Post by babybear on Oct 15, 2005 6:27:32 GMT -5
Survivor Guatemala
Episode 5
OK, so I was going to save this on my TIVO so I could watch it twice, but I forgot and deleted it. I found that oddly ironic since for the most part, this whole episode was about getting rid of something that they had planned to keep. More on that later.
Apparently it's been over 100 degrees EVERY d**n DAY in Guatemala. See, this is why I, cheerful readers, could NEVER ever in a million years do Survivor. I do not do heat. I run the AC in February if I feel hot. I never vacation any further South than I already am, unless it's Vegas and then I don't leave the AC'd casinos and hotels. Heck I won't even play a slot that's too close to the door to the outside. NO HEAT FOR ME. So 100 degrees is not doable, and since Survivor is always somewhere HOT HOT HOT so that the cast ends up running around half naked, beaded with sweat, broiling under the unforgiving sun.....whew, I just had to turn up the AC, I was feeling hot. Anyway, unless they do Survivor: Artic Circle where the food challenge is eating whale blubber and you have to build your own igloo with nothing but a cheese slicer that you won in a reward challenge to cut out ice blocks with, this gal is staying home. I hate the way the fat rolls hang over my bikini anyway. Snort.
So, we have established that it's not just hot, it's blazin', omg we're dyin', this must be hell hot. We've already seen some people suffering from some sort of rare heat stroke that compels one to dive into the water with the crocs, so we know that all of the Guatemala Survivors want to get in that lake in the worst kind of way. That is what makes the reward challenge such a big deal this time round. You know, I really think that this was probably the best reward challenge prize EVER. Not only would they get margharitas and chips and salsa (personally, I would rather have a 2 liter of cold diet coke and donuts) but they would get a shark proof swim cage with a deck and deck chairs.
The challenge was one of those multi stage things. First they had to cut two fairly thick ropes with a rock. Supposedly these were "sharp" rocks. Sharp is what I have in my kitchen drawer labeled "Chicago Cutlery". (They were a gift from Scott's Dad who got a knife sharpener for Christmas that same year so MY gift got sharpened to the point where you just aim it at something and it falls into pieces in fear.) The "sharp" rocks were more like....well, ....rocks. Once the ropes were cut, they would drop down two round pole thingies necessary later in the challenge.
Jamie is up for rope cutting ala rock for Yaxha, and Brandon is up for Nakum. Jamie begins to sort of saw at the ropes with his "sharp" rock. He is brave. He is diligent. He is doing it JUST like in the demonstration. Brandon, on the other hand is brash and determined. He casts aside the demo as if it were completely irrelevent and begins wailing away on the ropes with his "sharp" rock like it's an axe. He hacks a few moments and is through the first rope. Jeff says, "Brandon is through the first rope."
Now, I hate to be critical, but let me ask you. If you are in a challenge that if you win it, you 1) get booze and chips, 2) get a way to cool off in the over 100 degree heat and 3) do not incur the wrath and disappointment of your tribemates, and you hear Jeff say "Brandon is through the first rope," and you had barely made a dent in your first rope, wouldn't YOU turn around and sneak a peek at what technique Brandon was using to fly through this challenge like the ropes were made out of string cheese? Well, apparently Jamie's answer to this question is a resounding, "NO."
Nakum has their "poles" in short order and are on to the next stage of the challenge. Jamie continues to saw patiently with his "sharp" rock.
The second stage involved taking an axe and chopping through a log. Along the bottom of the log is another rope. Once you chop through the log, you end up chopping through the rope which releases another two poles. Bobby Jon is the chopper for Nakum. Jamie is still grinding the first rope with his "sharp" rock.
Bobby Jon makes quick work of the log and the two poles fall and are collected by the rest of Nakum. They take these poles and fit them into a turnstile at the top of a raised platform. By turning the turnstile, a little cart is pulled along a track and up a ramp to the platform. The Nakum tribe begins to turn the turnstile. Jamie, for Yaxha, continues in his quest to saw through the rope.
Once the cart reaches the platform. Six tribe members (Nakum) jump in and take a little ride down the ramp and to the end of the track to crash into a pile of dirt AND win the reward. Jamie, ever faithful, ever true, manages to sever the last of the two ropes and urges his tribe to go chop on that log and continue the challenge. Someone points out to him that since Nakum has already won, it was unlikely that they had a chance at this particular reward. Yaxha is kind of sad about it all. Stephanie makes a point of admitting privately that she is really hating losing. She really wants to win something.
Nakum returns to their camp and there they receive the "swimmin' hole". It's basically a cage that they presume will keep out the crocs sunk into the lake with a wooden deck around it. Almost all activity at that camp now consists of either being in the "swimmin' hole" or lounging around it on the deck. I assume they go back to shore to take care of bodily functions and to eat, but other than that, these guys are now staging their own version of Waterworld, minus Dennis Hopper and Kevin Costner.
