Here we are Survivor fans — it’s the return of our favorite reality competition. We’ve read about the tribe split, the new power, met the cast and sized them up. Now, it’s time to see which of these twenty Americans can outwit, outplay and outlast the others to become the sole Survivor.
Survivor: Nicaragua begins, as seasons always do, with our fearless leader, Jeff Probst, voicing the arrival of the contestants into their beautiful, if not dangerous, surroundings (nice comparison, Jeff, of “old rain forests” battling with “young volcanoes”). The players are in two individual groups that are of mixed ages. They assume that these are their tribes. Jimmy J wonders what can top winning two Super Bowls: winning Survivor. Jimmy T. doesn’t like the look of Dan as he doesn’t appear to be someone who will work hard. Alina is wary of Marty because he looks like the kind of guy that will try to be the leader and order people around. Brenda notes that she is “single. Single, single, single!!” and she has no problem flirting her way to farther in the game. Jeff brings the two groups onto the beach. He asks Yve if she can tell things about the other players just from walking in. She says she can, but not just by the way they walk, but how they walk in relation to the other players. Kelly B. confesses to the camera that she is going to try to hide her prosthetic leg for as long as possible so she isn’t judged solely on that. Marty confides that he recognizes Jimmy J, and as a result, doesn’t want anything to do with him because he has no idea why a celebrity would be there.
Jeff announces that a Medallion of Power (MoP) is hidden in or around the nearby lagoon. Whomever finds the MoP will earn a special power for his or her tribe, although he doesn’t explain what that power is. Jeff sends the castaways on the hunt, and they immediately fan out (although Jimmy T first took off his shoes). They all search the lagoon and its surroundings until Brenda looks up and notices something colorful stuck in a tree. She climbs the tree, with Jud quick on her heels, and secures the MoP. Back lined up in the original groups, Marty notes that having any power in the game is advantageous, so he’s glad his tribe has it, thanks to Brenda. Jeff then drops a surprise: these are not their tribes. He orders all of the players 40 or older to one side, and those 30 and under to the other. This elicits wild cheering from some of the younger players, especially Jud. As Jimmy J moves over, he announces, “I’m young at heart!” Jeff tells the older group that they will be the Espada tribe, with blue buffs. The younger folks are La Flor, with yellow buffs. Jeff continues, telling Brenda that she and her tribe now have a decision to make. They can keep the MoP, or trade it for flint (for all important fire) and a box of fishing gear. Espada will receive whatever La Flor doesn’t choose. La Flor debates, but a bit too long for Espada’s tastes. “Decide children,” Yve impatiently mutters to her tribe. La Flor finally decides that an unknown power isn’t as important as getting a quick jump on feeding themselves and having fire, so they choose the gear. This pleases Espada who are confident that they can make fire without the flint, and would rather have the power of the MoP. With that, Jeff sends the tribe to their camps, with Shannon noting that there is no reason at all that his younger tribe should ever lose to the old folks.
At Espada’s beach, Jimmy J confides to the camera that when he was a football coach, he was used to having total control. Here, he has none. Further, he has no problem using his celebrity status to advance himself in the game. He hopes he can use that celebrity to win over each individual player in the game. In the jungle, Holly and Wendy gather wood when out of nowhere, Holly announces to Wendy that she trusts her and wants to form an alliance. Holly thinks she is a pretty great judge of character and she thinks Wendy is trustworthy. For her part, Wendy confesses to the audience that she was surprised by the speed with which players are already playing the social aspects of the game. People have told her that she’s naive, or maybe sheltered. She admits that as a goat farmer, she’s usually with her goats and not other people. Wendy’s husband told her she’d be the first one voted off because she talks so much (and there has been nothing to dissuade the audience of that opinion so far!). Jane, meanwhile, decides that she is going to make fire. She gathers some coconut husk and someone’s glasses to focus the sunlight onto the husk. After a few minutes, she is successful! (This may have been the fastest non-flint fire starting in Survivor history.) Jane notes that her husband died the previous year, but knows that he is there helping her through the game.
La Flor hits their beach with the cocky attitude expected of a bunch of twentysomethings. Benry says that he knows they can dominate, simply because they are younger than Espada.
