Grid Effect

We open with Mookie on the underprivileged tribe lamenting the shortage of food. He and all his teammates, including Earl, are worried about food and water supply. Apparently everyone is dehydrated. So that’s our theme for the episode: Can the downtrodden, disorganized Ravu tribe overcome the environmental circumstances to pull out a win; or will the lavish tyrants of Moto prevail once again?

Ravu is still on a high about more or less randomly getting the decent camp. Some white girl says, “its so vicious, it’s delicious” to sum up the “Survivor experience”. Clever. They are all way too pleased with themselves. As of now the entire episode is contrasting the lifestyle camp differences.

Both teams cut up coconuts, one team because they are devoid of any sustininance, the other because that is just what people do on this show. Some guy named “Boo” damn near cuts off his hand. Apparently he is injury prone.

Sylvia returns to Ravu from exile Island. She looks like a wreck, so this camp is fitting. Upon return, when he leaned in too hug her, Yau-Man glanced down into her bag to see if she had the immunity idol. That’s not the only place she could hide it, Yau.

Amazingly, she has more energy than them, probably because her only work has been fending off water snakes, which admittedly, can be quite exhausting. Luckily, since I felt bad for how she was scapegoated last week, there are no strong alliances yet… Oh, wait, wait, Michelle doesn’t like her. Which means I don’t like her. Which means She needs to go. Anthony concurs, she is bossy. None of us like her. Three guys sit around mocking her authoritative posturing.

Dreamz, despite how contemptuous people might be with him, makes a nice parallel between finding food on the island and finding food while homeless in the city. Points out that Survivor is not nearly the brand of suffering he has been forced to endure. Meanwhile, the losing team is re-enacting that Alive movie with their melodrama. But they are bound and determined to win.

The challenge consists for collecting supply crates out in the water, opening them and raising a flag. So it’s another variation of every challenge. Ravu is performing well and gets out to an early lead. It starts raining in the process. Moto gains some ground and makes a game out of it. Moto ends up taking the challenge while Ravu bickers and stares at Moto while trying to construct there pole. When I say bicker, I mean that some woman named Erica is hyperventilating over putting two poles together. Rocky does an “Adrian grunt”, though it’s out of frustration rather than glee. Darryl from Ravu is sent to Exile Island, Jeff says, “watch out for the snakes”, he replies, “I’ll eat em”. Handily the best moment of the night.

Darryl reads his clue, it pretty much says the same thing as the last one: the idol is on this discernible locale on the island. He is intuitive enough to know that Sylvia will be gone and he won’t have to worry about anyone else knowing where the idol is. He then mills around a bit, sees a snake, kills it, and says, “sorry buddy, i really don’t like killing animals. Snakes are misunderstood, but we have an understanding now”. It’s a toss up between him and Michelle as to who the grideffect rooting interest is.

A little deliberation about who to kick off, it seems like everyone is in agreement about Sylvia. Until Mookie mentions in passing to Rocky (if you do not watch the show, you will have to go on faith that these are real people) that Erica was a tad eccentric at the challenge. Though it doesn’t really seem to matter, because everyone is quick to agree. Sylvia is laying it on a bit thick with the agreement in the situation. Rocky is really confrontational in his attempts at persuading other contestants. Everyone is in staunch agreement with you, man.

(Just a side note, holy hell is Michelle attractive, she is going to get additional attention in these recaps simply for looking how she does, despite how catty she is currently being about Sylvia, because I’m superficial like that.)

Sylvia is getting hammered at TC for being “bossy”. Always an undesirable trait early in the game. You can be obnoxious later in the game but already have the alliances too compensate. But on day six, everyone is expendable except for a couple chosen ones that are guaranteed to make the merge. Yau has some very choice words that are obviously directed at Sylvia after everything that has transpired in the past two minutes, along the lines of “arrogant”, “obnoxious”, etc. Classy, Yau. For the statesman of the group you’re not really exhibiting it.

They go to the vote:
Erica
Sylvia
Erica
Sylvia
Erica
At least there is some organization to it this time
Erica
Erica

Erica is sent her walking papers. And I can’t believe someone like Rocky is dictating the terms of this game. A far cry from Yul last season in terms of decorum. My God, What does that say about the rest of the team?

In her parting words, Erica tells her tribe that they will rue the day they dared to vote her off because she is strong. She actually says, “Maybe you should think about the decision you made”. It’s like the veiled threat to end all veiled threats.

Have a nice weekend.