Survivor Palau: week 12

As tempting as it was to watch Peter Costello hand down his tenth budget, the tenth season of Survivor won out and paid my loyalty back handsomely with an exciting episode full of political intrigues worthy of a power struggle between a Prime Minister and his Treasurer.

With Stephanie gone the logical next target was Caryn, but Survivor is rarely that straightforward and the fulcrum of this week was the reward challenge. It was the Survivor Quiz one, where everybody answers questions about the setting for that series and getting the answer right gives you the chance to put someone else a step closer to being out of contention. It's a competition designed to show what the pecking order in camp is and in what order the torches will be snuffed. In a beautiful metaphor, each Survivor had a kerosene lantern that got closer to the water every time a lever was pulled and went in after three strikes. Hmm, subtle.

Tom, wearing his buff in a frankly alarming 'Rambo' style headband, cast the first stone and gave Caryn a hit. The others followed his lead and she was out before the first round was over. Eventually it was down to Gregg with two G's, his girlfriend Jenny, and Katie who for some reason he'd promised not to strike out. Forced to choose between them, Jenny's charms won out; who says men don't think with their anatomy!

We already knew that the reward would be a night of pampering on a luxury yacht, the SS Palau Aggressor II (the mind boggles wondering what happened to the SS Palau Aggressor I: attacked by Philippine pirates, or just locals with spears in outriggers?). We also knew from past series - and Tom stating it outright before the challenge - that the winner would get to take someone else on the reward. What we didn't know was that:
a) the winner would actually get to take two guests; and
b) the three of them would get to share the reward with their loved one.

This had several fascinating implications. One was that half the tribe was living it up while plotting and scheming, while the other half was back at camp collecting coconuts and firewood while plotting and scheming. It also meant that the other three didn't get to see their loved ones at all, instead of at least seeing them for five minutes as usually happens. I was a bit disappointed, because it's always quite revealing to see who turns up. For Gregg with two G's it was his friend Greg with one G. Jenny had her sister, and Katie had her sister's husband (the official story is that her sister has just had a baby and couldn't be there, but I reckon something's going on between those two).

The final touch to the reward was a swim with dolphins. How much would we all have loved to see Ian the dolphin trainer doing that? Unfortunately he was back at camp being misled by Tom as to how a tie-breaker at Tribal Council works. For someone who knows the challenges so well, Tom just has no idea about this crucial aspect. He thinks that the two targeted in the first round of voting get immunity, and the others draw a rock out of a bag and whoever gets the purple one is out. Wrong! They vote again, and if that still produces no result it goes to a count-back on previous votes (which, for the record, Caryn would have lost thanks to her vote from Stephanie last week).

Anyway, Tom and Ian kept Caryn on side and directed her to an Oscar winning performance as she sulked about camp using "sour", "dour" and "Janu" as her inspiration, making the others think she was the sure thing to be going home. Instead, Ian sprung the change of plan on Katie just before they left for Tribal Council and she went along with it despite having promised Gregg and Jenny to vote for Caryn.

Gregg didn't see it coming (sorry Judalyn; you're out of the sweep), and neither did Jenny judging by the stunned look on her face as his torch was snuffed out. In his post-eviction interview he admitted that he's looking forward to spending some more time with Jenny off the island, which must be some sort of euphemism judging by the leering look he gave as he said it. I don't think she'll be too far behind him, unless his departure frees her up for a girls v boys alliance. Ian won immunity again this week just ahead of Tom (I'm not going to talk about the challenge: balut was involved), but since they can't both win it next week they're vulnerable.

The ad gives a tantalising hint of a lovers' tiff between Ian and Katie, following some suggestions last night that there's more going on in that corner than previously shown in the editing. It also pointed out that the next episode is on this Saturday night, not next Tuesday. With only two episodes to go, and three people to get rid of, it promises to be action packed.