'Survivor' Winner In Trouble at Work

Million-dollar winner's $34,000-a-year highway job on the line.
Friday, May 26, 2006
Ted Wendling, Plain Dealer Bureau

Columbus -- Chris Daugherty, a state highway worker, survived 39 days on the volcanic South Pacific island of Vanuatu in 2004, walking away with $1 million for winning the CBS reality show.

But it looks like he may not weather an Ohio Department of Transportation investigation into the unauthorized leave of absence he took last fall to join past "Survivor" winners for a European tour.

An ODOT hearing officer ruled Thursday that Daugherty, 35, was guilty of taking the unauthorized leave and of dishonesty for falsely claiming that he needed time off work because he was under stress and suffering from depression.

ODOT investigators concluded that, after being denied a leave because he had used all but 29 hours of his vacation, sick leave and personal leave, Daugherty submitted a bogus excuse from a doctor in London, Ohio, that said he needed to take off a month because he was suffering from anxiety and depression.

Daugherty later admitted to an ODOT investigator that he cured his depression by attending the CBS-sponsored "Survivor" tour.
full story

My Take
I admire him for not quitting his job after winning the million dollars, but did he really expect to get away with lying in order to go to Europe? The excuse about the trip curing his depression also sounds questionable. Good luck with all of that, Chris.

'Survivor' Ratings Flagging

Off 17 percent heading into its Sunday finale.
by Toni Fitzgerald, May 12, 2006

Ratings for CBS's "Survivor: Exile Island" have been eroding all season, and with the final episode just days away, they are not getting any better.

Last night's penultimate episode averaged a 5.7 overnight rating among adults 18-49. While that was well ahead of the second-place finisher, NBC's sitcoms, it was down 17 percent from the same night last year, when the second-to-last episode earned a 6.9.
full story at Media Life Magazine

Is the end near for our favorite reality show? I'm fairly sure it will last at least another year (two more Survivor seasons), but what about after that?

Are there any changes that can be made to extend the life of the show? New host? New locations? New format or challenges? Include Survivors from other English speaking countries?

What I like about Survivor is the interaction of people. And people-wise Exile Island was more interesting than Guatemala, although Guatemala was one of the more interesting locales.

Now it is hard to imagine anyone other than Jeff Probst hosting Survivor, but before Survivor I would not have thought that the former host of Rock 'n' Roll Jeopardy would have done this good of job. So I'm open to the idea of a new host, but I don't think any former contestants will be very good as host.

Well, that's about all I have for now.
Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend but don't forget its meaning.

Terry 'Deserved' to Win?

A lot of people seem to think that Terry 'deserved' to win. Their argument is that he won most of the challenges and that he is 'honest' and has 'integrity,' so he should get the million dollars.

Well, here's some food for thought:
1. Terry had an alliance with Dan, so much so that Dan said that he felt betrayed by Terry when he was voted off. Terry voted to remove Dan after promising him he wouldn't. Is that being honest or acting with integrity? I don't think so.
2. Survivor is a game of social interaction much more than a game of competitions. Group Immunity challenges are largely a crap-shoot and no one can expect to win all of the Individual Immunity challenges. Terry couldn't break into Casaya because he lacked the social skills. His only 'strategy' was to win all of the Individual Immunity challenges which is not a realistic game plan.
3. After the merger Terry couldn't make any real alliances with former Casaya members so he had no alliance to betray, so he looks honest. Late in the game it was easy for Terry to promise Danielle the final two with him and even easier to remind her of the promise after she won the final Immunity. Terry may be socially retarded but he's smart enough to know that he would have won the money sitting next to Danielle.

So please spare me the 'Terry deserved to win' talk. Yes he's a good father, husband and he honorably served our country as a naval aviator but in the game of Survivor he was one dimensional. He was good at the challenges but lacked in the social aspects of the game.

I like Cirie but she was the opposite of Terry. She was good at the social aspects of the game but weak in the challenges. Aras was well balanced at both parts of the game so he won.

