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« Survivor: Fiji
May 10, 2007: Revenge of the Hidden Immunity Idol
OK, America, I officially love Boo. The man is funny. Just watching him prepare his little hidey-hole to eavesdrop on any strategy sessions near the watering hole was hilarious. Too bad it will probably go as unused as Yau-Man's fake immunity idol. I applaud their efforts, though, because once all the contrivances of the rich tribe versus the poor tribe arrangement disappeared, it was these little moments of strategic gold that have made the season fun to watch. With the numbers dwindling, these strategic moves have grown bolder by the week, and I love it!
First of all, I have to say to Yau-Man: this is how you play the game! Yau-Man made two big moves tonight. First he exacted from Dreamz a promise of immunity at the final four in exchange for a big ole' truck won at the reward challenge. (Of course, Dreamz would have to actually win immunity in order to give it up, so we'll see how that goes.) Then Yau-Man sent himself to Exile Island to get the other clue, and because of that his partner Earl was able to find the third hidden immunity idol of the game. Brilliant!
Then comes Dreamz with the counter-attack. Have I mentioned how much I've enjoyed this season's editing? Couldn't you almost see a light bulb appear onscreen above Dreamz's head when he realized that that rascally Yau-Man had basically swindled him out of a million dollars? Hence the third big move of the night: Dreamz staged a power play with Stacy and Cassandra to oust Yau-Man and release himself from his hastily agreed upon pact. Dreamz may be an unconventional castaway, but I enjoy watching him play the game with instinctual aggression rather than a wait-and-see attitude. If Yau-Man had not picked up on the "bad vibes" at camp he would surely be gone. It was Stacy's talk at tribal council of vote-splitting that convinced Yau-Man to play his idol. That move saved him from elimination. It's a safe bet that Stacy is somewhere kicking herself.
It remains to be seen if Cassandra's power play will have dire consequences. Her vote against Yau-Man validated that man's fears about the final four, but in the long run it could work to her advantage. This woman has been willing to jump ship for some time now. If she makes it to the end, her willingness to take a risk in the game may save her from the dreaded coattails derision that often rears its head at the final tribal council.
Enough with the analysis I have many questions! If tonight's HII had been played earlier in the game, would it have been re-hidden and available to possibly use for a third time? Why hasn't anyone pulled Boo into an alliance? The man is a free agent, and with his recent winning streak he's someone you'd rather have on your side than not. And while we're on the subject, Boo wears that immunity necklace well, doesn't he? My friend Andy wonders if Boo will be this season's Kelly Wiglesworth a seemingly clueless player whose competitors wanted her gone yet who won five immunity challenges in a row to secure a spot in the final two. It could happen.
What about that Ford truck? Will the car curse still apply to Yau-Man and tank his chances of a win even though he gave it away? The looks exchanged between the ousted horsemen have me wondering if Yau-Man's generosity might have secured him a spot in the final four but cost him votes on the jury. Then there's Earl. With an idol in his pocket and all his talk of Stacy bowing out of the game with dignity, has he developed a bit of a god complex? Am I thinking too much? Probably. All I know is that in tonight's challenges everyone wobbled on the beams, but whoever manages to keep their balance in the game will be this year's ultimate survivor.
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May 11, 2007 12:48 AM
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If Boo wins immunity again then Yau-man will probably be voted off. Unless Earl gives Yau the hidden idol, which I doubt he will. The only way Yau can save himself is by winning the next immunity. I am sure Cassandra and Dreamz will throw the next challenge so Boo can win it. And Earl seems like he doesn't really try to win the challenges. I hope somehow Earl, Yau-man and Dreamz end up as the final three. Now that would be an awesome final tribal council!
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May 11, 2007 1:43 AM
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No you're def not thinking too much... Earl def has an over-confidence problem at the very least LOL! But since he's so frickin' hot I don't mind. Boo is pretty cute too but I'm all about that smile of Earl's.
I also am so totally enjoying Yauman's whacky moves this season. He has kept the game interesting as has Dreamz. He may not be as cunning as the rest but somehow I feel if I were on the Island I'd probably be playing most similarly to him. He seems slightly slow on the uptake at times but, hey, it's getting down to the finale and he's still there! Cassandra I think is the one I find the most fascinating. She's very quiet but you get the feeling she's taking it all in. Stacey seemed to be a non issue and so now she went home. No great loss. I'd also love to see Dreamz, Earl and Yauman in the finale! This is one of the best Survivor seasons so far
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May 11, 2007 2:13 AM
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We have learned several things in the last few weeks. These people will never be super spies like Sydney Bristow. And tonight, they will never win the World Series of Poker.
