Survivor: Cook Islands – Survivor Live, Episode 8

First, my trivia question. Brad is now the second person to be named to a jury before the two tribes were united into one. Who was the first? As usual, the answer will be near the bottom of this article.

The show begins with Dalton welcoming Jenna back. She says the Model Challenge was a lot of work, but worth it, and also that she had a root canal on Monday. Dalton jokingly offers her 10 seconds to decide if she wants the chance to mutiny and jump to another Internet interview show. Feigning that she’s considering it, Jenna decides to stay put.

Brad is introduced next. He looks about the same as he did on the show, but better dressed.

Jenna says she’s never rooted for a tribe more than the underdog Aitu tribe last night. Brad jokes that he did, too. Asked if he thought about jumping to the other team, he says he thought about it briefly, but didn’t want the other five Raro members gunning for him.

They discuss the idea of the mutiny. All feel that to accept the offer is not a smart move because it makes you appear to be a back-stabbing traitor. Dalton asks about Candice’s claim that she switched tribes because the other was “more fun.” “Bull!” says Jenna, explaining that Candice just wants to be with Adam.

Dalton brings up Jonathan’s last-second decision to change teams as well. Brad calls Jonathan “a Slim Shady.” He says, “He drove me crazy. He’s a good guy, but on the island he was pretty conniving.” Everyone notes that traitor Candice seems to be getting a free pass while Jonathan is catching all the flak. Dalton says Jonathan’s playing in too obvious a fashion, but at least he’s playing the game.

Dalton observes that Nate pounces on everyone’s innocent statements and uses them to his advantage. Brad feels his line about “the individual game” was greatly overplayed and adds that Parvati played it up big as well.

The topic of the one challenge (last episode) where he chose to do the puzzle instead of swim is brought up. Brad says he was tired of losing challenges in the last step. Additionally, Rebecca stepped up and volunteered to swim, saying she had been practicing. Needless to say, it didn’t work out.

Dalton notes Adam not swimming in the subsequent challenge didn’t raise anyone’s ire. Commenting on Adam, Brad says, “He’s a decent guy in the physical challenges overall.” He also says Adam plays a decent game and adds cryptically, “We’ll see what happens next.” On Jenna’s prompting he agrees that Ozzy is a great swimmer and climber.

Chatting about the reward challenge, Jenna likes the shoving of the girls into the barrel with all the buoys. It WAS funny, especially if you consider that the challenge was amusingly entitled “Barrel of Monkeys.”

Our first caller today is Ed from Connecticut. He asks, “How did you feel when Nate called you a “Nancy-boy?” Brad says, “When I saw that I thought, God, what a jerk.” He also says, “It still kind of pisses me off to this day. But at the end of the day, it’s just a game and you have to take everything with a grain of salt.” Dalton says he hasn’t heard that one since 1975. Brad feels he would match up well against Nate in any type of challenge, including swimming.

Dalton asks if Brad was aware of Nate’s comments about him, or did he just see them on TV. Brad admits he was “blindsided completely… I didn’t see any of it coming, and it hit me like a ton of bricks when I saw it on TV.” He felt his alliance consisting of Nate, Adam, Parvati and himself was tight.

Jenna sees Nate as the type who is nice to your face and nasty behind your back. Brad agrees. She calls it unnecessary to go out of your way to lead someone on, because you never know when the tables might be turned. Her suggestion is to just avoid the targeted person like everyone else does.

Dalton reminds Jenna that Brad didn’t really know what Nate was saying at the time, and that telling someone they are being booted is dangerous as well. Brad concludes the topic with, “Some things are better left unsaid, right?”

Sara of North Carolina is a Jenna fan and hopes to be on the show one day herself. She asks if the hosts would consider mutinying. They pretty much covered this in their introductory comments. Dalton says “not a chance” and Jenna agrees. She points out that the merge is imminent anyway. Also, keeping your options open is important and the mutineers will get no future support from the four remaining Aitu members. Raro is now their only real option, and we’ve seen they have little support there.

Dalton reminds us of the lesson of Cirie. It looked like she was doomed to an early eviction and was an outcast on her tribe, but things happened and she lasted until the final four. I recall a similar thing happened with Lydia in Survivor: Guatemala, though she may not have worked to save herself as much as Cirie did. Brad reiterates he thought about mutinying for a second but knew it was a bad idea.

