Back from Tribal Council and all the attention is on Jefra, Tony and Spencer; Jefra wanted to turn on Tony, she’s trying to look at the bigger picture and at camp she wants to know where Spencer got that Idol he played. He tells everyone. Kass says she knows he had it and continues to explain why and exposes herself as a real player in this game. Because Kass is really smart, even if she doesn’t always make the right moves; the woman is no dummy and she can read people really well… Except Sarah. She was way off on Sarah. I actually miss Sarah. I really, really liked her and wanted her to be the one to take out Tony. It would have been so sweet to watch Tony’s torched get snuffed because of Sarah… Anyway! Spencer tells us that he used the Idol wrong and now it’s gone and so is his alliance; he only has an army of two now – him and Tasha.
Tree Mail! Woo has the auction money envelopes hidden behind his back – because it’s the Survivor Auction episode, we all know that. Trish is thrilled at the opportunity to eat some real food. Eating is all Trish wants to do. Tony knows there is an advantage in the auction and he’s going to bid all of his money on it as soon as Jeff says “A-“ so he can keep it out of Tasha and Spencer’s hands. So let’s get right into the auction. Trish scores popcorn, candy and soda for $80 and Jeff wants to see her eat it… Of course he does and the pornographic food references have just gotten started, folks. Tony looks anxious. Jefra wins the next item: guacamole, quesadilla, salsa and a margarita – Woo, voice dripping with desire and wanting: “Get a fat dip of the guac”. Like, do I need to add a “D” to the end of Woo’s name now because I’m pretty sure… Moving on!
Next item up for bids: *cue Price is Right music* A lovely item that shall remained covered! Kass buys it for $20. Trish urges Tony to start bidding because he is becoming more and more anxious as the auction items are revealed and purchased. Kass is given the option of choosing a bigger covered platter, but she sticks with her original dish. Tony says he would have taken the big one, but Kass is right in her decision – she receives a steak sandwich and a big glass of iced tea. Tony is just a mess now, his stomach is in knots and he’s not sure he can be strong, but he is NOT walking away from this auction without that advantage. He’s just not. So the rejected covered dish Kass passed on goes up for bids, Trish wins it with a bid of $60, but it’s just water and a bowl of rice. Trish doesn’t know why people aren’t bidding. Don’t they want to eat?! Ribs and beer is next up and… omg… Woo wins it at $40 and… omg… Jeff Probst. You are a sick, sick man. A sick man. I should expect it from someone who hails from Wichita, Kansas… (I have no idea what I’m implying with that, I’ve never even been to Wichita).
This auction, according to book-smart Spencer is a buyer’s market with bargains galore. And Jeff has had enough of this crap! What’s everyone waiting for? There’s, like, food and alcohol up for grabs and Tasha, Spencer and Tony are still sitting there with grumbling bellies? They are all waiting for the advantage that they all know Jeff is going to offer so Jeff is all like, fine then, let’s do this and he begins the scripting to start the – $500 says Tony. Oh, but wait, Tony. Everyone in production knows that ya’ll are just chomping at the bit to get that advantage and they came up with a plan to make sure it would be a fair fight. If the max bid of $500 is reached, others can get in on the action at $500, but all that money buys you is a chance to draw rocks for the clue. Spencer and Tony are all in, but Tasha back out and I DON’T KNOW WHY! She’s obviously seen the show so she should know that this is the last item up for bids, (or maybe it’s editing, I don’t know, but still), SHE COULD HAVE AT LEAST PUT HER HAND IN THE RUNNING TO DRAW THE ROCK TO WIN THE CLUE FOR HER ALLIANCE SO SHE AND SPENCER WOULD HAVE ANOTHER IDOL.
