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« Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites
Episode Recap: If It Smells Like a Rat, Give It Cheese
OMG! Funniest. Survivor. Ever! You are going to have to excuse me as I wipe the tears of laughter from my eyes. There are no words – none – that can truly describe the bittersweet hilarity of Erik’s monumental crash and burn. If you missed the show for any reason run – don’t walk – to your nearest internet-ready computer and watch the repeat online because in a season of blindsides, this one takes the cake.
I’m just going to say it. Erik gave up immunity! Gave. It. Up. Minutes later he was saying goodbye. That was the most boneheaded move ever in the history of Survivor! Why, Erik, would you choose to give up the immunity necklace? Nobody does that. Every week Jeff asks, “Would you like to give immunity to someone else?” and whoever’s wearing that necklace shakes their head and unconsciously touches the skillfully-crafted, yet ugly-as-sin necklace that is their protection for that vote. And then they vote and that person remains in the game for at least another three days. That’s how it’s done. You don’t give up immunity. It is to be cherished, not wasted. And definitely not used as a good-faith gesture to reassure a tribemate who is trying to escape a possible eviction from the game. Again I say, boneheaded.
I get it Erik. You were feeling guilty and guilt is a powerful emotion, especially for someone as honest and naïve as you seem to be. Why else would Erik turn on Natalie the moment Amanda reached out to him? Guilt. You have to hand it to Amanda for following up the bitch-slap she had given Erik at the previous tribal council. There was no way that Erik wasn’t going to jump at the opportunity to prove himself worthy again in her eyes. All he had to do promise to take Amanda on the reward and to send Parvati to Exile Island should he win the challenge. If that promise sounds at all familiar it was because it was the exact same thing he had promised Natalie that morning! Of course Erik, being the challenge threat that he is, won reward and left Natalie sitting on a log boo-hooing to a self-satisfied Cirie.
Then came the immunity challenge, which again, Erik blasted through earning himself that aforementioned jewelry. This is where guilt comes into play again because guilt, coupled with the opportunity for redemption, is a one-way ticket to losing this game. (Just ask Ian Rosenberger from Survivor: Palau who stepped out of the endurance challenge against Tom Westman because he didn’t want to play the villain.) It started with the four losing ladies, sitting on a log wondering whom they were going to vote out at Tribal Council. The one person they most wanted gone, the one person who had “worked us all like a cheap suit,” according to Cirie was the one person that had immunity. But what if…?
Let me tell you, a ‘what if’ in Cirie’s hands is a beautiful thing. “What if we could get him to give up the necklace?” she asked. It seems impossible, right, that anyone could even conceive of such a possibility. Who in their right mind would ever agree to give up the only thing that was keeping them in the game? Yet Cirie dared to dream and with her seemingly effortless plotting and some fantastic acting by Amanda and Natalie, Erik was hooked.
At tribal council, the ladies pressed their case. The jury watched, completely understanding what the women were up to, yet Erik was clueless. He was by blinded by that pesky guilt and swayed by Cirie’s talk of redemption and actions carrying more weight than words to answer ‘yes’ to Jeff’s inevitable question. “Would you like to give immunity to someone else?” Only when the vote came back 3-1 against Erik did the poor, “hair-brained” ice-cream scooper, realize his mistake. Or maybe it was when James shrieked, ‘I’ve lost my reign as the dumbest Survivor ever!!”
You can’t make this stuff up. It wasn’t just Erik that had some classic moments tonight. It was Parvati, sunning at Exile Island, unconcerned about hunting for the idol because she didn’t need it at all. It was Ozzy walking into tribal in his serape. It was the reward challenge featuring favorite moments from past seasons like Kathy peeing on Jonathan’s hand to relieve an urchin’s sting. It was Erik prophetically surmising that he, “might have screwed up quite a bit.”
Yes, Erik, you did screw up. Thank you for making my evening.