I should point out here that my sweetie, Scott, is a gamer. He loves strategy games. He's also very good at them. At the end of Episode 4 last week, he told me that what Stepanie's group, the newly formed Yaxha tribe should do is continue to lose immunity challenges. Reward challenges don't mean anything, he says. They are just a distraction from the real game. The original Nakum tribe was down a couple of members from losing a couple of immunity challenges. Then the swap happens. The original Nakum tribe is in a minority in the NEW Nakum tribe, but thanks to Judd's treachery, has a majority in the NEW Yaxha tribe.He says that if Yaxha can lose immunities and continue to vote out the minority tribe group within Yaxha, when the two tribes merge, they will have an advantage because the other tribe will add to their number and they will be in the majority of old Nakum tribe members on the new merged tribe. He says they would be foolish to win immunity.
Of course, Yaxha doesn't see it this way. They are desperate to win. The challenge consists of a catapult that one tribe member uses to fling a round thing that I swear looked like those little cartoon bombs. (You know the ones, black ball with a fuse sticking out of it.) I don't think Mayans had cartoons or bombs for that matter, so I guess this is representative of something else but they sure looked like bombs to me. Meanwhile, the other 6 tribe members are divided into groups of three and are running around with triangular shaped nets that they must use to catch the flung bombs. They can catch bombs that their team member catapults. They can catch bombs that the OTHER team's member catapults. They must however, work together to position their triangle net in the right spot.
I knew when Scott said that the smart thing to do was lose immunity that Yaxha was going to win and I was not disappointed. They won immunity. Yippee.
At this point, however, Scott's theory fell through. The NEW Nakum, having lost immunity, should obviously get rid of a minority (old Nakum member) tribe member. That would be in their best interests. To vote a member of the OLD Yaxha tribe would be foolhardy and prove them even dumber than the NEW Yaxha tribe for failing to lose immunity.
However, one is forgetting the power of the word. The spoken word. The over spoken, never ceasing, ear bedeviling, word. Blake just didn't know when to shut up. Plus, he was all "frat boy". He was annoying. I'm not sure how annoying someone has to be to make you risk your shot at a million dollars, but apparently Blake, though a strong competitor, was making his tribe so crazy they had to be rid of him. To his chagrin, he was completely blindsided and sent packing at tribal council.
So, at this point, we have had back to back strange evictions. Last week, the tribe that was split evenly had a betrayal amonst them that sent Brianna home and this week, one of the tribe members that was in the majority flopped and voted with the minority to oust one of their original tribe members. There is a bright side to all this odd non-strategy game play, however. When the coup was taking place and the minority was shopping for someone to vote with them, they approached Bobby Jon who said "no, I don't want to start going back on my word yet." This leads me to believe that THIS time, Bobby Jon is actually trying to play the game using a strategy. Will wonders never cease?
Till next week.
BCandScott
Episode 5
OK, so I was going to save this on my TIVO so I could watch it twice, but I forgot and deleted it. I found that oddly ironic since for the most part, this whole episode was about getting rid of something that they had planned to keep. More on that later.
Apparently it's been over 100 degrees EVERY d**n DAY in Guatemala. See, this is why I, cheerful readers, could NEVER ever in a million years do Survivor. I do not do heat. I run the AC in February if I feel hot. I never vacation any further South than I already am, unless it's Vegas and then I don't leave the AC'd casinos and hotels. Heck I won't even play a slot that's too close to the door to the outside. NO HEAT FOR ME. So 100 degrees is not doable, and since Survivor is always somewhere HOT HOT HOT so that the cast ends up running around half naked, beaded with sweat, broiling under the unforgiving sun.....whew, I just had to turn up the AC, I was feeling hot. Anyway, unless they do Survivor: Artic Circle where the food challenge is eating whale blubber and you have to build your own igloo with nothing but a cheese slicer that you won in a reward challenge to cut out ice blocks with, this gal is staying home. I hate the way the fat rolls hang over my bikini anyway. Snort.
So, we have established that it's not just hot, it's blazin', omg we're dyin', this must be hell hot. We've already seen some people suffering from some sort of rare heat stroke that compels one to dive into the water with the crocs, so we know that all of the Guatemala Survivors want to get in that lake in the worst kind of way. That is what makes the reward challenge such a big deal this time round. You know, I really think that this was probably the best reward challenge prize EVER. Not only would they get margharitas and chips and salsa (personally, I would rather have a 2 liter of cold diet coke and donuts) but they would get a shark proof swim cage with a deck and deck chairs.
The challenge was one of those multi stage things. First they had to cut two fairly thick ropes with a rock. Supposedly these were "sharp" rocks. Sharp is what I have in my kitchen drawer labeled "Chicago Cutlery". (They were a gift from Scott's Dad who got a knife sharpener for Christmas that same year so MY gift got sharpened to the point where you just aim it at something and it falls into pieces in fear.) The "sharp" rocks were more like....well, ....rocks. Once the ropes were cut, they would drop down two round pole thingies necessary later in the challenge.
Jamie is up for rope cutting ala rock for Yaxha, and Brandon is up for Nakum. Jamie begins to sort of saw at the ropes with his "sharp" rock. He is brave. He is diligent. He is doing it JUST like in the demonstration. Brandon, on the other hand is brash and determined. He casts aside the demo as if it were completely irrelevent and begins wailing away on the ropes with his "sharp" rock like it's an axe. He hacks a few moments and is through the first rope. Jeff says, "Brandon is through the first rope."