Instead of playing it cool, they telegraphed what they were going to do. First telegraph was Stacy telling Earl that she is basically doomed and she doesn't have the votes. Second telegraph was Dreamz telling Yau-Man that he isn't stupid and he knows what Yau-Man is going to do in the future. Third telegraph was Stacy saying at tribal council that there could be a split vote. It all adds up to Yau-Man knowing something is up. And the blame goes to Stacy and Dreamz. You got to be more clever than that and don't give away your position. Just not smart playing.
I swear that Dreamz has been on the wrong side of these things every time. He even pointed that out. He should have made his power play last week. It would have worked then. It looks like the Earl-Yau-Man alliance is set in stone. They need to get Cassandra back on board. It may be hard to trust her, but do they want to trust Boo or Dreamz instead? I wonder what would have happened if they had targeted Earl? Could Earl hand off his HII to Yau-Man before leaving?
The next tribal council will be interesting. If Earl knew that Yau-Man was in trouble, would he give him the HII to use again? Not sure if he would because he can't be 100% confident that the group might target him instead. So it looks like Earl is going to the final 4.
I don't know if I like the strategy of Dreamz taking the car. He probably was kicking himself afterwards. First, the top 2 get a good chunk of change (one mil and 100 grand). I believe 3rd and 4th get not bad money either. So he could get a car with the money earned on the show. Second, he is going to have to pay taxes on that car. So he is not exactly getting it for free. Third, the challenge before the final 3 is probably going to be an endurance challenge. So advantage Yau-Man. All in all Dreamz messed up by going for instant gratification. I do give him credit for coming up with so many schemes in this game. He just hasn't thought through all of them.
I am beginning to dislike some aspects of Exile Island. It should be a punishment to go there. I frankly don't think it is right to get clues to help you out in the game. It just drives me crazy. And Yau-Man exploited this to the hilt. Survivor should not reward losing. It just doesn't make sense to me.
It really is up in the air as far as who will win. I think 3 people could win it (Earl, Yau-Man and Dreamz). I just can't see Cassandra or Boo winning. Cassandra hasn't really made her mark and she is absolutely dreadful in challenges. Boo has done very well in challenges, but the likability factor and what else has he done?
The biggest chance Dreamz has for winning is if Cassandra and Boo are in the final 3. I think he would win then. Some people might be sore that he played a part in taking them out, but they could say that he outwitted them so he deserves the mil. I don't see him winning if the final 3 is Dreamz, Earl and Yau-Man.
Picking between Earl and Yau-man is tough. The jury must decide who played the game the best. Yau-Man has done well in challenges and played the HII beautifully. Earl hasn't done as well in challenges, but seems to be running things for a while now. He could easily bring up that he took everyone fishing to help Yau-Man get the HII. He also could say that he did all that climbing and sleuthing to get the other HII.
Heck, we still don't know 100% if this will be a final 3. I am guessing that it will be. Since this is the final blog before the finale, my pick for the winner is Earl. I just think he has played a great game and he doesn't have the bulls eye on his back like Yau-Man. I wouldn't be surprised though if Yau-Man won.
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May 11, 2007 2:47 AM
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Yao is BRILLIANT!!! I was holding my breath as Jeff was waiting to see if Yao would play the immunity idol. Yao is playing this game so much better than last seasons winner Yul ever did. I thought for sure he was throwing the reward challenge last night to let Earl's team win. Now that Earl and Yao have exposed who the backstabbers are, this game will be very interesting. Did anyone else notice the brown stain in Cassandra's shorts (from crapping herself during tribal council)? Other observations from last night.
1) Did they ever show Dreamz actually driving the truck? Whereas he never owned a vehicle or even a driver's license, I was wondering if he even knew how to drive.
2) I wonder why Earl and Yao voted for Stacy, and not Dreamz during tribal council I would've thought they would want to get rid of someone with strength. Stacy was a non-factor in the outcome of this game one way or the other.
Now a prediction for the next show.
Since no one (other than Yao) knows that Earl has the other immunity idol. And the idol can't be used once the final four is established, I figure that Earl and Yao will determine amongst themselves who the next two players that need to go. In the event that neither Yao or Earl wins the next immunity challenge (and one of the pre-determined two does), Earl will give Yao the idol and tell the rest of the players that it is now time to vote Yao out since he played the idol he had, then Yao and Earl will write down the name of the pre-determined two who doesn't have the necklace and that person will get booted.
