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Rory's luck has run out. |
Mergers on 'Survivor' are funny things. For some bizarre reason, everyone is always thrilled and happy. They eat, drink and party. They share some laughs. Then, without fail, the knives come out and the first blood is shed. When the smoke has cleared and the body bag is zipped up tight, some have nothing to laugh about any more because they know they are next.
Rory Freeman, the 35-year-old housing case manager, fought the good fight and even though he was outnumbered, he amazingly survived the female-dominated Yasur Tribe to make the merger. That's when his luck ran out though. With Twila and Julie going back on their word and re-joining the Yasur Women's Alliance, Rory became the first victim in a heated gender war on 'Survivor Vanuatu'.
Since the Yasur Women's Alliance is now the dominant voting block, it appears that much like most 'Survivor' seasons another string of Pagong-ing episodes seems on the horizon with the Lopevi Men's Alliance helplessly being picked off one by one. Unless Chad, Chris or Lea can somehow break up Yasur, it appear the gong of doom might be ringing out for them leaving the Yasur women to battle it out for the title of 'Ultimate Survivor' and the million-dollar cheque.
The Survivors at the start of the broadcast were:
Lopevi Tribe
1. Julie Berry: Youth mentor. 2. Chad Crittenden: Teacher. 3. Chris Daugherty: Highway construction. 4. Twila Tanner: Highway repair. 5. Lea "Sarge" Masters: Drill Sergeant.
Yasur Tribe
1. Ami Cusack: Coffee server, model. 2. Eliza Orlins: Pre-law student. 3. Leann Slaby: Research assistant. 4. Scout Cloud Lee: Rancher. 5. Rory Freeman: Housing Case Manager.
Lopevi Tribal Happenings (Night 18)
As Lopevi arrives back from Tribal Council, Sarge puffs his chest out. He is proud that everyone in the tribe is solidly behind one another. Julie: Is glad things worked out well and John K. is history. She is temporarily safe.
While sitting around the fire, Julie sits on the ground between Sarge's legs and cuddles up to the man in charge. Chad can't believe what he is seeing. Sarge must be loving this.
Lopevi Tribal Happenings (Day 19)
Chris and Chad dish on Sarge. They surmise that Julie is using her body to bide her time and Sarge is falling for it. Chad: "Remember Ginger on Gilligan's Island?"
Twila doesn't like what Julie is doing but she doesn't have a 22-year-old body to compete with her.
Sarge can barely contain himself when it comes to Julie. He doesn't get to hang around with 22-year-old models much in his line of work.
Twila, Sarge and Julie are sunning on the beach. Sarge suggests that he sun his butt. Julie and Twila egg him on. Julie: "Bare that ass!" Sarge does.
Sarge is sure Julie is an exhibitionist. He has no problem with being naked. He has been to Europe, yah know.
Chris and Chad stumble across Sarge in all of his glory laying on the beach. Chris: "Sarge! What are you doing?" Chris says the image of Sarge's butt has been burned into his memory. The horror. The horror.
Julie (AKA: Mini Cher) has no problem with being the "visual stimuli" for the men. She is sitting pretty right now.
Yasur Tribal Happenings (Day 19)
Poor Rory. He feels so put upon. He and Scout work so hard while everyone else just lazes around.
Rory: Leann, Ami and Eliza should be disgusted with themselves. He is tired of their behaviour.
As a grumpy Leann, Eliza and Ami awake, Rory has plantains and coffee waiting for them. The women still complain. Leann doesn't like water with her plantains. The women want their coffee and badger Rory for it. One wonders when Rory became Benson.
Rory: Yasur is a worthless crew. Stupid people irritate him. Eliza acts like a child. He has shown her how to build a fire a million times and she still can't get it right. Ami acts like a queen around camp. Rory wants to be around men. He is tired of these women.
Reward Challenge
Before the challenge begins, Scout is shocked that John K. is history. She thought for sure Twila was gonna be booted. She tells Probst she had a nightmare that her good friend Twila was sent packing.
A cool challenge to watch. It is a water relay. One Survivor scoops water in a can and heaves it to the first in line. The can is then thrown from player to player. The second last one though can only heave the water for the last in line to catch in another can. Whatever water is left is then dumped in a bucket. When the bucket is full, a hoist will raise and a wick will be lit.
Reward
An immense chocolate cake fit for Godzilla, chocolate chip cookies and milk.
Result
Rory is last in line for Yasur. He empties water from his buff, his shoes and shorts into his catching can to make up for Ami's cruddy throws. Chad and Chris work well at the end of Lopevi's line.