Jud says that he’s happy to be amongst “his people,” before starting to do ridiculous things like getting bit by little crustaceans and chopping down palm fronds. Shannon states that Jud is just a dumb blond (not that he’s ever called a guy that before), and, along with the other guys, gives Jud the nickname “Fabio.” In the jungle, Shannon, Chase and their blurred “packages” (thanks, boxer briefs) discuss an alliance of strong guys, and their mutual desire to see a man win the game. Too put a fine point on it, Shannon notes that women have been too successful recently: women already control marriages, and there will likely be a female president soon, so the guys need to “sack up” and win the game. Kelly B admits to a bit of paranoia regarding her prosthetic. She feels that every time someone looks at her, they are staring at her (covered) leg. So, she calls a tribe meeting and strips off her pants. With the exception of Alina, who looks very wary of the leg, the tribe high-fives Kelly B and tells her how strong she is for competing. Jud, is a bit confused by the science of prostheses, however, as he asks, “How do you tell it to move?” Shannon confides that he has a lot of respect for Kelly B.’s determination, and should he make it to the Final Three with her, he’d probably tell the Jury to give her the money, but he recognizes her as a threat thanks to the sympathy vote. Therefore, he wants her gone soon. Similarly, NaOnka recognizes Kelly B’s toughness, but since Kelly doesn’t want to be treated special, NaOnka will oblige, offering to race Kelly if need be.
Night falls on Espada, and Jimmy J is hacking up a lung. He admits that he was so excited to start the game, that he might have overdone it a bit. The next morning, Jimmy complains about pretty much everything, from the bugs, to the cold to the lack of comfort. He never imagined the game would be this difficult. At La Flor, Brenda admits to Chase that she recognized Jimmy J because she was a cheerleader for the Miami Dolphins, one of Jimmy’s coaching stops. She tells Chase that she gets a good sense from him, and he reciprocates. He thinks they could work together, but he doesn’t want to form an official alliance yet because one can’t really judge the temperments of other players until they particiapte in a challenge. Chase confesses to the camera that he’s attracted to Brenda, but he really doesn’t want to be in two alliances. He’s already formed one with Shannon, so he needs to figure out a way to work Brenda in to it as well. Brenda tells the camera that she is used to guys doing whatever she says, but this was even better because Chase came right to her without any action on her part. Chase admits that there is a guys alliance starting up, so Brenda is going to sit on that knowledge and use it to her advantage later. For revealing that information to her, Brenda notes that Chase is just “clueless” (is it too late to change my initial Odds??)
Kelly B, with her own boob “blircle” (a term coined by Bill Simmons, ESPN’s Sports Guy, for a blurry circle used to censor on TV), and Alina march through the jungle to find the well (producers provide the castaways with a well of water, but it isn’t potable and needs to be boiled before they can drink it). There is a scroll attached to the lid. Alina unfurls it and read that this is the first clue to a Hidden Immunity Idol (already?!?!). It consists of a few hieroglyphics, with no key to decipher them. The two agree to not tell anyone about the clue, but Alina admits to the viewers at home that because they found the note together, she is now forced into an alliance with Kelly B. She doesn’t want an alliance with her because, like Shannon, she fears the sympathy factor that would be at play should Kelly B make the finals. In Alina’s eyes, Kelly B needs to go soon. Back at Espada, the first Tree Mail of the season arrives. It tells them that, amongst other rhyming verse, the tribes will need to “change the course of waterfalls.” TLC was unavailable for comment on what to do with the rivers and the lakes. With that, the tribes were off too…
…the Immunity Challenge. After Espada entered the Challenge beach, La Flor entered with a chant and dance, ostensibly to illustrate their awesomeness (all but Chase and Shannon participated). The looks on not only Espada’s faces, but on Jeff were something to behold. One could tell Jeff wanted La Flor to lose just so he could ask them at Tribal Council, “What the hell were you thinking with that entrance, you cocky pricks?” Instead, he asked Tyrone whether seeing Kelly B’s prosthetic would make him go easier on her. In a word, “No.” The Challenge was constructed like so: one player from each tribe would be atop an approximately 30′ high tower with a bucket of water. Five tribemates stood on different levels of the tower to construct a pipeline that led to a bucket. The “pourer” would load the pipe with water, trying to get it to filter down into the bucket. Once the bucket was full, puzzle pieces would be released. The remaining four members of the tribe would put together the puzzle. First team to successfully complete the puzzle wins Immunity. Jeff told Espada that if the MoP is played, the tribe gets a significant advantage in whatever challenge they use it, but it would flip to the other tribe after the challenge. In this instance, if Espada played the MoP, they would start with one full pail’s worth of water in their end bucket. As it takes five pails of water to fill the bucket, this is a huge advantage. Espada debated it, but finally decided to not play the MoP, thinking it better to hold the power for a more important challenge. With that, the players took their places. From the get-go, La Flor took the lead, and though Espada caught up in the amount of water in their bucket, La Flor’s puzzle pieces dropped first. The La Flor women (except NaOnka, who poured the water), made quick work of most of the puzzle. When their final piece wouldn’t fit, Espada looked to catch up a bit. With Espada’s puzzle half solved, however, the La Flor ladies fixed their errant pieces and completed the puzzle. La Flor wins Immunity! Post-Challenge, Jeff asks Brenda if she would have used the MoP. She doesn’t hesitate in replying, “Yeah. Why think about tomorrow when you’re playing for right now?” Quite a salient point by the MoP finder. Methinks Brenda needs to be watched closely in this game. With that, Jeff sends the tribes back to camp.
