Watching Survivor

Again with the long recap before getting to the real meat of the show! I realize there’s a little recap needed, but 3.5 minutes? The nice thing about it, however, is that we do get to see more of the stunning views, and the ship itself.

(And this time, those stupid snakes in the snake pit. Ew. Seriously!)

We open after the Pirates Court of last week, with Louie still plotting revenge against Joe Don, and bemoaning the loss of his friend, Christian being set adrift. Joe Don’s officer, Cheryl, shares that she thinks people forget that they’re not there to be friends. They’re there to find the treasure and to do a job. Of course she’s happy! Joe Don is making sure she gets to keep all of her share of the bounty! I’d be smiling too!

Sunrise on the water has the Bosun, Jay, getting the Pirates up, and then stopping to talk with Capitan Joe Don, making sure that all his little chess pieces are in a line. Jupiter helps all the girls do some eye makeup, prettying up everyone. Azmyth and Jupiter clearly have developed a friendship - and who wouldn’t? They’re both sweet, and hard working.

Joe Don calls for the pirates to set sail, and everyone gets to work - except Alexis, who sits there and yawns. Jupiter considers herself a modern day pirate - she loves living on the Picton Castle, and she looks completely at ease as “A pirate, if not a wench!”

Laurel shares that she’s been living in her van for a year and a half as a “Land pirate” - Pirate is a state of mind, doesn’t have to be on water!

Alexis is still complaining and standing around, she’s sore and not having fun. Wah.

Pirates are called to the QuarterDeck, where the key is used to discover what their next Treasure Hunt will be. This treasure was hidden by a Quarter Master who loved to write codes in blood - not his own. Whoo!

The Red Crew is determined to beat out the Black Crew and unseat Captain Joe Don. Louie pulls the first red marble and says that he’s happy to oppose the Captain’s crew, because he wants to beat him, and “Write a letter to his mama in his blood!”

Black Crew: Joe Don, Cheryl Ben Sean Joy Alexis and Laurel
Red Crew: Kendra, Jupiter, Azmyth, Louie Krista, Nessa, Jay

Everyone on the Red Crew is stoked, as Jay says, because they have Azmyth who’s just as confident as he was last week when he rocked the challenge!

Cameron Daddo states the obvious, “The Quatermaster’s treasure is out there. One crew will come back with it. The other will not.” Brilliant there, Daddo! He fires the starting gun, and the crews are off, paddling their longboats toward shore where they will follow a “treacherous” Bamboo Trail to the sabotage point, then to a river where they must find the Skull with the key in it, before moving on farther still to find the treasure itself.

Azmyth takes the lead, helps the Red crew push the boat over the sandbar and then get back in and keep going. Alexis slows down the Black Crew, by getting out and walking along the beach instead of hopping back in to help row. The Black Crew is Pissed, as they fall behind because of her.

Azymyth leads the Red Crew through the mud and narrow trails, and the Black Crew pulls up even with them due to Sean’s efforts, even though they’re practically forcing Joy and Alexis up the trail by will alone. At the Sabotage point, Sean and Azmyth get there dead even, but have to wait for their crews to pass by before they can set off the trap. Red Crew gets through barely first, Azmyth cuts the rope, but teamwork helps the Back Crew get through as the bamboo is falling thanks to Sean who held the bamboo beam up to keep it high enough to allow his crew to get through.

Neck and neck, both crews hightail it through the trail, though Alexis is still slowing down the Black Crew. Azmyth sees the skeleton hanging across the river, headless, and helps lead the Red Crew across the rapidly moving water with the Black Crew hot on their heels. The Red Crew finds the red rock coded with the word ‘key’ on it, and they start searching under water for the Skull. Louie comes up with it first, and calls his team to the banks where they smash the skull on the rocks and find the key inside.

The race is on again, while the Black Crew keeps looking for their key frantically. The Treasure is right behind a waterfall, but Nessa wasn’t strong enough to pull herself through to get it - she calls Louie and Azmyth over and they are able to pull it free and to shore, while they shoot off their gun that says the treasure has been found, much to the Black Crew’s dismay.

Louie cackles with obvious glee. “Joe Don shall have a black spot! Forever until he is gone!”

Back at the Picton Castle, the Black Crew is welcomed aboard, and Joe Don is a little nervous, as well he should be. Joe Don, Ben and Cheryl were told to go and vacate the captain’s quarters, and Cheryl is a little worried about how they’ll fit in mingling with the crew.

