I care.” The Earlliance notices this little discussion and Earl sends Boo to break it up. Ooooh, wrong guy to send. He is just as likely to join in! As it turns out, it’s a bad idea for a different reason. Boo, not being too bright, just walks up and tells Stacy the others want to talk to her. Smoooooth, Boo. She leaves and Alex tells us the others are all stressing out, which creates an opportunity for him. Stacy comes before the principal, I mean Earl, and asks what’s going on. He says they just wanted to know what’s going on. Alex continues telling us he’s going to have to play this game with a smile, velvet gloves, and a dagger in his pocket. The next day (day 31), most of the tribe is lying around. But Alex is going into “ninja mode.” I thought that meant he’d start cutting people up with a sword, but no, he’s pretending to be asleep while watching and listening. Earl and Cassandra talk. They don’t trust Boo, but Earl trusts her and Yau-Man 100%. Oh, Earl, you can’t trust anybody in this game 100%! He wants the final four to be those three and Dreamz. And he’s learned that the key to the game so far is being honest. I think Earl has learned the wrong lesson somewhere along the line. They bring Yau-Man into the discussion, and he very honestly tells them that he’s concerned because Cassandra is so close to Dreamz, he can’t see her voting him out in favor of keeping Yau-Man. Wow, that’s honesty. He describes to us that the top four they have discussed is a very bad one for him. And he tells Earl and Cassandra that he would like a “very weak candidate” as the other member of the top four – Stacy. He hates the idea of her in the final four, but Michelle is gone and they don’t have any other choice. Cassandra tries to claim she wouldn’t vote out Yau-Man in favor of Dreamz, but I don’t buy it and I don’t think he does either. Cassandra shakes his hand, but then tells us how he is playing the game to win and is a big threat, especially with the idol. Earl suggests maybe getting rid of Boo first and then Alex, but the other two put the kibosh on that – rightly so! It’s obvious, though, that Boo is not long for the game, at least according to their plans. Time for the reward challenge. Probst asks how they’re doing and Cassandra says they’re hungry, which Probst says plays in nicely to this challenge. Indeed, they have to rip meat off a hanging piece of pork using only their teeth. Each time they get a mouthful, they drop it on their plate. Whoever has the most meat on their plate at the end of five minutes wins reward. So what is their reward? All the meat on their plate! No, just kidding. The winner and first two runners-up will be picked up by helicopter, flown to a beautiful location for river rafting and a nice lunch. Also, the winner will send somebody to Exile Island (I’m presuming it can’t be one of the first two runners-up, but Probst doesn’t say). Finally, the winner will receive an advantage in the next immunity challenge. Their hands are tied behind their backs, and they’re off! Biting and spitting commences, with Dreamz and Earl getting a good start. Various people work together to hold the swinging meat steady, but nobody is working with Alex. Imagine that. But he’s staying in it. Yau-Man has ripped off a couple really big chunks. Boo does likewise. One and a half minutes are left, and Boo has a huge chunk. And it’s done! Whatever is in their mouths can go onto their plates. Now for the weighing. Boo has a big pile that equates to 8.9 pounds. Yau-Man has 6.0 pounds. Cassandra is at 5.8. Stacy only has 4.3, so she’s out. Earl has 5.0, so he isn’t in the running either. Dreamz has 6.0, so he ties with Yau-Man and boots Cassandra out of the top three. And Alex has about 5.2 pounds, so he isn’t a winner. Boo wins, with Yau-Man and Dreamz going along for the ride. Who does Boo send to Exile Island? He tells Earl he knows there won’t be any hard feelings, so it’s him. Earl’s face says, “Oh, there will be plenty of hard feelings.” Boo also gets a purple bag that is his advantage in the next challenge, but isn’t told any more about it. The next day, a helicopter shows up at camp for Boo, Dreamz, and Yau-Man. And away they go! Yau-Man finds it to be an amazing experience for somebody like him who grew up on islands like this and now gets to see it from the air. Boo is obviously excited and talks about it. And talks. And talks. To