Survivor – Recap & Review – The Day of Reckoning

photo: cbs

Survivor: Samoa
The Day of Reckoning

Original Air Date: Nov 19, 2009

Rachel – Sr. Managing Editor
rachel@thetwocentscorp.com

Although it wasn’t as astronomically great as last weeks episode, this one was still a doozy. With another Hidden Immunity Idol back in play… it’s anybody’s game. Or is it?

The Top 10 Things I Learned from Survivor 19

10. Brett: At the Reward Challenge, Brett (on a team with Russell, Natalie, Laura, Dave, and John) had to maneuver Natalie on a swing around a course gathering flags and placing them in order on a log. The won and got the reward: a picnic by a water fall with a new Sprint phone (Gee… I wonder who the sponsor of this episode was) to take pictures… but there was more on that phone than met the eye…

9. Russell: In the photo files on the phone, Russell found some clues to the location of the next HII. Shocking to me, he shared that info with those with him on the reward, so when they got back to camp, it was a mad dash to find it, with about 90% of the castaways running around turning over rocks. Dave thought he’d just stick to Russell like glue, but Russell figured it out and actually lost him in a foot race. Russell circled back to where he had been looking before, but without Dave looking too, he was able to find his third HII! It was awesome. Dear Russell: You’re a jerk, but you know the game. Kudos.

8. Dave: Not one to begrudge a brilliant move, Dave went up to the old Foa Foa right after Tribal Council when Kelly got voted out and congratulated them on a very well-played game. I really like Dave, but this episode revealed some flaws in his strategic skills. The old Galu didn’t know if Russell found the HII or not, so they started scrambling, making split-second decisions that weren’t too smart. Dave knew that if Shambo jumped tribal lines and voted for Laura, it would be a tie at Tribal Council. The rules state that if there is a tie, there is a re-vote. If there is a second tie, the remaining players draw to see who goes home. Lady Luck. Dave is willing to risk that, and I do not think that was a smart move.

7. Jaison: One false step by Jaison almost cost Foa Foa the chance they needed to turn the tables in the game: he told Monica of all people the plan: to vote for Laura with Monica being the 6th. Monica’s not dumb so she instantly knew who the 5th was: Shambo. To his credit, though, he realized that she can’t be trusted. So when she accepted their offer to be their 6th vote, but demanded that it was John that went instead of Laura, Jaison and Mick and Russell figured out that she was a plant trying to re-direct them into to throwing votes behind John, changing up the possibility tie. (John 4, Laura 1, Natalie 5)

6. John: Too bad no one told John the plan! He was angry that old Galu had put him up for bait. He was so over the stupid decisions old Galu had been making, starting with the decision to vote out Erik a few episodes ago. When Russell came to him to let him know that Foa Foa knew Galu was just trying to swindle them, he was presented with a choice: Tribal Council would come down to a tie, no question. If it came to a second tie, he would have a 1/8 chance of going home himself in the draw. So, if he changed his vote, he would be guaranteed to still be in the game.

5. Mick: The safest guy on the island with the Immunity Idol around his neck, Mick told it like it was at Tribal Council: the old Foa Foa was just waiting around for someone on old Galu to figure out that it was an individual game now. Perhaps his statement had some effect on John…

4. Monica: She tried her hardest to play old Foa Foa, but it didn’t work at all. No one trusts her, and I think she’s in big danger.

3. Shambo: Not really hiding the fact that she had jumped the Galu ship, she laughed openly when Laura didn’t win the Immunity Challenge. Tell us how you really feel, Shambo! She also gained some points from the Jury when, at Tribal Council, she said that Galu was dead to her the moment they decided to vote out Eric.

2. Natalie: Poor Natalie. She became a target at Tribal Council only because she didn’t look for the HII. The old Galu figured she was the least likely to have it so they should therefore vote her out. At least she got to go on her first reward!

1. Laura: Laura thought she’d be OK. The first vote at TC was a tie and she thought the second vote would naturally be the same, causing the tie-breaker rock draw which she wouldn’t have to participate in. Of course she would stay in the game! Not so fast, missy! When Jeff read the second vote and got to “5 votes Laura, 4 votes Natalie” she looked full of the knowledge that she was safe… then he read the last vote and someone had switched! The look on her (and Dave’s and Brett’s and Monica’s) face was priceless. And Erik on the jury… he couldn’t have been happier!

What do YOU think? Did the right person leave? Who will be sent packing next? Give us your Two Cents in the comment section below!