Survivor Fiji, 4/19 recap: Tricksey Hobbits

[Lucy]

It’s taken ten episodes, but this season is finally getting good. It’s about time. I was starting to get worried about the amount of wine I needed just to endure the early episodes. But last week’s merge – and the combination of a few twists and Dreamz’ stupidity leading to Michelle’s boot – has finally made things exciting.

As I mentioned, last week Michelle was voted out in a tribal council that involved only half of the tribe and in which it apparently never occurred to Dreamz that he should translate his and everyone’s dislike of Stacy into a vote for her.


There Are Only Two Kings in Chess

We catch up with everyone as the four who survived tribal council return to camp. Mookie is upset – he says he told Dreamz to vote Stacy. Voting for Michelle gave all the power to Alex, Mookie says. “We basically screwed ourselves.”

Alex has a chat with Mookie, because he’s still nervous about Mookie holding onto the hidden immunity idol they all found together. To make everyone feel safer, Alex says, he wants to rotate who holds the idol on a daily basis. That means no one can screw the others over, he says. Mookie argues against this plan, and Alex points out that all three of them found it, and Mookie needs to be honest about what he’s playing at here if he’s not going to relinquish control of the idol.

Honest, hell. Mookie goes and tells Dreamz about Alex’s idol rotation plan. Dreamz wants Mookie to just say no, and says they could recruit other people to their side. Mookie says that won’t work, though, that the others don’t trust them. Wow, I wonder why? Mookie tells Dreamz that voting out Michelle screwed them. Dreamz says he voted her out because she said she didn’t know him very well, and it made him nervous.

While the Four Horsemen run around like chickens with their heads cut off, Michelle’s old alliance is assessing their new situation. Earl had hoped Stacy would be voted off, and it was a shock that Michelle went instead. “That just flipped the whole script around for everything in my head,” he says.

Then Boo approaches Earl, and offers to vote with them, making Earl’s group a fivesome. Boo’s really the only one not in an alliance at this point, so he needs to kiss someone’s ass, fast. He chooses Earl because he thinks Alex and his group are “all backstabbers.” But Boo also warns that he doesn’t think Dreamz would vote against Alex. Earl says privately that he doesn’t trust Boo, but that without Michelle, they need his vote. His core alliance is still Yau Man and Cassandra, and Earl trusts them completely. He’s not so sure about Dreamz. Earl likens the situation to a chess game, where you’ve lost your best pieces and have to really think about what to do with the ones you have left.



Question: Who’s Smarter than her Tribemates? Cassandra

It’s reward challenge time. Jeff explains they’re going to test how in-tune people are with the rest of the tribe. He’ll ask a series of questions, and everyone will privately write down their answer. Then he’ll ask them again, and everyone publicly tries to guess how everyone else answered. Those who get it right will smash these little towers with each person’s name on them; three or so smashies and you’re out, last person standing wins a night on a yacht and will send someone to Exile.

I like this challenge because inevitably, someone is completely clueless about how they’re perceived by the others. It does not, however, make for a riveting play-by-play on paper.

Question: Who would you trust with your life? Most people said Earl. The three who correctly answered “Earl” all smash Stacy’s towers and she’s out of the game right there.

Question: Who are you least likely to invite to a family dinner? The majority said Boo. Again, almost everyone who got it right smashes Boo’s towers, and he’s out of the game.

Question: Who most has a sense of entitlement? Alex is the answer. Cassandra smashes Alex again, Mookie smashes Earl.

Question: Who would you most like to be stranded on an island with? Yau Man is the answer. Everyone but Alex got it right. In the ensuing smashing, Alex is taken out of the game, as is Earl.

Question: Who do you not want to see again? Everyone chose Stacy. That’s hilarious. And sad. It would suck to be stuck on an island AND unpopular. I can’t really feel sorry for Stacy, but I hope she takes heart in the certain knowledge that if Lisi were still in the game, everyone would have voted for her.
And Mookie gets smashed out of the game, helped along by Cassandra.

Question: Who smells the worst? The correct answer is Dreamz. Cassandra knocks Yau out of the game.

Question: Who mistakenly believes they are in control of the game? The majority said Alex. Cassandra gets it right. Edgardo gets smashed out of game.

It’s now down to Cassandra and Dreamz.

