Survivor: Committing Hair-a-kiri

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Aaaaaand James can officially pass the dunce cap to Erik.

We begin post Tribal Council, where Amanda is trying to do a little damage control. Cirie tells us that she was "this close" to making it a tie vote, which I totally think is not true, but whatever. Amanda again tells them that she wasn't lying "at the time" when she said she didn't have it, which is dumb because you misled them either way, but do your thing, yo. "I guess that's what she needed to know that she can trust me." Cirie tells us. So wait, she needed you to almost vote for someone else? How does that make sense?

After the credits, Erik and Natalie talk about how their priority has to be to get rid of Amanda. Well, I'm not sure either of you are in a position to be specifically targeting people, rather than just trying to stay in the game. Erik and Natalie discuss the fact that there's one TC left in which the idol can be played, and that another one has been hidden, so if someone finds it they're pretty much immune to Final Four. Erik and Natalie then promise to send each other to Exile Island if either of them wins the reward challenge. Considering that Natalie is a backstabbing skank, I'm not sure this is a viable strategy for Erik. Also, Yau-Man definitely sent himself last time and gave the reward away, and it saved his ass. Why wouldn't you just do that? The power to send someone to Exile Island is better than any reward, game wise.

Meanwhile, Cirie, Parvati and Amanda discuss the likely possibility that Erik will win the upcoming challenges, and how they'll deal with him having all the power. Cirie thinks that Amanda can somehow sway him and make him send Parvati to Exile Island. I don't entirely understand it because Amanda and Erik haven't exactly been BFF, but they must know something we don't. Amanda then seeks out Erik and tries to speak with him about all of this. The premise, I believe, is that he think's she's the most strategic player in the game (wrong, but just barely) and he is the most physically threatening, so their best option is to team up. Amanda works him into agreeing to send Parvati because she'll need to be "weaker for the challenges" as if Parvati is some giant challenge monster. The only challenge she won involved remaining stationary for hours, a skill that she perfected by just being her. Erik, of course, agrees because he has no idea what is going on and is clearly out of his league. How does it benefit him to send any of these people, is my question? He has to send himself.

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"JEEPERS, quit pointing at me!"

Reward Challenge! Today's Challenge rules, because it is a quiz about past seasons of Survivor. The first person to score four points wins the reward, which is a getaway to a spa and dinner, and also to send someone to Exile. The challenge begins, as everything in the world apparently must, with a question about Rupert. I refuse to get dragged into your opinion that Rupert is awesome, SHOW. Erik pretty much gets every one right, proving that is he is a "superfan", in the words of Probst. Yeah, maybe in theory. In practice? Not so much.

Anyway, if you're interested, Cirie appears to know quite a bit (although one question is actually about her season), Parvati is a complete dumbass and was recruited, if I remember correctly, Amanda knows some, and Natalie knows a little. Oh, and I got every question right. Erik completely trounces all of them and wins the reward, of course, because even challenges designed to level the physical playing field are too much, apparently.

But who will Erik be sending to Exile Island? Why, Parvati, of course! A wise choice, IDIOT. Parvati skips off to Exile, and Probst tells him that he can bring one other person with him. He tells everyone that he promised Amanda beforehand that they would bring each other, and thus he chooses Amanda, hanging Natalie out to dry completely. Nicely done, Amanda! Not only does he do exactly what you want, but he takes you on a reward that you probably would not have taken him on.

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Comments (19)

Fourteen Forty:

I do agree that it was the dumbest move ever, but, as I was watching Tribal, I was thinking, there is no way Erik can win. The four remaining women would not give him the vote, and the other Favs in the jury would not as well. When James said "I've lost my reign as dumbest Survivor ever" phrase, maybe he can keep the title. After all, he did have 2 idols and did not play them, basically having immunity 2 times. Erik gave it away 1 time.

georgiababe:

Oh Erik. You stupid, naive idiot.

I loved him and his cutesiness and I was actually yelling "Don't do it, you idiot! Don't do it!" at the TV. And then he did and the girls started laughing and I just knew it was all over, despite his intense finger crossing.

I loved the jury's reactions - priceless.

pixi-stix:

Posting in an epic recap lol.

I was dying at the end of this show. I was torn between feeling bad for Erik, and not feeling bad because of how dumb he was. It amazes me that there is still someone left in this world that has that much blind trust in people.

The really sucky thing about him doing that though is we are left with Nat, who I really can't stand.

I do agree that the cast of Fans pretty much sucked. There had to have been Fans out there smarter than the ones they got.

Anonymous:

God, that was amazing, and Schoonie rocked the recap (in record time, too.)

But did anyone else see Natalie totally catch Alexis' eye while they were all getting seated? The look on Natalie's face was a clear, "Girl, you don't even know what you're about to see."

Annieo:

If ever there was proof that a "superfan" who has seen all the episodes does not necessarily translate into a good player, Eric is it. I don't think you can predict how anyone will play the game once it starts but these fans were terrible! They had chances earlier in the game if they stuck together but I think they were so in awe of their idols that they had absolutely no game. And did no one remember how well Cerie played the game the first time around? She deserves the win, but I doubt the dummies on the jury will see it.

kdfinjpn:

Schoonie - wow, fast recap! My husband kept saying there was no way Erik would fall for that scheme, but he was getting too much air time for my comfort. Couple that with comments made from Probst that James's move was no longer the dumbest and Eliza's comment that there was a big blunder coming, and I was afraid he was buying into it. Even knowing it was coming, I still had to watch - it was like a train wreck! I'm not a Cirie fan, but she really has pulled off the best plans and strategies here - and made other people think it was their ideas - so she should be able to pull off the win.

Oh - and Schoonie - I, too, refuse to think Rupert is awesome! Could.not.stand.him!

