EPISODE SEVENI didn't think I’d feel like this but I was really sorry to say goodbye to Nicotine. He’s been such a trouble-maker and general all-round arse that I’m gonna miss ragging his crappy quips and commentaries a lot.
I’ve enjoyed the way he’s always had something to say about everything and everyone and when he was speaking to the fish and irritating Brigitte and Vanessa I had an excellent chortle at their pain.
As annoying as he is and as useless as he was in losing them the challenge, overall I thought they took his antics waay too seriously and could have had more fun if they’d simply laughed at him more.
I also reckon Mzi’s defs made a verry big mistake that’s gonna come back to claw him by deciding to get rid of him instead of Brigitte - what Nico had to say about the way she’s played is true. She's constantly swung and manipulated according to the tide of power and she's treated both Vanessa and Mzi in exactly the way she thinks she needs to in order to get them on her side.
In contrast Nico has never done this. From the start he’s been a pain the butt and never pretended otherwise and I’m convinced that if Mzi had asked him for his firm alliance until the final two in return for saving him this week he would have done it and stuck to it. With Vanessa firmly in the pact too they could have been a fierce, unbreakably loyal team of three - which they desperately need considering the huge crisis they’re in for the merge.
What they need right this moment is a threesome who'll try anything and who won’t fold no matter what when they face the Rana four and I just don’t see Brigitte not looking at her other options to position herself best for the final catty walk. The way she goaded Rana in the Immunity Challenge was very much a sign of this too. I also don't see her trying to scanive someone to their side whereas Nico would have worked stories to try to make it happen.
Not that the Aguilians seem concerned about being 3-4 down - not one of them mentioned future strategy for the merge as being part of the reason they they made the choice they did. The only thing concerning Mzi was that he’d look like a chauvinist Pig if he zapped a chick instead of a guy which is the first ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard him say.
Prior to all this he was in top form as per and once more saved everyone from starvation by going mad catching pelican’s and cooking them after Aguila lost the feast of the Reward Challenge. What I wanted to know, but tried not to think about, was what they did with those ginormous beaks - brrrr.
Before being called for their challenge, the episode began with Aguila talking about having voted Danielle out. Brigitte said it must have sucked for her to be rejected by a second tribe and Vanessa said that she had to think about her vote carefully for the first time because of the alliance she’d made with the girls.
Over at Rana Lezel sat on rock happily saying that she’s in a perfect position because she’s in two alliances: one with Gareth and Jacinda and one with Gareth and Zayn. It’s very true, she’s actually in the best position out of everyone for the merge. Gareth and Jacinda are the obvious threats Aguila knows about and Zayn’s totally useless at everything so Lezel’s got herself sorted.
Everyone then headed off to their Reward Challenge which had to be the most boring, unchallenging fight for a reward ever. Not only was there no spark to the way they did nothing except stand around but it was also the warm-up challenge for Survivors in Survivor Africa that I didn’t trust at all.
The way that wooden pin thing came out of the hole looks very unreliably biased and resulted in the wins looking as if they were based purely on luck. Also, it was over in two seconds flat and didn’t create a smidgen of burning passion in any of them.
As a result, the braai feast reward Rana won wasn’t nearly as exciting as if they'd had to put in some sweat, plus it didn’t seem necessary. I’m sure they’re hungry but they all look fine and very healthy and Zayn needed such a slap for saying he’s been suffering. Have you seen the way Gareth looks at him when he’s going on about something? Hehe – I reckon he’s seriously irritated by him but won’t tell us.
My best was Jacinda telling him to shut-up in the Immunity Challenge where his moaning and tears were too ludicrous for words. He’d only been hovering for about ten minutes when he started his baby scene and not once through any of it did he even consider what impact his groaning and weight was having on everyone else.
Thinking about it now I'm very sorry they didn't lose 'cos he deserved to be chopped for that big time. The challenge itself was cool though - once I’d worked out what they were supposed to do. I thought they were gonna dangle from those beams without any footing and the way the platform ended up killing them was super, as was Aguila’s focus and strength up until their sudden end caused by Nico.
It was impossible to see what happened with him to the extent that it looked as if he suddenly decided to throw it. He knew he was in such a volatile position there’s ways he would have though - Brigitte mentioned him constantly shifting his arms etc so he must have suddenly lost his balance and concentration completely.
While Aguila deliberated I kinda knew they’d whack him but then there were moments where I thought maybe not, which is when I realized I really didn’t want him to go. As for Lezel eating that yellow thing and asking whether Rana’s in a good position after they'd won - how totally fake was that?
Obviously no-one in Rana needs to be concerned - with the merge happening next all they need to do is vote Aguila off one by one and battle it out between them and first to go will very horribly be Mzi. Unless of course he wins Immunity to give himself some time to do something. I just don't know what he could possibly do though.
I must say I can’t wait for them to get together and fight for themselves. I'm as tired of seeing their tribes as they must be of seeing each others mugs and I'm looking forward to seeing exactly who’s made out of what Survivor stuff.
The one thing I wish is that Nico was part of the jury. I was just thinking - the jury’s only gonna consist of a five at the end which isn’t nearly enough judgement ammo against the final two. Let’s hope those five build up staaacks of loathing between now and then.