Original Airdate: August 2, 2000
Below are the remaining contestants.
Rattana:
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| Sean - Doctor |
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| Gervase - Youth basketball coach |
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| Kelly - River guide |
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| Colleen - College student |
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| Rudy - Retired Navy Seal |
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| Richard - Corporate trainer |
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| Susan - Truck driver |
Susan's pleased that Jenna's been voted off - she talked too much, and the quiet really makes Susan happy. Related, Gervase is sure that there's an alliance, as it's only been former Pagong members voted off since the Merge. On the other hand, Sean's not 100% sure there is an alliance - he's not been asked to partake in one, and while he admits it's possible, he isn't entirely sure of one's existence.
However, Sean does decide to quit voting alphabetically. He realizes that people just piggybacked off of his vote, making it easier to vote certain people off. From now on, he'll vote in his own best interest.
Because of Richard's arrogance and cockiness, Gervase and Colleen wanted Richard gone at the last vote - in fact, they still do now. Richard's aware that there are those against him, and so decides to catch less fish, and wait until there are just four people left until he goes all-out on providing food. For now, however, he'll catch the minimum fish necessary. Susan is told this plan, and she agrees with Richard - he shouldn't be bothered by feeding the mouths of people who don't appreciate it.
Susan explains via confessional that she's trying to play the part of a "dumb redneck," in hopes that her tribe mates will underestimate her and more so, people will be willing to speak to her about their plans, such as Richard. She speaks to Kelly, and offers to help Kelly take out Richard once they get to the final three (apparently, they believe that Rudy will be taken out at four). Part of Susan's trust of Kelly comes from the fact she reminds her of a friend she lost long ago, and she states in a confessional that she will not "fuck her" (obviously bleeped out).
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| Susan explaining her roll as "dumb redneck." |
The Tribe gets word that Gervase's fourth child has been born - he receives a celebratory cigar. This spurs conversation about Gervase's relationships and the fact that he's not married yet to the child's mother, something that Susan and Colleen can sympathize with, but Rudy disagrees on, claiming that children "born out of wedlock" and without a family unit are the causes for half of the problems the country has.
The Reward challenge is one of balance - in three legs, tribe members must carefully balance themselves as they walk across bamboo poles. By the end, Richard and Gervase remain, with Gervase winning quite easily. The reward is two-fold - 1) a hot slice of pizza, and 2) a call home to whoever he wants. Gervase shares the pizza slice with the tribe, and is told that early the next morning, he'll be able to make his phone call (as it's 3:00 a.m. in New Jersey at the time).
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| Reward challenge |
On the 29th day, tribe members ponder the fact they've been on the island for almost a month, along with further discussions of Gervase's choice to not marry his child's mother. Gervase, meanwhile, talks to his girlfriend via the phone call, and finds that everyone is doing well. The game can't stay paused forever, though, as Richard and Susan talk about the strength of their alliance, Richard still believing that Kelly is with them, though admit it's possible she's not.
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| Gervase talking to girlfriend |
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| Gervase's girlfriend and newborn child |
Kelly confesses that she never wanted to be part of an alliance, as she sees them as "conniving, dirty, and untrue to herself." Gervase sees this struggle she's going through, and hopes that she gets out of the alliance and fully gets behind former Pagong members. Kelly likens her deal with Richard as a "deal with the devil," and claims she is officially leaving the alliance. Colleen, like Gervase, notices Kelly is on shaky ground, and hopes too that she leaves the Tagi Four.
The Immunity challenge revolves around who can build a fire quickest to burn some rope, releasing a flag. Gervase has problems keeping his torch lit, and really, the only person with quick success is Richard, who wins immunity seemingly without too much competition.
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| Richard watching his rope catch fire |
Sean offers to get into an alliance with Gervase and Colleen, if, and only if, they can pull Kelly over and make it a sure thing. Richard is concerned still that Kelly has switched over, and muses that tonight will be an interesting Tribal Council.
Jeff asks, at Tribal Council, about Sean's now-aborted alphabet strategy. Kelly states that she's voting off those who are competition and those who are pissing her off. Susan likens the alliance that exists on Rattana to lobbyists helping politicians, and defends the idea of alliances, and specifically, defends the existence of the Tagi alliance.