the point that he begins annoying Dreamz, who just wants to chill and relax. After about an hour and a half, they land and hike to the river for their rafting. They get their safety talk and raft away while Amazing Race-like music plays. Dreamz says it was fun and he wishes he could take his family on a trip like this. Boo is “dumbfounded” and “tickled pink” at the same time. Earl isn’t having quite as much fun at Exile Island. He finds the second clue, which says: Your normal winding paths you’ll walk. It’s inside a tree. Near a lonely tower of rock. Earl thinks two clues is enough for him to find the idol, which will make this trip to Exile Island worth it. Back at the reward, it’s lunch time! There is a ton of cold cuts, sandwich makings, etc. They chow down. Then the river guide brings them envelopes with letters from their families. They are obviously excited. Yau-Man’s kid tells him about a report card with six As and one B in algebra. Yau-Man jokes that he wishes the B was in Spanish or something instead. Hey, he’s a computer guy, what did you expect? Boo hears about his family doing well and eating well. Dreamz is getting emotional and says his sister’s letter was full of “deep stuff.” She never thought the family would have any opportunities until he had the chance to go on Survivor. He knows that she still believes in him even when he doesn’t believe in himself. And it reminds him of why he’s here and what he has to do. The rewardees return and the next day, several people talk about how much Boo talks. Dreamz and Yau-Man discuss how he wouldn’t shut up on the helicopter ride, while Cassandra and Stacy join in. Alex is right in the mix, and I’m sure he’s loving it. Indeed, he’s encouraging it. Later, Alex asks Dreamz if he’s going tonight. Dreamz thinks so, though he wants Boo gone instead. Alex encourages Dreamz to try to talk everybody into voting out Boo, and Dreamz agrees. He tells us he’s never liked Boo, but the best scenario would be if Alex wins immunity. The tribe arrives at the immunity challenge, where they are met by Earl. Probst asks Boo for the advantage he won. Boo empties the purple bag and we find climbing steps. Because he has them, he doesn’t need to participate in the first round of the challenge, but moves directly to the finals. The others have to race to dig up their three climbing steps buried in the sand. When they have all three, they race to the finish. The first two people move on to join Boo. In that round, they use the climbing steps to get to the top of a 12-foot pole. First person to the top and grab their flag wins immunity. And they’re off! Much digging commences. Alex is on a tear while Cassandra is barely making a dent. But is Alex digging deep enough as he rushes through it? Dreamz has the first step. Probst says Cassandra is “digging like a small rabbit, as if it’s going to be buried one to two inches.” Yau-Man isn’t so much digging as sticking his arms into the dirt and feeling. Not a bad plan. But Dreamz is doing better, as he has his second step. Alex has a huge hole, but no step. Dreamz has his third and easily moves on! Yau-Man’s method strikes gold as he finds his first and has a clue how deep they are. Alex finds his first also. As Alex digs, he’s throwing the sand over to Yau-Man’s lane. Heh. I guess if there’s no rule against it, it’s okay. Alex finds number two. Cassandra is, as Probst says, “just waiting for it to be over.” And it is, because Alex finds his third and moves on with Boo and Dreamz! The three of them are in the water at the bottom of their posts. And they’re off again! Boo is up quickly, putting in a step and skipping as many positions as he can. Alex is doing likewise. In fact, it looks like he only puts in one step and then just climbs the pole the rest of the way. But near the top, he slips and loses ground. Boo is getting close and snaps in a step while Alex struggles. Alex slips back down some more while Boo goes up and grabs the flag. Boo wins immunity! Back at camp, Yau-Man says fortunately, the person they wanted to vote out did not win immunity. So Alex will be leaving. As Alex walks off, Earl says everybody should vote for Alex, and Boo jokes that he’s giving Alex the immunity necklace. Yau-Man tells us he is feeling safe and won’t need to use his hidden immunity idol. Uh oh, what are we being set up for here? Alex says the situation is grim, but