Things really turned out perfectly I thought. Nichal didn't do a stitch of anything except fall off that tree stump thing on Day 1 and Bajau deserved losing both challenges in a big way.
They've gotten so full of themselves and comfy with their five star seafood and rat cuisine that they've given up trying at challenges, proving that when things get too easy there's no need to keep up the fight.
Iban on the other hand lapped up their underdog victories and seemed to thoroughly enjoy being at the disadvantage. It's obviously because there was no pressure on them - like if they failed it would be understandable but if they succeeded it would be the accomplishment it was.
Night 9The episode started at Iban on Night 9 - with Amanda and Angie annoyingly gossiping about why it was a good thing that Elsie was gone before turning their badmouthing onto Rijesh, saying he was the next to go. This is also why things turned out so well - as things currently are it would have sucked for him to have left.
I'm very tickled by how much he rubs them up the wrong way and if they'd gone to Tribal Council their old alliances would have taken second place to their distrust of him - 'spesh with Dyke's new found lusty alliance with his new replacement girlfriend Angie.
While Dyke, Angie and Amanda cliqued to get rid of Rijesh (with Irshaad nowhere in the picture), Bajau was living the high life feasting on the banquets Golden God Hein organised for them. In between it all Grant spent copious amounts of time making hysterical observations about how idyllic life was at Bajau under Hein's leadership.
The Reward Challenge With Bajau well fed and Iban's scrawn outnumbered it was time for the Reward Challenge that involved each member of the tribe sliding along a slippery slope then basketballing a strange material ball into a hoop.
Before things started Mark had his usual chat with everyone, commented on Dyke behaving himself for once and got conned into complimenting him for being positive when in fact all he was doing was slappily trying to impress Angie. Still, something that Iban did worked for them and they ended up winning after Amanda almost lost it.
I wasn't surprised at Michelle having trouble with the challenge 'cos it's what we've come to expect from him but from where I was sitting (on my couch eating spagetti) it looked ridiculous that Amanda kept missing when they were standing much to close to the hoops to make things difficult.
After numerous useless tries she eventually managed to get it in and Iban happily went off with their pillows and mosquito net prize. At first I thought it was a crap reward and didn't realise why pillows would be so important until they used them in their marathon sleep and it struck me how crucial such things are. The idea of sleeping and sleeping and sleeeeping - on a pillow - really is a very appealing thing isn't it?
When you get to do it and end up feeling as Angie she did after she woke up twelve hours later you genuinely do get a kick in your shoes and feel as if you can do anything.
BajauThe same sort of sleep was the furthest thing from what was going down at Bajau where everyone had to contend with Hein's roaring snoars and gruesome scuttling rats.
I'm sorry but no matter how hungry I was there's no ways I'd eat rats the way they've decided to. I know you'll say: "Ah but if you were in the situation you'd eat anything like those people in that real life plane crash movie who ate people -
they never thought they would," I don't care how hungry I was, even I was weepy and sad from hunger like Angie was over at Iban - there's honestly no ways I'd go near rat, even if I couldn't see its cringey shape once it was cooked.
As for why Bajau's plotting on doing it - I've got no problems with them catching them to stop them being nightmares but they've got so much other food I reckon the whole eating things actually just attention seeking.
Of course its no surprise that Michelle was fully up for it, in between spending all the rest of the time lazing around using a tree as a pillow while Lorette did stuff. What does she actually do that keeps her so busy working?? Also - what's up with her not talking to anyone else except Mandla? Any message or communication that happens with her from anyone about anything always goes through him with no exceptions.
After Viwe got whacked he mentioned that him and Irshaad had spoken to Mandla about whether Lorette was in their alliance or not - but never to her directly - and then Grant did the exact same thing when he was discussing Lisa versus Nichal as the target after they lost Immunity.
The Immunity ChallengeThe immunity challenge involved one member of each tribe being rolled along in a ball while the rest of the tribe unlocked different padlocks on it to free them from it.
The race was fairly even-stevens most of the way, until the third or fourth lock when Iban's sleep kicked in and catapulted them to the win. The fact that Bajau couldn't muster together a final burst of strength with all the numbers and brawn they have was sacrilege and I was pleased for Iban when they whipped them like they did.
I also grooved on that ball thing. The design of it was futuristic but old - like you could imagine everyone using them for transport in a post-apocolypic, nuked society.
After winning Immunity Iban went off and got up to post-win things while Bajau discussed who they'd be voting off. Opinion was divided between Lisa and Nichal with Mandla and Lorette still vying for Lisa while the rest of the tribe decided Mchelle was doing less.
What Grant had to say about the sitiuation was interesting - that Lorette was still wanting Lisa gone because of the past and that there are "issues" between them versus the rest who felt Nichal had managed to outlaze her.
Also noteworthy was Hein saying him and someone else - who else was in Bajau previously? Angela I think - him saying that they wouldn't vote for Nichal 'cos of tribal alliances despite knowing he'd be whacked and then doing it. Ultimately what it proved was that within one episode old Tribal alliances have fully dissolved and it's very much a free market now as to who'll go where with who next week, in between slaughtering whatever they win.
Judging from the clip they showed for next week the reward's so going be an edible creature or person.