Question: Who has wasted this great opportunity? Answer is Stacy. Cassandra got it right, smashes Dreamz.

Last question: Who has surprised you the most with athleticism? Dreamz is wrong, Cassandra is right – she said Yau Man.

Cassandra wins without getting any wrong, which reveals a lot of insight into her tribemates that they probably should be leery of. She sends Mookie to Exile. Jeff tells her she can take three more people with her on the yacht, but she’ll decide when she gets back to camp, before they leave for the yacht. Edgardo offers to lick her feet if she’ll take him. That would be a picture, all right. As you’ll see later, none of these people’s feet look like anything I’d touch with a 10-foot pole.


Looks Like Mookie Holds a Grudge

Mookie is surprisingly furious about his exile. On the island alone, he rants and raves about revenge. “She has no idea who she’s messing with,” he says. Oh, great – another one of those who thinks he’s brilliant and in charge of the game. “Cassandra is quiet, in a deceiving, conniving way,” Mookie adds, as if he’s not at ALL deceiving or conniving. “She’s made the worst mistake of her life.” Oh gosh! Of her life? Her whole life? This is the worst thing she could do? Wow. You know, I was on the fence about ol’ Mookie, but as of now, I declare him to be an egotistical prick.

Mookie also notes that there are two hidden idols, and since he has one, the chances are good that someone has the other. Earl has been to Exile, so he figures Earl might have the other one. Luckily for Mookie’s revenge fantasies, Earl and Cassandra are allies and hurting one hurts the other. He wants to take out Cassandra and her alliance. “Call it revenge, but I’m gunning for her,” Mookie says, adding that all he has to do is call on the four horsemen and it’s done. I guess we’ll see about that, Sir Egotrip.


My Idol, My Precious

At camp, Cassandra chooses Dreamz, Boo and Yau to go on the yacht with her. She says she chose Boo and Dreamz to get to know them better, and find out where their heads are in the game. Yau, she just thinks he needs a break.

On the yacht, cheese and fruit are spread out. They enjoy champagne. Yau toasts Boo and Dreamz being in “the syndicate.” Yau says privately they need to work on Dreamz a bit more, make sure he’s on their side. They talk about Alex being the next one out.

But Dreamz is quiet, and Cassandra says she doesn’t sense a 100 percent commitment. Dreamz says he’s a swing vote between the two alliances. His heart tells him to go with Cassandra, and her crowd. “I’m being tugged in every direction except my own,” he says, and he doesn’t know what to do. He’d better decide quick – fence-sitters don’t historically do well on Survivor.

At camp, Dreamz tells Alex the others want to vote him out. See what I mean? Playing double agent. You know it’s going to bite Dreamz in the butt at some point. Alex says maybe he can get the idol from Mookie, and save himself. But Dreamz isn’t sure Mookie would give it up. He compares Mookie to the hobbits in “The Lord of the Rings” movies, where they get the ring of power and become greedy of it and instead of saying “Why yes, I will share my ring of power” they’re all, like, “my precious.” He thinks Mookie’s like that, and won’t give up the idol.

Earl comes upon this discussion, because they’re talking as they’re supposedly filling a pot of water and Earl would like to have the pot. Earl says if Dreamz keeps on fraternizing with the people they want to get rid of, he’s going to get cut.

Dreamz then talks to Cassandra. She says they need to know he’s firm. Earl is there too. Dremz says he can tell they doubt him. Earl tells him to listen more, talk less. In an apparent attempt to prove himself, Dreamz tells them Mookie has the immunity idol. This stuns Earl. But wisely, he pretends to wonder what it looks like. Dreamz verifies that it’s a turtle – just like the one Yau has, that no one knows about but Earl.

Earl says Dreamz is trying to do a lot of strategy on his own, and if you don’t tell people you’re doing that, they distrust you. Dreamz further explains that they all have a claim on Mookie’s idol. Yau hears this, and it makes him nervous.


Balancing Act

Now it’s time for the immunity challenge. They must brace their arms between two walls, while their feet balance on narrow footholds. Every 30 minutes, they’ll step down to a smaller foothold. When they fall off, they’re out.

