Yay for a New Season! American Idol

Ok, so I know I have fallen off the wagon blogging here... I've been focusing on my lunch blog. 

But I can't let a new season of American Idol begin without marking it with a blog post!

Lots of changes this season.  Nigel Lythgoe is back as producer.  Simon and Kara are out.  Steven and J.Lo are in.  I'm not at all sure how I feel about any of these changes, but as always, I'm looking forward to seeing how it all pans out.

J.Lo's entrance is in a sparkly jumpsuit with built in saddle bags.  Nuff said.  Steven Tyler wants to find a Janis Joplin for this generation, and urges hopefuls to sing like they do when no one's looking.  J.Lo wants to be the compassionate one, and claims not to be in the business of crushing dreams.  Randy is excited for the new table.

Also welcome, Jimmy Iovine as on-staff mentor.  We'll see about that, too.

First auditions are in NJ.  And Seacrest was welcomed to the NJ audition arena by Constantine Maroulis.

First in is Rachel Zevita auditioned in Season 6, made it to Hollywood, and was cut the first day.  JLo remembers her from her previous audition.  She has a really nice voice with good control.  I worry that she has a phglemy sound at times, but her transitions between octaves are good.  JLo thinks that it wasn't the best audition.  Steven thinks that she didn't show the fire that she has.  He wants to "let her in the door, water the flower, and watch it grow."  She's through to Hollywood, but it's tentative.

Caleb Hawley is up next.  Steven was digging him for sure (providing percussion).  I forsee Steven being the sound byte king of this season.  The judges dig him (a lot) and he is through. 


Kenzie Palmer is 15 (they lowered the age limit this year).  She's a musical theater student at a performing arts school.  And she has an awesome voice.  I don't know about her presence.  Steven agrees with me.  JLo does not.  Randy sees what Steven was saying, but loves her voice.  And so Kenzie is through to Hollywood.

Montage of unheard Golden Tickets.

Then comes Achille Lovle from the Ivory Coast.  She declared that she was singing Dress You Up by Madonna.  Instead, she bellowed something completely unintelligible.  Steven said that she needed to reign the wild horses in.  Achille said that her vocal coach was working on her accent, but Randy said "it's just not your thing, baby."  She got the first no votes we saw, and Jennifer was feeling horribly and was ready to go home after the no.   Get used to it, babe.

Montage of annoying Jersey stereotypes.  Uck.


Tiffany Rios demonstrated the proper technique for teasing hair.  What is this, 1983?  She wants to make Jennifer Lopez proud.  She broke into tears as soon as she got up on the audition stage, and got a hug from JLo.  Oh, and she's singing an original song.  With accompaniment fro her boob stars, jingling along.  It wasn't the worst I've heard, until she went up super high.  She was allowed to sing a second song, for which she covered up the boob stars, because it was a more emotional song.  It's a Celine song (I'm Your Lady), and it wasn't embarrassing.  If she laid off the oranging, I could take her more seriously.  I expected her to suck and she didn't.  She's through.

Montage of terrible singers.  Steven got some practice with the no's.  JLo Paula'd it up and couldn't say no.  She seemed physically pained to deny people.

Robbie Rosen was in a wheelchair in kindergarten due to an illness.  (Sinnovitis?  Not familiar with it).  He's 16.  He's singing Yesterday, and he's good.  Good control, nice tone.  That annoying slight exhale I dislike at the end of phrases, but not too terrible about it.  He got a wow from Steven, who appreciated the arrangement.  He got a lot of happiness from the judges.  Randy liked how he marinated the notes.  He's through.

Steven had a fan club.  And he appreciated the pretty ladies, too.  Didn't Paula get in trouble for that?

Chris Cordiero is a proud 18 year old Boy Scout.  He made a PSA video for his Eagle Project against texting and driving.  Wow.  He has no charisma at all.  And a really stupid hat.  JLo wondered if he was dressed to go fishing... And he's predictably terrible singing My Way.  His mother, in the hallway, singing to Seacrest, seemed to be much better than her son...

Wow.  Nervous burper.  That's gross.  And he's awkward in many other ways, too.  His name is Michael Perotto, and he sounds like a singing muppet.  My husband says he sounds like Gomer Pyle.  JLo told Steven to make him stop.  Steven wondered if he ate a lot of paint chips as a child, and said American Idol has higher standards, to which Michael busted out something he thought had "higher standards."  Steven said "What we have here is a failure to communicate."  JLo said that he sounded like he was singing in an imitation of someone else's voice.  Steven said maybe he's a natural for Broadway.  Randy said that he shouldn't sing anywhere.

