Episode 9: A Tribe Within a Tribe
Surviving Fiji, Episode 9: A Tribe Within a Tribe by David Bloomberg -- 04/13/2007 We know something big is coming this week, but what is it? A merge? Another tribal switch-up? Something we’ve never seen before? What surprise does Jeff Probst have in store for the contestants? And how does it affect the game? Last week, we said goodbye to the second really annoying contestant in a row. Unless somebody new steps up to the plate, that might be it for annoyances for a while, which means strategy may rise to the top. The previews have suggested a merge, meaning there should be lots of alliance-jumping. Let’s see how it all plays out! We begin again on day 22, at Ravu. Edgardo asks Mookie if he has the idol, and Mookie assures him he does. Edgardo half-jokingly says if he uses it against him… mumble mumble. I have no idea what he says, but I’m sure it’s not meant to be a positive. Mookie tells us the idol is for himself, to get himself further in this game – he admits to being selfish in the game. Well good! Despite what some players have thought over the years, Survivor is not about helping somebody else win! He continues that if it looks like going along with Alex and Edgardo will get him farther, he’s all for it. Alex and Edgardo say they are playing their fate in Mookie’s hands, and he says they should just know he would never do that to them. Uh huh. Dreamz returns to camp with an armload of pineapple, and Alex reminds us that they haven’t told Dreamz about the idol yet because they don’t think he’ll keep it to himself. I suspect they’re right. Luau music plays as we arrive at Moto camp, where they are lying on the bed, eating on china, etc. Boo shows up with treemail, which says they are to gather their personal belongings only and paddle out to Exile Island immediately. They are specifically forbidden from bringing rewards, tools, and flint, but they can bring canteens (lucky them). Stacy says they should boil up the rest of the rice immediately, and there is general agreement. Boo wonders if they will be living on Exile Island the rest of the time. I doubt it, Boo. Michelle isn’t too worried because she’s already lived on Ravu, and it can’t be any worse than that. Cassandra, Stacy, and Boo, however, have a shock ahead of them. The same treemail arrives at Ravu and Mookie figures they’re merging. Edgardo doesn’t know what to expect. The four of them talk about who to target as a potential ally. Dreamz is going for Cassandra, Mookie will get Michelle or Yau-Man, and Alex is to bring over Stacy. Alex calls them the “four horsemen” and I instantly get bad Big Brother flashbacks. He says they have each proven to the others that they are in this together because they are each giving up somebody they had been aligned with previously in order to make this work. Mookie gave up Rocky and they gave up Lisi. Uh, yeah. Except Lisi wanted to leave! And Dreamz didn’t give up anything because he hated her! So really, only Mookie gave up anybody. Both tribes arrive at Exile Island, with Earl telling us they don’t know what to expect, though most people are expecting a merge. Earl says people shouldn’t think far ahead and worry about a merge until they’re sure there is one, but instead everybody should be worried about what’s going on in the here and now. Yau-Man notes that they still have their own colors and flags, so they have no idea what’s going on. Alex says there were no instructions and host Jeff Probst is nowhere to be found. He figured they’d just live there – which would suck, but Ravu sucked anyway. They head up to the top of the tower and find new colors and instructions in a box. They are indeed merged and wearing purple buffs. They are told to pile into one boat and head to the old Moto camp. They all celebrate, but I’m betting the whole point of having them all go to Exile Island is to give the crew time to cart off all the great stuff they have there. Mookie is excited because he thinks he’s going to get to see Moto – he’s the only one left in the game who hasn’t been there. Cassandra is “elated” to go back. They are all in for a shock, I’m telling you. They row, row, row their boat, and arrive cheering. Alex thanks God because he gets to eat rice and potatoes (guess they didn’t tell him they cooked all the rice already), use toothpaste, shower, sleep in a bed, etc. Hey, guess what? They get to camp and there is nothing there. Whoa, didn’t see that one coming. (Insert eyeroll here.) They’re shocked – it’s all gone. Alex calls it “a bad