Survivor: South Pacific "Running the Show" (Episode 10)

Episode 10: "Running the Show"
Original Airdate: November 16th, 2011
American Ratings: 11.66 million viewers

Following a significant drop in ratings last week, more viewers tuned in last night to watch the tenth episode of Survivor: South Pacific. Not as many asses in the seats as for the "Trojan Horse" and "Double Agent" episodes, but still a good performance. Now with the pagonging done with, it will be interesting to see of viewers will remain till the finale. . .

On Redemption Island, Jim explains what happened at tribal council to Keith and Ozzy.

Back at camp, Coach claims that Jim is the worst kind of people. He tells Dawn and Whitney that they can now grow as a family together.

Coach is running the show like he's Jesus.

Whitney can't understand how smart people like Cochran and Sophie can be so stupid as to be oblivious to what Coach is doing.

Day 25

The Coch-machine is doing yoga with the Dragon Slayer. He might be a useless and spineless wimp, yet the Coch-train is aware that sticking with Benjamin remains his best option. Fearless destroyer of all manner of beasts, Coach is beginning to fear Albert and Brandon.

At the Redemption Island arena, the entire merged tribe attends the duel between Ozzy, Keith, and Jim. The castaways must hold two poles upright on the top of their hands against a plank. No one in attendance is rooting for Ozzy. Nevertheless, Jim and Keith become the first two members of the final jury, while Ozzy lives to see another day.


Day 26

Ozzy is having a ball at Redemption Island. He knows that no one in the tribe can fish, so they must be starving. He feels as though he's rejuvenating himself, getting ready for the endgame. Far from the machinations of the tribe and eating well, Ozzy feels that he's getting stronger.

Dawn informs Cochran that she's now willing to do anything to remain in the game. Cochran reveals that he might be willing to switch things up.

For the immunity challenge, the castaways must balance a bowl filled with rice on the top of their heads as they make their way through an obstacle course. They must fill a basket at the end of the course with the rice they carry until they raise their flag. Sophie wins immunity.


Jeff Probst announces that there will be a twist at tonight's tribal council.

Interestingly enough, good-for-nothing Cocherino is disappointed by his crappy performance at the immunity challenge. He actually thought he had a shot. . . Based on what, I'll never know. The nerd feels that it will be a double elimination tonight.

Dawn and Whitney are aware that they really needed to win immunity today. Dawn wishes to speak with Albert. They warns him that if he wants to turn the game around, now is the time. Albert would like to secure every possible Savaii jury vote. And he would like to see Edna go.

Albert confirms the Coch-train's worst fear: that the former Savaii traitor will be voted out before Edna. Albert invites him to make a move to insure that he won't end up in 7th place. They approach Sophie to get rid of Edna to help secure Dawn and Whitney's jury vote down the line. But Sophie is ambivalent and it doesn't appear that she's willing to get with the program.


For his part, Benjamin is getting suspicious. He knows that Albert is currying jury vote, which goes against the Samouraï code and is thus unacceptable. Am I the only missing the old Coach a whole lot? I liked him a lot more when he was all about crazy anecdotes involving canibals and sodomy!

If anyone goes against the family, they're dead.

At tribal council, Jeff Probst wants to know how Dawn tried to find cracks in the Upolu alliance. He wants to know how Cochran feels about being 7th. Coach is concerned about the possibility of a big move occurring tonight. Albert doesn't feel like Coach is the leader of the Upolu alliance. He sees Benjamin more as a figurehead.

As the votes are tallied, we realized that both Albert and Sophie chickened out and Dawn loses a 7-2 vote against Edna.

As expected, the twist Jeff Probst announced is another immunity challenge, with another vote to follow immediately. The castaways are asked survival related questions, and Sophie wins immunity for a second time in a row.

It comes as no surprise when Whitney loses a 7-1 vote against the Coch-train.

Well, for a guy who spits out good game when it comes to talking strategy, he's quite the pussy when the time comes to put his money where his mouth is. And for all that she appears to be what could be the smartest Upolu player, Sophie can be more than a little dense at times. It's obvious that neither Albert or Sophie figure in Coach's plan as far as the final 3 is concerned. In order to turn the game around, they needed the Savaii votes. With every Savaii member gone to Redemption Island, they will soon find themselves in a precarious position. Had they made a move, Albert and Sophie were all but assured a spot in the final 3. As things stand, they'll need a few immunities and a couple of betrayals to make it there. Definitely not the path of least resistance. . .

Critique: Koh-Lanta: Raja Ampat (Épisode 9)

Date de diffusion originale: 10 novembre 2011
Audience: 6.84 millions de téléspectateurs

C'est la consternation entre les ex-Rouges à la suite du dépouillement du vote. Virginie est d'avis que Martin est faux et qu'il est le grand responsable pour ce qui vient de se produire. Martin prétend avoir eu de la compassion envers Anthony. Ella et Florence trouvent que Martin a été malhonnête avec les Mambok.

De son côté, Patricia jubile d'avoir fait voler en éclat l'unité des Rouges. De jouer son collier d'immunité lors du conseil était sa seule chance de rester dans l'aventure.

À la résidence du jury finale, Anthony n'en revient tout simplement pas de voir débarquer Olivier. Patricia ne lui avait même pas dit qu'elle avait trouvé le collier. Olivier pense qu'il s'est fait avoir par Martin.

Jour 25

Les ex-Rouges évitent Martin ce matin.

Ça sert à rien de cogiter sur le passé. De toute façon, c'est fait, c'est fait. Donc. . .

Virginie blâme Martin pour la perte d'Olivier. Elle craint que celui-ci ne s'allie avec les ex-Jaunes. Patricia est elle aussi évitée par les Mambok. Alexandra et Patricia sont quand même d'avis que ça arrange Florence et les autres filles qu'Olivier ait été éliminé.

Patricia tente de convaincre Gérard de songer à voter contre Florence. Plus tard, quand celui-ci dévoile à Florence ce que Patricia lui a dit, celle-ci est furieuse d'apprendre que Patricia essaye de la discréditer. Elle se met à pleurer et confronte Alexandra et Teheiura concernant les allégations de Patricia.

Avant le début du jeu de confort, Denis Brogniart revient sur l'élimination surprise d'Olivier. Durant la discussion, Florence clash avec Patricia. La récompense consiste en un massage, une nuit confortable passée dans un hamac, du chocolat, et une session de plongée sous-marine avec des raies manta.


Les aventuriers sont attachés à une corde alors qu'ils se tiennent de façon précaire sur une plateforme. Ils doivent dérouler la corde pour se rendre sur la plage pour saisir un sceptre. C'est Teheiura qui remporte la victoire.

De retour sur le campement, Florence est toujours aussi furieuse. Quant à elle, Patricia est aussi sous le choc de l'émotion pour avoir été traitée de menteuse. Pendant ce temps, Teheiura profite du chocolat et d'un massage.

Pour éviter un nouvel affrontement avec Florence, Patricia décide de s'isoler et de passer la nuit seule dans un abris de fortune. Elle trouve que Florence est allée beaucoup trop loin.

Franchement, entre les rats qui me montent dessus et Florence, je préfère dormir avec les rats.

Martin trouve que c'est honteux de voir tant de haine envers Patricia de la part des ex-Mambok. Il est choqué par le comportement de Florence. Il s'excuse auprès de Patricia pour l'attitude de Florence.

Martin approche Gérard, car il n'en peut plus de Florence et ses mensonges. Il est d'avis que s'ils ne font rien, ils se feront éliminer tout les deux, tel que prévu par Florence et les membres de l'alliance de Maxime. Soucieux, Gérard ne sait pas quoi faire.

Le soir venu, Martin avoue à Florence que son comportement l'a choqué. Enragée, celle-ci pète les plombs devant le reste de la tribu. Laurent tente de la consoler. Il blâme Patricia pour tous les problèmes de la tribu réunifiée. De plus, il digère mal que Martin lui dise qu'il est le petit chien de Florence.