News Flash: Hatch Sentenced (updated)

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP)
Richard Hatch, who won $1 million in the debut season of "Survivor," was sentenced Tuesday to 51 months in prison for failing to pay income taxes on his reality TV prize and other earnings.

Hatch, 45, was convicted in January. The charges carried a maximum of 13 years in prison.

U.S. District Judge Ernest Torres said he issued a harsher than expected sentence because Hatch had committed perjury repeatedly during his trial.

"It seems unfortunately very clear to me that Mr. Hatch lied," Torres said.

full story (at CNN)

Update: several news organizations are reporting that Richard Hatch must also "undergo psychological counseling." Also his web site www.RichHatch.com has been inactive for at least several days now. What? No jailhouse blog from Hatch?

Ain't That A Shane?

At the Jury Shane was full of righteous indignation towards Aras and Danielle. I know Shane is crazy and all, but wasn't he being hypocritical?

Shane was going to betray Aras but Aras beat him to it and yet this is why Shane was so upset with Aras - that Aras betrayed him!

Shane was similarly upset with Danielle for wavering in the Casaya alliance but wasn't it Shane who sat down with Aras after the merger and tell him that he might 'shake things up' by aligning with some former La Mina members? Later in private, Shane hailed his acting as brilliant strategy and said that he was in control of the game. I guess it's all right when Shane does such things but wrong when Danielle does it.

However I'm glad for Shane's performance at the Jury, otherwise it would have been boring. "Why should I vote for the other of you?' 'What will you do with the responsibility of the million dollars?' 'What was your best and worst move in the game?' (I'm still trying to make out what the heck Courtney was talking about.) These questions make for a boring Jury, it needs a little venom and bile to make it interesting.

Aftermath

First off, to all of the people complaining that the final Immunity challenge was 'rigged' so Danielle would win it - get a clue. Challenges are thought up and created weeks in advance. Some competitions just naturally favor certain Survivors over others. Survivor is not primarily a game of physical competition, it is a game of social interaction.

My Favorite
Of the final four, I would have liked to have seen Cirie win. She played a great game which was even more amazing considering that she was afraid of leaves at the start of the show.

The Other Three
Danielle least deserved to win. She was just a lump that somehow managed to stay in the game. I don't think she was even smart enough to be playing 'under the radar.'

Terry was a tremendous physical threat but socially he was inept. Used to a world of logic and reason, he was lost in the haphazard, crazy world of Casaya.

Aras won because he is very balanced physically and socially which is what I think Survivor aims to achieve.

Curses Spoiled Again
The Car Curse lives on, at least Terry won a real SUV and not some ugly, mutant vehicle like in past seasons. If winning Final Immunity isn't a curse then maybe it should be. Has anyone who has won it gone on to win the million dollars? And so much for that 'betting spoiler' being correct 'every time.' Remember past spoilers are no guarantee of future spoiler returns.

Reunion
Cirie and Hunny Bunny stole the show, they obviously love and care for each other. Thank you America for voting to give them the SUV.

Shane was entertaining as well. Did someone steal his cuff links before the show? Where can I get a multi-colored striped dress shirt with French cuffs like the one he wore last night? I just wish a sweater wasn't covering most of it.

Bruce, a school teacher with 34 years of experience, was suspended without pay for going on Survivor? Most organizations would love all of the free publicity but not all apparently. I just read that half of all teachers quit teaching within three years. Way to go Bruce's school, you suck. The children are our future.

Cook Islands
Next on Survivor, the Cook Islands. Fear not, Exile Island will be back as Survivor moves to the South Pacific. We'll have to wait until the fall to see what new twists Mark Burnett has in store for the Survivors and viewers.

Survivor Hut
I'm moving my Survivor blog to Survivor Hut (http://survivorhut.blogspot.com). This will be my permanent Survivor home, so no more changing web addresses each Survivor season. I intend to have it up and going within about a week.

Thank You
Thanks for reading my ramblings about Survivor. I hope that this blog is entertaining and informative. If you have any suggestions on how to improve it then please leave a comment or Contact Me (pops a new browser window).

