Watch for Eric’s Full Survivor recap tomorrow morning. In the meantime, here is your discussion post. later!
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First I want to apologize for skipping the precap this week. I had a few things come up and just lost track of time before I started work. I`ll try my best to send one for next week.
This episode like so many others we started off at Matsing with just Denise and Malcolm lamenting their place in the game. It`s been a long season for them thus far and they look miserable as the two of them shiver at camp. Denise has a theory that they will be split up to join the other tribes and I would be shocked if this does not happen.
Malcolm and Denise decide to start looking for the hidden idol without a clue. They search everywhere even at several points holding the lid in their hands. Malcolm pretty much finds the idol by accident. Malcolm gets it so if they are split Denise may be screwed.
We go to the reward challenge and Matsing is dunzo. After choosing new buffs Malcolm goes to Tandang and Denise goes to Kalabaw. I just want to take the time to celebrate the fact that we are down to two tribes because it means we will get two challenges per episode.
For the Reward Challenge Two people face off holding an idol. They must try knock the other idol to the ground to score, First team to five wins reward of Coffee, tea, biscuits and cookies. It’s too bad Angie is gone because she would have loved these cookies.
We start off with Jeff Kent beating Malcolm for first Kalabaw score. Artis then beats Dana and Katie outlasts Lisa to give Kalabaw a 2-1 lead. Skupin then beats Jonathan. After a few more matches Malcolm revenges his loss to Jeff to give Tandang a 5-3 win and Malcolm’s first win in a challenge.
We come back to Tandang where we see them enjoying and Malcolm enjoying a few wins with winning a challenge and finding the hidden idol. Malcolm is instantly fitting in with the tribe due to his charm and strength with instantly makes RC depressed as she was hoping to use Malcolm to save herself and she wishes Denise had come over instead. Malcolm quickly starts working with Pete who shares that they have the idol. Malcolm wisely chooses to keep his idol secret and doesn’t seem to commit anything to Pete even though Pete clearly wants Skupin gone.
Over at Kalabaw it’s still Guys vs. Girls so Denise instantly becomes the swing vote. Katie thinks this is good as she hopes to use Denise in an All-Female Alliance. This option disappears when the constant rain destroys Dana. She’s dizzy and experiencing stomach pain. She is also burning up enough that it prompts a camp visit from Jeff Probst and Medical. They deem that she is ok to stay and give her a 12 hour window to show improvement.
Medical will only remove a player when they are close to death and there is no choice so since Dana is not at that point it is her choice. I expected Dana to play it out and end up being voted out but she instead decides the pain is too much and takes the safe route to go get treatment and removing herself from the game. This is an emotional time and leaving Katie lamenting the loss of her closest ally. Times like this really show how brutal the game can really be on someone’s body.
We then jump to the Immunity Challenge. Tribes will race across a series of obstacles, untie knots to release a draw bridge, one person than cuts a rope to unleash puzzle pieces, the tribe will gather pieces with letters and then figure out the words to win immunity. Since Dana is now gone one person from Tandang must sit. Abi-Marie chooses to sit and Jeff calls her out for only participating in 2 challenges
During the first obstacle Katie struggles giving Tandang an early lead which they keep going into untying knots and with Malcolm blowing through the rope cut. While working on the word puzzle Kalabaw words a comeback and makes up time on the puzzle. Dispite this comeback Tandang finishes the word puzzle a mere seconds before Kalabaw.
Denise returns to tribal council with Kalabaw but I think if best on today’s performance it would need to be Katie followed my Dawson. The tribe including Katie know that Katie sucked it up at the challenge but Jonathan is quick to observe that Dawson was slow on the puzzle portion.
Dawson starts to push for Denise for people know but Jeff is able to convince Denise to work with the on removing Katie and Dawson. He wants to keep Denise’s strength. Once it appears she is on the hot spot she plays around Jeff Kent’s secret of playing baseball but chooses not to let out the secret. This still has Jeff walking on egg shells not wanting people to know that he played in the pros for baseball.
We go into Tribal Council and it seems like Katie vs. Dawson. Talk starts with Dana leaving the game and how it0 really hurt the tribe. Jonathan thinks they would have one if Dana was still there but I have my doubts as Tandang is stacked at this point. Jeff then brings up Katie’s performance and asks if bested on today is Katie an easy vote which everyone seems to agree with. Everyone also seems to agree that Denise should be kept because she is strong. Dawson thinks that she should be kept because she is good at lifting people`s spirits. In the end Dawson is voted out. She gives Jeff Probst a big hug and walks out gracefully but I did think she would throw Jeff Kent under the bus but she left quickly.
I`m not sure why Katie and Dawson wouldn`t approach Denise for a three person alliance rather than just accepting that one of them had to go. They could have tried to push a 3-3 vote but they might know that Jonathan has the idol and were just playing and hoping it would be anyone but them.
I hope you all enjoyed the episode. I’ll see you guys Sunday for Amazing Race. If you have any comments or idea for the recaps or just want to talk about Survivor or Amazing Race hit me up on twitter @nericmitch.