Dalton runs the clip of the mutiny. The idea is not new to the show, but no one has ever been foolish enough to actually take the option before. I remember Shii Ann seemed to consider it in Survivor: Thailand, but saw the pitfalls and stepped back from the precipice. I like Ozzy telling the mutineers, “They’re going to get their fate, sooner or later.” Jenna says she’d have made similar comments.

Brad says the problem in challenges for Raro is communication. They aren’t talking to each other and thus they are losing in the final moments.

Dalton wonders what they’d have done if the other four had mutinied as well, effectively making a merge. The challenge that was set up to run in a few minutes was geared for two teams, not 12 individuals!

Jenna thinks mutiny is unnecessary and hopes they get “bit in the butt” for it. Brad reveals he’d only talked with the duo for about 15 seconds before the merge, and the trust factor definitely came into play for him. Jenna notes that the White tribe now is united again and wonders if race is again rearing its head. Brad says he didn’t notice that at the time.

Trying to make sense of Raro voting patterns, Dalton asks Brad when his alliance of four came together. It came about early in the game. JP was originally in it as well, but the girls were adamant that he was going home and he could not be saved. Brad says that retrospectively, that may be a regret as JP could have helped in some of the challenges.

The second segment begins with a graphic telling us Brad is very active in several charities, including Big Brothers of Los Angeles, Project Angel Food, Starlight Foundation, and AIDS Project Los Angeles. Brad says, “I’m all about giving back. I’m at a point in my life where I can give back, and there’s nothing to me more fulfilling than being able to make a difference in someone life. It’s exciting.” Good for you, fella.

Dalton asks Brad his thoughts about the ethnic twist. Brad’s initial reaction was “complete and total shock.” He knew it would cause a stir and saw it as an amazing marketing move. On the Asian tribe, they shared a lot of similar life experiences about racial stereotypes with each other. Race is not really an issue for Brad in his life, he sees us all as members of “the Human race.” He says, “It sounds so cliché, but it’s true.”

Brad thought Puka was strategically an amazing team because of their good communications. They won almost every challenge. Had the tribes lasted longer he thinks his position in the game would have been stronger.

Paula from Kansas City asks if Jon had made the merge, would he have gotten back with the other Puka tribe members. Yes. He says, “Yul, Becky and I formed a strong alliance on Puka in the first three days. Hindsight is 20/20, maybe I should have stepped off the mat.” Yes, I think maybe he should have.

She also asks, did you see Candice mouth the words “I love you” to Adam last week? He replies that he did, adding the comment, “She’s a young girl… and she has a lot to learn,” and he laughs. A discussion of the powers of peanut butter follows. The protein and the fat in it are blamed.

Jenna asks if Jenny was also part of the alliance. “No. Jenny, in my book, was never really in.” Dalton reminds us of the vote Jenny cast for Cristina that included a gun. Brad says, “That pissed me off when I saw that. I don’t know why she did it.” He doubts it was ill-intentioned, but understands why it made so many people angry. Brad wonders if Jenny was trying to disguise the number of letters she was printing. Sekou previously told Dalton he counted the printing strokes to tell if it was he or Sundra going home in week one.

Jenna says she always took a lot of time to vote, checking it very carefully. “You have to just breathe, because you’re making a big decision for someone’s life,” she explains.

The next clip shows Nate and Adam deciding whether Brad or Jonathan is a bigger threat, then Nate playing Brad by pretending he was his friend. Dalton asks Jenna if that was necessary and she says, “No, absolutely not.” Brad says it was unnecessary to lie to his face like that, and Jenna says, “It’s almost like he was having fun with it.” She compares Adam to a frat boy drinking beer and watching a football game while deciding who’s next.

Caller Mark from New York again brings up what happens if everyone decides to mutiny. We’ve done this one already, too. After restating what’s above, the hosts surmise that Ozzy and Yul wouldn’t follow Jonathan, even if the room were on fire. Brad agrees that almost everyone is anti-Jonathan at this point. Jenna calls him “abrasive.” Brad says he talked a lot and seemed to be trying to become a leader in the tribe. Dalton adds that at this point in the game Jonathan has pissed off both tribes and the host.

Jonathan from Chicago asks Brad what he did or didn’t do to get voted off. Brad thinks it all started with his not swimming in last week’s challenge. Jenna interjects, “It’s silly.” Brad says they were losing all the challenges in the home stretch and he knows he’s good at puzzles. He adds that his “every man for himself” comment was overblown and became a factor.

Rebecca’s swimming is discussed. Brad says she thought she was going to do really well but Jenna wonders, “How do you not know that you’re maybe not that great a swimmer?”

