Survivor Palau: week 13

Day 34, and only five Survivors left. Maybe it's some kind of dietary deficiency, or just being cooped up with the same people for so long, but about this time they usually start going a bit crazy. Actually what it might be is a big case of hypocrisy, because alliances must break up and that means broken promises and broken friendships. It always means great TV.

This episode had two clear sub-plots. The first was the breakdown in Katie and Ian's relationship; the other was the yawning gulf in game skills between Tom and Caryn. As if we needed it, the evidence of Tom's strategic skills arrived with the tree mail. Knowing the reward challenge involved some overnight pampering, and that the girls were once again in the majority, he instructed Ian - quite clearly I thought - to take one of the girls if he won. Splitting them up would prevent them from ganging up on the boys. Perhaps Ian couldn't hear through all that hair hanging over his ears (and yes, the resemblance to Shaggy from Scooby Doo is undeniable).

Anyway, the prize was not just an overnight trip, but a little red Corvette as well. Literally (well, more literally than the Prince song at least). Apparently dolphin training doesn't pay too well, because after winning it Ian admitted that it was the first car he's ever owned. Apparently dolphin training doesn't help pull the chicks, either, because Ian really has no idea with women. Some time back he'd done a deal with Katie promising to take her if he ever won a reward. He'd made a similar promise to Tom to take him if the prize was a car. Hmmm; what to do now that it's both? How about making the decision out loud so that there's no doubt you remember both promises, one of which you're about to break? How about disobeying Tom, who said three days ago, "A reward is the icing and I'm here for the cake." How about upsetting Katie by not picking her, then leaving her behind to simmer with resentment and plot against me with the other two girls? Yeah, let's take Tom!

It was hard to pick whether Tom or Katie was angrier at him, despite their reactions being so very different. Katie made no secret of how betrayed she felt, and in the process revealed her long-standing alliance with Tom and Ian, much to Jenny's amusement. Tom managed to bite his tongue until they got back to camp, but spat out a terse "You just screwed up" after Ian froze when grilled by Caryn about the state of their alliance. Given the way Tom spent the rest of the episode telling other people what they should be doing, and the icy menace with which he delivered the orders, it seems he's been watching a lot of Mafia movies between Survivor series.

Katie and Ian had their showdown in a beautifully choreographed pas de deux on a remote beach. They accused each other of betrayal. They cried. Ian scratched his head quite a lot, and Katie knew she had him hooked as soon as he offered to quit rather than lose their friendship. Then he made a little joke, she laughed, they hugged and made up. Something like this happens every year, and it's always unintentionally funny. The question this year is just how unintentional it was on Katie's part. Perhaps she and Tom have more in common than I thought.

The immunity challenge was a combination of obstacle course and memory puzzle. In a repeat of the reward challenge, Ian and Tom dominated with Jen not too far behind and then daylight to Caryn and Katie. Tom won: boring. Tribal Council, however, was very far from boring. I don't know how many episodes of Survivor Caryn has actually watched. I don't know when a lawyer (albeit a human rights one) decided that honesty is the best policy. I don't know how much higher Coby can arch his eyebrows in shock and awe, but the jury was very amused as Caryn recounted every strategic move she's witnessed everyone else attempt. She accused them of lying. They accused her of lying. She recounted how Katie had schemed with Gregg with two G's and Jenny to vote either Ian or Tom off. Ian and Katie got sniffy at each other again. Jen sat back and said nothing at all.

By the time Jeff said "It's time to vote" it seemed that Caryn's disclosures had turned everyone against each other and dissolved all of the alliances. It certainly didn't save her, for she was outed in a unanimous vote (taking Mike out with her). I can't wait to see what questions she asks in the jury interviews!

Actually I won't have to wait too long at all. The final two episodes screen from 8.30 this Tuesday night, followed by the Survivor reunion where we get to see the early exits finish off their fifteen minutes. We've got two challenges, three Tribal Councils, and plenty of drama yet to go because the Tom / Ian / Katie alliance has to break up at some point. Gee I'd love to see Jenny win the next immunity challenge!