Good news for Christy. One of the "evil stepsisters" won't be going to the
ball. Heidi Strobel, the 24-year-old, P.E. teacher from Buffalo, Missouri,
fell victim to the Testosterone Alliance (Matt, Butch and Rob) and was
expelled on the twelfth episode of "Survivor: The Amazon". Unable to form a
female alliance with an indecisive Christy Smith last week, Strobel's fate
was sealed when the mega fibbing Rob "The Robfather 2" Cesternino sided
with the remaining male players in the game.
Even though her ill Bikini Girl Alliance partner Jenna Morasca kindly
handed over Immunity to her at the last Tribal Council, Heidi attempted to
backstab her to save her own skin. Taking advantage of Morasca's battle
with a throat infection, Strobel tried to convince the Testosterone
Alliance to vote Morasca off for health reasons. The underhanded campaign
failed leaving "Machete" Matthew Von Ertfelda, Rob Cesternino, Butch
Lockley and Morasca as the "Final Four" Survivors.
This Sunday the two-hour season finale of "Survivor: The Amazon" airs with
the "Ultimate Survivor" being revealed on the one-hour reunion show. As
host Jeff Probst is fond of saying...three Tribal Councils, two Immunity
Challenges, one sole Survivor.
The remaining Survivors at the start of the broadcast were:
Jacare Tribe
1. Matthew Von Ertfelda: Restaurant Designer.
2. Rob Cesternino: Computer Projects Coordinator.
3. Jenna Morasca: Swimsuit Model.
4. Butch Lockley: Middle School Principal.
5. Heidi Strobel: P.E. Teacher.
Jacare Tribal Happenings (Day 34)
Jenna "The Jackal" plays a throat infection to the hilt. She moans and
groans to the only person who will listen now...Heidi. Jenna says that
things have changed between the Bikini Girls and The Robfather 2. He saved
them and they aren't about to screw him over. That is until...Rob publicly
states to Heidi that he is voting for her next. Heidi acts like Rob just
handed her a bouquet of freshly cut flowers.
The Robfather 2 can't understand it. He tells people he's voting them off
and they don't get upset in the slightest. What's up with that?
Once The Robfather 2 is out of ear shot, Heidi and Jenna stop whining for
once and murmur something about "fighting back". And just to think, if
Heidi and Jenna were a little kinder to Christy, they wouldn't be on the
verge of losing the game.
We can always count on Jenna "The Jackal" to say something nice about
someone. Speaking to us, she says that Butch has "lost his mind". More
selective editing ensues with footage of Butch madly chopping and
collecting firewood as if his very life depended on it. Without any other
intelligent life to speak to, Butch swaps pleasantries with a log. Rob
decides to give Butch a hand. Butch tells Rob to be successful in life, you
have to work hard. Rob takes Butch's wise words to heart by complaining
that his shirt is getting dirty.
More congenial comments from Jenna. While sitting on her butt and doing
absolutely nothing, she points out all the piles of wood Butch has
accumulated at camp. They are everywhere.
Butch admits to being a "root crazy nut". Fire is important to their
survival so he has made gathering firewood his top priority. Sound
perfectly reasonable to me. Butch does a dance reminiscent of someone
having an epileptic seizure while The Robfather 2 giggles. Before the tribe
leaves for the Reward Challenge they allow their campfire to remain
burning. Just in case we didn't quite get the previous foreshadowing, there
is a parting close-up of the fire itself. You just know that Smokey The
Bear is pissed just watching this. Only you can prevent forest fires,
Butch. Only you.
Reward Challenge
You guessed it! It is time for that challenge that incorporates pieces of
all the previous ones. The Survivors must untie knots to escape a cage,
solve a puzzle, do a rope swing, decode a message and slide down a zip
line.
Reward
A new car and a BBQ feast.
Result
Colby...I mean Matt...runs away with this one. Heidi can't even get out
of her cage...which is sorta symbolic when you think about it.
Winner: "Machete Matt".
Matt pleads with Probst to include everyone. No dice. He can choose
only one person. "Machete" picks The Robfather 2. Rob manages to convince
Matt that if he ever returns from "that planet he lives on", he will lend
Rob the car to "cruise for chicks". Methinks it is going to take more than
a fancy car to be successful in that endeavor, Rob. Rob and Matt are forced
to put the grill together and get the fire going themselves. Some reward,
eh? Rob cracks that they could have used Butch right about now. Matt says
they are lucky he is a pyromaniac. Rob feels like George Foreman.
Jacare Happenings (Day 34)
The fire Butch left behind has gone out of control, igniting the extra wood
as well as the construction around it. Backpacks and clothes are roasted.
Butch's banner is a puddle of plastic. Rob's eight-ball is a black glob.
As Butch, Jenna and Heidi stumble back to camp, all Butch can say over and
over again is..."Oh, s--t!". Jenna "The Jackal" is fuming. Inside her pack
was some trinkets which are irreplaceable. Heidi's is the only pack which
was spared from Butch's towering inferno. While Butch is around, Heidi and
Jenna contain their anger.
Heidi says to us that she is guilt-ridden over the fact that her pack was
spared. She would rather have it burn up with everyone else's.
'Firestarter' Butch is not sure if what happened is his fault or not. Duh!
They lost his sign so now they REALLY have to believe in themselves.
Oblivious to the turmoil going on back at camp, The Robfather 2 and
"Machete" Matt stuff their faces. They believe that their skills in the
game have complimented each other. Matt says he trusts Rob and that he is
the reason he is still in the game. Rob says he wouldn't be able to finish
the game without Matt's support and that he owes him everything.
Rob says to us that Matt is in the "driver's seat" now. The game is no
longer in his hands.
