Season 2, Episode 4 - "The Killing Fields"
“13 remain. Tonight one more will go.” - Probst
Day 10
KEITH AND TINA
After Tribal Council Keith and Tina got a taste of where they stand in the tribe. Jeff asked Jerri who her friends were and she named Colby, Mitchell, and Amber. Not Keith, and not Tina. Keith and Tina are the older “parents” of the tribe. They feel on the outside of the “young” Ogakor tribe.
“Jerri is perfect for this game. She will ride the team until time to take the knife out and cut someone’s throat. But I didn’t come out here to be pushed around by a bartender wannabe actress. Maybe it’s time just to shake her world up a little bit.” - Keith
Keith and Tina feel on the outside of Jerri’s “friends”. All screenshots via Hulu.
In my last blog, I gave the episode 3 award for who won the episode to Keith because he was playing the “game” at another level then others and he proves it again here. He recognizes that Jerri is a power player and she needs to be stopped. I love that Keith proclaims he won’t get pushed around by some wannabe actress. In the game of Survivor the claws have to come out and Keith is not afraid to do it. Careful Jerri.
“Tina and I are not going to go down without a fight. I came here to win the money but now my motive isn’t to win the money, but to do everything I can to make sure she does not win the money.” - Keith
The key to Keith’s new motive may very well be having Tina on his side. He needs her. He can’t vote out Jerri by himself. Keith is going to need Jerri to continue to mess up, show her hand, and give people a reason to vote her out, but most of all, Keith will need Tina to pull some of the young ones to their side of the tribe’s alliance when it comes time to vote.
REWARD CHALLENGE - SLIDE PUZZLE
Tribes received tree mail with clues to building a chicken coop. Each tribe is building one for the reward challenge in which the winning tribe receives three egg laying chickens and a rooster.
To win the reward, teams must complete 9 square slide puzzle. Seems like such a simple challenge but what makes it hard is that it is giant and requires everyone’s cooperation.
Both tribes battle with each other to slide the pieces into the correct order, but Kucha emerges victorious. They win the reward but in order to retrieve their reward they must use a map to find the reward. The problem is the map is the slide puzzle! Great idea for a mini twist.
As much as I love the castaways and would love to meet Richard or Kelly from season 1 or Colby or Keith or Elisabeth from season 2, I think I might want to meet the people who think of the puzzles and challenges most of all. I would love sitting in those meetings and seeing the creative juices start flowing. I have so many questions to ask them and creative itches that need scratching. Like, where do they build these giant slide puzzles? How do they pick out the place for the challenge? How much time do they take to build it? Do they come to Australia with everything built or do they have a huge shop at camp? I could go on. Someday when I’m on Survivor I will be able to get some answers.
TINA DOES SOME DIGGING
After the random forest fire’s 1 minute of air time, Tina does some digging to uncover Mitchell and Colby’s feelings about Jerri.
“I’m sorry. She’s the most bossy, domineering person I’ve ever met.” - Tina
Tina really lays it out there and I believe Tina when she proclaims Jerri the most bossy person she has ever met. Tina seems like the sweetest woman in the world and I have to believe where she’s from, there aren’t many people with the edge that Jerri has. Jerri’s personality is wearing on her and combined with Jerri’s “friends” coming out at Tribal Council and it didn’t include Keith or Tina, Tina had to do some digging and it worked. Despite the “friendly” relationship Colby has with Jerri, Colby validated Tina’s feelings about Jerri. The question becomes, can Tina sway Colby?
Colby also is being swayed by Keith to stay away from Jerri.
“That girl would cut your throat in a heartbeat.” - Keith
Colby likes Keith. They get along and are both strong competitors. The tribe needs them for their strengths. Even though Colby admits Keith is the next one on the chopping block, maybe a challenge win and another 3 days without going to Tribal Council will give Tina and Keith enough time to swing a vote toward one of Jerri’s friends or maybe even Jerri herself.
