CANOE -- JAM! Television - TV Shows - Survivor2: Australian Outback: Episode Twelve: Bingham bonked

...and then there was one. One member of the original Kucha Tribe that is. Rodger Bingham, the folksy Kentucky teacher who had more personality, gumption and integrity than all of the other Survivors combined essentially offered himself up for expulsion on episode twelve's Tribal Council. It was no shock to the hard-working Bingham. He predicted that inevitably the Kucha Tribe would become extinct if the alliance instituted by former Ogakor Tribe members Tina Wesson, Colby Donaldson and Keith Famie held tight.

Before the Survivors packed their belongings and headed off to the council, Bingham chivalrously spread the word that if the choice was between him and the other remaining Kucha -- Elisabeth Filarski -- he'd rather be the one who got sacked as he was financially secure while Filarski's family needed the prize money to pay medical bills incurred by her mother's unfortunate illness. Human decency and compassion on Survivor? Who woulda thunk it, eh?

The remaining Survivors at the start of the broadcast were:

Barramundi Tribe

Barramundi Tribe Happenings (Day 34)

Guess what? The show opened with the Barramundi Tribe waking-up in the morning. Gee, where have we seen that before? The last bazillion episodes that's where. It's as if the editors are on cruise control or something. Let's hope they took that pay cheque Mr. Burnett gave them and bought themselves some imagination for crying out loud.

Not wanting to sleep the day away like the other four pieces of drift wood, Rodger is the first to stir. Right away he gets to work gathering the tribe's items off the beach just in case the river floods again. The others roll out of bed and help old Rodger out by sitting on a log in front of the fire. The teamwork on display in this series is nothing short of inspiring.

Colby says that the hardest part of the day is the waiting. It seems that getting off his butt and doing something productive never enters Colby's head. Tina reveals that she's been married for a year-and-a-half. She misses her husband and kids terribly. Colby thinks Tina has hit "rock bottom" but bounced back. Don't feel too sorry for her, cowboy. She's gonna be one of the "final two". Liz updates us on her health. She has recuperated from feeling tired and weak due to lack of food and hunting.

The tree mail describes an Internet challenge and the possibility that the Survivors might get to contact their loved ones. Liz is so happy she does a little River Dance. Liz discloses that her mom had to undergo chemotherapy and that she's her hero. Why the producers never mentioned this vital piece of information before is mind-boggling. I thought the whole point of the show was for us, the viewers, to grow close to these contestants? It is just another in a truck-load of mistakes the producers have made with this mediocre sequel to the original Survivor.

Reward Challenge

Through the use of a crude Internet cafe (a desk, a chair, a Macintosh computer and a satellite dish under cover), the Survivors' families are contacted and asked five questions about the Outback. The player whose family gives the most correct answers wins.

Reward

A 30 minute on-line chat with their loved ones and a credit card to buy them $500 worth of gifts.

Result

There are two surprises here. One, that the assuredly unstable Macintosh computer doesn't crash when anybody coughs out loud or scratches their nose. Two, that the Survivors are permitted a 30 second, live type-written chat with their families first and offered a coffee and a danish of their choice. Survivor Two attempts to pull at our heart strings as each player blubbers while chatting. We see the contestant's loved ones live in their homes as they respond. Tina addresses her son, daughter and husband. Liz, her mom, dad and brother. Rodger cries while chatting with his wife, daughter and son-in-law. Jeff asks him if that's a tear in his eye. Rodger answers politely..."Yes, sir. It is." Keith and his girlfriend get all sappy on us by calling themselves by their vegetable pet names. Yuck! Colby is best friends with his mom. When she calls him her "baby" the macho Texan breaks down and cries like everyone else.

Winner: Tina.

The Survivors are each allowed to say goodbye to their families and friends. Keith asks his girlfriend to marry him. She says "Yes!". A group hug breaks out.

The chat with her family is just what Tina needed to help her through the remaining days. After the challenge, the Survivors finally show some life and toss around a frisbee. Thank goodness. You just know those cameramen were just about to drop their gear and start checking for pulses any time soon. At night, Keith says grace before the tribe picks at their mouth-watering rice. Colby is glad that strategy and the million dollars wasn't on everyone's mind for at least one day. Oh, how naive he is.