dream.” I cannot believe nobody saw this coming. Sheesh. Earl and Dreamz say they have a pot, a machete, and a cave – this is “real Survivor.” Oh, and a little fishing gear and flint. They all say it’s like it was on day one. Earl is okay with everything because he was at old Ravu for 13 days – he’s “back home again.” A note tells them to pick a new name, make a new flag, and start over from scratch. They vote for Bula Bula (which means “hello”), though Boo suggests Nookie Nookie. Michelle and Stacy go to paint the flag and whisper to each other about being safe. Michelle says she’s a little worried because the original Moto are still “super-close,” but Stacy reassures her that the guys will get competitive and go after other guys rather than a girl. Earl says there is a “tribe within a tribe” – himself, Michelle, Cassandra, and Yau-Man. So he hopes to divide up old Moto and pull them one by one over to his side. Alex tells us the first few moments after a merger are really crucial in determining the endgame, and he’s going to fight. They try to decide who should split up and fish, crab, etc. Everybody seems a bit wary, as if they don’t want to break up into the wrong group – and they’re right to be worried about it! Boo tells us he had a niche in the first Moto and the second Moto. But now he’s not so sure, and he feels uncomfortable. So he’s going to take a back seat and see what happens. Yau-Man, Cassandra, Dreamz, and Mookie stay behind to work on the fire. Mookie says he and Dreamz hooked up, and they knew Dreamz and Cassandra were good, and he was good with Yau-Man. Yau-Man says he was afraid Mookie “went over to the dark side.” I half-expect somebody to jump out and say, “Mook, I am your father.” But I think Mookie did go to the dark side. He tells us this discussion is part of the Four Horsemen plan and they are gaining the trust of Cassandra and Yau-Man. I think Cassandra and Yau-Man believe that it’s just the opposite – that the two guys are going to come over to join them. This should be interesting. It’s like the set-up for a misunderstanding on a bad sit-com. The Two Horsemen ask if they are good with Boo, but they say no – they want Boo gone first and then Stacy. The Horseman agree. Mookie says Boo stirs things up too much, so they need to get rid of him. He tells us their plan is working out perfectly, they just have to execute it. I’m not quite sure how perfectly it’s working, since Alex and Edgardo were supposed to team with Stacy. But I guess if they have Yau-Man and Cassandra, they don’t really need Stacy. Yau-Man tells us he is currently the only one with an idol (WRONG!) and Earl is the only one who knows he has the idol. Potentially, somebody else has an idol, but the question is who, if anybody. He believes they have the votes to get rid of Boo, but he doesn’t trust anybody. Stacy talks to Alex, and they both agree on getting rid of Boo. She tells us Alex is the most trustworthy person she knows of here. They talk about how solid the two of them and Edgardo are, while Alex tells us he’s using the relationships he has along with some smoke and mirrors to keep people guessing. He says of the Four Horsemen, “Unless I’m mistaken, the four of us are controlling this game right now. I could be wrong and I could be getting set up, but this is my best bet.” Three of the Four Horsemen compare notes, with Mookie and Dreamz relaying their thoughts to Alex: Boo first, then Stacy. Alex seems okay with that. He is a bit surprised, however, when Mookie confides in Dreamz that they have the immunity idol! Alex isn’t happy, and he tells Dreamz he can’t say a word, not even to Cassandra. Dreamz tells us he’s a bit mad that they didn’t tell him right away, but Mookie says it was only because of Cassandra. Now Dreamz isn’t sure he can trust them – he’ll trust them until he can’t trust them anymore. Well, that makes sense… in a strange sort of way. The Four Horsemen other than Dreamz go out fishing and Alex tells Edgardo about Mookie revealing the idol to Dreamz. Edgardo is not thrilled by this at all, but Mookie doesn’t see the big deal. He tells us he’s “pissed off” about it and is sure Cassandra will know about it right away. Alex suggests taking Boo out first but not Stacy, because she “has nowhere to go” and he trusts her. Mookie focuses on putting bait on his hook while Alex prattles on, not agreeing, not disagreeing. He’s eventually asked a direct question about it and says that’s fine. But he tells us keeping Stacy is only in their best interests, meaning if it gets