Next Update:
Tuesday or Wednesday, I'm going to watch the Survivor Live with the Final Four. I'll post my notes afterwards.

Finale: As It Aired

As It Aired
May 14, 8:00 pm ET, GMT -4 hours
Survivor Panama, Episode 15
title: The Final Showdown
This post was updated as Survivor aired.

Welcome Readers from Survivor.com!
Please visit the main page of my Survivor blog before you leave for my latest thoughts. And next season I will be blogging at Survivor Hut.

Review of the season is over.
Tie breaker is now underway. Fire is life.
Cirie an early lead. Each had a fire go out. Danielle's fire now going steady.

Danielle Wins! Terry smiles too.

Jeff Probst's Final Thought
You've made it to the final three.

Cirie's Final Words
Proud to have gotten this far.

First Interview: Danielle
Worked hard to win the fire building tie breaker. Terry talks about his pack with Danielle to go to the final two together. Terry shows them the Immunity Idol. Danielle says that she's trapped between two macho guys who are rivals.

Reward Challenge
Reward: Power Meal, Cot & Blanket
Type of Challenge: Race Up Climbing Wall.
Terry won Reward. (No one goes to Exile Island)
Aras ahead, first up wall. Terry in second but pulls out the win. Danielle never even got all of her pegs together to try and climb the wall.

Camp. Aras and Danielle talk like they have a pact; Aras says one of us has got to win Immunity. They eat a lot of fish. Terry returns from his meal with his cot. In private Aras says this really puts the pressure on Terry to win Immunity.

Terry reads Tree Mail, it has instruction for the Survivor Memorial at Exile Island. Video memorial of the other Survivors in the order in which they left the game. They burn everyones torhces in the freaky looking skull-shaped shelter on Exile Island.

Final Immunity Challenge
Type of Challenge: Balance on a Series of Floating Platforms.
Danielle won Final Immunity.
Fifteen minutes on each platform, they get smaller each time.
All three move on to the Second Platform.
All three move on to the Third Platform. This is a hard one to balance on. Terry had trouble even starting and is the first one to fall off. Aras goes off shortly afterwards.

Danielle wins the final Immunity! Her first one too. Will she chose Terry to be in the final two with her?

Scheming Is Free
Danielle says that she will take who she thinks has the best chance of beating. So much for that pact with Terry. Terry is calmly making his case with her (Aras not present). Basically he says he's the one because of Casaya loyalty. Now Aras and Danielle talking. Aras claims to have Cirie's vote and if Danielle doesn't take him to the final two then she will lose both their votes.

Tribal Council
Danielle says it's an honor to win final immunity. Terry admits he had the Immunity Idol. Aras says he though he was easily the choice to be in the final two with Danielle. Danielle says again how conflicted she is. Time to vote.
Danielle selects Aras to be in the Final Two with her. As Terry leaves he says to Danielle "You lied" and then to everyone 'Thanks for the adventure.'

Jeff Probst's Final Thought
Congratulations to Danielle and Aras, the power now shifts to the Jury.

Terry's Final Words
My biggest mistake was not keeping the game in my hands . . . not bad for a 46 year old guy.

Last Day at Camp
Aras says that he has played with integredy. Danielle decided on Aras because of the Casaya connection. She trusted her gut. Food in the morning to help celebrate the final two. Aras slips and falls while drinking from a champagne glass and cuts himself on the back and hand. Danielle kind of freaks out. The doctors/medics show up to stitch Aras. Aras gets all philosophical about his accident. Aras and Danielle are all hugy and nice to each other.

The Jury
Opening Statements
Aras: wow guys, thank you, amazing experience. Worked my butt off in camp and challenges. I made an effort to get to know each of you. I played with integrity.

Danielle: Thank you making this an unbelieveable experience. I tried to play my best.

Questions
Sally: of 6 Casaya who helped the most to get you here?
Danielle names Cirie. Aras also says Cirie.

Bruce: What will responsibility of million dollars do?
Aras: try and make myself a better person.
Danielle: Share experience with young people.

