This week on Survivor… We have so much to talk about! Did anyone really notice Shirin’s brilliant game move this week and get the message? If you are still in the game and feeling shocked, blindsided and heartbroken, you best be talking to people to figure out why. This is exactly what Shirin did to correct her position on the game board. First she talked to Carolyn and figured out that no one trusted her and thought of her as Max’s puppet. Hali told her that people thought she was annoying. If you feel like you’re not winning the game, talk to the people around you to figure out what you’re doing wrong with the other players on your game board. Brilliant move and well executed too, Shirin, and I “get” what you’re saying about where and how you grew up completely. I never really “fit it” with anyone either because I’m just weird and different, but I’ve always just embraced it. I never really tried that hard to “fit in”. I don’t mind being the odd woman out of certain social circles. 😉
In the game of Survivor; however, social circles are exactly what you have to fit into to play the game and Shirin knows this. It was pretty harsh hearing the truth, but she’s intelligent enough to know to use this information to reintegrate with the people on her tribe. Shirin definitely has a good chance of advancing herself to the Final Tribal Council because she is aware that she has to fix her position with the other players. Rodney is also aware that he needs to do this. Let the Bromance begin! Over at the Blue Beach, Rodney and Joaquin start circling each other like two dogs meeting for the first time on the sidewalk, sniffing around to find a playmate. Fitting metaphor, wouldn’t you say? All the other men in their tribe are not like the two of them; they are east coast boys. Bible thumping, no sex having Mike is just NOT like Rodney who likes to sleep around with women, but thinks women should respect them selves more. You’d think a guy that loves and respects his mother so much wouldn’t say such disrespectful things about women… That’s just MY opinion, though…
So anyway, the Bromance has begun between Joaquin and Rodney. They are going to keep the money on the east coast; they like to party, they like to work hard and play hard. Rodney says they are Batman and Robin and that he’s Batman, which is so not true. Joaquin is the Batman because he’s more like Bruce Wayne and Rodney is more like the blue collar worker that performs at the circus that Batman helps save then turns into a super hero. Don’t think you can make Batman references like THAT around me so easily! I’m not a comic book nerd, but I do love me some super heroes. lol For real, though, am I right? Rodney thinks she’s got this game on lock down now. We all just need to wait to see what he’s got planned because he’s not dumb and he knows exactly what he’s doing on HIS game board. And I have to say: My how the mighty will fall in the game when ego, arrogance, pride and over-confidence destroy one’s perception of one’s position within the tribe…
Come on in guys! It’s time for the Reward Challenge. This week’s reward is beef stew, hot chocolate and the experience of seeing and learning about sea turtles at a turtle sanctuary! Cool! Well, that’s some pretty hot food and drink for people out in the blazing sun on island, but I’m sure it was delicious to the winners of this challenge. To win, tribes must race up a tower through a series of obstacles to use slingshots to shoot sand bags at targets at the other end of the course that will raise flags. First tribe to raise all six flags wins! The boys in blue, and Seirra, are running strong as soon as Jeff says “go” while the ladies in red, and Will, take a less reckless approach to the obstacles. I’m surprised Rodney didn’t fall through the rope bridge in his scramble to the top of the tower! Speaking of the top of the tower, only one person can be up there at a time and once someone raises a flag they can switch. In a very close race, Nagarote, the Red Tribe wins reward. Shirin is happy that her tribe won rewards because it will give her a chance to bond with people and mend their perception of her. Everyone on the Red tribe is super stoked to be eating beef stew and macaroni-n-cheese and bread and hot chocolate. Everyone is getting along. Shirin and Jenn think Rodneys is totally unbearable and Carolyn thinks they are all doing a good job of tolerating Shirin. Of course, watching the sea turtles come in to lay eggs was awesome and magical.
The next day at Escameca Blue beach, Joaquin finds himself alone with Seirra and has a little chat about her problems with the guys from her former tribe. He would like to work with her, Tyler and Rodney to get Joe out because Joe is a super threat. Seirra isn’t cool with working with Rodney, but Joaquin says she doesn’t have to suck up to him; he can handle Rodney. Seirra is down, she likes Tyler and Joaquin, but she just doesn’t want to work with the guys from her former tribe. Rodney assures her that it will be a “walk” if she works with them. They are going to have a prime time story and Rodney isn’t worried a bit. Well, he’s not wrong completely… So Rodney is totally confident that he’s going to win. After the three of them talk, Rodney goes to Mike; he has Joaquin on lockdown; he will listen to what Rodney says and do what he’s told and they need to throw this next challenge so they can get rid of Joe. Mike isn’t stupid. He knows it usually doesn’t work out will for tribes to throw a challenge, but he is aligned with Kelly on the other tribe so it could work out to his advantage for the Blue tribe to throw a few challenges to keep her safe and do a little house cleaning around his own camp.
