Chapera Tribal Happenings (Day One)

Rob Cesternino is plotting already. Does this boy ever learn? He can't wait to start wheeling and dealing again.

Tom: This time around, it is not a game for little boys. 'Nuff said.

The Robfather makes known what we had already guessed. Nobody trusts anybody at this point in the game. They've watched each others' antics on the previous editions. Alicia 'The Warrior Princess' frets about people knowing her weakness. She is prone to losing it if someone presses the right buttons. Here's hoping Chapera must debate killing a chicken and Alicia has to apply the "finger of death" to a dissenter. You gotta like the "finger of death".

Chapera finds that their water supply looks more like a latrine in Iraq. No drinking that sludge until they have fire to boil water so naturally the tribe begins work on their hovel of a shelter, the dolts. Bickering erupts with Susan Hawk and The Robfather sniping at each other. She is rubbing The Robfather the wrong way already.

Tom: In five minutes we have six ideas on how to do something.

Susan: "I am vulnerable. I'll be the first one voted out. I am too outspoken." That's putting it mildly.

The Robfather claims to be the "brains of the operation".

Saboga Tribal Happenings (Day One)

Ethan is happy with the composition of his tribe. He predicts different styles in playing the game will surface.

For Tina, 'All-Stars' is not about the money. It's the life experience. That's easy to say when you've already been handed a million dollar check by the evil Mark Burnett.

Rupert sees himself as the "new kid on the block"...without all the lame dance steps and cookie cutter ditties. This time he has a different strategy. He will stand back and be the "worker bee".

Jenna hoops and hollers as only she can when she finds a number of banana trees. Unfortunately, they aren't ripe yet.

Jenna: She is in her element. It will be easy to convince the others to vote off Tina and Ethan. She has the numbers on her side.

Jerri: Can't believe she is on the same tribe as Tina. There is no love lost between them. This time she vows to keep her big mouth shut.

Not worried that he might be flap-jacked into a coma, Rudy takes a chug of the contaminated water. He's slipped such water in 'Nam and Russia. No biggie.

Mogo Mogo Tribal Happenings (Day One)

Lex: Has thought about what it would be like to play the game again all the time.

Colby: Nobody has ever played the game twice before. He know how long the road can be.

Jenna M.: She jokes that everybody there is a "moron" because they left their loved ones to play the game again.

Jenna, Kathy and Shii Ann are off alone. They ponder a "Girl Power" alliance. They have the feeling that the guys are already joining forces. Dumbasses. Richard is lurking in the bushes and hears the whole conversation. He steps out and surprises the women. Richard slips back and tells all to the guys. When everyone is back together, they discuss the split that is already happening in the tribe. Everyone kind of laughs it off. Colby to everyone: "I don't trust any of you son of a guns."

Richard: Is glad paranoia is running wild. He is aware he is a "big ass target" but he will continue to shake things up.

As Richard lazes in the water, Shii Ann and Jenna walk by on the beach. Richard stands up sans a stitch of clothing. Shii Ann: "I see we are off to an interesting start."

Chapera Tribal Happenings (Day One)

One thing is clear to Alicia, the first tribe to get fire will surge ahead in the game.

Susan is refusing to help with the fire effort. She tried to before in the first 'Survivor' and failed miserably. She won't try again. The Robfather: "That's the positive attitude we are looking for."

Tom: Susan is full of crap. As far as fire-making skills go, that was then, this is now.

Side note: Funny how Probst refers to the first 'Survivor' as 'Survivor: Borneo" now. It has always been "Survivor: Pulau Tiga". The failed negotiations to use that setting for this edition must've left the 'Survivor' producers with a bad taste in their mouths.

Susan gulps down a ton of the contaminated water. She doesn't care. She has lived off of river water in Canada.

The Robfather: Sue is a dumbass. If she gets sick and has to leave the game, they are all stuck doing more work.

Tom jokes to The Robfather that if Susan dies, he ain't cleaning up the mess.

Saboga Tribal Happenings (Day One)

Rupert: He ain't dumb enough to drink the water and die like Rudy.

Rudy attempts to use a bow of sorts to start the fire. It breaks in half.

Jenna: Unless God unleashes a lightening strike, they ain't getting fire.

Jerri: Nobody is going to bail them out. They have to save themselves.

Sitting alone on a log with Rupert, Rudy suggests they strike up an alliance. Rupert tells Rudy that he knows he is a man of his word. He agrees to the partnership. Rudy says to Rupert that he can depend on him.

Rupert: Has faith in Rudy being a man of honour. They will stick together until the end of the game.

Chapera Tribal Happenings (Day Two)

The Robfather is cranky this morning. The hard floor and bugs made for an uneasy sleep. His side-kick Amber chirps in that she agrees with The Robfather. They must fix the shelter. Alicia takes exception to that way of thinking. They need fire first. They can worry about the shelter later.

Tom: Chapera is a bunch of cry babies. They need to toughen up.

Rob: Alicia is a "drama queen."

Alicia: Who made Rob the leader?

Rob: Has made an alliance with Amber because, as any idiot can see, she is beautiful. He trusts her and nobody else right now.

Mogo Mogo Tribal Happenings (Day Two)

Lex and Ethan struggle to make a fire. Richard looks on. He is quite amused.

Colby: Questions why he signed up for this again. Simple. Because you gave away the million dollars last time and now you star in razor commercials, nimrod.