he won’t beg for his life. Similarly, taking an aggressive approach would be a bad idea. He thinks anybody he needs to talk to will approach him and talk to him. I’m thinking, “Suuuuuure they will.” But just then, Cassandra approaches him. She says he should be very proud of himself and he says he tried to be a gentleman. He then uses the info he obtained by being a ninja earlier, saying he doesn’t see Yau-Man taking Dreamz to the end. Cassandra agrees, saying she had a feeling he’s been playing to win. Um, how did you expect him to be playing? To lose? She says he knows he has a better chance against Stacy or Boo. Well duh. All of you do! Alex says he knows Yau-Man isn’t taking one of them to the final four, and he thinks it’s her or Earl. At this point, I think he’s just making up stuff from whole cloth, based on the conversations he overheard. He continues, saying that if she’s going to make a power play, today is the day to do it. She appears to agree, and tells us he’s making a last-ditch attempt to stick around. He did present a strong case and it makes a little sense. After all, for her to win, Yau-Man has to leave eventually anyway, so maybe she can convince a few other people to join her. Alex joins her in talking to Earl and Dreamz. Alex repeats his story, saying if they don’t get rid of Yau-Man, he’s going to take out one of them soon. “One of you two is gone after I’m gone. That’s a fact.” Well, yeah, eventually, it kind of has to be a fact. Yau-Man realizes that the others are under a tree with Alex and tells Boo he gets nervous when he’s alone. He should be! Alex says if the four of them vote for Yau-Man, he won’t know to use the idol and he’ll be gone. Plus they’ll gain Alex as a trusted compatriot. Earl says this is what he was afraid of – Alex is trying to save his neck. Earl tells us he’d rather vote Alex off now and risk it with Yau-Man. I tend to agree. Earl believes Cassandra and Dreamz were just pretending to listen – he winked at them a couple times. Later, Dreamz and Cassandra talk, with Dreamz asking if she’s buying it. She wonders where Alex fits in if they follow the plan, and Dreamz flat out says, “He don’t!” They’ll get rid of Alex and make it a top three with them and Earl. Sounds like they weren’t just pretending! Dreamz tells us that Yau-Man is too much of a threat, especially with the idol. Dreamz and Cassandra talk to Stacy, who says she’s good with a plan of voting off Yau-Man if that’s what they decide. She says she’s just a follower of Cassandra. For her part, Cassandra tells us she’s still undecided. She talks to Earl, saying the others are pushing the Yau-Man idea. He doesn’t want her to buy into it and she claims she’s not. Hmmm. Cassandra pretends not to know where Dreamz is, and Earl says he knows Dreamz was just playing along because he kept winking at Dreamz. Meanwhile, Dreamz is telling Alex that Earl is definitely not with the plan, because he kept winking at him! But he still tells Alex today is the last day for Yau-Man and then Alex will owe him. Earl continues with Cassandra, saying they have a strategy and a plan mapped out and they should just stick to it. He’s writing down Alex and thinks she should do the same. I’m thinking Earl should ensure that Alex leaves by telling Yau-Man to use the idol because he’s in danger! Cassandra tells us she’s still not sure who she’s voting for. But she’s going to have to decide soon, because it’s time for Tribal Council! The jury is brought in and Probst begins the questioning. He notes that it was Alex or Mookie last time, and Mookie’s now in the jury. Alex says he’s definitely feeling the heat, but he’s going to fight until the very end. The others have to consider who they really want next to them. Things are going to get very messy from this point forward. Probst says if something dramatic is going to happen, tonight is a good night for it. Does that concern him? Yau-Man says he thought about it but because he’s been with his alliance for so long, he’s decided he can trust them. Maybe one or two might turn, but three is a very remote possibility. So I guess Earl didn’t chat with him. Does Dreamz believe the six are as tight as they say? He says it’s definitely a possibility that he could swing three people. So what did Alex do today? He says he guesses they’ll find out shortly. Probst says that the hidden immunity idol in some ways represents