Survivor: Cook Islands, Episode 2: Questions and Questionable Behavior

Let’s take a look at the Puka, or Asian-American tribe. Why has Cao Boi not gotten the message regarding his jokes? His inability to take a hint has definitely led to some questionable behavior. Now granted, he’s right when he says there’s nothing wrong with laughing at yourself, but in this instance at least, he’s outnumbered, and should probably give it a rest. It’s theoretically possible that he could’ve been given four tribemates who not only thought the jokes were funny, but told a few themselves. But since it’s not going over with this crowd, he should probably take a hint and leave well enough alone.

In hindsight, should we be surprised Yul found the immunity idol? Anyone resourceful enough to catch the chickens probably shouldn’t have much trouble with the instructions on how to find hidden treasure. Tell you what: If I were on Exile Island, and I had to follow those instructions, that idol might still be buried.

That brings us to another question: What’s the smartest thing to do in deciding on whom to send to Exile Island? Do you send the strongest person over there, or do you send someone who doesn’t seem to be so resourceful, hoping they’ll have a hard time finding it? Billy said he chose Yul out of revenge on his tribe, because he knew Yul would find it. Maybe the Aitus could’ve made a better choice, although it’s hard to tell sometimes who is and isn’t resourceful.

Finally, a look at the Raro, or Caucasian tribe. While Jonathan certainly had a point about the raised floor, I questioned his wisdom in taking charge immediately. If he’s not careful, he could be sleeping in a nice warm bed permanently.

Can we safely assume that despite what he said in the premiere episode, he has forgiven Jessica/Flicka for her “chicken” gaffe? In an ironic twist of fate, she was the only one who helped him work on the raised floor, while the other three seemed content to play around. Too bad Billy wasn’t on THIS tribe. Maybe he’d still be in the game.

But I digress. There was plenty of questionable behavior in the Raro tribe. Why did Adam feel it necessary to raise his voice about the raised floor? Somehow I don’t think this was strategy on his part to turn the others against Jonathon, and if it was, it failed miserably. The worst part was when he pressed Parvati and Candice, presumably his allies, to see how they felt about it.

He asked under the premise of honestly wanting their feedback, but in truth, he was asking a loaded question, and when he didn’t get the answer he wanted, he became even more irate. When it was apparent he was outnumbered on this one, he could’ve just said, “Okay, that’s fine,” but no, he couldn’t leave well enough alone.

Could it be possible that he saw himself as the leader of the tribe, and saw that leadership being threatened by Jonathan, the tribe’s only other male? Remember, it was just Adam and the three ladies while Jonathan was on Exile Island, and maybe his crankiness was due partly to having his competition return. Maybe he feels threatened by Jonathan the way Cristina feels threatened by Ozzy, and like Cristina, he’s putting his own ego ahead of the needs of the group. At least Candice, his closest ally, was smart enough to tell him he needed to tone it down and not make Jonathan into the enemy. Her laziness may have been questionable, but the way she handled Adam certainly was not.

Well, the “Battles of the Races” is now in full swing, and no doubt there are plenty of surprises ahead. See you Thursday!

Ken can be reached with any comments, criticisms, or money orders at YourNextOfKen@aol.com.

Want more Survivor? You’ve come to the right place. Check out our other articles about this episode!

• Survivor: Cook Islands – Survivor Live, Episode 2
• Survivor: Cook Islands – Advic for the Remaining 18
• Survivor: Cook Islands – Why Billy Lost
• Strategic Overview of Survivor, Episode 2: Imagine How Thrilled He'd Be to Have Been Eliminated by Someone Named "Metallica"
• Surviving the Cook Islands, Episode 2: Three Little Words

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