Episode 11 - “Long Hard Days”

“Unable to vote for Rich at the council, Sue and Kelly stuck with the alliance and sent Gervase packing.  Only 6 remain.  Who will be voted off tonight?” - Probst

Day 31 - FEELING MISERABLE

The tribe is starting to show signs of wear and tear from the game.  People miss their family, they have less energy, bodies are weakening, and worst of all, in my opinion, is the toll that is being taken from mosquitos and whatever else causes the image below.  

I don’t care how tough you are or how much someone may say that those things aren’t bothering them.  If your legs looked like that, it’s not a fun time.  It effects how you mentally, physically, psychologically, and especially when you are the last one from Pagong, and you know you’re next, the pain grows more.

THE MILLION IS CLOSING IN

“This is definitely what happens when you put a big chunk of cheese in a maze and let all the mice go at it.  And see who eats who and who scrambles on top of who and I don’t want to be any part of it.  It’s…not a fun game, no.” - Colleen

At this point, the game is on.  There are only 6 left, well, really 4.  The alliance of Rudy, Sue, Rich, and Kelly are in.  Vote Colleen and Sean out and they are in the final four easily. Sean and Colleen are next on the chopping block and pending a run on immunity challenge wins, they are sure as gone. Not impossible but highly unlikely. With that all being said, the field still has to get down to 2 and then have the jury vote.  Getting down to 2 is going to ruffle feathers and see people turn on others.  It will happen and it will be ugly.  

REWARD CHALLENGE - SURVIVOR TRIVIA

“Not that my brain’s any good but, uh, I’d rather use that than my muscles, ‘cause my  muscles hurt now.” - Rudy

The game is simple.  Answer questions and step forward.  First to the mat where Jeff is wins.  Winner gets a luxurious night on a yacht filled with a comfortable night sleep, hot shower, and first class meal.  After 31 days on the beach, in the elements, dealing with rain, bugs, lack of food, and  sleeping on wood, the night on the yacht is by far the best reward of the season so far.  

Questions

• Insects are better source of protein than beef pound for pound?

• What must be done to water from green bamboo before it can be drank?

• True or False.  If you eat a poisonous mushroom and survive the first 24 hours, you have a 90% chance of full recovery?

Rich and Sean both make it to the finish line on the same question.  It comes down to one question.  

• Which of the following can you drink to kill intestinal parasites? a)distilled water, b)mango juice, c)kerosene, d)ginger ale.  The answer. c) Kerosene.  The WINNER - Sean

As the winner Sean gets the night on board the yacht. Great meal, comfortable bed, spa treatment, and a night away await.

As great as the reward sounds, an even better reward was waiting for him onboard the yacht. After Sean enjoys a huge meal, a hot shower, and massage, he gets to meet the captain of the ship.  The captain just happens to be his Dad! 

“To see my father there was a dream come true!” - Sean

Sean lucked out and cashed in on the best reward of the season. He got to share his reward with his father. After opening your tear duct, this scene confirms for viewers that Sean’s whole persona is no act, his heart is everything he’s advertised, and the love between him and his father is authentic.  The joy in his face and voice to see his father says it all and cuts right to the viewer’s heart. As emotions flow onscreen and at home, Sean and his father exchange how lucky they are to have each other and how strong the bond is that they have. Beautiful.

Imagine you were on this once in a lifetime adventure, on a television game show, in the middle of the South China Sea, potentially win $1 million, and after 31 days in of eating rice, not showering, getting pounded by rain, and dealing with the stress of the game, you get the ultimate reward. You get to share a piece of the adventure with your father. Spectacular.  I’m sure 20 years later Sean looks back at that reward as one of the greatest memories of his life.  Way to go Survivor for making it happen!  Don’t know how you timed it up and the logistics of it, but you nailed it! 