Winners: Lopevi.
Lopevi Tribal Happenings (Day 19)
Lopevi attacks the cake with reckless abandon. Sarge feels awful. He is convinced his body wasn't ready for such a sugar rush.
Twila wishes Scout shut her big yap at the challenge. Scout might've ruined her plan of fooling the men into thinking she is truly on their side. The men are stupid if they didn't read anything into Scout's remarks.
Chad and Chris plot. They are sure Twila and Julie are with them to the end. Chris begins to talk final two with Chad.
Chris to Chad: You and Sarge have a leg up on me. Realizing his gaffe, Chris starts laughing and apologizing to Chad. Chad is not offended at all. He laughs along with Chris.
Chris lets us in on his plan. He is covering his bases and making final two deals with everyone on his tribe. If they get picked off, he needs to make sure he has someone to cover his back. Chris offers Julie the final two deal. If she doesn't trust him enough to agree to it, that is fine. Julie does and accepts the offer.
Immunity Challenge
Probst looks at the Immunity Idol. It is broken. Rory admits that when he slammed it into the ground after winning it, the cheap wood cracked. Probst ain't sore. They don't need that idol any more. He unveils the Individual Immunity Necklace and orders the players to drop their buffs. They are now one tribe. What?!?!? No celebration? No representatives getting together beforehand? Huh? Yep. This 'Survivor' is on total cruise control. He informs the Survivors that they can pick a tribe name and paint a flag when they get back to camp. What he needs to know is which camp they are going to be living at. Twila suggests Lopevi because of the location. Everyone agrees.
The challenge is another water race. The Survivors must swim out to a platform, retrieve three flags and bring them back to shore. They will run two heats. The first and second place finishers from both heats have to square off in the finals.
Reward
Immunity from Tribal Council.
Result
Julie, Sarge, Chris and Eliza are in the first heat. Sarge finishes in first. Eliza is second. It is Rory, Scout, Chad and Ami in the second race. Chad almost falls off the platform but manages to use his upper body strength to hoist himself back up. Incredible that. Rory is in first. Ami pulls in second. Sarge is victorious in the final heat. Eliza gave up.
Winner: Sarge.
Alinta Tribal Happenings (Day 19)
When the players arrive back at camp there is a feast waiting for them. Chris is glad to forget about the game for once and just have fun.
Scout: Is so happy to be back with Twila. She missed her in places she can't talk about. Whoa! Rein in those horses, Scout. Down girl, down!
While Sarge watches Rory make coffee, Rory relates Bubba's demise. Sarge is completely shocked at how Rory and Bubba were treated at Yasur. Rory explains that Ami is the Yasur queen. She is the biggest threat. She has to go first.
Rory details the same thing to Chad. Chad can't believe what he is hearing. Rory: Ami called the shots. Chad finds Ami to be condescending. Chad thinks a good plan would be to firm up their already strong alliance by pulling the Yasur women who are outside the main alliance onto their side. Rory hands Chad a wake-up call. He is the only Yasur outsider.
Sarge joins Chad and Rory. Sarge buries the hatchet. Sarge knows that he and Rory bickered somewhat but he is willing to let bygones be bygones. Rory is pleased about that. He feels the same way.
Rory: Feels like the cat that swallowed the canary. He is worried that he doesn't have a relationship with Twila and Julie though. His fortunes have changed. He is thrilled.
Alinta Tribal Happenings (Day 21)
The flag is painted. Scout names the tribe 'Alinta'. No, it is not something ask your doctor about to see if it is right for you. It is native for "people of fire", silly. Eliza, Julie and Ami paint each other. Eliza missed Julie. They started a great friendship and then they were ripped apart by the tribal shake-up.
Sarge: It makes him nervous to see Julie hanging out with Ami. He fears the whole thing could turn into a schoolyard scrap between the men and the women. Anything can happen.
Alinta Tribal Council Happenings (Day 21)
Scout: She senses the men are uneasy around camp. Duh? Wouldn't you be if you had the feeling you might eventually be outnumbered?
Twila, Julie and Chad scheme. Twila won't waver on voting Rory out. Chad believes it would be better to target Ami. It is a numbers game and Twila should realize that. Twila: He needs to go, tonight.
Ami and Eliza conspire. Ami: "We have to get rid of one of the guys". Eliza thinks the Yasur Alliance has the numbers. Ami wants all the women at the end. The first vote after the merger means everything.
Chris tries to convince Twila to boot Ami. Twila won't bend. Chris tells us that Twila is just scared and sometimes she needs someone to do the plotting for her. Twila will chat with Sarge.