This is rather dull, so I’ll wrap it up quickly. Cassandra is the first out, followed by Edgardo. When they move down to a smaller foothold, Earl and Mookie fall out. Then Alex and Dreamz go. An hour in, Stacy is grimacing and finally drops out. By the way, this is what I meant about nasty feet. There are some grubby, long-nailed feet in this group. I know they’re in the wild and all, but it’s still more of a close-up than I needed.

Anyway, it comes down to Boo and Yau, and Boo finally falls out, leaving Yau as the winner of immunity.

Back at camp, Mookie is still on a mission against Cassandra. He says she ruined the game for herself and he’s going to take out her alliance one by one. Easy there, Captain Cockypants. He also wants to take out Earl, though, because they think he’s got idol. So Mookie goes to talk to Alex and Dreamz. I couldn’t catch this whole exchange, but Alex mentioned the idol and their alliance, and Mookie said he won’t be pressured, that the vote WILL be Earl, then Yau, then Boo. I guess the idea is to take out Cassandra’s alliance. Alex says ok, it’s done. They also reassure themselves that Stacy will vote with them.

But not so fast. Stacy talks to Yau, and says she doesn’t know who she’s voting for. He tells her not to vote for Earl. Anyone but Earl, and to vote for Alex if she can do it, but just don’t vote Earl. She questions this, not wanting to go blindly vote when she might be alone in her choice, and she doesn’t know what Yau’s alliance is planning. He assures her it’s not a blind vote.

Alex also decides to work Stacy a bit. He tells her he saved her on the Michelle vote. He asks if she’s in on voting Earl. She’s silent, and Alex asks if she’s ok. She says she’s just hot. Good lord, what a bad liar she is. I would love to play poker with Stacy. You could clean her out.

Stacy says she just wants to vote with the majority, but she doesn’t know which that is. Way to think for yourself, lemming. She says she owes Alex nothing and will sever that tie if it means saving herself.

Alex and Edgardo are now worried about Stacy’s allegiance, after Alex reports back about her silence and her excuses. Dreamz and Edgardo talk, too – they think the other side is gunning for Alex, so if they give the immunity idol to Alex, and then they all vote for Earl, it will be Earl to leave.

Edgardo tells Mookie they must give Alex the immunity idol. Mookie doesn’t want to use it this early, he says it is a disadvantage. “Things have gotten very complicated,” says Captain Obvious. Mookie is mad that after all Alex’s assurances that Stacy is on their side, she doesn’t seem to be. But he apparently sees no way out of giving up the idol when it’s point-blank demanded of him, so he takes it from a hiding place and executes a complicated drop in which Mookie slips the idol to the ground and Alex picks it up. Alex assures him their plan will work.

However. Dreamz saw this. He tells Earl’s alliance that Mookie gave the idol to Alex. He promises he’s telling the truth. So they start talking about voting for Mookie. I am a fan of that plan, because the ring of power has gone to Mookie’s head.

But heaven forbid a plan should remain set. Edgardo decides he’d rather vote for Cassandra than Earl. He rambles on about how it’s an all-or-nothing move but if it works out it will be the best move ever. How? How is it such a huge thing if they vote Cassandra rather than Earl? I don’t really get that.

On the other side, Stacy points out to Earl’s group that if the horsemen think it’s between Mookie and Alex, they should blindside them by voting out Edgardo, since no one will be expecting it. They agree, but also decide not to tell Dreamz. Earl says it’s chaos, everyone is paranoid. Dreamz told them Alex had the idol, but it could be a test, so they’re not going to go for it.

Poor Dreamz. He really is playing Earl’s side truthfully, and even tells Alex that the other side isn’t talking to him, that they’re suspicious of him, and that they have no idea Alex has the idol and think Alex is going home tonight.


Checkmate

At tribal council, Dreamz says it was chaotic, the scheming at the camp. Edgardo says right now, he doesn’t even know who the majority is. He’s paranoid. Everyone is paranoid, except Yau, who says this is the first time he’s come to tribal council with a regular heart rate and normal blood pressure.

Mookie says tons of different names have been coming up, and he doesn’t know what’s going on either.

Jeff asks how the idea that someone may have the idol impacts the vote. Yau says they just avoid voting for who they suspect has the idol, and vote for someone in his alliance instead. Alex agrees – he suspects people like Earl, who have been to exile, have it. So he would avoid voting for Earl and try to take out Earl’s alliance.

Dreamz offers up that “this vote right here is gonna determine everything.” For his sake, he better hope not.

