Survivor Micronesia - Episode 11

Unusual for the show, we open on the morning after, rather than the tribe returning to camp the night of, tribal council. Erik, bright boy that he is, is sucking up to the 5 person alliance (Pavarti, Jason, Cirie, Natalie, Alexis) that pulled off the stunning blindside of Erik’s hero, Ozzy. Amanda and James are nowhere in sight.

Cut to the two of them off in the jungle, licking their wounds. James says he understands the move and actually kind of admires the skill with which it was done. But he’s uncharacteristically tense as he says it. For her part, Amanda feels betrayed by Pavarti and Cirie turning on Ozzy and, by extension, her. She gets herself fired up for revenge but spoils the beautiful-when-angry effect at the end by using that stupid cliché “game on” to let us know she really means it.

Why I hate the phrase Game On:
No one ever says “game off.”
The only time people say “game on” is just after they’ve had their ass handed to them.

Sitting around the fire, Cirie asks James about a cut on his hand that is getting infected. He says it’s okay. Cirie, a nurse, thinks otherwise. Does she give him the benefit of her knowledge to let him know what he can do about it? You know - poultice, boiled sea water? Fat chance. Come on, James – Jonathan was already eliminated because of an infection. Get it tended to.

Pavarti tells the camera that she has to do some damage control with Amanda and James, who are understandably pissed at her for betraying them/stabbing them in the back/lying to them/f****** them up the ass/maybe screwing them out of a million bucks (pick one). But her idea of damage control is kind of weird:

James: Where are you trying to go with this?
Pavarti: Where am I going with what?
James: I guess the paranoia got to you and you just made a big move. And you’ll be alright. [meaning, I won’t be alright]
Pavarti: I couldn’t win against Ozzy. I would have been a fool to keep him in the game.
James: What is your plan? Who are you taking with you? I’m just curious to know.
Pavarti: To three?
James: Yeah.
Pavarti: Girls.
James: Yeah, I figured that.
Pavarti: I just wanted to say sorry, ‘cause I couldn’t tell you.
James: No, sorry’s not what you mean. Ha-ha is what you mean.
Pavarti: No, I wanted to talk to you ‘cause I like you. I don’t want it to be completely awkward.
James: Oh, it’s going to be awkward. It’s funny. It’s just funny. Always gotta eat the apple. Can’t just leave the apple alone. You’re a definite apple chewer. I knew that from the first day I met you. Hopefully you make it.
Pavarti: Yeah, hopefully; ’cause you wouldn’t give me credit for having a plan anyway.
James: Why would I think that?
Pavarti: ’Cause that’s pretty much how you’ve been acting toward me this whole time.
James: That’s a lie.
Pavarti: That I’m stupid.
James: I didn’t say you were stupid. I said you were greedy. (Voice Over) You can lie to me, you can fool me, you can deceive me; just don’t insult my intelligence. Don’t try to act like you’re going to pull the wool over my eyes with self-pity. (To Pavarti) Just don’t come up here and try and give me a bunch of fluff.
Pavarti: I just wanted to talk to you, honestly.
James: Huh?
Pavarti: I just want to talk to you.
James: And you have.

Best thing about reality tv is the insight it gives on the human soul. Pavarti screws James over and then wants him to forgive her. She thinks he is helpless to do anything about his situation (hubris, Pavarti – it got Ozzy) and expects him to what? Congratulate her? Admire her? Did Erik’s reaction (sucking up) lull her into thinking everybody would kiss her feet? Did she think she could continue to play James? Or did she want to impress James most of all?

James to the camera: “By her pulling that it just showed me who she really is. Do I put up with people like that? No. That’s the kind of person she is and that’s who we’re dealing with. And I just can’t stand it.”

Cut to a snake slithering along a log. This is our second shot of the snake.

Pavarti goes to Amanda. She apologizes for not being able to let her in on blindsiding Ozzy but assures her the plan is to get the men out first. “I’m thinking, final five’s girls.” Amanda plays along but in voice over lets us know she’s not buying it. Cirie walks up and assures Amanda she’s safe – even hugs her.

No luxury challenge – it’s the Survivor Auction. They get $500 each. No combining money, no sharing. First item is covered. Cirie pays $120 for what turns out to be a hot dog and French fries and considers it a good deal. Erik pays $80 for the next item and avails himself of an offer to trade it for a different item. The swap turns out to be octopus for nachos. Natalie pays $240 for bat soup. She walks back to the bench in disgust, leaving the soup behind. James says he’ll take it and Jeff lets him have it for free. Tastes like rabbit, remember. Next item is revealed before the bidding starts: PBJ and a glass of milk. Amanda wins heated bidding contest and chows down to the tune $280.

Big one here: Natalie pays $240 (leaving her with $20) for a covered item. It’s a bottle with a note: You must choose someone immediately to go to exile island and you will take all their money. She looks at Jason. He begs her not to send him. This cookie is smart – she asks Jeff if the idol has been re-planted and learns that it has. She sends Jason. Interesting play.

Natalie uses her last $20 and $340 of Jason's money to buy another covered item that turns out to be a very large chocolate cake. It comes with a condition – she must share it with 3 tribe-mates and they will have 1 minute to eat as much as they can. She picks her alliance (leaving Amada out of the girl alliance once again). While they stuff their mouths Erik offers $40 each to lick their fingers. They accept. The auction is over.

The entire tribe discusses Jason being on the island. The girls want him out. Natalie is convinced he will find the idol. She has no explanation for why she sent him other than that nobody else seemed to want to go. “The bitch will find it,” she moans to the camera. “The bitch being Jason.”

And what do you know? Find it he does. Not only that, he convinces himself that Natalie sent him out as part of a strategy to have him find it because she wants to ally with him. Jason tells the camera that he trusts her and is part of an alliance for the first time and feels comfortable in the game for the first time.

Amanda insinuates herself into the girl alliance. Together they decide to blindside Jason at tribal council. Natalie is chosen to make Jason feel at ease. She relishes the chance to set up another man, plain and simple. From under the radar to in our faces, she is enjoying this.

The immunity challenge is a 3-parter. Part 1 – all 8 throw rocks at a tile. First 4 to break their tile move on. Part 2 – dig out a key buried in the sand to unlock the large puzzle pieces that dropped when the tiles broke. Assembled, the pieces make a wheel. The wheel goes on a wench. Turn the wench to lower a bundle of 2 planks. First 2 move on. Part 3 – use the planks to cross a rope bridge to a rope and disk bridge. Cross that to a platform. First to the platform wins.

Before the challenge starts Natalie whispers to Jason that she sent him to the island as a strategic move that she will explain when they get back to camp. The way the challenge plays out confirms the girl alliance strategy. Amanda is the only female to make it past Round 1. James and Eric go to the final and Erik beats James by a hair to take the immunity necklace.

The girl alliance is ecstatic with the results. “We’re spinning the guys around and around till they don’t know what’s up and then we’re devouring them,” says Parvati. In full view of James and Erik, Natalie rifles through Jason’s bag and finds the immunity idol. That’s enough to convince them he must be the next to go. With numerous cuts to shots of spiders and webs, Natalie spends time with Jason as they wait for night and tribal council and plays him beautifully, convincing him that she knew he could find the idol and now they are an alliance. She tells the camera, “We’re going to rip open his throats and floss our teeth with his jugular.”

And they do. Amazing job, ladies. Two blindsides of two hidden immunity idol-holders (and huge challenge threats) in two weeks. James, Erik; nice knowing you. Three weeks from now, when there’s nothing but women on the island, this already compelling season is going to get even better.