At Espada, the tribe immediately starts to discuss strategy. Well, except for Jimmy T, who just wants to lay down and take a nap (because they’re old, you see?). He doesn’t get a chance, however, because he immediately begins to rant and rave that Jimmy J is trying to “hornswaggle” the tribe with his professions that he doesn’t actually want to win the game. When someone tries to counter this point, Jimmy T just gets louder, “I will be heard!” Jimmy J tells Holly that he believes the weakest player should be voted out, and that’s either Wendy or himself(!). Holly runs to Jill, Marty and Yve to gauge their thoughts on who should go, but none of them want to offer any information on their strategic thinking. Holly repeats that Jimmy J thinks the weakest player should go. Jill asks if he included himself in that characterization, and is a bit surprised when Holly says he did. All this little group can figure out is that they need to decide who makes the team stronger, Jimmy J or Wendy. With that left undecided, Espada leaves for…
…Tribal Council. The Tribal Council set is pretty awesome this year, and is the first that I can remember that is right on the beach (most others are back in the jungle). Since this is their first trip to Tribal Council, Jeff instructs them to grab their torches and get fire, because as we know, “fire represents your life in this game.” Jeff asks Jane about the pre-conceived perceptions others probably had of her. She admits that she was probably viewed as some Southern hillbilly, and she is, but she’s smart and has been training to play the game. She admits that she took Jeff’s advice during previous seasons that player should prepare themselves before coming out to play the game, so she practiced making fire without flint — that’s why it was OK that they received the MoP instead of the flint. Jeff is a bit shocked that someone actually listened to his advice. Jimmy T says that back home he is a leader, and that people look up to him. Jeff asks him if he is annoyed then that he is in a tribe with Jimmy J, a famous football coach and leader. Jimmy J jumps in and says that he may be a leader, but he’s not a threat because no Jury would give him the money. Jimmy T says that he can’t buy that argument. When Jeff asks Marty about leadership roles, Marty simply says that leaders are known to be knocked out in this game, so any leader needs to be careful.
Jeff asks who thinks he or she is in danger at Tribal Council, and half of the tribe raises their hands. Holly says she is in danger because she was already in an alliance that may put a target on her (well, you just admitted to being in an alliance three days in! Of course you’re going to be a target now!!!). Wendy says she’s in danger because she hasn’t made any connections to other members of her tribe. Now that she has started speaking, Wendy can’t stop, even admitting that her nickname back home is “Chatterbox.” When Wendy stops to breathe, Jeff tries to move to the vote, but Wendy asks if she can say something more. She begins to plead for herself, saying she can bring a lot to the tribe, including being funny, honest and strong, but absolutely no one is listening to her monologue. Tyson sums up the tribe’s reaction when he votes, telling the camera that it was at first a hard decision to vote for Wendy, but her inabilty to shut up, now makes the decision easy. Jeff collects the votes, and in one of the least suspenseful votes in Survivor history (not that the first vote really ever is), Wendy is voted out 9-1. Interestingly, Wendy’s vote was for Yve. Regardless, Jeff snuffs out Wendy’s torch (his snuffer is a bit plain this season, no?), and she marches off into the Blue Light of Death, but this time, through a graveyard!! Jeff says that now they have been to Tribal Council, and have received their torches, they are given flint. He gives them the flint, and sends them back to camp.
