Surviving One World, Episode 6: The Gamechangers

Christina walks up on Colton. He tells her that he’s literally about to die. Well, hey, you could always just quit or jump in the fire … you know, like you suggested to Christina. However, Christina – being a nicer person than myself, again – takes off running for help. She says it’s worse than she thought it was, and didn’t realize how much pain he was really in. She determines that he needs immediate medical attention.

Probst arrives with the medical team in tow. Colton describes his pain over recent days, which he thought at first was just needing to go to the bathroom, but it kept getting worse and worse. Ramona the medic says that her task now is to determine what in Colton’s stomach is causing the pain and find out if it’s something really serious. The other medic tries presses in on his side and letting go, and his heart rate is high enough to indicate severe pain. In fact, Colton’s heart rate doubled once the medic presses on his side. Eek! And it was a light touch!

The medic echoes Tarzan in suggesting appendicitis, and Probst notices that this mention draws an emotional reaction from Colton. He says he just doesn’t want to leave. Unfortunately, the medic says it’s too risky not to take Colton out and investigate the problem. Probst informs Colton that going to a hospital would mean leaving the game, and Colton begs him not to make him leave. “I just wanted to prove that I can do this. I guess I’ve done my best. I just wish I could have done more.”

Now for an interesting twist: Probst asks if Colton still has the idol, and what he will do with it. Colton asks through the pain if he can give it to someone (keep in mind that Colton is beyond agony right now). Probst makes the executive decision to bring the tribe over to say goodbye to Colton.

Colton tells everyone that he probably has appendicitis and it just keeps getting worse. Alicia tells us that she and Colton always strategized together, and if he’s out of the game, that puts her in a really bad spot. Couldn’t happen to a nicer person. “Call me a bad person, but all I kept thinking was strategy the whole time.” Don’t worry, that’s not why I would call you a bad person.

Colton apologizes to the others for having to leave, and of course they tell him to not be sorry and that he’s done a great job. As Jonas talks about how big a fan of the show Colton is, Probst notes that he’s really upset. Jonas doesn’t deny it, saying that he’d be heartbroken if he were in Colton’s position.

Any last words in the game from Colton? “Go get ‘em,” he tells his tribe. “Y’all know what y’all are up against.” Then he makes it clear that he’s taking the idol out of the game with him and isn’t giving it to anybody, telling them to pass along a thanks to Sabrina for the souvenir. Hahahaha! One last classic Colton move. I can’t help but love it.

“Colton is a spoiled brat,” says his buddy Alicia. “He’s going to keep the immunity idol for a souvenir even though he knows he’s screwed me the biggest.” She realizes that if she hadn’t helped vote off Monica, the girls would have had the numbers and she wouldn’t be in such a bad position. Cue the world’s tiniest violin …

And away goes Colton on a stretcher, out of the game after knocking off two of my predicted finalists and killing my preseason prediction roundtable chances. In all seriousness, I wouldn’t wish that kind of physical ordeal on anybody and I’m glad he’s alive to tweet about the show today. Hopefully it gave him a new perspective on life.

Jonas tells us that while the original plan was to get rid of Christina first, now that he has some additional power, it might be a better idea to vote out Alicia. Good boy! Jonas realizes that Alicia has more ties with the Salani ladies and is more dangerous to keep around. “Colton leaving was a huge gamechanger.” He adds, “If there was a Karma, Colton got some Karma right back at him.” Amen!

It’s treemail time at Salani, and the message declares that they haven’t won or lost, but will be going to Tribal Council (albeit in more lyrical fashion than I just put it). Kat tells us that she has no fingernails right now and that all the dirt is in her mouth. I think she means that she’s been chewing on her fingernails out of nervousness, though that’s a very Kat-like way to put it. “It was nutritious, but it was disgusting.” Heh.

Salani debates whether or not there will actually be a challenge and what the message means. Mike ponders a possible “one world” elimination, where everyone casts a vote for someone they want to go home. Interesting thought … Kim says everyone is speculating wildly, but she’s keeping her idol in her back pocket, just in case. Good girl!

Manono gets the message, and of course they realize why there’s no immunity challenge. They’re all excited – Leif is jumping up and down – except for Alicia. She tells us she thinks that they’re just going to talk about Colton at Tribal Council, but realizes that if there is in fact a vote, she might be the first one to go.

Some time later, the tribe is awkwardly sitting around the camp when Alicia asks Tazan out of the blue if she’ll be his friend. He gives the creepiest possible answer, saying that he’ll be her dad and his wife will be her mama.

Then Christina asks if Tarzan likes her. He says no. She asks why, and if it’s because she voted for him. He says that she’s a “wonderful girl who will be very successful,” but she wouldn’t be his friend. WTF?! What has Christina done to piss anyone off? Ever the bigger person, she responds, “Understandable.” Tarzan names everyone else as potentially being his friend, then adds, “But I do respect you, Katrina.” She corrects him on her name, and he says, “Right.” Well. That may be the weirdest exchange ever on this show.

However, despite all this, Christina reaffirms to Jonas and Leif that she’s 100 percent with them and she’s sticking to the plan to vote out Alicia. Jonas explains to us that it’s the three of them voting out Alicia; he does not include Tarzan in this alliance, because he’s not on board with the plan. Jonas, however, does not care. “I’m ready to take the bull by the horns and make myself the ringleader.” Good! I love seeing this from Jonas.