Ashley Sullivan has a nervous laugh when saying that she is the next American Idol, and said that she might be the first Awkward Idol.  And she's a huge Britney fan.  Carries a Britney picture in her pocket for good luck.  She's singing a song from Thoroughly Modern Millie, and it was really good!  Very musical theatre.  Wonder if she has anything more modern.  JLo said that her thing was more for musical theatre and less for American Idol.  Ashley said that she wants to be the first musical theatre pop star, and thinks that pop needs to get with Liza Minelli.  I kind of really love her.  Randy gave her a no, but the other two gave her a yes and she's to Hollywood.  Steven said that wanted to personally work that into something good.

Victoria Huggins is from North Carolina, and I find her precosiously obnoxious.  She does video updates.  Wow.  I kind of want to punch her.  She doesn't have a bad voice, but I don't think she connects with the lyrics of the song at all.  Steven was amazed at how proud she was of herself.  JLo thinks she's adorable.  Steven made a crack about her knee length skirt, and she "yo-yo dawged" Randy.  And she's through.  Man, I hope that she doesn't make it far.. she's worse than DiGarmo.

Melinda Ademi is stunningly gorgeous.  She's from Kosovo and her family escaped during the war.  Her father got a Green Card in a lottery. Wow.  I am so happy that she has a great voice, too.  And nice control.  She's in.  Hurrah!

Devyn Rush is a singing waitress in Times Square.  She's singing God Bless the Child, and I love her voice and her attitude.  Nice scatting!  Steven said it was delicious.  JLo was totally surprised.  Randy thought that her look and her voice were bait and switch, in a good way.  He said that she has a really good ear.  JLo reminds her that she needs to believe in herself and dress the part so people can see that she's the total package.

Montage of painful singers.  Steven can't help himself from singing along.  He has me laughing my butt off.

Yoji "Pop" Asano has been imitating Michael Jackson since he was 2, or actually before he was born.  Wow.  That's dedication.  He hated the Party in the USA song by Miley Cyrus, and so decided to sing it.  I use that term loosely.  He's doing Michael-esque moves, but he has no vocal talent and it was painful.  And that brings us to the first singing montage, all to a that stupid ass song, some good and some... well... just dreadful.  Yeah.  Yoji is NOT through.

And montage of awful... as the judges tried to let people down lightly. 


Brielle Von Hugel is from Statten Island, and her dad used to be in a doowop group.  He has survived throat cancer - and here I was suggesting that he sounds like Mo from The Simpsons.  Oops.  And she's quite good.  They loved her and invited her dad in.  She's through, though JLo thinks she has a little work to do.

Travis Orlando has a twin brother who is completely different from him.  He's from the Bronx, and they have been in shelters after their dad lost his job, and the area was really bad.  He sings Eleanor Rigby, and he's got a really different and cool take on it.  They asked him to sing something else, and he busted out I'm Yours by Jason Mraz.  I really really like him.  He's only 16.  Wow.  And he's in.

Ok, so I am more than pleasantly surprised by the new season.  I don't miss Simon. 

What's that I said? 

That's right, I don't miss Simon.  The new judges are good, and the singers are good so far.  Not too much spotlight on the embarrassments, and that makes me happy.  Hooray!

And what did you think?

Tomorrow, it's New Orleans.

Survivor Nicaragua 11.10.10

After tribal, Naonka felt badly for Jane.  Really?  She admitted that if it had been Marty going at her, she would have fought back.  Jane re-dubbed Marty "Farty" and said that he was grasping at straws, and she wasn't planning on changing her game.

Next day, Marty lamented that he was playing the game with stupid people.  Hetold his group that they should tell people they were voting Naonka out, and they should vote Holly instead, and it would flush out the idol.  He was gunning for Holly because Sash told him it was her who wrote his name down.  Interesting plan..

Reward Challenge

They will be randomly divided into two teams, through an obstacle course to collect three keys, and then use the keys to unlock three locks.  First to raise their flag wins.  They win a zip line experience, and a Survivor BBQ.

Teams are randomly Men vs. Women, with Chase not selected.  If Chase selects the winning team to back, he's going on the reward with them.  He admitted to doing something crazy and backed the ladies.  The two teams are seriously neck and neck... until there was a stick blockade that they had to break, and the men brute forced through first.  And then, poor Jane fell behind.  The men won it as the women tried to get through their walls... and Chase was staying at camp with the women.

Purple Kelly broke down crying because she was hungry.. Probst gave the men a chance to offer reward to someone on the women's team they thought deserved it for working so hard.  They declined the offer.  Nothing for the ladies.  Marty called Chase joining Jane "like watching Dumb and Dumber."  Tell us how you really feel, Marty..

