Survivor China - Episode 8

Episode 8 opens on the night of Day 21, with the newly merged Hae Da Fung tribe returning from tribal council under an almost full moon. Jean-Robert is still shook from his close call – had the plaque that Jamie played been an actual immunity idol, he would have been the one voted out. James teases him, asking if he needs a hug. Cut to James addressing the camera at some point when the sun was shining: “Jean-Robert doesn’t know that I have both immunity idols. We can’t tell him ‘cause it’s Jean-Robert. He’s gonna mess something up. So we need to keep his dumb ass in line, just ‘cause we’re stuck with him now. We need his vote, so we just have to deal with it.”

Dawn, Day 22. As James spreads out the fishing net, he talks in a voice-over about how important it is for the former Fei Long members to stick together and how well they are doing. Addressing the camera, Amanda raises concerns about the strength of James’ position, given his physical prowess and 2 immunity idols.

Challenge time. Two teams of 4. One member sits in a small boat and bales while 3 members of the opposing team pour in buckets of water. First team to sink the opposing team’s boat twice, wins. Prize is a visit to a 1,000 year old village for the season’s 3rd traditional Chinese meal (what’s a guy gotta do to get some Italian around here?). Captains are named and choose sides. Denise is odd-man out after PG convinces her team they want Courtney to be in their boat because she’s light. Yeah PG, but she can’t bale or paddle for shit. The team of James, Todd, Amanda and Jean-Robert (or, as I like to call them, The Team Without Courtney) win.

At the village, the challenge winners receive the final hidden immunity idol clue. I like that the producers are screwing with the heads of those who don’t know that both idols have been found. Jean-Robert, who has been clueless from the start, is surprised and troubled to learn there have been other clues. The only thing he knows is that James once had one clue (which James smartly tells him he hid, but when he went back it was gone).

Back at camp, Denise, surrounded by former Zhan Hu members save for Courtney, is worried about her status given that she was not selected to participate in the challenge. PG uses the opportunity to suggest an alliance between herself, Erik, Denise, Courtney and Frosti. PG suggests they get rid of Jean Robert first and Denise is tempted.

That night Jean-Robert slips out of the sleeping shelter. He takes down the three remaining plaques (I didn’t know until this scene that the Fei Long campsite had two ceremonial gates, not just one), but is rightfully uncertain about whether any of them are actual idols.

Next day. Todd addresses the camera. James only has both idols because Todd gave him one and told him where the other one was located. Now that James is safe, he still hasn’t offered to return an idol to Todd. So ask, Todd. But no, Todd instead takes Amanda aside and suggests blind-siding James while he still thinks he’s safe. “If he’s guaranteed that PG’s going,” he tells Amanda, “he won’t play that idol.” He then seeks out Frosti to feel him out about doing the blindside. Frosti tells the camera he’s considering going along with Todd’s plan.

The immunity challenge is sitting on a suspended, water-filled barrel. The barrel has a slow-leak. The less water, the more unstable the barrel. As the contest progresses it becomes evident that the more you weigh, the faster you become unstable. Jean-Robert goes, then Denise, James, Erik, PG, Amanda, Todd and Frosti.

For once, Courtney’s concentration camp inmate physique works to her advantage. Let the scheming begin.

Courtney doesn’t care who gets voted out.

PG thinks she’s the prime target and also that Frosti and Erik won’t vote against her, with Denise a strong maybe.

Jean-Robert tells Erik he has an immunity idol. In voice-over Erik tells us “When Jean-Robert told me he had the hidden immunity idol it changed everything, because I was 99% certain James had it.” Erik tells James about finding the two plaques in James’ bag. Jean-Robert looks pole-axed. He quickly realizes James has 2 idols and asks Erik to come in on a plan to blindside James.

Jean-Robert goes out in a boat with James and confronts him, mentioning nothing about Erik. James does the “wasn’t me,” routine.

Jean-Robert approaches Todd about blind-siding James. Todd seems miffed that JR has come up with the same strategy he has. Todd plays along, then quickly betrays Jean-Robert’s confidence and tells James what’s up. Like Todd tells the camera, “I’m constantly changing my mind.”

Amanda, who is with Todd when he spills Jean-Robert’s beans to James, tells the camera that Todd is constantly changing his plans and has no confidence in his own decisions.

I have to say I think it’s worse than that, and deeper than simple uncertainty. Todd, I think, has a fatal flaw that has caused me to re-think my former pick of the guy as the eventual winner. In fact, I think Todd has just lost the game. After 3+ weeks of brilliant strategic play, he has abandoned his most brilliant plan to date and for no other reason than that Jean-Robert thought of it, too. Your flaw, Todd, is that you’re not playing to win – you’re on Survivor to show how clever you are. And you’ve just shown yourself to be too clever by half.

Frosti and Courtney come upon Amanda, Todd and James and agree to vote out Jean-Robert. At tribal council, Jean-Robert is voted off with 5 votes; Courtney, Amanda, Todd, Frosti and James. PG got a single vote, from Denise, and James looked horrified to receive 3; Jean-Robert, Erik and PG.

Todd, meet James, the new boss.