Jour 26

Teheiura a passé une très bonne nuit de sommeil. Il part en plongée à la recherche de raies manta. Il passe des moments inoubliables sous l'eau.


Ayant mal dormi, Florence désire s'expliquer avec Patricia pour régler leur différend. Florence s'excuse pour ses propos très dures à son endroit. Elles reviennent ensemble sur la camp, pour démontrer qu'elles ont enterré la hache de guerre.

Le petit déjeuner de ce matin représente tout ce qu'il reste de leur riz.

L'épreuve d'immunité consiste en un parcours du combattant. Denis Brogniart annonce qu'il y aura une course pour les hommes et une autre pour les femmes. Sachant que sa tête est mise à prix, Patricia donne tout ce qu'elle a dans le ventre et remporte l'épreuve. Du côté des hommes, c'est Martin qui termine premier. Pour la finale, les deux seront aveuglés et doivent tenter de récupérer le totem en mer. Laurent sera le guide de Martin, alors que c'est Alexandra qui guidera Patricia. Martin gagne l'immunité.


Se sentant menacé, Teheiura croit qu'il n'aura d'autre choix que de jouer son collier pour garder sa place dans l'aventure.

Martin et Patricia partent à la chasse aux coquillages. Il profite du moment pour lui proposer de voter contre Florence. Cependant, ils ont besoin du vote de Gérard pour que la stratégie fonctionne. Mais leur plan est mis en péril alors que Martin se coupe deux doigts avec la machette. Le médecin évacue Martin à l'infirmerie pour qu'il puisse recevoir des soins.

Gérard observe ses compagnons lors du repas. Il ne sait toujours pas pour qui il votera le lendemain.

Jour 27

La pénurie de riz inquiète les naufragés. Pour passer le temps, Teiheiura et Ella construisent une table.

Patricia approche Teheiura pour lui expliquer la stratégie de Martin. Contre toute attente, Alexandra ne veut pas se mettre les ex-Mambok à dos en éliminant Florence.

Alors que Martin revient dans l'aventure, Patricia lui révèle qu'Alexandra ne semble pas vouloir suivre sa stratégie. Martin indique qu'elle doit trouver un moyen de la convaincre, ou c'est foutu. Pendant ce temps, Alexandra semble se rapprocher de Virginie et Laurent.

Les ex-Rouges prétendent avoir tiré une leçon du dernier conseil. En effet, ceux-ci veulent répartir les votes entre Patricia et Teheiura pour éviter de se faire surprendre à nouveau. Pour sa part, Gérard est au courant que le vote noir d'Olivier est pour Patricia. Martin désire toujours éliminer Florence.

J'attends ce conseil avec beaucoup d'appréhension. J'ai la trouille.

Au conseil, Denis Brogniart revient sur le manque de rationnement ayant résulté en pénurie de riz. Alors qu'ils discutent du clash entre Florence et Patricia, Florence croit que tout ça est de la faute de Patricia.

Le moment du dépouillement arrivé, Teheiura décide de ne pas jouer son collier d'immunité. Teheiura voit son nom apparaître sur quatre bulletins, alors que Patricia ne récolte qu'une voix, soit celle du vote noir d'Olivier. Coup de théâtre, Florence récolte cinq votes et devient membre du jury finale.

Encore une fois cette semaine, la tête d'Ella alors que l'issue du vote fut déterminée valait son pesant d'or. Il sera intéressant de voir comment Ella et Virginie réagiront dans le prochain épisode. Bonnes à rien, les deux jeunes femmes n'ont aucun mérite et ne sont encore dans l'aventure que grâce à leur alliance avec Maxime. Laurent semble encore de leur côté, mais leur position demeurera précaire si Martin et Gérard s'allient avec les ex-Jaunes. Surtout que le trio Laurent/Virginie/Ella ne sont pas trop futés. . .

Survivor: South Pacific "Cut Throat" (Episode 9)

Episode 9: "Cut Throat"
Original Airdate: November 9th, 2011
American Ratings: 10.80 million viewers

It had nothing to do with getting back at you.

Ozzy wants to know why Cochran blindsided them. He says that he put his ass on the line for Cochran, yet the other betrayed him as soon as the chance presented itself.

You're a coward. You're a poor excuse for a man.

Whitney reminds Cochran that she and Keith saved his ass three times. She says that the nerd threw the entire Savaii tribe under the bus.

Cochran is taking a lot of heat for his unanticipated move at tribal council. Brandon wants to ascertain himself that no one will hurt the little wimp.

Day 22

Coach realizes that they pulled off an amazing feat at tribal council the night before. He feels that if he remains confident instead of arrogant, humble instead of weak, he has a chance to go all the way.

On the other hand, Ozzy is acutely aware that the ex-Savaii are in deep trouble. Still, he intends to keep on fighting.


The first round of the immunity challenge consists of tossing coconuts into a ring. The first four castaways to get a coconut in their ring move on to the second round. Dawn, Whitney, Jim, and Sophie move on. To win immunity, the finalists must crack open coconuts using rocks. They must then suck in the juice, go through an obstacle course, and fill a tube with the liquid they managed to hold on to. Sophie can't keep the juice down on her last run, which gives Jim the win.

Brandon tells Cochran that it's time to get rid of Ozzy. Coach appreciates Ozzy's humility in defeat, but there is nothing he can do.

It was a good ride.

Dawn is aware that she must consider flipping. It's either that, or go down in flames along with the rest of the Savaii tribe.

Jim plans on giving the immunity necklace to Ozzy. He wants to try to convince the Upolu members to vote off Cochran. Jim is aware that his days are numbered, anyway. All they need is for two Upolu members to vote for Cochran and the ex-Savaii would be back in the game.

At tribal council, Jeff Probst wants to discuss Cochran's power move of the previous night. Cochran explains that he used the opportunity to take control of his game. Jim reminds everyone that he saved Cochran four times. He doesn't think that the Upolu tribe would respect someone so dishonorable, someone who doesn't fight his own battles. Jim claims that he is willing to give the necklace to Ozzy. He makes his speech, trying to convince the Upolu members to get rid of Cochran. For his part, Ozzy reminds them that Redemption Island is tailor-made for him and the way he plays the game. He boasts that he will face each and everyone of them and send them on their way.

I will be back.

When it dawns upon him that his attempt to sway the ex-Upolu has failed, Jim decides to hold on to the immunity necklace.

Not surprisingly, Ozzy loses a 9-2 vote and gets sent back to Redemption Island. When he arrives, Keith can't quite believe that they were betrayed like that.

Day 23

Ozzy dives and explores the reef. He catches the biggest fish he ever caught on Survivor, sharing the 15-pound catch with Keith.

For today's immunity challenge, the castaways must stand on a narrow beam while balancing a ball on a wooden bow. Jeff Probst announces that if anyone feels secure enough, they can sit out the challenge and enjoy a feast. Although he claims that he would like to compete, Coach follows Cochran and the rest of the Upolu tribe to the table to enjoy the sweets.

The ex-Upolu members appear to respect and appreciate Dawn more than just a bit. Whitney wins immunity.

Cochran is playing the most brilliant 3rd place game in Survivor history.

Jim knows he's going to Redemption Island. He tries to get Albert and Sophie to get rid of Edna. But Albert wants to eliminate Dawn, whom he perceives as more dangerous. Sophie would rather get rid of Jim.


At tribal council, Jeff Probst asks them if it's safe to assume that it's either Jim or Dawn going home tonight. Albert explains that Dawn in more likeable, that she just might be the strongest female castaway this season. Believing that Dawn was being deceitful, Brandon goes on a rant, saying that the Savaii tribe would have been a lot more ruthless toward the Upolu members if their roles were reversed. He claims they won't stop until the entire Savaii tribe has been eliminated. Whitney breaks down and starts to cry, claiming that she and her companions are being vilified.