The reward looked amazing.  Dan said that there aren't any zip lines in Brooklyn, unless you are a burglar.  And the food?  Looked like heaven.  Marty was excited to have a chance to talk to the guys about his plan.  Everyone seemed to buy into it.  But, Sash admitted in confessional that while Marty's plan makes sense, he thinks that he and Brenda are the smartest two people in the game.

Back at camp, the women gave Chase some hugs, before Brenda admitted that Chase wasn't making smart decisions.  The girls all want Marty out.  Chase doesn't want to ruffle Brenda's feathers, and he worried that she might be in with Marty.  He and Naonka went to talk with her on the beach, and she was very quiet.  She called him a little baby and too paranoid, with the illusion of alpha male persona.

Tree mail brings clues to an Immunity challenge, which seems to be a Trivia.  and so it is.


Immunity Challenge

Memory challenge - It's like Simon. A series of symbols will be shown, and they will have to repeat them with cubes with symbols on them.  Jane and Naonka are the first ones out, at just the third symbol.  Then Dan pulled a symbol that wasn't even in the first group.  Next, Holly, Kelly, and Sash fell.

There were five left for the second round.  Jud Fabio was out next, followed by Chase, then Benry.

It's between Brenda and Marty, and then Brenda won it.

Back at camp, Jud Fabio was talking with Benry, and Jud Fabio said that he hates playing stupid, but it's easy.  Wait... is this stupid all a strategy?  Then, Marty told Chase it was going to be Naonka... so, they aren't telling him of the Holly switch?  Chase told Holly that they told him they were voting Naonka, but he thinks they are going to blindside Jane.  Then, Marty went to tell Brenda that Sash's plan is to say they are voting Naonka and then blindsiding Jane.  Is that the new plan?  Brenda said that Marty isn't running the game, she and Sash are.  She and Sash talked, and they were vascillating between Marty and Jane.


Tribal Council

Probst talked of the random men vs. women at the challenge, and Jane said the hardest thing was the bamboo sticks and the "brick" wall, which they bounced right off... Sash admitted that they used the time out to strategize, and Jud Fabio brought up that back at camp, the girls plus Chase were strategizing, but he was happy to be eating while strategizing.  Brenda admitted that Jane is more of a threat against the jury, because she is so nice, whereas Naonka is a trouble maker, so she wouldn't be so tough against.  Probst brought up the food theft again, and Naonka said that it wasn't something she wanted to talk about anymore, and then called herself a "humanitarian," which she took to mean only human.  Um, not quite.  Even Jud Fabio looked aghast at her gaff.  Then, she got into it against Marty, saying that his "walk sucks," and she went on and on about how she was fighting him, and she was going to scare him.  Jud Fabio tried to stop her, but she kept going on.  Then, Marty said that it gave him the insight into the kind of person she is.  Jud Fabio said that she wasn't making any sense, and that she was saying she was sorry, but she still did it.  She said that they were still talking about the damned flour.  Jud Fabio admitted that Naonka's behavior irritated him, and she said that she was irritated by him, too.  She said "this is who I am," and said that she's not putting on a show, this is who she is.  Wow.  nice.  Probst said that he wonders if her recurrent outbreaks and continued presence in the game meant that she was going to be carried to the finals... maybe.  Ugh.

At the vote, Jane said that she wouldn't let her kids or grandkids play with Marty's, and that he is a disgrace to all fathers.  Wow.  Personally, I would put those same words to Naonka being a teacher... and Naonka didn't play the idol.  Guess she's feeling pretty confident.

Votes go to Jane and Marty... and Marty is going home.  Guess that's what you get when you announce to the person who is charge of the game (Brenda/Sash) that your plan is the only plan... buh-bye.

And next week - Something terrible happens and they didn't show us.  Just shocked dismay.  I wonder if an animal gets into their food or something?  We'll have to wait and see...

Survivor Nicaragua: 11.3.10

Sorry that I didn't blog last week, it was a crazy week with Halloween and all..


Time for a merge!

Benry is plotting against Alina.  Espada is surprised to see Jill gone.  Marty feels like it's home sweet home and he's been given a new lease on life.  They open the treasure chest together and find a wealth of bread and food and new buffs.  Jud Fabio is more excited than anything about the merge.  Marty dubs the new tribe Libertad.  And then, there is rum in the treasure chest.  and cookies.  And salami.  Naonka was shoving food in her clothing - peanuts in her bra and the like.  Brenda was super excited to see Naonka again.  Ugh.  I hate that Naonka is in a strong alliance.  They went for a walk and discussed everything that had happened, including Marty giving Sash the idol.

Jane and Chase discussed North Carolina and her prowress in P90X.  I could dig this alliance.  And I have even more respect for Jane.  P90X is rough.  Good for her.

