Episode 6: "Udder Revenge"
Original Airdate: July 5th, 2000
American Ratings: 24.5 million viewers
It's the little things that sometimes make watching this very first season of Survivor so different. Like Jeff Probst beginning the show with "Last week on Survivor" instead of the "Previously on Survivor" that has become a fixture for beginning of each new episode.
During his summary of the previous installment, he mentions that the voting alliance reared its ugly head, implying that the production likely never realized early on how much alliances would come to dominate the dynamics of this reality show.
The host also announces the upcoming merge of the two tribes.
Day 16
At the Tagi beach, the merge and all that it encompasses is on everyone's mind. Richard is aware that change is coming. "I don't think they're taking this seriously. They're playing Island 90210," opines Kelly regarding the Pagong tribe. Sue feels that three Pagong members must be voted off quickly. Greg, because he's psychotic. "Speedball" Jenna, because she'll drive everybody else crazy. And Gervase, the pervert.
Back at Pagong, it's T-minus one hour to chicken time. They are all pretty excited at the thought of eating meat. Colleen can't watch as Joel beheads the chicken. Jenna says that they will eat a chicken a day for the next three days, for they have no intention of sharing them with the Tagi tribe come the merge. The chicken is delicious. It's their first true meal since the start of the adventure.
Meanwhile, around the Tagi camp Richard has begun to walk around naked. Some of the castaways think it's funny, but Sean is not thrilled to have a fat gay man walking around in his birthday suit.
I think with an alliance we established here, we could do very, very well.
Rudy has finally accepted to become part of the voting alliance. Richard wants Rudy along because he feels the ex-Navy Seal won't care much and will get voted off before he has a chance of winning the million bucks. Richard thinks that no one is explicitly in control of their alliance, though he considers to be in control of who gets voted off. According to him, that's all that matters.
Day 17
Women are the stupidest thing on the planet next to cows.
Gervase put his foot in his mouth by making that claim and now regrets it. Jenna, especially, took exception to his remark. Gervase realizes that it was incredibly stupid and apologizes, but Colleen, Gretchen, and Jenna are not really buying it. Gretchen tells the other girls to go "moo" when they write down his name and hold up that piece of paper in front of the camera at tribal council.
"I haven't done a thing here since I've been here, seems like," says Gervase, aware that he might be walking on thin ice. Colleen doesn't understand how he can get away with doing so little. He doesn't fish, didn't participate in the construction of the shelter, never cooks, and he doesn't pull his own weight. Gervase feels that his charm and personality will get him through.
At Tagi, the message announcing the reward challenge appears to imply that the winner will receive canned food. The can that was delivered with tree mail contains dog food. Richard helps himself to some.
Your standards definitely take a dive when you come into a situation like this. When you get hungry, you'll eat anything.
Smelling the content of the can, both Greg and Jenna believe it's dog food. Yet it doesn't stop Gretchen and Jenna from cooking it and eating some, to the disgust of the others.
At the reward challenge, they must relay with a flashlight and search an abandoned army camp to collect a number of discarded items. Tagi seems to have the lead, but when Richard brings back a second army knife his tribe is disqualified. Pagong goes home with assorted canned food and chocolate.
Later, Joel and Gervase discuss the fact that they could be top 6, and that one Pagong member could win the prize. One more win for Pagong and it could be in the bag. Joel gets the feeling that if the Pagong members don't stick together come the merge, they could be picked off one by one.
Day 18
At the Pagong camp, the castaways realize that they need to win the immunity challenge to go into the merge with a 6 to 4 advantage in numbers. Only Gretchen hasn't promised to stay true to Pagong following the merge. She doesn't see herself joining a voting alliance, unless it's to vote off someone she really want to see gone.
Colleen feels that Joel talks way too much about what he'll do and the strategy he'll put into play once the merge becomes a reality. They have a challenge to worry about and he might not be there at the end of the night. His antics and the fact that he is condescending to the women have not endeared him to Colleen, Gretchen, and Jenna. "I can't think of anything I've done that's bad," claims Joel, oblivious to the girls' feelings.
You know he's the Golden Boy. He's Mr. January. He's going to have a calendar.
The immunity challenge is an official US Army obstacle course. Colleen and Gervase are not participating for Pagong, while Rudy will sit out for Tagi. Kelly takes the lead, and she and Sean reach the second phase first. Tagi arrives that the blown bridge ahead of the other team and never looks back. They are the first to raise their flag, winning immunity and avoiding being outnumbered at the merge.
At Pagong, the bitter taste of defeat is not the only thing they must deal with. A big lizard ate their remaining chicken. Still, Gretchen insists that they eat what's left.
Tribal council is a necessary part of the game, but it's the nasty part of the game. It's the part that I enjoy the least and I could do without.
Joel gets the feeling that Jenna will vote for him tonight. For her part, Colleen thinks that Gervase is as chauvinist as Joel, but he hides it better.
At tribal council, Jeff Probst brings up Gervase's cow remark. "Sounds so much like Joel," he laughs, trying to defuse this potential time bomb. "I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that my invincibility might be affected by that," he replies when asked if he feels threatened tonight.
In the end, though Jenna gets two votes cast against her, it's Joel who racks up the remaining four vote, sending him home.
To purchase the Survivor: Borneo DVD boxset: Canada, USA, Europe.
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