This makes me feel like Keith and Tina are smart players who recognize the danger they could be in if they don’t act on it, but they are. It’s kind of the opposite way the Pagong tribe handled the game at the merge. They acted too late and by the time they recognized what was happening with the Tagi alliance they had lost. If Colleen, Gervase, and Jenna had recognized what they needed to do to survive in the game and made things happen a little earlier, then maybe things turn out differently in Borneo. Pagong’s errs will not be repeated by Keith and Tina in the outback!
KUCHA COOKS SOME CHICKEN
After the reward challenge win, Kucha has chickens to be eaten. Kimmi is in tears as Rodger and Mike prepare the chicken. She is a vegetarian and again is faced with an uncomfortable position. Shockingly, the group is understanding of the difficulty she has with it and doesn’t seem to use it against her…yet.
The chickens are a food source but also a source of strategy, and that is causing near panic in Mike. He wants to get rid of the chickens as fast as possible because his entire game strategy is being the food provider. If he can’t provide food for the group then where does he bring value? I think he must have watched Richard’s success at Borneo being the fisherman and thought that is the way I got to play. The problem is he doesn’t seem to have any plan B. Richard did. What is your plan B Mike???
JERRI FEELS THREATENED
All screenshots via Hulu.
“This is definitely the first time I’ve felt a little bit threatened. And I guess I deserve it after making that pompous remark at Tribal Council.” - Jerri
It’s interesting that Jerri is aware that her comments were pompous and irritating to people. She knows that she has put a target on her back and her favorite cowboy, Colby, is the swing vote that could be the end of their time together on Survivor. Amber and Mitchell seem to be in on the vote for Keith and being loyal to Jerri, but Colby is his own person and could be swayed to Keith and Tina’s side of the tribe. Colby seems to be the one in the middle of it and he knows it.
“I’m not saying I’m holding out on making a deal with you to see how this thing plays out. I’m saying there’s no sense in even making a deal, ‘cause if we go into the merge undermanned it’s all for naught, you know?” - Colby
Colby talks Jerri off the ledge a bit through keeping his eyes on the merge. Smart strategy, especially when Jerri, usually strong and forceful, is disarmed and a bit vulnerable. He reassures her through a bigger picture and by not committing to her nor going against her. Colby is playing a better game than Jerri. He knows not to trust anyone and not make any commitments quite yet. He also has the advantage over Jerri because she is attracted to Colby and he is doing a better job of separating the game from any feelings. The same can’t be said for Jerri.
MIKE KILLS A PIG
*Disclaimer, this scene is actually gruesome. In this scene Mike, with Nick’s help, actually corners a pig and kills it with a knife on camera. When you watch this scene some things stand out. First, how much they actually show of it. Maybe I don’t watch enough TV to be a fair judge, but I felt truly shocked and surprised at how much of the pig killing was visible by the viewing audience. You see Mike chase after the pig, corner the pig, cock the knife into a ready position, the pig squealing, three knife jabs, bloody hands, bloody knife, and a shell shocked Nick report back to Kucha what’s transpired. Nick is distraught over what he just saw. Despite how graphic and tattooing on the brain this was, the most haunting part, by far, is Mike, bloody hands and all, sharpening the knife on a rock as he does his confessional with the camera. The scene is gripping and at another level of intensity, even for Survivor.
“That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in my life” - Nick
Elisabeth is grossed out, Jeff’s jaw hits the ground, Alicia is a bit in disbelief, and Kimmi wasn’t anywhere around. The only one that seemed totally unaffected was Rodger. He’s a farmer and seemed pretty used to the idea of a pig kill and butchering. He even helps Mike hang the pig up to be skinned and whatever else. Though the scene ends with Kucha munching on some delicious pig and everyone is all smiles, it makes you think does this really help Mike’s game or was putting the pig’s blood under his eyes like he’s a football player putting on eye black a bit over the top? Also, would they show this much of a pig killing in 2020? I’m not sure, but this had to have been headline news and discussed at the water cooler nationwide. Nothing like this happened in season 1.
