Monday, 18 December 2023

Survivor Update: Week 12



With one week to go, it’s still anyone’s game!  Well, anyone named Roberta, Carol, Jen, Marissa, Scott or Dalphyne at least! Nothing personal, everyone else. It’s just that your game is deader than Elvis.  You’ll get ‘em next time!

 Last week, the return to camp was joyous.  They’d just voted Bruce and his idol out and the feeling of team spirit was high.  This week is significantly different as Julie’s perfectly timed Idol play means she’s still there despite getting every vote.

 



 The Reba – Belo war is over, but it’s pretty clear that the Reba civil war has begun.  Julie and Queen Dee think they can “work together in secret” because Tenacious Dee voted for Julie.  Dee’s shocked when Sir  Austin  implies people may not buy her act. Sure they will – as long as everyone forgets the previous 20-ish days.  For a smart person, that’s pretty stupid .  Austin thinks the vote was a disaster. It was – and it was his fault for breaking rule #4.   

 The next morning, Katurah “wants to show her evolution as an impactful player and what she can do” (2x Points for “Reference ‘in this game’” to Dalphyne!) goes idol hunting but gets caught by Sir  Austin.  So much for evolving into an impactful player.  Perhaps she needs a new Mission Statement.  Julie didn’t sleep and in a move that can only be described as “other-wise”, she confronts Drew (AKA Napoleon Dynamite) while admitting to us that she won’t believe what he says.  They do the liar’s dance about “Reba working together” and having a route forward together but that’s all it is. These two are cooked (Points for “Reference ‘in this game’” to Jen!).  Julie only trusts the Queen, which she should see as dangerous but does not.  I’m going to add this as Rule #5:  Open Your Eyes.  They agree that Napoleon is the ringleader, and the Reba Civil War is well underway.

 At the reward challenge they have to race from the ocean to stand on a barrel which they will roll while standing on it by pulling themselves along a rope course, gather keys and solve a puzzle.  The prize is a helicopter ride to a picnic on a sand bar in the ocean which sounds unbelievable.   Sir Austin takes a quick lead while Katurah’s swimming problems drop her to last.  Austin blows through the course and destroys the puzzle as well (Points for “Win Individual Reward” to Marissa!).  He chooses his queen to join him, of course, and then shockingly chooses Katurah, leaving his #1 Napoleon Dynamite back at camp thinking “Julie and Jake (AKA Your Cousin From Boston) aren’t going to suddenly team up”  (Points for “Chosen to go on reward by someone else” to Roberta and Dalphyne!)

 At camp, Napoleon babysits to make sure Julie and The Bostonian don’t get into too much trouble, but he’s pissed at being left behind.  Julie tells ND she’s going pepper picking which is what all the cool kids call idol hunting these days, and she’s joined by the Bostonian. 

 Your Cousin From Boston realizes there’s only a few days left and that peppers might just grow under rocks or under leaves or in trees which coincidentally is also where hidden immunity idols may live. (2x Points for “Reference ‘in this game’” to Carol!). As he searches, he laments that the people on reward are all the people he wants to scheme with and that the only way he can win is to get some firepower (Points for “Reference ‘in this game’” to Carol!)  and his wish is granted as he finds a clue! (Points for “Find a clue to a hidden immunity idol” to Carol!).  He quickly finds the location and retrieves the idol, with no one being any wiser! (Points for “Find a hidden immunity idol to Carol!).   He isn’t sure how he will use it yet though, it’s protection and it’s also a resume builder to earn votes (2x points AGAIN for “Reference ‘in this game’ to Carol!)

 Meanwhile, on the way to reward, the chopper flies over the castaway camp and Napoleon Dynamite somehow doesn’t respond with a middle finger.  Queen Dee and Sir Austin hold hands in the helicopter and Katurah sees it.  File that one away for later, eh?    We get Sir Austin’s backstory (he was the introverted chubby kid) at the reward and Queen Dee is all smiles as they inhale their picnic.