safety, but in other ways could make Yau-Man a target because he has it. Yau-Man doesn’t feel the pressure today, but might in the next round, when the six alliance members look for somebody to vote out and might want to flush out the idol. So he will really have to keep his ears close to the ground. Oh, Yau-Man, you might be just a day too late in keeping those ears to the ground. What kind of chatter has there been about the other hidden immunity idol? Alex says with one in hand and another out there, it’s got to weigh on people’s minds. They can only be used for three Tribal Councils including this one. Doing the math, if they aren’t used tonight, they have to be used in the next couple. Yau-Man should be listening to this and thinking, “Hmmm, maybe I should use it tonight.” Is Alex surprised at how unconcerned the other six seem to be? He says he is. Either they are 100% trustworthy or they haven’t seen enough of this game. After this, you have to think people are thinking more than one move ahead. There are only a few days left. Probst asks one more quick question, with a yes-or-no answer: Are you legitimately concerned tonight? Alex: yes; Cassandra: no; Dreamz: I don’t think so; Stacy: no; Yau-Man: no; Earl: no. With that, it’s time to vote. Alex obviously votes Yau-Man, saying it’s nothing personal, he’s just trying to stay as long as he can. Of course, we don’t see votes from those who might join Alex in voting Yau-Man, but we do see Yau-Man returning the favor to Alex and saying it’s finally time for him to go. Probst tallies the votes and asks if anybody is playing the immunity idol. Nope. So it’s time to read the votes: Alex, Yau-Man, Alex, Alex, Alex. Phew, that was a close one for Yau-Man. In his closing remarks, Probst says that based on what he heard, he’d suggest they all go back to camp and “start sharpening those knives.” With that, he sends them back. For his final words, Alex says he knows he played to the best of his ability and gave it 110%. For all the kids who think their situation is hopeless, he wants them to never stop dreaming or fighting – they can and will amaze themselves. He thinks the remaining six are living in a dream world if they think they won’t have to backstab each other. Things are going to get very ugly. Next week: Yau-Man is in trouble, with several people (at least Dreamz, Cassandra, and Stacy) talking about how now is the time to take him out. But Yau-Man tells Earl he feels the bad vibes, so I’m wondering if he’ll use the idol. And the competition reaches a whole new level, which somehow involves Yau-Man making a deal in the middle of a challenge. I am sorry to see Alex go (for the record, everybody did indeed vote against him). He’s a smart guy and I had predicted him to win. But I’m not sorry to see Yau-Man stay, because he’s playing this game well and is just so damned likeable. Of course, like Probst said, things are going to get very interesting from this point forward. If Cassandra throws in her lot with Dreamz and Stacy, it might be a very different final three than what Cassandra and Earl were just talking about at the beginning of this episode. It could either be the three I just mentioned or, if Yau-Man wisely uses his immunity idol, it might even be Earl, Yau-Man, and Boo! We’ll just have to see!
Surviving Fiji, Episode 12: “Ninja Mode” by David Bloomberg -- 05/04/2007 Alex knows he’s in danger, and it’s time to go into “ninja mode.” What does that mean, exactly? Is he going to hide and then jump out at people swinging a sword? Well, that’s not too far from the plan, actually. Will anybody be cut down by him, or is he doomed to follow his previous allies? Last week, we ended with host Jeff Probst noting that Alex is either the odd man out or the most important swing vote in the game. That leaves us entering this week’s episode wondering if the six members of the Earlliance will stick together or fracture apart. Indeed, Alex’s future depends on it, but so do the futures of several other people. Stacy and Boo, for example, cannot possibly think they are in strong positions. But even with Alex, they would need another person to break away. What will happen? Let’s find out! Upon returning to camp after Tribal Council, Earl tells several members of his alliance they knew he wanted to vote straight Alex, because he was afraid something like this might happen. (As you’ll