If Gabriel Was an Angel, What Does That Make John?

In yet another shocking tribal council vote, bartender Gabriel Cade has been informed by his tribe that it's time to pay the tab. And pay he did, becoming the fifth person, and first Rotu, voted off Nuka Hiva. But the departure of the curly-headed one raises more questions than answers:

1. What was Gabriel thinking when he publicly announced that he wasn't there to play the game? Was he just trying to make himself seem like less of a threat? Was he telling the truth? And if so, why was he on the show in the first place?

2. How much did editing play a part in our perception of the Carolinan? Up until this week, Cade seemed to be playing the game pretty well, at least for someone who claimed he wasn't there to play the game. But in voting him off, Tammy said he'd made it clear from the outset he wasn't here to play the game. Obviously, this was not the first time he had stated such. Yet John looked confused and surprised to hear Gabe make this assertion. What gives? Well, several possibilities come to mind.

A. Tammy was exaggerating slightly when she said that Cade has maintained his "not playing the game" stance from day one. But I don't find this likely. Being a reporter, Tammy is trained to get her facts straight.

B. Gabe had made his stance known to some, but not others. Quite possible. After all, Rich in S1 didn't announce to everyone that there was an alliance, even when they had their suspicions.

C. Gabe was loud and clear with his intentions, but John was too busy fighting off stinging sea urchins and biting eels to notice. Also, John might have not taken Cade's comments seriously until he HAD to, and it only became an issue now because Rotu finally faced tribal council.

3. Was this the equivalent of Maraamu ousting Hunter? Both were physically strong and seemed very much in their element. But the similarities end there. It looked as though Rotu-rooter said adios to Cade because even though he frequently went shirtless, it was still impossible to tell what was up his sleeve. Gabe was his own worst enemy here, not John. His reluctance to take a stand on the vote caused John, Tammy, Zoe, and Robert to lose trust in him. In the end, Cade's physical strength wasn't enough to overcome the perception that he couldn't be trusted.

4. If, as Sean says, John was stupid to make his plans to oust Cade, why exactly did Sean, Rob and Vecepia go along with it? Again, several possible answers come to mind:

A. Gabriel wasn't bonding as much with the ex-Maraamus as we were led to believe, and certainly not as much as John thought they were.

B. Sean has decided he wants to stay in the gave after all, and knows his only hope is to go with the flow.

C. Even Sean, Rob and Vee couldn't be sure which way Gabe was planning to vote, so they told him adios.

5. Did John make the opposite mistake of Gabe, that is OVERPLAYING the game? Or was he brilliant for convincing his tribe to vote off Gabe unanimously?

6.Is John really as honest as he proclaims himself to be? Anytime someone repeatedly proclaims his/her honesty, a red flag should go up, or maybe in this case, an S.O.S. signal. When he swore on his Mother's life, he reminded me of Lex last season, who tried to convince Kelly and Tom to swear on the names of their brother and son, respectively. John, why don't you just go ahead and say, "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a sea urchin's needle in my eye"? Methinks the nurse doth protest too much.

7. Based on next week's previews, who's the bigger egomaniac, Rob or John? We see a clip of the latter saying he basically is in control. Or does he just THINK he is?

8.How long will Maraamu's "family feeling" last? It seemed that for the first time, they were all getting along splendidly. But what happens if they lose the next immunity?

Well, as always, the answers to these questions may or may not come in our next exciting episode. And most likely, more questions will arise. Be sure to tune in, same Rat time, same Rat......oops, sorry, wrong Survivor.

Ken Kellam lives in Dallas, Texas, in a condo he has recently started sharing with Luke, an Orange Tabby. Luke has filed for adoption.

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