down to five, he and Dreamz are out of the loop. Earl and Cassandra are talking, with Earl saying nobody knows who has who – but she and Michelle are popular. Earl doesn’t trust Mookie. Cassandra tells us she is allied with Earl and Yau-Man, and then Earl has Michelle, and then she has Dreamz. Earl tells her to keep them thinking they have her and he’s not thinking at all. Earl tells us he’s happy about the merge because the game is at the advanced level now. Mookie and Dreamz are alone and Mookie relates the fishing discussion. Dreamz immediately recognizes that keeping Stacy means the two of them are toast. “Point blank, no!” He doesn’t trust anybody with Stacy around. And he confides in us that he’s really looking forward to voting Stacy off because of the way she treated him on old Moto – but now she’s all fake happy to see him because he has powerful friends. “She’s got to go!” Time for the first individual immunity challenge. They each draw stones, but don’t look at them – the men draw from one bag, the women from another. They all reveal and find out that they are being split into an orange team and a green team, and each moves to a different mat. Probst notes that Edgardo kind of shrugged his shoulders, and Edgardo says he just doesn’t know what to expect anymore. What does Boo think is happening? He believes they’re being switched up again. I don’t – I think they’re just being broken into temporary teams for this challenge. Probst says they have merged and are one tribe, but they are competing as two teams. Told ya so! The green team is Alex, Michelle, Mookie, Stacy, and Dreamz. The orange team is Edgardo, Cassandra, Yau-Man, Boo, and Earl. He describes the challenge. On go, they will be shown a large Fijian mask and given time to memorize the symbols and arrangement. Then they will paddle out to three different stations, where they have to retrieve a bundle of puzzle pieces at each. Then two people from each team will construct six of the symbols they saw on the mask and put them in the right order on their mask. The winning team gets immunity – the five people on that team will not even go to Tribal Council. Whoa. In addition, they will feast on steak, veggies, and wine. The losers get a note and a date at Tribal Council. The masks are revealed… and they’re off! Green thinks they have it and head out, with orange close behind. Both teams get to the first station at about the same time. They need to use the tool to push the ring holding the bag down a coil to get it off. Stacy is having problems, so Dreamz gives it a shot, but Yau-Man is able to get the orange team moving quickly. Dreamz isn’t having any better luck than Stacy, so Alex gives it a try. Orange is at their second station, and done! Alex finally gets the first for the green team. The orange team gets the third one quickly as green gets the second. Orange is heading to the finish area, but they’re slowing down. Green gets their third bundle and are catching up as Michelle yells encouragement for the rowers while she sits in the center. Earl and Yau-Man move to do the puzzle, but are not having an easy time of it. Green arrives and Michelle and Alex are doing the puzzle. Earl and Yau-Man are finally getting a clue, as Boo calls out instructions that I’m sure are not really helpful. Earl and Yau-Man are put in all their pieces. Yau-Man makes a last-minute switch before calling over Probst, and Probst says it’s a good thing he did, because it’s correct. Orange team wins! Well, so much for voting off Boo. And things don’t look so good for Michelle – I suspect she’s in trouble. Probst reads the note. It says: “You will not be going back to camp. There will be no time to strategize. We’re heading to Tribal Council right now.” We see various looks of shock. Before they head off, here’s why I think Michelle is in trouble: Alex won’t vote against Stacy, Mookie, or Dreamz. Mookie and Dreamz probably won’t vote against Alex yet. So the best bet for Alex and Stacy is to vote against Michelle. Mookie and Dreamz might vote against Stacy, causing a tie, but also might not want to start a fight with Alex and Edgardo. But first, the orange team arrives at camp and celebrates with wine. Boo immediately moves to the food and starts cutting and cooking. He tells us the challenge saved his butt – he obviously knows he would have been going otherwise. Between that and the food, it brought up his spirits. They talk about what might happen at Tribal Council, what without being able to strategize any. Earl says something crazy