Survivor Samoa: 12.17.09

Back from Tribal council, Brett was giving Shambo a head rub.  In more words than I've heard him say all season, Brett vowed to keep fighting.  Russell vowed to get rid of Brett.

More Brett the next morning, and this time it's Bible Quoting Brett.  He was bonding with Natalie over the bible.  I think Natalie fell a little in love with Brett's Christian ways.

Shambo's hair was all mussed from the head rub, and she said she wanted a hair cut.  Russell said (in confessional) that she should get rid of the bush of a mullet, and thinks that she smuggles food in it.  He said that if he didn't need her, he'd get rid of her and her epically bad hair.

Reward Challenge

It's like a Survivor game of Kerplunk.  Each team member will draw a rope and if any coconuts fall, they count against the team.  The first team to 100 coconuts loses.

The winners gets a trip to a local village, a night on a mattress and a feast.

Russell and Natalie pull captain, and Natalie chooses first, choosing Brett first.  Russell chose Jaison, and Natalie chose Dr. Mick, leaving Shambo and her hair with Russell.

Shambo's first pull drops 4 coconuts.  Dr. Mick's drops 2 coconuts.  Jaison is next and drops 7.  Natalie pulled and got 1 coconut only.  Russell dropped 8 more.  Brett dropped only 1 more.  Shambo got 10 on her next pull.

In the middle of the challenge, Natalie whispered to Brett, asking him if he is a prayer warrior, and she joined hands with him praying for a victory.  Russell whispered that he was surprised with her picks.

Natalie's team had a really good lead, until Mick took a pull and dropped 19 coconuts, bringing the totals to 23 and 29.  Natalie told him it was ok because he's got 2 prayer warriors on his team.

Poor Jaison pulled and dropped 48 coconuts.  Yipes.  Natalie's next pull brought 58, which was the exact number Shambo guessed would fall.  Russell ended up dropping NO coconuts on his next pull.  Amazing.  Brett pulled next and dropped 23 coconuts, which lost it for his team.

Shambo, Russell, and Jaison are going on Reward.

Why do I think that Natalie, Brett, and Dr. Mick are going to have some sort of side alliance going on by the time the others return from the Reward?

At the village, locals adorned Russell, Jaison, and Shambo with wreaths of flowers and welcomed them, with a huge pig roast and all sorts of delicious things.  I think I saw lobster in there.  Jaison had never been on a reward before, so I am so glad that he got to go on this one.  There was fish, coconut milk, and fruit.  Shambo did a toast to the people of Samoa and got applause all around.

There was also entertainment from the local tribe, with song and dance, and the castaways joined in on the dancing.  It looked like a blast.

Back at camp, Brett suggested that they gather snails, chill on the beach, and enjoy the sunset together.  Their own pseudo-reward.  Natalie talked in confessional about how much she likes Brett, but how she is torn because she's been in with Russell since the beginning.

The others get pillows and blankets and mosquito nets.  Shambo was silly, and Jaison said it was like she was a 40 year old 7 year old.  They discussed the fact that Natalie chose Brett, and Russell decided to pull her aside when they got back to camp, for a couple of hours, to solidify their relationship.  He told the others that they intend to get rid of Mick or Brett next, and he thinks that he is solid with Natalie (in fact, he is sure of it), but he isn't telling them that.

When they returned from the reward, Natalie went over to Russell, and he told her that the others are nervous because she chose Brett.  He told her that they have to get rid of Mick or Brett, and she told him that there was nothing doing in her picking Brett first.  He told her way back in the beginning (you remember, the Dumb Ass Girl Alliance) that he would take her to final 2 if he could trust her.  We'll see.  She seems solid with him.  Russell admitted that he is confident as hell, and Natalie told him that she is confident since he is.


Immunity Challenge

Survivors must race out into a field and count items in each of 6 stations.  They will use tiles to keep track of the numbers.  The numbers will be unscrambled to unlock a combination lock and allow them to break their tile.

The items are things like fish, live pigs, live crabs, coconuts, and some other things.  Some of these things move.  That makes it harder.

Russell, Dr. Mick, and Jaison were the first ones to start working on their combination.  Brett then returned to work on it.  It was a race to the end, but Brett got his right first.  Does this bode ill for Dr. Mick?

And what's this?  Jaison is gunning for Shambo!  Shambo walked up while Jaison was talking to Russell about his plan, and Russell walked away suspiciously, but he covered, and told Shambo that they are still going for Mick, and in confessional, he said that they do have a choice to make.

Shambo is not stupid and is suspicious about the fact that Jaison walked off right when she walked up.  Russell then went to Mick and told him that the only reason Shambo is still there is because he has been using her, and he bad-mouthed the smell of her mullet and her close-talking.  Russell feels entirely safe even without his Idol, and seemed indecisive going to Tribal.

Tribal Council

Probst asked the tribe what the deal was, because the only "true" Galu left to vote out has immunity, and Natalie said that the fact that Shambo is a traitor (Shambo's own word) would help anyone win against her in the end.  Russell said that he trusts Shambo as much as he trusts any of the former Foa Foas (my guess is - not much).  Probst asked Shambo why Brett is such a threat, and she admitted that the jury is Galu, and he stayed true.  Brett said his plan is simply to keep winning the challenges.  Dr. Mick said that he would be upset to be voted out, because he's been with the Foa Foans since the beginning.  Russell said it's the first time he's had a trouble voting someone out, and said that sometimes you have to vote someone out who you like.  Dr. Mick looked nervous.

It's Russell's last chance to play the idol, and he decided to keep it as a souvenir.

The votes go against Shambo.  She is not going to be happy about that.  Russell is not getting her vote in the jury, that's for sure.  Now, she can wash her hair at least.

Russell honestly looked about ready to cry when she left.  I don't know how genuine those emotions are, but it was convincing.

Can't wait for the finale on Sunday!

And WOW - Shambo was super gracious in her post-boot interview.  She said that she thought the Foa Foans were loyal to each other right to the end, as it should be.  Good for her for not being bitter.