 At the immunity challenge, Napoleon kneels so Jeff can take the necklace off.  I’d have made him work for it.  NOTHING IS EASY ON SURVIVOR, JEFF!  For this challenge, they have to put a foot on a beam which holds a ball on a plate. Ball falls, you’re out.  Julie and Jake quickly fall followed soon after by Katurah.  Napoleon is doing some serious gymnastics when his ball finally falls leaving the lovebirds to battle it out.  Austin is playing fair but Queen Dee follows Rule #3: Play to Win and is doing everything she can to trip him up. THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS SMITTEN IN AN IMMUNITY CHALLENGE, JEFF!  At about the 20 minute mark, the Knight final falls leaving the Queen with safety! (Points for “Win individual immunity” to Roberta!).

 At Camp, Dee is ecstatic that she’s going to the Final 5. Sir Austin isn’t upset at his Queen’s reign – he wants Julie out but Your Cousin From Boston isn’t looking that way.  He approaches Julie about blindsiding Napoleon Dynamite, taking ownership of every move made from here on out (Points for “Reference ‘in this game” to Carol!). It’s an easy sale job, she’s still salty about him arranging her blindside and Queen Dee has given her permission to make the move.   Katurah is in on Drew too, but Your Cousin From Boston asks her not to tell the Queen to avoid possible idol plays. It’s the exact same scenario that screwed him in the Kaleb vote, which he recognizes, but he thinks she’s going to stick with it. 

 Flip to Katurah and Dee who do a “On 3, shout who you want out” 1-2-3 “DREW!”.   Sorry Jake, making this move isn’t going to get you the mileage you want.  The Queen sees Napoleon Dynamite as the mastermind of many moves and thinks no one will suspect her since she voted Julie last time (2x Points for “Reference ‘in this game’ to Roberta!).   Tenacious Dee is worried she’s lying to her knight, but she can’t let that stop her.  This is a stark contrast to his thinking last week in the same position.

 Napoleon and Sir Austin think they’ve controlled the votes up til now (2x points for “Reference ‘in this game’” to Marissa, single point for me!). Napoleon sees visions of himself in the final 3.  Napoleon….Drew…ask not for whom the karmic bells toll.  They toll for thee.  At the same time, Queen Dee continues lording her immunity win over her knight like the royal witch she is.  She struggles with the idea of telling him about the Napoleon blindside.  She didn’t know who she was going to be before she got here (Points for “Reference ‘in this game’” to Roberta!)  and we don’t get to see what she chooses before tribal.  Austin has an idol that has to be played tonight. If he knows, he could play it for Napoleon….

 At Tribal council, Emily looks 10 years younger!   Julie knew she was being babysat and she didn’t like it one bit despite Your Cousin From Boston and Napoleon Dynamite being cool babysitters who let her stay up too late.  Katurah realizes moves need to be made (Points for Reference ‘in this game’” to Dalphyne!)  and she loves everyone. She doesn’t add “Now that Doom is gone” but I added it here for her.  They talk a lot about the differences between relationships and voting people out, and Queen Dee clearly says nothing is locked in.  Are Julie and Austin paying attention?  I doubt it. Napoleon thinks the game is like limbo – different heights for everyone (Points for “Reference ‘in this game’” to me!) and Austin agrees as does Your Cousin From Boston who realizes sometimes you have to win a fight (Points for “Reference ‘in this game’” to Carol!) .

 The question heading into the vote is “Did Dee tell him” and it’s answered when Austin plays his idol…for himself (Points for “Play a hidden immunity idol on yourself” to Marissa!)

 Austin and Drew vote for Julie while the other four vote for Naopleon. He’s voted out by a 4-2 margin becoming the 5th member of the jury and ending my game. (Points for “Receive vote against” to Jen and me! ), (Points deducted from “The Tribe Has Spoken” against me) and (Points for “Jury Member” to me!)

 So in the same exact situation, Queen Dee followed Rules #1 and 4 and her blindside worked.  They’re not rules for fun, folks!  They’re sent to a new camp for the final push to the end.

 But what does that mean for our game? Jake, your cousin from Boston, had a HUGE week racking up  13 points and jumping into 2nd place right behind Roberta as they both leapfrog Jen into the top 2 spots.  Marissa also took a huge jump thanks to Austin’s victories and idol plays and now finds herself in 4th place just a few points out as we head into finale night.  One week to go!

 

Current scores:

  1. Roberta: 48
  2. Carol: 47
  3. Jen: 41
  4. Marissa: 40
  5. Scott: 34
  6. Jay: 28
  7. Dalphyne: 24
  8. Kristyn: 23
  9. Ricky: 22
  10. Brian: 19

 


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