The Koror Tribe: Caryn, Coby, Gregg, Ian, Janu, Jennifer, Katie, Tom
The Ulong Tribe: Bobby Jon, Ibrehem, James, Stephenie
The Losers: Angie, Ashlee, Jeff, Jolanda, Jonathan, Kim, Wanda, Willard
The show opens with Jeff and Kim snuggling in the shelter. Oh wait, that was a couple weeks ago. Scratch that!
The show opens with Gregg and Jennifer snuggling in the shelter, while Coby minces about, whining and complaining to the camera saying “she rubbed his stomach!” and “they failed miserably at hiding their relationship.” Oh pull in your claws you thilly little bitch! You think that you prancing fairies are the only ones permitted to paw each other and flaunt your sick “in your face” relationships on TV!?!?!?
Meanwhile, Willard is sleeping in the hammock by the fire. Gregg yells at him to either tend the fire or wake someone if he isn’t going to. I think we all know who Koror’s first boot is.
Over at Ulong, the tribe has just returned from Tribal Council (this is beginning to sound like a broken record) and since it’s raining really, really hard, they decide to pack up camp and head for the cave. They get lost in the dark, James makes an ass of himself, Angie cries so much I’m afraid her piercings are going to rust, and eventually they quit looking for the cave and return to the camp where James gives a rousing pep talk about not quitting.
The next morning at Koror, Tom comments to the camera about Willard’s refusal to tend to the fire last night. He thinks that Willard is either playing a game with the rest of the tribe to wear them down and make them more tired or he is just one of those people that think “why should they do it if someone else is going to do it for them.” Or maybe he knows he’s toast so he’s not bothering to do any work and enjoying the last days of his tropical island vacation. The camera then cuts to Gregg and Tom discussing Willard and how since they’ve won so many immunity challenges, they haven’t had to play the game and Willard has been getting a free ride. Yep, Willard’s toast! No doubt about it.
Back from commercial break, and Probst welcomes the tribes as he explains the Reward Challenge. Both tribes are going to race out to a Japanese shipwreck to retrieve Sake bottles from the bottom of the ocean. One tribe member at a time will be pulled out to a buoy by their tribe using a pulley system. At the buoy is the shipwreck. The survivor will dive down, release a bottle of Sake (there are 14 in all), come back up, and get back on the raft with the Sake bottle to be pulled back to their tribe. The first tribe to bring back six Sake bottles wins reward. The reward has good and bad news. The good news is the winning tribe will be eating beef stew. The bad news is they’ll be doing it at Tribal Council. Win or lose, both tribes will be going to Tribal Council. The winning tribe will go first, vote out someone, and then cross over to the jury side. Then they’ll eat as they watch the losing tribe’s Tribal Council. Koror sits out Willard, Caryn, Katie, and Janu.
Probst says go and Ulong takes a small early lead. In fact it starts to look as if Ulong might win one for a change. That is until Ibrehem pulls an Osten and flounders in the water. The prancing little fairy from Koror catches up and passes Ibrehem to put Koror in the lead. Ibrehem tries for a third time to grab a bottle and failing yet again, his tribe yells at him to come back without a bottle. Koror stays in the lead until Ian can’t find a bottle. (I know what your thinking, Ian is the “swims with dolphins” water weenie from Koror! What’s his problem? All I can offer is this “Have you seen Ian’s coke bottle glasses?” It’s a wonder he could even find the wreck! Let along the bottles!)
Anyway, it’s a squeeker as Koror pulls out yet another victory, to win stew and a seat at Ulong’s Tribal Council. Jeff sends everyone back to camp, as Koror high fives each other, and Angie weeps. (Whoops, those piercings are gonna rust yet!)
Back at Koror’s camp, the tribe celebrates as the prancing fairy asks everyone to be nice about the food at Tribal Council and not rub Ulong’s face in it. (Yeah right!)
Meanwhile, over at the Ulong camp, James immediately starts in blaming Ibrehem for the challenge loss. Steph whines about being an athlete her whole life and how she can’t take the losing. She doesn’t understand why they keep losing. (Duh! It’s because your LOSERS!)
Back at Koror, Tom, Ian, Gregg, Jenn, and Katie are out in the water and discussing why Willard should go. (As if there was ever any doubt!)
The camera then shows us a conversation between Gregg and the prancing fairy. Gregg tells Coby that once Caryn and Willard are gone, he and Jenn will switch alliances and join Coby and Janu against Tom, Ian, and Katie. Coby buys into this and minces away after commenting how he loves that the game is going to a “new level.”