When it's time to vote, the Coch-train struts his stuff. Funny how quickly he forgets how precarious his position was a few days back.

Edna sees her name come up three times, but Jim racks up the remaing seven votes and will join Keith and Ozzy at Redemption Island. When they are reunited later that night, Jim quips that they were supposed to be in the final three.

CBS made a lot of noise about a supposed twist that would result in a double eviction. But in the end, there was no twist at all. Just two immunity challenges two days in a row. The editing kind of sucked in this episode, and overall "Cut Throat" was a relatively big drop in quality after three very interesting and entertaining episodes. . .

Double eviction tonight!

This from examiner.com:

Here's the episode description from CBS:

Episode 9 - "Cut Throat" - A DOUBLE EVICTION ROCKS THE NEWLY MERGED TE TUNA TRIBE, ON "SURVIVOR: SOUTH PACIFIC," WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9th. After a shocking betrayal, one castaway faces the wrath of a former alliance, and a double eviction rocks the newly merged Te Tuna tribe.

That should make for an interesting episode. . .

Critique: Koh-Lanta: Raja Ampat (Épisode 8)

Date de diffusion originale: 4 novembre 2011
Audience: 7.33 millions de téléspectateurs

L'élimination d'Anthony laisse peu d'espoir aux Jaunes pour le reste de l'aventure.

On reste Rouge jusqu'au bout et personne ne votera Rouge tant qu'il y aura un Jaune sur cette île.

Jour 22

Olivier est furieux ce matin. Il est encore le seul à avoir veillé sur le feu toute la nuit. Avec cette nuit blanche, il ne pourra pas performer comme il le voudrait durant le jeu de confort d'aujourd'hui.

Les naufragés se rendent compte qu'il ne reste que 4 jours de riz. Sans rationnement, personne ne s'est rendu compte que le stock de riz diminuait à grande vitesse.

La récompense pour le jeu de confort demeurera un secret jusqu'à la fin de l'épreuve. En faisant des allers-retours vers la plage à travers un parcours à obstacles, les aventuriers doivent remplir un bambou troué d'eau et le vider de son contenu dans un seau pendant à une corde. Le seau de Martin est le premier à toucher la structure.


La récompense consiste en une soirée passée en compagnie d'une tribu indonésienne et d'un barbecue. Ayant beaucoup voyagé dans sa vie, Martin laisse sa place à Florence et Patricia. Les deux femmes sont aux anges à l'idée de vivre une telle expérience.

Gérard et Olivier ont trouvé du manioc. Pour sa part, Martin capture un poisson porc-épic à l'aide du harpon. Mais dans le doute, les aventuriers décident de ne pas le manger.

Virginie aurait bien voulu être à la place de Florence et Patricia. Elle comprend mal le choix de Martin et elle doute de la sincérité de celui-ci.

Martin, faut se méfier de lui.

Non mais, elle se prend pour qui??? Virginie est fort probablement la plus grande bonne à rien de l'aventure. La seule raison pourquoi elle est encore là, c'est parce qu'elle faisait partie de l'alliance de Maxime, alors que les Rouges voulaient l'éliminer. N'eut été de la duplicité du stratège belge, Virginie se serait fait virer la première, et non Lisa. Elle a été un véritable boulet pour son équipe durant de nombreuses épreuves, et mise à part Ella, Virginie est l'aventurière la moins méritante de cette édition 2011 de Koh-Lanta. Qu'est-ce qui a bien pu lui faire croire que Martin aurait dû lui faire ce cadeau, je n'en ai aucune idée. . .

Cependant, Martin n'a aucune idée que Virginie lui en veut. Il n'a aucune idée que son choix a aussi surpris Ella et Laurent. Pendant ce temps, c'est la fête pour Florence et Patricia. Les deux femmes vivent des moments magiques.

Jour 23

Florence et Patricia remercient Martin pour son geste à leur endroit. Elles racontent leur expérience à leurs companions.

Patricia dit à Alexandra qu'elle a tenté de faire comprendre à Florence que celle-ci devrait vivre pleinement son aventure au lieu de suivre Olivier et les Rouges. Au même moment, Florence rassure Virginie quand à sa loyauté.

Patricia est d'avis que pour avoir des chances d'aller loin dans l'aventure, les Wasaï doivent trouver un moyen d'éliminer Olivier et Florence.

Son choix d'envoyer une ex-Jaune pour profiter de la récompense du jeu de confort semble avoir isolé Martin du reste des anciens Mambok. Patricia en profite donc pour l'approcher. Elle lui demande de lui faire savoir quand ce sera sont tour d'être éliminée pour qu'elle puisse se préparer adéquatement. En réalité, elle veut être au courant de son sort pour avoir la chance de jouer son collier d'immunité.

Le deuxième collier n'a toujours pas été localisé. Malgré que plusieurs aventuriers soient à sa recherche, c'est Teheiura qui le trouve finalement. Il le cache dans un cocotier.

Jour 24

Teheiura croit que ses rapprochements auprès des Rouges n'ont encore rien donné. Alexandra est d'avis que les filles pourraient potentiellement être retournées contre Olivier.

Mon but, c'est d'éliminer les plus forts. Même Florence.

Patricia continue de tenter de convaincre Martin de voter en son âme et conscience. Mais celui-ci indique qu'il ne votera pas contre un de ses compagnons à moins qu'un Rouge ne s'échappe.

Pour remporter l'immunité, les aventuriers doivent récupérer un coquillage situé derrière une palissade de bambou à l'aide d'une corde et d'un grappin. Ceux-ci sont attachés dans l'eau sur deux barrière de bambou.


Teheiura est le premier à revenir à la palissade, mais il est suivi de près. Quand Laurent fait erreur et ramène le coquillage d'Ella avec son grappin, il décide de donner la victoire à celle-ci, empêchant ainsi Teheiura de gagner l'immunité.

Denis Brogniart n'est pas impressionné par ce manque de sportivité et son mécontentement est palpable. Il déclare qu'en faisant passer son équipe en premier, Laurent a fait en sorte qu'Ella ne mérite pas ce totem.

Teheiura, c'est un mec qui nous fait peur. Je ne vous le cache pas, il nous fait vachement peur.

Laurent est déçu quand il entend Olivier, Gérard, et Martin prétendre qu'ils n'auraient pas fait de même. Virginie est frustrée par le fait que les garçons n'ont pas soutenu Laurent face à Denis Brogniart. L'unité des Mambok est ébranlée. Laurent n'en revient tout simplement pas. Il s'est sacrifié pour faire sortir Teheiura, tel que prévu selon la stratégie des ex-Rouges, mais son équipe ne le supporte pas dans sa décision de donner la victoire à Ella.

Plus tard, conscient de sa conduite antisportive, Laurent décide de ne pas voter pour Teheiura lors du conseil. C'est alors que Martin révèle à Patricia que les Mambok voteront pour elle au lieu de Teheiura. Celle-ci dévoile donc à Alexandra et Teheiura qu'elle a trouvé le collier d'immunité caché. Elle désire l'utiliser au conseil pour éliminer un Rouge.


Alors que le conseil débute, les Rouges sont divisés concernant le vote. On revient sur le fait qu'il ne reste que deux jours de riz. Virginie prétend ne pas souffrir de la faim. Ce sont sa famille et ses amies qui lui manquent le plus. On revient aussi sur l'épreuve d'immunité. Virginie explique qu'elle aurait fait la même chose. Elle trouve qu'Olivier, Gérard, et Martin se sont défilés à la suite de l'épreuve en ne soutenant pas Laurent. Il est clair que tous voulaient voir un Rouge gagner l'épreuve. Pour sa part, Laurent dit qu'il en tire une bonne leçon.

À la grande surprise des Mambok, Patricia joue son collier d'immunité juste avant le dépouillement.

Bien que les sept ex-Rouges aient voté pour Patricia, c'est Olivier qui voit son nom sur quatre bulletins (le vote noir d'Anthony était aussi pour lui) et qui devient donc le nouveau membre du jury final.

