Survivor Caramoan - Episode 12 Discussion Thread - NO SPOILERS PLEASE
Wow, another good episode. First, the Favorites finally got rid of the best physical player of the season in Raynold. That man was a physical challange monster. He was not the sharpest knife in teh drawer, but he lasted this long, so I tip my hat to him. But the second elimination was amazing. More on that later.
So 2 minutes into the episode, its tree-mail with another immunity challenge. Nothing like diving in head first. The challenge is a new twist on an old balance challenge. Everyone is on an angled platform. While soem have called them pyramid shaped platforms, I love Brenda and Andrea calling them doghouses in the water. They really were the shape of doghouses in the water. As the time passed you had to walk closer to teh apex of the "roof" on smaller ledges until you were on the top on a tiny piece of wood. In addition to immunity, the winner gets "information." So Probst immediately starts tempting them with food. First is donuts and milk. I flash back to Amazon with the lovely Jenna and Heidi and their gettign naked for peanut butter and chocolate. Back to the season, Erik and Eddie take the deal and jump for donuts and milk. Really. Eddie so deserved ot go home for that call. Next it is hotdogs and a coke. Cochran takes it. this is the first mistake I have seen him make this year. He should have lost by falling and not by giving up. Finally Dawn and Sherri fall, so its just Reynold, Brenda and Andrea on the top of the doghouse roof. Finally, after two really cool looking saves, Reynold goes down.
Now comes the strange part. With Reynold ready to go home, Brenda and Andrea talk about a deal, since the obvious target is down. but neither one is ready to step down. Both want to win. So they go for three hours and eventually they agree to make it more difficult by raising a foot in the air and Brenda loses.
Andrea shares the "information" with her favorites alliance, it is the location of the idol Malcomb could not find. Erik finds it immediately, but he seems to hand it over to Andrea. WTF dude? You found it, you keep it. Now with both the hidden idol and immunity on her neck, Andrea starts talking about taking out Brenda or Dawn. Tribal is fun because Cochran makes some good points about timing. Dawn then says something crazy and admits to playing many sides of the fence. but the first tribal is just a set up for later as they obviously have to take out Reynald. They do and he goes off into the sunset.
But it is double elimination week!!! Andrea's talk about blindsiding Dawn gets Cochran worried because his strongest ally is Dawn. So he does exactly what he should and quietly tells Brenda and Dawn about Andrea's scheming. both are ready to jump on her now. So off to the second IC of the episode and this one is a good one. Its the rope obstacle course where you have to bring the trinket along the rope with you in the winding course, but this time it is in the water. Then at the end is a bunch of knots and a key, then a ladder puzzle. They all stay close but Shari, but in the end Erik rocks the ladder puzzle and wins easily.
Back at camp, Andrea is campaigning HARD to get rid of Brenda. She then starts to lounge with Eddie. Cochran sees this and realizes she has a final plan in order and he is not in on it. He makes the best statement ever, if I am not in on your final 3 plan, I have to get rid of you. I need to be in everyone's final 3 plan. So he gets Dawn, Shari and Brenda on board and talks to Erik. If they split the vote and she plays the idol, Eddie goes home, but if not it is Andrea. Now they have to make her feel confident.
Tribal is fun because everybody admits to having lied to everyone else. Andrea tells Probst that she has the hidden idol. They vote and Andrea is BLOWN away that they got her. She got played big time and the blindside was fun to watch.
Cochrane and Dawn are playing brilliantly, but right now I think I give Cochrane the lead. If I were the two of them, I would want to take Shari to the finals with each of them, because she has no chance to beat them and I think both think they would beat the other, but Cochrane would win IMO. Brenda might be able to beat them, but I doubt it. Erik and Eddie will both win if either of them is there, with Erik winning if they are both there. No one can beat Erik, so they have to get him out. If he can stay until the end, this game is his. Best final is Eddie, Erik and BRenda, but that will never happen. My guess is that Cochran and Dawn take out Eddie and Erik, telling Shari that they are her best chance too. then I see a final four of BRenda, Cochran Dawn and Shari, with the goal to oust Brenda at the end. But if she wins the last IC, then its Shari that goes and we get a good final tribal with three deserving players and still think Cochrane win. Anyway, it is getting good now.
= new reply since forum marked as read
they are actually THINKING this time and not just going with the flow. And it is making the show more interesting than ever.
But as smart as they are, WHY didn't Andrea use the idol? The minute the plan went from ANY of them not voting for Eddie, ALL the rest of them should have been suspicious. If they weren't going to get rid of him, they should have smelled a blindside.
Oh, well, it was more fun the way it turned out. 