Probst welcomes Koror to tribal council for the first time, tells them to grab a torch, blah, blah, blah, and starts in with Koror. Who’s the leader, Who’s the food provider, Who’s the schemers etc. etc. OK it’s time to vote.
One by one they go off to vote, Jeff says “I’ll go tally the votes.” Etc.etc.etc. And when all is said and done, it’s no surprise that Willard gets the boot with eight of the nine votes cast. Jeff snuffs his torch and Willard’s parting comments are “Stay strong. Stick to the plan. Finish them off.” He shuffles off into the dark as Jeff tells Koror to shift seats over to the Jury side as he calls in Ulong. (with a rather snide “Who I’m sure is going to enjoy this.”)
I’d like to pause here and review what each member had to say during their voting:
Willard (Votes Katie): (And doesn’t say anything)
Jenn (Votes Willard): Willard, I do think you’re a really great guy with some great qualities, but the crabbiness and the pessimism and the lack of some physical qualities in our challenges is just – it’s gotten to be too much. So, sorry. Hope you have a great trip.
Gregg (Votes Willard): Willard, some of us think you got a free ride up to this point and though your body might not be kicking, I’m concerned about your mind. Best of luck.
Katie (Votes Willard): You couldn’t even think of a reason why you didn’t like me! Well, I’ll tell you. Because you’re crabby, and you’re bitter. Bye!
Coby (Votes Willard): I’m sorry that I couldn’t stick to our original alliance. But I have to do what I have to do to stay in the game. But you’re a good man.
Caryn (Votes Willard): I adore you Willard, but I agree with the tribe. You’re too moody to live with for 39 days.
Ian (Votes Willard): (And doesn’t say anything.)
Janu (Votes Willard): Willard, you’ll always be a part of Koror.
Tom (Votes Willard): I liked you personally, but you played the game too much as an individual, and we needed teamwork.
Willard’s final words: There isn’t anything I regret doing in the game. I would have liked to not have my crash on Day 3 and I probably could have avoided that if I had consumed unboiled water earlier like some people did.
It’s probably a fair criticism to say that from time to time I’m a little crabby. I don’t think that it accurately reflects my demeanor during the game as a whole or would accurately characterize it if you’re looking for an average. But there are times when I get crabby and I know that can bother people. So if somebody perceived me that way, I’m sure they have a factual basis for saying I was crabby.
I surprised myself out here by not being quite as strong as I expected to be. And I think that’s because it’s been many, many years since I’ve been in a situation where I’m really deprived of food and sleep and water and placed under stress. I’ve gotten in the best shape I think I can get me in, in this stage of life, and I’ll be fine once I get back to the world. But I didn’t react quite as well as I wanted to, to the fairly simple things like lack of food and lack of sleep, which I should have done better at.
Irrespective of the lack of feeling between Katie and I, I think that she and the tribe as a whole are pretty good people. I was surprised to be placed with a group of 8 other people and really like 7 of them. It was – they’re good people by and large.
Particularly, Coby. I just flat like Coby. I don’t know why. But Coby’s a stud and I think he’s a standup guy. And he’s got a lot of sensitivity – that’s an unusual combination.
Back from commercial break, Ulong comes in. Koror opens the food and lays it on thick about how good the food and drink is. Ulong looks defeated as Angie buries her head in her hands to cover up her crying and her rusting piercings. Jeff questions Ulong why they brought their entire camp with them to T.C. Bobby Jon says they never know what’s going to happen and they want to be ready if they merge. Jeff smirks and says “Your not merging.” Is it just me, or was there a note of finality about Probst comment?
Jeff makes more of his banal questioning as Ibrehem finally speaks up and pleads his case, pointing out that each one of them has made mistakes and that he hopes that the tribe looks at the challenges collectively and not just this last one to make their decision. Koror meanwhile is soaking in all this good info. Jeff says it time to vote, but before we do, Koror has one more part of their reward to perform. Each member of Koror will vote to grant Immunity to one member of Ulong. Whomever receives the most number of votes, will get immunity. Then and only then will Ulong vote.
Each member of Koror then votes and here is what they said when they voted:
Janu (Votes Ibrahim): (And doesn’t say anything)
Coby (Votes Stephenie): I hope you get it, girl.
Caryn (Votes Bobby Jon): You’re a saint, and you deserve to stay for a long time.