IMMUNITY CHALLENGE - Question and Answer Game
TRUE or FALSE and Multiple choice questions. The game comes down to a question between Mitchell (Ogakor) and Alicia (Kucha). The deciding question “when building a fire you should A - Never use dead wood to start the fire, B - Situate your fire near a rock slide, C - place wet rocks near the fire, or D - use a car battery to start a fire? Mitchell chose B and Alicia chose C and she was correct. Alicia wins immunity for Kucha.
Perhaps most important is Mitchell was the one to lose immunity for the tribe. In the past both winning and losing immunity for the tribe hasn’t made much of a difference. What has won out is how well you have been playing the game. Going into Tribal Council it seems like Keith is the likely vote of the young Ogakor tribe members and Keith and Tina will seemingly be voting for Mitchell. It comes down to what will Colby do? and Was Tina and Keith able to sway his vote?
TRIBAL COUNCIL
“Why I’m upset is because I play to win, and nothing else is acceptable in any way.” - Colby
This is a big deal. Having this kind of mentality makes the viewer think Colby will lean toward voting off someone like Mitchell who is weak and lost the challenge for the tribe sending them to Tribal Council over voting for Keith who is a strong competitor and brings value as a chef. Plus…
“Kucha is kicking your ass, and the question I have is: Does it change your strategy tonight at all in thinking about what tribe do we need to take to this merge?” - Probst
All screenshots via Hulu.
Probst is spot on. After this vote 3 out of 4 votes will have been for an Ogakor tribe member. They are down in the numbers game with a merge on the horizon. Colby has to really think about what the smart play for himself, his tribe in the present, and his winning above all mentality. If he votes for Keith he has made his choice to align with Jerri, Amber, and Mitchell. If he votes for Mitchell, he aligns himself with Keith and Tina and swings the tribe into a new direction and possibly a stronger one. Last, if he votes for someone else, he throws away his vote and may still lose Keith, which he doesn’t want to see happen. He should vote Mitchell and keep the tribe strong, but will he?
Voting
Mitchell - KEITH “Keith, you add some tensions to the group at times, and my hope is that by eliminating you, we eliminate a little bit of that friction.”
Mitchell is so ready to be under Jerri’s direction. He has chosen his path and doesn’t realize that Jerri is the friction starter.
Tina - MITCHELL “This was not my original intended vote. However, on the way here to Tribal Council, a new scheme was developed. So, in the spirit of the Olympics, let the games begin.”
Tina is ready to shake things up and start a new game at Ogakor.
Votes - Keith (3) Mitchell (3) TIE. Mitchell and Keith won’t vote and the other 4 will.
Keith’s plea - competitor, heavy worker, won’t give up
Mitchell’s plea - admits he is drained, admits that Keith is stronger than he is
This is unbelievable. I know that Mitchell is caught off guard but he basically told the tribe to vote for Keith. I can’t believe it. It is true, anything can happen at Tribal Council!
Tie-Breaker Votes - Keith (2) Mitchell (2) With the second tie the voting stops and the person eliminated is the person with the most votes previously cast against them at Tribal Council.
Previous votes - Keith (0), Mitchell (1) Mitchell is voted out because Keith voted for him at the previous Tribal Council. First, let me say that I’m glad Mitchell got eliminated. He basically gave up and wanted out. In his plea for the second vote he literally made the case for why Keith should stay and not himself. Despite that, Jerri and Amber still voted for Keith to be voted out. Second, Keith deserves to stay because, uh, he actually wanted to be there and he is the more useful tribe member compared to Mitchell. Finally, I have to talk about the tie breaker. If the vote ends in a tie, the two people who received votes don’t vote and the remaining tribe members vote. If there is a second tie, then the person who has received more votes at Tribal Council overall, is voted out. I don’t know if there is a truly best way to break a tie at Tribal Council, and I know this rule adapts over the course of the 40 seasons, but this first rule is absolutely horrendous. Thankfully, Mitchell, the guy who basically wanted out of the game was voted out, and the rule didn’t make Keith the first casualty. Could you imagine being voted off Survivor because of one random vote at a previous Tribal Council and on top of that the guy who stays made it clear he didn’t want to be there? That would not have been a good look for the show and this season. I guess the argument for the rule is that every vote at Tribal Council matters, but why should previous Tribal Council votes effect other Tribal Councils? I don’t know either, but what I do know is that I am happy Mitchell was eliminated and Keith gets to fight on.
