Survivor: Cook Islands – Who Will Go in Episode 5?

First of all, a big thank you to everyone that sent a suggestion for how my daughter should pick the Survivor boots this time around. Suggestions ranged anywhere from lining up cookies assigned to specific contestants and seeing which one she would eat first to doing the same with M&Ms or ice cream spoons. A big thank you to all of the suggestions, but ultimately it seemed the simplest way was the easiest. (No, not asking her. When I did that, she said that daddy was getting the boot). I just pulled up the CBS Survivor web page and asked her to point at one of the people's pictures. Touching the computer screen has been taboo in the past, so she was quite happy to oblige. Upon doing this, she's determined that Jonathan shall be booted should Aitu lose immunity, and Jenny will go home if it's Raro.

And with those picks, I must bid a fond farewell to this segment of the article. This will be the last time my daughter makes Survivor picks. "Why?" you ask. Well, as many people wrote in with suggestions for my daughter's prediction strategies, I also had people write to tell me that it was getting old. And I'm afraid I must agree with that assessment. Ultimately, this is an article for me to determine the next Survivor boot using spoiler-free logic and reasoning and maybe a little intuition. (What? Guys can have intuition too. We just usually call it "gut.")

While having my daughter make the picks may have been cute at first, I feel this novelty is getting old. And it seems that a number of you agree. If you are in disagreement, I must apologize, but I urge you to continue reading. I will do my best to keep you informed and entertained – sans the two-year-old.

Now, on with the show. Last week I chose J.P. and his little dog Ego to get the boot, and wonder of wonders – I was right. Since it's usually rather difficult for me to make correct picks so early in the competition, I'm quite excited about this one. But let's not dwell on it any longer than we have to, because this week promises to be just as hard to pick.

Starting with the Raro tribe, I'd imagine that this latest vote will get the jocks active in camp once again. Now that their previous ring-leader has been voted out, they are at the mercy of the ladies. Expect them to start busting their collective heinies to please the women.

Don't expect them to abandon their scheming, however. Nathan especially showed some serious scheming last time when he almost convinced Parvati that it was better to let all of the men have control. Ultimately his Kaa-like tendencies went for naught, but I wouldn't be surprised if he lays the charm on like a McDonald's triple-thick milk-shake this time around – not only to manipulate the alliances but also because his own neck is on the line this time around. Parvati won't know what hit her.

So if Nathan convinces Miss P to side with him, who will he target? My guess is that Cristina will get the boot this time around if Raro loses immunity. Not only has she developed a bossy attitude with some members of her tribe, but previews indicate that she loses a potential food source for her tribe, angering them further. Yeah, sure Flica survived that, as have many Survivors over the years (remember Sally losing the Hawaiian sling last year?), but in each of those instances, the person losing the food has played the men with doe-eyed apologies. Call me George Carlin, but I don't think Cristina will be able to pull off doe-eyed with the men on her tribe. At least, not while Parvati is distracting them with her dimpled grin.

As for Aitu, things haven't really changed from last week. Sundra still remains an outsider. The Asian-Caucasian Alliance seems fairly solid. And at his current rate of popularity growth, Ozzy might even usurp Cao Boi's spot in that alliance.

There is the concern that the Aituans might target Candice due to suspicion of her possible allegiance to the other tribe, but I think the folks in charge are more concerned (rightly or wrongly) about maintaining numbers within their own tribe to solidify their alliance than with a possible defector at the merge.

If Aitu loses immunity, I definitely still see Sundra as the tribal sacrifice.

Can I extend my streak to two? Or will I return to the dust of mired speculation. Watch with me Thursday, and we'll find out.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out these other recent Survivor: Cook Islands articles here on RealityNewsOnline:

Wesley is an aspiring writer and superhero from Tulsa, OK. He's prepping himself for the onslaught of hate mail from his daughter's legions of fans. He can be reached with questions, comments, or mildly snide remarks at Musnud@Gmail.com.

Be sure to sign up for our e-mail update so you can stay informed about new articles on the site! And take a look at the rest of the site. You can find all of our recaps and other info on this show at the Survivor: Cook Islands page, and take a look at our The Amazing Race 8 page and our Apprentice: Martha Stewart page. You can even buy reality show stuff at our Reality TV Store!

For more news about Survivor, be sure to check out SirLinksALot: Survivor: Cook Islands and Survivor Fever!