Back at camp, Spencer says he’s the greatest loser at the auction in Survivor history; he saw the best deals he’s ever seen in Survivor history. Me too, Spencer. That was insane, but even more insane was the amount of pornographic food content… Kass is happy she got to eat and happy that she got to see the true, dejected look on Spencer’s face when he knows he’s on the block for real. Tony is being a big baby and whining because he didn’t get to eat food and everyone is sitting around talking about their food as he’s trying to get stuff together to make something to eat. Um, Tony, you weren’t the only one who didn’t eat – Tasha and Spencer didn’t eat either, remember? (Or again, like I said, editing, maybe they did get to bid on items after the new Idol clue was rocked into the game). So, Tony is all upset and thinks everyone should be making him food since he didn’t eat at the challenge, he asks if someone will either get water for him or cook for him, but no one hears him because they are so engrossed in their conversation about all the food they ate. Tony asks again and Trish says she’ll get water for him, but Tony ends up in the jungle by himself and this is where we officially learn that his advantage is a clue to another Idol.
While Tony is sulking and searching in the jungle, Tasha is with the rest of the ladies in the water, chit chatting and such. Tasha is not afraid to be seen with the girls, she wants Tony to see the four of them together all chummy in the water, (no pun intended, think about it, Tony is a shark). All Tasha has to do is light a tiny, little fire to spark Tony’s paranoia, she knows this, and when Tony exits the jungle to head back to camp, he does notice the tea party happening in the water. As soon as he’s actually back at the camp site, the spark ignites. “They’ve been in that water for awhile,” he says to the only player at camp, Spencer, and states that he thinks Tasha is working the girls. Spencer reminds him that Tasha is a very social player, Jefra WAS with them to vote him out two days ago… Spencer, seemingly independent of Tasha, is also trying to make Tony paranoid about a girl’s alliance. As Spencer says, Tony is crazy; he’s willing to play hard, but he doesn’t play well. Yeah, Spencer, I know. It’s sloppy effing Survivor and he’s getting away with it and it’s driving me bonkers!
Spencer wants someone in power to go make all the mistakes and go ballistic; Tony is just the right man for the job, but he’s (Spencer) still here and anyone could go home. Oh, and Jefra also said she could get Trish to turn against you, Tony. Now, off to the jungle with you to let all that information spin and boil. And off to the jungle he goes, keeping everything in mind, like the fact that he knows Spencer is desperate, but when he really thinks about it – this girl’s alliance makes sense and carries weight. All the tell tale signs are there that they need to blindside him and he’s going to take matter into his own hands – like he usually does.
The girls are in the water again and they just love Spencer so much, but he needs to put a little weight on – he’s just wasting away. Kass is kicking back and relaxing at this point; no matter what happens Spencer or Tasha is next to go. As Kass is kicking back, Tony and Woo are back at camp milling around. Tony pulls a (dead?) crab out of a (basket?) and asks the girls what he should do with it and when Jefra says they need to cook it soon before it goes bad Tony’s all mad because he thinks she’s “barking orders at him”. What a loon! You asked them what to do with the crab and she answered… So Tony disappears into the jungle again with the clue to the new Idol and to make a long story short – he finds it then proceeds to tell each person that he has it. Was it worth him starving? He’s never spent $500 and been so happy… What he’s really telling them is that he’s protected and they’d be crazy to vote for him. Yeah, duh, Tony, I think everyone except Jefra and Trish understands that.
Immunity Challenge: More sack and ball jokes in this Immunity Challenge! The players must dig the end of a rope out of the sand and start pulling it up and out of the sand to retrieve bags of balls that they will use on a table maze; they must position all five balls into holes at the end of the maze. Woo is first to find the end of the rope then Tony, Tasha, Spencer and Jefra – everyone is flying – except Kass and Trish. Before you know it, it’s time to “start pulling those balls out”, they have to pull all the balls out of the bag before they can move onto the maze. Tasha is first to start working on the maze and she’s got two in place when Tony starts on the maze, then Spencer’s on the maze with his balls then Woo begins working his balls. Woo lands a ball, Tony lands a ball, but Tasha is still in the lead with two when Jefra finally begins the maze. Tasha lands her third, Woo drops his second, Spencer has one, Woo has three and Spencer is falling behind and enough is enough. Tasha wins Immunity again. Kass and Trish were so never a threat in this challenge; they never even made it to the maze.