Elle ne l'a pas dit.

Indigné, Olivier explique que l'entente des ambassadeurs exigeait que la personne trouvant le collier d'immunité caché devait le faire avoir au reste de la tribu. Mais Teheiura réplique que Martin avait dit à Anthony de ne pas dévoiler l'existence d'un collier. Selon ce qu'Anthony a révélé, Martin aurait fait la même chose. Bien que Martin se défende de ne jamais avoir dit quoique ce soit à cet égard, cette révélation met le feu aux poudres et déstabilise les ex-Rouges.

Ça promet pour la semaine prochaine!

Survivor: South Pacific "Double Agent" (Episode 8)

Episode 8: "Double Agent"
Original Airdate: November 2nd, 2011
American Ratings: 11.95 million viewers

Hmmm, after two Survivor seasons that were little more than a travesty, Survivor: South Pacific is turning out to be a very entertaining season thus far. And interestingly enough, more viewers are tuning in this time around. See what a better casting can do for a reality TV series? We can only hope that CBS and the producers are taking notes. . .

Not exactly brimming with confidence regarding their plan to send Ozzy to Redemption Island, the Savaii tribe dearly hopes that the merge will indeed take place. Cochran discusses the strategy that will make him a double agent with the others.

Ozzy thinks that Christine believed his story about Cochran playing the hidden immunity idol and sending him to Redemption Island. He wants to beat her and feed the Upolu tribe false information.

Day 19

Both tribes are present at the Redemption Island duel. Feeling that this is the perfect opportunity to put it up Upolu's ass, Ozzy decides to use his acting skills to try to make them believe that he was voted out when Cochran played the idol at the last tribal council. To say that Ozzy overdid it would be the understatement of the year. Needless to say, this wasn't Academy Award material. Indeed, one routinely sees better acting in gonzo porn productions. Ozzy can try to sell it as much as he wants, Coach, Albert, and the rest of the Upolu crew aren't buying it.

Ozzy and Christine must use sticks and ropes to build a pole to retrieve keys to open three locks. To the Savaii tribe's palpable relief, the winner of the duel will return to the game following the challenge.


As expected (only members of the Previously on Survivor Facebook group actually believed that Christine had a shot), Ozzy takes the lead and retrieve his three keys rather quickly. The poor woman hasn't even reached her first key that Ozzy opens his last lock and wins easily.

I just made the craziest move I could ever make.

The merge comes into effect immediately following the duel. Back at camp, the merged tribe shares a meal and get to know one another.

Coach questions Cochran about what occurred the previous night. In another abominable display of acting skills, the Coch-machine attempts to infiltrate the Upolu tribe. Now Coach has proven time and time again that he's not always the sharpest tool in the shed. And yet, even a complete dumbass like Shambo would have seen through Cochran's convoluted web of lies. Coach sets the record straight. He lets the dork know that he feels the Savaii tribe is trying to play them, but they're not getting with the program. He explains that the Upolu alliance will all vote the same way. Coach is willing to risk drawing the black rock in the event of a tie.


Feeling the heat and the desire to perhaps jump shit, the Coch-train reveals Ozzy's plan to Coach, Albert, and Sophie. He realizes that the perfect time to betray his former tribe is now.

Not surprisingly, Cochran returns the hidden immunity idol to Ozzy. Why? So many people appear baffled by this. Aren't they forgetting that had Ozzy only raised his voice, Cochran would have shat himself and started to cry. So yes, of course there was never any doubt that he'd give the idol back to Ozzy. I mean, even Elyse could have turned Cochran into her bitch. . .

I'm finally feeling like I control my fate.

Day 20

Cochran tells Dawn that the whole tie thing scares the hell out of him. She is aware that the weak nerd was treated badly by the rest of the tribe. She feels that she should have stood up for him. The Coch-machine wants the two of them to decide what course they will both take.

Funny how Dawn was all emotional, tearing up at the thought of the poor little dork getting picked on by Jim, Keith, Ozzy, and all the evil Savaii members. Funny how she forgets that Cochran has been a liability from the very beginning, how he is pretty useless around camp, how he is worthless physically and athletically and how he cost the tribe challenges. This is Survivor, not Glee. When you're stuck in a situation where your very survival (in the game and in real life) depends on the people fate has thrown your way, nobody wants to get stuck with a skinny wimp like Cochran. Period. He is a parody of what a true castaway should be, an insult to all the great men and women who have given their blood and their guts to the game of Survivor for more than a decade. Sure, he's entertaining to watch. But no one who's reading this review would want a guy like that on their tribe if they ever appeared on the show.

At the immunity challenge, Keith announces that the merged tribe's new name is Te Tuna. Jeff Probst reveals that two castaways will win immunity today; one man and one woman. They must maintain their balance on a small perch while holding a coconut in place between two ropes. Dawn wins immunity for the women and Ozzy wins it for the men.

Day 21

The Savaii tribe feels pretty good about this turn of events. They discuss who to vote for, and seemingly everyone appears comfortable going for the rocks. Given the two immunity necklaces, there would only be four Savaii members on the chopping block. They feel that Upolu will likely vote for Whitney.

But they should have known that the Coch-train wouldn't be comfortable with the idea of resorting to drawing rocks to remain in the game. Courage obviously isn't this young man's strong suit, and the weakling spills the beans and tells Sophie that the Savaii tribe plans on voting for Rick. He wants the Upolu tribe to protect him. Given the situation, Coach says that he has no choice but to trust the little weasel at this point.

When she learns that he's considering flipping on the second vote, Dawn warns Cochran to beware of Upolu promises. Anxious even on a perfect day, Cochran doesn't know what to do.

I just want to take control for the first time in the game.

Dawn changed her mind and wants to stick with her former tribe. She thinks it's wrong to flip.


At tribal council, when discussing the standoff, Ozzy explains that the odds are in their favor if they must resort to drawing rocks. Jim believes that it would make no sense for a Savaii to swtich now. Odd, but spending three weeks with the neurotic Coch-machine has not taught him anything about his tribesmate. The Upolu tribe feels that Ozzy's little performance prior to the duel was pathetic. At which point Ozzy reveals that they have the hidden immunity idol in their possession.

Before the votes are tallied, Ozzy plays the idol for Whitney. But the Savaii plan goes awry when they discover that every single Upolu member voted for Keith. So Rick and Keith are tied 6-6.

Hence, the second round will be between Keith and Rick. But when the votes are tallied 6-4 in favor of Keith, Cochran turns around and says that he flipped. Jim is livid and calls him a coward, but the harm is done. Keith is sent to Redemption Island and the Savaii tribe is now shorthanded.

A lot of people have been clamoring that the moral of the story is not to treat someone like crap, for they'll flip and betray you at the first opportunity come the merge. Sure, okay. Another moral to this story would be to get rid of worthless castaways as soon as humanly possible, for betrayal and strategy are the only coins they can play with. To be fair, the Savaii tribe has been meaning to eliminate the Coch-train for a while, but somehow it never worked. I wonder how Jim is feeling now about voting out Elyse, who would have remained loyal to the end. Jim, Keith, and Whitney are in many ways responsible for this not-so-unexpected turn of events.

And though it made for some suspense, I still can't understand why the Savaii crew went along with the plan to send Ozzy to Redemption Island. Christine had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with Upolu if she returned. They could have gotten rid of Cochran, who would have lost to Christine, which would have made for a solid six vs six instead of having someone you knew wasn't 100% trustworthy on your side. So in many ways, the Savaii tribe brought this upon themselves.

And with the Savaii gang on the wrong end of the numbers, no one has a bigger target on his back than Ozzy. The guy just won his 6th immunity challenge, and physically and athletically no one on the merged tribe is close to him. With his back against the wall, with no escape but by winning challenges, Ozzy will be at his most dangerous now. Prior to the season's beginning, I was saying that the best thing would be to get rid of Ozzy early, for come the merge he would be hard to beat. Remember how dominant he was in the Cook Island? Now you have an athletic guy like Ozzy with no room to manoeuver and nothing to lose. He could well go on another immunity run like he did in 2006 when he won five immunity challenges out of six.

