The Koror Tribe: Caryn, Gregg, Ian, Jennifer, Katie, Tom
The Jury: Coby, “The Quitter”, Stephenie
The Losers: Jonathan, Wanda, Jolanda, Ashlee, Jeff, Kim, Willard, Angie, James, Ibrehem, Bobby Jon,
Greetings fellow Survivor junkies! Its Monday, so that means its time once again for your weekly:
The tribe stumbles back from the brutal Tribal Council and Stephenie starts right in on the rest of the tribe. Getting mad, crying a little, in other words - venting. Tom tries to downplay the situation by saying they were going to change their vote anyway. To emphasize the point, he gives the ugly necklace to Steph, stating her self-preservation speech as the reason she has earned it. Of course TC is now over and she has no need for the ugly necklace, but we won’t dwell on that. After all, its the thought that counts! Right?
Of course we can’t end this night on a happy note, so Gregg comments to the camera, that “Steph should have gone in the first round. The longer she stays around the more Koror falls apart, stabbing each other in the back.” There you go Gregg, way to end the evening on a high note.
The next morning, Steph is still miffed. Bad mouthing first Katie and then Tom, when neither would give her a straight answer regarding her “Are we still a final four alliance?” Why she didn’t include Ian in this little tirade may be due to the fact (we will later find out) that she couldn’t stand to get near enough to him to have a private conversation.
Cut to the tribe (without Steph) having a kvetching session around camp. Tom (having heard the case against Steph, due to her being a immunity threat) pleads his case. Stating no one who has won the challenges has won the million (except Brian in Thailand.) and the only reason he exposed his strength was so Koror could beat Ulong. Later, Ian, Katie, Gregg and Jenn discuss Tom’s plea. Ian comments that Tom’s winning streak makes him a target and Gregg agrees by saying there’s a reason no one strong has ever won the million. (Yeah, its because of back stabbing, under-the-radar, low life scum like you!) Katie, makes some snide comment about agreeing with Tom that it is now an individual game while Jenn keeps her mouth shut.
Later, Steph starts in on Katie and Jenn, trying to get an estrogen alliance going. Jenn considers selling out Gregg, and all three agree that if the alliance happens, the first target will be Tom. Only one small glitch in this plan. Nobody has told Caryn about this new possible alliance. Oops! Anyway we go to commercial with Steph commenting to the camera “You want to think I’m a threat? I’ll show you how threatening I am.” Hence the title of the episode.
The next day Treemail calls one and all to the Reward Challenge. Of course, its not much of a challenge. Yes ladies and gentlemen, its time once again for the old “lets auction off some food so these folks won’t later sue us for neglect” time waster, coupled with the “while we’re at it, lets auction off some mail from back home to get the water works really going!” I wonder if the USPS can go after them for interfering with the mail?
Anyway, after the typical blah, blah, blah. Jenn wins a chocolate sundae for $120. Caryn and Steph split a double cheeseburger with fries and a soda for $130 each. Ian wins a plate full of spaghetti with meat sauce for $300. (Gregg buys a bite for $20)Jeff also tells Ian he stinks really bad! Ian also wins a cold beer for $20.
Next up are the letters from home. Tom wins with a $220 bid and then Jeff says whoever else wants their letter for $220 can have it. Steph, Gregg, Caryn and Katie all buy their letters too. Jeff then says the auction is over.
Now wait a minute. By my calculations, Ian is the only one who didn’t have $220 left to buy his letter from home (although I’m sure that if he asked, Tom or one of the others would have given him the $20 he was short) so why didn’t Jenn buy her letter from home? Something is rotten in Palau, and I’m not talking about Ian’s stink.
Back at camp, Steph brags that she has 12 letters in her mail pouch, and all is happy in her little world. Meanwhile, Ian (having been insulted by Jeff’s comments) declares that today is bath day! He then marches into the ocean and proceeds to wash his stinking butt. He then asks Gregg to wash his back while Jenn comments from shore saying he could have asked one of the women to do it. Katie comments that they could have a secret alliance that we don’t know about. Ian then comments that although the women were making snide comments, he is “Comfortable with my sexuality.” Wait a minute. Isn’t that the same thing homosexuals say when confronted? Is Ian secretly telling us something here? Anyway, Ian ends with asking Tom to look at his neck. Tom says that Ian’s neck is clean, but he’s not touching it! That’s it Tom, make Ian feel OK about his sexuality, while slamming him for it, at the same time.
