Ep 8 - Merge Jerk-i-ness

Nakum Night 18
All of the humans were asleep, except for the rats, monkeys and lizards, until four little Yaxhaians walked nervously over to the six Nakumians and woke them up with the news that they were now one tribe.
BJ had a few immediate concerns: “I can't be around Stephenie for more than five minutes or Jamie – I’ll want to knock him out”

Super Steph wasn't yet with it enough to be concerned about BJ: "My head is like spinning”
Jamie gave them a charming welcome with the news that “There’s no room in the shelter so I hope you don’t mind sleeping outside.”
BJ soon forgot about Stephenie and focussed instead on Jamie: "You say one more thing to me, I’m going to knock every one of them teeth out of your head”

Day 19 started with a scenic shot of a monkey yawning widely and then focused straight on Jamie doing the same thing (and probably with worse morning breath).
BJ, Brandon and Gary did their best to do the work around the camp, as did Danni.
Danni told us: “Yhey’re not warm and friendly…..we feel like slaves…”
Yet it was both Brandon and BJ who felt most at risk of being voted off.

The pot mail contained some paints for a new flag and a note about a small immunity idol hidden near the camp that, if found, could be used to guarantee it’s owner immunity (up to the final four). How the hell were they - starving, exhausted, sweaty, starving - going to find a tiny little statue in such a huge jungle?
Brandon knew the difficulty of the task and it's importance to him. “It’s like a needle in a haystack and I got a target on my back….I could really use it.”

BJ managed to get Steph aside and got her assurance that he would not be the first of ex-Yaxha to be voted off . “I want to be on the jury so bad.” Why??

Day 20 saw BJ still busy looking for the immunity idol whilst Lydia tried to get the tribe to think of a new name. They ended up with Xachum, a combination of both old tribe names.
Rafe meanwhile, kept looking for the idol: "I’m the worst at looking for anything,” he told us, and then ended up disturbing a hornet’s nest “That’s a message from the gods. I’m done, I won’t be finding the idol.”

Despite the tribe still divided among original lines, all of them were disappointed that there wasn’t some kind of welcoming merge feast involved as per usual merges in other series. The four ex-Yaxhaians decided to escape the unwelcoming atmosphere for a while to go fishing.
Rafe: “I’m not totally happy with our team’s attitude of ‘we’re in control now and don’t have to do anything” After sitting there listening to his team back stabbing the fisherfolk, Rafe, asked, “I’ve just had a sad realization – am I part of the axis of evil?”


Word to BJ, Brandon, Gary and Danni – if you catch any fish, don’t share it!

Xhakum Day 21 started with them all appearing to be enjoying themselves in the Yaxha swimming enclosure.
Later, in pot mail there was info about a pot balancing challenge for the first individual immunity event.
Jamie told Jeff about how the new ones had to sleep outside, and BJ expressed his views by immediately spitting on the ground in front of him.

There was a table laden with food – with a condition. If a contestant felt confident enough that they wouldn’t be voted off tonight, they could sit down and eat. If a contestant felt vulnerable about staying, they would do the challenge and not eat.
Those who chose to eat – Rafe, Stephenie, Lydia and Jamie
Pot Player – Cindy, Judd, Danni, Brandon, BJ, Gary

The poor pot balancers had to stand there on their cubes seeing and smelling the other four EATING their food!















Jamie, with his mouth full kept goading the others: “Brandon and BJ are there because they know they’re the first going home……” In answer to BJ saying “We’re all the one tribe now,” he retorted: “We aint never been one tribe.”
Half an hour into it, Jamie was still goading and Rafe whispered: “Please stop it – I feel bad.”

An hour had gone, with only Danni out of the competition. They had to race up the steps of the pyramid with the pots on their heads. Gary made it to the top and won immunity. This photo clearly shows that the old string bean really could have done with the feed instead.

Back at camp, Judd let Jamie have it for his attitude. “The only time I got pissed was every time you were talking……just shut up man.”
Cindy told us: “Jamie did not show class during this challenge and everyone knows that…..it may come around and get him.” I hope it does!
Rafe to us, “I can not respect myself and go far in this game with Jamie.”
BJ to us: “Jamie’s being arrogant and is probably going home tonight……what if I slipped off this platform with this pot and smashed it over his head.” Ah, if only!

Jamie still was at it, goading both Brandon and BJ to tell him which one of them was going to have their head on the chopping block tonight. This got BJ’s hopes up, telling Brandon that the rest of the tribe were also fed up with Jamie. Even so, Brandon galloped off into the forest another look for the mini immunity idol.

Gary tried to get Rafe to vote for Jamie, as did Danni to Cindy: “I’d rather hurt Jamie’s feelings than Brandon’s.” But she then said to us, “It’s not about who I like but how I play the game. I’ll wait and see just what name I write down on the paper tonight.”

At Tribal Council, Rafe admitted that he didn’t like the way that Jamie wasn’t respecting the new tribe members. BJ weighed in: “That was no class.” Then BJ and Jamie started arguing amongst themselves until Stephenie told them to stop. “We’ll see who the bigger man is on the field,” said Jamie, and even Jeff shook his head as though he was thinking “what a jerk.”

No-one presented the other immunity idol, or chose not to use it for the session. Surprisingly, Jamie said some rather nice things about Brandon whilst he voted him off. BJ, naturally voted for Jamie: “Southern pride means being a Southern gentleman, and no, you don’t have any class at all.”

Brandon got voted off, just for the bad luck of being in the minority, being strong and therefore being too much of a risk for winning any individual immunity challenges.

Next week – BJ and Jamie continue to battle; the search for the immunity idol continues and Judd threw up in the shelter….

The premiership table will show that some of you will be disappointed that the Farmer Boy has gone. As I keep saying, GO BOBBY JON. Plus I'll now keep saying: "May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your crotch region, Jamie!"