Challenge: RETURN TO SENDER
Location: Challenge Beach
Standing in the center of a giant sized target, each contestant was allowed one attempt to throw a boomerang. The tribe member whose boomerang lands closest to the center of the target wins.
WinnerGets:: A full dinner including smoked salmon, shrimp, grilled chicken, bread with butter, and dessert.
Winner: Jerri Manthey, who was permitted to select one tribe member to join her. She chose Amber.
Challenge: DON'T FENCE ME IN
Location: Tucker Island
The playing field consists of posts in rows of ten with ropes hanging from one side of the post. Survivors take turns connecting the rope of one post to another post in order to eventually make a square. The Survivor "owns" a square when he or she is able to close off the square upon their turn. The Survivor who "owns" the most squares wins.
WinnerGets: Immunity
Winner: Keith Famie
The Vote:
Alica- Jerri, Amber, Keith, Tina, Colby
Jerri- Rodger, Alicia, Elisabeth, Nick
My comments:
The sadness continues. Well another Kucha member is gone and the only bright hope on the horizon is that maybe the remaining Ogakor feel that they will be safe getting rid of Jerri now, at least that is what I would do. If they did this they would still have an advantage over Kucha but they would get rid of the troublemaker. I was happy to see that the Kucha tribe is at least trying still even though thier days are numbered. Well we will have to way for two weeks to see what happens but I promise that I will be there to share it with you.
What CBS had to say about the episode:
At this week's Tribal Council, Barramundi consisted of five former Ogakor members and four former Kucha members. Despite the efforts of Kucha's Elisabeth Filarski, Tina Wesson and other Ogakor members could not be persuaded to vote out Jerri Manthey, proving that the old Ogakor alliance was still intact.
Alicia Calaway, the 32-year-old personal trainer from New York City, was voted out of the Barramundi tribe in a five to four vote. Possibly the strongest member of the Barramundi tribe, Alicia intimidated both the women and the men alike. When voting against Alicia during Tribal Council, Jerri Manthey, who had four votes against her, stated, "You are the biggest threat to everyone here…you even have the guys worried."
After the tribe had spoken, Alicia confessed, "I have to admit, I was expecting this. We knew that I was a threat. I just hope somebody from Kucha can still win this and break Ogakor's spirit."
Unlike the previous votes, this Tribal Council will not send Alicia home. She has become the first member of the Jury who is now required to return every three days to observe Tribal Councils. Ultimately, she and the six others voted out after her will decide who will become the ultimate Survivor and take home the $1 million.
Remembering Michael
Alicia Calaway and Rodger Bingham awoke before the rest of the Barramundi tribe to reminisce about Michael Skupin, their former Kucha tribemate who, four days earlier, had been evacuated from camp due to severe burns to his hands after falling in the fire. Rodger, a farmer/school teacher recalled," He would have been up already, starting the fire and fishing. Every time we are around a fire, we will think of him."
As Rodger was fishing later in the day, he expressed his concerns that Ogakor had out-smarted his own Kucha tribe at the last Tribal Council. With Jeff Varner gone, Kucha now had one less member represented in the Barramundi tribe. Feeling threatened, Rodger realized that he had to prove his worth to the tribe and stated: "I am in it to win it, just like everyone else. My game plan right now is to keep catching fish. That is my greatest asset at this time." As Rodger continued to pluck fish from the river, he called out, "I love
this fishin' hole."
Rice Problems Persist
With only rice to eat, one wouldn't think making dinner would be such a stressful chore. However, Tina Wesson, the personal nurse from Tennessee, clarified the cooking dilemma:"Ever since the beginning, the cooking of the rice has been a problem. It was a problem at Ogakor and the same problem came with us to Barramundi. Basically, the rice has to be cooked to Jerri's specification."
Elisabeth Filarski and Alicia, both former Kucha tribe members, prepared rice for their newly formed Barramundi tribe and felt the pressure to create a perfect batch in order to avoid criticism from Jerri. Annoyed with the situation, Elisabeth later said, "Every time I took the lid off the rice pot I could see her tensing up. She was sitting on the log saying it's mushy. I felt as though I was under a microscope. Don't tell me what I'm supposed to be doing when I'm making you dinner." Jerri's ungrateful attitude towards her new tribe members forced Tina to reveal to Elisabeth a possible crack in the once strong Ogakor alliance by stating, "I try to stay away from cooking so I don't have to be judged."
Elisabeth Fights Back
Recognizing the persisting personality differences between Tina and Jerri, Elisabeth saw what would appear to be the weakness in the old Ogakor bond. "Things are going to start getting a little crazy, especially seeing that there is a hole in Ogakor," she stated. "If they are not all together, their plan to pick us off one by one is kind of wrecked." Realizing what she needed to do in order to survive, she made her motives clear: "If I want to keep playing this game, I need to get a little more ruthless."