The next morning, finds Tom and Caryn walking on the beach. Tom again comments that he’s worried about being voted out for being a threat. Caryn assures him that she is with him and he doesn’t have anything to worry about.
The tribe is then called to the Immunity Challenge. Jeff explains that in front of them is a board with 35 ceramic tiles. Five each for each of the remaining seven survivors. One by one, you will step up, and try to break your own tiles by tossing a coconut. If you break someone else’s tile, that person will benefit. The first person who has all of their tiles broken, wins immunity.
The order is randomly selected and they start tossing coconuts. After quite a few misses and even more breaking someone else’s tile. Tom finally misses his own tile and breaks Ian’s last tile. Jeff declares the challenge over and awards Ian with the ugly necklace. (Now why didn’t he make a comment about Ian’s new fresh scent?)
Back at camp, its raining, and the tribe is stuck in the shelter. Tom comments about how funny it would be if the sun comes out and everyone scatters to shore up their own individual alliances. When lo and behold, no sooner do the words leave his lips when out comes the sun. Caryn and Katie are first to head off. Steph comments that this is to let Caryn in on the estrogen alliance.
Cut to Katie and Caryn. Katie is going on and on and on about the girl alliance and how Tom has become too much of a threat and that they all need to write Tom’s name down yada, yada, yada.
No sooner are they back at camp, when Caryn grabs Tom and off they go. Tom asks Caryn why she told him instead of just joining the girl’s alliance and Caryn replies that “she promised him she would.” Tom is so dumfounded at this point, you could have knocked him over with a feather.
They arrive back at camp and Tom tells Ian what Caryn told him. And what does Ian do? He tells none other than Katie. Katie then confesses to the camera that “The female alliance won’t work because Caryn sucks.” Now there’s a profound statement if I ever heard one.
Meanwhile, Gregg comments to the camera that Stephenie needs to go so they can get back to the plan. Who’s plan? His or the alliance’s? And just which alliance is he part of anyway?
The camera cuts to Stephenie saying that it’s in their best interest to keep her around. In who’s best interest? Theirs or yours? Hmmmmm?????
Back from commercial, the tribe files in to Tribal Council. Jeff then signals for the Jury to enter, (Coby and The Quitter). Jeff then starts in on his typical “lets see how far I can drive a wedge into the tribe tonight” banter. Blah, Blah, Blah. The comments end with Tom reiterating how he hopes the tribe saw the need for Koror to beat Ulong was paramount and how he hopes it’s not held against him. Ian wants to keep the ugly necklace and Jeff says its time to vote.
Again for those who cannot or will not view the videos at the SeeBS website, here is what each person said as they cast their vote.
Caryn (Votes Steph): I am voting with the tribe Steph, and that is only because you are a fierce competitor. Good luck.
Katie (Votes Steph): This is absolutely nothing personal. I’m just voting with the rest of the tribe. See ya.
Ian (Votes Steph): Steph, you’re one of the fiercest competitors I’ve ever met, and while it’s your competitiveness that’s making me vote you out tonight, my heart hurts to watch you go. You’ll always be Koror.
Stephenie (Votes Caryn): I’m just going with the strategy. This is what they told me. But for some reason I don’t believe them. I don’t think it’s you, Caryn, but if it is, it was great knowing you and best luck always. Talk to you soon.
Tom (Votes Steph): You are as an amazing a competitor as you are a young lady. I really connected with you out here, and I hate this. I’m sorry.
Jenn (Votes Steph): Steph, you played this game really well, really hard, really tough. But that’s exactly why we have to let you go.
Gregg (Votes Steph): Stephenie, unfortunately the numbers aren’t working your way. So, great game. Best of luck.
Jeff tallies the votes, announces the bootee and snuffs Steph’s torch. She takes the walk of shame as the tribe gathers their stuff and “Heads back to camp.”