And Keith will be hard to beat in the Redemption Island duel, which means that another strong competitor could re-enter the game at some point. And since I'm persuaded that the Upolu alliance will crumble at some point, all is not yet lost for the former Savaii members.

If we are lucky, the Coch-train will reach its destination and stop in Redemption Island next week. Where, let us not forget, Cochran will be forced to spend a night with Keith. I reckon the nerd will not receive a warm welcome. If this indeed takes place, they will have to blur the back of Cochran's shorts for there will certainly be skid marks all over the place!

Hands down, this season is the most entertaining Survivor season since Survivor: Samoa.

Rewatch: Survivor: Borneo "Season Finale" (Episode 13)

Episode 13: "Season Finale"
Original Airdate: August 23rd, 2000
American Ratings: 51.7 million viewers

It feels odd to look back on the finale of the very first season of Survivor. Back in the summer of 2000, Survivor was a TV phenomenon which took America by storm. The last episode saw over fifty million viewers watching television in August, a veritable feat considering that summer is habitually a TV wasteland filled with reruns. And although several subsequent Survivor finales were disappointments, this one left no one indifferent.

Day 37

Now part of the final four, Richard feels comfortable. He thinks it may have something to do with how little time is left.

Sue has trouble coping with boredom. Rudy believes he has lost about 22 pounds since they were marooned. Richard feels that it could be as much as thirty pounds for him.

I don't think I thought this was going to be as mental as it ended up being.

Rudy reflects on the fact that their alliance allowed them to vote everyone else off the island. Now with only the four of them left, the alliance is no more. They're on their own.

Kelly feels vulnerable. She is acutely aware that the target is on her back. From now on, there is no doubt that the other three will vote for her.

The first immunity challenge takes place in the tribal council area as the jury looks on. The Fallen Comrades challenge consists of questions about former castaways with whom they played the game. It goes to a tie-breaker between Sue and Kelly, with a question regarding Sonja's last name. Kelly wins immunity.

As the votes are tallied, both Richard and Sue garner two votes each. As a result, both won't get to vote again, but they are allowed to make a plea so that Kelly and Rudy won't eliminate them.

As the second round of voting is brought to a close, Sue racks up both votes and becomes the latest member of the jury.

This was a lot easier for me than driving a truck through Chicago every day of the week. That's a lot worst than being out here in the bush.

Day 38

Jeff Probst wakes them up at 4:00am. He takes Kelly, Richard, and Rudy to the final rite of passage. They will pass before the torch of each of their fallen companions and will have to reflect upon them. Covered in mud, they must then make their way to the final immunity challenge. Standing, they must keep their hand on the immunity idol for as long as they can.

Jeff Probst teases them with fresh oranges. After over two hours, Richard tells the other two that he hopes they'll both recognize what he has done since the beginning and he let's go. It's a bold move on his part, no question. With a million dollars at stake, a lot of people claimed they would have held forever.

Rudy and Kelly are now forced to rotate positions. After 4 hours and 11 minutes, Rudy accidentally gives Kelly the win. It's her fifth challenge victory in a row.

At tribal council, since Richard and Rudy's votes cancel one another, only Kelly will cast a vote. In what was, back in the day, considered a wise move, Kelly votes out Rudy, bringing Richard with her to the final tribal council.

In this case, Kelly has spoken.

Day 39

As Richard is lying in a hammock, relaxing, Kelly goes through her last yoga session on the beach.

I regret being part of the alliance. That didn't make me feel so good.

Meanwhile, Richard is thinking about the questions the jury might ask him tonight.

At final tribal council, each jury member gets to ask one question. Afterward, both Richard and Kelly will get the opportunity to plead their case. Both are allowed to make opening statements before the questions are asked.

Kelly explains that she is not a politician, that she didn't come here to campaign. She hopes she'll be judged on the person that she truly is and not the way she played the game.

I don't know that the best person is sitting up here. But hopefully the better person will win.

For his part, Richard explains that his approach was one of strategy. He couldn't plan it as well as he thought. He claims that he was only playing the game. He asks them to vote for who played the game better. Richard says that he approached the game with that perspective from the very start.

When Gervase asks what they would change, Kelly replies that she wouldn't have become part of the alliance.

When Jenna asks which two people they'd put in their places, Richard replies Greg and Rudy, while Kelly says Sonja and Gretchen.

Sean has no question. He claims that there's a lot of things he'd like to forget about the time spent with both of them.

Colleen wants to know what character traits got each of them to the final two. For Kelly, it's faith, strong will, and likeability. For Richard, it's self-awareness, observation, and ethics.

Rudy has absolutely nothing to say other than to let everyone know how dumb he feels for the mistake which cost him the immunity challenge.

Greg asks them to choose a number between one and ten.

Sue has no question, but her rat and snake speech remains a Survivor highlight to this day.

You will not get my vote. My vote will go to Richard. And I hope that this is the one vote that makes you lose the money.

As closing remarks, Kelly claims that she doesn't think that anyone in this game is without faults, errors, or unproud moments. Richard explains that he wouldn't change anything that he did, and he hopes they'll respect that this is what he felt he needed to do in order to play and ultimately have a chance to win this game.

In a final tribal council that shocked viewers, Richard beat Kelly by a narrow 4-3 vote, thus becoming the first ultimate Survivor.

Wow! I've won! It's an amazing place to be.

When I first began this Survivor: Borneo rewatch, I was afraid that the season had not aged well. Given the fact that I hadn't seen the first Survivor season since the 2000 reruns, I was a bit concerned that it wouldn't "survive" the test of time.

Regardless of all the seasons and disparate castaways that came after, Survivor: Borneo remains what could well be the best Survivor season in the history of the show!

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

Robbed. . .

This pic is from one of Russell Hantz's recent Twitter updates.

Looks like Jeff Probst feels like many of us regarding Natalie's shocking win on Survivor: Samoa. . .

Critique: Koh-Lanta: Raja Ampat (Épisode 7)

Date de diffusion originale: 28 octobre 2011
Audience: 7.05 millions de téléspectateurs

Jour 19

Florence a horreur du mensonge et les manigances de Maxime l'empêchent de dormir la nuit. Se sentant mal de soutenir bien malgré elle la stratégie de Maxime, elle dévoile à Gérard et Martin que son collier est faux.

Dans ma façon de voir, c'est de la triche.

Martin n'est pas vraiment choqué. Il est plutôt impressionné par le fait que Maxime ait été capable de tous les berner aussi facilement pendant si longtemps.

Gérard s'empresse d'annoncer la nouvelle à Laurent et Olivier. Il explique que Maxime a fabriqué un faux collier pour se donner la chance de chercher le véritable collier d'immunité sans que le reste de la tribu en fasse de même. Ils décident de ne pas en parler à Maxime avant que Florence ne le fasse elle-même.

Florence est inquiète, car elle ne veut pas être considérée comme une complice dans les magouilles de Maxime. Elle a demandé plusieurs fois à celui-ci de dévoiler la vérité à propos de son collier, mais il refuse. Même chose pour Virginie, qui ne veut pas être associée aux stratégies de Maxime. Bizarre, puisque les deux femmes semblaient très heureuses quand Maxime leur avait révélé ses plans. . . J'ai toujours soupçonné que Florence était le maillon faible de cette alliance, mais jamais je n'aurais cru qu'elle aurait trahi le stratège qui a tout mis sur pied.

Pour sa part, Maxime refuse toujours de divulguer la vérité, parce que pour lui ce serait de perdre la face devant les autres. Il joue pour gagner, un point c'est tout. Il veut faire comprendre à Elle et Virginie que, si ce n'était de lui, elles auraient été éliminées il y a longtemps.