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May 11, 2007 7:31 AM
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I was actually yelling at the TV last night during tribal council. "Play the immunity already, Yau!" He had me nervous. I think he is one of the best Survivor players of all time and I really hope he wins the $1 million. Earl has also been good so I won't mind if he wins either. This has really been a great season.
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May 11, 2007 7:50 AM
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survivorchat - I was thinking the same thing last night about Yau-Man being brilliant! I was so tickled when he figured out to play the immunity idol! This show has been so good this season.
Yau-Man wouldn't have voted for Dreamz last night because of the deal they made over the truck. It was, at least in his mind, in his best interest to keep Dreamz around for the final four immunity challenge.
I can't imagine that Earl wouldn't share the HII with Yau if necessary. They're pretty darn tight. But this show has been completely unpredictable. And that's a good thing.
Last night I was so upset with Dreamz for consipiring against Yau after Yau gave him a truck, but after reading this blog, my view has softened. However, I still don't think he's smart enough to make it to the finals. I would like to see Cassandra and Dreamz go next (don't care what order), and have the finals be Yau, Earl, and Boo. I would lean toward hoping Yau wins, but I wouldn't be disappointed if either of those other two took the million.
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May 11, 2007 8:39 AM
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realityjunkie....I was yelling at the TV last night, too. I'm so glad that Yau heard us! ~smiles~
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May 11, 2007 8:46 AM
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Okay, this season is starting to rank in my all-time favorites. Yau-Man is such a player! I'm so impressed. The man is playing brilliant Survivor. First he wins that reward challenge with his mad I'm-able-to-throw-sharp-objects skills. Where did they come from? And then the deal with Dreamz, which does a number of things: 1) possibly abates the car curse, although that will be argued either way. If he wins, it will be because he gave the car away. If he doesn't win, it will be because he won the car. 2) He maneuvers Dreamz into a deal that Dreamz, distracted by the big shiny truck, doesn't think through until later. If the events play through the way it looks like they're going to and Dreamz holds up to his word, Yau-Man has guarenteed himself a place in the finals, if he can make it past the next Tribal. 3) If he makes it to the final three, he has endeared himself to America and to the jury for not only superb gamesmanship, but also a terrific generosity of spirit.
So will it work? It entirely depends on two things, in my opinion. First, who wins the next immunity? If Yau doesn't win it, he is in serious jeopardy. Cassandra and Dreamz will be gunning for him. He and Earl will need to scramble. Second, who gets to Boo? As we saw in the voting last night, Boo voted for Yau-Man, which means SOMEONE on the other side is talking to him. I can't honestly believe that he just randomly picked Yau to vote for. Boo is low-hanging fruit. A promise of the final three would probably make him commit one way or another. On the other hand, if Earl and Yau-Man think that they have Cassandra tied up (they don't, she's proven over the last two weeks that she's not trustworthy), she will definitely never be awarded the million dollars. As far as I can see, other than being a person in an alliance, she is basically worthless as a competitor.
My thoughts on the rest:
Boo - I'm really pulling for Boo. I would like to see him keep winning immunity, just to see the rest of the tribe scramble like they did last night to rethink their game plans when he spoils them. He is standing on his own, and I appreciate that. You go, Boo.
Dreamz - I can't figure out Dreamz. He has proved over and over and over again that you can't trust him as far as you can throw him, and yet people keep telling him stuff! I guess that what bugs me the most is that he won't pick a side and stick with it. For the love of Pete, man, take a stand. Also, I hated how almost the minute Dreamz got the car, he started scheming against the guy who gave it to him. Not that he's incorrect about Yau-Man's expectations, but for heaven's sake, show some gratitude!
Cassandra - a snake in the grass. She has absolutely no chance of winning the million no matter WHO she's up against, and that makes her dangerous. She is turning on Earl and Yau-Man, thinking (correctly) that Dreamz or Boo would be easier to beat in the finals, but it doesn't matter. She's a lame duck. Of all the "characters" that Survivor promotes, the coat-tail hangers are the ones I dislike the most. Cassandra's alliance power has gotten her this far, and that makes me nuts. She's dead wood - cut her off.
Finally, can I say how happy I am that Stacy is gone? I couldn't stand her.
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May 11, 2007 9:04 AM
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It was great when Yau decided to play the HII. However, I'm somewhat disappointed in Earl & Yau for trusting Dreamz. They should have focused on eliminating him in order to keep Cassandra completely tied to them.
