Logan Saunders recaps episode 9 of Survivor South Africa: Philippines ahead of episode 10.
SURVIVOR SOUTH AFRICA: PHILIPPINES Episode 9: “CALL ME SO I CAN MAKE YOUR VOTE VUSI FOR YA”
Previously on Nico’s Sexy Narrative Voice: Visayas was on a winning streak primarily due to Vusi’s efforts in the challenges, but back at camp, Tom started to feel a shift in attitude towards him from Chane.
At Luzon, Werner and Annalize made a connection and Katinka started playing the game.
At the immunity challenge, Vusi once again won the challenge for Visayas.
At TC, non-emotional Real Man PK Fire expressed his rage at his former Blue Blood alliance members.
In the end, PK and Toni stayed loyal to one another.
Ten are left; who will be voted out tonight?
MINDANOW
DAY 22
PK wakes up in the morning.
PK: Everything is wet.
What kind of dream did you have last night, PK?!
PK says this is the fourth day him and Toni haven’t had a real meal. They both look like zombies who haven’t feasted on brains for weeks. They need to work in a morgue.
Toni starts crying.
TONI: We need to make a fire but there’s no f–king way I can blow into it for half an hour to get a fire going. We need to look for a fish but there’s no way I could go into that water to wash. I’m so tired and depleted.
PK is hunched over in his seat too.
VISAYAS
DAY 22
Chane has Tree Mail.
CHANE: Pack up your things. . .welcome to merge!
Tom’s eyes light up like freakin’ King John from the Robin Hood cartoon. Palesa respects Tom for making the merge.
LUZON
DAY 22
Jeanne does the least coordinated dance I have ever seen and Katinka does a Dr. Evil-esque “Don’t go there, girlfriend” sassy head swing and finger snap.
KATINKA: Don’t underestimate The Edge.
Who is The Edge? Isn’t that a former WWF wrestler? Is Katinka the Rated R Superstar?
MINDANAO
DAY 22
Toni and PK both cry when they read Tree Mail. PK drops to his knees and kneels over like the other end of the Mindanao camp is Mecca.
No intro, sadly.
Nico welcomes in the three tiny tribes. There is a golf clap when Josie’s dismissal has been announced.
NICO: I have a question for all of you. Who is hungry?
(EVERYONE cheers and puts up their hands.)
NICO: Well f–k you, there’s no food. I was just curious.
Nah, just kidding.
Everyone is handed a light purple buff. It’s the closest I have seen to the Soliantu buff color be revived from Survivor: Marquesas.
In this edition of “Who Copied Who?” this week, South Africa copies New Zealand by pre-naming their merged tribe as the Aroo tribe, because of the ghost-like mysteries on the remote islands of the Philippines.
The good people of STEERS have put together MIGHTY KING STYLE BURGERS. PURE BEEF. FLAME GRILLED. BBQ RIBS. FLAME GRILLED CHICKEN. STEERS WORLD FAMOUS HANDCUT CHIPS. FOR DESSERT, STEERS SOFT SELF-SERVE CHOCOLATE AND STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM.
NICO: Follow the aroma!
JEANNE: It’s Steers Time!
TOM: It’s Steers for the second time baby!
WERNER: I only had eyes for those burgers.
EVERYONE: Flame grilled does taste better!
PALESA: Steers definitely reminded me of home.
TONI: All the sauces! All the sauces!
How much did pay for this ad? Jesus.
ANNALIZE: I can’t get my mouth around it!
Tee-hee.
KATINKA: My stomach is about to have a food baby. I was ready to be a Steers Mom.
Vusi assumes four or five of the others will want to vote him out and thinks he’ll need to do his darndest in the individual challenges.
PK: It’s like Heaven in your mouth.
Wow. Steers got their money’s worth.
STEERS, ER, AROO TRIBE
DAY 22
They all have lemon water for some reason. PK is grinning from ear to ear. Palesa pulls out a jar of coffee beans. It won’t be long before Palesa STEERS this vote against Tom.
It is night time as Tom is the one responsible for starting a fire for some reason. For once, it works out.
We transition into nighttime strategy. Chane notes Jeanne, Annalize, and Katinka are chatting together.
Vusi approaches Werner instantly and asks him to vote out Tom. Tom stalks Werner and Vusi when they fetch water. Tom overhears the whole conversation about Chane, Vusi, and Palesa being aligned.
TOM: I’ve lost my BFF. That’s what I’ve lost.
I’m surprised Tom is young enough to know what a BFF is.
PK goes up to Chane.
PK: I want Jeanne to leave. I want a Blue to leave.
CHANE: Why?
PK: Because they’ve said Reds versus Blues.