Dalton inquires into the pre-challenge discussion about Brad’s decision that he would be doing the puzzle instead of swimming. Dalton adds that if people objected and things fell apart, only then do they have a right to be mad. Brad says everyone agreed; there was no rebuttal at all. I recall that the main complainer was Nate, who was not a part of those pre-challenge communications.

Dalton next introduces “Probst’s Thoughts,” the feature where a message Jeff Probst recorded to the departing player is played. Jeff thinks Brad is wearing plaid and tells us Brad was always giving him wardrobe advice. Jeff especially remembers his “bad wind” episode with Cao Boi. He says it was fun having Brad on the show because he had his own opinion and wouldn’t be easily swayed; those are the kind of people they like to have on the show.

Prompted by Dalton, Brad suggests vintage dressing for Probst, including a plaid vintage western shirt, some demin, distressed boots, and the cowboy hat he’s wearing this season. Dalton then asks Brad’s opinion of his own all-black clothing. He says, “You’re a great guy, Dalton, but you and I need to have a heart-to-heart after this.”

Reflecting on Probst’s statements, Brad admits he’d rather be known as honest and truthful rather than as a manipulative, conniving jerk. It would be difficult for him to live if he’d been like that.

Caller Neal in California learns that Brad was “totally stoked” to find out he was going to be part of the jury. He leaks that it will be between someone who will connive and deceive, and someone who will be honest. His vote is going to the latter person.

Dalton has calculated that having 12 contestants left implies a 10-person jury, and a possible tie. Scenario one, will there be a tiebreaker? Jenna calls that, “Lame, for a million dollars.” Scenario two is having a final three. He adds, a tie is still possible. Third, could someone be voted on the jury, or off the jury? Jenna doesn’t like those options, either.

Dalton’s next point is that the final two could be Ozzy and Sundra, two people Brad had no interaction with on the show. Jenna jokes that the winner should be Ozzy, because he’s so cute! Brad suggests it should be one with the best fashion sense!

Jenna suspects there will be three in the final and there won’t be a tie. It will be interesting to see how it’s worked out. The third segment begins with Jenna threatening Brad with tickling, in order to learn how those potential jury complications are worked out. He responds with an enigmatic smile.

Next up is the “minus 10” feature, where Dalton reads 10 rapid-fire categories for Brad to comment on, each in less than 10 words. Here’s how it went:

• 10. Rarotonga – Confused, young, manipulative, conniving, rambunctious
• 9. Red dot – headache, Cai Boi, and it worked!
• 8. “Every man for himself” – Taken out of context, blown out of proportion
• 7. Puzzles – I. Am. Puzzle. Boy.
• 6. Fashion – Ever-changing, fascinating, what I do for a living
• 5. Nate – Conniving, manipulative, back-stabbing
• 4. Ethnic pride – Melting pot, I’m a mutt, and everyone is a human being
• 3. Surfing – One of my passions in life
• 2. Fresca Pomegranate – It’s the best drink known to mankind
• 1. Jenna’s outfit – Sultry, sexy, and sinful

Jenna isn’t dressed up special, she’s just in a basic red tee shirt that says “INSPI(RED)” and black jeans. A good job by Brad – he’s very well spoken.

David from New York has called to ask Brad’s favorite challenge. He quickly responds, “The zipline.” Jenna asks if swinging your legs doesn’t slow you down and Dalton’s response is that Ozzy and Nate had the best position. Brad adds that the wrestling challenge was pretty hardcore as well. He says he felt a little bad afterward, but Jenna tells him not to because Ozzy “is probably made of steel.” Dalton moans.

The next caller asks if he would have reunited with Yul and Becky at the merge. Lord, is no one screening these calls? We’re repeating everything this week! It’s the same stuff, except that Brad calls Yul and Becky “fantastic human beings.”

The hosts discuss their favorite players, Yul and Ozzy. Dalton sees the need to point out that he loves Yul in a different way than Jenna loves Ozzy. Jenna thinks the Aitu tribe is in trouble, though. Dalton says it seems like no alliance holds strong this season. When Jenna continues to express doubts about Aitu’s future, Dalton says, “Three words: hidden immunity idol!”

Young Cassidy in Illinois ought to be in school. Then again, after she picks up basic reading skills she’ll probably learn anything else she truly needs to know from watching Survivor anyway! She asks if they think Adam and Parvati will stay loyal to Raro, or will they join with the mutineers? There never really is an answer given, but Jenna says, “Kill Whitey!” and Brad laughs. Dalton thinks it’s different if they don’t lose the challenge, and quickly segues to a clip of the “Depth Charge” challenge.