Stephenie’s Final Words:
Well, what an amazing, amazing experience, I can't even describe it. I mean I am upset that I got voted out, I really wanted to win, I did everything I could but I don't have anymore tricks up my sleeve. I've gone as far as I could. I really honestly feel I gave it 200%, I gave it my all, and there was nothing I can do today. They told me that they were going to vote Caryn out, I kind of felt it was a little shady, I kind of thought it was me so I prepared myself well. But I am not going to say that I feel like a loser, because I don't, I feel like a major winner. I am really pysched, I am really pysched, I am like really proud of myself, I mean it was a hard run, I mean we got annihilated, our whole tribe just got blown away person by person and here I am, the last person standing you know and I don't really think it has happened on Survivor. And I go to this new tribe, thinking I am a dead man walking, and I make it through at least two people down whether they quit or got voted out, I made it and I made it 1 and 7. And I am really pysched, I'm my own worst enemy and I am always the hardest on myself, and I wish I could have went further but I didn't, and everything happens for a reason, and I did the best that I could, and I am, and I am actually very proud of myself.
This experience has made me learn so much about myself, my life, what's important to me, how to live, I mean, this experience has made me, you know, I will never take the small things for granted, I will never take the huge things for granted. I never thought I could push my body and my mind, and myself to the limits that I pushed myself to, and that alone, made me feel like the strongest person in the world, I am like standing on top of this mountain and no one can conquer me. That is how I honestly felt in this entire game, the weirdest feeling. And I said all along that I felt I had this angel sitting on my shoulder just looking out for me, and I kept my head held high and kept positive, and did my best. I may have not done the best, but for me, I feel like a total winner and I learned a lot about myself and my life and when I do go home, and when I do go back to the real world, it's going to be a whole new world for me, it's going to be a whole new outlook and I am so excited to be here to experience that and grateful.
The biggest thing I learned about myself is that I am really a strong person, I have always been an athlete, I've been on many sports teams and I have always second guessed myself you know, I think I am a good athlete at a certain sport, you know I think I am good at a certain thing but you know there is better but I learned that this experience out here is that, don't second guess yourself out here, go with your thoughts, go with what you know is best and give it your all. And as long as you give it you all, no matter what the outcome is, you know that you gave it your all. And if you are successful, then that is what was meant to happen and I feel that I am successful out here because I gave it my all.
So pretty much the biggest thing that I have learned is that I am a really strong woman and I never thought of myself as that strong of a person, and I know now, not only physically and mentally, I am a really strong person inside and out.
You know when I got voted out and I am walking out, I am like, part of me is like, you made it so far Stephenie, the odds were totally not in your favor and another part of me is like, that friggen sucks, I am such a failure, I could have made it further. It pisses me off that these people, still get to be in this game when I feel like a true survivor when I survived so much more s--t than them. I am sitting here, and I am like there is part of me that is pissed, and I still want to be in that game and I think there is a lot still in me to give, and I have a lot of challenges to be won, and I have a lot of, I still have immunity that I want to grab but it all goes down to, it's the game and I was outnumbered by an entire tribe, I was on a tribe that was decimated, conquered, killed, murdered basically. And um, you know, I am proud that I made it this far but because I am so competitive, I'm pissed, I want to go further, it's not enough but the game is over for me right now, and I was voted out and unfortunately, there is nothing I can do, but move on, have a couple of drinks, have a lot of food and have some good times.
Being a big Survivor fan, watching it on TV and then actually playing in the game, totally different. I definitely thought it was easier you know, and everyone said, it's going to be the hardest thing you will do, nah I can get through it. You know there aren't people sitting in the background, here's a bottle water, or are you starving, here's a burger. There's nothing, there's no food, there’s no water, there's no clothing, what I had on my back is what I made for myself moving forward, and whatever food that I ate, I caught and did on my own, and any water that was boiled and whatever. And so, it's a helluva lot harder than it looks, a helluva lot harder and I didn't want to believe that coming into this game, but I found out very quickly within the first day and I am glad that I can conquer and I am glad it was an experience I was able to have.
Well, that’s it for this recap, see you all Thursday for my weekly picks.
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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