So PK stirs up a plan to target Jeanne.
CHANE: Tom. I’m serious. He’s f–king annoying.
PK and Chane both want their own original blood to go. Who will get their way?
AROO
DAY 23
Chane dyes her hair in a rusty pan. Now it is a strawberry-colored blonde rust. It actually looks pretty good.
PK and Toni talk about PK’s plan to blindside Jeanne.
PK: Jeanne is cancer. I don’t know how she got this far.
By not quitting like Stacey Lee did then be immune from all subsequent Tribal Councils?
PK (confessional): I want it to be my life goal to take the Blues out. Right now I want to play for both teams.
It doesn’t work like that, bro.
Toni is strongly disagreeing with PK over aligning with Vusi/Palesa/Chane.
PK: It sounds like you’re being loyal to blue.
TONI: No, I’m being loyal to me.
Toni thinks it is too dangerous to put the numbers on their side and go after Jeanne.
Toni digs her fingers into her eyes so deeply that I am amazed they didn’t pop out.
After a discussion on how to ration coffee at camp, Tom goes fishing. We are treated to a bunch of underwater shots.
Annalize and Werner chat. Annalize says the others want Tom out which makes it wise for them to pull in Tom as an extra number. They think about voting out PK because he is bobbing from side to side with alliances. Annalize tells us Vusi is dangerous and should go, but is going to wait for the immunity challenge to occur.
Tom makes a disgusting meal of rice and beans. During this Werner wants to create a bond with Tom.
AROO
NIGHT 23
WERNER: Listening as a male, coming to him. . .
Is this the Dan Foley sequel to “How to Listen Like a Woman”?
Tom likes the alliance and joins Werner.
TOM: You have my vote.
WERNER: We became a home for him.
And just like that, Vusi regrets every single one of his five challenge wins on Visayas.
INDIVIDUAL IMMUNITY CHALLENGE #1
DAY 24
NICO: Every time I see you Chane, you look different. Rustic and red.
Nico–the only guy who can get away with referring to a young woman as “rustic” and have it come off as a compliment.
Nico unveils the individual talisman. He didn’t even ask for the two tribal immunity idols. Are they just abandoned on the Visayas and Luzon beaches? Or because the beaches were actually swapped when we shifted to three tribes, it would really be the Visayas and the Mindanao beaches?
For today’s challenge, they will take a position on a platform in the water. There are three levels. As time progresses, they will be forced to go up to a higher level. If they fall, they’re out. I should note this is IDENTICAL to the doghouse balancing challenge that we have seen since Survivor: Caramoan and has been played repeatedly in the American version.
We are game on. Unlike the American version, we actually get to see them on the first rung rather than skip ahead to the third rung in favor of showing twenty minutes of vote splitting and repetitive strategic talk.
ELAPSED TIME: 10 MINUTES
Werner is in pain. His feet feel like Dave’s stomach from Survivor NZ.
We are now on the second rung.
NICO: Vusi and Katinka froze in time. Vusi, you still with us?
(VUSI throws up a peace sign.)
Geez. Call him and he can make it Vusi for you.
WERNER: The muscles working are the groin muscles.
Wow. Thanks, Werner.
ELAPSED TIME: 20 MINUTES
Chane’s rusty hair is giggling. They all go up to the top level. Lots of cursing, especially from Chane.
Jeanne dives into the water! Everyone else stands up.
Tom, Annalize, Palesa Katinka takes the platform down with her, PK gingerly climbs off, Vusi looks like he has been knocked out unconscious by a punch as he falls into the water on his back, Werner is shaking all 360 degrees before he goes in.
Now it’s Chane and Toni. Chane is surfing as her butt is sticking out really far. Toni is standing more straight up with minimal movement.
ELAPSED TIME: 40 MINUTES
Chane looks like she is treading water on the platform before she loses her balance and hops off.
Toni wins individual immunity after 43 minutes! The talisman is hers.
AROO
DAY 25
Chane explains to Tom that PK is in her alliance with Vusi and Palesa. Tom is visibly frustrated that Chane didn’t tell her PK is being picked up. Chane lies to Tom that she is still with Tom.
In a confessional, Chane states she believes aligning with Palesa and Vusi was a mistake, and the numbers are on Mindanao’s side.
Toni tells Werner they should show an idol to PK and say they are writing Palesa’s name down so he’ll go to Palesa and get her to play an idol. Everyone else will split the vote between Vusi and Katinka.
While Toni and Werner are talking PK wanders in from behind. They inform PK to vote against Palesa in an effort to flush an idol.
PK (indifferent): If you feel she is in a good position, then let’s get her out today.
I can’t say his enthusiasm is there.