Terry: rate 1 to 10 and why? (anger at Danielle first)
Aras: 9. Tried real hard.
Danielle: 8.5, 9. Cheesburger regret.

Austin: 1 positive move, 1 negative move?
Danielle: keep Bruce, Bob Dog off. Voting Courtney off bad, hard.
Aras: telling Melinda she's going. Not proud of voting off Shane.

Courtney: (rambles) What did you really learn about yourself?
Aras: My ego has been smashed.
Danielle: I didn't realize how mentally strong I can be.

Cirie: Why vote for other?
Danielle: Aras is an honorable and great person.
Aras: Danielle helped me after I cut my hand.

Shane: Terry most deserving. You two both are undeserving. Danielle never did anything. Aras, we had an agreement! You lied!! Judge on actions. I can't decide and I can't abstain so pick a number between 1 and a million.
Danielle: 10
Aras: 4

Final Statements (They both dealt with what Shane said about them.)
Danielle: wanted to be strong, be myself and make alliances. Feel played with honesty and integridy. Personaly I feel I grew. I think I did outwit, outplay and outlast.

Aras: Tough choice, I played the best way I know. Shane I'm sorry. Thank you guys.

Time to vote. Bruce is shown voting for Danielle and Terry for Aras.
Danielle: 2
Aras: 4

Aras Wins!

That's it for updates tonight, I'm going to sit back and enjoy the reunion. Check back tomorrow for my final thoughts about the reunion and the season.

Next Update:
Monday or Tuesday, my post episode analysis.

Ep. 15 Fantasy Picks, Rumors

Survivor Fantasy
My picks, for what it's worth:
Aras, First Interviewed
Cirie, First Interviewed
Terry, First Interviewed
Danielle, First Interviewed

One of them has to be interviewed first, right? And I don't think anyone will be Exiled but maybe they all will be Exiled - what do I know? I guess Catches a Fish is a possibility but they were probably not thinking too much about eating with just a few days until one of them gets a million dollars (the same goes for Climbs a Tree). Gets Naked? I doubt it. Bit by a Shark? The shark is a red herring and has been all season. So that leaves First Interviewed. If you want to take a chance then go for one of them as First Interview and the rest Exiled.

There was a time when the Bonus Points were changed for the Finale. You basically picked the order that the final four would finish in and got points according to how correctly you guessed. CBS should go back to that.

Survivor Slackers
One last Thank You to the Survivor Slackers for allowing me to play along with you. We're in second place in the Private Tribes Leaderboard and spent a number of weeks recently at number one.

Finale Rumors, Speculation
It looks like Cirie loses the tie breaker. The final Immunity challenge comes down to Aras and Terry again. Most people are tipping Aras to win final Immunity and chose Danielle to be in the final two with him.

I think Aras would win then despite the 'betting spoiler.' Danielle has had a few people upset with her and she's seen as just 'flying under the radar.' She hasn't played the game, the others have played her and she has pissed a few of them off along the way. Aras has played the game without getting others mad at him. So Aras most likely wins this thing.

If Terry wins the final Immunity then I think he will chose Danielle to be in the final two with him. This would be a close vote and one that Danielle just might be able to win. Even though Casaya argued frequently (and often with Danielle) they are strangely loyal to one-another. Terry's best bet for two Casaya votes (to go with Austin and Sally) would be Shane and Courtney.

In the unlikely event that the two men are in the final two, Aras would win easily over Terry.

Next Update
Tonight night As It Airs 8:00 pm ET, GMT -4 hrs.

Preview Episode 15

Title: The Final Showdown
Final Episode: Sunday May 14, 2006
CBS 8:00 pm ET -4 hrs. GMT, 2 hrs plus 1 hr. Reunion
Continued: Cirie and Danielle will compete in fire making to determine who is voted off at Tribal Council. If you are an astute viewer then you probably already know who wins from the preview at the end of last week's episode.

If past editions of Survivor are a guide then the final Immunity challenge will be one that tests endurance. Also expect to see some sort of memorial to all of the Survivors by the final three instead of a Reward challenge.