Pour le jeu de confort d'aujourd'hui, la récompense est un coup de fil à leurs proches grâce à un téléphone satellite.

C'est dure. On en chie, quand même.

Un aventurier doit tirer une charge de 100kg le long d'une parcours à obstacles pendant que les autres l'aide en supportant le poids du filet. Maxime, Gérard, Laurent, et Elle sont exempté d'épreuve.

Les Wasaï prennent une légère avance et quittent donc la plage les premiers. Mais les Rouges reviennent de l'arrière et les équipes sont au coude à coude alors qu'il ne reste que quelques mètres à franchir. Patricia rejoint le coquillage la première, donnant ainsi la victoire aux Jaunes.


Les coups de téléphone à leurs familles donnent lieu à plusieurs moments forts en émotions. Teheiura fond en larmes quand il apprend que sa fille est absente.

Du côté des Mambok, Florence est atterrée par la défaite. Olivier est, lui aussi, touché profondément par la manque de ses proches. Frustré, il confronte Maxime concernant le faux collier. La tension monte et le stratège belge n'a d'autre choix que de dévoiler la vérité. Mais lorsqu'il révèle que les filles étaient au courant, Florence s'emporte et prétend qu'elle ne l'a appris qu'après coup.

Rien n'est jamais perdu à Koh-Lanta. On va continuer notre petit bonhomme de chemin et on verra comment ça se passera.

Les Jaunes, qui viennent de terminer leurs coups de téléphone, ont tout entendu et savent que Maxime vient d'être démasqué. Olivier se vide le coeur devant les Wasaï.

Denis Brogniart annonce la réunification pour le lendemain. Chaque tribu doit choisir un émissaire qui passera la nuit sur la camp adverse. Leur mission sera de choisir l'ambassadeur chez l'adversaire. Le lendemain, les ambassadeurs devront à leur tour sélectionner un aventurier à éliminer sur le champ.

Martin, l'émissaire des Rouges, découvre le camp des Wasaï, qui ont très hâte à la réunification. Chez les Mambok, c'est Anthony qui est l'émissaire des Jaunes. Olivier et Gérard aimeraient bien voir Maxime sortir.

Plutôt que de nous rendre service, tu pouvais nous mettre grave dans la merde.

Si Maxime se sent en danger, celui-ci n'hésitera pas à salir les filles qui refusent catégoriquement d'assumer leur stratégies. Il se sent trahi.

Tout le monde se moque de Maxime quand Olivier lui demande de montre son faux collier au reste de l'équipe.

Jour 20

Anthony désigne Olivier comme ambassadeur des Rouges, alors que Martin nomme Teheiura comme ambassadeur des Jaunes. Mais la mission des émissaires n'est pas terminée. Denis Brogniart leur annonce qu'ils pourront observer la discussions des ambassadeurs, mais cachés sur l'île d'à côté.

Durant la rencontre des ambassadeurs, Olivier tente de pousser Teheiura à trahir un membre des Wasaï, mais celui-ci refuse de céder. Craignant le tirage au sort, Olivier accepte d'éliminer Maxime si Teheiura s'engage à faire promettre aux Jaunes de dévoiler à tout le monde s'ils trouvent le collier d'immunité.


Olivier revient sur le campement des Rouges et annonce l'élimination de Maxime. Celui-ci croit que les choses deviendront vite difficiles pour les filles, à qui il reproche d'avoir révélé qu'il avait fabriqué un faux collier.

Du côté des Jaunes, Teheiura rentre en héros. Il leur dévoile l'élimination de Maxime, mais aussi son entente avec Olivier à propos du collier d'immunité caché. Sans surprise, Patricia n'est pas trop à l'aise avec cette décision. À son retour, Anthony divulgue qu'il était présent lors de la rencontre des ambassadeurs. Il explique que l'entente avec Olivier ne tient pas, et que même Martin demande aux Jaunes de ne pas dévoiler l'existence du collier s'ils l'ont en leur possession.

Les Wasaï sont bien conscients qu'ils doivent être stratèges ou ils seront éliminés un par un par la tribu réunifiée. Ils mangent une grande quantité de riz pour ne pas avoir à le partager avec les Rouges.


Martin revient sur le camp des Mambok et il annonce qu'il a tout entendu. Il révèle qu'Olivier a tout fait en son pouvoir pour protéger les Rouges, mais en vain. Maxime espère que les filles resteront soudées pour avoir la chance d'éliminer les plus fort comme Martin et Olivier.

Denis Brogniart vient chercher Maxime, pour qui l'aventure se termine brusquement aujourd'hui. Il a eu le courage d'oser, mais maintenant il fait les frais de sa stratégie.

La réunification aura lieu sur le campement des Mambok.

Unis, quoiqu'il arrive.

Il est clair que les ex-Jaunes auront du mal à infiltrer les ex-Rouges pour survivre. Du coup, Anthony et Teheiura se sentent menacés.

Jour 21

Olivier et Gérard, qui travaillent continuellement, voudraient bien que Martin, Laurent, et Anthony soient plus actifs sur le campement.

Pour la première épreuve d'immunité individuelle, les aventuriers doivent se tenir en équilibre dans la position de l'étoile entre deux poteaux à l'aide de leurs mains et de leurs pieds.

Après 90 minutes, Denis Brogniart annonce aux candidates restants, Alexandra, Gérard, et Teheiura, qu'ils devront maintenant se tenir que sur un seul pied. Au bout de 93 minutes, c'est Teheiura qui remporte le totem.


Anthony se sent en danger pour le conseil qui approche. Il tente de se rapprocher des gens avec qui il a des affinités. De son côté, bien qu'intouchable ce soir, Teheiura essaye de se rendre indispensable sur le camp. Les ex-Jaunes font des pieds et des mains pour trouver une faille chez les Mambok, mais le temps presse.

Lors du conseil, Denis Brogniart revient sur la réunification. En ce qui a trait à la survie, tous et toutes avouent que Teheiura est de loin le meilleur aventurier. On revient aussi sur le fait qu'il n'existe pas de véritable tribu Blanche. Ce sont encore les Rouges contre les Jaunes.

Lors du dépouillement, Alexandra et Florence voient leur nom apparaître sur un bulletin de vote chacune , alors qu'Olivier a quatre voix contre lui. Mais un vote unanime des Mambok élimine Anthony, qui sera le premier membre du jury final.

C'est une tribu des Wasaï décimée qui semble vouée à l'échec qui demeure dans l'aventure. Mais il semble bien que nous assisterons à une fragmentation des Mambok la semaine prochaine, et donc tout pourrait bien arriver!

Survivor: South Pacific "Trojan Horse" (Episode 7)

Episode 7: "Trojan Horse"
Original Airdate: October 26th, 2011
American Ratings: 11.79 million viewers

Although the TV ratings had more or less stabilized during the course of this season, they have gone up these last two weeks. Indeed, more than a million additional viewers have tuned in to watch last night's episode compared to the fifth installment of the series. True, yesterday Survivor: South Pacific was going up against reruns for the most part, but it does bode well for the rest of the season.

With both tribes even at six members each and with the merge looming, the next immunity challenge will be crucial.

A number of Upolu members believe that if Brandon suffers another such meltdown come the merge, they might be in trouble. Coach claims that if Brandon becomes a liability, they will have no choice but to get rid of him.

Day 17

Albert, Sophie, Cochran, and Ozzy witness the Redemption Island duel between Christine and Mikayla. Both women must take apart a crate and build a bridge from the planks. Once their bridge is complete, they must use some of the planks to form a puzzle.

Christine finishes her bridge first. Albert helps Mikayla from the stands. The puzzle is the Redemption Arena symbol. Mikayla completes her puzzle first, but a slight mistake allows Christine to get away with the win, her fifth in a row.

I've always been a legitimate force.