Next Time on…Survivor!!
The preview for next week shows Holly sabotaging someone’s shoes by filling them with sand, and then getting the sand wet. I assume they are Dan’s, as she refers to New York while doing it. Then Jeff is shown at Tribal Council saying that never in their history of a game has his first question at Tribal Council “open[ed] that much whup ass!” Personally, I think the season got off to a pretty good start, with La Flor acting in a stereotypical manner that will only lead to a great smackdown next week. I expect that Espada will have learned from their (possible) mistake, and use the MoP in next week’s Immunity Challenge to even the score. From that first Challenge, I believe we’ll be seeing a lot of similar challenges: challenges with a physical aspect, but that aspect won’t require too much strength or long distances travelled, and a puzzle of some sort. In essence, challenges will consist of skill and smarts, two qualities that won’t necessarily be effected by age. The show did a good job in this premiere episode highlighting almost every one of the twenty competitors in some way, although Dan, Kelly S and Sash really didn’t have much to say. That being said, I really hope this doesn’t turn into The Jimmy Johnson Show. I get it, he’s a big draw, so the first episode can go a bit heavy on the ol’ ball coach (who is evidently being called Coach by his tribe. Should we use that going forward?). I just hope they treat him more like a regular competitor going forward. Last, Brenda seems like a dangerous player in the game. She is physically fit and capable (see her scale that tree to grab the MoP), smart, socially adept (see her gaming of Chase), and seems to have the proper attitude entering the game. How will this be reflected in my Odds to Win? Well, read on!
Odds to Win
Can you believe it? My biggest pre-season underdog, Wendy, was actually the first person voted out! How about that? This will likely be the last prediction I get right all season. Thepremiere episode is always weird in that there are so many people to show, and so much to get done, that it’s hard to reveal too much about any player’s individual gameplay. As a result, my Odds haven’t changed that much, but there is a bit of movement thanks to Brenda and Jane.
Chase:5-2. No reason to move him from the top spot, although his susceptibility to feminine wiles is a bit disturbing. Also, seeing him next to the other contestants, I realized how much bigger he is than everyone else. Perhaps this puts a bigger target on his back, but then again, with non-strength challenges likely on the horizon, will it matter? He still seems like the guy everyone wants to partner with, so he’s still my favorite.
Yve: 3-1. I flip Yve and Jud because Yve seems like a leader over at Espada. She is striking, and other than Jimmy J, probably draws the most attention within her tribe. Others may be running around more, but it is often the calmest, stillest person that actually holds the power. Plus, I think she’ll really be able to relate to the younger folks after The Merge.
Jud:5-1. Oh Jud, so silly, so dumb-seeming. He’s already been nicknamed Fabio by his tribe, and already dismissed as a “dumb blond.” In the preseason, I figured these to be strengths, and they very well could be, but his humping and swinging a machete willy-nilly near his head kind of makes me worried for him, hence the drop down a spot. On the other hand, he seems to be perceived by his tribe as not a mental or social threat, so I still think he’ll go far.
Brenda:6-1. Our biggest mover this week is Brenda. As I mentioned above, she is smart, physically excellent (I mean her physical capabilities, not her looks, but those aren’t too shabby either), and already has her head in the game. The only thing that could hold her back is if she is too brazen with her great skills that she puts a target on herself. For now, though, Brenda looks to be in a great position.
Alina: 7-1. Alina certainly looks to be the cold and calculating one of the group. Her snide look when Kelly B revealed her prosthetic, and her to-the-point assessment that she needs to oust Kelly B immediately because she will get sympathy votes signal a duplicitous player to me. Alina seems to be the typical “smile in your face, while stabbing you in the back” type of person, which is great for this game. I will say, however, that I don’t think intended plan to flirt her way to the top will work. She does seem to wear her “coldness” on her sleeve a bit, and I think the guys will pick up on that.
Jill:15-2. Jill didn’t get much camera time, but she seems to be another focus point of Espada. Where Yve may be the quiet focus of the tribe, Jill seems to be the more vocal focus.