Come on in guys! Time for Immunity! In this challenge, tribes will compete in pairs to play a memory match game. A series of objects are placed behind a curtain and the players can look at it for as long as they like then hit a lever to bring down the curtain and race to recreate the series of items. First tribe to three points wins. After four rounds, the tribes are tied and it comes down to Kelly and Mike. In their first attempt, neither are correct so they try again, but before the curtain is raised, Mike says he’s trying to let her win. Their second attempt also results in wrong answers despite Mike’s attempts to help Kelly so they reset and this time, Jeff takes the number of items down to five. Mike tells her that he will call out the items and switch the bottles on his table to be in the wrong places, so all she needs to do is look at his table and finally, Kelly wins and the Escameca Blues will be meeting up with Jeff at Tribal Council. I’ve never seen a person work so hard to lose a challenge on Survivor in my life! lol And it was sooo obvious that Mike was helping her, Jeff noticed it! I’m sure everyone else did too so only time will tell if this was a good move for Mike. Kelly sure is happy about Mike’s move and she can’t wait to get back to her boys in blue… Yeah… About that…
Back at the Escameca Blue camp, Mike is really not happy that he threw a challenge, but he had to do it. Rodney makes him nervous and he can see that Joaquin his just reeling him in hook, line and sinker. They are a power couple and they need to be broken up before they can start making power moves. First, Mike solidifies trust with Rodney – Yes, Rodney, your plan is to vote out Joe and you think that’s going happen. Got it, let’s shake and do a bro hug. Move to blindside step one complete. While the bros mance it up on the beach talking about how they are going to walk in the park it to the Final Tribal and how nothing can stop them and how Joe is totally going home… Cue the mischief music! My favorite! Mike and Dan talk to Joe and he is down to do whatever if it means he can stay. They tell Joe that Rodney is working with the white collar guys and they need to wrangle Seirra away from them because they are trying to recruit her. If their threesome can swing her their way, they can vote out Joaquin… the head of the snake in the grass they see. Dan knows he messed up, he’s groveled so much, but he and Mike try again, but Dan tells her to close her mouth, open her eyes and watch what happens… Duuude… I’ll let Dan slide this week, but really, man. You said you thought your mouth would get you in trouble in the game like it does sometimes at home so… Why are you not watching what you say and how you say it more closely? For real… lol
Let’s get to Tribal Council. I think we all know where everyone’s heads are at now at this point in the game. Seirra’s the swing vote and she doesn’t know which way to swing, she’s playing both sides because she has to. She doesn’t really want to stick with her former tribe, but they made good points, but so do the other guys… At Tribal, Jeff of course brings up the whole struggle that Seirra has been having and Rodney’s attitude about women and his mother is brought up again. I think we all know that Jeff is definitely going to be talking to Rodney’s mom at the Reunion Show this year! lol Like, for sure since he keeps talking to her. It also seems like Joe is the only person who doesn’t feel safe at this Tribal Council, everyone else seems really secure in their alliances. Seirra knows she isn’t going anywhere and the decision is in her hands so let’s go get those votes! Here we go: Joe, Joaquin, Joe, Joaquin, Joe, Joaquin… AND… To the people who told me that Joaquin was going to win this season… MWAH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! You can’t win the game if you get voted out so… Yeah… Villains can win Survivor, but not when they get so confident and feeling so secure that they forget they aren’t the only people playing it. The bromance was over before it even really got started… So sad…
Next week! MERGE! Rodney should be happy about that because he says he’s donez-o with the numbers on his tribe… They are all on his “Donez-o” list. I can’t figure out the best way to spell “donezo” so… Tune in next week everyone! Wednesday, 8/7c on CBS to see what antics the boys in blue get up to in the next episode and how the ladies in red do when they all merge together! If you like The Amazing Race… If you like Hell’s Kitchen… Bravo! If you like reality TV and if you like to laugh and make light of the world’s problems, stick with me and with Your Reality Recaps. And use this link to buy stuff on Amazon! It really helps us out. 😉