What did you think? Will tonight’s episode go down in Survivor history? Does Natalie have a chance against the three-favorites-alliance? And who is going to win this thing? Check out Jeff Probst's predictions for the winner here and remember the finale is this Sunday at 8 pm/ET followed by the live reunion show. Don’t forget because I have a feeling you’re not going to want to miss this one.
Find more Survivor: Micronesia – Fans vs. Favorites clips at our online video guide.
P.S. I apologize for the delay in posting this blog but the site was acting up last night and I could not log on. -Rhoda
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May 9, 2008 9:17 AM
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James, you're right. You are off the hook forever. It's going to be a long time before someone makes a run at Erik for dumbest Survivor ever. I will never understand how he fell for that. I guess we saw Darwin's theory of "thinning the herd" in action last night.
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May 9, 2008 9:31 AM
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WOW, Erik has to be the most naive player ever. The shock on the women's faces was great. Who knew he would fall for such a stupid plan. Erik walking over with his fingers crossed, and Jeff saying that this Erik got a "life lesson" was so funny. We were screaming at the TV for the last half of the show!
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May 9, 2008 9:35 AM
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This has been the best season of Survivor ever! Finally a group of people playing the game like it should be played. Last night was truly classic. I loved how the jury knew exactly what was going on but poor Erik was still sitting there crossing his fingers. They played him like a fiddle, LOL. Part of me does feel a teensy bit bad for Erik, his naivete was his downfall. James' outburst during tribal council was priceless.
I'm rooting for either Amanda or Cirie who both played a great game. I can't wait for Sunday!
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May 9, 2008 9:41 AM
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When Jeff referred to this being a "life lesson," what exactly was he referring to - - Don't give away your immunity idol, or never trust a woman!?
Poor Erik may never get married after this....
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May 9, 2008 9:42 AM
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Wow- what started off as a questionable season in my eyes has turned into the most entertaining one EVER!
For the last 10 minutes of the show I kept repeating- he's not dumb enough to give up immunity- right? The answer? Yes, he was. Unreal. I cannot believe they pulled it off. Cirie may deserve the million for hatching that plan, but the other ladies deserve credit for pulling it off! What acting. After last week and now this one- Amanda truly deserves an academy award.
I have just two things left to say:
James still had the best line of the night- even though he isn't in the game anymore- I’ve lost my reign as the dumbest Survivor ever!!(that man is entertaining!)
I hope that it's either Amanda or Cirie that takes home the prize. As Cirie said- you can't always beat them with muscle, but you can always beat them with brains (her mom was smart too!)
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May 9, 2008 9:45 AM
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I can't believe it! I watched it and I still can't belive it! How dumb can a person be? I agree that James had the best line of the night. I loved watching the jury, knowing exactly what was going on, and trying to keep from laughing. I guess now we know the reason why Erik is an ice-cream scooper. This is best season ever!
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May 9, 2008 10:01 AM
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Didn't that knucklehead learn anything by the way everyone lied to Jason during his challenge?!?!?
He had a good idea - - why don't we all just vote for Parvati/Amanda, and he should have known that Cirie's "I need that as a show of loyalty" line of crap was just that. Sometimes people think too much - - better to go with your gut.
PS: I have trouble remembering previous seasons (would have NOT won that challenge last night), but has there ever been four women (or four men, for that matter) in the Final Four?
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May 9, 2008 10:03 AM
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![]<img border=](http://community.tvguide.com/images/emoticons/devil.gif) "> omg..poor little skinny Eric! Last nights's show goes so perfect with Eric telling Amanda, I had got more than just hair up here (pointing to his head) Classic Classic..And James..can he be on every Survivor please? When he laughed and then said I just lost my title of being the dumbest survivor ever...hahaa...