Matt is thankful he developed a strong relationship with both Rob and
Butch. He will eventually have a choice to make and it will be a difficult
one. He will have to stab someone in the back but he takes comfort in the
fact that it will be the first time he has done so in the game.
When Matt and Rob arrive back and survey the devastation Butch caused,
'Firestarter' claims it was everybody's fault. Matt has nothing to wear at
night now.
Speaking to us, "Machete" Matt says he isn't one to point fingers. He
believes in fate. Rob states that he isn't one to cast the blame on others
either...then says "Butch" under his breath. Matt pledges not to leave the
fire alone ever again.
As the Testosterone Alliance set about rebuilding the camp, the Bikini
Girls don't raise a hand to help in any way. Jenna says that even though
she is grateful for the new shelter, she isn't helping the Testosterone
Alliance when they are just going to vote them off anyways. Let nobody say
that Jenna doesn't have a positive attitude. She is a fighter to the bitter
end.
Matt is disgusted by the Bikini Girls inaction. He thinks they are digging
their own graves. He believes it would be a good strategy for one of them
to work hard in the hopes that the other gets voted off first.
Immunity Challenge
Jenna hands back a slightly BBQ'ed and now more uglier than ever...Immunity
Necklace. The challenge involves various rope courses with disks, a tunnel,
a swing, steps and a V-shaped tunnel.
Reward
Immunity at Tribal Council.
Result
"Machete" Matt doing his best Colby Donaldson.
Winner: Matt.
Jacare Pre-Tribal Council Happenings
In a now familiar scene, Jenna acts like a spoiled, griping brat. Boo hoo.
She is sick. Boo hoo. She feels like crap. Boo hoo. She hates everything.
Boo hoo. She can't walk. Boo hoo. All of a sudden The Robfather 2 has a
conscious. He asks Jenna if there is anything he can do. "There is nothing
anyone can do," she wails as if both her legs have to be amputated.
The wheel start turning in Heidi's head. She begins campaigning against
Jenna. She mentions to Rob that maybe it would be best if they vote off
Jenna...for her own good...of course. "She can't handle it," Heidi argues.
Rob tells us that in playing the game, you should never admit you are sick
or tired. If someone puts their head on the chopping block, he is more than
glad to hack it off at this point in the game.
Tribal Council
When asked about the blaze, 'Firestarter' Butch is in denial. It wasn't his
fault. There were too many variables. Matt thinks the stash of wood played
a part in the destruction. Jenna doesn't think she can recover from the
infection since they never have enough to eat. Jenna would take someone
into the finals whom she is loyal to and could make a competitive finale.
Heidi believes she deserves the money. She has played hard and thinks she
is the "mastermind" of all the scheming going on. She ain't no slacker.
Matt is remaining faithful to his alliance tonight.
Though his vote isn't shown, Rob says that two girls with one brain,
divided by two equals on half-wit left. Ouch! Jenna cries as Heidi departs.
Christy and Alex share a laugh at Heidi's expense.
Final Voting
1. Matthew Von Ertfelda: Heidi.
2. Rob Cesternino: Heidi.
3. Jenna Morasca: Rob.
4. Butch Lockley: Heidi.
5. Heidi Strobel: Rob.
Tribal Council Victim:
Heidi Strobel.
Parting Comments
"What an awesome time. What an awesome adventure. I have got allot of
heart, allot of soul, allot of pride. I stop at nothing. Jenna...I am your
Number One fan. Without you, I couldn't have made it this far in the game.
I am so excited to be part of the jury and I hope to be seeing you in a
couple of days. " -- Heidi Strobel.
Powell's Thoughts
Up next: Come on. You know the drill. All that changes this year is the
final vote happens right after the last Immunity Challenge is held.
This has undoubtedly been a real nasty year for 'Survivor' pundits and fans
alike. With Rob playing musical chairs with the alliances, we've been
blundering around in the dark for the most part. Now the picture is a
little clearer. If you place any stock in the spoiler that circulated even
before this season started and the scandal that erupted recently that
accused CBS employees of placing bets on the 'Survivor' finalists: Jenna
and Matt are the sole survivors. The question remains then...How do they
get there?
One plausible solution has Jenna winning the next Immunity Challenge
forcing the Testosterone Alliance to vote one of their own out. Based on
Rob's bond with Matt, that person would most likely be Butch. The second
stage is a little dicer. The person who wins Immunity gets to choose who
goes with them into the Final Two. Either Matt wins and selects Jenna
(which I can't see happening) or Jenna wins and takes Matt.
That choice poses another question...Why would Jenna pick Matt over Rob? If
she was being truthful, she may have answered that question at tonight's
Tribal Council. She told Probst that the person she would take into the
Final Two would have to present a challenge to her winning the game. Since
Rob is loathed, Matt is the more suitable choice based on her logic.
That brings us to the actual Tribal Council vote. The choice is up to Alex,
Butch, Christy, Dave, Deena, Rob and Heidi. Guaranteed Jenna votes are
Deena, Heidi and Alex. Deena might opt to abandon her want of a female to
win Survivor but I doubt that very much. The guaranteed Matt vote is
Christy and Butch. Dave and Rob are the wild cards. Dave because it is not
clear whether he will vote based on his friendship with Heidi and Jenna or
his desire to see a male win. Rob will be faced with the same choice. I
think that Rob and Dave would go with Matt. In this scenario, it will be a
close vote though I believe Matt will be the 'Ultimate Survivor'.
Relying on the pre-'Survivor' spoilers indicating a "young man" sits beside
Jenna as the final two, Rob could sneak through too. If the jury holds a
grudge against Rob, he is toast and Jenna wins. If they don't hold him
responsible for them losing the game and credit him with playing a good
game, the vote won't even be close.
