4/2/06 7:31 pm
You may or may not remember me. I'm Ethan. I'm a blogger on Survivor Strikes Back. Remember that show we all used to watch weeks ago?

Well, it finally returned last night and brought with it the ever-popular tribe merge…and lots of hugs. Why not? Hugs are free right? Casaya all stuck their hands in a pile and unan1mously decided to stay strong. I totally felt the heat, especially from Aras. No family feuds.

Terry (aka Biff Loeman) pressed his luck and tried his to get Casaya members to flop by "offering" them the great deal of jumping ship from their sure-fire 6-way alliance to join his doomed 4-way one. NO DEAL! A Terry-able plan in my book. Shockingly, the price was not right for anyone. Not even Bruce. Not even after Nick whammied him in the face with a machete. If a machete to the face isn't a warm welcome then I just don't know what stands for hospitality anymore.

Shane, the Hollywood square (see pg. 52 of the this weeks Entertainment Weekly Magazine) really came alive and showed he's a decent player. However, I think Aras is pulling the strings and Shane may be in a bit of jeopardy.

It's obvious who wants to be a millionaire, Cirie. She is playing great. Keep it up.

Unfortunately, nice guy nick was the weakest link and was voted off the show.

Tune in next week when Survivor starts to become a dog eat dog world someone double dares Terry into announcing his secret.

3/31/06 5:17 pm
Howdy Strangers!

I'm back! I'm sure you all missed me dearly. I missed you! Anyway, let's get to it. I'll try to be as PG as possible.

Poor Nick. Not only did he chop off Bruce's face, but then he had to get voted off too! Not to mention he had to partake in one of the most phallic tree-mails I have EVER had the joy of watching. What the heck was that big, black, ribbed bananna-shaped thing Terry pulled out the black abyss-like tree mail box? Geez! I had to rewind a couple of times. Guar-an-teed Tom would have refused to retrieve that thing out. Regardless, I want to marry Nick. From the sound of your blog Bobby Jon, it looks like we could all live happily ever after together. Amy, you can come too.

Rafe: I understand what you and Mama Judkins say about Shane. However, everytime he pops up on the screen I find myself smiling at the absurdity of it all. You really should see my impression of the Shane belly strut. CALL ME, we'll set up a rondaveu.

I was a little disappointed in the merge celebration. Usually, it's my favorite part of the season. People tend to let their guard down a bit , enjoy that they have gotten this far in the game and embrace having some new faces around. I didn't see much of this. The most exciting thing was the new tribe flag. Got to hand it to Bruce, his 3 to 4 years teaching art has really paid off.

What the heck is Terry doing? Scramble-Mc-Scrambler. Stop talking, you bully! Oh, wait, that was Tom. Whatever, same thing. Really though, alliances are only good if you stay true to them . No one is going to trust you now, Terry-Tom. That goes for Austin too. Naughty! Anytime you want to play a game of poker, Austin, I'm all over it.

I love Cirie, she knows what is happening in this game and is playing very well. Sit back and watch them. There is something to be said for those of who study the game of Survivor by just watching it on T.V...I'd vote for you in final two!

That's it for now, I've got to finish painting the ode to Jeff Probst mural in Lil' Bobby Jon's nursery.

Steph-I'll see you a couple of weeks, can't wait! I pray I don't vomit on any past survivor's faces while on the ride.

XXOO-
Katie

3/31/06 1:26 pm
I'm just wondering how naive Courtney and Danielle
are. I mean, they can't trust Shane or Aras as far as
either of them could throw them. They've gotta realize
they'll be stabbed in the back at the first
opportunity. Especially since Shane's
please-let-me-take-my-sons'-name-back episode.

3/31/06 12:07 pm
I think my mom summed it up best this episode: "I just hate Shane. Hate is a very strong word, and I hate him. I hate his attitude. I hate the way he holds his belly out. I hate how he puts his buff on like an ugly little hat. I hate him."

But the person I've reserved all of my anger for this time is Terry! I think he had a real chance to make something happen this episode with his immunity idol to rescue La Mina (i.e. SALLY). If he had let all of Casaya vote for him at this Tribal Council, then whipped out the idol, it would have given them an opportunity to shatter the Casaya alliance. What if the four La Minas had voted for someone like Aras, who really seems to be the glue at Casaya? Then the next week they could definitely pull over Bruce, as it wouldn't be just a tie they could offer, but an actual majority! If Terry sweetened the deal with an F3 for Bruce (with Sally, maybe? That might be wishful thinking.) He'd have a much better chance of going further in the game. These people have to realize that you need to make it in everyone's best interest to keep you around, otherwise you'll get the boot. Instead, he's basically sentenced his little tribe and himself to death. Sorry to vent, but just looking at Sally's sad little face with her adorable hair buns and army hat and bug-ravaged right collar bone, I needed Terry to make a smart move. Offering up the immunity idol next week? For what? Take this idol and you can come over and be 4 against 5! Sweet! Sigh. It'll make for fun drama all episode, and then Austin will go home, same as Bobby Jon.

