Watching Survivor

Borneo: Episode 03. Original Airdates: Summer, 2000.

We open this weeks Survivor: Borneo at Tagi on Day 7. Sean and Susan are complaining about the fishing situation, where they are pretty sure that “Plenty of fish in the sea” does not apply to Borneo at all. The traps are empty again, though the bait is missing again. The girls, Kelly Stacy and Susan, use the time however to voice their discontent about Rudy and how they feel he has to go and hasn’t contributed very much at all. They discuss voting strategies, and Sue’s already gunning for Stacy because she doesn’t feel like she’s contributing and Stacy.

At Pagong, Colleen says lack of food is contributing to their lack of oomph and the search for Tapioca root commences and they find the Mud Volcano and three of them decide to take a dip and wander around all Lord of the Flies like - and brought the whole group over to Tribe in the mud as well. Looked like fun!

Tagi looks bored, and Dirk is reading his Bible again, where he prays and pulls strength and energy from his studies. He uses this forum as an opening for his Testimony (which is wonderful, sure! - though I have to agree with Sue a little) though he spends more time preaching then anything else. He might have a little crush on Kelly too - who always seems to have a project in her hands, needlework, beadwork, little thinks to keep her hands busy. Turns out Dirk is a virgin which shocks the others. Dirk thinks it’d be perfect at camp if people would quit talking about sex. heh.

Jeff Probst wanders along the sandbar and gives a little heads up about the teamwork needed for the next challenge. The Tribes get their Tree Mail which suggests that the next challenge has something to do with holding your breath and being underwater.

Sure enough! They arrive at the challenge - Pagong entering with a conga line - for reward, which includes a fishing spear. They must swim out to the inner tube, and when every member is out there, they are to dive down, get the heavy sunken chest, and drag it back to shore. First tribe back with the chest on the sandbar wins reward.

The race starts with a nice techno beat and underwater shots - and still no commentary from Jeff. Tagi arrives at the inner tube first, and Richard and Rudy go down first to grab and drag a few inches. It’s heavier then expected.

Pagong gets there, Gervase clinging to his own inner tube, as swimming is not his thing at all. And the race is one, two members on each tribe at a time dive, grab and drag, and work their chest closer to shore. Colleen on Pagong is awesome - she keeps up with the boys and really works it. One Tagi, Richard is clearly the strongest, and keeps them moving with help from the others. Once Tagi gets close enough they can stand and everyone grabs hold and carries it to shore, winning reward!

Richard grabs the key, opens their chest, and discovers their reward; flippers, snorkel mask, and the fishing spear. A little triumphant music and Tagi Tribe dancing around their reward with hands touching, and we move on to day eight.

Richard is thrilled, and immediately begins fishing, so he can begin pulling in protein for the Tagi Tribe. Sean was skeptical, of course, and feels that his pole would do better and rafts out to try and out fish Richard - saying the fish would be scared of a big gay man with a spear anyway and would run away. Apparently Sting Rays don’t run away in fear, however, and Richard’s ability to provide comes to the fore.

The Super Pole never does work. Poor Sean, and his super pole that never works out. He wants fish that looks like a fish, but eventually Sean quits moaning about it. Richard knows he’s in good with the Tribe for sure now.

Day nine at Pagong and things are still pretty dire. They want fish, but have gotten to the point that they are going to eat the rats that they caught in the trap made by Greg. They clean and skin them, stick them on a stick over the fire, and cook them, and chow down. Even Ramona gives it a try - though she was worried about the taste. “As poor as we get in the ghetto, we don’t eat the rats!” Gervase says - “We gots to kill us some more TONIGHT! It’s on, like the hot butter popcorn!” and everyone’s surprised at how good it tastes, though Greg makes jokes about the ‘lack of sauce, and when cooking rats, the sauce is of the utmost importance!”

Tree Mail! It’s a telegram about the Immunity challenge, and they are told to build a stretcher that would carry their lightest tribe member. At Tagi, Rudy designs one to carry Kelly with chicken wire and rope. Pagong fashions theirs out of bamboo and cloth straps that they can actually turn her over in. It’s not the most comfortable ride ever, but it works.

At Lauri Larui beach, they meet to compete. Jeff explains it all again, then the scenario is: Imagine a plane crash, the two lightest members are hanging from a tree, and the tribe leaders must lead the tribes to their team member, get her down, on the stretcher and sprint down the beach to the first aid tent. The girls are equal distance from the plane, and it’s a foot race.

Pagong ang Tagi are neck and neck - with Pagong slightly ahead. They get the girls down and on the stretcher, and race back out the woods and to the beach where they begin the sprint. Pagong wins immunity! Of course, they have to walk out to bird island to retrieve their Immunity Idol in a ‘victory trek’.

(Um. Why? Heh. Talk about filler tape…)

At Tagi, people are trying to think of who they are going to vote off. Stacy and Rudy both figure it will be one or the other of them. Richard tried to lead it into a group discussion, but no one wanted too talk about it. Everyone is on their own, it seems, as they make that walk toward Tribal Council, where it is windy and rainy once again on one of the weirdest weather days they’ve had just yet. They arrive, bong the gong, and take their seats.

Jeff decides to try something new, and passes a conch shell - where folks who hold it can feel safe to say whatever they want too.

(Oh. My. Gawd. *LMOA* When’d this turn into summer camp?!? )

Richard, being all about the camp, grabs the conch and says “KEEP ME! I’m getting the fish, don’t vote me out!” Which makes everyone laugh. Jeff asks Dirk if he feels like he’s threatened by Richard’s ability to get the fish when he can’t. He says he feels alright, and sue says that Rich getting fish hasn’t come into “foreplay” yet. Ha! Stacy makes a last plea, and Jeff declares that it’s raining too hard to put them through any more weather, so calls for the vote. Tells them it’s a downpour and to write clearly, as the voting station is soaked.

Time to read the votes:
Stacy, Stacy, Rudy, Stacy, Rudy, Stacy, (Stacy)

Stacy’s torch is extinguished by the weather and gives up her torch and heads off. The rest of Tagi remains until the weather clears, before heading back through the Jungle to camp.

Next Time:
Pagong decides to rebuild their shelter, while one member builds a bowling alley instead. Richard plans something sneaky!

(Man - I still can’t get over how much Survivor has improved over the seasons! This first one has so many Summer Camp elements in it at times it really cracks me up! It’s good to know that some of the things (the passing of the conch shell?) haven’t stuck around and other things (Jeff’s ability to pull info from the Tribe Members effortlessly by relying on body language to tell most of the story) have gotten better and better and better. It’s definitely interesting to go back and revisit the ‘old style’ Survivor! Join me next week, for more of the same!)

Survivor, Survivor: Borneo, Immunity, CBS, Jeff Probst, Reality TV, rewind