recall, Boo had a paranoid fantasy that Mookie or Alex might have somehow, without any clues, refound the hidden immunity idol, so splitting the vote was his idea of a way to ensure the idol couldn’t come into play.) Dreamz is trying to do the math and figure out how Mookie left, while Alex says he just went with his guy and voted against Mookie – it saved him! Earl continues talking to several alliance members, saying this is the last time he’s going to do something he’s against. He tells us Alex is more of a threat and should have gone, but “for some strange reason,” they wanted to split the vote, and nobody considered the fact that Mookie or Alex might vote for the other. Stacy talks to Alex, saying she doesn’t want there to be a rift between them. She says if she’s wrong, she’s willing to say she’s wrong. Alex says what I’m thinking: “Whatever.” This, after all, is coming from the little bitch who last week was saying the rest of the tribe shouldn’t even feed Mookie and Alex, after Alex had saved her bacon. Alex tells us how Stacy came up to him and wanted to be friends. “Like I care.” The Earlliance notices this little discussion and Earl sends Boo to break it up. Ooooh, wrong guy to send. He is just as likely to join in! As it turns out, it’s a bad idea for a different reason. Boo, not being too bright, just walks up and tells Stacy the others want to talk to her. Smoooooth, Boo. She leaves and Alex tells us the others are all stressing out, which creates an opportunity for him. Stacy comes before the principal, I mean Earl, and asks what’s going on. He says they just wanted to know what’s going on. Alex continues telling us he’s going to have to play this game with a smile, velvet gloves, and a dagger in his pocket. The next day (day 31), most of the tribe is lying around. But Alex is going into “ninja mode.” I thought that meant he’d start cutting people up with a sword, but no, he’s pretending to be asleep while watching and listening. Earl and Cassandra talk. They don’t trust Boo, but Earl trusts her and Yau-Man 100%. Oh, Earl, you can’t trust anybody in this game 100%! He wants the final four to be those three and Dreamz. And he’s learned that the key to the game so far is being honest. I think Earl has learned the wrong lesson somewhere along the line. They bring Yau-Man into the discussion, and he very honestly tells them that he’s concerned because Cassandra is so close to Dreamz, he can’t see her voting him out in favor of keeping Yau-Man. Wow, that’s honesty. He describes to us that the top four they have discussed is a very bad one for him. And he tells Earl and Cassandra that he would like a “very weak candidate” as the other member of the top four – Stacy. He hates the idea of her in the final four, but Michelle is gone and they don’t have any other choice. Cassandra tries to claim she wouldn’t vote out Yau-Man in favor of Dreamz, but I don’t buy it and I don’t think he does either. Cassandra shakes his hand, but then tells us how he is playing the game to win and is a big threat, especially with the idol. Earl suggests maybe getting rid of Boo first and then Alex, but the other two put the kibosh on that – rightly so! It’s obvious, though, that Boo is not long for the game, at least according to their plans. Time for the reward challenge. Probst asks how they’re doing and Cassandra says they’re hungry, which Probst says plays in nicely to this challenge. Indeed, they have to rip meat off a hanging piece of pork using only their teeth. Each time they get a mouthful, they drop it on their plate. Whoever has the most meat on their plate at the end of five minutes wins reward. So what is their reward? All the meat on their plate! No, just kidding. The winner and first two runners-up will be picked up by helicopter, flown to a beautiful location for river rafting and a nice lunch. Also, the winner will send somebody to Exile Island (I’m presuming it can’t be one of the first two runners-up, but Probst doesn’t say). Finally, the winner will receive an advantage in the next immunity challenge. Their hands are tied behind their backs, and they’re off! Biting and spitting commences, with Dreamz and Earl getting a good start. Various people work together to hold the swinging meat steady, but nobody is working with Alex. Imagine that. But he’s staying in it. Yau-Man has ripped off a couple really big chunks. Boo does