Survivor – Lifting weights, literally and figuratively

Well, it looks like the paranoia, back-stabbing, wheeling and dealing, and who’s in which alliance is really having an impact on the tribe members.

After last week’s Brandon-centric episode of Survivor, we finally got to meet some of those fringe players as they started to find their places within their tribes. I don’t know what Ozzy thinks he’s doing snuggling up to Elyse — didn’t he say he was going to play the game with his brain this time? — but the others on his tribe are well aware of the power of a couple. I don’t think Ozzy is playing too smart at all, because his tribe is starting to see through his “we’re not talking strategy” game. Ozzy may be a physical player, but he’s no Boston Rob when it comes to being social. I’m still not on board with Jim — like Cochran said, he has that smarmy used car salesman aura — but I do appreciate him approaching Cochran to consider taking out Elyse, and then Cochran getting Dawn on board with the plan.

It was a great plan that had to be put on hold since Dawn actually won the immunity challenge for the Savii tribe this week! Dawn’s been worried about her age being a factor, but she certainly proved she has the strength to compete and eked out a win against Stacey, wth both holding on to 140 lbs, in the weight-bearing challenge (it was two women standing after the four men got knockced out). I hope Dawn can use the clout this win gave her to carry her along farther in the game.

Over on Upolu, it was Edna who seemed to be the target of everyone’s ire. The jury’s still out on Brandon, but Edna feels totally paranoid about her place in the alliance after Brandon, while trying to make amends for his behavior, told her that she wasn’t part of the core five. Brandon, you sure do have a funny way of apologizing. This sent Edna into a sort of paranoid tailspin where she had to try to ingratiate herself to everyone, but ended up annoying them even more with her incessant chatter.

Things got really interesting after Upolu returned to camp and Edna and Stacey had a little chat about who the target was. Stacey, who became one of my favorites this week with her commentary, had no time for Edna and then told Brandon to watch out because people in his alliance were working deals on the outside. This sent Brandon into a downward spiral which made him run to Coach with the news. It was amazing to see Coach almost completely snap because of Brandon’s naievete, but Sophie was a witness to the whole scene which has certainly put doubt in her mind about Brandon’s ability to play the game with a cool head.

There was a very touching moment at Tribal where Brandon broke down after Russell’s name came up and how he talked about how he wants God to see him as a good person, but he has these expectations from others that he has to defend himself against, and that he doesn’t want to be misrepresented, and that he wants to reclaim the family name and give it some honor after what Russell did to it. [Interesting side note: I wonder if Brandon was simply referring to Russell’s game play or the allegations that he also violated his Survivor contract and leaked information to a blogger about his last season on the show?]

In the end, Coach’s alliance of five plus Edna stuck together and voted out Stacey, which makes absolutely no sense (Stacey didn’t think so either as she refused to participate in a tribe hug after she was voted out). She’s obviously stronger than Edna but has never really been given a chance to be a part of the tribe. I was sorry to see Papa Bear lose the Redemption Island challenge to Christine, but I think Christine’s got a real competitor in Stacey for the next challenge. I hope Stacey holds to her word and spills the beans on her tribe just because it could be great TV. That tactic could backfire as well, because if she does make it back into the game, will the other tribe want to trust someone who so easily mouthed off just out of revenge for being voted off?

“Edna’s like Ricochet Rabbit. The girl go on and on and on and on. Does she have an off switch? I don’t think she have an off switch. She needs to be disconnected, that’s what she needs to be. Dis-con-ected.” — Stacey on Edna’s social over-compensation.

“Could Edna lift twenty? I doubt it. You know, bones on bones cain’t … you know … bones cain’t lift too much if it’s just all skeleton with the bones.” — Stacey justifying her place on the tribe after barely losing the challenge while holding 140 lbs of weight.

Clacked by Chuck Duncan
on Oct 06, 2011 @ 00:08 EST5EDT