might happen. Edgardo tells us he hopes Alex doesn’t get voted out because then all his plans will be gone. Frankly, I think Alex is the safest guy there. Earl is similarly afraid that Michelle will be voted out, because she is a key part of his strategy. I think he has a lot more to worry about than Edgardo. The green five arrive at Tribal Council and the jurors are brought in. Dreamz is asked about the merge and says it was like day one all over again, except everybody already knew each other. He had friends from old Moto and friends from new Ravu, so he was pretty happy. What was Alex’s reaction that they were going back to Moto. He says he was shocked, but when he got there and saw all their toys had been taken away, he knew it wouldn’t be as much fun. Can Mookie feel paranoia beginning to set in “already”? Already? Hell, that should have set in weeks ago! Mookie says definitely – people are developing different relationships and you don’t know where you stand anymore. And now he’s on the hot seat again – everybody here is because they weren’t able to talk to each other. How uncomfortable is Stacy? Pretty uncomfortable – there are different groups all over and everybody’s thinking about different scenarios. Probst asks Dreamz for a reason to vote out Stacy. He says one good reason for him is “because it ain’t me.” What’s a good reason for Michelle to get rid of Dreamz? She says they haven’t really talked much about strategy, so she can’t say who he’s in an alliance with, which brings the fear of the unknown. What’s a good reason for Mookie to get rid of Michelle? He says they had a relationship at old Ravu, but she might have switched to another side. He has to determine who will be the biggest threat and who will strengthen his alliance. Michelle gives a good reason to get rid of Alex as him being a threat in challenges. Alex says he doesn’t have a good reason to get rid of Stacy, which sets off obvious alarm bells with Dreamz. So what about a reason to get rid of Michelle? He says he doesn’t know Michelle as well as anybody else on the tribe. And Mookie? He doesn’t have a good reason to get rid of Mookie. Dreamz? He doesn’t have a reason to get rid of Dreamz. Well, Alex just did an excellent job of telegraphing to his allies where his vote is going. Reading my mind, Probst asks Dreamz if he thinks people are not only speaking to Probst, but also to their tribemates to tell them what they’re thinking. Dreamz says he just let everybody know whose name he’s putting on the paper. How does Mookie think this vote will change the game? He says it will reveal some things to the other folks who are eating steak right now. They will see who has been telling the truth and who has been lying. With that, it’s time to vote. Alex unsurprisingly votes against Michelle, saying it’s nothing personal, he’s just playing the game. Mookie votes Stacy, saying she was on the list of people to go. Probst tallies and reads the votes: Stacy, Michelle, Stacy, Michelle, Michelle. I hate to say I told ya so, but I told ya so. However, Mookie is gonna have some ‘splaining to do about his anti-Stacy vote. Probst tells the remaining players that it’s clear this vote will have a major impact on the game. With that, he sends them back to camp. In her last words, Michelle – still with a huge smile on her face – says Survivor has been an amazing experience. She thinks her alliance is a little weaker without her and Earl will have to find himself a new spy. She thinks she’s just affirmed that she knows what kind of person she is, she knows what she’s capable of, and she’s just as strong as she thought. Next week: Mookie confronts Dreamz about his vote at Tribal Council, saying he screwed everything up. And here I thought Mookie was going to be the one getting confronted! And other fireworks begin as well, with Mookie getting irritated at Cassandra and telling us she made “the worst mistake of her life.” Plus, Dreamz does exactly what Alex and Edgardo said he would, telling Cassandra and Earl that Mookie has the immunity idol. I have to tell you, I’m not really happy with this particular twist. Survivor is a game of strategy, and this twist added too much randomness to it. Yes, tribal switch-ups can screw people, but at least they have time to try to talk themselves out of it. This particular twist screwed Michelle and didn’t give her a chance to talk her way out of it. Sure, Mookie could have been as obvious as Alex in pointing Dreamz to the direction he was voting, but I’m not sure even that would have saved Michelle.
