What an episode! It was so jam packed with everything any Survivor junkie could possibly ask for it finished me off in delight!
The constant plottings, the kickbutt storylines and character developments, the juicy themes of reconciliation that ran hand-in-hand with the action - all exploding symbolically through Hein creating the first barehanded fire in the world.
All this plus the hysterical first twenty minutes of Dyke and Fire Boy suffering after having their brains blown last week - seeing the two of them cuddling up on that cold, hard, ostracised rock moaning in despair about scanniving was such excellent vengeance for their crimes.
The best was Dick's grovellish realisation that if he hopes to have any part in what's happening he actually has to try to have at least one conversational grunt with someone besides Hein.
You know what I don't get - how hard is it to talk about stuff openly with no issues and just put it in the past? In those moments when they realised they needed to communicate - I couldn't understand why they didn't all just snap into a different mood in a heartbeat instead of dragging it out in an 'atmosphere' until after they lost the reward.
Night 5 Into Day 6This is how the episode ignited - with Bajau negotiating their post Tribal Council trauma while Rijesh went on about how he's God's gift to strategy, pulling all the strings for the votings - note plural - voting
s.
I made note of this verry specifically - he was strongly suggesting he's already gotten rid of millions of them when in fact he's only strung up one. This is all good and fine but doesn't make him deserving of being called a Puppet Master yet. Puppet stringer maybe, Puppet apprentice maybe - but a Master. Not.
Over at Iban Lisa's laziness rubbed off on everyone overnight and everyone (except Lorette) spent the opening moments doing nothing. Viwe and Irshaad complained about being tired of eating coconuts and Viwe started work on digging his grave when he went on about how hungry he was while pulling his tummy in so he'd look extra scrawny.
Question: Lisa's hair, am I going out of my mind or is it different? I was convinced it was mousy blonde but suddenly it's a goth-type black colour that matches her costume. wtf??
The Reward ChallengeIf there's one Challenge in the world I would never agree to do it's the wrestle-another for something precious in sand (or mud). No matter how graceful you try to be nor what type of outfit you wear you will always, without a doubt end up looking this:
Every one of them who did the challenge was determined to win which was such a groovy breath of violent air. It was clear that they would all have done anything to win - which of course Grant and Michal were fully prepared to do. Ha! Michelle hadn't muttered one single word except "make fire" somewhere in between everything and next thing his Hawaian sleeper shorts were on a rampage to kill Grant over and over again - despite Mark's leggy warnings that they'd be disqualified.
I was obssessed with Mark's pins through it. I haven't mentioned anything before 'cos it hasn't come up but I've been very anti him wearing shorts. I've been feeling they undermine his status and that he should wear long ones instead - but I was happily pervirised with the leg view so it's changed my mind.
After the Challenge Iban went off holding their flint proudly and Lorrette accomplished great deeds for chickdom when she was the only member of Iban to successfully catch a fish. Not only that but it was way sexier than the fuglies the Bajau bulls caught. I couldn't believe the way the tribe wasted it though - what's with choosing to eat it as sushi instead firing it up?
Over at Bajau the clan delivered their first surprise when they decided that they weren't gloomy about losing. Instead they all sat and lay around and bet Hein R500 that he couldn't make fire while he pretended he's over-promised and under-delivered fire on purpose - which I didn't believe for a moment.
Bajau Burns IbanThen it was off to the Immunity Challenge that involved each tribe sending three teams of two through the water to fight for a ball thing then touch a tree stump on the beach .
When Mark first gave the instructions I thought it was going to be too easy and quick but it turned out to be suitably intense and highlighted what I've been suspecting but wasn't sure about until the end of the challenge - I like Amanda a lot and I'm disappointed in Viwe.
What happened to him? He had soo much potential with that tourist comment of his at the beginning - it seemed he was gonna play everyone cunningly but he did nothing except moon around and complain here and there.
It's like he got so wrapped up in the idea of being on Survivor he didn't consider that he'd actually get to a point where he had to do something and ended up being the tourist he said he was pretending to be.
As much as it kills me to say it - I agreed with the decision to keep Lisa instead. It's not fair that her smugness gets to stay - plus she's getting scary now - did you see her sitting rubbing that machete? The grim fact is though, it was the right choice for challenges.
Fireworks!In between Iban's wheeling and dealing as to who should go, the humdinging moment of the episode happened - Hein redeemed himself by making the first personmade fire in the history of Survivor and delighting everyone worldwide in the process.
It's such a wowserly feat that delivered what we've been dying to see through eternal seasons of the show.
The only thing he should have done differently afterwards if If he wanted to guarentee himself a place in the final two was tell everyone to forget the wager and he wouldn't have to do a stitch of anything again.
Besides the killer fire moments my other favest bits were Elsie looking pleased and sweetly saying that she hopes she's proved herself to the tribe. I would have liked to see the others give her some credit though - Dyke espesh obviously.
As for what's what with the tribes now - I like Iban's Grant, Mandla and Lorette but not enough to save Lisa. I'm hoping she fails them next week and gets torched as soon as possible. Now that Bajau's found their fire I'm much more quizzy to see what happens between them next if they stay intact.