Naonka is annoyed because she made tortillas and she got the last, smallest one.  And then, she took the flour in her bag and left camp.  Holly saw her do it.  She buried the flour.  Wow.  I really can't stand her.  She then took all sorts of fruit and cooking tools and hid them, too.  She is such a baby.  And then, she decided to share with Alina, and told Alina that people would be gunning for her, and so she needed to win immunity.  I don't get Naonka.  I do, however, like Alina, so... Naonka admitted in confessional that she told Alina so that she would have her vote in the jury.

Then, the tribe realized that there were some things missing - bowl, frying pan, flour... and Jud Fabio said "that doesn't get swept away by the tide."  And Holly brought up that she saw Naonka take the flour.  She denied, denied, denied.  Alina felt badly about not saying anything.  Sash and Alina told Naonka that she needed to admit that she took the flour and the other things.  She did admit it, but then threw Alina's name in the mix, too.  And she said she brought it away to portion it out so they didn't go through it all.  Marty wasn't buying it. 

Jane continued the be The Man, and was catching fish left and right.  Marty felt threatened by Jane in the game, and said her connections would spread like "cancerous tentacles" through the tribe.  Marty brought up his problem with Jane to Brenda, and she didn't think that he had the right idea about Jane, but worried that he would be able to bend others to his will, so maybe they should just go with him, in order to lessen his influence.  What?


Immunity Challenge

They have to hold onto a steel handle and keep tension on it, to not let it slip down a pole to drop break their plate.  The last man and the last woman will win immunity.  And Purple Kelly and Dan are out almost immediately, followed by Alina, and then Brenda and Benry.  Sash followed, and Naonka.  And Jane won Woman's Individual Immunity, but continued, saying that she wanted to stay in the challenge and see if she could beat the men.  She said "Picking up 80 lb dogs helps."  Marty lost it, and it's between Jud Fabio and Chase for the men's immunity.  And Jane was still hanging on.  Chase dropped his bar, and Jud Fabio won - and Jane held out strong right to the end.  Nice job, Jane.

Jane really wants Marty out.  It's between Marty and Alina.  Sash told the group that he promised Marty when he gave him the idol that he would give it back if he was in trouble for the next tribal.  Jane worries that Marty might get the individual immunity the next time, and she worried that she was Marty's target.  They assured her that they were her alliance.

Then, Dan went to Marty and told him that Chase was gunning for him.  Marty confronted Sash and Brenda and was upping his own paranoia.  Sash said he was digging his own grave. 

Alina went up to Jud Fabio and asked him to vote for Marty, but Jud Fabio brought up the (very valid) point that Naonka should be going home.  Then, he told her that her strategic thinking is why people want her gone, and he told her that he gets along with Marty, and she stormed off, saying "seems to me that we got along, too."  Oh, Jud Fabio, you just can't win...


Tribal Council

Marty immediately attacked Jane, saying that if Jane makes it to the final 3, he would vote for her, because the people who let her get there made a terrible mistake.  He said "If you think someone's going to take a million dollars out of your pocket, that's what you have to think about."  Alina said that perhaps Marty just called himself out as the biggest threat in the tribe.  Then, Dan brought up the food theft, and told Probst that it was Naonka and Alina.  To Naonka's credit, she took all of the blame for it.  Then she said she was punished because no one talked to her for the rest of the day.  Poor baby.  And Alina admitted that she knew about it, but called herself the ultimate swing vote, she they should keep her around.

We'll see...

Benry called Alina a "dirt squirrel" in his vote for her.  I don't get the animosity, but again, we don't see everything...

Votes went to Alina... and she's gone.  That makes me really sad.  She didn't do anything wrong, except for not having a really solid alliance... Sad.

Next week, Sash and Brenda try to maintain power, and ... another tribal of Naonka being a grade A beotch and Jud Fabio scoffing in disbelief at her behavior.  Ought to be fun...

Survivor: 10.20.10

Uh oh... Did not know that Yve was not told about the ouster of Tyrone.  This could get messy.  Holly has come around from her near quit, and realizes that you should suck it up and finish what you've signed up for.  This is just as Dan decided to be done.

Yve is upset about being left out of the decision, and Holly told her that they didn't tell her because she and Tyrone had an alliance... which she didn't.  Holly says maybe they should be more open and honest.  Then she told Yve that Dan had declared he was done....

Over at La Flor, Marty and Jill worry that the young people just sleep all the time and don't do chores... but Jane fits right in and Becky says that votes would be split between Marty and Jill at a tribal, and it would flush out the idol...


Immunity Challenge

And.... it's individual immunities.  Both tribes are going to tribal and voting someone out.  Each tribe will have someone immune...

Everyone has to go out and dig in an individual area for rings, which they have to toss over their shoulders into baskets on their backs.  First back with all their rings wins.  Then, the winners compete for tribal reward - a feast enjoyed while watching the other tribe's Tribal Council.  That's a ring toss.