Tyrone:10-1. Like Jill, Tyrone didn’t have much screen time, but he’s clearly a physical specimen, so his strength and endurance will likely be very beneficial to the the tribe. Further, he seems to be getting along well with his tribemates (or is at least good at faking it), as shown by his smile and high-five after Jimmy J’s “I’m here to make one of you win” speech.
Jimmy T.: 18-1. Although he said he needs to step back from being the alpha male, I’m not sure Jimmy T can do it. He practically flew into a rage over Jimmy J’s speech, really for no reason. He’s going to moderate his temper, but then again, perhaps a la Russell, he can scare people into following him.
Marty: 20-1. I moved Marty up because I think his physical fitness will be a major asset to Espada. Plus, despite Alina’s distrust, I think the older folks will trust Marty as an even-keeled guy they can talk to about strategy. He seems like the kind of person that makes everyone feel comfortable to talk, a major asset in Survivor.
Kelly B.: 28-1. Kelly B does seem very able with her leg, perhaps more so than Chad from Survivor: Vanuatu. I’m not sure, however, that calling a tribe meeting to do the great reveal was the best choice. If it was me, I would have just been up front about it, because now it seems like she was hiding something, which she was. Drawing such attention to her condition did nothing more than put a huge spotlight on it, leading her competitors to heavily consider the sympathy factor involved in Survivor‘s endgame.
Holly: 30-1. Holly, Holly, Holly. Never ever pick the woman in the black cowboy jacket with bizarre fringe and a cowboy hat as your first alliance member. Further, try not to be the one seeking out alliance members — let others come to you so you have more power. Also, don’t call out your own alliance at Tribal Council, especially so you can say you’re breaking that alliance. Half of your tribe will be mad you didn’t include them, and the other half won’t be able to trust you because you were so willing to throw your alliance under the bus. What the hell are you thinking?
Sash: 40-1. Did he do anything besides wear a freaking tie to a tropical location? At least he was able to keep his cockiness under control for the first three days. Take a lesson, Shannon (see below)!
NaOnka: 45-1. NaOnka seems to have a bit of fight in her. She quickly showed that she’s willing to be ruthless when talking about the Kelly B/sympathy situation. Plus, she should be able to perform well physically, as she is in great shape and seems to have the bit of fire.
Shannon: 50-1. What a lunkhead. Seriously. Shannon has been married for eleven years, and all he seems to have “learned” is that women have too much power in society, so a man has to win Survivorso men can get their “sack” back. Also, can anything come out of his mouth that doesn’t sound cocky? Geesh.
Dan: 70-1. I don’t know how I feel about a guy who knows who Jimmy Johnson is, but names the Miami Dolphins before the Dallas Cowboys as the team Jimmy used to coach.
Kelly S.: 75-1. Kelly S has blond and purple hair. That is all that we learned about her.
Jane: 130-1. Jane showed me something with her fire starting capabilities. That was pretty awesome. She seems to be pretty tough, too, which is great. She is, alas, still the oldest woman in the game, which has proven, historically, to be a major liability. Sorry Jane, because I like you. I just don’t think you’ll win.
Jimmy J.:175-1. Man does Jimmy J have a huge target on his back, front, top, bottom, wherever. His pitch that he’s just there to help other people win is a strong one, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is biting. He survived the first vote because Wendy was a loony toon, but it’s clear his tribe wants him gone. If he can change their minds with some strong performances (hopefully the vomiting has passed), he can get pretty far. If he somehow manages to make it to the Final Three, I think he will win, unless he’s up against Kelly B, because any player with such a target from the get-go, will likely garner votes just for getting to the end. I just can’t see him making it that far.
Benry: 200-1. He really didn’t say anything this episode, but he’s still the guy who used to convince women to take their shirts off for Girls Gone Wild. My opinion hasn’t changed.
So, that was our first episode of Survivor: Nicaragua. What did you all think? Did anyone stand out to you in a positive or negative fashion? Where do you think this season is headed? What do you think about the Medallion of Power and the introduction of the Hidden Immunity Idol so early? Are my Odds on the money, or way off? Please leave your comments, questions and theories below or in our Survivor Forum. I’ll be back next week another recap. Until then, I’m off to not ask a woman her age.
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