The last piece of his reward allows Sean to have one person from the tribe join him and Dad for breakfast the next day.  Decision time. Sean initially tells the viewer the decision is easy for him, because he “owes Kelly a dinner”.  The other reason he should reward Kelly with the breakfast is to help himself in the game. Kelly is his best chance for advancing in the game and to winning the million dollar top prize.  If he could get her to vote with him and Colleen for either Rich, Sue, or Rudy, then they could tie the vote and see what happens.  Otherwise, Sean’s only move to get to the final 2 is to win immunity challenges from here on out. Not an easy path either way but the better odds are with coaxing Kelly to a grander plan for destroying the alliance.

And Sean blows it!

He is able to only take one person on the yacht the next morning for breakfast and who does he choose?…Rich.  He chooses Rich.  Not Kelly. Not the person who would be his best shot at getting back in the game and closer to a million dollars. It doesn’t make any sense.

SEAN’S FATHER PLAYS SANTA

Sean’s father comes bearing gifts in the form of a care package for each member of the tribe.  Letters/cards from home, favorite food/snacks, and most of all the feeling of home.  In the end, it feels like the right person won the reward and the right family member got to play Santa Claus. 

This reward was a win for everybody.  

“it just takes me back to my real world life and has my brain engaged and rejuvenated and out of these 16, whoever they, people, and into who I am, and just knowing what’s going on and that it’s back there…” - Rich

This reward and Rich’s reflection makes the game feel less important and well, just a game.  On the other side of the game are real people with real lives and families, and they miss both.  Watching the show forces the viewer to plant themselves into the situations, as best as possible, that the castaways are faced with and think about how they would handle the game and the many challenges.  Being away from family for 30 + days isn’t easy for anyone. No matter if you are a 22 year old living with parents, a 43 year old with children of your own, or a 72 year old grandparent, everyone will struggle with being away from those you love most. This wrinkle in the timeline of the game comes at just the right time. As tensions and tempers are hitting there tipping point, the love and connection to home helps balance the scales and give the survivors a boost in making it the remaining days in their journey. Plus, it hits the viewer with an opportunity for reflection and appreciation for the people they have at home and are likely watching with.

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE - Standing on Planks

The game is standing on a plank in the water.  Over time planks will be removed making the standing surface smaller and smaller.  The only rule is you can’t touch anyone, but you can taunt. The winner is the last one standing.

Rudy is first out saying he “slipped” but he did so at the 79 bottle of beer part of the song being screamed by Colleen and Rich. 

Rich scream sings himself right off the plank!  The good thing is he gets to talk strategy with Rudy while delivering some play by play of the challenge for the viewer.  4 left.

Sean and Sue fall off when a third board is removed.  Now Sue, Rudy, and Rich talk strategy of who is next to be voted out.  Sean might be  next. 

After 2 hours and 54 minutes and a conversation of how important a win would be in relation to her fate in the game, Colleen moves and falls off.  WINNER - Kelly

Huge immunity win for Kelly.  Kelly has been finding herself caught in the middle of the old Pagong tribe and the Tagi voting alliance.  Ultimately, she is trying to save herself. 

“I don’t care…if I’m nice to anybody at camp anymore.  I do not give a **** and it feels so good.  I feel great.  I love it.” - Kelly

Kelly may have voted with the alliance in the last vote to get rid of Gervase but she is not acting in the alliance.  Kelly is letting what is best for herself guide her, and she is not apologizing for any of it.  Combined that with an immunity win, and this tribal council will be maybe the best one yet for Kelly.

TRIBAL COUNCIL

“So what made you change your mind at the last minute?”

Jeff starts by questioning Sean about his last minute switch to have Rich on the yacht and not Kelly.  Sean points to Rich catching fish the whole time as the reason why.  Kelly doesn’t want to hear it because Sean did say he would take her the whole time until the last minute.  When he flips, it pisses Kelly off, because Sean can’t just make a decision, again.  His indecisiveness may not have been a big deal 20 days prior but the tone and atmosphere at camp at the beginning of the episode was miserable, and the only bright spot would have been that breakfast on the yacht.  After 31 days, everyone is on edge, less patient, and sick of rice.  It’s like Sean put the breakfast in front of Kelly and took it away.  