Sarge: Ami is dangerous. She pulls all the women in and has them do her bidding. They have to keep Julie away from her.
Sarge tries his hand at working on Twila. Twila agrees that Ami is a threat. Sarge is sick of how Ami is flirting with Julie all the time. Saying she is hot and complimenting her at every opportunity. Sarge kids that Ami will try to seduce Twila next. Twila: To each their own but it is not for me. Twila agrees to vote whichever way Sarge decides.
Chris: The plan is to pick off the women one by one.
Ami: She doesn't think Twila and Julie ever really left the Yasur Women's Alliance. The Alliance could be in trouble tonight though.
Twila: Someone is gonna be pissed after tonight's vote. She has got to do what she needs to do though. She is gonna beat her foes to the punch.
Alinta Tribal Council Happenings
Sarge explains how the tribe got their name and so does Scout. Julie describes the work duties and the body paint everyone is wearing. Julie has a heart with Jeff's name inside.
Classic Survivor quote: Jeff to Julie: Don't waste your time flirting with me. I can't help you.
Leann: It is fun now that the tribes have merged. Rory feels he has been given a second chance to play the game. He struggled so hard to pull through. Ami believes that what she brings to the table is a good attitude in bad times. Twila feels stuck in the middle of two alliances. She feels more at ease with the men so her decision is a tough one.
Leann votes for Rory. She is sorry. He is just a victim of the master plan. Rory picks Ami. She is a completely horrible person. He has no respect for her. Like a bad rash, he hopes that tonight she is gone for good.
Final Voting
1. Julie Berry: Rory. 2. Chad Crittenden: Ami. 3. Chris Daugherty: Ami. 4. Twila Tanner: Rory. 5. Lea "Sarge" Masters: Ami. 6. Ami Cusack: Rory. 7. Eliza Orlins: Rory. 8. Leann Slaby: Rory. 9. Scout Cloud Lee: Rory. 10. Rory Freeman: Ami.
Tribal Council Victim:
Rory Freeman.
Parting Comments
"I think that I am a victim of a gender war right now. The women, they have got the men bamboozled. I mean, I'd be a million dollars richer but I will never forget the Islands of Fire. No one has enjoyed the experience of being on this land more than I have." -- Rory Freeman.
On the next 'Survivor': Television. Sarge: "Camp sucks. Kissing and I want to cuddle with you. I love you and you love me." Eliza gets a new pet pig. Sarge wants to cook the pig. Eliza: "No. No. No. You can't eat him."
On the next 'Survivor': Internet.
"Fetching treemail, one Survivor is surprised to get more than just mail, but the meaning of the surprise remains a mystery. One group of Survivors hatch a devilish plan to screw over their tribemates. Hatred drives two Survivors to serious lobbying to get each other voted out. One Survivor's guilt over aligning with a faction is exacerbated by a tribemate's words. "
Powell's Thoughts:
It is the one good thing about this season of 'Survivor'. With very little gossip and rumours out there, it is harder to predict than most. It is wonderful for the fans of the series but bad for media-type predictors like myself. What is obvious though is that the men must fracture the Yasur Women's Alliance if they have any hope of literally surviving. Whew! At least we have more info to go on now.
Sarge could give himself some breathing room if he can somehow launch an Immunity Challenge winning streak. If the tribal dynamics stay the same, he is toast though the first time he loses. He is seen as the Lopevi leader and now that Ami understands they are out to get her, she is going to work those women even harder than she has before. As Rory did, Chad might be able to generate some sympathy especially if he trades cancer stories with Scout. Scout's feelings about positive spirits and good souls might outweigh her bond with the Yasur Alliance.
How can Scout and Eliza slip on through? Easy. They are absolutely no threat at all when it comes to Individual Immunity. They could also join the men at some point.
Could we be in for a shocker of all shockers? Could Julie and Twila just voted for Rory because that is whom THEY wanted out and not because they were leaving the Lopevi Alliance? Could it be they wanted the men to sweat a bit and not boss them around? Maybe. Maybe not. Why would Queen Ami and her minions vote to ditch Rory when Chris might've been a better target? Could it be that they couldn't convince Twila and Julie to vote for their target so they went along with the vote? Maybe. Maybe not. Could Queen Ami be next on the hit list? From the Internet promos it does sound like things may not be as tight as they seem in the Yasur Alliance. Hmmmm.
Is it just me or does it seem Probst is often amused at times but looks like he just wants the whole Vanuatu series over with? Methinks the producers realized early on they had a stinker on their hands.