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May 11, 2007 9:20 AM
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Boo drove the truck. They may have let Dreamz drive it a few feet or so, but there's no way he drove it onto the barge, and Boo was the one seen driving it when they picked up and dropped off the trailer. Stacey screwed the pooch big time. What a moron. She and Dreamz have done some of the dumbest things in the history of Survivor. All she had to say at tribal was that she figured she was odd person out but she did her best. Yau might have not played the HII then, but her rambling on about the split votes sealed her fate. Moron. Never liked her, and I'm glad she screwed herself over. Boo's little plan to eavesdrop at the water hole was hilarious because all the time he's setting it up, he was away from camp allowing the others to strategize against him. brilliant! If Yau makes it to the final 3 and is given a hard time about giving Dreamz the truck, hopefully he makes the point about paying taxes on it and it's an expensive truck. I'm sure he never mentioned that to Dreamz, and I doubt anyone there thought about it. Heck, Yau might not even have realized it, but who knows. At this point, I'd like to see Yau win as he has played the most complete game, but Boo would be ok if he keeps winning challenges. I'm not sure I'd like to see Earl win, as he has played strategically, but hasn't won anything. I'm still a little miffed that Yul beat Ozzy last season for that same reason, although Yul was much better at strategy than Earl. Cassandra doesn't deserve to win. Nuff said. I wouldn't mind seeing Dreamz win as he has done some of the dumbest things ever, yet is still in the mix to win it all. Although, I doubt he would win any upcoming mental challenges, he's just not as smart as Earl, Yau or Cassandra.
Unless things really go weird, I see Yau winning it all. ~ŠL
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May 11, 2007 9:34 AM
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Great episode. Yau-Man is definitely one of the top 5 players to have ever been on the game. He has great instincts, doesn't say too much or too little, is great at challenges, and loyal to his alliance. Up until now, that is.
If I'm YM or Earl, and I'm doing the math for the votes, I'm figuring Cassandra flipped. For that, I'd say she's out of the alliance. Now is the time to make a play for Boo and his swing vote. You've got the numbers 3-2 with him and can promise to take him through to the final 4 or 3. Why not? He's been very quiet, it seemed like he really didn't have a lot of friends prior to the merge, and I'd feel comfortable setting up YM and Earl against him in a final vote.
It's time for Dreams and Cassandra to go. If I'm King Earl, the list reads Dreams next, then Cassandra. Final challenges are usually based on endurance, and Cassandra has really sucked at those (heck, most of the) challenges. I know Yau might object since Dreams promised he'd give his immunity to YM if he won, but I don't trust Dreams any farther than I could throw him.
Either way, Boo is the wild card. Do YM and Earl tell him about the HII to get him on board? It's gonna be a great finale! Look forward to reading everyone's comments on Monday!
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May 11, 2007 10:00 AM
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I can't believe Dreamz actually thought he could outsmart Yau-Man - he had already declared to Cassandra that his plans never work out. What a dope.
With that said - I'm kind of hoping Dreamz makes it to the final tribal council - just to hear the nonsensical gobbledygook that would come out of his mouth. Priceless!
Go Yau-Man.
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May 11, 2007 10:02 AM
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Hmm, all the talk about there possibly being a new hidden idol has me wondering...
Earl has found the latest idol--so what do they do with the clues at Exile? Do they start with new clues? Because if so, anyone who goes to Exile will realize they are only on clue 1 (and thus the latest idol must have been found).
If it's someone who has never been to Exile then of course that realization might be unlikely. But...I just wonder how they (Survivor staff) maneuver that.
Not sure why I didn't wonder about this last time. Guess I just didn't think of it. But with only a few people left in the game, hiding the knowledge about whether the latest idol has been picked up is going to be very hard (so it seems).
I know Yau-man played the earlier idol so there will be new clues about it's new hidden whereabouts (and therefore any old idol clues could be thrown out).
But what if Yau hadn't used the idol but Earl had still found the newest one? Would they have thrown out the clues that led him (Earl) to find it? Or leave them so other people keep looking not knowing it has already been found?
I don't know why it even matters...but I'm curious about it now!
Maybe I missed an explanation on how this works? Anyone have any insight?
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May 11, 2007 10:05 AM
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"I am beginning to dislike some aspects of Exile Island. It should be a punishment to go there. I frankly don't think it is right to get clues to help you out in the game. It just drives me crazy. And Yau-Man exploited this to the hilt. Survivor should not reward losing."
Clues aside, it's still a disadvantage for someone to be sent to Exile Island. They not only have to survive by themselves, they have to be all alone. If you really think about it, that's not as easy as it sounds. To top that off, everyone else is back at camp with the ability to align and scheme.
Even given the clues, they still have to find the HII. That may be a benefit, but I don't consider it a reward.
I think it's definitely a punishment to be sent to EE.
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May 11, 2007 10:16 AM
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