Holly wins immunity for Espada.  And Jill wins for La Flor.  The best laid plans of Becky are dashed.

And Jill won it for La Flor.  Fantastic.

And the schemes began... the plan was to split votes for Marty and Kelly B. - but tell Kelly B. they were voting for Jane.  Not sure about that...

And of course, Jud Fabio is the wild card.

Marty of course has a plan.  He told Jud Fabio that he is a grand master in chess and pulled some tennis player's name out of his butt as being the best strategist for the situation... and Jud Fabio ate it all up.  Marty admitted that he could pull anything out of the 70's on these kids, and they would buy it.  I think that is mostly true of Jud Fabio.. not so much all of the others.

And Espada was trying to figure out their move... Dan and Yve seem to be on the chopping block.  Naonka continued to show no sympathy for people with physical ailments and said that Dan's knees are about to give out and sooner rather than later he's going to be walking on nubs.  Nice.

Yve tries to pull in Naonka and Alina and tells them that she's got good relationships with the old Espada tribe, and this would be good for them somehow.  Alina brings up the point that this is the perfect reason to vote her out.

Chase was not sure what to do, and Naonka told him to not vote with his heart, but to vote with his gut.  She said that if they want to vote out Yve, she will write her name down and then smile in her face.  Nice.  Oh, nice. 

And La Flor, Jane thinks she is as thick as peanut butter and jelly (her words) with the younger people.

Sash told the plan of the split vote to Jud Fabio, and Jud Fabio is reticent to vote for Marty, because he thinks he's in thick with Marty.


La Flor Tribal Council

Becky brought up that Jane should perhaps be worried about Marty and Jill voting her out.  Marty told her that was preposterous - because he and Jill are two, against the rest of the group.  Kelly B. feels pretty safe in the tribe.  Uh oh.  Marty says he felt less secure than before Brenda started talking.

And of course, because Becky brought up Marty's plans, Jane voted for Marty.  Marty voted for Brenda, saying she was a black widow, king cobra, and black mamba all rolled into one.

Marty made a STUPID move and did not play his hidden idol.. Votes went Split between Marty and Kelly B, with Brenda getting Marty and Jill's votes.  And it's a tie.  Revote.  This is Kelly B going home, I'm pretty sure, because Jill isn't voting for Marty...  I am really sad.  I liked her.  She had spunk and never did anything to deserve to go home.  Boo.  I guess Kelly B. was going home no matter what, though, even if Marty had played the idol.  He probably figured that and that's why he didn't play the idol...


Espada's Tribal Council (while La Flor feasted)

Naonka pointedly did not look at the eating.  She looked close to tears.  Probst told Dan that they could hear the ice cubes plunk into the glasses, and he said if it wasn't a martini, it didn't bother him.  Yve brought up Dan's complaints and that he said he wanted to quit.  Probst tried to get them to admit that Dan was bad at challenges.  And Dan said that Yve is just speaking up because she's in trouble.  She admitted that was fair.  Then, he called her arrogant, and she countered with the fact that she is not the one talking about her cars and houses and the like, and Dan admitted that he does that, but thinks it's her attitude that's arrogant... ummm... ok.

La Flor left before the vote, and Yve is gone.  Lesson learned - saying what a great competitor you are and how the other guy is no threat?  Not the best strategy to be kept around.

Next week looks good - Sash is trying to get the idol away from Marty, Jane is cooking a fish in the forest on the sly, and Jud Fabio likes to pee in the water that they will all be competing for the challenge in.  Nice.  I forsee that being talked about on the reunion show...

Survivor Nicaragua: 10.13.10

Post Jimmy T's ouster, Espada despairs at having to go to tribal again and again.  Holly didn't have any idea that Jimmy T was going and she's really upset.  Marty called tribal a slam dunk and declared himself in charge of the game.  He "can't imagine anything going wrong" and tells Dan the same.  This is sure to be foreshadowing.

And over at La Flor, Naonka is proud to be on the younger tribe, and she has a happy alliance, has her hair done, has her shoes clean, and thinks if she looks good, she's going to do "good."


Challenge Time.

And.... ha.  Drop your buffs.  Tribal shake up.  So there, cocky people.  Probst brought out a bag of rocks and they drew for new captains.  The new captains are Brenda and Holly.  Brenda gets three people from the older tribe, and Holly got four from the younger.  Jane, Jill, and Marty joined La Flor.  Aline, Benry, Chase, and Naonka joined Espada.

And no more Medallion of Power.