Werner and Toni will tell him after TC that it was all to test his trust. If I know my Survivor history, that very rarely goes over well with the other person. Especially a real man like PK.
They know he is playing both sides. PK tells us he is still finding a home.
Vusi, Chane, and PK chat. PK accuses Chane of not doing a good job of flipping Tom to their side.
CHANE (confessional): He thinks I am dumb. Yes, I am blonde slash rust colored now, but I am observant.
CHANE: I see everything, PK. I am not dumb.
Yes, Chane is the rust-colored Santa Claus.
Chane turns the tables on him.
CHANE: Why are you always speaking to Toni alone. Why don’t you want us speaking with Toni, huh?
PK: Because you’re not part of the Blue–I’m pretending to be Blue. If I wasn’t speaking to them, you guys would have no information. . .so don’t worry about what I am doing there, I am still part of you guys. If it’s us three, and Palesa, we need Tom to draw rocks.
Another rock draw. Another rock draw. For real?
Chane wants to target Katinka. PK agrees.
CHANE: Katinka is a threat.
Original Mindanao definitely never said anything like that. My word. Chane has only known Katinka for about 36 hours anyway.
Toni, Annalize, Werner, Jeanne, and Tom talk in the shelter. Toni tells them about the plan to flush Palesa’s idol and feeding misinformation to PK.
Meanwhile, everyone has coffee while Palesa and Tom to take a solo stroll.
PALESA: We’ve never been the best of friends, but I have respect for you.
Thank goodness Palesa isn’t Pinocchio or that nose would be freakin’ huge right now.
Palesa wants Tom’s help to break a leg from the Mindanao tribe–either Kat or Jeanne. Primarily Kat because she is close to the others in Mindanao.
TOM (confessional): I remember what it was like when [Palesa] was in charge. She treated me like s–t. Palesa and Vusi want me to join their tribe because they want my number (Flips off the camera) Yeah, man. I’m not a marionette just to flop around cause you’re a puppet master.
Palesa retreats to her alliance.
PALESA: I think he’s solid with us. We shook on it.
I think flipping off the camera outweighs the handshake.
VUSI: We’re good.
PK: How do you know?
VUSI: Their talk was very strong.
PK immediately goes to Tom to ensure he is strong.
TOM: I am voting Katinka cause she throws her weight around too much. If that’s the same as you, then that’s cool.
Ah, we have now entered the mode known as Maverick Tom. He votes whichever way he likes, and if it lines up with your reasoning, then f–k he doesn’t give a s–t anyway.
PK: I won’t be speaking to you if you vote for anybody other than Katinka on this island.
TOM (confessional): “It’s up to us now to make the decision.” Bulls—-t. You made the decision with some other people a long time ago but you need my vote of confidence. I’m not here to be your number.
He doesn’t want your number. He doesn’t want your time. He doesn’t want to go with you anywhere. Tom don’t want any scrubs.
Chane walks away and decides to have a flash of honesty with PK.
TOM: They want to flush Palesa’s idol and get rid of you anyway.
PK: . . .
PK goes to Toni.
TONI: They’re going for Vusi and we’re going for Palesa.
PK and Toni fist bump. PK is beyond confused right now.
TRIBAL COUNCIL #9
NIGHT 25
(SEAMUS)-(NEIL)-(STACEY)-(ACE)-(MURISCHA)-(MATTHEW’S ANUS)-(TEVIN)-(JOSIE)
X
(ANNALIZE)-(CHANE)-(JEANNE)-(KATINKA)-(iPALESAi)-(PK)-(TOM)-(*TONI*)-(VUSI)-(iiWERNERii)
Chane thinks it is Red vs. Blue.
CHANE: We are guests to this merge while all of us have worked equally hard to be where we’re at. . . like Katinka would be like “we decided we’re not eating” and “we decided when you guys go out there’ll be more food for us.” Who is ‘we’? And who is ‘you guys’?
Annalize visibly disagrees and outright says she is in a new alliance now.
VUSI: If [Katinka] spoke, nobody objected. Some of us think if we object against her then we’re pretty much Chop Suey.
I didn’t even know they had chop suey in South Africa. Huh.
PK thinks there is a head somewhere in the tribe but the waters are a bit murky.
NICO: It might be fair to say you’re the kingpin, Katinka.
KATINKA: . . .I never knew they saw me as a powerful person.
Considering her zero confessionals in seven of the nine episodes, we never thought so either.
Tom says he wasn’t approached by Visayas for the first time until yesterday, but lines are not necessarily drawn.
Vusi warns everyone that there is a jury vote that will respond to the actions of everyone else in the game. Palesa and Tom agree.
It’s time to vote. No votes are shown.