Barramundi Tribe Happenings (Day 35)

The overnight rain has put out the fire. Keith and Rodger find a log smoldering away in the Outback. Keith carries it back to camp in his bare hands. Being the Iron Chef that he is, Keith tries an experiment with the Tribe's precious supply of rice. Not a smart move at this juncture of the game as his actions tick off both Elisabeth and Colby. While Elisabeth directs her comments to us, Colby snaps in front of everyone. He and Keith argue relentlessly. Keith says he enjoys taking over the cooking duties now that the tribe is smaller as he hopes his contribution will be noticed by the others. Colby tells us that he thinks Keith is a "bozo" and does nothing in the game without an "ulterior motive". His game with Keith is done. Colby goes even further suggesting that Keith's public marriage proposal was a ploy. This coming from a guy who illegally brought back pieces of The Great Barrier Reef for the members of his tribe. Who's zooming who, Colby?

Offering up another classic moment in television history, the editors scrape the bottom of the barrel by showing us the tribe as they stare silently into their campfire like zombies from a Romero film. According to Keith, they did that for an entire hour. Their shelter is leaking. The fire keeps going out overnight. They are sick of eating rice. Why not waste an hour vegetating? I see the logic in that. As Tina and Elisabeth yack about home decor or something, Colby sits looking like he's contemplating whether he should stick his head into the fire or not. Rodger can't stand wasting the day away so he puts himself to work again. Colby comments that Rodger is older but has more energy than any of them. He reiterates that in his mind Keith has done nothing to prove he deserves the money. Yet, he is still willing to maintain an alliance with him. Go figure.

Immunity Challenge

The Survivors have five shackles attached to them. There are outposts around them with questions based on a tale Jeff spins. The object is go from outpost to outpost, pick the correct answer, sort through a bin under each selection for a key that will unlock one of the shackles. The first one to return to Jeff with all five of their keys and open shackles is victorious.

Reward

Immunity from Tribal Council.

Result

Keith is the first Survivor to complete the test but he loses one of the shackles in the tall grass while he rushed over to Jeff. As he searches for the missing lock, Colby steals the challenge away from him.

Winner: Colby.

Barramundi Tribe Happenings (Day 36)

A merciful and selfless Tina asks Rodger who needs the prize money more...him or Elisabeth. Translated from Tina-ese, she's graciously asking Rodger to slit his or Elisabeth's throat. I guess she plumb forgot about the speech she made earlier. You know the one where she professed her desire to carry only those who are "most deserving" to the "final four". Rodger says that Liz needs the money for her sick mom so he doesn't mind being sacrificed though he doesn't want her to ever know he did so. Keith worries about being "blindsided" at Tribal Council. Colby is debating between selecting Rodger or Keith. His is focusing on who he'd rather sit beside in front of the Survivor jury.

Tribal Council

Jeff asks Keith about the psychological strains in the game. Keith replies that every contestant is constantly second-guessing themselves. Tina says you can't help but be paranoid at times. Jeff asks Liz about her relationship with Rodger. With fondness Liz reaches over and holds Rodger's hand. She calls him her "Outback Daddy" and is glad he looked out for her. Rodger says Liz is a "fine young lady". About losing the Immunity Challenge, Keith states "that's the way the cookie crumbles" and that he can't "cry over split milk". How can you tell he's the chef of the bunch? Let's just hope he hasn't put all of his eggs in one basket or counted his chickens before they're hatched.

Liz is voting for Keith because he is "overconfident" and "cocky". Keith selects Rodger though he can't wait to pal around with him after the game is done.

Final Voting

Liz hugs Rodger before he leaves and can be seen crying.

Parting Comments

"I was the oldest person getting off the plane at 53 years-old. I've been out here 36 days. I had just six more to go. I could've done without food for those next six days if I had to, to stay out here. I wish them all the luck and I especially wish the best of luck to Elisabeth. I hope she goes all the way. Thank you." -- Rodger Bingham.

Powell's Comments

Next week on Survivor, Liz's hair mysteriously starts falling out and a special guest is coptered in to visit the camp. We have our "final four". No big surprises on tonight's broadcast. The last of the Kuchas, Elisabeth better start winning the Immunity Challenges or forge a last-minute alliance with someone she can trust or she's packing her bags for the ranch house. The revelation that she could put the money to good use might factor into forming a partnership with Tina. You gotta believe though that if Colby slips up once that Tina and Keith would rather eliminate him because of the clear and present threat he poses to their success at the game. I would think they'd rather go against Elisabeth than him during the final Immunity Challenge.