Day 23
As Rodger, Alicia, and Elisabeth fished along the riverbank, they discussed what options they had left in order to secure more time in the Outback. Rodger and Alicia both agreed their days were numbered, described themselves as sitting ducks, and declared that "it's not fun anymore." Infuriated by their negative attitude, Elisabeth forcefully told them, "I am not going to sit back and let them take this. I am going to do whatever it takes to stay as long as I can." Informing the two of the animosity between Tina and Jerri, she reminded them that they weren't finished playing the game. Believing they could convince the other tribe members to vote for Jerri lit a fire of hope for the once resigned Kucha tribe members. Alicia later described Elisabeth by stating, " She may come across as a meek and mild person, but she is a serious competitor and a force to be reckoned with."
Reward Challenge: "Return to Sender"
The Barramundi tribe received tree mail that notified them of their next reward challenge, referred to as "Return to Sender." At Challenge Beach, host Jeff Probst greeted the tribe and explained the rules: Standing in the center of a giant target, each Survivor would be allowed one attempt to throw a boomerang. The tribe member whose boomerang landed closest to the center of the target would win. The reward: a full dinner, including smoked salmon, shrimp, grilled chicken, bread and butter, and dessert. Jerri Manthey, the 30-year-old aspiring actress from Los Angeles, California, proved to be the most skilled as her boomerang landed closer than any of her competing tribe members.
Put on a spot, Jerri was told that she could choose one person from the group to dine with her. With little hesitation, Jerri selected Amber. Surprised to be chosen, Amber declared, "You picked me?", and shrieked with delight. As Jerri and Amber left to enjoy a huge meal, Jerri declared, "I feel like I just won the Miss America Pageant." Amber agreed, "Me too." The rest of the Barramundi tribe headed back to camp to cook more rice.
As the girls devoured the food, they discussed their strategy. Jerri confided to Amber that she was paranoid the members of the old Kucha tribe would try to persuade Keith or Tina to vote her off, thus putting an end to the old Ogakor alliance.
A Morale Victory
Back at Barramundi, the tribe members expressed how pleasant it was without Jerri around to criticize their every move. Keith Famie, the chef from West Bloomfield, Michigan, claimed, "I have cooked for two presidents, all kinds of people, and I have never, ever been stressed other than these last few weeks--and over cooking rice. I can't believe this." The old Kucha members collectively realized that there might be a crack in the Ogakor alliance after all, as Elisabeth confirmed, "It was kind of funny because everyone else kind of felt that we won the reward. For the first time, it actually felt as if Barramundi was one tribe."
As night fell, Jerri and Amber returned to camp. To their surprise, they were not received with open arms. Amber, feeling guilty about the situation, later stated, "It was very weird coming back to the tribe after we had eaten our meal. Nobody even turned around to look at us. It was very uncomfortable. I didn't like it at all."
Day 24: The Game Heats Up
Jerri and Amber found Colby alone at the river's edge and took the opportunity to express their strategic concerns to him. Suspicious that the Kucha tribe might convince Keith and Tina to vote with them at the next Tribal Council, they asked Colby to reassert his allegiance. Working on her strategy, Jerri then suggested to Colby that he falsely lead Tina and Keith to believe that he wants them to be with him in the final three. By having Colby do this, Jerri felt she and Amber would escape being voted off. Painted into a corner by Jerri's persistence, Colby lied to her by agreeing to follow through with her suggestions. He told her, "Don't worry. You, me and Amber still have complete control over this." Feeling more secure with her position in the tribe, Jerri hugged Colby and thanked him. Colby later divulged the reasoning behind his deceit: "Jerri doesn't deserve to win this thing if for no other reason [than] simply because of the way she has treated the people around her. That was the biggest decision, when I had to choose to carry my plans out with Jerri and Amber, or Keith and Tina." Colby continued, "I didn't like the fact that I had to lie but, because it was Jerri, I didn't lose any sleep over it."
Immunity Challenge
The Immunity Challenge, "Don't Fence Me In," host Jeff Probst explained that the game did not involve any strength or endurance, just the ability to out-think everyone else. The premise is simple: Wooden posts are constructed in rows of ten, with ropes attached to one side of the post. The Survivors take turns connecting ropes to the posts to create a square. The contestant whose rope closes the square continues until he or she can no longer complete a square. The person with the most boxes completed at the end of the challenge wins immunity and cannot be voted out of the tribe.
Amber took the early lead and closed the first square. Jerri then led with six. However, she inadvertently set Keith up for a run as he squared off 17 straight. It would prove to be enough, and Keith won his second Immunity Challenge in a row.
Tribal Council Storm
As the Barramundi tribe prepared themselves for the treacherous hike to Tribal Council, the inevitable occurred: a torrential rainstorm hit, as flashes of lightening struck dangerously close to their camp. Keith Famie explained the situation, "Mysteriously, every time we go to Tribal Council, there is a rainstorm. I don't know what that means, but there is some stronger power out there than we are aware of."
The storm brought speculation as Alicia felt strongly that either she or Nick Brown, the Harvard Law student from Steilacoom, Washington, was going to be voted out of the tribe. Alicia stated, "It wouldn't be in their best interest to vote Jerri out of the tribe now, because that would even up the numbers again."
Later at Tribal Council, as Keith sat confidently with the Immunity Necklace around his neck, Alicia Calaway became the eighth person to be voted out of the tribe.
All text and pictures are copyrighted by CBS.
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