Survivor Micronesia: Episode 12

Whoa! Best episode yet of the Best. Survivor. Ever.

Even the recap at the start of the show is compelling. We come into episode 12 on the heels of back-to-back blindsides of the top physical competitors in the game: blindsides that saw the all the women minus one use their wiles to take the game totally out of the hands of the men.

We open on Night 30, just after tribal council. Rather than being at the camp eavesdropping on the survivors as they discuss Jason’s eviction, however, we watch the Survivor medical services boat ease to shore to check out what James describes as a “clam cut” on his finger. The finger has become infected and swollen. A medical technician dresses the ugly wound and tells James they’ll be back in the morning to check on his progress.

Is it possible? Is iron-man James going to be the 3rd player to leave Survivor 16 by some means other than tribal council? And what’s this? We come back from a commercial to morning, Day 31, and learn that Alexis took what she calls “Probably the worst fall of my life” walking back from tribal council the previous night and her knee is scraped and swollen. Nurse Cirie admits, “I know it’s bad ’cause I am a nurse…” but she can barely contain her excitement at the possibility of two more competitors being removed from the game.

The challenge features 2-foot plaster statues of the players. The statues stand on pedestals. In front of each pedestal lies a thick, five-foot tree limb, spring-loaded and cocked. Suspended 10 feet above the trigger mechanism is a bag of sand. Three ropes lead from the bag of sand, over a crossbar and down to the ground. Contestants are privately quizzed about their tribe-mates (Who does the most work around camp?). The answers are revealed and compared to the most popular answer. Those who gave that answer get to chop another player’s rope. Three chops and the sand bag drops, triggering the branch, which smashes the statue, eliminating the player.

The prize is a visit from a loved one. Cirie is the only married person, so she’s the only one who has the possibility of any nookie added to the bargain. Erik is hilarious. His brother gets trotted out and Erik grabs him by a shoulder and yells as he points: “That’s Jeff Probst. That’s Jeff Probst. He’s just standing there.” Jeff calls Erik a freak and introduces Rocky, the mother of the tribe’s real freak, Natalie. How many vampires do you know who can tolerate sunlight? Flossing with people’s jugulars, indeed.

The game begins. James does the most for the tribe. Parvati never shuts up and mistakenly thinks she’s in control of the game. Cirie finishes off Parvati. Alexis is the most honest. Cirie eliminates Erik. James is the least likely to be invited to a family dinner. Alexis knocks out James, but he still gets a chop. Bye-bye Cirie. Mr. Cirie is heartbroken. Amanda sends Natalie to the bench. Cirie uses her farewell chop to eliminate Amanda, meaning Alexis wins.

Alexis and two players of her choice and their loved ones get to go to Jellyfish Island to swim in a lake of thousands of non-stinging jelly fish. She takes Nat and Cirie. She also decides who goes to Exile Island, where a third immunity idol has been hidden. Amanda signals Alexis that she wants to go and Alexis obliges her.

The medical team returns to check on James’ cut and the news isn’t good. He’s out. Shit. Miss ya, guy. You’re a poet.

On the way to Jellyfish Lake Alexis can hardly walk and looks like she won’t be long for the game, either. The swim itself looks like spiritual experience.

At Exile Island Amanda finds all the clues and learns that the idol is buried under the tribe flag back at camp.

Night. Alexis, Natalie and Cirie return from their daytrip alone – the family members didn’t even get to spend the night. When they learn that James is gone the focus of the game changes: with Erik the only man left, the women must win the immunity challenge or they will be forced to turn on each other.

The next morning Alexis can barely stand. Parvati asks if she wants them to vote her out. Alexis say, “Not even an option,” and tells the camera she now trusts Parvati less than she did. Parvati, Alexis and Natalie discuss what to do if Erik wins. Natalie says “If I go to the final three against Amanda, I can’t win,” and I think, “You got that right, Spiderwoman.”

Amanda returns from Exile Island and learns James is gone, setting a Survivor record for number of people who have had to leave the game for reasons other than being voted out. The tribe immediately starts the immunity challenge.

The immunity challenge is firing a World War II-era high powered, tripod-mounted rifle at Saki bottles. First to break 3, wins.
Round 1: Natalie, Parvati and Erik each get 1
Round 2: Only Erik gets a second.
Round 3: Natalie gets her second, but too late. Erik goes 3 for 3 to win immunity.

As soon as the challenge is over Amanda opens the bag she came off the boat with to show them she does not have the immunity idol. Good move. They decide to kill a chicken for supper. Natalie says she wants to do the killing, licking her lips at the prospect.

While the others are off butchering and cleaning the chicken, Amanda takes Parvati aside and asks for her help in distracting the others while she digs out the immunity idol. I’m a little surprised. I don’t trust Parvati not to go and dig out the idol for herself.

Parvati agrees to help Amanda (for what her word is worth). They discuss who should go. Parvati wants Alexis to go, which makes no sense. Alexis’ leg will ensure she wins no challenges and, more than likely, will see her become the 4th person to leave the game. So if that’s so, Parvati must be protecting Natalie and Cirie, don’t you think? Amanda argues Natalie should go, as she’s the biggest threat in the challenges, but she needs Parvati’s help.

Erik and Alexis agree Amanda should go.

Amanda tries to guilt trip Erik into giving her a vote, but he won’t.

Alexis and Erik convince Cirie (or rather, say what she’s already thinking) to vote out Amanda.

Amanda tries to get Cirie’s vote, but snake Cirie says she’s between a rock and a hard place.

Cut to Amanda digging under the tribe flag. In voice over she says she has to find it or she’s out.

At tribal council James, pulling an IV feed with him, joins the jury. Jeff asks Amanda about the idol and she tells the same story she told the others about not finding it. The pre-vote conversation makes it clear Amanda will be going – no subterfuge.

People vote. Amanda looks beaten even in the privacy of the voting nook. But she pulls out the idol at the last minute. A great moment. The jury cracks up. The vote is 4-2, Amanda/Alexis. Bye-bye, Gimpy. Jeff tells them. “You guys are perfecting the art of the blindside. That’s the good news and that’s the bad news.”