Things always get tedious on Survivor when the show hits its mid season point. So it’s no surprise that this is the case right now. On the tenth episode of Survivor Nicaragua, players began jockeying for position into the power spots… and the results left one alliance reeling.
In an episode that featured one team rolling their way to victory in the reward challenge, an inferno consuming most of the camp, and individual immunity going to powerhouse Jane Bright, the 55 year old dog groomer from North Carolina, things got pretty dicey as the tribe members realized that now was the time to get themselves firmly into whatever spots they want to be in to hopefully ride their way into the finals. Some found their niches with ease while others were suddenly on the fringes, trying to find their way back in.
Sash and Brenda began the hour by enjoying their swing vote positions as the power couple on the beach. However, this proved to be their biggest liability with their fellow contestants. Jane, Holly, and NaOnka realized how dangerous the duo was to their own game plans and proceeded to clue in Fabio, Dan, Benry, and a reluctant Chase. Purple Kelly was along for the ride due more to her being in the right place at the right time than any major strategic move on her part.
During the reward challenge, Jane, Chase, Fabio, NaOnka, and Purple Kelly balanced themselves on planks perched atop overturned barrels and successfully rolled their way to the finish line without falling off, thereby winning a helicopter trip to the top of a volcano where they enjoyed brownies, pizza, and ice cold soda before enjoying a board surfing jaunt into the volcano’s interior. During their time away from camp, NaOnka confirmed what Jane was already thinking about Brenda being the most dangerous player in the game, due to her ability to get Sash to do things her way. NaOnka and Fabio even buried the hatchet as she explained what was going on and he realized this was so. Jane couldn’t have been more pleased as this easily gave her alliance of Holly, Benry, Dan, and Purple Kelly the numbers they needed to get rid of Brenda before she could affect any more damage to them.
Back at camp, the losing team returned to find that fire had consumed most of their supplies and food stores. Before leaving for the challenge, in an attempt to keep the fire going in spite of the rain, Benry and some of the others had moved the chests containing their extras up close to the hearth. When the rain didn’t come, the fire got out of control with no one around to contain it. Disaster. Now the tribe is left with one cup of rice per day to keep them all going. Unless Jane can catch more fish!
The immunity challenge was fun. Jane outlasted everyone else by holding onto a rope while standing almost vertical over water. As her peers dropped one by one, she found herself in a battle of wills with Chase. His weight ultimately led to his getting doused, affording Jane the honor of being safe for another three days.
After immunity was won, the team began its weekly machinations to vote someone out. Everyone agreed that Brenda had to go. Everyone except Brenda and Sash. To make matters worse, Chase went to Brenda and told her everything that had been said during the reward challenge about voting her off in a blindside. Thinking he was safer within his secret alliance with Brenda and Sash, Chase outed everyone else and let Brenda know that NaOnka was the one who was leading the charge to get her evicted. Knowing that NaOnka has a hidden immunity idol, the three conspirators realized that there was no way they could turn the tables on her, and they also had to swallow the knowledge that they did not have the numbers to save Brenda. Her only chance was for Sash to give her the idol he got from jury member Marty.
He didn’t.
With eight of the ten votes against her, Brenda had her torch extinguished, but only after making a grand speech about how she was too proud to “scramble” to save herself once she was told she was the target. During her oration she unmasked NaOnka as the leader of her decapitation and everyone realized that Chase had ratted out them and their plot. Of course this didn’t change the outcome. When Sash held onto his idol at the last minute, Brenda had to make her exit.
In the scenes for next week’s episode, it looks as if NaOnka once again maneuvers her way into the hot seat with her teammates. Also, with Brenda gone and everyone else knowing how Sash was with her and that Chase betrayed them, things are going to get even more interesting indeed. Youth, pride, and stupidity seem to continue playing a big part this season.
Favorite quote of the week: Jane (on Chase) – “He’s suckin’ up to Brenda like he’s tryin’ to get into her pants… or somethin’!”