And the Winner is . . .
I will hold off on saying who I thinks wins until tomorrow. I will say this: I have heard rumors about each of the final four winning the million dollars.

The Tribe
Here's who's still playing the game:

old Casaya
Aras, Cirie, Danielle.

old La Mina
Terry.

Next Update
Sunday afternoon: my Survivor Fantasy picks and any last minute rumors that I get.
Sunday night: As It Airs 8:00 pm ET, GMT -4 hrs.

Danielle Looking Good

Last night Terry, Aras and Cirie came off looking bad. Poor winner, sore loser and name calling - what is this a kindergarden playground?

Incessant Whine
Terry started things off by complaining about Cirie leaving things lying around camp. He had a point, someone could trip over stuff in the dark, but he sounded arrogant and whiny. However Cirie didn't need to call Terry names (King Terry, Captain America), it made her look bad too. Later Terry complained after losing the Reward challenge and it sounded like more whining to me.

Stinky Cheese and Whine
Aras sounded petty and childish as he pointed out Terry's whining and then asked him if he was going to 'pick on women' next. Lately Terry has acted like an arrogant jerk but I wouldn't say he's a misogynist.

Lotus Flower
Danielle looked good just by not getting involved in the little tiffs. She also wisely made a deal with Terry, which was rendered useless after Terry lost the Immunity challenge. Do I think she is a master strategist and the favorite to win? No but she showed me a little something last night.

Wider Is Better
It looks like there are plans to widen the Panama Canal.
Panama Canal expansion: the unknown financial factors

Next Updates:
Saturday afternoon, Preview, rumors and speculation.
Sunday afternoon, Survivor Fantasy picks, last minute rumors.
Sunday night, the Final episode As It Airs 8:00 pm ET -4 hrs GMT.

Episode 14: As It Airs

As It Airs
May 11, 8:00 pm ET, GMT -4 hours
Survivor Panama, Episode 14
title: Call the Whambulence
This post was updated as Survivor aired.

First Interview: Cirie
At night after last week's Tribal Council Cirie gets into an argument with Terry, she calls him 'King Terry' and 'Captain America.' Terry was upset at Cirie for leaving things lying around camp.

Reward Challenge
Reward: Tour of Panama Canal on Luxury Yacht (and decide who gets Exile)
Type of Challenge: Mental - rope maze, assemble puzzle.
Aras won Reward (chose Cirie to share canal tour). Danielle and Terry Exiled.
Very close through 5 numbers found. Cirie and Danielle working to block Terry. However Terry first to start unlocking locks (Aras second). Aras wins and Terry complains about the rules of the game.

Canal Tour (Aras & Cirie): fly to yacht and 5 course meal. Drink champagne to final four. Talk about Terry whining at challenge. They go through the Canal and it looks pretty cool. [Did I read somewhere they're planning on widening the canal?]

Exile Island (Danielle & Terry): Terry says Aras getting emotional lately. Terry says that at the challange he was just trying to get a ruling on how he screwed up [it sounded like whining to me]. Planning for if Terry wins Immunity - he'll give Immunity Idol to Danielle and they'll vote off Aras.

Back at Camp (Aras & Cirie): Cirie tries to start fire with flint, says it's the first time for her. She's successful too.

Immunity Challenge
Type of Challenge: 3 Puzzles.
Aras won Immunity (Terry a close second).
Aras led early, Cirie fell behind early. Danielle has trouble finding puzzle pieces. Down to Aras and Terry.

Scheming Is Free
Terry goes to Aras and says that he needs an apolgy from him. Aras apologizes to Terry for saying Terry hates women at the Reward Challenge. Terry accepts and they shake hands.

Danielle worried about a tie, 2 votes each for Cirie and Danielle. They expect a fire building challenge to break the tie. Aras gives Cirie fire making tips.

Tribal Council
First Questioned: Aras.
Vote was a tie! Idol not used.
Tie breaker fire making challenge.
And the winner is . . . to be continued!!
Sunday night is the Big Final on CBS.

That's it for tonight.