The vote count, with those who voted in brackets:
Gervase: 5 [Susan, Richard, Rudy, Sean, Kelly]
Sean: 2 [Gervase, Colleen]
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| Gervase after his torch is snuffed |
We have some potentially major developments this time around, mainly surrounding Susan, Sean, and Kelly.
Susan's playing the role of a dumb redneck so people will underestimate her, and you know what? I think it's been working. I've thought for a little while that Susan was probably the second most dangerous player on the island, and this further confirms that. More so, I firmly believe that Susan will stick with Kelly to the final two - Susan's not one to get emotional during confessionals, but she started almost breaking down when discussing the friend she lost years back, and how Kelly reminds her of that friend. Susan won't screw Kelly over. It just won't happen. If her deal with Kelly to go to the final two after throwing out Richard works, she could very well end up the winner.
Same could be said for Kelly, though, also. She's definitely more friendly with former members of Pagong, and as they'd make up a good portion of the Jury, she may be able to rely on their votes, and if she can get Sean to vote for her, then it's possible Kelly could win just as much as Susan. That's, of course, assuming they make it to the final two, which is far from guaranteed, though I do think that if Kelly sticks with Susan, the two of them have a fair chance.
I honestly can't tell what's on Kelly's mind - one minute, she's claiming she's done with alliances and the next, she votes with her (former?) alliance to take Gervase out. Was she simply playing the former Pagong members? Since she stated in private confessionals how conniving alliances seem to her, it seems unlikely. Really, I think Kelly's just confused. She seems back with the Tagi Four now (Richard doesn't seem all that concerned like I thought he'd be, but perhaps he has a plan), but given her past (her vote for Sean last episode being the biggest warning sign), I wouldn't trust her whatsoever.
I think it's a positive sign that Sean's quitting his alphabet strategy, but it's a bit late. He's unlikely to get in with the Tagi Four at this point (unless Kelly completely jumps ship), and even if he somehow managed to do so, he'd likely be the the first person voted out upon reaching the Final Four. I simply don't see a path forward for him whatsoever, entirely by his doing.
Gervase was originally going to be voted out last Tribal Council, but the vote was switched to Jenna, mostly, I'm guessing, because Sean was vocally planning on voting for Jenna. It probably wouldn't have made much of a difference, though. Despite Kelly's apparent flakiness, she stuck with the Tagi alliance this episode, and Sean did also (though he probably did it more for himself then for the alliance), and as such, Jenna, Gervase, and Colleen were screwed from the beginning.
And really, that's where we are. Richard has a good hold on the game, as does Susan, and I don't think at this point Kelly can really undermine the Tagi Four. If Kelly sticks with them, then Colleen and Sean are gone next. After that? Well, I'd be surprised if Rudy pulled out a win, so really, it's down to Kelly, Susan, and Richard. Any of the three could realistically win - I'm rooting for Richard (he is arrogant, as Colleen and Gervase has said, but at the moment, he has perfect reason to be), but I wouldn't be averse to a victory by Susan. Kelly winning would leave a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, though.
Gervase didn't play that great a game. He constantly didn't do work around camp, and in confessionals, gloated about that, stating that his charm and personality got him by. And on Pagong, it did. He and Joel were best buds, and for the most part, he got along with the other members well also (aside from, of course, B.B.). But Survivor's a cutthroat game, and Gervase didn't have it in him to play like that. When Joel tried to get his tribe to form an alliance once they got to the Merge, what did Gervase do? He voted for Susan, when no other Pagong member did so. Afterwards, he tried to pull something together, but who does his alliance gun for? Not Rudy. Not Susan. No, they went after Sean, who was supposed to vote with them, giving the Tagi Four an advantage anyway. So no, Gervase wasn't a great player, nor was he particularly good. Nice enough guy, but it's good to see a less serious player kicked off so we can now see what happens with those who really want it.
As for Colleen, well, she's a sweet girl. But she was terribly naive coming into this game, and I think next episode, unless she wins immunity (in which case, Sean's gone), she'll be eaten alive. One last note - Rudy's really a blast from the past. Using the phrase "out of wedlock"? Almost unthinkable. Rudy's a fun guy, in an awkward way, but unless he somehow falls into the final two, I don't believe he has much of a chance.
As aforementioned, right now, the game's Susan's, Richard's, or Kelly's to win. The other three don't have an inkling of a path to victory.
Next episode
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