Rewatch: Survivor: Borneo "Pulling Your Own Weight" (Episode 5)

Episode 5: "Pulling Your Own Weight"
Original Airdate: June 28th, 2000
American ratings: 24 million viewers

Twelve are left. Who will be voted off next?

Day 13

At the Pagong camp, the tribesmates are sleeping in this morning. They want to relieve the stress of losing another member, as well as losing two consecutive challenges. Gretchen feels that their camp looks a bit trashy, and she thinks there's a lot they could do to make it look nice. But she believes that something will have to change to make everyone pitch in.

Meanwhile at Tagi, they hang the parachute up for shade. Kelly is irritated by Sean and Dirk's evident lack of effort around camp. She claims that they go on pointless fishing expeditions just so they can pretend to be doing something other than working around camp.

Sue has had enough and berates both of them for wasting three days fishing during daylight.

"I don't think it was a waste," was Dirk's ill-advised response.

"Well, did you catch anything?" Sue shot back.

"No ma'am."

"Okay. . . It was a waste of time, then," Sue ended this discussion in a manner that brooked no further argument from Sean or Dirk.

"It's been the people who really work and contribute to the camp versus the people who are lazy and who don't do anything to contribute to the camp," explains Kelly.

It's funny to me that a guy would read the Bible here. The only reason I'd bring a Bible is if. . . I mean, I'm religious too. . . If I needed toilet paper.

Jeff Probst visits the tribes and announces that the next challenge will be the "Weapons target shooting classic." There will be three rounds: the blowgun, the slingshot, and spear-tossing. Each team is provided with the three weapons so that they can practice for a few hours.

Surprisingly, Sean is good with the blowgun. Richard has no equal with the slingshot. And Sue is the most talented with the spear. She's quite happy with the prospect of kicking a man's ass on national television.

Back at the Pagong beach, morale is high and they are having fun practicing with the weapons for the reward challenge. Gervase acts as their unofficial Michael Buffer, encouraging his teammates. Jenna will represent their tribe for the blowgun challenge, Gretchen with the slingshot, and Joel will throw the spear.

Both tribes are very close at the end of the second phase of the reward challenge, but Joel's second toss wins it for Pagong. They receive a basket full of fruit as well as three chickens.

Things are definitely looking up for Pagong as they return to their beach. It is decided that the chickens will be killed if they don't lay eggs soon. Jenna names them Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.

When we won that reward challenge, that was our momentum right there!

At the Tagi camp, Sue is upset for losing that challenge. Richard returns with an eel. As expected, the envious Sean, still waiting to catch his first fish, says that it tastes horrible.

Among the Pagong team, Gretchen continues to feel that Greg is the leader. But it's a position he doesn't want. Greg had begun sleeping alone in the forest at night, and Colleen is now joining him.

Day 14

Jenna believes that there might be a little romance going on between Colleen and Greg. But he insists that there is no romance whatsoever.

When we go off, it's all about sex.

At Tagi, Richard squares off against a venomous snake, even though the castaways were warned that they were deadly. There is some concern among the tribe regarding Dirk radical weight loss. "You could eat more, Dirk," Sue tells him. "Because you're looking like hell. You look like a Nazi war prisoner camp dude."

Witnessing a better effort from Sean and Dirk around camp, Kelly believes that they now have a greater work ethic because they know they'll get voted off otherwise. Still, Richard, Sue, and Kelly have decided that the next one to go with be one or the other. Hence, it looks as though Sean's refusal to become part of their alliance will come back to haunt him.

Day 15

Since the next immunity challenge is an aquatic one, Richard is persuaded that Tagi has the edge because Gervase cannot swim.

For this shipwreck challenge, Kelly and Gervase will row their boats and must collect fellow tribesmates hanging on floating debris. Though the man can't swim much, he has upper body strength and can row faster than Kelly. He collects Joel and Greg before she has a chance to reach Sue. When Gretchen gets in, Pagong now has four rowers and they keep moving faster. Their boat is back at the beach before Tagi can claim their third stranded member.

Gervase joked with Jeff Probst prior to the challenge, claiming that he relished this chance to be in the spotlight. Well, he sure made the most of it. Meanwhile, Kelly cries in shame, unable to come to terms with the fact that she was beaten by a guy who can't even swim.

Back at the Tagi camp, inside Rudy's Rowdy Diner, Kelly tries to stay positive. "All which doesn't kill you only makes you stronger."

Blinded by his own innocence or stupidity, Sean thinks that Rudy is going home tonight. Dirk feels that he could be vulnerable, but he considers himself a valuable member of the tribe.

At tribal council, Jeff is getting better and better at getting the castaways to open up and discuss various issues. Unfortunately for him, Richard is no fool and dodges the bullet when Jeff inquires about the presence and role of alliances within the tribe. Either Richard's dissembling works, or no one wants to bring attention to themselves by calling him out on it.

Fire represents life on the island. Your torches represent your identity here.

When the votes are tallied, Sue and Rudy each get a vote cast against them, while Dirk racks up the remaining four votes and is sent home. On his way out, he thanks the Lord for the 15 days he spent on the island. He is convinced that this was God's will that he leave tonight and that the Lord obviously has a plan for him.

Let us pray that was the case. . .

To purchase the Survivor: Borneo DVD boxset: Canada, USA, Europe.