“What’s your gut on how nasty it’s gonna get? - Jeff to Colleen

Important question to pose at an appropriate time.  Colleen is the last of Pagong and Jeff knows she is headed for the jury, so he figures lets use this opportunity to get some dirt out there. Unfortunately, Colleen doesn’t reveal much to the viewer and the voting begins.  

VOTING

Colleen - SEAN - “I can’t vote for myself”

Still a sitting duck.

Kelly - SEAN - “24/7 is all I have to say”

Kelly has had enough of Sean.  Colleen is more tolerable than Sean in her eyes.

Sean - COLLEEN “she’s a really cool girl.  I enjoyed her company, and I’ll probably see her next vote in the jury.”

Right to the very end he stays true to who he is.   

VOTES: Colleen - 4, Sean - 2

“Be nice to each other.  Play fair” - Colleen says as she exits the game

PROBST’S CLOSING THOUGHT

“Well I heard Colleen’s last words:  Play fair; be nice.” 

The last of Pagong has been voted out and the nasty is about to begin.  There won’t be anything fair or nice to close out the game.  

COLLEEN EXIT INTERVIEW

“I had a lot of fun, and the past week was actually the hardest part of the whole thing.  I’m excited now for the next step.  I want to sit in the jury box.  If I came into this game on Tagi’s team, I think I could’ve won.”  - Colleen

I love that Colleen said that.  She’s right.  Her fate had been sealed when the tribes started.  Only once Greg left the game, Colleen was able to show that she was a strategic player and had an ability to influence the game.  But at that point it was too late.  Being on Pagong with that team and those personalities gave any Pagong member no chance this season.  Hats off to Colleen for being the last member of Pagong because she ultimately was the best player from the tribe.

CATEGORIES AND AWARDS

1 - Biggest Move

Sean knowing that kerosene kills intestinal parasites without killing yourself.  It won him the reward challenge, the night on the yacht, the food, massage, and sharing the experience with his father!  Best tv moment of the season.

2 - Biggest Mistake

Even though he won the reward on the biggest move, he also makes the biggest mistake.  He changes his mind last minute and takes Rich over Kelly to breakfast.  If Sean thought about his best chance at the million, aside from winning every immunity, his best play was to try and ally with Kelly and Colleen to force a tie, but his mistake and previous mistakes cause the girls to vote for him.  He doesn’t get voted off, but he is next and knows it.

3 - Challenge Corner

Trivia vs. Balance beam.  Both are winnable for anyone in theory.  I liked the trivia challenge better.  The questions were about Survivor related topics which fit and they were also questions that nobody could have had any advantage for.  Balance beam had some funny moments with the screaming bottles of beer on the wall song but that’s about it.

4 - Trending Up

Kelly not giving a crap.  She has made a decision to do what is best for her and going for it.  I don’t think she likes playing this way at all, it but being nice to the Pagong people while also being sort of in the Tagi alliance could win her the million.

5 - Trending Down

Pagong.  The tribe is officially dead.  They have trended all the way to 0.

6 - Strategy Award

Rudy has gone from almost getting voted off at the first two tribal councils to an ironclad player locked into the final four.  At the immunity challenge he didn’t slip of the wood beams, he knew he wouldn’t win and he knew it didn’t matter because he wasn’t getting voted out anyway.  He is solid with Rich to the end for better or worse and he is the person you could trust the most in the game. 

7 - Best Screenshot

When you share a once in a lifetime experience with your father.

8 - Best Quote

“To see my father there was a dream come true!” - Sean

This reward challenge takes Survivor to another level.  The show isn’t just about the challenges and what happens at tribal council, it’s about people.  The people are what make the show great, and the show successfully doubles down on creating memorable moments for the people on the show and in turn for the viewer at home.  In this moment, families watching appreciate sharing the moment with Sean and his father with their own family at home.

9 - Who won the episode?

Sean.  What an episode for Dr. K.  He makes the biggest move in winning the reward challenge and getting the night on the yacht with all the amenities you could ask for and the best of all, his father.  Then, he makes the biggest blunder by picking Rich over Kelly and gets raked over the coals by everyone at tribal.  And he lives to fight another 3 days.  He commits Survivor malpractice again and again but doesn’t have to pay up, yet.

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