Honestly, I think the show is being very clever here by providing the statement that Rocker SHOULD have made back in 1999. Can you imagine what his legacy would have been if he had said that…?
On the Coyopa beach, using the new fishing gear, the tribe seems to be eating better as Rocker walks up with one more catfish for the tribe. Spirits appear to be a little higher now that they’ve found their groove. Wes, being a good old boy, can feel the additional protein surging through his body and hopes it gives Coyopa the upper hand in the next immunity challenge.
As the tribe begins to doze off, and with Rocker apparently asleep, Baylor takes the opportunity to petition Wes and Alec to vote with her and Jaclyn to get rid of John. His negativity is a “virus” in the tribe (Do we really have to use that term right now?! We’ve got an Ebola epidemic on our hands here!) and they don’t need that around camp. When she’s no longer around, the guys agree that she’s only saying this (and they’re only placating her) because they know she’s on the bottom. The guys have a pretty good thing going, so they only need to keep her around as long as she serves their needs. Well now, that’s sounds oddly chauvinistic…
The Immunity Challenge is next and damn, that looks like a monster. Can’t wait to see the drama that that thing will bring about. As our Exile Island “forkers” return and rejoin their tribes, it occurs to me I can’t recall hearing Reed say a single thing tonight. Wondering if that means he just doesn’t have anything interesting to say, or are they saving him for later in the season? (Remember they did that a few season’s ago? Who was that? Somebody help me…)
The challenge consists of 2 tribe members being tethered together who then have to scurry through a maze of poles (with one insane intersection, it seems). Once through, each tribe must retrieve a ball and then shoot a basket. First team to score three wins. Keith and Dale will sit out…
I’ll summarize:
Jon-Natalie vs. Josh-Baylor – Now that we know how it actually works, it looks like things could get really ugly in that intersection. It doesn’t on this heat, and Jon sinks the basket for Hunahpu.
Missy-Julie vs. Wes-Alec – I guess you don’t need to keep the matchups gender equal so it’s on like Donkey Kong… And is it just me, or does Alec intentionally smash into Julie in the intersection? Hmmm…not cool, not cool… Wes sinks the shot on the first attempt and it’s tied up.
Drew-Reed vs. Rocker-Jaclyn – Rocker takes the opportunity to hip check Reed in the intersection (but…didn’t YOUR teammate smash YOUR girlfriend? Who are you retaliating against?) Regardless, Rocker and Jaclyn’s long legs prove too quick as John sinks the first shot. Coyopa 2, Hunahpu 1. John’s sportsmanship is now being called into question…
Jeremy-Kelley vs. Josh-Baylor – The pairing of Josh and Baylor seems to work well together and they motor through the course and get to their ball first, Baylor (the masculine one) shoots and just misses. While they have to go find their ball, Jeremy takes the shot for Hunahpu and hits the J. We’re all tied up, 2-2…
Jon-Natalie vs. Wes-Alec – The final heat, it’s all or nothing now. In the intersection, it looks like Natalie tries to stick her big fat butt in Wes’s face but he throws her off and she takes a hard spill. I’m sure it’ll come out that Wes was the dirty one, but we know the truth… The teams take virtually simultaneous shots, but both fail to hit the mark. As they’re both retrieving their balls (no jokes, TokyoKate!) it seems they’re not allowed to touch the other tribes’ balls (however much Josh and Reed doth protest…!) because I’m wondering if a team can just grab the other team’s ball and just chuck it into the jungle. I guess that’s against the rules… There seems to be a little scrum going on retrieving their balls but when the dust settles, Jon and Natalie stand up for the shot. Jon eyes the basket and sinks the free throw. Hunahpu wins the challenge and immunity…!
So Natalie jumps on the opportunity to start talking smack against Coyopa and blast them for not putting up their strongest players. She specifically calls out John for losing to Julie at Exile Arena and losing to Jon in the sumo challenge last week, and then calls him a racist for good measure. She doesn’t let up, daring Coyopa to vote him out and get rid of a racist. Jeff tries to control the discussion and asks Julie why her tribe is attacking John. She’s still under the impression he’s being targeted for being the leader of his tribe, but Natalie wants to make it clear he’s a racist. Julie defends her man by saying they don’t know him personally, but this may be a result of “that article.”
“What article?” asks Jeff. (Seriously, dude…? You couldn’t say, “Julie, why don’t you tell us about what article you’re referring to.” You had to play dumb.)
So Jeff asks Coyopa if they know what article Julie’s referring to, but Dale speaks for the tribe and says they have John’s back. But Natalie can’t let it go.
“Get together and vote him out…” she yells.
Rocker’s retort, “If you were a man I’d knock your teeth out…”
This elicits a ton of backlash from Hunahpu as he’s called childish, a poor example, a bad sport and more, and all Julie can do is motion for him to “zip it.” I get the feeling she’s been in this position before…
As Coyopa heads off, Josh confesses that Rocker does tend to lose his mind and temper and “acts haphazardly,” which is not good for the tribe. So that may be a problem. But if you ask me, I’d say he’s the perfect guy to keep around, right? An easy target later. No chance to win. Big physical force. I’d keep him around just to gather firewood. Wouldn’t you agree?