Wow what a season..I also love during the challenge and when Parv was digging and Jeff said Parv no where close to being in the challenge (something like that) she just shook her head and said Oh Jeff...hahhahaha I was very surprised that Jeff did not say anything before Eric torched his light..I mean come on,,,but I have to feel a little bad for Eric cuz he went out with grace..He knew he had been had and he knew he just did a stupid thing, I just think he was happy to be there period. I really don't think he was in it for the money, cuz there is no way he would of gave up his chance..
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May 9, 2008 10:07 AM
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Best.Survivor.EVER!!
How great was it when, for the first time, they showed up front who everyone was voting for?! Hilarious!!
I must admit that these ladies have played a great game! I can't fault any of them. Yes I am rooting for Amanda or Cirie, but I can't really fault Parv or evil Natalie. Parv had the brains to give Ozzy the boot - changing the game in her favor. Natalie may be evil, but she was also pivotal in getting rid of the men.
Cirie. Cirie. Cirie. This lady has manipulated EVERYONE and no one is the wiser! Most of the jury blames Parv and it was all Cirie's ideas to get rid of almost everyone of them. Ideally, if she's smart she'll get rid of Amanda. If she does I think she'll win since Parv has too many enemies and no one's really warmed to Nat.
Amanda. She could be a great actor if she has a mind to get into it. This woman can act! Bravo!
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May 9, 2008 10:16 AM
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This has definitely been an amazingly funny season. I haven't always liked the way some of the ladies have behaved [Natalie/Parvati] but you can not fault the strategizing that has been flying all over the place. Cirie and Amanda are actually better at it than Nat and Parv even if Parv has had some inspired thinking but normally its just reactionary. Cirie [and Amanda to a lesser extent] realy shows forward thinking. She was a favorite of mine her season so I guess I'll root for her this season with Amanda a close second.
I loved watching the jury's reaction to Eric's stupidity. Ozzie was very cool, but you could tell from the curl of his lip at one point that he had it all worked out but like a national geographic photographer he had to just sit back and watch the pride of female lions take down the innocent gasell. James was enormously funny as usual.
I was so impressed with how each woman played her part perfectly and their words just interplayed so well with the plan, you'd think they'd all had scripts.
Now its time for them to eat their own so who is next. I know the plan is supposed to be A/P/C, but all of them are more likely to want Nat beside them since she is so vile.
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May 9, 2008 10:30 AM
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What I can't wait for is the final tribal council (which I am assuming will really be between Amanda and Cirie) and this jury which you would assume Amanda would win as her alliance makes up most of the jury and the people she argued screwed or used (Alexis and Erik) have to admit, Amanda's butt was completely on the line before she did that, whereas Cirie's butt was never on the line, but was playing the whole game with only Pavarti realizing it.
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May 9, 2008 10:46 AM
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What a great episode. I couldn't believe Erik went for it. But she is right guilt is a powerful emotion. But I can't believe it. Natalaie and Amanda should enter the Emmys as actresses. They are sooo good. Cirie is brilliant.
I loved the "Oh Jeff" line too.
This is the best Survivor since the first. You really have players here.
P L A Y E R S ! !
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May 9, 2008 10:57 AM
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Natalie is the next one out unless she wins immunity. Parvati and Amanda should watch out for Cirie, because if they take her to the final three, then she may WIN THE WHOLE THING. Cirie is the true mastermind behind it all, her butt was rarely on the line in tribal council, and she has NEVER WON IMMUNITY! Craziness...Parv and Amanda better think again before taking her into the final three. But to expect those two to actually come up with a plan themselves without Cirie is probably asking for too much. Go Cirie!!!
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May 9, 2008 11:16 AM
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Eric literally *ran* away after his torch got snuffed. So FUNNY! Sweet kid though.
Cirie was always my favorite Survivor, and after this season I love her even more. I hope she wins, but her problem is winning immunity and without a win I think she ends up 3rd. She's just TOO hard to win against. At the least I hope she'll win the viewer vote for the prize at the live finale show!
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May 9, 2008 11:28 AM
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