Which makes me wonder, will things play out all the way like Brian's comparison between Guatemala and Exile Island? Austin next, then Bruce, then Terry (his immunity finally runs out), then Shane (when you're sick of crazy, you vote it out 6th), then Courtney, then Cirie (how can she NOT make the Final 4?), Aras in third (who could beat him in the Final 2? He'll need some well-placed immunities to make it there), and Sally beats Danielle in the Final 2!! I can dream, right? That would put my four favorites in the Final 4!

And Jenna! You were waiting all episode for someone to get messed up? How about when Nick got all shades of Cheney and HIT BRUCE IN THE FACE WITH A MACHETE?! How did no one else comment on this? That was out of control.

Well, Survivor has me hooked again. We have Terry's assinine "strategies", Shane's oddly held Belly (watch it! It'll annoy you, I promise. He holds it out like a little kid having a tantrum, or a Somalian baby.), and the most beautiful Tribe Flag in Survivor history. I am going to buy it on eBay. Danielle and Aras seem to be in the strongest positions to win it all, but will they pull a Rafe and Steph and let little Sally sneak in there? I hope so :)

3/31/06 11:20 am
Back to business. The merge is on!!

What is Terry doing? He is all over the place. Why not just work Bruce? The offer to Cirie and Shane was just plain weird. I knew it and Cirie and Shane knew it.
I think Terry is making some critical mistakes. Voting off allies Ruth Marie, Dan, and then making a weird move to Cirie and Shane. But.... Terry is strong and he has the immunity idol. Next week looks like he tells Sally he has it. I hope there is a great reason Terry is telling Sally.

Ok. Austin, good move on the immunity challenge-pretending you are the weaker one. Why did you have to go and ruin it by telling everyone that strategy?

I didn't see too much of Sally and Danielle. I hope that is a good thing. I like them both. Work it girls!!

I'm not crazy about the tribe name, but Bruce did a great job on the flag. It looks awesome!!
When Bruce got hit with the machete, I thought he was done. Medical aid is not a hop, skip and a jump away.
Didn't the promo show a medical emergency? I admit I was excited about one.

Casaya's little pow wow before tribal council---the question is...Will they stick together???? We shall see.

I have to say I liked Nick and was sorry to see him go. Trust me, I know how it feels to be voted off just before the jury. It sucks.

BOBBY JON: Red sox tickets for you? Will you be in Boston or do you need them for an LA game? If you are going to be in Boston and you didn't tell me. We are done.
Call me--we will talk :)

3/31/06 10:43 am
Steph I THINK you may see Ethan and I's face on there somewhere but we may have been voted off!!! Cant wait to hear what you think of the ride!!

3/31/06 10:37 am
Oh and I agree with Brian thank god they picked a great merge name, kinda like mine on my season, Jacare :)
I hate when they combine both names of the tribes, so unoriginal!!!

3/31/06 10:33 am
Well, Well, Well, gotta love this one! But what happend to someone leaving the game on a stretcher, am I crazy or wasn't that the preview?? Anyhow, I agree with BJ that although LaMina looks doomed and if Cassaya was smart thay would take them out one by one but it rarely ever happens. Just like in Guatemala, we all know what should have been inevitable, but was it?? Well, we know the answer, Rafe we really were idiots you know that right?? Oh well, its all in the past now, but speaking of Guatemala, thanks Brian for comparing a few players, I too was thinking to myself, wow Shane is very similar to Judd or actually Jamie, if you look closely enough. And it gave me flashbacks when Bruce started to paint the flag because it really reminded me of Lydia, who took the lead on our Xhakum flag, I too like Tikal better.. Good call Brian! But seriously, I really like Terry and think he is a very good player but what the hell was he promising Shane and Cirie 2 more weeks for? They already have 2 more weeks that is not a good offer!! He could have been more convincing than that!! But then again editing is everthing as we all know! I love Cirie, she is a riot and I can see her going pretty far in this game, just like Lydia. Poor Nick, I liked him alot and what a gentleman but it was just his time and that is how the game works sometimes... Plus he damn near chopped Bruce's head off with the machete so I think that was a big strike against him. Who uses a machete in a upright manner anyway, especially with someones face right there? Oh well, you live and learn I guess. As for next week it will be interesting to see how this all pans out, I can't believe Terry tells Sally he has the idol, he must have a good reason, becuase that could be deadly... Well kids that's all for me, soon I will be heading out to San Fran for the New Survivor Ride opening at Great America!!! I can't wait I love theme parks and survivor so it makes the perfect place for me!! I will let you know how the ride is and I wonder if some past contestants faces are on it? I will be looking for ya!!:)))

3/31/06 10:29 am
Finally we are back! I think that two week break took a toll on alot of the viewers. And WTF, where was this poor person being taken out on a stretcher? I was waiting all episode to see someone get messed up and NOTHING!! I am so mad. I was hoping at tribal council someone would start violently throwing up or start choking someone but nothing. Lets hope for next week maybe.