Dalton asks how long the challenge lasted, guessing about 20 minutes. Brad says it was two, two-and-a-half hours. Their boat was stuck and unmoving for about 15 minutes, and the wind and current were tough. Dalton asks Brad who did which task on the boat and he says they switched around.

Dalton notes that Yul figured out it was better to sight down the drop chute rather than through the glass bottom. Brad says, “Yup, Yul’s super-human too.”

Brad tells Dalton that Jonathan was losing his cool with Jeff Probst a little over an hour into the challenge. Jenna says, now that he’s shown Probst that he has the ability to get under his skin, Jeff will probably zero in on him at Tribal Council.

Alex in New York thinks Brad is gorgeous and wonders if he’ll vote for someone who is not on Raro. Brad says he tried to leave with class and style. He reiterates that his vote is going to someone who’s played “an honest and truthful game.” He claims he only lied once in the game.

Dalton says lying isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it’s all in how you do it. Jenna says there’s levels of lying, and some level is “almost acceptable” in the game.

Having also thought about the potential jury problems, caller Julie from Phoenix has some ideas. She wonders if a jury member is coming back into the game, or if someone is voted out but doesn’t go on the jury. Dalton thinks that being in loser lounge is an unfair advantage, and bad fan reaction to the Outcasts Tribe may preclude the former from happening again. Jenna hates the idea of an eliminated player not going to the jury, because that’s a reward one earns by going late into the game. Jenna studies Brad’s face for clues, but he’s stoic. Dalton likes Julie’s theories and gives her a well-earned buff.

JC in Texas wonders why Brad voted for Jenny (when Cristina was voted out). Brad says, “At Tribal Council, you didn’t see Jenny being really ‘pissy’ with Cristina, saying she was annoying. I didn’t like it; it was completely uncalled for. I liked Cristina, so I told her; I’m going to give you a second chance. And that’s what I did. I didn’t like Jenny when she was on the original Puka tribe, so that’s why I voted for her.”

It’s time for Jenna Morasca’s “Question of the Week.” Dalton first plays the clip from last week of Terry giving Jenna a hard time. She likes giving crap to Terry and Tom Westman, because of their different work ethics, but she honestly thinks they are both good guys.

As this feature starts, there’s always a fanfare and a really old picture of Jenna with long hair extensions. Jenna notes her hair is almost that long again and pointing to it, says, “And these are real!” Pause. Then, “Not these (points to her chest)… these (points to her cascading hair)!” Cute!

Jenna’s question is, “What are you going to do now?” Right now, he is working on “Holiday 2007,” his clothing line for Lucky Brand Jeans. They are always four quarters ahead. He’s not turning down TV opportunities, and surmises perhaps a fashion segment on E! or the Style Network may be right for him.

The final piece of business is running the CBS promo. Adam and Candice finally reconnect; and a new twist involving a bottle.

Dalton doesn’t know what’s in the bottle. Jenna thinks it’s info about the hidden idol, like who has it or what tribe it’s on. Dalton doesn’t think so.

As I wish to remain spoiler-free, I’ll just mention that the spoiler Dalton drops about next week’s show is available to anyone who emails me at the address below!

Alas, that’s the end. Dalton gives props to Brad and Jenna shimmies us out.

CBS Website Clues:

• One survivor hopes that their efforts to provide for their tribe will protect them from elimination, despite being low on the totem pole.
• A festive prize is up for grabs at the reward challenge. Will one tribe’s bickering and inability to work together cost them the reward, or can they pull it together to win big?
• Emotions run high as one survivor is betrayed by friends and unanimously banished to Exile Island.
• One tribe worries that another member has mentally checked out of the game. Will their lack of enthusiasm put them on the chopping block?
• At the end of the Immunity Challenge, the losers receive a message in a bottle that’s not to be opened until Tribal Council. How will that message change the course of the game?

Sanity now reigns at CBS’s Popularity Poll, as Ozzy and Yul have a sizeable lead on the rest. Together they represent over three-quarters of the votes!

Trivia Answers:
This week’s question was about pre-merge jury members. Once again returning to Survivor: Thailand and the season of the fake merge-late merge, the person in question is Erin.

In Conclusion:
Everyone is invited to share his or her opinions at the eAddress below. I’ll be back next week to report on the latest Survivor Live webcast.

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

Brian lives in Toronto where he can be reached at uncle_bto@rogers.com. He’d like to hear your opinions and promises to respond to all serious email!

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