On their way back to camp, Ozzy realizes that come the merge, Christine could possibly side with the Savaii tribe. And yet, due to the uncertainty of it all, it might be a good thing for Savaii to send someone that can beat her to Redemption Island if they lose the next immunity challenge. Okay, I'm perplexed. . . Christine has made it quite clear for quite some time that she wants nothing to do with Upolu if she comes back into the game. It doesn't get much more evident than this. So why is Ozzy concerned that she might ally herself with her former tribe? Has anyone been paying attention to these duels or what???


Ozzy tells Cochran that they should help each other. He explains his worst case scenario plan to him, saying that he would have to give his idol to someone with the hope that they'll give it back upon his return.

On the Upolu beach, Coach meditates and prays. He feels that the tribe needs a shot in the arm to bounce back. After Brandon, it's now Coach's turn to act like a religious fucktard.

Sophie questions Coach's integrity for praying to God to help them find the hidden immunity idol when he already has it.

Tree mail instructs each tribe to paint and dress themselves as tribal warriors for the next immunity challenge.


Coach and Sophie return to the camp pretending that they have just found the immunity idol. Brandon is ecstatic at the thought that God has blessed their tribe.

Pray together, stay together.

In addition to immunity, the winning tribe will make its way to the Survivor cinema to watch a sneak peek of Adam Sandler's Jack and Jill. Painted and dressed up as warriors, they will compete. One set of twins will be the callers, while the other pairs, tied and blindfolded, must retrieve bags of masks. They must then form a puzzle using the masks.

After an even start, Cochran struggles with the rope management and Upolu takes the lead. And then, Albert wastes a lot of time trying to untie the last bag, allowing Savaii to get back into it.

Coach prays as Albert and Sophie work on the final puzzle. Cochran screw-up cost his tribe too much time and Upolu wins immunity. Ozzy is furious at Cochran for costing them the challenge. Meanwhile, the entire Upolu tribe goes down on their knees and thank God for the victory. To the casting crew: Please no more religious fuckwits if CBS orders additional seasons of Survivor for the future. Pretty please. . .

Cochran felt like crying for blowing up the immunity challenge. I don't believe there has ever been such a worthless male castaway in the history of the show. . .

The Upolu tribe enjoys their private screening of Jack and Jill.


Ozzy says that it was a disaster. He knows they should have won. Since Cochran lost it for them, it's only fair that he should be sent to Redemption Island. It would be his chance to redeem himself. Cochran, ever the epitome of courage, is terrified at the thought of being sent to Redemption Island.

Day 18

Ozzy had trouble sleeping the night before. He brings the hidden immunity idol back to camp. Ozzy announces that he is willing to go to Redemption Island. But he wants the tribe to decide whether or not to send him to face Christine. His offer isn't met with widespread enthusiasm.

We are only as strong as our weakest link and that's Cochran.

At tribal council, Ozzy's stratagem is discussed. It's his chance for his own redemption. Yet it's such a risky move that Jeff Probst warns him that he could come out an even bigger fool than last time if they do this.

In the end, the Savaii tribe grants Ozzy his wish and send him to Redemption Island with a 5-1 vote. Cochran receives the only vote not cast against Ozzy.

Ozzy hands the immunity idol to Cochran for safekeeping.

Well, you've just made one of the biggest moves in the history of this game based on one big assumption: that the merge is next.

Indeed, if the merge doesn't take place next week, this plan could backfire and have enormous repercussions. Ozzy could lose the duel, which would put an already weaker Savaii tribe in a heap of troubles. And yet, even if Ozzy wins, no one knows when the Redemption Island winner will return in the game. If it's not at the time of the merge and Savaii loses the next immunity challenge, Ozzy would then have to face one of his own companions to remain alive, and thus reducing Savaii's chances to even things out with Upolu.

This decision is indeed one of the biggest moves in Survivor history. Problem is, it could also surpass J. T.'s dumbass idea to give Russell his immunity idol as the stupidest move in the history of the game. . .

Best immunity challenge in the history of Survivor!!!

BEST. IMMUNITY. CHALLENGE. EVER!!!

Props to Candice and Amanda for taking the hits and kicking some ass!

Critique: Koh-Lanta: Raja Ampat (Épisode 6)

Date de diffusion originale: 21 octobre 2011
Audience: 6.93 millions de téléspectateurs

Jour 16

Les Wasaï semblent déterminés à profiter des enseignements du conseil pour avancer à cinq durant le reste de l'aventure. Patricia et Caroline se sont parlés, mais reste à voir si leur discussion a porté fruit.

Anthony est de plus en plus épuisé. Il sent que son corps est en train de le lâcher. Il a l'impression d'être un vieillard.

Teheiura fabrique un piège à poisson, espérant pouvoir donner à sa tribu la viande dont ils ont tant besoin.

Chez les Mambok, Maxime a été évacué d'urgence à l'infirmerie la veille et ses compagnons sont toujours sans nouvelles de lui. Il s'est coupé le pouce avec la machette en ouvrant une noix de coco. Ses alliées sont très touchées par con absence. Surtout Virginie, qui est consciente qu'elle lui doit tout dans cette aventure.

Après avoir passé la nuit sous observation à l'infirmerie, Maxime réintègre l'aventure pour disputer le jeu de confort. Des fruits, des oeufs, et du chocolat sont une récompense qui fait saliver les deux équipes. Chaque tribu doit sélectionner un aventurier qui sera relié à un élastique et qui devra récupérer des aliments. Pendant ce temps, les autres membres de l'équipe seront attachés à une corde et auront les yeux bandés. Ils devront se rendre au bout d'un parcours à obstacle pour faire gagner leur équipe et repartir avec les aliments récupérés. Maxime, Martin , et Laurent sont exemptés d'épreuve.


Anthony et Gérard sont les coursiers. Les Jaunes prennent de l'avance en début de parcours. Pendant que les deux tribus galèrent, les coursiers réussissent à récupérer toute la nourriture sur la table. Les Rouges reviennent de l'arrière et remportent la victoire.

Virginie est aux anges de voir Maxime revenir dans l'aventure. Il lui a promis de l'emmener le plus loin possible, et elle a donc besoin de lui. Si tout se passe comme prévu, Maxime est convaincu de pouvoir aller en finale. Cependant, il semble que les nombreux caprices d'Ella pourraient venir brouiller les cartes.

Le manque de nourriture l'affectant énormément, Anthony croit avoir atteint ses limites physiques.

Du côté des Mambok, ils se régalent avec les aliments gagnés lors du jeu de confort.

C'est le paradis. C'est trop bon.

Jour 17

Chez les Jaunes, les filles partent en expédition pour trouver de quoi manger. Patricia n'est pas très heureuse de voir Caroline les accompagner. Patricia et Alexandra se méfient de la Suissesse.

Du côté des Rouges, Olivier est préoccupé par le collier d'immunité trouvé par Maxime. Olivier aimerait bien le voir de ses yeux. Avec les stratégies ayant décimé les Mambok dans le passé, les hommes se méfient de Maxime et son soi-disant collier. Olivier est persuadé que c'est Maxime le stratège. C'est lui qui commanderait les filles.

Pendant que tous et toutes sont à la recherche du collier d'immunité, c'est Patricia qui le trouve enfin après avoir prié St-Antoine. Elle désire garder son secret jusqu'au bout.

Les Jaunes préparent un bon petit repas pour faire plaisir et redonner des forces à Anthony. Il réalise qu'il a de la chance d'avoir une équipe comme les Wasaï. C'est un peu le repas de la dernière chance pour lui.

Jour 18

Les Jaunes sont conscients qu'ils n'ont d'autre choix que de gagner aujourd'hui.

L'épreuve d'immunité consiste à se tenir en équilibre à l'aide d'une corde sur une structure à deux pentes. Chaque fois qu'un aventurier touche à l'eau, il ou elle sera éliminé. Maxime, Gérard, et Laurent sont exemptés d'épreuve.