So when Coyopa returns to camp, Baylor is in gameplay mode and confesses that she wants Rocker out. A professional athlete, to say the things he said, is totally uncalled for, so he should be sent packing. But John has something else in mind. He proposes to Baylor and Jaclyn that they should get rid of “dead wood” Dale. They, of course, tell him they’re down with that, but as soon as he walks away, they both say that they like Dale and want to get rid of John.
John then tells us that he really doesn’t want to get rid of Dale; his plan is just to throw the girls off and then vote for Baylor. So he goes around to all the guys alerting them to his plan. Everyone seems down with it, but after he speaks to Josh, we then hear from Josh that he’s starting to sour on this alliance with John. “Sometimes you make alliances early and then find out that those people don’t stand for what you do,” he tells us. But right now, I’m yelling at the TV “it’s a game, Josh, you don’t have to be like your alliance. You just need to vote with them.” But he can’t hear me, and so, he’s gonna do what he wants to do… Smells like trouble brewing for Mr. Rocker…
So when John tells Josh that none of this matters because he has an immunity idol, which puts another nail in the coffin. Because Josh—for some odd reason—feels that any idol found by Rocker should be used to protect Josh, not Rocker. Huh? At the last Tribal Council Josh switched his vote from Baylor to Val without telling Rocker so who’s not fully divulging? (Ok, I get that it may not have been feasible at the time.)
Next scene, Wes and Josh are taking a dip together. Josh mentions how much fun he had with Wes’s dad at Exile, so Wes asks him about any clues he may have found. Or, does he think that John already has it? Josh tells Wes that John has it and they conspire to make a big move against John at Tribal. All it’ll take is four votes, so if they can bring in Alec and Baylor, they’re good. Just have to make sure that Rocker doesn’t get any wind of this… Baylor approaches, and is pleased as punch to hear that she may not be going home tonight. However, she knows these guys could be playing her, so she can only wait and see what befalls Mr. Rocker…
Back at camp, Wes informs Alec what the plan is but he’s a little uncertain that getting rid of their best athlete is wise at this point. While they’re debating if this is a good move, we see John collecting his idol, just in case things aren’t smelling right at Tribal. I think with the reputation he had coming into the game, and with all the crap that Natalie was throwing at him at the challenge, there’s no way he doesn’t play that idol. But let’s ask James Clement how safe one feels while holding an idol(s)…
Hey Fishy,
You know I won’t leave you! Thanks for taking all my ball jokes in the challenge recap. Now what do I say? All jokes aside, I think you summed up the stupidity of all the Rocker bashing perfectly. I have no opinion of the guy but the knee jerk racism stuff is just so over done. I’m sorry Jeremy, your wife made a stupid move. I think he feels a bit guilty about sending her to exile island and acted like a baby who just lost his mommy. Anyway, Mr. Fish, you must give me a kudos again (yes-I need constant validation) Rocker said in an interview to CBS (its on their Facebook survivor page) that he WOULD have given Val his idol if she hand’t said she had one. SEE, I told you. Tee Hee. Now for the important stuff, my 10 year old son giggles every time Julie tugs on her bikini top. Sigh! I really can’t believe Rocker didn’t use the idol. At tribal, EVERYONE was basically saying they were going to vote him out. The dumb blonde (forget her name) practically spilled it out right. Oh well. They were dumb to get rid of him now. I guess Dale will help them win challenges-hahahaha. Josh-way to cocky. (pun intended) Did you hear Rocker tell Natalie she looked like a man? I confess, I giggled at that one.
Best Recap ever Fishy!!!
Thanks, kinb, you made my day!
Yeah, I really don’t get all the Rocker bashing for what he said/did last episode. Natalie is GOING OFF on him, is clearly emotional, and calling him a racist. Now I’m not expert, but if someone is yelling that at me — and it doesn’t matter if it’s a man or a woman — I think you’re justified in telling that person to stfu, in whatever way you please. As long as he didn’t go over and punch her in the teeth, then he’s fine. Gotta protect one’s character… Plus, like I saw someone else note, Rocker was clearly willing to work with Jeremy/Val and with Josh, so it’s not like he’s joining the KKK tribe or the Westboro Baptist Church. I guess once your labeled a racist, it’s hard to live that down…
And whether he said he’d have given his idol to Val or not, I don’t believe that. I think he may be trying to get some sympathy for bowing out so quickly, but who knows?
I was so dumbstruck that he didn’t use his idol! It was clear there were some alliance issues for him, and if there’s ever the slightest possibility that you’re not safe, you use it. Duh! Hell, you can always go out and try to find another one in case you do have to use it, right? So dumb…
You’re raising your boy right if he’s giggling at Tits McGee. Good on ya!
Looking forward to tomorrow night, and hopefully I’ll find some inspiration for my recap… ‘bye!