It's Survivor Plinko - with balls going down what is essentially a plinko board, after being thrown up a flat wall, with tribe members at the bottom catching the balls.  If you drop, the other team gets the point.  First to three points wins.  And they are playing for two chickens and a rooster.  Naonka can't wait to "wring them necks on them chickens."

Right off, it was tied... and then Marty dropped one for La Flor, and Espada pulled ahead.  Then, Alina dropped one for Espada, and it's tied again.  And Marty dropped a second one, and Espada headed back to camp with the chickens.

Newly mixed tribes got to know each other.  Tyrone wanted to leave all the chickens alive for a while so they would produce eggs, and seemed to be stepping right into leadership role of the tribe with Marty gone.  And he was telling all of the new tribe members what to do, keep things clean and do chores and such... and Naonka took offense to being told that there were things to do.  Holly felt like the "kids" were receptive to her.  She and Naonka got on well together right off.  Two crazies together.  Awesome.  Alina was hanging with them, too.  Naonka wants to go where ever the numbers are, so suddenly she's ok with Alina.

And on La Flor, Jud Fabio is pretty stoked about the switch.  Then, Marty starts asking about responsibilities and tribal chores, and Brenda just looks bemused, with Jud Fabio looks confused at the concept.. Jane likes new tribe and their easy-going attitude.  She wants to get rid of Marty and Jill.  Then, Marty found out about Naonka's tussle with Kelly B, and her running away with the clue, and Jud Fabio said "I guess we're the young tribe, and we really don't know what we're doing."  Marty talked to the tribe as a whole and told them that he has the immunity idol.  Brenda thought it was cocky of him, and said it was like he walked in and declared himself king.

The new Espada is feeling rather unfortunate... the resources at their camp don't seem as lush as at La Flor, and the shelter is built in such a way that the rain drives right through them.  Naonka is cold and she doesn't do well when she's uncomfortable.  Poor thing.  Alina said that Naonka seems like a PMSy high school girl, and thinks it's better for her if Naonka is despairing and wants to go home.  She told Naonka "You have the rest of your life to be warm and comfortable."  Chase came and told her a story about a rainbow that appeared when his dad died.  But it's hard!  And she's cold!  And wet!  And she wants to go home!  Oh, Naonka... sorry this isn't Club Med.  I have a hard time finding any sympathy for her.

Immunity Challenge

La Flor is happy to have a great camp with a dry shelter, and Alina said that Espada bonded in a different way because they were wet. 

And this challenge is crazy.  Three tribe members will be strapped to a revolving wheel, and they will be spun around to go briefly under water to grab water in their mouths, which they have to spit into a pipe on the top of the wheel to fill it and release balls.  Then it's Survivor Skee Ball to break tiles to win. 

Kelly B, Purple Kelly, and Brenda are on the wheel for La Flor, with Yve, Holly, and Alina on the wheel for Espada.

La Flor was spinning fast, but missing their target, while Espada had a more comfortable pace and filled their pipe first.  Tyrone and Benry were off to the Skee Ball game.  Shortly thereafter, La Flor released their balls and Jud Fabio and Jane threw for them.  It was all tied up, and then Jud Fabio won the challenge for La Flor. 

Naonka had a feeling they were going to lose, and she's ready to go home, thinking Espada's cursed.  She says if she continues to go, kudos to her, but if not, she's happy.  Naonka wants to eat before Tribal, and they decide to eat one of the chickens.  Tyrone is in disagreement of the idea.  They put it to a vote and the chicken dies.  Tyrone didn't take part in chicken prep, but was ready to eat when it came to it.  And he seemed to eat more than anyone else, after telling people to be mindful of their neighbors when they were getting food.  Alina and Benry also brought up the fact that Naonka was totally mentally checked out... we'll see.  I'm hoping for Naonka's swift exit, that's for sure.

Tribal Council

Alina brings up that she felt a bit like a child coming into the tribe, and Tyrone was the obvious boss man.  Naonka said that the night was the worst for her, except for getting a divorce at 26, but she blames herself for that.  Then, she did some weird math and said that she wanted to quit, and there weren't 24 hours in that day, there were 26, but it felt like 48.  huh?

Probst tried to get the others to admit that it would be easy to vote out Naonka, because she was breaking down.  Benry feigned that he had no idea what Probst meant, but Yve admitted that she was looking for longevity in people to keep around, and if Naonka broke down, she could easily break down again.  During the vote, Benry declared it was time to dethrone the king of Espada, saying "Benry's here, baby," before knocking something off the voting table.  Nice, dude.  Smooth.

Votes go to Naonka and Tyrone, with the person going home .... Tyrone. 

While he was abrasive at times, I think they are going to regret that vote mightily. 

Next week, Dan is pretty well ready to go home, and Marty reveals that he is a chess grand master... and there's another twist - no tribal immunity.  Wow.  Can't wait.