PROBST’S CLOSING THOUGHT
“Well, I have a feeling that tonight’s Tribal Council is going to have a monumental effect on this tribe.”
Colby voted with Keith and Tina. Jerri had one of her sails cut down. Ogakor has lost 3 out of 4 Immunity Challenges and needs to start winning or they will likely be sitting ducks after the merger.
MITCHELL EXIT INTERVIEW
“I feel a little bit betrayed by some of them, but at the same time, I want to shake their hands and congratulate them for pulling the wool over my eyes because they definitely got me.” - Mitchell
Mitchell almost made me not want to put the exit interview section in. He was surprised and a bit taken back by the vote but he really seems happy to be out of the game. I get that he is a tall and lanky guy and he was hungry and whatever else, but come on dude. You got cast onto season 2 of Survivor and you are just ready to tap out and go home? Unacceptable. The amount of people that would trade places with him in a second should be motivation enough for him to have sucked it up and had a better attitude, but hey, the game of Survivor is not for everyone, and it’s a hell of a lot easier to “play” from your couch than it is to be actually in it.
CATEGORIES AND AWARDS
1 - Biggest Move
Colby voting for Mitchell. His vote single handedly swings the game, at least at Ogakor, because it blocks Jerri’s attempt to control who goes home and who stays. Jerri’s blunder at the previous Tribal Council comes back to bite her and Colby gets to keep Keith in effort to hopefully reverse the trend at the next Immunity Challenge.
2 - Biggest Mistake
Jerri opening her mouth about who her friends were at the previous Tribal Council. I know it technically happened in the previous episode but it dominated the strategy game at Ogakor in this episode.
3 - Challenge Corner
Slide Puzzle vs Question and Answer. Both were pretty lack luster. They were both simple and set in some cool locations, but ultimately they weren’t great. I like the slide puzzle because at least the tribes were forced to work together. That’s always better than some random survival book questions that the viewer has no idea about.
4 - Trending Up
All screenshots via Hulu.
Toss up between Colby and Tina. Let’s go with Tina. She did the necessary digging to get in Colby’s ear about Jerri and her cutthroat potential. Plus, who doesn’t love that accent!
5 - Trending Down
Jerri’s days may be numbered.
6 - Hatch Award (strategy)
Small bit of strategy that I couldn’t help but notice. Colby changed his handwriting when he voted for Mitchell. Jerri and Amber could figure it out but I like that Colby is thinking about it and said to himself that I need to change my handwriting on my vote because I don’t want them knowing who I voted for, or at least don’t make it so obvious.
7 - Best Screenshot
When the setting of the Immunity Challenge outweighs the anxiety it creates.
Beautiful waterfall off the cliffs adjacent to Tribal Council and this episode’s Immunity Challenge. All screenshots via Hulu.
8 - Best Quote
“Lots of butchering going on in Kucha camp today…we’ve reached a new level” - Alicia
The pig and chicken butchering was the only real action out of Kucha’s camp and Alicia summed it up quite well. The look on her face says it all. That tribe experienced a lot of firsts in episode 4 “The Killing Fields”.
9 - Who won the episode?
Kucha won this episode. The won the reward challenge. The won the reward of three egg laying chickens and a rooster. They ate one of the chickens. The caught and butchered a pig. They ate the pig. They won the Immunity Challenge. They kept their numbers advantage. Believe me, I like giving it to a specific person, but nobody really stood out so much on Kucha because they just had all the positives go their way this episode.