Virginie abandonne immédiatement. C'est un défi d'endurance et d'équilibre exigeant, et Florence et Ella lâchent prise rapidement. Alexandra abandonne à son tour pour permettre aux Jaunes de mieux répartir la charge. Dans une erreur stratégique, Patricia et Caroline abandonnent pour laisser Teheiura et Anthony affronter Olivier et Martin. Malgré les encouragements, Anthony ne cesse de faiblir et tombe au combat. Alors que les Rouges remportent la victoire, Caroline est d'avis qu'elle et Patricia auraient fait meilleure figure que Teheiura et Anthony. Elle prétend que les femmes font trop confiance aux mecs sur les épreuves.

De retour sur le campement, Alexandra et Patricia se sentent menacées. Caroline est dans leur ligne de mire, et celle-ci profite de leur absence pour faire un peu de lobbying contre Alexandra auprès des hommes.

Olivier et Gérard continuent de se poser des question quant au collier d'immunité découvert par Maxime. Quand celui-ci leur montre finalement son collier, ses compagnons doutent fortement de sa validité.

L'heure du conseil approche à grand pas, et Alexandra et Patricia voteront pour Caroline. Personne n'est au courant du vote noir de Délisia, mais il est possible qu'il soit pour Caroline. Les deux femmes tenteront donc leur chance de cette façon.

C'est un quatrième conseil consécutif pour les Wasaï et Denis Brogniart ne sait plus quoi leur dire. Encore une fois, c'est une mauvaise stratégie qui a eu raison de leurs chances de remporter une épreuve d'immunité. Lorsque questionnée, Patricia révèle qu'elle n'a toujours pas confiance envers Caroline, à qui elle reproche de ne pas avoir tenté de retenir Steve et Naouel lors de leur abandon.

Lors du dépouillement du vote, Alexandra voit sont nom apparaître sur un bulletin. Patricia reçoit deux voix contre elle, alors que les trois autres voix sont contre Caroline qui est éliminée. Encore une fois, le vote noir aura eu raison d'un aventurier.

Bien que la bande-annonce pour le prochain épisode semble indiquer que Maxime sera finalement démasqué, l'expérience m'a appris qu'il faut ce méfier de ce petit segment à la fin de chaque épisode. Le stratège belge contrôle toujours quatre votes, donc il demeure quand même en bonne position pour aller loin dans l'aventure, même si le moment de la réunification est arrivé. . .

Rendez-vous la semaine prochaine!

Survivor: South Pacific "Free Agent" (Episode 6)

Episode 6: "Free Agent"
Original Airdate: October 19th, 2011
American Ratings: 11.24 million viewers

Ozzy is livid as the tribe returns from tribal council. He's furious that the others betrayed the alliance.

I'm now what's called a free agent. I'm now playing for myself.

Ozzy's social and strategic game has often been found lacking in the past, and in his anger he commits another major faux pas by revealing to the others that he has the hidden immunity idol. He reminds them not to forget about Redemption Island, where an athlete like him could potentially dominate.

Though it may not have been a bright idea to unveil all this, you gotta love a cocky Ozzy. The pseudo-hippie guru Ozzy was getting kind of boring.

Day 15

On the Savaii beach, Ozzy still can't believe that the others went behind his back and voted out Elyse. By doing so, they shattered tribe unity.

Jim feels that Ozzy should apologize for the previous night's outburst. He thinks that Ozzy made the worst move by revealing that he has found the idol.

Seriously, he's behaving like a stupid bitch.

Back at the Upolu camp, Coach, now believing that's he's in the driver seat because of the hidden immunity idol, is ecstatic. God knows that Coach has never been the sharpest tool in the shed in past Survivor seasons, but this time around he is smart enough to understand that Brandon could betray him down the line.


Unaware that the hidden immunity idol has already been found, Brandon finds the clue to help locate it. Loyal to his alliance, he immediately reveals the content of the clue to Coach.

Is withholding information lying? It's a gray area.

Excited, Brandon can't stop searching for the idol. Albert warns Coach against telling Brandon that they already have the hidden immunity idol. Albert feels that Brandon might go crazy after being left in the dark.

Keith, Ozzy, Rick, and Sophie will witness the Redemption Island duel. It's a Survivor shuffle board challenge, in which one must knock off your opponent's four pucks out of the game to win. Christine wins her fourth duel in a row.

Is it me, or are the Redemption Island duels a joke??? I mean, if the production wanted to make this such an interesting and important twist, the duelists should have to suffer and give it everything they've got to earn a chance to get back into the game. Survivor used to be about suffering and giving it everything you had. Reaching what you thought were your limits, only to find the strength to persevere and go further, physically and mentally, than you ever thought possible. Castaways never had to work so little for the chance to remain in the game after being voted out at tribal council. . .

Coming back from the duel, Rick and Sophie can't believe how bitter Christine has become. They are acutely aware that she'd flip if she ever returns from Redemption Island.

With no other alternative, Edna continues to try to endear herself to Coach. He claims that voting out Edna before Mikayla would be crazy.

After giving this much thought, Ozzy realizes that he made a mistake following tribal council the night before. He tells Keith that he's willing to look past what took place. He apologizes to the rest of the tribe for flying off the handle. Jim wants Ozzy on his tribe for a while. Ozzy helps him win challenges. And come the merge, Ozzy will be a much bigger target than Jim.

Day 16

For the immunity challenge, both tribes much assemble a wheelbarrow and then manoeuver it through a maze to collect coconuts. They must then use a giant slingshot to shoot coconuts at targets. First tribe to hit all their targets wins immunity. The reward is a picnic and an afternoon at the sliding rocks, a natural waterslide. Edna will sit out the challenge for Upolu.

Dawn and Ozzy have a hard time manoeuvering their wheelbarrow through the obstacle course, and Upolu takes an early lead. Brandon and Rick are getting the job done quickly. Mikayla drives Coach crazy by shooting the slingshot one-handed. Meanwhile, Jim, Keith, and Whitney make a huge comeback to win the challenge.

Coach is furious. He says that it's Mikayla's fault that they lost the immunity challenge. And for that, she should be eliminated.

The Savaii tribe uses the meal to bond once again. The reward brings them back together. Even the whimp Cochran slides down the rocks.

I'm a sparkling water person.

Albert tells Mikayla that he'll go to war for her, for Coach appears set on getting rid of her. She is at a loss as to why they would keep Edna instead of her. Albert works on Rick and Sophie. He claims they'll be in trouble if they lose the next challenge, so they need to keep the tribe strong by keeping Mikayla around. He feels that Edna is smart enough to know that she's the sixth member of the alliance. Come the merge, she could be dangerous. Though Brandon feels more comfortable around Mikayla, he claims that he must keep his word and not betray Coach and his alliance.

Albert and Sophie approach Coach to try to reason with him. Albert maintains that Edna is the weakest player in the tribe and she must go. Yet based on her loyalty, Coach wants to keep Edna around. I have a feeling that this decision could come back and bite Coach in the ass. . . Sensing a potential break-up in the alliance, Coach begins lobbying against Mikayla, and Rick suddenly finds himself as the swing vote.

At tribal council, Coach explains that they didn't compete as a team today and that's why they lost the challenge. Jeff Probst asks Edna about once again being left out of the challenge. He discusses the coming merge with Brandon. At which point, Albert claims that you cannot worry about the loyalty of the people that get you to the merge before you make it to the merge. Brandon blows another fuse and reveals that they have a pact not to vote out Edna. He says that if they start to play the game in a disloyal manner, they can vote him out tonight.

Come on, cowboy. Go for her too.

Edna sees her name come up three times, but Rick sides with Coach and Mikayla racks up the remaining four votes and get sent to Redemption Island.

Voting out their strongest female player may come back to haunt the Upolu tribe. And given her athletic abilities, Mikayla could win a few duels and possibly get the chance to return to the game. And I have a feeling that forgiveness wouldn't be on the agenda. . .