Survivor Nicaragua: 10.6.10

Oh, Marty... got rid of Jimmy J.  Will this be a mistake?  And can Naonka be any more hateful?

Let's see!

After the ousting of Jimmy J, Jimmy T denied that Jimmy J was a good leader at all.  And then he broke out into a really weird impromptu song.  Really?  Marty called it the Jimmy T. Show, and said that he needs to hear his own voice.  Marty said if you give Jimmy T a little rope, he'll hang himself from the nearest branch.  Wow.  Faith in your tribe, Marty.  Amazing.

The next morning, they had some serious beach flooding and washed up debris.  No more swimming in the ocean.  Also no fishing.  Jill brought up the point that there was no food and no means of getting it - 2 c of rice a day and that's it.  They watched a pelican fishing and decided they should fish like him.  Jimmy T tried to fish all by himself and refused help.  As you can imagine, that went well.  Jane wants someone to step up as Captain and Co-Captain... we'll see.

Over at La Flor, Naonka said she slept so well that she didn't even know it had rained until she got up and it was damp out.  And then Brenda figured out the hidden immunity clue.  She and Naonka fund the idol.  Crap.  And Naonka said that Brenda helped her figure it out, but the idol is hers.  Classy, Naonka.  That was Brenda all the way.  Naonka said "Not even a one-legged person would stand in my way.  One shove, and she's out of there."  Wow.

Alina and Kelly B. have formed a bond, and they had found the previous clue, so they went out searching for the idol, and Naonka said she was going to go get in their heads and scare them.  Mostly, she made herself look crazy.  Well done.

Espada was still starving, but thinks that they are doing well.  Marty wants one voice to delegate what they are going to do in the challenge, and he nominated Tyrone.  Jimmy T. spoke up and said he usually wants to be a leader, and he is aware that he is going to snap every once and a while, begging to be played, but he doesn't want to be a leader in this case.  He thinks that Marty doesn't like him because he is insecure and feels threatened by him.  Ummm... I don't think that's it.

Tree Mail brings messages of a possible blindfolded challenge.  They practice listening to Tyrone blindfolded.  Then Jimmy T. spoke up to make sure that everyone would listen to Tyrone.  Ummm.  Ok.


Challenge

No chanting (visibly) from La Flor upon arrival at the challenge.  That's good.

Pairs of blindfolded people will be directed by vocal calling to gather 10 items, then find keys to unlock a chest.  Winner gets all first.  Also, the challenge winner gets to choose three of the items to keep.  La Flor decided to use their medallion of power and they start with 2 of 10 items back on their mat.  Dan sits out for Espada, and the two Kellies sit out for La Flor.

Brenda and Tyrone are callers.  Even with the practice, Brenda was doing a better job of getting people to items and back with them.  It wasn't even close - 4 items made it back for Espada and La Flor already had all of their items.  And guess what?  Jimmy T (who gave the speech about listening to directions) wasn't listening even a little, and La Flor won.

Three groups of items going back to their camp are fishing supplies, a tarp, and cooking supplies.  Excellent.

Back at camp, Espada tried to decide who was going to be going home.  Jimmy T. wants the opportunity to be a leader, and said that coaching basketball teams in his regular life means he would be good.  Everyone was pretty annoyed with him, it seems.

And at La Flor, Chase quietly found a clue to the Hidden Idol.. and he shared the knowledge with Brenda.  He had no problem at all figuring out the rebus clue.  She felt badly leading him on a wild goose chase, and after ascertaining that he trusted her more than anyone else on the tribe, she told him that Naonka had the idol, and told him that she found it for Naonka. She urged him to keep his mouth shut.

Espada resorted to eating sea urchins.  And according to Jimmy T, Marty was eating too many, and he called him out for not being a team player.  Then the talk was getting rid of Dan (because he's weak), or Jimmy T (for obvious reasons).  Marty wants to keep Dan.  Jimmy T. kept talking about how he wants his chance to lead. 


Tribal

Probst called them out when they said that they thought it was close in the challenge.  It was not close.  They are delusional.  And then Jimmy T complained about not getting his chance.  Daniel admitted that he wasn't good at challenges.  And Holly thinks that Jimmy T. should have his chance.

Too little too late, though... Jimmy T. is gone.  Hurrah.

Survivor Nicaragua: 9.29.10

La Flor realized that they had a lot of coming together to do before they were going to be successful.  Naonka of course thought it was all fake, and had some bitchy words about it.

Espada were stalking Howler Monkeys because they realized that they would lead them to food.  And Jimmy J. had a conversation with the monkeys.  Yve thinks Jimmy J's soul is inspiring.  Marty is just pissed off that Jimmy is a celebrity.  And no one is paying any attention to Marty.  Jill wanted Marty to calm down and think of the current tribe, not the threat Jimmy would be at the future merge.  She wants to show the hidden idol that they found to the others..