Next Updates:
Friday post episode analysis, Saturday my pre-view of the Sunday final.

Note: Sunday May 14 is the Final 2 hour episode and 1 hour reunion.

Ep. 14 Fantasy Picks

Survivor Fantasy
My picks, for what it's worth:
Aras, Exiled
Cirie, First Interviewed
Terry, First Interviewed
Danielle, First Interviewed

I think Cirie has a good shot at being First Interviewed since she was the swing vote last week. I also think she may be the one voted off so that may get her First Interview as well. I have a feeling Terry wins Reward and sends Aras to Exile.

Terry will also try and get Aras voted off but won't be able to get the necessary votes. Cirie will be voted off instead, Aras will see her as the only one he can lose to and Terry cannot be voted off and Danielle will just go along with the others.

If Terry is smart and he wins Immunity then he should consider giving Cirie Immunity in exchange for voting off Aras. Terry would be almost certain to win the final Immunity challenge. However I have a sneaky feeling that Aras wins Immunity.

No Rumors
There are no last minute Rumors to report, check back at 7:00 pm ET and if I come across any then I will post them.

Next Update
Tonight night As It Airs 8:00 pm ET, GMT -4 hrs.

Preview Episode 14

Title: Call the Whambulence
A Final Four celebration gets ugly when one Survivor blows up and quickly divides the camp.

Sparks fly between two Survivors and accusations and insults leave everyone on edge in one of the most intense Reward Challenges yet.

To put his new Final Two strategy in place, Terry needs to win one more individual Immunity Challenge. Can he win his sixth straight Immunity?

The Survivors know that the next Tribal Council will be the last time the hidden Immunity Idol [which Terry has] can be played. How will this affect their strategy?

More Guesses
Cirie is a goner this week. My reasoning is that the others realize that she would beat any of them in the final two and it is highly unlikely that she wins Immunity. Furthermore I don't see Terry giving her Immunity, either the Necklace or Idol, if he wins Immunity again.

Exile? Aras or Terry, whoever picks will pick the other.

Most likely to prompt a call for the whambulance: Aras and Danielle.

The Tribe
Here's who's still playing the game:

old Casaya
Aras, Cirie, Danielle.

old La Mina
Terry.

Next Update
Thursday afternoon: my Survivor Fantasy picks and any last minute rumors that I get.
Thursday night: As It Airs 8:00 pm ET, GMT -4 hrs.

A Crying Shane

Shane Picked the Wrong Month to Give Up Smoking
Shane was one of the more entertaining Survivors. Was his craziness a put-on or for real? Whichever Survivor needs characters like Shane to help keep the show interesting. A season full of Toms, Rafes and Terrys would be in danger of putting me to sleep. Shane's craziness probably was just an act but I think his tears were real, he really loves his son.

That said, I am kind of surprised Shane lasted this long. Way back in episode one I didn't think that he would last long. It was obvious that Terry, Dan and Bruce would have voted off Shane if they had had the chance, so Shane is lucky that the four-tribe stage of the game didn't last long.

Tribal Council Looks and Glances
Was it me or did anyone else think Bruce and Courtney knew that Shane was going to be voted off? They just had a look about them like they knew something. Also it looked like Danielle shot Courtney a glance, what was that about?

Beyond Survivor
On CBS' Innertube there's an interview with John Kirhoffer, Survivor Challenge Producer. There are no great revelations but it is sort of interesting. There are three types of challenges - mental, physical and a blend of the two. Reward challenges can be lighter and more fun oriented but Immunity challenges have to be more serious because more is at stake. Food challenges are based on foods found locally. Which raises the question, when was the last time Survivor did a food challenge?
Web link: CBS Innertube, interview is about 5 minutes long.

Two for the Road
The last two episodes will be Thursday May 11 and Sunday May 14, which is also Mothers Day. The final is the usual two hour show followed by a one hour reunion show.

Episode 13: As It Airs

As It Airs
May 4, 8:00 pm ET, GMT -4 hours
Survivor Panama, Episode 13
title: Bamboozled

This post will be updated as Survivor airs tonight.
Some people just can't wait to know what happens on Survivor. If you're one of those people then this post is for you. Note: you may need to hit the refresh/reload button on your browser to see the updates.