likewise. One and a half minutes are left, and Boo has a huge chunk. And it’s done! Whatever is in their mouths can go onto their plates. Now for the weighing. Boo has a big pile that equates to 8.9 pounds. Yau-Man has 6.0 pounds. Cassandra is at 5.8. Stacy only has 4.3, so she’s out. Earl has 5.0, so he isn’t in the running either. Dreamz has 6.0, so he ties with Yau-Man and boots Cassandra out of the top three. And Alex has about 5.2 pounds, so he isn’t a winner. Boo wins, with Yau-Man and Dreamz going along for the ride. Who does Boo send to Exile Island? He tells Earl he knows there won’t be any hard feelings, so it’s him. Earl’s face says, “Oh, there will be plenty of hard feelings.” Boo also gets a purple bag that is his advantage in the next challenge, but isn’t told any more about it. The next day, a helicopter shows up at camp for Boo, Dreamz, and Yau-Man. And away they go! Yau-Man finds it to be an amazing experience for somebody like him who grew up on islands like this and now gets to see it from the air. Boo is obviously excited and talks about it. And talks. And talks. To the point that he begins annoying Dreamz, who just wants to chill and relax. After about an hour and a half, they land and hike to the river for their rafting. They get their safety talk and raft away while Amazing Race-like music plays. Dreamz says it was fun and he wishes he could take his family on a trip like this. Boo is “dumbfounded” and “tickled pink” at the same time. Earl isn’t having quite as much fun at Exile Island. He finds the second clue, which says: Your normal winding paths you’ll walk. It’s inside a tree. Near a lonely tower of rock. Earl thinks two clues is enough for him to find the idol, which will make this trip to Exile Island worth it. Back at the reward, it’s lunch time! There is a ton of cold cuts, sandwich makings, etc. They chow down. Then the river guide brings them envelopes with letters from their families. They are obviously excited. Yau-Man’s kid tells him about a report card with six As and one B in algebra. Yau-Man jokes that he wishes the B was in Spanish or something instead. Hey, he’s a computer guy, what did you expect? Boo hears about his family doing well and eating well. Dreamz is getting emotional and says his sister’s letter was full of “deep stuff.” She never thought the family would have any opportunities until he had the chance to go on Survivor. He knows that she still believes in him even when he doesn’t believe in himself. And it reminds him of why he’s here and what he has to do. The rewardees return and the next day, several people talk about how much Boo talks. Dreamz and Yau-Man discuss how he wouldn’t shut up on the helicopter ride, while Cassandra and Stacy join in. Alex is right in the mix, and I’m sure he’s loving it. Indeed, he’s encouraging it. Later, Alex asks Dreamz if he’s going tonight. Dreamz thinks so, though he wants Boo gone instead. Alex encourages Dreamz to try to talk everybody into voting out Boo, and Dreamz agrees. He tells us he’s never liked Boo, but the best scenario would be if Alex wins immunity. The tribe arrives at the immunity challenge, where they are met by Earl. Probst asks Boo for the advantage he won. Boo empties the purple bag and we find climbing steps. Because he has them, he doesn’t need to participate in the first round of the challenge, but moves directly to the finals. The others have to race to dig up their three climbing steps buried in the sand. When they have all three, they race to the finish. The first two people move on to join Boo. In that round, they use the climbing steps to get to the top of a 12-foot pole. First person to the top and grab their flag wins immunity. And they’re off! Much digging commences. Alex is on a tear while Cassandra is barely making a dent. But is Alex digging deep enough as he rushes through it? Dreamz has the first step. Probst says Cassandra is “digging like a small rabbit, as if it’s going to be buried one to two inches.” Yau-Man isn’t so much digging as sticking his arms into the dirt and feeling. Not a bad plan. But Dreamz is doing better, as he has his second step. Alex has a huge hole, but no step. Dreamz has his third and easily moves on! Yau-Man’s method strikes gold as he finds his first and has a clue how deep they are. Alex finds his first also. As Alex digs, he’s throwing the sand over to Yau-Man’s lane. Heh. I guess