Survivor Gabon: 11.6.08

After Kota's tribal council, Randy said that this Tribal Council was hard unlike the other ones he's gone to. Susie immediately started snickering, and Randy took offense. Marcus said that they need to find the weaknesses and fix them. This weakness, according to Corrine, and Marcus and Charlie, is Susie. She seems to be deluded into thinking that she has all the power. Hmm. Wonder where she gets that idea.

Fang is back from their Tribal, and Sugar is feeling pleased with herself (with reason). Matty was stunned. Sugar wisely said that she trusts Ken a lot more than she trusted Ace. Crystal seems kind of cocky and says that Matty has the chance to clear the slate. Ken says that he has a plan for the Fang Four to be the Final Four. I wouldn't mind seeing Ken and Sugar there, but I don't particularly want to see Crystal or Matty there.

Corrine is still out for revenge on Susie, and it's ominous tree mail. Time for a beach bash, and it's looking like a merge with lots of food. I'm guessing this is not the straight forward merge it looks like. That would be too easy.

The feast is definitely amazing looking. Chicken wings, mangoes, fruits, veggies, meatloaf.... The Starving Fang is thrilled.

There is a big ol' box on the table with a not for them not to open it until they are done eating. Under the box was a clue for a new hidden immunity idol. Ken spied it first, but then Charlie shared it with everyone. Marcus said that they should just find the idol and not use it, and Randy said that they should set it free into the ocean. Randy found it in less than 10 seconds. Randy says he doesn't want it, and offered it up to anyone who wanted it. It's the Apple in the Garden, according to everyone.

They tied it to a wine bottle, and tossed it out into the ocean. Randy declared himself King of Gabon, because of this plan, but I am not so sure about that. Marcus seemed to be more in charge of the idol situation.

All done with their feast, they opened the box.

Note #1 - 10 numbered stones are in a bag. Each tribe member grabbed a stone without looking.

Note #2 - They are two new tribes!! Ha ha. Odd numbers = Fang, Even numbers = Kota.

Time to go back to their respective camps.

New Kota = Bob, Marcus, Susie, Crystal, Ken

New Fang = Randy, Charlie, Corrine, Matty, Sugar

Marcus is feeling very sure of himself, and Susie is feeling very sure of herself. Crystal is worried.

Pointedly, there was a camera shot of the idol floating in the ocean.

Over at the new Kota, it turns out that one of Marcus' best friends is Crystal's cousin. They decide to form a loose alliance. She says that she won't write his name, Bob's name, or Ken's name. We'll see about that.

At the new Fang, Charlie plans on sticking with Corrine and Randy. Corrine wants to boot Matty. Matty has a chat with Sugar and tells her that she was tricked into getting rid of Ace, and she feels terrible. I do not.

Crystal is off with Susie, and seems amazed that Susie is doing work. Marcus is confident in Bob, but not in Susie, who seems willing to flip no matter what.

Corrine and Randy and Charlie are talking about the survival of the Onion. Randy has no faith in Sugar's intelligence, and thinks there is a "one in a million" chance that she has the idol. Much higher than that, Randy. Cocky ass.

The Challenge is for whole tribal immunity. They have to hold two poles on the tops of their outstretched hands to hold an overhead board. Drop a hand even a little, the board drops. Winner gets immunity for the entire tribe.

Crystal barely gets her hands under the boards before she drops them. She's out in about a second. No exageration. Sugar lasts about 10 seconds. Susie is down next. Randy and Corrine are down next, followed by Ken. Bob and Marcus are left for Kota, followed by Charlie and Matty. Marcus loses is, and Bob is totally The Man. I'm in love with him a little. Charlie is out. Matty is making obnoxious sounds to try to distract Bob, but only managed to make his own poles slip further. He managed to hold onto it long enough for Bob to lose it, so Kota is going to Tribal Council. Still, Bob is officially The Man.

Trying to figure out who to boot on Kota, Marcus is trying to bring Crystal into the Kota Six, instead of Susie, but at this point he wants to get rid of Ken. Crystal is not liking that idea so much. He says the best thing about her screwing up at challenges is that no one thinks she is intimidating anymore. bwah ha ha. So true.

Marcus then went to talk to Susie and tells her that they need to get rid of Crystal. Crystal went to Ken and told him that they want to vote him out. They need to talk Susie into keeping Ken. Crystal talked to Susie and let her know that the Onion Core doesn't really like her, so bringing her to the final three with them probably wasn't going to happen.

Nothing seems decided on the way to Tribal. Sadly, I don't see Susie going at this point, and she is annoying and kind of nuts.

Tribal Council.

Probst asked Crystal what it's like at Kota. She said it fees like Corporate Espionage, as opposed to living in the Projects over at Fang, trying to survive desperately. Ken called Marcus out for being a mastermind. Bob says that his vote is clearcut. Susie said "I've made my decision, and I'm ok with it." Ominous.

The first member of the jury is Marcus. Charlie is going to be so sad. I am actually hoping that somehow Bob makes it to the end, because I am in love with that man. Still, second blindside in two weeks, and I do like Ken a lot, so am glad to see him stay.

A good episode - I'm glad that they didn't do a straight merge. It makes it a lot mroe unpredictable and the strategy of shaking everyone up at this point, just when they were getting settled into their final game plans - fascinating.

Next week looks interesting - and I'm happy that Marcus at least made the jury. If he had somehow pocketed the Hidden Immunity Idol instead of tossing it in the ocean, wouldn't that have been interesting? I found it interesting that Probst didn't ask them about that (on camera) at all.

What happens if they actually merge next week? Will Bob be able to survive? Please?