Ian (Votes Stephanie): (And doesn’t say anything)
Katie (Votes Ibrahim): (And doesn’t say anything)
Tom (Votes Bobby Jon): (And doesn’t say anything)
Jenn (Votes Ibrehem): (And doesn’t say anything)
Gregg (Votes Angie): (And doesn’t say anything)
Jeff tallies and reads the votes. Finally reveling that Immunity goes to Ibrehem. Jeff then instructs Koror that their time is up and to head back to camp.
After they are gone, Jeff then has Ulong vote (and he reminds them that Ibrehem is immune from tonight’s vote. As if the ugly necklace around Ibrehem’s neck isn’t already rubbing salt into their wounds.)
Anyway, they vote and we are treated to our first tie since the purple rock incident way back in season 4 during Survivor: Marquesas.
James (Votes Angie): Angie, sorry. You’re a tough girl. But I got an alliance with Stephenie and Bobby Jon. Sorry.
Angie (Votes Bobby John): I’m sorry. I don’t know who else to vote for.
Ibrehem (Votes James): You said I was lacking. But you’re the one who quit in one of the challenges.
Stephenie (Votes Bobby Jon): It’s not your time to go. I’m just trying to stick to our strategy and what’s going to benefit us, hopefully, in the end. I’m sorry.
Bobby Jon (Votes Angie): It’s all right.
Jeff reads the votes, reveils the tie between Angie and Bobby Jon, and instructs James, Ibrehem and Stephenie that they will vote again. This time for only either Angie or Bobby Jon. Since there are three voting, this vote will not end in a tie.
They vote yet again:
James (Votes Angie): Sorry.
Stephenie (Votes Angie): Ah, damn. Sorry. I just have to do what’s best for me right now. I’m sorry.
Ibrehem (Votes Angie): I’m sorry.
Jeff snuffs Angie’s torch, (she has finally stopped crying) and she then takes that long walk of shame. (Did anybody else notice that she also took the tribes sewing kit with her? Guess she got the last jab back at them after all!)
Angie’s final words; It was an interesting time here on Survivor. I’m very happy that I wasn’t voted off first. That was one of my goals. And I succeeded in that.
And I think that I really got the luck of the draw. Things kind of turned out the way they turned out, and if Ibrehem hadn’t won immunity I think he would’ve been the one gone. So I can’t really have any hard feelings. The tribe’s gotta do what the tribe’s gotta do. Hopefully it can pull itself up and turn things around and go into the merge with a good head and a good start.
I was surprised because I didn’t know that Koror got to choose immunity for somebody (laughs). So I knew as soon as they got to choose immunity and had heard everything, they were going to say, they were going to stick the knife in us and choose Ibrehem. They all knew that he was the one that was going to go, and I think they all saw me as a little bit of a threat because I kept bouncing all of their women around (laughs). So I pretty much figured it was going to come down to me, and everybody had to do what they had to do for the tribe. There’s no hard feelings.
I’m very proud of my accomplishments out here! I mean, I did a lot better in the challenges then I ever thought that I would. I mean, there were a few that I did better than anybody else. There were a few where I never fell off, I gave it my best, and I’m proud of myself. I’m happy I came out here and I did this and did something I’ve never done before, and I’m totally happy that I wasn’t voted off first! I didn’t want to go first!
I think I was able to gel a little bit more. I think you get so cloistered in your own kind of group of people that it was kind of nice to see some other people and how they live and what they do. It’s not necessarily people that I would all be like, I would’ve met on the outside world, so it was a different and a refreshing view of life. Especially since none of my friends and me have really ever been athletic or on teams, and I’ve never been on a team before, so it was kind of an interesting experience. To do something that was so communal and not so individual, which is what I usually do.
I think I’m going to walk away from this experience with a little bit more appreciation for things I take for granted. Just things simple like having chairs with backs on them (laughs) and food. I think I’m so frugal in life that maybe I’m going to splurge a little bit more and go the extra mile. And definitely, definitely spend a lot more time with my significant other, because when you’re out here and you’re apart from somebody, it makes you realize all those feelings that you live together – work together take for granted. So all those little things in life – just snuggling up on the couch with popcorn – never going to take that for granted ever again.
Well that’s all for now, I’ll be back on Wednesday with my picks for next episode, but remember!
Due to the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (a.k.a March Madness), the 6th episode of Survivor; Palau will be broadcast on Wednesday instead of Thursday. That’s the 23rd. Episode 7 will resume regular Thursday night broadcasts on March 31st. Set your VCRs and TIVOs accordingly.
Take care,
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body,
but rather to skid in broadside,
thoroughly used up,
totally worn out,
and loudly proclaiming....
Wow, what a ride!"
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