Surviving Fiji, Episode 9: A Tribe Within a Tribe by David Bloomberg -- 04/13/2007 We know something big is coming this week, but what is it? A merge? Another tribal switch-up? Something we’ve never seen before? What surprise does Jeff Probst have in store for the contestants? And how does it affect the game? Last week, we said goodbye to the second really annoying contestant in a row. Unless somebody new steps up to the plate, that might be it for annoyances for a while, which means strategy may rise to the top. The previews have suggested a merge, meaning there should be lots of alliance-jumping. Let’s see how it all plays out! We begin again on day 22, at Ravu. Edgardo asks Mookie if he has the idol, and Mookie assures him he does. Edgardo half-jokingly says if he uses it against him… mumble mumble. I have no idea what he says, but I’m sure it’s not meant to be a positive. Mookie tells us the idol is for himself, to get himself further in this game – he admits to being selfish in the game. Well good! Despite what some players have thought over the years, Survivor is not about helping somebody else win! He continues that if it looks like going along with Alex and Edgardo will get him farther, he’s all for it. Alex and Edgardo say they are playing their fate in Mookie’s hands, and he says they should just know he would never do that to them. Uh huh. Dreamz returns to camp with an armload of pineapple, and Alex reminds us that they haven’t told Dreamz about the idol yet because they don’t think he’ll keep it to himself. I suspect they’re right. Luau music plays as we arrive at Moto camp, where they are lying on the bed, eating on china, etc. Boo shows up with treemail, which says they are to gather their personal belongings only and paddle out to Exile Island immediately. They are specifically forbidden from bringing rewards, tools, and flint, but they can bring canteens (lucky them). Stacy says they should boil up the rest of the rice immediately, and there is general agreement. Boo wonders if they will be living on Exile Island the rest of the time. I doubt it, Boo. Michelle isn’t too worried because she’s already lived on Ravu, and it can’t be any worse than that. Cassandra, Stacy, and Boo, however, have a shock ahead of them. The same treemail arrives at Ravu and Mookie figures they’re merging. Edgardo doesn’t know what to expect. The four of them talk about who to target as a potential ally. Dreamz is going for Cassandra, Mookie will get Michelle or Yau-Man, and Alex is to bring over Stacy. Alex calls them the “four horsemen” and I instantly get bad Big Brother flashbacks. He says they have each proven to the others that they are in this together because they are each giving up somebody they had been aligned with previously in order to make this work. Mookie gave up Rocky and they gave up Lisi. Uh, yeah. Except Lisi wanted to leave! And Dreamz didn’t give up anything because he hated her! So really, only Mookie gave up anybody. Both tribes arrive at Exile Island, with Earl telling us they don’t know what to expect, though most people are expecting a merge. Earl says people shouldn’t think far ahead and worry about a merge until they’re sure there is one, but instead everybody should be worried about what’s going on in the here and now. Yau-Man notes that they still have their own colors and flags, so they have no idea what’s going on. Alex says there were no instructions and host Jeff Probst is nowhere to be found. He figured they’d just live there – which would suck, but Ravu sucked anyway. They head up to the top of the tower and find new colors and instructions in a box. They are indeed merged and wearing purple buffs. They are told to pile into one boat and head to the old Moto camp. They all celebrate, but I’m betting the whole point of having them all go to Exile Island is to give the crew time to cart off all the great stuff they have there. Mookie is excited because he thinks he’s going to get to see Moto – he’s the only one left in the game who hasn’t been there. Cassandra is “elated” to go back. They are all in for a shock, I’m telling you. They row, row, row their boat, and arrive cheering. Alex thanks God because he gets to eat rice and potatoes (guess they didn’t tell him they cooked all the rice already), use toothpaste, shower, sleep in a bed, etc. Hey, guess what? They get to camp and there is nothing there. Whoa, didn’t see that one coming. (Insert eyeroll here.) They’re shocked – it’s all gone. Alex calls it “a bad dream.” I cannot