Survivor: Thailand - Advice to the Remaining 14

It's week 2, and one tribe is clearly split on how work should be done (or not done), while the other tribe can't win a challenge to save their tribal lives. What's going right, what's doing wrong? The Dear Prudence of Survivor is back, with advice to the remaining 14.

Sook Jai Tribe

Well done in winning every challenge handed to you so far. The team that Jake picked is doing well on that front. However, your tribe is showing cracks when it comes to everyday work and chores. It's yet another split along the work ethic, and this needs to be resolved before it fractures the tribe completely. All chores (food, water, shelter, fire-tending) are important and need to be done, but your tribe needs to get some basic agreement on how they get done or the rift will destroy you all in the end.

Jake. So far, so good. You're fitting in with the majority of the tribe in the shelter-building, and holding your own in the challenges.

Stephanie. Being sick is bad; isolating yourself from your tribe is much worse. If you don't have enough brains to sleep under the shelter with the rest of the tribe when it's raining, there are really only two options for you. Start forming a slacker alliance with Jed and Robb or change your attitude and get to work with the others.

Jed. You continue to play the game in a dangerous manner. Face it, you are acting anti-social. When they are building shelter, you're out trying to get food, and talk about how that is a priority, but when they go off to get food, you just sit around the fire. Like Stephanie, you have two choices; bond with her and Robb for a slacker alliance, or change your attitude and work with the group, not against them.

Robb. Right now you're on the wall between the mainstream of the tribe and the slackers - quite a change from the previous episode. Spin the wheel and take your chances. If I were you, I'd stick with the mainstream group because a 3-5 split gives the numbers to the worker bees.

Ken. You've made a note of the way Jed, Stephanie, and in some ways Robb are playing the game. It's time to start forging your alliance. Shii Ann seems to have the same attitude as you do toward the camp priorities, as does Jake. It's harder to tell with Penny and Erin due to little footage of them being shown, but now is the time to start cementing an alliance and figuring out who is outside it.

Shii Ann. Like Ken, you've picked up on the divide in the camp. This divide can be deadly long term unless something is done about it. Fortunately, it's only a few members, and they can be cut at tribal council. Start bonding and insuring that the outcasts are tossed.

Erin and Penny. Perhaps we'll learn a bit more about you two in the upcoming episodes. Until then, keep flying under the radar.

Chuay Ghan Tribe

All things considered, one of the benefits of the team having the kind of makeup it has is that there is less dissention in the ranks than there is at Sook Jai. The trouble is, morale takes a beating every time you lose another challenge. That tends to make little things grow into bigger things, and eventually things get dysfunctional. Win a challenge (immunity would be nice); that might make things a bit happier all around.

Jan. A few pieces of advice for you. First, the next time you go on a water run, take the map. Second, the next time you go for a water run, don't float on your back soaking up the sun while your partner makes the hike and gets the water. Finally, you need to really figure out the key alliance members to carry you further in the game. There are known problems with Helen, and you could form a group to oust her and turn it into a permanent alliance.

Clay. I can understand your concern about the ladies and the time it took for the water run. However, you were out chipping golf balls with your buddies at the time instead of gathering firewood or food, or other things. That's not to say it didn't have a purpose; you should be turning your little three hole course into a country club alliance that will take you further into the game.

Ted. Like Clay, you should be turning the three hole golf course into a country club alliance. You also need to keep your emotions under better control. There is supposed to be a fight between you and Ghandia next week, and that gets you noticed when you should be flying under the radar.

Brian. First of all, be glad this isn't American Idol. Second, you, like Ted and Clay, should be considering a country club alliance around your golf course. Otherwise, things look good for you at the current moment.

Ghandia. From the previews of next week we see you lose your temper, and have a he says / she says fight over an alleged pass. Tantrums only work one way - they make you unpopular with the others and give them a reason to vote you out. Keep your emotions under control.

Helen. You need to adjust to the daily give-and-take life in the tribe. You reveal little about yourself, and that in turn is feeding distrust. Seriously consider why your name was on some pieces of paper at the last tribal council, and make the attitude adjustment. Oh yes, you should have politely asked Jan if she'd go with you on the hikes to fill the water jug instead of letting her float and sunbathe. As with Jan, take the map next time.

Tanya. What went wrong? Well, you were sick. That could have been countered if you had done a little more noticing of some tribe members' problems with Helen and convinced a few people that a sick ally was better than a healthy non-ally.

Jeffrey Clinard lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at jclinard@earthlink.net.

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