What do you get when every single player on Survivor is fighting tooth and nail to make it to the end? A damn good season, that’s what. Before Tribal Council, there was so much last minute scrambling that you would risk mental whiplash trying to keep it all straight. In the end, Amanda got her torch snuffed and all because of Colby and Candice. The reason I find Colby somewhat to blame is because he resigned too easily in Danielle’s favor when both she and Amanda fought over the immunity clue. I admit, the onus isn’t entirely on Colby for Amanda’s final acquiescence – she could have insisted to fight Danielle to a naked jell-o wrestling match, which would have been fun to watch, since it was getting close to that, anyway – but Colby’s rather paternalistic judgment call was enough for Amanda to relent and literally give Danielle her life away in this game. I’m not sure what the rules are, but my initial reaction was that Danielle should have kept the clue since she found it first. The rules state that once someone possesses the idol, and by extension the clue, it can’t be stolen, only given. It’s clear that Danielle would have regarded Amanda’s action as a theft. From Amanda’s perspective, however, Danielle was not in possession of the clue. It was sitting under the bed, out of her hands, therefore still in play. It’s tricky and had I been Amanda, I would have had the producers involved for a final ruling. NOT COLBY.
And of course, the other reason why Amanda made a beeline to Ponderosa is because Candice went rogue. Candice fell hook, line and sinker for homunculus Russell’s charms; and even Sandra’s beseeching was not going to sway her. Russell saved himself again by targeting Candice and though his game play is a bit one-note, damn it all if it isn’t highly effective. He lures Candice into a false sense of security by showing her the idol that he ultimately found with Danielle’s hard won clue. Then he builds a false sense of trust to have her vote his way. Like I said: hook, line and sinker. Now the Villains have someone they could easily dispatch possibly next week or the week after, and the Heroes will have nothing to do with Candice since she walked from the plan to vote for Parvati and jumped ship all too easily to dump Amanda. She has no bargaining chip and Candice is all alone. Unlike Sandra who has an uncanny sense of timing, Candice’s miscalculation will cost her dearly.
Speaking of Sandra, she is one cool kitten. She knows she’s at the bottom of either alliance, but she doesn’t let this frazzle her. Her last minute switch to vote for Amanda clues us in that she’s savvy enough to know that it’s not best to show her hand just yet. As badly as she can taste getting Russell packing, she realizes it’s better to bide her time and vote instead with the consensus, so she can fight another day. Brilliantly done. And judging from next week’s promo, a few of the girls are getting tired of Russell’s bullying ways. Knowing Sandra, I trust she’ll find a way to exploit this in her favor. Hope springs eternal.
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Survivor Heroes vs. Villains Recaps:
Episode 1 – Recap – Sugar Boobs
Episode 2 – Recap – Another Hero Bites the Dust
Episode 3 – Recap – Randy gets Rooted Out
Episode 4 – Recap – I’ll Have One BlindSide to Go
Episode 5 – Recap – Are You Seriously Keeping the Gimp?
Episode 7 – Recap – Robbed!
Episode 8 – The Dragonslayer is Slain
Episode 9 – Recap – Love Notes and Idol Business