First, nice exit Nick it was classy, definetely not what I would of done and doesnt make for good TV (remember how much we loved "scumbags") but it shows your character. Lots of people have exited just as classy like Ethan on the All Stars, Butch on my season, etc. and its good to be in their company. But, remember you just lost out on a million dollars and that does suck! I am still waiting if Shane gets voted off he flips the freak out because to be honest I love the unclassy exits!!

I have to laugh alittle at Terry. When you are scrambling to stay alive dont make it seem like you are doing the majority a favor by asking them to switch in your alliance, your the one on the low end, hidden immunity idol or not that can only help you at ONE tribal council. I also thought it was funny he was so mad that old Casaya was being so cocky about thier majority when just acouple weeks ago Terry was basically telling Sally she was going to be voted out because she was outnumbered. It stings different when you are on the receiving side.

Didnt see much of Danielle or Courtney and little of Cirie but she is still one of my favs with Danielle. Cirie is hilarious and she is positioning herself to go far.

As much as Shane is crazy he was working some great survivor moves this game. He seems to be calling the shots and making Bruce feel like thier leader was smart, maybe his nicotine withdraws are over because he is stepping up his game.

And if they have a food auction is it possible to auction off a pack of Marlboro lights for Shane? I hope they are a sponsor!

Watch Survivor Live everyone, and feel free to call in.
Till next week and hoping for a stretcher, out!

3/31/06 12:27 am
Did... did Bobby Jon just proposition Amy? Things haven't been this awkward since he taught Amy how to “pop the spine” when dancing in a club. Wait, did I say "awkward"? I meant "awesome". Man, the shenanigans that went down in New Yaxha… good times.

Speaking of New Yaxha, tonight’s episode reminded me a lot of the Guatemala merge episode, when the plucky tribe-that-could-but-actually-couldn’t-because-they-were
-in-the-minority looked to get picked off by a somewhat arrogant and showboating sextet. You had a 40-something alpha-male with a hidden idol (Gary/Terry), a low-key athletic woman looking to stay under the radar as the guys faced the biggest dangers (Danni/Sally), a southern gentleman convinced it was his turn to go (Bobby Jon/Austin), and a strong-but-silent good guy taking the unfortunate fall (Brandon/Nick). Cirie makes for a nice Lydia (hanging around against the odds), while Danielle and Courtney are the sporty alpha-females previously named Cindy and Stephenie. Aras played the role of Rafe’s well-liked peacekeeper, and Shane was Judd minus a pound or two (crazy knows no weight boundaries). Finally, Bruce is Jamie, if only because of the little-know fact that Jamie is a karate master.

I applaud La Mina’s frantic efforts to stay alive, even in the face of futility. I hate it when people just lay down their swords, waiting to get picked off. They really did all they could. The only other route I can think of would have involved pulling Bruce over to La Mina, Terry acting like a total jerk to attract votes (a la Colby in the merge episode of Australia), forcing a 5-5 tie, and then pulling out the idol at that time. Complicated and unlikely, I know, but that’s how I work. And that’s why I lost.

Quick notes: Cirie is possibly my favorite Survivor ever. Her dictionary salesman analogy? Classic. I loved how she completely called Terry out on his “offer.” Ha! She’s awesome.

I really like Austin, and I’m sorry that he’s probably out next. I love the way he’s playing, and aside from the mouthing off about his strength at Tribal Council, I really think he’s been flawless. Let’s see if he can get himself out of this situation.

Aw, Bruce has confused “respect” with “desperation”. Poor guy. Not a good episode for him, seeing as how everyone was sucking up to him less out of respect and more out of self-interest. And then Aras and Shane played him perfectly. Yikes. Though, I will say this for him: dude paints a mean tribal flag.

Speaking of the new tribe, THANK YOU to whomever decided against something stupid like La Casamina or Minaya or some other equally inane combination of the two tribes’ names. Every time I heard “Xhakum” last season, I felt a slow dagger piercing my heart. Xhakum? Xhakum!? Come on, people. How about Tikal, or Naranjo, or something creative? Why follow in the banal tradition of Chuay Jai and Chaboga Mogo? So well done, Gitanos. Well done indeed.

I’m calling it now: Aras is winning this whole thing. How can he not at this point?