Back at camp it’s congratulations all around for Tasha again, for the third time in a row and it means everything to her. Everyday people are reconsidering and breaking alliances so she’s going to keep talking to the girls and fanning that flame of paranoia she sparked in Tony, but either way it works for her. And maybe for Spencer as well! Somewhere else in the camp area, Kass approaches Woo, “no bueno, eh?” Woo doesn’t think they need to be too concerned. It’s Spencer tonight then Tasha next, right, Kass? Yes, she agrees, Tasha would have been going home if Spencer had won Immunity so Spencer’s torch is getting snuffed. Now, this is where my reception got all wonky in my notes, but basically… Tony is ready to change the game! Hey, Woo, you wanna get rid of Jefra? Whaaat? And keep Spencer and Tasha?! Whaaat? Tony explains that if they get rid of Spencer there will be two dudes and four chicks and that’s all it takes to get Woo on board. Tony talks to Spencer, Spencer talks to Tasha then Spencer… goes out to look for an Idol, which rises suspicion in Tony and when we go to Tribal I have NO IDEA what is going to happen. Because Tony is crazy paranoid and jungle fever set in a long time ago…
And I couldn’t even take notes the first time I watched.
Tribal Council: So Spencer and Tasha really needed to win, Tasha did win, Spencer didn’t and what does Spencer have to say about that? Yeah, one would think Spencer is in trouble. Tony says the vibe after the challenge was chaotic and he calls Spencer out on telling him that Jefra was going to vote him out at the last Tribal – he pulls the new Idol out and slings it around his neck for all to see. Jefra jumps in to defend herself at this point. She was just upset about LJ. Kass explains that Jefra had to come to terms with the anger of being left out of the loop. Tony says that you don’t advertise a blindside; you have to withhold it from people you think might blow your cover then Jeff starts talking about the dysfunction in the “Top Five” and isn’t that good for you Spencer? Isn’t chaos your advantage?
Yes! Chaos can only help Spencer and that does concern Kass. Mistakes could be made tonight. Spinning heads and paranoia run rampant and Jefra agrees times ten. When you’re on the bottom, you’re going to stir up as much as you can. Spencer thinks he played well and hard and he can go home happy with that, but windows of opportunity open up in Survivor. If they pick off Spencer and Tasha they have all made a mistake; it’s a common reason for losing the game of Survivor – people don’t make the move they need to make when they need to make it because they get comfortable. And Spencer is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. You know your stuff, Spencer. I’m sorry I was so judgemental about you in my pre-season coverage. There’s always one person I’m not on point about and this season – it’s you. Love ya!
So Jefra’s gone. I know, right? It was so bouncy there at the end, all back and forth between Spencer and Jefra as Tony’s target. I still say they should have forced an Idol use out of Tony this week. I’m fine with Jefra leaving, but I wanted to see one of the Idols burned. Apparently, next week, Woo is going to be ready for a big move, but like I said to Eric and Jon: I don’t take the immediate preview too seriously. It’s the Survivor preview during Sunday’s Amazing Race that gives better clues as to what is going to happen on Wednesdays on CBS at 8/7c. As always, check out my King of the Nerds blogs if you’ve never heard of the show or just watch it and be sure to apply to be on season three if you feel so inclined. And Reality Rally!
Oh! Thank you to Jim T @SpaceColonizer for doing his Amazon shopping through Your Reality Recaps! It really helps us out to support our shows and blogs and everything we do. Also, check out Survivor Fan & Favorite, Erik Reichenbach’s comics! They are so good! Phillip has a book that you should check out as well. Just read the sample provided here. You can order items from both of these Survivors on Amazon and you can also use the YRR link to help support what we do if you feel so inclined to purchase their creative works. One more thing, if you like my blogs, check out this guy Matthew @skywalkm’s blogs. He gets a little more technical and he is entertaining and I just wanted to give him a little shout out this week.
