Surviving Fiji, Episode 12: “Ninja Mode”

Last week, we ended with host Jeff Probst noting that Alex is either the odd man out or the most important swing vote in the game. That leaves us entering this week’s episode wondering if the six members of the Earlliance will stick together or fracture apart. Indeed, Alex’s future depends on it, but so do the futures of several other people. Stacy and Boo, for example, cannot possibly think they are in strong positions. But even with Alex, they would need another person to break away. What will happen? Let’s find out!

Upon returning to camp after Tribal Council, Earl tells several members of his alliance they knew he wanted to vote straight Alex, because he was afraid something like this might happen. (As you’ll recall, Boo had a paranoid fantasy that Mookie or Alex might have somehow, without any clues, refound the hidden immunity idol, so splitting the vote was his idea of a way to ensure the idol couldn’t come into play.)

Dreamz is trying to do the math and figure out how Mookie left, while Alex says he just went with his guy and voted against Mookie – it saved him! Earl continues talking to several alliance members, saying this is the last time he’s going to do something he’s against. He tells us Alex is more of a threat and should have gone, but “for some strange reason,” they wanted to split the vote, and nobody considered the fact that Mookie or Alex might vote for the other.

Stacy talks to Alex, saying she doesn’t want there to be a rift between them. She says if she’s wrong, she’s willing to say she’s wrong. Alex says what I’m thinking: “Whatever.” This, after all, is coming from the little bitch who last week was saying the rest of the tribe shouldn’t even feed Mookie and Alex, after Alex had saved her bacon.

Alex tells us how Stacy came up to him and wanted to be friends. “Like I care.” The Earlliance notices this little discussion and Earl sends Boo to break it up. Ooooh, wrong guy to send. He is just as likely to join in!

As it turns out, it’s a bad idea for a different reason. Boo, not being too bright, just walks up and tells Stacy the others want to talk to her. Smoooooth, Boo. She leaves and Alex tells us the others are all stressing out, which creates an opportunity for him.

Stacy comes before the principal, I mean Earl, and asks what’s going on. He says they just wanted to know what’s going on. Alex continues telling us he’s going to have to play this game with a smile, velvet gloves, and a dagger in his pocket.

The next day (day 31), most of the tribe is lying around. But Alex is going into “ninja mode.” I thought that meant he’d start cutting people up with a sword, but no, he’s pretending to be asleep while watching and listening.

Earl and Cassandra talk. They don’t trust Boo, but Earl trusts her and Yau-Man 100%. Oh, Earl, you can’t trust anybody in this game 100%! He wants the final four to be those three and Dreamz. And he’s learned that the key to the game so far is being honest. I think Earl has learned the wrong lesson somewhere along the line.

They bring Yau-Man into the discussion, and he very honestly tells them that he’s concerned because Cassandra is so close to Dreamz, he can’t see her voting him out in favor of keeping Yau-Man. Wow, that’s honesty. He describes to us that the top four they have discussed is a very bad one for him. And he tells Earl and Cassandra that he would like a “very weak candidate” as the other member of the top four – Stacy. He hates the idea of her in the final four, but Michelle is gone and they don’t have any other choice.

Cassandra tries to claim she wouldn’t vote out Yau-Man in favor of Dreamz, but I don’t buy it and I don’t think he does either. Cassandra shakes his hand, but then tells us how he is playing the game to win and is a big threat, especially with the idol.

Earl suggests maybe getting rid of Boo first and then Alex, but the other two put the kibosh on that – rightly so! It’s obvious, though, that Boo is not long for the game, at least according to their plans.

Time for the reward challenge. Probst asks how they’re doing and Cassandra says they’re hungry, which Probst says plays in nicely to this challenge. Indeed, they have to rip meat off a hanging piece of pork using only their teeth. Each time they get a mouthful, they drop it on their plate. Whoever has the most meat on their plate at the end of five minutes wins reward.

So what is their reward? All the meat on their plate! No, just kidding. The winner and first two runners-up will be picked up by helicopter, flown to a beautiful location for river rafting and a nice lunch. Also, the winner will send somebody to Exile Island (I’m presuming it can’t be one of the first two runners-up, but Probst doesn’t say). Finally, the winner will receive an advantage in the next immunity challenge.

Their hands are tied behind their backs, and they’re off! Biting and spitting commences, with Dreamz and Earl getting a good start. Various people work together to hold the swinging meat steady, but nobody is working with Alex. Imagine that. But he’s staying in it.

Yau-Man has ripped off a couple really big chunks. Boo does likewise. One and a half minutes are left, and Boo has a huge chunk. And it’s done! Whatever is in their mouths can go onto their plates.

Now for the weighing. Boo has a big pile that equates to 8.9 pounds. Yau-Man has 6.0 pounds. Cassandra is at 5.8. Stacy only has 4.3, so she’s out. Earl has 5.0, so he isn’t in the running either. Dreamz has 6.0, so he ties with Yau-Man and boots Cassandra out of the top three. And Alex has about 5.2 pounds, so he isn’t a winner. Boo wins, with Yau-Man and Dreamz going along for the ride.

Who does Boo send to Exile Island? He tells Earl he knows there won’t be any hard feelings, so it’s him. Earl’s face says, “Oh, there will be plenty of hard feelings.” Boo also gets a purple bag that is his advantage in the next challenge, but isn’t told any more about it.

The next day, a helicopter shows up at camp for Boo, Dreamz, and Yau-Man. And away they go! Yau-Man finds it to be an amazing experience for somebody like him who grew up on islands like this and now gets to see it from the air.

Boo is obviously excited and talks about it. And talks. And talks. To the point that he begins annoying Dreamz, who just wants to chill and relax.