Posted on 02/14/2013 by Gina in Survivor
by Gina Scarpa
Survivor has returned and we've got another installment of Fans vs. Favorites on our hands. Since Micronesia, I can't help but question the word "favorites". As some of the players are introduced, I have to rack my brain to not only remember their season, but memorable moves they made while in the game. Even the fans seemed a little like, "Wait a minute? Who is that again? Oh right!" But hey, I'm one of those people that always loves to see returning players so I'm not going to complain.
It's hard to keep players on their toes after so many season but Probst does a good job by starting things off immediately with a reward challenge for flint. The tribes take each other on, one man and one woman at a time, and try to get a ring from a post out in the ocean back to their flagpole. Some highlights include Cochran taking on Laura instead of Matt, and Shamar yelling at Sherri to break Brenda's wrist (yikes). The Favorites end up coming out on top, kicking things off to a good start in their eyes.
At the Gota camp, Shamar doesn't seem too eager to get down with physical labor, which is a little surprising since he's a Marine. It's not laziness though, it's the hero complex. As everyone stresses and struggles to build fire, he swoops in and gets it going like it's nothing. Pats on the back and high fives all around! A BPA (Beautiful People Alliance) forms between Eddie, Reynold, Hope, and Allie. They're just the coolest, okay? It's like high school all over again! That's from their mouths, not mine. When Reynold and Allie do a little more than keep each other warm in the shelter, some eyebrows are raised and that target that Angie and Malcolm from last season knew so well starts to form.
Over at Bikal, Francesca tries to approach Phillip for a truce after their showdown on Redemption Island but he is none too interested. He'll be gunning to get her out first again, so she better hope they win the immunity challenge. Cochran suffers a serious sunburn that would be funny if it didn't look so horribly painful! Poor guy has skin that just isn't made for island life.
In the immunity challenge, tribe members race in pairs up a multi leveled tower and toss crates full of sandbags over the side. The last pair must collect those sandbags and throw them into six holes in order to win. The Favorites pull ahead, leaving Malcolm to easily sink six sandbags and play the part of hero. However, it seems he may have met his physical match in Reynold. The pair went at it in the reward challenge, and Reynold lands the sandbags and just like that, the Fans win immunity.
Of course, back at Bikal, the scrambling begins. Phillip wants Francesca out, and vice versa, and Andrea's name gets tossed around as well. She's a good competitor, she's always strategizing, and apparently, she can't be trusted. At tribal council, Brandon says that nobody is gonna get done the way they did the first time around... I think I said that right. Jeff responds quickly that SOMEBODY will. Well played, Probst. Phillip says that he never meant to mispronounce Francesca's name during Redemption Island, he just chose to on purpose instead of using expletives. Yeah, and I meant to trip up the stairs the other day.
When the votes are read, Andrea just about has a heart attack when her name appears four times but it's not her day. Francesca gets voted out first yet AGAIN! Apparently, you shouldn't mess with Phillip Shepherd.
Survivor: Caramoan airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on CBS.
(Image courtesy of CBS)
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