Surviving the Cook Islands, Episode 4: Zen Fire Master

Last week, the four racially-divided tribes integrated into two. And then the real battle began as Cao Boi and Jessica had to decide whether or not to vote against somebody they liked because it was a good game move – even though both proclaimed they didn’t want to play the game that way. Guess what? They did! Will it turn out good for them? We’ll have to wait and find out. Maybe we’ll know within the hour. Let’s see!

It’s the eighth night at Aitu, and the tribe returns to camp to find mice having a party. Yul, however, is not in a party mood, saying it sucked and he feels terrible. Becky tells us it was very close but she feels pretty comfortable with Yul, Jonathan, and Candice (when she gets back from Exile Island, of course).

Ozzy, though, feels on the outside after losing the only member of his original tribe, who helped him lay the foundations of everything the rest of this new Aitu tribe will enjoy. He figures if they want to vote him out, they should do it soon so he doesn’t have to keep catching food for them – he doesn’t feel like playing along. I’m thinking he doesn’t have to keep catching food for them. Of course, stopping would pretty much ensure he goes home.

The next morning, a boat arrives carrying Candice home from Exile Island. She tells them she didn’t find the idol. Jessica wants to know why Candice thinks she was sent. Because apparently, Candice has secret psychic powers and can read the minds of the other tribe. Candice guesses it’s because she’s the youngest, but Jessica suggests Adam and Parvati made the decision, obviously hinting they did it to save her. Candice is either dense or purposely avoiding the topic as she wonders if Jessica thinks it was a bad thing. Jessica cuts to the chase and asks if they were protecting her, but Candice says she doesn’t know. Then she tells us that she does indeed think Jessica is right, but she is playing dumb so the rest of the tribe won’t think she has a secret alliance with people from the other team. And let me tell you, she does do a pretty good job of playing dumb.

Over at Raro, the women are making the bed – that is, putting sand on the floor of their shelter to make a softer sleeping area. They are also doing other things to improve the shelter. But as the women slave away, the men sit around the fire drinking. Parvati, for one, is annoyed. She thinks they are getting a bit too comfortable because they know the women need their strength.

But at least one of the guys notices, because later, Brad (I think – might have been Adam, because we don’t actually see who was speaking) asks the others if they think the women were mad at them. J.P. doesn’t think so and further doesn’t think it matters because the women need their strength. Hmmm. He says the guys will stick together in an alliance. Um. Let’s do some math. Four guys. Five women. That means if you stick together and piss off all the women, you lose. Not smart.

It’s already time to test just how strong those strong men are, as the two tribes head to the reward challenge. Each tribe will select two members to be attached by belt to a very long rope that snakes over, under, and around a series of obstacles. The rest of the tribe will push and pull those two through the obstacles. At the end of the rope is a decoder table. Once the tribe gets there, one tribe member swims out to a barrel, dives, unclips a decoding wheel, and brings it back. Then the entire tribe can use the wheel to decipher a phrase. The first tribe to do it wins reward.

What is that reward? Three blankets, two pillows, one hammock. And the winning tribe will send one of the losers to Exile Island until the immunity challenge.

Becky and Candice are attached to the belt for Aitu. Jenny and Cristina are attached for Raro, and Stephannie is sitting out.

And they’re off! Up, down, and all around they go. Aitu gets a lead, with Raro a little bit behind when they get to a log they have to dig under. Yul pulls Becky under with little regard for her well being. Candice gets through in a bit of a kinder manner. Jenny gets through for Raro, followed by Cristina. The tribes are essentially neck and neck.

Aitu tosses the women around like rag dolls and get a bit of a lead, but not much. Raro is having some strategy disagreements while Aitu has finished up with the rope portion. Ozzy (not surprisingly) is the chosen swimmer. He heads in and dives down to get the wheel. He’s back while Raro is still trying to untangle themselves.

Aitu is working on the puzzle, and Raro finally gets to it. Brad heads into the water and gets the wheel. Aitu is having problems with the thinking portion of the challenge, meaning Raro is essentially tied with them now.

But with Yul’s leadership, Aitu figures it out first: “Last castaways back cast one away.” They win reward!

Who is Aitu going to send to Exile Island? Adam. Good play – get rid of a strong guy and hope to weaken him before the immunity challenge.

Aitu returns to camp happy. Jessica is glad to have won because they all feel threatened by the brawn on the other team. Meanwhile, Ozzy goes fishing and is called the fishing star by Jonathan. Hopefully for Ozzy, that means they’ll keep him around for a while.

Ozzy tells us he caught nine of the 11 fish they brought home today. He feels he has power because of it – if they lose him, they will lose a lot of strength. I guess he’s gotten over feeling sorry for himself from the previous night.