if there’s no rule against it, it’s okay. Alex finds number two. Cassandra is, as Probst says, “just waiting for it to be over.” And it is, because Alex finds his third and moves on with Boo and Dreamz! The three of them are in the water at the bottom of their posts. And they’re off again! Boo is up quickly, putting in a step and skipping as many positions as he can. Alex is doing likewise. In fact, it looks like he only puts in one step and then just climbs the pole the rest of the way. But near the top, he slips and loses ground. Boo is getting close and snaps in a step while Alex struggles. Alex slips back down some more while Boo goes up and grabs the flag. Boo wins immunity! Back at camp, Yau-Man says fortunately, the person they wanted to vote out did not win immunity. So Alex will be leaving. As Alex walks off, Earl says everybody should vote for Alex, and Boo jokes that he’s giving Alex the immunity necklace. Yau-Man tells us he is feeling safe and won’t need to use his hidden immunity idol. Uh oh, what are we being set up for here? Alex says the situation is grim, but he won’t beg for his life. Similarly, taking an aggressive approach would be a bad idea. He thinks anybody he needs to talk to will approach him and talk to him. I’m thinking, “Suuuuuure they will.” But just then, Cassandra approaches him. She says he should be very proud of himself and he says he tried to be a gentleman. He then uses the info he obtained by being a ninja earlier, saying he doesn’t see Yau-Man taking Dreamz to the end. Cassandra agrees, saying she had a feeling he’s been playing to win. Um, how did you expect him to be playing? To lose? She says he knows he has a better chance against Stacy or Boo. Well duh. All of you do! Alex says he knows Yau-Man isn’t taking one of them to the final four, and he thinks it’s her or Earl. At this point, I think he’s just making up stuff from whole cloth, based on the conversations he overheard. He continues, saying that if she’s going to make a power play, today is the day to do it. She appears to agree, and tells us he’s making a last-ditch attempt to stick around. He did present a strong case and it makes a little sense. After all, for her to win, Yau-Man has to leave eventually anyway, so maybe she can convince a few other people to join her. Alex joins her in talking to Earl and Dreamz. Alex repeats his story, saying if they don’t get rid of Yau-Man, he’s going to take out one of them soon. “One of you two is gone after I’m gone. That’s a fact.” Well, yeah, eventually, it kind of has to be a fact. Yau-Man realizes that the others are under a tree with Alex and tells Boo he gets nervous when he’s alone. He should be! Alex says if the four of them vote for Yau-Man, he won’t know to use the idol and he’ll be gone. Plus they’ll gain Alex as a trusted compatriot. Earl says this is what he was afraid of – Alex is trying to save his neck. Earl tells us he’d rather vote Alex off now and risk it with Yau-Man. I tend to agree. Earl believes Cassandra and Dreamz were just pretending to listen – he winked at them a couple times. Later, Dreamz and Cassandra talk, with Dreamz asking if she’s buying it. She wonders where Alex fits in if they follow the plan, and Dreamz flat out says, “He don’t!” They’ll get rid of Alex and make it a top three with them and Earl. Sounds like they weren’t just pretending! Dreamz tells us that Yau-Man is too much of a threat, especially with the idol. Dreamz and Cassandra talk to Stacy, who says she’s good with a plan of voting off Yau-Man if that’s what they decide. She says she’s just a follower of Cassandra. For her part, Cassandra tells us she’s still undecided. She talks to Earl, saying the others are pushing the Yau-Man idea. He doesn’t want her to buy into it and she claims she’s not. Hmmm. Cassandra pretends not to know where Dreamz is, and Earl says he knows Dreamz was just playing along because he kept winking at Dreamz. Meanwhile, Dreamz is telling Alex that Earl is definitely not with the plan, because he kept winking at him! But he still tells Alex today is the last day for Yau-Man and then Alex will owe him. Earl continues with Cassandra, saying they have a strategy and a plan mapped out and they should just stick to it. He’s writing down Alex and thinks she should do the same. I’m thinking Earl should ensure that Alex leaves by telling Yau-Man to use the idol because