Survivor: Samoa – Who Will Go in Episode 10?

TVGuide.com clue: The former Galu tribe members try not to let Russell out of their sights so he can't find another hidden immunity idol. At tribal council, another castaway is voted out of the game.

CBS press release: “The Day of Reckoning” Tempers flare and an alliance threatens to splinter apart at the most dramatic tribal council yet. A clever castaway jeopardizes the success of a scheme to ensure their own safety in the game.

Tempers flare! Whee! We’re in for another wild ride there, Mr Toad. How many of you were yelling at your TVs like on football days as Russell found yet another idol without a clue? The dude is lucky. And smart. And just how much fun was it to watch jaws literally drop as he produced it, smartly this time, at Tribal Council? I’ll never forget the smug, overconfident look Laura had on her face turning to sheer anger as Kelly’s name was called. And watching Dave continue to mouth, “Wow,” cracked me up. Priceless.

So apparently the tease writers think that we may be in for another showdown at Tribal Council. Do you think Laura, once again, has a plan in mind to get rid of her nemesis, Russell? Do you think she’ll be surprised that she might be outwitted again? I can certainly see how her temper will get the best of her and may just blind her judgment.

Getting rid of Kelly was a pretty smart move to make. The idea came from Shambo, but I don’t know that she will get credit for the move like Russell will. It took out someone who appeared to be tight with Laura. Monica could’ve also been a good choice, but she is an easy vote to go later on.

So where are we going forward? Oh my goodness, it just hit me! As I write this, often times I think out scenarios as my hands cross the keyboard. Suddenly, this week is making sense with the clues. Tell me what you think of this.

While Russell may not find the idol, maybe one of his tribemates does? Galu is so bent on getting him out, the other Foa Foa are easily off the radar. While the Galu follow Russell like a pack of bloodhounds, maybe they forget about the other Foa Foa members. One of them finds the hidden idol and passes it to him. The others feign sadness as they “know” Russell is a goner, all the while knowing he’s completely safe and knock out yet another Galu?

Looking at it, it makes sense with the clues and with the video teases we’re given this week. Galu follows Russell. Clever castaway, Russell is sitting in the catbird seat of his hammock, smugly telling someone just off camera that he has nothing to worry about. This might bother some of his alliance, but they know they need him to continue their streak at Tribal Councils. Laura is pissed and wants vengeance. Tempers flare. One more Galu is blindsided. Wow! It could very well happen.

Wow! How much fun would that be?

Who is safe?

Natalie – Did we see our turning point for the southern belle last week when she killed a rat? Was it symbolism for her killing all the rats, especially Russell, in the end? Is this the beginning of the star of Natalie? We howled with laughter in this wonderful clip of her last week. She’s such a delight and you can tell she is very well-liked and admired by those around her. If she makes it to the end, doesn’t pull an Amanda, and provides a good reason as to why she should win, I see her taking home the million. She won’t be the strongest winner, but definitely a likeable one. This rat scene may be more pivotal than just a fluff clip. There’s a reason the editors showed it to us.

Mick – Mick has so many around him who either are stronger or appear to be stronger so for now, he is pretty well shielded. He’s smart enough to keep those shields in front of him and allow others to fall. He’s not playing a great game, but it’s not a bad one either. He’s likeable and outside of a few snits with some of the other alpha males who have fallen before him, he’s still not getting enough airtime or storyline to warrant him going home soon. Then again, I said that about Kelly too, right?

John – John is a smart dude. I think he may have underestimated himself and allowed Dave to sway his opinion. He and Monica realized that the Russell might have had the opportunity to get the second hidden idol, but they weren’t strong enough to plead their cases to the alliance. In some interviews over the past few weeks, it appears that others thought he probably should’ve gone home before Erik. But will he possibly flip this week? It’s possible, but not likely. I think he still has enough of a Galu streak running through him to stay aligned. For now, he should be okay, but he’s likely going to move down to the next category in the near future.

Who is along for the ride, but okay for now?

Brett – I have a sneaking suspicion that Brett will be a lynchpin for whatever is going down this week. Think back to the shots we got of him in past episodes when he was supposedly plotting with the Galu men on taking the women out. He was always on the fringe, averting his eyes, and not contributing to the conversation much. He never disagreed with them, but think about it, he never really agreed to go along with them much either.

We also found out through the RNO interview with Kelly (who?) that she and Brett were tight. It makes me think that since he really has nothing to lose, why not swing over to the side that may not be winning the battles, but winning the war? He knows Shambo is playing with them as needed, so he knows by shifting over to Foa Foa, he can help take out some of the stronger, scratch that, smarter players.

Russell – I love Russell. He’s still a knucklehead I wouldn’t hang around, but the dude is a great character and is playing the game well. If he’s done anything this season, he’s kept people off balance the whole time. People fear him, yet they want to be on his side as he continues to knock out formidable players.

The problem is that his streak of good luck should be coming to an end here soon. And the dude is going to need luck to survive in the game. The thing he has going for him right now is that enough people view Laura, John, and possibly Dave as threats. They’re not as big of threats, but they’re more numerous and they’re together. The others need to knock down that alliance a bit more before focusing on Russell.