* Reward Challenge: A tribe member would sit on a spinning platform at one end of the playing field. Another tribe member would start at the other end and race across to the other side. There, the tribe member would grab a rope and have to pull it back to the starting line. The rope would be wound around the base of the spinning platform. As the rope is unwound, the platform would spin, causing the sitting tribe member to become dizzy. When the second tribe member returned to the finish line, the dizzy tribe member would have to race across a balance beam to the finish line. The tribes would race against each other in rounds. The first dizzy tribe member across the finish line in a round would score one point for their tribe. The first tribe to score three points would win.
o Reward: A trip to a cafe with coffee, fresh water, pastries, cookies, muffins, and a toilet.
* Immunity Challenge: Two tribemates from each tribe would alternate launching balls from a slingshot while the remaining four tribemates have to catch the balls with handheld nets. Catching a ball would score one point for their tribe. The first tribe to reach five points would win.
The day after Tribal Council at Jalapao, Taj and Stephen found the Hidden Immunity Idol within the statue next to tree mail. Taj gave the idol to Stephen as he had shorts with pockets and was able to conceal the idol. While the rest of Timbira was off fetching water from the river, Sierra told Brendan that she decided to join the Exile Island alliance. Jalapao won the Reward Challenge by a score of 3-1 and chose Brendan to go to Exile Island, who picked Stephen to join him. Midway through enjoying their reward, J.T. found envelopes with letters from home. Back at Timbira, Tyson told Coach and Debra that he was suspicious that Brendan was making friends or alliances with members of Jalapao and that they should vote out Brendan at the next Tribal Council. On Exile Island, Brendan used the opportunity to cement the secret four way Exile Island alliance with Stephen, but Stephen felt unsure if he could put his complete fate in this game on the secret alliance. Spencer decided to keep his homosexuality a secret from his tribe as he thought there would be nothing to gain if he told them and of potential bias from J.T., whom Spencer thought might be biased due to J.T. southern hertige, though he did not know for sure. Despite J.T. losing half of a tooth and almost singlehandedly winning the Immunity Challenge for his tribe, J.T. could not keep his tribe from losing to Timbira. Tempers flared at Jalapao over their performance at the Immunity Challenge, with J.T. upset at Spencer's poor defense and Taj venting at Joe. Joe wanted to vote out Taj. J.T. told Spencer that he wanted to vote him out. At Tribal Council, Spencer was voted out 5-1.
Last Week on ‘Survivor’: The cross-tribe alliance was put into action as Taj let Sierra in on the secret. Tyson “Assistant Coach” Dauber let it all hang out around camp, Sandy was the fourth person voted off of the show, and Taj mysteriously voted for Joe.
This Week: The cross-tribe alliance is exposed, Coach continues to wear his socks up to his neck, Erinn seems to be on her way out, and the single best reward challenge in “Survivor” history takes place.
39 Days, 16 People, 1 “Survivor”
Here are the tribes as they currently stand.
Timbira (wearing black)
• Coach – 37 – Soccer Coach
• Brendan – 30 – Entrepreneur
• Debra – 46 – Middle School Principal
• Erinn – 26 – Hairstylist
• Tyson – 29 – Professional Cyclist
• Sierra – 23 – Model
Jalapao (wearing red)
• Joe – 26 – Real Estate Sales
• JT – 24 – Cattle Rancher
• Spencer – 19 – Student
• Sydney – 24 – Model
• Taj – 37 – Former Pop Star
• Stephen – 29 – Corporate Consultant
We start off with Stephen giving Taj what looks like an erotic back scratching. Somewhere JT and Eddie George are giving envious looks. Taj lets us know that she only voted for Joe because she’d didn’t want to vote for Sandy. I agree with Charlie Herschel 100%, there’s no reason to upset someone who’s going to stay in the game over someone who won’t be going to the jury.
Stephen and Taj make their way to tree mail and retrieve the second hidden immunity idol. She gives the idol to Stephen because he has pockets. Taj tells us that she, “loves it when a perfect plan comes together.”
Reward Challenge Time: One player will sit on a rotating platform, while their teammate will pull a rope that will make it rotate, thus making the first player dizzy. The first player will then have to walk across a balance beam. The first team to get three players across the balance beam wins reward.
What’s reward? A trip to the Charmin Café where they’ll receive coffee, pastries, access to a working toilet, and as Super Probst says, “Plenty of Charmin.”
Thanks for the overshare there, Super Probst.
Why Super Probst? He saved a woman’s life earlier this week. What did you do?
