Surviving Fiji, Episode 13: It’s Better to Give than Receive

Last week, Alex tried to get Cassandra and Dreamz to think more than one step ahead and vote out Yau-Man. They stuck with their alliance of six (what I call the Earlliance). Were they thinking ahead and we just didn’t know it? Do they have some grand plan to spring? If so, now is when we’re going to find out!

It’s the day after Tribal Council and Boo is creating a back path to the water well. Why? So when people use the excuse of getting water to go talk in private, he can sneak up on them and see if they’re talking about him. You know, I actually like this idea! And it’s rather humorous too.

But ironically, while he is doing that, Earl, Stacy, Cassandra, and Yau-Man are back at camp talking about him! Earl is saying they have to make sure Boo doesn’t win immunity again. But he could possibly have the hidden immunity idol, because Earl has looked and hasn’t found it. C’mon, Earl, this is Boo we’re talking about. I don’t think there is any chance at all he has it.

Earl says they have to blindside him, just in case, and Stacy eagerly asks how she can play into it, like if there should be a staged argument or something. Earl tells us the plan is to get rid of Boo because he’s a stronger player and they’re not really sure where his allegiance lies.

Yau-Man tells us there are a lot more sneaky conversations going on and a lot of possible permutations going on in his head about what might be happening. Overall, getting rid of Boo first would make his life much better.

To complete the ironic circle, we cut back to Boo one more time as he tells us the others will never suspect him hiding in the thicket. So if his name comes up as being on the chopping block, he’ll know! Heh.

Treemail! Stacy gets it (good to know she can do something) and reads it. The gist of it is that the reward is big and will put a smile on their face, and has something to do with doing good for others. They’ll have to move swiftly, be tough, and make bold moves. Well, that narrows it down.

Boo thinks this must be the car challenge, though I’m not sure what that has to do with doing good for others. Dreamz says he’s the only one there without a car. Oh, well, then I’m sure they’ll all just roll over and let you win if that is indeed the prize. Indeed, Dreamz starts begging for the others to give him a car if they win. Oh brother. He tells us that if the challenge has anything to do with strength or agility, he guarantees he’ll win the car. Any bets?

They arrive at the challenge and host Jeff Probst drops a curtain to show them what they’re playing for: A new Ford F-350 pickup truck. Needless to say, people are very happy, especially Dreamz.

For the challenge, they will be tied together in two teams. They need to maneuver over a series of see-saws; if one person falls off, they all have to go back to the start. Then they have to crawl up and through the cargo net tower. Next they dig up a hatchet buried in a sand pit. Finally, they have to chop a rope and release a big cargo box into the bed of the truck. The first team to do so wins the first part of the reward.

The winning threesome will take the truck and the box, which is filled with school and sports supplies, to pick up a trailer carrying a mobile school office. They will take all of that to the local school as a donation from Ford. The school will in turn treat the three players to a picnic lunch.

Before they leave for the school, the winning threesome will compete against each other win the truck, though we aren’t yet told what that competition will be. And of course the overall winner also sends somebody to Exile Island.

The two teams are: Dreamz, Cassandra, and Earl on the Green team; and Yau-Man, Stacy, and Boo on the Orange team. And they’re off! They all move fairly slowly to the see-saws. Yau-Man loses his balance and causes the Orange team to move back to the start. Dreamz encourages his team to please take their time.

Yau-Man falls off again! And again. Green is through the see-saws and head to the tower. They head through it quickly while Orange is still trying to keep their balance. They finally do it and head to the tower as well.

Green makes it out of the tower and starts to dig, but they’ve lost a little time because Cassandra got stuck. Boo leads Orange through more quickly and both teams are digging. Green players keep moving around when they don’t find anything right away, but Orange digs deeper.

Boo finds the hatchet for Orange! He unwraps it from the cloth it’s in and chops the rope. Orange wins after an incredible comeback!

And, of course, Dreamz’ guarantee of winning didn’t come true. How surprising.

Now it’s time for the three winners to find out who the real winner is. They will do so via an axe-throwing competition. Each of them has a vertical board with two ropes that criss-cross multiple times. They have to cut both ropes. The first person to do so wins the truck!

They get ready to throw. Boo looks comfortable. Stacy looks like she has no freaking idea what to do with the axe. It’s like she doesn’t know her axe from a hole in the ground. Anyway, they throw and Boo easily splits his first rope. Yau-Man hits the board, but not a rope. Stacy doesn’t even make it to the board. It was a bad-axe throw.

Second throw, and Yau-Man cuts a rope. Stacy again misses the target, making an axe-hole in the ground. Boo throws and… it bounces off the board.

For the third throw, Stacy finally hits the board, but not a rope. Boo sticks his axe in the board, but just misses cutting the rope. Yau-Man throws and… cuts the second rope! When the ropes are cut, a lever throws the keys to him. Yau-Man wins! And thus ends the axe puns.

I have to say, the idea of Yau-Man behind the wheel of this huge pickup truck is pretty funny. But wait, Yau-Man says he wants to make a deal. He asks Dreamz, “How badly do you need that car?” Dreamz says Yau-Man knows how badly he needs it – he’s the only one there without a car. Yau-Man says here is the deal: If the two of them are in the final four and Dreamz wins immunity that round, he will give it to Yau-Man. Dreamz says he will “promise to God.”

Probst restates the deal just to make sure everybody is clear, and then asks if he realizes that Yau-Man cannot enforce this deal, it’s just Dreamz’ word. Yau-Man agrees, though I’m thinking he can enforce the deal – simply don’t give up the truck ‘til Survivor is over! But apparently Yau-Man didn’t think of that. Anyway, Probst says that even if Yau-Man is voted out next, the deal is still good? Indeed it is.