he’s in danger! Cassandra tells us she’s still not sure who she’s voting for. But she’s going to have to decide soon, because it’s time for Tribal Council! The jury is brought in and Probst begins the questioning. He notes that it was Alex or Mookie last time, and Mookie’s now in the jury. Alex says he’s definitely feeling the heat, but he’s going to fight until the very end. The others have to consider who they really want next to them. Things are going to get very messy from this point forward. Probst says if something dramatic is going to happen, tonight is a good night for it. Does that concern him? Yau-Man says he thought about it but because he’s been with his alliance for so long, he’s decided he can trust them. Maybe one or two might turn, but three is a very remote possibility. So I guess Earl didn’t chat with him. Does Dreamz believe the six are as tight as they say? He says it’s definitely a possibility that he could swing three people. So what did Alex do today? He says he guesses they’ll find out shortly. Probst says that the hidden immunity idol in some ways represents safety, but in other ways could make Yau-Man a target because he has it. Yau-Man doesn’t feel the pressure today, but might in the next round, when the six alliance members look for somebody to vote out and might want to flush out the idol. So he will really have to keep his ears close to the ground. Oh, Yau-Man, you might be just a day too late in keeping those ears to the ground. What kind of chatter has there been about the other hidden immunity idol? Alex says with one in hand and another out there, it’s got to weigh on people’s minds. They can only be used for three Tribal Councils including this one. Doing the math, if they aren’t used tonight, they have to be used in the next couple. Yau-Man should be listening to this and thinking, “Hmmm, maybe I should use it tonight.” Is Alex surprised at how unconcerned the other six seem to be? He says he is. Either they are 100% trustworthy or they haven’t seen enough of this game. After this, you have to think people are thinking more than one move ahead. There are only a few days left. Probst asks one more quick question, with a yes-or-no answer: Are you legitimately concerned tonight? Alex: yes; Cassandra: no; Dreamz: I don’t think so; Stacy: no; Yau-Man: no; Earl: no. With that, it’s time to vote. Alex obviously votes Yau-Man, saying it’s nothing personal, he’s just trying to stay as long as he can. Of course, we don’t see votes from those who might join Alex in voting Yau-Man, but we do see Yau-Man returning the favor to Alex and saying it’s finally time for him to go. Probst tallies the votes and asks if anybody is playing the immunity idol. Nope. So it’s time to read the votes: Alex, Yau-Man, Alex, Alex, Alex. Phew, that was a close one for Yau-Man. In his closing remarks, Probst says that based on what he heard, he’d suggest they all go back to camp and “start sharpening those knives.” With that, he sends them back. For his final words, Alex says he knows he played to the best of his ability and gave it 110%. For all the kids who think their situation is hopeless, he wants them to never stop dreaming or fighting – they can and will amaze themselves. He thinks the remaining six are living in a dream world if they think they won’t have to backstab each other. Things are going to get very ugly. Next week: Yau-Man is in trouble, with several people (at least Dreamz, Cassandra, and Stacy) talking about how now is the time to take him out. But Yau-Man tells Earl he feels the bad vibes, so I’m wondering if he’ll use the idol. And the competition reaches a whole new level, which somehow involves Yau-Man making a deal in the middle of a challenge. I am sorry to see Alex go (for the record, everybody did indeed vote against him). He’s a smart guy and I had predicted him to win. But I’m not sorry to see Yau-Man stay, because he’s playing this game well and is just so damned likeable. Of course, like Probst said, things are going to get very interesting from this point forward. If Cassandra throws in her lot with Dreamz and Stacy, it might be a very different final three than what Cassandra and Earl were just talking about at the beginning of this episode. It could either be the three I just mentioned or, if Yau-Man wisely uses his immunity idol, it might even be Earl, Yau-Man, and Boo! We’ll just have to see!