Now, I hate to be critical, but let me ask you. If you are in a challenge that if you win it, you 1) get booze and chips, 2) get a way to cool off in the over 100 degree heat and 3) do not incur the wrath and disappointment of your tribemates, and you hear Jeff say "Brandon is through the first rope," and you had barely made a dent in your first rope, wouldn't YOU turn around and sneak a peek at what technique Brandon was using to fly through this challenge like the ropes were made out of string cheese? Well, apparently Jamie's answer to this question is a resounding, "NO."
Nakum has their "poles" in short order and are on to the next stage of the challenge. Jamie continues to saw patiently with his "sharp" rock.
The second stage involved taking an axe and chopping through a log. Along the bottom of the log is another rope. Once you chop through the log, you end up chopping through the rope which releases another two poles. Bobby Jon is the chopper for Nakum. Jamie is still grinding the first rope with his "sharp" rock.
Bobby Jon makes quick work of the log and the two poles fall and are collected by the rest of Nakum. They take these poles and fit them into a turnstile at the top of a raised platform. By turning the turnstile, a little cart is pulled along a track and up a ramp to the platform. The Nakum tribe begins to turn the turnstile. Jamie, for Yaxha, continues in his quest to saw through the rope.
Once the cart reaches the platform. Six tribe members (Nakum) jump in and take a little ride down the ramp and to the end of the track to crash into a pile of dirt AND win the reward. Jamie, ever faithful, ever true, manages to sever the last of the two ropes and urges his tribe to go chop on that log and continue the challenge. Someone points out to him that since Nakum has already won, it was unlikely that they had a chance at this particular reward. Yaxha is kind of sad about it all. Stephanie makes a point of admitting privately that she is really hating losing. She really wants to win something.
Nakum returns to their camp and there they receive the "swimmin' hole". It's basically a cage that they presume will keep out the crocs sunk into the lake with a wooden deck around it. Almost all activity at that camp now consists of either being in the "swimmin' hole" or lounging around it on the deck. I assume they go back to shore to take care of bodily functions and to eat, but other than that, these guys are now staging their own version of Waterworld, minus Dennis Hopper and Kevin Costner.
I should point out here that my sweetie, Scott, is a gamer. He loves strategy games. He's also very good at them. At the end of Episode 4 last week, he told me that what Stepanie's group, the newly formed Yaxha tribe should do is continue to lose immunity challenges. Reward challenges don't mean anything, he says. They are just a distraction from the real game. The original Nakum tribe was down a couple of members from losing a couple of immunity challenges. Then the swap happens. The original Nakum tribe is in a minority in the NEW Nakum tribe, but thanks to Judd's treachery, has a majority in the NEW Yaxha tribe.He says that if Yaxha can lose immunities and continue to vote out the minority tribe group within Yaxha, when the two tribes merge, they will have an advantage because the other tribe will add to their number and they will be in the majority of old Nakum tribe members on the new merged tribe. He says they would be foolish to win immunity.
Of course, Yaxha doesn't see it this way. They are desperate to win. The challenge consists of a catapult that one tribe member uses to fling a round thing that I swear looked like those little cartoon bombs. (You know the ones, black ball with a fuse sticking out of it.) I don't think Mayans had cartoons or bombs for that matter, so I guess this is representative of something else but they sure looked like bombs to me. Meanwhile, the other 6 tribe members are divided into groups of three and are running around with triangular shaped nets that they must use to catch the flung bombs. They can catch bombs that their team member catapults. They can catch bombs that the OTHER team's member catapults. They must however, work together to position their triangle net in the right spot.
I knew when Scott said that the smart thing to do was lose immunity that Yaxha was going to win and I was not disappointed. They won immunity. Yippee.
At this point, however, Scott's theory fell through. The NEW Nakum, having lost immunity, should obviously get rid of a minority (old Nakum member) tribe member. That would be in their best interests. To vote a member of the OLD Yaxha tribe would be foolhardy and prove them even dumber than the NEW Yaxha tribe for failing to lose immunity.
However, one is forgetting the power of the word. The spoken word. The over spoken, never ceasing, ear bedeviling, word. Blake just didn't know when to shut up. Plus, he was all "frat boy". He was annoying. I'm not sure how annoying someone has to be to make you risk your shot at a million dollars, but apparently Blake, though a strong competitor, was making his tribe so crazy they had to be rid of him. To his chagrin, he was completely blindsided and sent packing at tribal council.
So, at this point, we have had back to back strange evictions. Last week, the tribe that was split evenly had a betrayal amonst them that sent Brianna home and this week, one of the tribe members that was in the majority flopped and voted with the minority to oust one of their original tribe members. There is a bright side to all this odd non-strategy game play, however. When the coup was taking place and the minority was shopping for someone to vote with them, they approached Bobby Jon who said "no, I don't want to start going back on my word yet." This leads me to believe that THIS time, Bobby Jon is actually trying to play the game using a strategy. Will wonders never cease?
Till next week.
BCandScott