Carawatches2muchTV:

I started this seaon with high hopes for James (Lovely Mandigo Man) but I was asigned Amanda (not bad) in our seasonal Surivior Pool.
But I must say...at this point...Cirie deserves the win...no question. Survivor Genious. Richard Hatch ea your heart out. He WAS a total genius in this game,,he figured it out for many.... (due to his briliant forfiture of the final challange0 but, of course, except for his idiotic refusal to pay taxes.

tracyintpa:

This will go down as THE dumbest move in all of reality TV unseating James and his TWO idols and Marcellas on Big Brother NOT using the Veto on himself and thus getting voted out.

As far as the "super fans" they made critical mistakes in the beginning getting rid of a lot of the "power hitters". I can't even remember their names. The weakest players banded together and got rid of so many stronger players from the beginning, that they had no power to assist them in getting any farther. And perhaps some of those heavy hitters were the more interesting players but we never got a chance to know them.

I think Cirie is a genius. She has orchestrated the ouster of every jury member while making them think it was someone else's idea. Even the "someone else" ended up thinking it was their idea. I haven't always liked Cirie, but you have admire her mind. I hope she wins. She sucks at challenges but she is a mastermind.

pixi-stix:

Wanted to add one more thing:

In his exit interview Erik said he was around his "heroes"....Really??? I mean they are just regular people on tv, and generally are either annoying or completely brain dead. It's not like they're the Dali Lama or anything.

That boy needs to get out more.

timberwolf:

I think that mankind everywhere let out a massive collective sob for our gender at the complete idiocy of Erik. The fact that he could not clearly see the disdain eminating from every female in the camp like my grandmother's cheap pharmacy perfume, and allowed himself to believe that Natalie (who I'm sure would eat her young) would look out for him clearly shows that he needed to get the hell off the island and maybe hook up with Jason Castro for bong hits (I hear he has free time now). I know that scheming is part of the game, but there's something entirely unholy about the way Nat and Parvati do it. Or is it just me?

-JC

weasel dearest:

Mandingo Man? Oy! I don't know if you can use that phrase in 2008.

The reason why I like this website is because of people like TRACYINTPA.

I was thinking of Marcellas too! I think this is comparable.

James is still dumber than Erik. James had TWO idols.
Yet, James is cuter than Erik. Translation: James is cute AND dumb.

GREAT EPISODE! CIRIE, AMANDA or PARVATI deserve to win. Give a million dollars to each one.

JustJesse:

So nobody is going to attack "timberwolf" for alluding to the fact that Jason Castro isn't on American Idol anymore? But what about all the people who come to this recap just for the Survivor show? What if you haven't watched American Idol yet and he just ruined it for you? Come on...I know this sounds ridiculous, but so did the majority of the whiners in the last Survivor recap. Here's a tip for you, maybe you just shouldn't read the comments at all. Then a TV SHOW wouldn't have gotten ruined for you.

nerrawllehctim:

Hey weasel dearest, James did have two idols, but they were both the hidden idols. Erik's idol was the one that is visible at all times to everyone.

p.q.:

wow. that episode was amazing. i knew the plan was going to work once Cirie started working her magic. she has been running things since she got them to vote out Yau-Man. at the time i thought it was a dumb move because she was so obvious about what she was doing, but no one seems to notice that she is in complete control.

i almost felt sorry for poor Erik. i understand him thinking that he needed to make a big move, and i don't think anyone is immune to Cirie's mind control, but seriously, after the last 3 people were blindsided it is amazing that he was so trusting.

i do think that this was a little worse than James because James basically trusted his alliance and didn't use the idols when he had the chance. plus i don't think James is a good player to begin with (at all). Erik didn't have an alliance and he knew that he was the target before he won immunity, so he doesn't really have any excuse.

i just hope that Cirie can use her mind control on the jury.

serjen:

Jason Castro was eliminated on Wednesday and Timberwolf commented about it on Saturday....I don't think it's a spoiler when its 4 days after the fact. But that's just me...

Back to Survivor: DUMBEST MOVE EVER! Definitely beat out James' dumbest move. WOW. I was shocked that he gave it up to Natalie. Just WOW.

If you watch the clip from Ponderosa once he goes to the Jury House, he is so in love with the Survivors that it makes him not think clearly. He even said that getting to hang out with James and Ozzy was worth more than the million dollars. WHAT?! WHY?!! They are just random guys that got picked to go on a reality show- JUST LIKE YOU.

I'm proud of the girls for making it Final 4. I'm sure Natalie will be saying bye-bye soon enough. Cirie is AMAZING, I loved her quote at the end. She truly is an amazing strategic player.

serjen:

JustJesse, I just read the other comments so now I get that you are being sarcastic. lol. Um, yah, if you didn't watch a show and it's already aired, than it's your OWN DAMN FAULT if it gets spoiled, people. I understand if you are on another coast and don't want to be spoiled before it airs, but I for one am not going to be concerned if people wait 10 days before watching a show and don't want to be 'spoiled'. F that. Than don't read comments or recaps or whatnot. Stupid.

lawyerjenn:

Cirie rocks. No question. She comes up with this cockamamy (sp?) plan but seriously, who else would have ever in a million years have thought of that? I LOVED it.

The way the chips fell this season it just continually allowed her to work her ninja mind games. Which was so fun. The only survivor I felt deprived of...yauman. I missed getting to have him on the show longer--because he rocked in so many capacities.

Can't wait for the finale recap :)

Dale:

Glad the plan to get out Erik out worked. Had the season ended with an F3 instead of an F3, I'm pretty sure Cirie would've won for that move alone.

Dale:

Glad the plan to get Erik out worked. Had the season ended with an F3 instead of an F2, no doubt Cirie would've won for that plan ALONE.

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