Ep 4 - Shuffle-ing Succotash!

Camp Nakum, Day 9 - The episode opened with even the monkeys being too tired to do anything in the heat, lazing about in the trees, arms dropping languidly. Their neighbours, the less hairy humans were all flaked out under the shelter, feeling completely exhausted after their winning challenge

Margaret told us that "We're sapped of energy and the mosquitoes are unbelievable." Each team member was shown constantly slapping and waving them away and all of them were covered in itchy welts. An uncharacteristically drab Brandon summed up the heat, the lack of food and energy: "It completely wears you down. It's easier to lay around and do nothing...which is kind of pathetic. I can't imagine what the other losing team feels like."

Farmer Boy would have been mildly surprised (if he had the energy to be) because at Yaxha they were busy little bees trying to catch fish with their pots submerged in the water, before yanking them out and catching a few stray minnow. The perennially cheerful chappie Rafe told us that: "Gary and I are fishing machines - these minnows are in trouble; there's no stopping us." Bless him but what is he on? Is there some kind of natural high to be found in Guatemalen termites?

Not soon after, a huge crocodile ventured into their watering area. Hence, they were happy to continue washing themselves on the jetty and pour water over themselves with pots rather than to risk going in for a full dunk.

We viewers were then hurled straight into the Reward Challenge. Jeff acknowledged to the tribes that "You guys have endured arguably the toughest Survivor ever." The reward challenge was therefore going to involve answering questions about their other tribe mates instead of a gruelling physical challenge.





Which tribe member is most in need of some nourishment?
Yaxha chose = Jamie. Nakum = Danni.

Jeff gave them an apple each. Danni looks as though she needs to inhale an entire orchard, including the pigs eating the grass under each tree.....










Which tribe member is the smelliest?

Y= Gary. N = Bobby Jon.

They both got an outdoor bush shower and their team mates were telling them "Use all that soap, fellas!"

Note to self - does Survivor have any job vacancies for novice camerawomen for any Bobby Jon shower scenes?











From your tribe, which man and which woman most deserve a picnic afternoon?
Y= Gary and Amy N= Margaret and Judd
The Probster unveiled a generous hamper of chicken, potato salad, iced tea and sent them off for a feed and a chat on top of the ruins.

Which tribe member has the most tribe pride?
Y= Brian N= Cindy
Here Jeff had a twinkle in his eye and a grim smile. He told them that Brian would remain a Yaxha member and Cindy would remain a Nakum member. But - and it was a big BUT - Brian's old buddies Jamie, Rafe, Lydia and Stephenie were going to join Cindy over a Nakum and as for the proud Yaxhaian Brian, he would be welcoming Danni, Bobby Jon, Blake and Brandon.
Not forgetting that Yaxha picnickers Gary and Amy and Nakumians Margaret and Judd would be returning to their camps afterwards for a big surprise.

.....I think there'd be a few gals (and guys) in the world that would be happy to welcome young Blake in to their 'camp'....













At that moment though, the four of them were blissfully unaware as they sat at the top of the monument with a magnificent view of the lake, rainforest and, more importantly, food.
Margaret asked Gary about being an ex-football player, but he still denied it.
Amy told us later that "If he really is and is retired and is a millionaire, I'll kill him. I'll freakin' kill him."

Brian had to show his new tribe members the camp at Yaxha - and they arrived to a basket of fruit. He was very worried as he now only one of three original Yaxhaians with four new Nakumians. Amy and Gary got back to this new tribe. "What the ---- is going on?" said Amy.
To us: "We're decimated here, we're gone!"
Again, Danni asked him about his profootball background and he denied it. Again.
Gary: "I'm not going to blow my strategy." But do they believe him?

At Nakum, Margaret and Judd arrived to see Stephenie, Rafe and Jamie.
Margaret: "I don't feel safe at all." Instead, she hoped that her old tribe of Cindy, Brooke, herself and Judd would stick together. "Ah, whatever", Judd told Margaret. In fact he realised that he was the "King Kong" of his tribe now with the other alpha lads BJ, Brandon and Blake now at Yaxha. Stephenie and Jamie planned on edging out Brooke and keeping Lydia in to continue to have the numbers from old Yaxha lines. Judd then sat with them and offered up his allegiance. Judd told us "I feel good man...I have no problem targeting my old tribe....they gotta get out of my jungle."

Yaxha Day 11
Amy was still worried about the new guys: "There's four of them and three of us. They're going to pick us off one by one." Meanwhile, the scheming was going on as the lads went for a whizzer behind the ferns. BJ and Blake agreed that Brandon and Danni would form their four and they'd pick off Amy first. Amy tried her hardest to hide the pain of her sprained ankle and was bravely determined to not limp around the camp: "If I don't do well in the next challenge, I'm gone."

The Immunity Challenge required the tribes to paddle out into the water to retrieve three bags full of Mayan war clubs. These had to be thrown at tiles with the first team breaking their tiles naturally being the winners. Nakum got ahead in the water and were the first to start throwing - Steph got a tile for Nakum almost immediately, then Danni and Blake got a couple of Yaxha. Judd got Nakum's second. Brandon clipped Yaxha's third tile but eventually broke it, to win immunity for Yaxha. Dear little Brian still showed his total loyalty and commitment to his team and no doubt was the first one to take out the feathers stuck in by the previously cocky Nakumians.

Poor old Stephenie is still on the losing team even though it has different people and a different name = Nakum. And oh dearie me, we got treated to a few too many seconds of film with Margaret's wisened little, shrunken boobs about to fall out of her gaping bikini top - not good editing, Survivor, not needed at all!

The merged tribe, classic Survivor problem raised it's head again after the tribe shakeups. The losing Nakum team had eight members with the likelihood that the vote would therefore be tied at 4 to 4 along original tribal lines. Judd was the deciding factor - was he going to join the Jamie/Steph/Rafe/Lydia alliance or stick with the gals from his old team - Brooke/Margaret/Cindy? He told us: "When I go to Tribal Council tonight I don't know who I'm going to choose until I get there."

At Tribal Council, Jeff asked, "Is Steph the bad luck that follows everywhere she goes?"
Margaret told Jeff that she noticed that Judd was talking with Steph and Jamie: "I hope he's only socialising." Hmm, that'd be enough for me (if I was Judd, that is) to vote with the others instead of being nagged by a nurse for hanging around the wrong people....

Brooke voted for Lydia;
Rafe voted for Brooke; and
Margaret voted for Lydia; meaning that it wouldn't be Lydia because she got two votes and it would be too obvious.

Hah, I was right - it wasn't Lydia. It was Brooke who was given the shove - so the Juddster decided to move along with his newer tribemates after all. Boo sucks to you Margaret because Judd sat there as Brooke left looking as cool as a cucumber in that tropical heat.

Next week - Judd is on the defensive with his 'old' team gals; Cultures clash at Yaxha and Lydia gets whacky.....

The Premiership table (just click on the word and it should take you there) shows that a few of you suffered this week with Brooke's demise..... Not me, though - nyah na na naaaaah......