believe nobody saw this coming. Sheesh. Earl and Dreamz say they have a pot, a machete, and a cave – this is “real Survivor.” Oh, and a little fishing gear and flint. They all say it’s like it was on day one. Earl is okay with everything because he was at old Ravu for 13 days – he’s “back home again.” A note tells them to pick a new name, make a new flag, and start over from scratch. They vote for Bula Bula (which means “hello”), though Boo suggests Nookie Nookie. Michelle and Stacy go to paint the flag and whisper to each other about being safe. Michelle says she’s a little worried because the original Moto are still “super-close,” but Stacy reassures her that the guys will get competitive and go after other guys rather than a girl. Earl says there is a “tribe within a tribe” – himself, Michelle, Cassandra, and Yau-Man. So he hopes to divide up old Moto and pull them one by one over to his side. Alex tells us the first few moments after a merger are really crucial in determining the endgame, and he’s going to fight. They try to decide who should split up and fish, crab, etc. Everybody seems a bit wary, as if they don’t want to break up into the wrong group – and they’re right to be worried about it! Boo tells us he had a niche in the first Moto and the second Moto. But now he’s not so sure, and he feels uncomfortable. So he’s going to take a back seat and see what happens. Yau-Man, Cassandra, Dreamz, and Mookie stay behind to work on the fire. Mookie says he and Dreamz hooked up, and they knew Dreamz and Cassandra were good, and he was good with Yau-Man. Yau-Man says he was afraid Mookie “went over to the dark side.” I half-expect somebody to jump out and say, “Mook, I am your father.” But I think Mookie did go to the dark side. He tells us this discussion is part of the Four Horsemen plan and they are gaining the trust of Cassandra and Yau-Man. I think Cassandra and Yau-Man believe that it’s just the opposite – that the two guys are going to come over to join them. This should be interesting. It’s like the set-up for a misunderstanding on a bad sit-com. The Two Horsemen ask if they are good with Boo, but they say no – they want Boo gone first and then Stacy. The Horseman agree. Mookie says Boo stirs things up too much, so they need to get rid of him. He tells us their plan is working out perfectly, they just have to execute it. I’m not quite sure how perfectly it’s working, since Alex and Edgardo were supposed to team with Stacy. But I guess if they have Yau-Man and Cassandra, they don’t really need Stacy. Yau-Man tells us he is currently the only one with an idol (WRONG!) and Earl is the only one who knows he has the idol. Potentially, somebody else has an idol, but the question is who, if anybody. He believes they have the votes to get rid of Boo, but he doesn’t trust anybody. Stacy talks to Alex, and they both agree on getting rid of Boo. She tells us Alex is the most trustworthy person she knows of here. They talk about how solid the two of them and Edgardo are, while Alex tells us he’s using the relationships he has along with some smoke and mirrors to keep people guessing. He says of the Four Horsemen, “Unless I’m mistaken, the four of us are controlling this game right now. I could be wrong and I could be getting set up, but this is my best bet.” Three of the Four Horsemen compare notes, with Mookie and Dreamz relaying their thoughts to Alex: Boo first, then Stacy. Alex seems okay with that. He is a bit surprised, however, when Mookie confides in Dreamz that they have the immunity idol! Alex isn’t happy, and he tells Dreamz he can’t say a word, not even to Cassandra. Dreamz tells us he’s a bit mad that they didn’t tell him right away, but Mookie says it was only because of Cassandra. Now Dreamz isn’t sure he can trust them – he’ll trust them until he can’t trust them anymore. Well, that makes sense… in a strange sort of way. The Four Horsemen other than Dreamz go out fishing and Alex tells Edgardo about Mookie revealing the idol to Dreamz. Edgardo is not thrilled by this at all, but Mookie doesn’t see the big deal. He tells us he’s “pissed off” about it and is sure Cassandra will know about it right away. Alex suggests taking Boo out first but not Stacy, because she “has nowhere to go” and he trusts her. Mookie focuses on putting bait on his hook while Alex prattles on, not agreeing, not disagreeing. He’s eventually asked a direct question about it and says that’s fine. But he tells us keeping Stacy is only in their best interests, meaning if it gets down to five, he