Survivor: Fiji—- 04.12.07

Posted Apr 12, 2007 by Chris Kuhn

Updated Apr 12, 2007 at 10:02 PM

We’re back on the island on Survivor: Fiji (CBS/Thursdays) and the previews have alluded to a merge tonight. But if that should happen, the real question is where will the real power lie now that Ravu has dwindled down to four fierce but lonely guys. Moto is like club med with plenty of luxury items – toilet paper, toothbrushes and mouthwash. Yep, life’s really hard on Moto.

And then everything changes. Both tribes get tree mail that requires them to gather their personal belongings and paddle to Exile Island. They cannot bring their luxury items won and there’s some hesitation at Moto. Stacy, Boo and Cassandra have never suffered the way the Ravu tribe has. They truly have no idea just how bad it can really get on Survivor. But at Ravu, the self-proclaimed “Four Horsemen” are already plotting who each member will go after to make their alliance stronger. I like that. These guys are really playing the game and I dig that. I suspect Yao-man and Earl are similarly strategizing, but it’s nice to finally see some smart gameplay going on at Ravu. I thought they were busy starving and losing.

Tribes gather on Exile Island and there’s confusion. No one knows if they’re merging or just living there. They have no instructions and no party waiting for them. And then they head up the ladder to the Exile Island treehouse and find new purple buffs and news of a merge. Everyone’s elated—-they’re all going back to Moto. Hurrah! These bursts of joy are especially loudest from the Moto members who’ve never had it tough on the island. Mookie’s really excited because he’s the only Ravu member who hasn’t seen Moto in all its Taj Mahal glory. The team finds new strength as they paddle back to Moto to enjoy their luxurious spread only to find… nothing! The island has been stripped of every comfort, reward and luxury item once available. I love it! Call me a meanie, but I think it’s just terrific that all of the Survivor players will finally have to experience roughing it on the island.

Edgardo reads new instructions for the tribe to come up with a name and paint their new flag. The group in a moment of whimsy decides on a name, Bula Bula which means Hello, Hello in Fiji. They should have found out what Goodbye is in Fiji and called it Bye, Bye instead, don’t you think?

The Four Horsemen get into chit-chat positions. Mookie and Dreamz chat with Cassandra and Yao-man and soon learn that they want Boo out first and Stacy next. Alex also learns from Stacy, his former Moto teammate, that she wants Boo out, too. It’s clear that these four guys are playing a better game and then Mookie slips. He lets out that he has the hidden idol in front of Dreamz, and Alex is worried that Dreamz will tell Cassandra and everyone else. Dreamz shares with us privately that he is ticked that he was left out of this big news originally. And I really don’t blame him. Don’t trust them, Dreamz. They’re just using you.

Earl and Cassandra talk a little strategy and think with their buddies Yao-man, Dreamz and Michelle that they have the numbers necessary to win this thing. We shall see. And it’s time for tonight’s immunity challenge. Just as I suspected, it looks like no reward challenge tonight. Then, host Jeff Probst asks the men to draw stones from a bag and the ladies from a separate bag. This creates two separate teams who will play against each other for immunity and…a feast! Oh, so it’s one of those double-mint competitions. Two - two - two rewards in one! Teams will paddle out to gather puzzle pieces and then assemble the symbol pieces back on the shore. As always, the team with Yao-man is doing well and the team with Alex and Edgardo sucks. (I’m seeing a pattern here.) Yao-man’s team is paddling to shore but Alex’s team has a lot of catching up to do. When it’s time to assemble puzzle pieces, Earl and Yao-man are struggling and Michelle and Alex are catching up. Boo actually helps out Yao-man and the gang keep their wits about them. And they win it!

The losing “team” made up of Mookie, Alex, Dreamz, Stacy and Michelle is headed to Tribal Council. And Jeff drops a big bomb on them right after their loss—- they’re headed to Tribal Council RIGHT NOW. That’s right, no time back at camp to discuss strategies and plot out voting. Hmmm… based on who’s there, I think Mookie, Dreamz and Michelle will vote for Stacy and Alex and Stacy will single out either Michelle or Dreamz. But without any real discussion beforehand, who the heck knows what will go down!

It’s time for Tribal Council and it’s really unpredictable who will be going home even though I have my theory. It is possible that Mookie and Dreamz might be ticked at Alex and could single him out. Troublemaker Jeff does his usual job trying to stir up the pot and the only thing we really learn is that Alex is probably going to vote for Michelle. The players vote and it’s a Michelle-Stacy tie up until the fifth and final vote. And clearly, Dreamz has set his sights on knocking out Michelle. Bye, bye, Michelle—- I thought you might win this thing and certainly thought you were smart enough to do so. One of my favorites is hitting the road.

Should the producers really shake things up as much as they do or let the tribes determine how things evolve? Each week, I ask myself this question because this season Mark Burnett and the gang appear to be guiding this season pretty significantly. And I don’t like this. If a team is strong and dominant, let them be strong and dominant.

Next week, we see Dreamz spill the beans about Mookie’s secret idol (oops, he did it again). There’s a shock. Stay tuned…