The Red Crew arrives to count their booty. $35,000. Joe Don turns in his hat and captains jacket with a little puppy dog eyes, and goes back below deck, while Louie cackles some more. The Red Crew unanimously chooses Azmyth as their captain. He chooses Jupiter and Jay as his officers, and they divvy up the loot the same as before, as Joe Don had paved the way to do so. But once below deck and in the captain’s quarters, Azmyth…

…suddenly sports an English-ish Accent. Jay was like huh? “I find it utterly ridiculous!” Jay also bitches about Azmyth’s desire for a utopia society and they divide the treasure loot evenly between all members of the Red Crew.

Christa says that he’s trying to prove that nice guys can be a pirate too, but “That accent! It gets on my nerves!”

I’m beginning to wonder if there’s something on that Captain’s hat that leads toward a bit of ridiculousness, Louie even agrees, even if he doesn’t care who’s captain, as long as their nice!

Though I gotta say, Azmyth is still kinda cute, even with the accent. And also - since when are Pirate Captain’s nice? Can he hold on to his crew by continuing being so generous? Time will tell!

The Captain and his officers need to find the floaters and flush the toilet, so to speak, and choose the black dots. Alexis was the easy choice, and Laurel is next, as she is sorta floating. Azmyth wants Joe Don, but Jay pleads his case - without admitting that he has a pact with the former captain - and Cheryl is chosen instead.

Alexis thinks it’s her personality that got her targeted, not because she was lazy and annoying. Ha! Laurel is confused, but Cheryl is confident that as a district attorney that she can convince the ‘jury’ that she should stay. “It’s just like a courtroom, but with better scenery.”

Louie starts making the rounds again, targeting Cheryl and wanting her gone. No one seems worried about Alexis and her bitchy, lazy ways, wanting Cheryl gone first. Louie says if he can’t take the head of the snake, he’ll take the tail. Joe Don watches this, and wants to bust up the way its going and have Alexis gone now.

Jay needs a swing vote to send off Cheryl and get things to go his way. He pays Sean $1k in hopes of buying his vote. He’s not sure what he’s going to do just yet, but Jay is confident. “He’s golden or he’s out in the cold.”

I LOVE the shots of the Picton Castle at sunset and under the moonlight. Simply Stunning.

Time for Pirate’s Court.

Captain Azmyth says that the spirits are higher now - and Daddo stares at him in shock. “Do you have an accent now?!” Azmyth grins as everyone laughs and nods and says that it came on with the hat and the coat and everyone seems to enjoy it.

Azmyth says that he chose Alexis for her attitude, an is unhappy. He marked Laurel because she is a floater, and he wants to “light a fire under her bottom” so that everyone realizes that they have to pull their weight, and that anyone can be spotted - and if they are they should step up their game. He chose Cheryl because she doesn’t act as part of the crew - and then Jay points out Cheryl as his pick to go with his comments about how she portrayed herself as an Officer the past couple of weeks.

Alexis defends herself by saying she knows she’s a bitch - though not in those words, of course. She just says she’s herself, and hasn’t tried to sugar coat anything. Laurel says that she’d do anything for the crew, she loves being there, and hopes people see that in her. Cheryl sits down to defend herself. She gives a good closing argument and claims to follow the captains orders and did not get to form those bonds, but she does her best to pull the team together. Joe Don says that he feels responsible for not allowing his officers to mingle with the crew and accepts responsibility for that. He points the finger at Alexis for being negative, and Alexis snaps back a bit.

Azmyth doesn’t have anything else to add, but is confident that his will, will be done. And with that, it is time to cast the ballot by placing the named cards on the daggar.

Cue the drums and dramatic violin! (I love this show!)

“Eight Pirates, eight ballots. Let’s see what you’ve done,” says Cameron Daddo.

There are no mutiny cards, and Azmyth thanks the crew for that. Laurel has no votes, and is safe. The votes between Alexis and Cheryl are dead even, 4-4, which means two things. 1. Sean did not vote as he was paid to do, and Jay shakes his head, upset. And 2. The captain must choose who will be set adrift.

He chooses Alexis.

There are many members of the crew who are surprised and not happy - and Alexis seems shocked - and pouting. As Azmyth comes down, Joe Don says “You’re a good man” and Azmyth shakes his head no, cuts the rope, and sets Alexis Adrift. And thus, we say goodbye to her attitude (Still proclaiming that she had won loyalty with the crew according to the votes! There are none so blind as those that will not see that something bigger is at play…) and we will also say goodbye to her cleavage - it is the latter that I (and many others!) will mourn…

Next time: Sean has explaining to do. Joe Don tests Jay’s loyalty and a surprise in the treasure sends the Pirates spinning!

Pirates, Pirate Masters, Cameron Daddo, CBS, Mark Burnett, treasure, Picton Castle, ship, mutiny