and Dreamz are out of the loop. Earl and Cassandra are talking, with Earl saying nobody knows who has who – but she and Michelle are popular. Earl doesn’t trust Mookie. Cassandra tells us she is allied with Earl and Yau-Man, and then Earl has Michelle, and then she has Dreamz. Earl tells her to keep them thinking they have her and he’s not thinking at all. Earl tells us he’s happy about the merge because the game is at the advanced level now. Mookie and Dreamz are alone and Mookie relates the fishing discussion. Dreamz immediately recognizes that keeping Stacy means the two of them are toast. “Point blank, no!” He doesn’t trust anybody with Stacy around. And he confides in us that he’s really looking forward to voting Stacy off because of the way she treated him on old Moto – but now she’s all fake happy to see him because he has powerful friends. “She’s got to go!” Time for the first individual immunity challenge. They each draw stones, but don’t look at them – the men draw from one bag, the women from another. They all reveal and find out that they are being split into an orange team and a green team, and each moves to a different mat. Probst notes that Edgardo kind of shrugged his shoulders, and Edgardo says he just doesn’t know what to expect anymore. What does Boo think is happening? He believes they’re being switched up again. I don’t – I think they’re just being broken into temporary teams for this challenge. Probst says they have merged and are one tribe, but they are competing as two teams. Told ya so! The green team is Alex, Michelle, Mookie, Stacy, and Dreamz. The orange team is Edgardo, Cassandra, Yau-Man, Boo, and Earl. He describes the challenge. On go, they will be shown a large Fijian mask and given time to memorize the symbols and arrangement. Then they will paddle out to three different stations, where they have to retrieve a bundle of puzzle pieces at each. Then two people from each team will construct six of the symbols they saw on the mask and put them in the right order on their mask. The winning team gets immunity – the five people on that team will not even go to Tribal Council. Whoa. In addition, they will feast on steak, veggies, and wine. The losers get a note and a date at Tribal Council. The masks are revealed… and they’re off! Green thinks they have it and head out, with orange close behind. Both teams get to the first station at about the same time. They need to use the tool to push the ring holding the bag down a coil to get it off. Stacy is having problems, so Dreamz gives it a shot, but Yau-Man is able to get the orange team moving quickly. Dreamz isn’t having any better luck than Stacy, so Alex gives it a try. Orange is at their second station, and done! Alex finally gets the first for the green team. The orange team gets the third one quickly as green gets the second. Orange is heading to the finish area, but they’re slowing down. Green gets their third bundle and are catching up as Michelle yells encouragement for the rowers while she sits in the center. Earl and Yau-Man move to do the puzzle, but are not having an easy time of it. Green arrives and Michelle and Alex are doing the puzzle. Earl and Yau-Man are finally getting a clue, as Boo calls out instructions that I’m sure are not really helpful. Earl and Yau-Man are put in all their pieces. Yau-Man makes a last-minute switch before calling over Probst, and Probst says it’s a good thing he did, because it’s correct. Orange team wins! Well, so much for voting off Boo. And things don’t look so good for Michelle – I suspect she’s in trouble. Probst reads the note. It says: “You will not be going back to camp. There will be no time to strategize. We’re heading to Tribal Council right now.” We see various looks of shock. Before they head off, here’s why I think Michelle is in trouble: Alex won’t vote against Stacy, Mookie, or Dreamz. Mookie and Dreamz probably won’t vote against Alex yet. So the best bet for Alex and Stacy is to vote against Michelle. Mookie and Dreamz might vote against Stacy, causing a tie, but also might not want to start a fight with Alex and Edgardo. But first, the orange team arrives at camp and celebrates with wine. Boo immediately moves to the food and starts cutting and cooking. He tells us the challenge saved his butt – he obviously knows he would have been going otherwise. Between that and the food, it brought up his spirits. They talk about what might happen at Tribal Council, what without being able to strategize any. Earl says something crazy might happen. Edgardo