Surviving Vanuatu, Episode 5: Just Give Me a Signal!

Last week, the men pretty much fell apart and F.B.I. agent Brady, another young stud, was sent packing. Before we get into this week’s episode, I want to address something we found out in my interview with J.P. this past week. There, J.P. said that Sarge actually approached all the young guys for an alliance before going to the elders. But the young guys blew him off! So it seems to me they have nobody to blame but themselves for being taken out one by one without any recourse.

With that said, it’s time to see what happens this week! It’s Day 11 at Lopevi, where they are eating some fruit. Somebody brings up that there are problems with the sleeping arrangements around the fire, and Sarge suggests that they take a vote on rotating. Apparently, this is directed at Travis/Bubba, who says Sarge sleeps in the house so he shouldn’t care. Sarge says that Bubba always sleeps in the same place. Is this really an issue? Sheesh. Bubba says whoever is upset about that can “build a bridge and get over it.” I like that phrase! Sarge retorts that they are a team. Bubba wonders why Chad, who apparently was the one to bring it up, couldn’t just come to him directly, but never really gets an answer.

Bubba tells us that everybody thinks there are better spots around the fire than others, which he doesn’t think is true. Chad, however, tells us that some spots are indeed better because the wind usually blows smoke and ash in certain directions. Bubba says if they want to rotate, fine, he just won’t sleep by the fire. He adds to us that he’s getting tired of hanging out with these guys. Hmmm, wonder what that might be hinting at.

As Rory is taking one of his usual walks, he sees two men coming in a canoe. They come up on the beach and call the men together, speaking in some language other than English (Vanuatuese?). They figure out that the guy wants them to appoint a leader, so they point at Sarge. He thinks he’s going with them, so he takes off his long pants and shoes. The guy hands him a “chief staff” and puts a necklace around him – and then leaves. They still don’t know what’s going on.

Over in Yasur, something similar occurs. The women pick Scout as their chief, because, as Ami says, she is the oldest and wisest. So Scout gets the staff and necklace (but doesn’t take off her pants).

Leann says they don’t know for sure what will happen, but they have a feeling the tribes will get mixed up somehow. Then all hell breaks loose!

The camera starts shaking, and then we realize it isn’t the camera, but the ground beneath it! Leann gives us a “Holy $#!t” as we see various shots of birds flying off, cameras turning in different directions, and Survivor players freaking out. We also see a plume of smoke shoot out of the volcano (though I have to wonder what the odds are that they were filming the volcano at exactly the moment the earthquake hit).

The guys are actually enjoying it somewhat, but the women seem a bit more scared as it ends. Sarge says he had heard about earthquakes but never felt the earth actually move like that!

The tribes both head to what I would expect to be a reward challenge, but we aren’t really told. Probst begins by asking if anybody felt the earthquake. Uh, yeah! Bubba says he was excited, Lisa says it scared the daylights out of her.

Time to find out why chiefs were selected. Sarge and Scout are pulled out and the others are told to drop their buffs. One of the chiefs will split the tribes into two new tribes, mixing up the men and women (there is one extra woman who will not be chosen, and they’ll deal with that later, Probst says). Once the tribes are divided, the other chief chooses which tribe s/he gets.

They rock/paper/scissors to see who gets which role – Sarge’s paper covers Scout’s rock. Sarge says he will choose tribes after Scout divides them.

Scout sends Rory to one tribe and Chad to the other. Then she sends Eliza by Rory and Julie by Chad – smart thinking, dividing up the youngins! Bubba goes with Rory and Chris with Chad. Probably good for Rory, since Bubba is about the only guy who gets along with him.

Scout sends Leann with Eliza, Bubba, and Rory. Twila joins Chad, Chris, and Julie. John is the last man, and Scout sends him with the latter team as well. She puts Ami in with the first group.

Sarge picks the second group to take back to Lopevi – that would be the tribe without Rory or Bubba, in case there was any doubt.