Everyone goes to vote, and from what is shown, it appears to go as expected. Dreamz, unaware that Earl’s alliance switched to Edgardo, votes for Mookie.

When the voting is done, Jeff asks if anyone wants to play the idol. Alex looks at Mookie. Everyone looks around. Alex stands up. Earl smiles. Alex smiles. Mookie smiles. Alex plays the immunity idol. So far, so good, for Earl and crew.

Jeff begins reading the votes. Normally I would just tell you the tally, but the expressions on people’s faces as this slowly goes down are priceless. The first three votes are for Cassandra, and she starts to look nervous. Then there’s Dreamz’ vote for Mookie, and he looks surprised. Then the first vote for Edgardo comes up. His alliance looks nervous, Rocky, on the jury looks excited, and Earl nods. Two more votes for Edgardo, and he looks at Dreamz, who shakes his head. At the least, Dreamz is as truly surprised as his supposed alliance. Then another vote for Edgardo. Mookie drops his head. Edgardo is out. The remaining three horsemen are stunned. Well played, Earl and Co.

In his post-vote comments, Edgardo says he was disappointed. He blames Dreamz, but says a couple of people still in the game do deserve the million dollars. Not Cassandra, though – Edgardo hopes she’s voted out next because he doesn’t like her very much.

Jeff says it turns out Alex didn’t need the idol, and that it will be rehidden with new clues. The chaos, he says, is a great reminder that the game is always in a state of flux.


Next week:

Dreamz’s other two horsemen accuse him of turning on them. They also discover – apparently through rifling through his bag – that Yau has the idol, and develop a new plan.

[Google]

 

[PWS]

Couldn't wait to read this recap, Lucy--both for the humor and because the switches were going so fast I knew I was missing things you'd catch--thanks!

[canuckinchile]

Alex also decides to work Stacy a bit. He tells her he saved her on the Michelle vote. He asks if she’s in on voting Earl. She’s silent, and Alex asks if she’s ok. She says she’s just hot. Good lord, what a bad liar she is. I would love to play poker with Stacy. You could clean her out.

Hilarious, Lucy.

Back at camp, Mookie is still on a mission against Cassandra. He says she ruined the game for herself and he’s going to take out her alliance one by one. Easy there, Captain Cockypants.

Mookie will forever be "Captain Cockypants" to me now

[katgib13]

Fabulous recap for a fabulous episode! Thanks Lucy!

The feet... Just gross...lol.

[AZHotFlash]

This is one tape I'm keeping for a while .. it is so much fun to re-watch TC! Love it "Earl smiles, Alex smiles, Mookie smiles" ..

[Wryle]

This is one of the best episodes in quite a while! I was very much looking forward to your recap and, of course, you did not dissapoint. Great job!

I actually fell out laughing watching the expressions on the "Four Horsemen"'s faces during TC. I can't remember the last time (if ever!) I laughed out loud watching Survivor.

[dagwood]

Excellent recap, Lucy.

[lopevian]

Great job Lucy! Thank you! I agree with you about the feet...
Those Tribal Council expressions were priceless! I loved
your descriptions.

[ShrinkingViolet]

Best show of the season, Lucy! Thanks for letting me relive the memories through your terrific recap.

Tricksey Hobbits

Honest, hell.

Boo’s really the only one not in an alliance at this point, so he needs to kiss someone’s ass, fast.

Everyone chose Stacy. That’s hilarious. And sad. It would suck to be stuck on an island AND unpopular.

As you’ll see later, none of these people’s feet look like anything I’d touch with a 10-foot pole.

Oh gosh! Of her life? Her whole life? This is the worst thing she could do? Wow. You know, I was on the fence about ol’ Mookie, but as of now, I declare him to be an egotistical prick.

I guess we’ll see about that, Sir Egotrip.

My Idol, My Precious

Easy there, Captain Cockypants.

Good lord, what a bad liar she is. I would love to play poker with Stacy. You could clean her out.

I am a fan of that plan, because the ring of power has gone to Mookie’s head.

Earl smiles. Alex smiles. Mookie smiles. Alex plays the immunity idol. So far, so good, for Earl and crew.

Normally I would just tell you the tally, but the expressions on people’s faces as this slowly goes down are priceless.

[Jewelsy]

Thanks, Lucy-Lou