Over at La Flor, Jud Fabio was breathing in smoke from making fire, and he maintained that his strategy was to hang out and make people laugh, and he wants to be kept around for his spirit.  Naonka thinks that if you knocked on his head, you would hear hollowness, and she just can't stand him.

And Marty did what Jill wanted to, and showed the idol, saying they could share it as a tribe.  Jimmy T. thinks that this reveal strengthened the tribe 5x, but secretly thought that he was a moron (though a nice one) for sharing it.  Tyrone wondered at Marty's motives for sharing the idol, and still thinks he's shady.

After some bad sleep, Dan O' the Expensive shoes and the Bad Knee worried that the tribe would see him as a weak link.  He thinks he's stronger than the girls.  I don't think so.

And the younger tribe was trying to figure out what to do next.  Alina looks to be in the minority, along with Kelly B.

Chase seems to be in an alliance with Naonka, Kelly "Purple" (I hate that, by the way), Sash, Brenda.  Hmmm.


Challenge

Both tribes will race out to collect 10 barrels from a field and arrange them on a platform, and then one person at a time will toss sandbags onto the barrells.  First tribe with sandbags on all barrels wins immunity and a Survivor garden - spices, oils, and a sustainable herb garden.

La Flor decided not to use the medallion.  I think that's a good idea.

Both tribes spent some time on strategy first, and then they started.  The younger tribe got the barrels back just before the older tribe, but the stacking went faster for the younger tribe.  Dan was lagging behind.

Even so, they started throwing at about the same time.  Benry and Tyrone started, and Tyrone was a rock star.  Benry was doing a god job for the younger tribe, and tied it up at 6, then pulled ahead.  Tyrone didn't let anyone else have a chance, and Jimmy T was muttering about being wasted.  Jimmy J. acted coach and sent in Jimmy T... and he got one, but then Benry got the last one and won it for La Flor.  Benry, stupid name in all, really showed his stuff at that challenge.  Good on him.

As they grabbed their reward, Kelly B. saw a hidden idol clue, but unfortunately, Naonka saw it as well...

Back at camp, RUMBLE for the clue.  Naonka grabbed the clue right out from under Kelly B. and smushed bananas in the process.  Naonka said that she would do it again, and would push her so hard that her "damned leg" flew off.  Wow.  She really has an irrational hatred for Kelly B.

And then she shared the clue with Brenda, who is much smarter than she is, I think.  Naonka had no clue about the clue, but Brenda seemed to figure out a little...

The older tribe is reeling from their loss.  Jimmy T. in particular thinks that his talents are being wasted and asked Jimmy J. to evaluate him.  This started a bit of a heated grump about everything...

And Marty is gunning for Jimmy J.  He wants to shake the tribe to its core and make everyone follow him instead of Jimmy J.  I think it's ridiculous to get rid of Jimmy J. first.

Holly is sure her name is going to be on the chopping block, but Dog Trainer Awesome lady (forget her name) told her that she hasn't heard her name.  While fishing, Jimmy J. told the ladies (including Yve) that he knows he's in danger.

Tyrone thinks that Jimmy J. is all about motivating others, and he worries that Dan has physical ailments.  Marty sees his reluctance as weakness, and not thinking clearly.  I see it as smart.


Tribal Council

Probst wants to talk about the challenge.  Jimmy T. again brings up that he was not used properly.  Jane said that Jimmy J. is the most accomplished strategist among them, so obviously they listen to him.  Jimmy T. asserts that he hasn't had a chance to talk to Jimmy J.  Tyrone finds it baffling that Jimmy T. thinks that Jimmy J. is threatened by him.  Jimmy J. thinks that he and Jimmy T. have a good relationship, even though they haven't really talked.  Jill wants the tribe to be strong, to face La Flor.  Dan says that he is average in strength.  Jane brought up his obvious knee scar/weakness.

Probst asked what went down after the challenge, and Jimmy T. said that they are planning to keep the tribe strong, and refuses to call out names, but says there are 3-4 weak people he can think of.  The only person to admit he is one of the weaker people is Jimmy J.  Marty wants to accelerate the game.  I think he's a dumbass.

Vote time.

All votes go to Jimmy J... (except his for Dan) and I am so sad.  I don't think that was the smartest move at this point... Jimmy's parting words are to tell him tribe to win the million.  Probst tells them that they just voted out the proven leader, and wonders who is going to step up to fill those shoes.  I predict lots of roosters crowing around camp next week.

Also next week, there's warning for Hurricane Naonka.  Good lord.  She really annoys me...