tells us he hopes Alex doesn’t get voted out because then all his plans will be gone. Frankly, I think Alex is the safest guy there. Earl is similarly afraid that Michelle will be voted out, because she is a key part of his strategy. I think he has a lot more to worry about than Edgardo. The green five arrive at Tribal Council and the jurors are brought in. Dreamz is asked about the merge and says it was like day one all over again, except everybody already knew each other. He had friends from old Moto and friends from new Ravu, so he was pretty happy. What was Alex’s reaction that they were going back to Moto. He says he was shocked, but when he got there and saw all their toys had been taken away, he knew it wouldn’t be as much fun. Can Mookie feel paranoia beginning to set in “already”? Already? Hell, that should have set in weeks ago! Mookie says definitely – people are developing different relationships and you don’t know where you stand anymore. And now he’s on the hot seat again – everybody here is because they weren’t able to talk to each other. How uncomfortable is Stacy? Pretty uncomfortable – there are different groups all over and everybody’s thinking about different scenarios. Probst asks Dreamz for a reason to vote out Stacy. He says one good reason for him is “because it ain’t me.” What’s a good reason for Michelle to get rid of Dreamz? She says they haven’t really talked much about strategy, so she can’t say who he’s in an alliance with, which brings the fear of the unknown. What’s a good reason for Mookie to get rid of Michelle? He says they had a relationship at old Ravu, but she might have switched to another side. He has to determine who will be the biggest threat and who will strengthen his alliance. Michelle gives a good reason to get rid of Alex as him being a threat in challenges. Alex says he doesn’t have a good reason to get rid of Stacy, which sets off obvious alarm bells with Dreamz. So what about a reason to get rid of Michelle? He says he doesn’t know Michelle as well as anybody else on the tribe. And Mookie? He doesn’t have a good reason to get rid of Mookie. Dreamz? He doesn’t have a reason to get rid of Dreamz. Well, Alex just did an excellent job of telegraphing to his allies where his vote is going. Reading my mind, Probst asks Dreamz if he thinks people are not only speaking to Probst, but also to their tribemates to tell them what they’re thinking. Dreamz says he just let everybody know whose name he’s putting on the paper. How does Mookie think this vote will change the game? He says it will reveal some things to the other folks who are eating steak right now. They will see who has been telling the truth and who has been lying. With that, it’s time to vote. Alex unsurprisingly votes against Michelle, saying it’s nothing personal, he’s just playing the game. Mookie votes Stacy, saying she was on the list of people to go. Probst tallies and reads the votes: Stacy, Michelle, Stacy, Michelle, Michelle. I hate to say I told ya so, but I told ya so. However, Mookie is gonna have some ‘splaining to do about his anti-Stacy vote. Probst tells the remaining players that it’s clear this vote will have a major impact on the game. With that, he sends them back to camp. In her last words, Michelle – still with a huge smile on her face – says Survivor has been an amazing experience. She thinks her alliance is a little weaker without her and Earl will have to find himself a new spy. She thinks she’s just affirmed that she knows what kind of person she is, she knows what she’s capable of, and she’s just as strong as she thought. Next week: Mookie confronts Dreamz about his vote at Tribal Council, saying he screwed everything up. And here I thought Mookie was going to be the one getting confronted! And other fireworks begin as well, with Mookie getting irritated at Cassandra and telling us she made “the worst mistake of her life.” Plus, Dreamz does exactly what Alex and Edgardo said he would, telling Cassandra and Earl that Mookie has the immunity idol. I have to tell you, I’m not really happy with this particular twist. Survivor is a game of strategy, and this twist added too much randomness to it. Yes, tribal switch-ups can screw people, but at least they have time to try to talk themselves out of it. This particular twist screwed Michelle and didn’t give her a chance to talk her way out of it. Sure, Mookie could have been as obvious as Alex in pointing Dreamz to the direction he was voting, but I’m not sure even that would have saved Michelle.