Richard: He could start a fire without even blinking. His tribe is all skinny. They are going to waste away in no time flat. He isn't even hungry yet. Who knows? Maybe he will last the whole game. Imagine that.

'She-Devil' Shii Ann: Claims Richard goes out of his way not to do anything at camp. He just doesn't seem to care at all.

Lex and some others joke about Richard behind his back. Richard yacks on about being the best at the game but he was in a series full of sheep. It was like shooting fish in a barrel for him.

'She-Devil' Shii Ann: Richard is the "prototype" 'Survivor'. People are jockeying to be the one who takes down the "king" but it wouldn't be fun without Richard around.

Chapera Tribal Happenings (Day Two)

Rob C. confirms that the tree mail has arrived earlier than expected. As the rest of the tribe listens to Rob M. read the mail emphasizing the word "unity", Susan lays on a log resting.

Immunity Challenge

It is a repeat of the 'Quest For Fire' challenge, the very first 'Survivor' challenge. The teams are on platforms in the water at the start. They must unhook their raft. Light torches on the way to shore. Muscle their raft under an obstacle course and light their final torch.

Reward

Result

Chapera Tribal Happenings (Day Two)

The Robfather is pleased with his team. They are in really good spirits. He terms his tribe as the biggest bunch of misfits ever on 'Survivor'. They are the 'ultimate underdogs'.

Saboga Pre-Tribal Council Happenings

The losers mope in their hovel.

Jenna: Nobody came to be voted off first.

Jenna conspires with Rupert and others to boot former winners...Ethan or Tina first.

Jenna: Is not sure she trusts Rupert. She doesn't know enough about him yet.

Ethan tells Jenna that it would be silly of anyone to vote off a winner. A non-winner should take a previous winner to the finals to guarantee victory. Whoa! Smart strategy on Ethan's part but Jenna ain't buying it. Tina and Ethan chat alone about sticking together. They know they are first strike targets.

Tina: What's a mother to do? She is hoping to pull Rupert into an alliance with her and Ethan. Ethan jaws to Rupert. He points to Jerri and Jenna. They can't be trusted. Ethan tells Rupert that he saw how he played and won the African series, so he is aware that Ethan keeps his word always. He asks Rupert to think "long term".

Rupert: Feels stuck in the middle between Jenna, Jerri and Ethan and Tina. All he knows for certain is he has Rudy's back.

Tribal Council Happenings

T.C. is in a treehouse this time. It is a long hike and Probst says the players don't want to do that too often. Jerri feels as cold as hell. Rupert came back because of his wife and daughter. He wants to win the money for them and do better this time around. Probst notices that Jenna and Jerri are sucking water out of their buffs. Jenna tells Probst that it is scary how badly they need water. Rudy claims his tribe is a "good bunch of people". Ethan states that is wouldn't be fair to target the winners first. He throws in a sports analogy for good measure about a championship team being penalized for winning. Jenna counters that by saying she would vote for a non-winner over a winner as they already have a million dollars in their bank account. Tina knew ahead of time the winners would be targeted early on. Rupert would vote for the best player regardless of whether they were a previous winner or not and so would Rudy.

Ethan votes for Jenna. Her big mouth is gonna come back and bite her on the butt one day. Tina votes for Jenna.

Final Voting

1. Ethan Zohn: Jenna.
2. Jenna Lewis: Tina.
3. Jerri Manthey: Tina.
4. Rudy Boesch: Tina.
5. Rupert Boneham: Tina.
6. Tina Wesson: Jenna.

Parting Comments

No one wants to be the first person voted off, and especially me, being a competitor. But at the same time, I knew that if we did not win the Challenge, I would be the first one voted off. So I kind of expected it, but it doesn't make it any easier.

This experience has been different for me the first three days, because I went in on an equal playing ground the first time. We were all level; everybody went in equal. This time, I knew going in that I was a target. And you make those choices: whether you go and play knowing that you're probably going to be one of the first ones voted off if you have to go to Tribal Council, or do you just not play at all? Of course, for me, it's about the experience of coming out here." -- TINA WESSON.

On the next 'Survivor': Web: "They thought they'd seen it all the first time, but the All-Stars face a desperate situation none of them has known before. A nervous castaway keeps failing miserably when trying to be useful to the tribe. A female castaway is vexed by several male tribemates when she tries to show them how to make fire. Despite being veterans of the game, a trip to Tribal Council is never easy. Who will be the next All-Star to fall?" Television: The first episode will replay Tuesday night with a new episode on Thursday night. The greatest adventure continues. No food and no drinkable water. Jerri talks about dying of thirst. Now, the challenges are so tough, even the best of the best are breaking down. Rudy is shown falling during a challenge. Ethan: "I am hanging on by a thread right now." Rupert: "It is killing me to be here."

Powell's Thoughts:

A tremendous start with an incredible amount of drama. The most drama I have seen in a premiere episode of the series yet. It is curious how the players' past performances on the series are coming back to haunt them. Anyone who didn't think Ethan was a brilliant schemer has been proven dead wrong. He has had the best strategy so far. Using peoples' past against them and employing his own as a positive was brilliant. Advising Jenna that would be best to take a previous winner into the finals was pure genius. Way to ditch that albatross and it might work for awhile. Susan, Rudy and Richard seem to be in trouble early on. Susan is being a loner, which will not get her far. Rudy is older, drank the water and stumbles during the challenge. That's not good news for him at all. Richard is just being Richard but methinks his attitude will cause him to crash and burn.