Episode 5: ROTU GETS RAID

Challenge Tiki Towers
Location: Challenge Beach
    Survivors race to assemble a set of Tikis. Each tribe must pick a "Caller" as the rest of the tribe is blindfolded. The caller directs hi/her tribe to the segments of tikis that are scattered about. Once all the pieces are collect, the blindfolds are removed and the first tribe to assemble their four Tikis first wins.
Winning Tribe Gets: To raid the other tribe's camp
Winning Tribe: Maraamu

Challenge Distress Signal
Location: Rotu/Maraamu Tribes
    The tribes are informed that in three hours a ship will pass offshore. They must build a distress signal visible to the passing ship. The tribe to build the distress signal most visible to the human eye from the ship wins.
Winning Tribe Gets: Immunity
Winning Tribe: Maraamu

The Vote:
    Gabriel: Sean, Rob, Tammy, Zoe, Vecepia, Robert, John
    Rob: Gabriel

My comments:
Coming Soon

What CBS had to say about the episode:
    The tribe has spoken, and Gabriel Cade, the 23-year-old bartender from Celo, North Carolina, was voted out of the Rotu tribe on Day 15. Gabe lost the trust of his fellow tribemates, especially ringleader John Carroll, when he claimed "I am not here to play a game!" Gabe becomes the first member of the Rotu tribe to be voted off the island, and the fifth castaway to be voted out of Survivor: Marquesas. After leaving the Tribal Council area, Gabe entered the confessional. "The experience of being with everyone was really fantastic, but I came to experience the game, not to play the game and its perfect timing.”

Mood Swings: The Game Begins
    Feeling vulnerable after having swapped tribes, Rob Mariano, the 26-year-old construction worker from Canton, Massachusetts, explained the dynamics in his newly formed Rotu tribe, saying, "I had everything in control at the Maraamu tribe and now we are pretty much in the minority -- five against three." Despite the uneven numbers, Rob did not want to go down without a fight, and revealed his next strategic move. "I need to get in with this new tribe, make some kind of agreement or alliance." Picking up on the new dynamics in his tribe, Gabe regretfully professed, "People are worried about how long they are going to be here. These guys brought the game with them; it has started at our camp now."

    While talking to John Carroll, the 36-year-old registered nurse from Omaha, Nebraska, Gabe was asked if he would lie to win the game. Gabe proceeded to clarify his reasons for being on Survivor, "I am not here to play the game. I am here to see if eight people from all around the country can come together and live and be happy here." Not trusting Gabe, John later stated, "Of course he is here to play the game, this is not a commune!"

The Crab Walk
    With a newly-discovered camaraderie, the Maraamu tribe set out in the morning of Day 13 to hunt for crab. Surprised by the abundance of crabs, the animated Maraamu tribe gathered up the creatures, but not without a little difficulty, as one of the crabs clawed Kathy Vavrick-O'Brien, the 47-year-old real estate agent from Burlington, Vermont. After boiling the crab in salt water, the tribe enjoyed their meal. With a full stomach and a new confidence, Paschal English, the 57-year-old judge from Thomaston, Georgia, assured, "We are going to win today, and that is a promise!"

Reward Challenge: Tiki Towers
    After receiving tree mail, both tribes met host Jeff Probst at the next Reward Challenge, where Jeff explained the rules and the reward for Tiki Towers. Evening up the sides, teams had to choose four members to play. Each team had to pick one member to be the "eyes" of the group, while the others were to be blindfolded. The Caller had to direct the other members to collect randomly scattered segments of four Tikis that had been deconstructed. Once collected, the blindfolds were to be removed, and the first tribe to reconstruct their four Tikis would win. The winning tribe would then get the unusual and highly desirable opportunity to raid the losing tribe's camp of food and supplies.

    Realizing the stakes at hand, the tribes exerted a huge effort as the race began. Rotu chose Gabriel to be the Caller, and Maraamu chose Kathy. The pieces were soon collected, but Gabriel couldn't spot the final displaced Tiki piece, and Maraamu took the lead, having gathered the 14 segments needed. Taking off the blindfolds, the Maraamu tribe members raced to reconstruct the four Tiki Towers. The early lead was all they needed as Maraamu took home the victory, earning the right to raid the Rotu camp.

Let the Raid Begin
    While the shocked Rotu tribe stood watching, the members of Maraamu were given two minutes by host Jeff Probst to gather up any of Rotu's supplies and creature comforts they could get their hands on, except one water jug, a knife and the magnifying glass. The members of the Maraamu tribe gathered up the supplies and food that Rotu had collected and won over the past 13 days, and headed back to their camp. Robert DeCanio, the 38-year-old limo driver from Queens, NY, somberly added, "Everything that we had worked for and everything we had won is gone. It was like the rug was pulled out from under us."

    Maraamu arrived back at camp, and the tribe relished their victory, especially Gina Crews, the 29-year-old nature guide from Gainesville, Florida, who exclaimed, "This is the first time I have ever won here, and it's Day 13!" Taking inventory, the tribe acquired, among other things: fishing mask, snorkel and fins; pillows and blankets; lanterns; the Rotu cutting board and all of their hot peppers.

    "You know that old saying, 'they took everything but the kitchen sink?' Well I think we took the kitchen sink!" exclaimed Paschal.

Dissension at Rotu
    After an upbeat rap session between Gabriel, Sean, and Vecepia, John was still leery of Gabriel's true intentions in his voting strategy. After a heated discussion, John emphatically stated, "You know what he's done? He is not safe anymore. I have to get rid of Gabe right away."

    Beginning his campaign, John approached Robert to confirm their loyalties to one another. They agreed never to vote against each other. Continuing his crusade, John aligned himself with Zoe Zanidakis, the 35-year-old fishing boat captain from Monhegan Island, Maine, and Tammy Leitner, the 29-year-old crime reporter from Mesa, Arizona. "Gabe is a wildcard right now, and he could turn the tables on me." John cautiously affirmed.

Immunity Challenge: Distress Signal
    On Day 14, the tribes received notice of their next Immunity Challenge. They were instructed to build a distress signal on the shore of their beach, using materials in and around camp to catch the eye of a rescue boat that would pass by in the water a few hours later. The tribe with the most eye-catching distress signal would win Immunity. Using the blankets acquired from the Rotu raid and other various supplies, the confident and creative Maraamu tribe constructed their distress signal. The Rotu tribe had to sit out Robert, Gabriel, John and Tammy because they had participated in the last challenge. They felt an immediate disadvantage, as Robert explained: "It looks as though Maraamu may win two challenges in a row, because a lot of the materials that we would have used for our signal to win Immunity are gone, especially the white blankets."

    Making do with what little supplies they had left in camp, Rotu began building what Sean, mockingly, called the "Fat Albert and the Cosby kids of Distress Signals." As the rescue boat passed by both tribes' beaches, it was clear to the rescue boat captain that the use of color and the waving American Flag employed by the Maraamu tribe was clearly more visible than Rotu's distress signal. As the boat sounded its horn, signifying victory, host Jeff Probst tossed overboard a floating chest containing the Immunity Idol to the Maraamu tribe. The tribe embraced each other in victory as Rotu began to prepare for their first Tribal Council.

Strategic Talks Continue
    With the vote looming, Rob Mariano, the 26-year-old construction worker from Canton, Massachusetts, approached Gabriel, realizing that he could possibly be the swing vote at the night's Tribal Council. Attempting to ally himself with Gabe, Rob asked, "Are you a hundred percent set on how you want to play the game?" Despite Rob's attempt to persuade his vote, Gabe stuck to his original game plan and was the fifth person voted out of Survivor: Marquesas.