Survivor 19 got back on track this week with an entertaining show that featured bocce ball, chickens, gamesmanship and teamwork at its finest.
We pick things up with Shambo returning to the Galu camp following Foa Foa’s latest Tribal Council. She is instantly sought after by Erik and John who go fishing for clues to the hidden immunity idol they feel must be hidden within their camp. Erik promises that if he finds it he’ll give it to Shambo if she needs it. Right…when mullets fly.
Shambo decides that in order for her to solidify her role in the tribe and make a connection with the younger Galu members she has nothing to lose by sharing the clues.
Next the tribes are summoned to a Reward Challenge, but not everyone is invited. Tribe leaders must pick two players to join them at the challenge which ends up being a variation on bocce ball. Russell S. takes Dave and Shambo to represent Galu, while Mick selects Russell H. and Nathalie to play for Foa Foa.
Strangely, the six players arrive at the challenge and Jeff is nowhere to be found. Did he have a prior engagement? The players do find a couple of boxes, and after a few moments of sizing-up each other and the situation, they break for the boxes and realize there is a note with instructions for the game inside.
The game comes down to a final shot from Dave who puts his ball right up against the stick for the win and the reward of chickens! Foa Foa gets nothing…again.
While the challenge was taking place, Erik put his strategy to work by assigning the remaining Galu members to specific tasks around camp to keep them busy and out of his way. While John grabs a quick nap, Erik searches the camp for the idol which he eventually finds, hides and decides he isn’t telling anyone about. What about your deal with Shambo, Erik? How quickly they forget.
Prior to the immunity challenge there is some additional strategizing taking shape as Russell H. decides to abandon Jaison for the time being and align himself more closely with the ‘dumb, coattail riding Nathalie’. Is Russell spreading himself a little too thin?
At Galu, Shambo (who previously lost the tribes fishing spear), somehow manages to let one of the chickens escape. Shambo and a few others try to catch bird, culminating with Erik clothes-lining himself on the Tribe’s clothesline. Say farewell to your chicken Galu and put another nail in Shambo’s coffin.
The immunity challenge is a great new game where the tribes race across a net bridge with wooden blocks to a platform where they must unload the blocks and stack them one on top of the other. Once all blocks are stacked they do it all over again with additional smaller blocks making it more challenging.
Both tribes use a similar strategy of putting their smallest female players on the shoulders of their biggest male players to place the final blocks on the top of the towers. It’s fairly even all the way through the challenge until Jaison’s huge height advantage pays off and Nathalie is able to place the final blocks on top while sitting on his shoulders for Foa Foa’s first win! Galu is off to Tribal Council.
Galu’s first Tribal Council comes down to a choice between Monica, who performed badly at the immunity challenge, or Yasmin, who doesn’t do anything at camp and is slightly annoying to be around. Yasmin’s poor attitude and perceived laziness lead her to be the first Galu member eliminated.
Somehow, Shambo isn’t even on anyone’s radar for the time being. What more does she have to do to get voted out? If she makes it to the merge, she could be a dangerous player.
The Scribe has spoken…
