Survivor: It Was Like Christmas Morning

Ah, new tribes!
Now, the promos for this week looked like we might have three tribes. If memory serves, they did do that one season. With all that "blond against blond against blond" stuff, it sounded like three tribes or the three blonds have a smackdown. Neither happened. The tribe members shuffled and now it's a new Fang and a new Kota. Sounds boring, eh? It's the way they did it which was different. They've often had challenges in which the castaways knock each other out (by breaking plaques, etc.) and those let them know where they stand with others. But this took it to an all new level, literally.

Each tribe had a set of pedestals with rising platforms. They had to do a secret vote, voting the importance of their tribemates from most important to the tribe to the least important. Then they had to go stand on the platform chosen by others. Of course, this reveals to the other tribe who's worthy and who's just dead wood. Yeah, it's a bit of a popularity contest in a way. But I thought it pretty much summed up how I feel about the tribe members, too.

Ranking them from most important to least:
Kota: Marcus, Ace, Bob, Charlie, Jacquie, Corinne, Sugar, Kelly
Fang: Matty, Dan, Randy, Crystal, Ken, GC, Susie

Then Jeff had them select people from the tribes, rotating between Fang and Kota, starting with the "captains" -- Marcus and Matty. Looking at the lists, I might have put GC after Susie, but I didn't vote. That guy is in good enough shape that he could do so much more than what he's doing.

After the picks:
New Kota: Marcus, Dan, Charlie, Randy, Corinne, Susie, Bob
New Fang: Matty, Ace, Crystal, Jacquie, Ken, Kelly, GC

Heh. I loved that GC was picked last. Maybe he'll wake up! He wasn't really last -- no one chose Sugar. So she went off to Exile Island for fun and relaxation since she already has the hidden Immunity Idol. She'd be silly not to pick the Comfort choice. Sugar wouldn't return until after Tribal Council when she'd join whichever tribe was down a member. So she hangs in for another week.

The Immunity Challenge
No locks! No puzzles! Yay! This was kind of neat. They were each in little one-man round inflatable raft doohickeys with a paddle. The paddles had holes to scoop up a ball. And the game was played sort of like hockey with the castaways trying to score goals. But, like the tribal member ratings, it was very telling.

Kelly didn't try at all! GC was totally useless and looked dumb through most of the action. Crystal tried on and off, but couldn't get any momentum going. Ken just stood in his raft looking befuddled. I'm not understanding why they go on this show and then don't give it their all to stay on the show! Matty, Ace, Marcus, and Randy were the ones going for the gold in this one. Too bad Matty and Ace were saddled with the Fong Follies.

Dreadful Mistake?
I guess it's dreadful for me, at least. I hate the ne'er-do-wells staying in the game because they have the numbers while ones busting their butts get voted out. Maybe I should give GC more credit than I do. He may have ranked really low in importance and lazes about in the middle of challenges, but he comes out smelling like a rose at the end. It wasn't a dreadful mistake for him -- he stays in the game. He, Kenny, and Crystal (who's a very on and off player) brought in Kelly from Kota with them.

Normal castaways at this stage of the game are voting off the weak players. But both new tribes have already figured out that the ex-tribe with the numbers will vote off the others. By bringing Kelly over to their side, weak joining the weak, they control the vote at Tribal Council. So I guess they aren't dumb players, just horrible when it comes to doing anything other than scheming.

Worried that Sugar has the hidden Idol and worried that she's in with both Ace and Jacquie ... they have to vote off a strong member (in their thinking). It's Sugar and Ace they have to worry about; Jacquie isn't really in that equation. They can't vote off Sugar as she won't join them until after the vote. So ... Ace or Jacquie? Heck, since they're voting off a strong player, they should go all the way and nail Ace. But they don't know what I know. They voted off Jacquie.

Sigh. My namesake under a different spelling is gone. She definitely would have stuck with the Fong Follies and would have been more loyal than Ace had they kept her. And, she would have been more valuable to the tribe than Kelly. Darn that GC!