Nobody plays a hidden immunity idol.
FIRST VOTE: (KATINKA)
SECOND VOTE: (VUSIE)
THIRD VOTE: (KATINKA)
FOURTH VOTE: (VUSI)
FIFTH VOTE: (KATINKA!!!)
SIXTH VOTE: (VUSI)
SEVENTH VOTE: (PALESA)
Vusi’s eyebrows raise.
EIGHTH VOTE: (PALESA)
NINTH VOTE: (VUSI)
4-3-2.
FINAL VOTE: (Vusz)
VUSI: They were all scared of me. I knew it.
The Pre-Merge Challenge King is fittingly the first member of our jury. I assume a good chunk of our individual challenges will involve balance which was never Vusi’s strong suit, but it’s tough to change that way of thinking if you don’t know recent Survivor post-merge challenges.
Next Time on Survivor SA: Two real men fight.
Vusi knows everyone was scared.
TOM: You’ve screwed me over three times. Now it’s my turn.
If only Vusi threw a challenge pre-merge and was willing to screw you for a fourth, he’d still be in the game.
*
I thought Vusi would be given a little bit more time, but winning 1, 000, 000 challenges in a row put him on everyone’s radar.
Because he currently holds two hidden immunity idols, Werner is opting to play an extremely aggressive game. I think he is going to get caught sooner rather than later. It won’t take much effort to unpack that he is the kingpin rather than Katinka. Annalize has found two very good shields. Annalize’s position is really good in this game.
I thought Jeanne was doomed to go very early post-merge, but my buddy Michael Harmstone is saying that Jeanne is poised to be an ideal goat who gets dragged to the end. Based on Jeanne’s edit since Stacey’s exit, I am inclined to agree. It’s a shame because Jeanne was receiving such an awesome edit at the start of the season, but is now being treated as a very expendable bottom rung no matter how many shake-ups occur in this game. Remember when she was the primary player facing off against Marthunis? Those were her golden days.
Palesa has an idol. Chane does not. It sucks to be Chane right now. Maybe she should dye her hair Annalize’s color and everyone will get extremely confused at the next Tribal Council.
Tom’s position has drastically improved. The three-tribe phase spelled certain doom, but Vusi’s challenge prowess and Murischa’s semi-forfeiture kept him alive for five rounds. You know how a lot of us say Survivor requires a lot of luck to win? Yeah, just look at Tom’s trajectory in this game. The swap was really bad luck for him, but really good luck countered it to put him in the merge and in the position he is in now. As long as the majority retains control, Tom is going to make a very deep run in this game.
Unless he starts licking everyone’s spoons on the reward. Chane and Palesa may regain the numbers quickly.
Toni, Werner, Tom, and Annalize seem like a tight alliance controlling the majority with Katinka and Jeanne in tow. But aren’t those four way too Type A to not want to make a move against each other sooner rather than later? Hell, that is why this cast has mixed things up so damn frequently. Toni is doing her darndest to ensure she has PK as an outside number within the game. It ain’t Werner’s number. Or Tom’s number. Or Annalize’s number. Toni could be in trouble after Palesa/Chane get split up.
Now to PK. Holy crap. The Real Man who plays without emotion is on a Kill Bill-esque path to assassinate all of his former Blues. It’s like he embraced the taste of Blue Blood on his lips once he wrote down T-E-V-I-N on his parchment. Only Toni will be spared. PK is such an unreliable number for all the other players left in the game. Chane and Palesa will deflect the target onto him because they have no other options, and the lack of trust combined with Palesa’s idol could make PK an ideal boot to go next round. I doubt Toni can protect him at this point, and I doubt she succeeds.
Let’s do some good ol’ fashioned power rankings now that we have seen where everyone show where they stand at the merge.
1) Annalize – Can you picture a scenario where she goes home anytime soon? Like, how does it happen?
2) Toni – This will change if she starts going on a run if balance-based immunity challenges continue.
3) Tom – Loyalty + Majority + Developing good gut instincts = A dark horse emerging.
4) Werner – I think he goes home before fourth because I sense Werner could be overconfident with his position in the game. He does have more of a chance than Katinka or Jeanne winning.
5) Katinka – Sacrificial lamb or F3 goat? It doesn’t help when Nico’s narration at the start of the episode was “On day 21, Katinka finally started playing the game.” Hello, Neleh Dennis.
6) Jeanne – Sacrificial lamb or F3 goat?
7) Palesa – That idol keeps her safe for a while.
8) Chane – She wishes she had an idol.
9) PK – Toni is his ally and I doubt anyone trusts him for the remainder of the game. Maybe he can push it for a couple rounds and be used in a key blindside against Werner or something. Idk.