3/30/06 10:35 pm
Hey Nick! Why whine when you can exit this game with a challenge to 30 million people to “live their dreams and change the world!” You Rock, Man! Nick has just taken his place in Survivor history as leaving this game with the most class of anyone.
The next little portion of our show is called the “sitting duck” segment. Let’s all sit back and watch Austin and Sally be picked off. Terry can hang one extra round beyond his ability to win immunity. After that, “the dictionary salesman” is history. What was he thinking, Cirie? It was desperate but perhaps Terry thought he could play on the sympathies of past alliances with the Old Farts tribes.
For once, it was fun to watch the guys work the guys. Shane is brilliant in working Bruce. It worked. Leading him to believe that he was the “elder of the tribe” really sucked him in. However, even if Bruce had shifted to align with Terry, it wasn’t enough to avoid the dreaded “tie”. Bruce pretty much had to stay put.
Shane has been the leader from day one. He claims to be a master of manipulation and he’s so right! His timing is impeccable, albeit totally obnoxious! I gotta’ give it to Shane for his forthright, direct manner of laying it on the line all the time. It’s just alittle bit too much honesty for me! The “Hoorah Circle pow wow” of six to determine the vote was necessary. It was also tacky! Just about everyone who talks to me about this season is itching to see Shane kicked out. For a brief moment, I bet millions of people were poised for a knee slapping moment at Tribal when Shane got four votes. Not yet, fans! Not yet!
The women of Casaya were aligned to remove Shane. But that plan went to hell in a hand basket at the merge. Shane is back in control of this game, at least for the moment. Hopefully Bruce is not really so naïve as to believe that he is in a power position. He’s in the final six at best. Don’t get too carried away with the respect card, Bruce!
Cirie is so much my favorite in this game. It’s interesting how fast a position of liability turns to a strength. Cirie is getting downright sassy in her longevity on the island. How quickly she turned from Outcast to Queen of the Block. Gotta’ love her.
Austin’s almost too nice for this game. Did he really reveal his strategy for playing it “weak” at Tribal? Tell us, Austin, what is the strategy behind revealing your secret strategy?
Jeff is smokin’ at Tribal! Talk about stirring it all up, again and again! We’ve never known anyone who likes to keep the pot stirred so much!

3/30/06 10:33 pm
Just a few things:

**Bruce has shown he's a great artist, and he's also shown being on the supposingly "outside," as he says, is looking like it could benefit him possibly in one-way-or- another?? I guess the jury is still out on that one, but for now I think Bruce is safe, but I don't know if it's a final two "safe," we will have to see.


**I usually have Austin figured out pretty good every episode, but he kinda' jumped around on me on this episode. Austin actually seems pretty smart, but his mouth may get him in trouble. The whole tribal council speech when he was talking about trying to show he was weak than what he really was, etc., just didn't make a whole lot of sense. And I'm one to talk, trust me. But I don't know it was just weird, and the negotiating thing with Terry during the challenge was just a bit too much. I will give him the social aspect of the game though. He's a talker and he maybe could sway a vote, or some how get on the side with the numbers. But as far as game play goes he's gonna need an immunity fast to move forward.



**Didn't see to much of Sally or Danielle tonight. Which in "survivor" sometimes no news, is good news. But I did enjoy Sally's "Wooderson" comment about being cool, I liked that.


**Terry's starting to run things over at the new tribe, which in most cases is a "no-no." The guy is all over the place, he is playing the game at all ends. He basically goes to challenge's and dominates and after that he comes back to camp and is going to do his best to get someone to flop. But if people think the magic six of Aras,Danielle,Cirie, Bruce, Courtney, and Shane are going to stick they're crazy. It's just not going to happen, it never does. Plus Terry has the immunity idol. Like him or not, the dude is playing the game hard and he's staying put to at least final four, he just is, or at least that's how I see it right now. And it looks like next week Terry shakes things up, by bribing someone with the idol. Which from the promo it appears like that could be dumb, but I can assure you the dude has thought this thing out and knows what he's doing. He's the man that's going to take you to the final two it looks like to me, but that's just me.

** And ole' Nick....Nick seems like a guy you would want your daughter to go out with. He just seems like an all around good guy. And I like how he composed himself through the whole show. He fought and showed character, but it just wasn't in the cards for him to go any further. He seemed as if he had the game down-to-a-tee, he was just on the wrong side of the vote. I wished Terry would have slipped him the immunity idol and this would have been my favorite season ever, but he didn't and I guess you can't blame Terry, but damn Terry you had immunity, give Nick a lil' love and slide the idol to him!!!! HA oh well, Nick was good for the show and he will have a good future ahead of him. Anyway, see ya next week.


**Amy what would I have to do to score some sox tickets from you?? I'm very opened minded LOL