The strategy here seems to be that the players are spinning their players as quickly as possible to get to the end, but what about pulling slowly so the player can better navigate the balance beam?
At any rate, this challenge is hysterical. Hats off to hardcore foosball king and challenge designer Jon Kirhoffer for this design. My words won’t be able to describe the comedy of this, so you’re just getting a quick and dirty scorecard. Tyson stumbles past Taj to win the first round. Spencer wobbles past Erinn to win the second round. JT avoided vomiting long enough to best Sierra. Finally, Sydney warbled (What? I’m out of words.) past Deb to win it for Jalapao.
Stephen chose Brendan to go to Exile, which earned him some knowing glances from Coach and Assistant Coach. Brendan chose Stephen to go with him. Brendan made a move for Super Probst’s Emmy with his shocked expression. However, Tyson wasn’t buying it.
We join the Jalanians at the Chamin Café as they’re enjoying all manner of delicious pastries and beverages. Joe lets us know that Taj’s time away from camp has made them suspect her of chicanery.
JT finds a package of letters from home and water works start flowing.
Back at Timbira, Tyson is on to Brendan trying to make friends over at Jalapao. Deb shows just how smart she is by making sure that they don’t let Sierra know that they’re on to them. Even Erinn manages to get over her outsider-ness to get her two cents in.
Coach then shows his passion for the arts by explaining how the winds have changed, literally and figuratively as a storm is coming and his feelings toward Brendan have changed. You see, that’s foreshadowing. Or is that irony? Wait! It’s symbolism!
Coach explains the symshadowirony. Well done, Coach.
Meanwhile, at Exile (not an) Island, Brendan and Stephen get some bro time. Stephen lets us know that he is smartly not putting all of his eggs in the cross-tribe alliance basket.
The following morning, Sydney tells Spencer that she had a dream about her boyfriend eating salsa during an earthquake. Um…wasn’t she flirting with everything with a Y chromosome last week? Then she asks Spencer if there are any girls he’s missing. Hmm…I’m starting to think Sydney isn’t as smart as they’re pretending she is.
Spencer lets us know that he is gay, but isn’t telling his tribemates. He tells us that “Guys like JT” are “typical Southerners” and “not accepting of homosexuality.” So, he’s generalizing JT now? He even says he’s not sure if JT is one of those guys. Is it acceptable to generalize someone to avoid them generalizing you?
Immunity Challenge Time: Two members of the team will launch balls using a slingshot. The members of their team will try to catch those balls in a net. First team to five points wins.
First launch: JT catches one.
Second launch: JT catches a second one.
Third launch: Brendan snags one.
Fourth launch: Brendan makes an Ozzie Smith diving catch for his second one.
Fifth launch: JT grabs his third one and breaks a tooth. He tosses it aside like a typical Southerner. Super Probst comes to his rescue and retrieves the tooth for him.
Sixth launch: JT catches his fourth.
Seventh launch: Tyson grabs his first. JT is giving Spencer a tough time for not playing defense.
Eighth launch: Tyson lands his second.
Ninth launch: Tyson grabs his third in a row, winning it for Timbira.
We meet up back at Jalapao and Taj is livid. She really gets on Joe for never trying to communicate with her. Joe lets us know that, “moves like that will get you voted off.”
There’s some concern amongst Joe and JT that Taj may have the immunity idol. In a fun bit of symshadowirony, they ask Stephen what he thinks of the situation.
Spencer goes to JT, Joe, and Stephen and tries to make peace. JT admits that he thought Spencer wasn’t giving it his all at the immunity challenge. Spencer claims that the challenge was the worst possible challenge for him.
That night at Tribal Council the Taj/Joe feud continues to burn under the surface. In Joe’s defense, I think he’s doing a good job becoming the good guy in the squabble. Joe also mentions that Taj has never said she doesn’t have the immunity idol. He asks her flat out, and she says she doesn’t have it.
She doesn’t, Stephen does.
Spencer also lets us know that he thinks he may be going home due to his performance in the challenge.
Voting Time: Spencer votes for Taj, Taj votes for Spencer, and the rest of the votes are for Super Probst’s X-Ray Vision only.
Jeff reads the votes: one vote for Spencer, one vote for Taj, a second vote for Spencer, a third vote for Spencer, and the fifth person voted out of “Survivor: Tocantins” is…Spencer.
Aww…the youngest loser in “Survivor” history.
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Subject: Survivor : Episode 5: "You’re Going to Want that Tooth" 
Fri Mar 13, 2009 3:25 am