First Interview: Shane
Shane shocked at last week's Tribal Council. Cirie and Aras have a 'story' to placate him - 'no time to let him know.' Shane seems to be believing it. Shane is happy that Courtney is gone. Terry feels Danielle lied to him so he's after her now.

Reward Challenge
Reward: Family visit.
Type of Challenge: Replay of Parts of Past Challenges.
Terry won Reward. Danielle Exiled (without even a hug from her mother). Shane and Terry get over-night visits with loved ones at a luxury island. Cirie's Husband visits camp for a night. Aras hugs his mother and she leaves.
Shane out first. Cirie out. Danielle out. It was down to Aras and Terry and Aras dropped something and had to start over which allowed Terry to win.

Exile Island: Danielle disappointed as she chops a coconut.

Camp: Cirie gets a kick out of showing her husband (HB?) around camp. He admits that she smells bad. They never were even camping before. They're putting HB to work so they can save their energy. [Apparently 'HB' is short for Hunny Bunny.]

Luxury Escape: Terry, Shane and family raid the fridge. Terry's wife says he's lost weight. Shane tells Boston (his son) about the game so far. Sounds like they're going to target Danielle. Boston says that Shane is like a kid [no duh!].

(Terry and Shane return to Camp) Terry has to explain his choices after winning Reward. Aras upset at Terry's callousness regarding the choices he made. Terry feels Aras came unglued a bit.

Immunity Challenge
Type of Challenge: Balance on a Perch in the Water, pour water to raise a flag.
Terry won Immunity (fifth straight time!).
Shane way behind. Aras a close second again.

Scheming Is Free
Shane talks like Danielle is the next one voted off, says he has Cirie's vote. In private Terry says that he'd like to be in the final two with Shane. Aras in confessional says that he has set up Shane. Shane feels like he could beat anybody [is he Bamboozled?].

Tribal Council
First Questioned: Terry.
Shane was voted off, as he leaves he says "I'm going to have a chocolate ice cream bar in about one minute, one minute!'
Terry has a look of disbelief on his face, he seems more upset than Shane.

Jeff Probst's Final Thought
The last two Tribal Councils the person voted off has been absolutely shocked. If trust wasn't an issue before tonight then it should be from here on out.

Shane's Final Words
Ahh . . I got duped, blind-sided . . . this will be the toughest thing I do in my life . . . He tells Boston that he's proud of how he played but disapponted about how it turned out.

That's a wrap, good-night everybody!

Next Update:
Friday or Saturday, my post episode analysis.

Ep. 13 Fantasy Picks, Rumor Update

Rumors
Reward Challenge: Terry (shares family visit with Cirie and Shane)??
Exiled: Aras or Danielle??
Immunity Challenge: Terry yet again??
Voted Off: Shane??

Reward Challenge is a rehash of past challenges, most of which Terry won or did well in so he most likely wins again. If Terry doesn't win Reward then Aras is the second favorite to win it.

Exile: Whoever wins Reward and picks someone for Exile has to be thinking about getting votes from the Jury. So I think Terry and Aras are safe because each of them has been to Exile Island many times. Cirie will not go to Exile. She is the least able to go it alone and whoever sends her will lose her vote. Also sending her will not be well received by the others. That leaves Shane and Danielle. I think Terry knows that Danielle doesn't like him so he would select her for Exile. Aras would pick her because he's better friends with Shane. My pick for Exile is Danielle.

Immunity: I have to go with Terry. He's one of the smartest and strongest players left and he needs it the most.

Voted Off at Tribal Council: It will not be Cirie, but it probably should be her. At this point, any of the other four sitting next to her would lose in the final two. She's played a great game. Terry is safe, either from his Immunity Idol or winning the Immunity Necklace again. I have a feeling that Terry will go along with Aras and Cirie instead of trying in vain again to get Aras voted off. That leaves Shane or Danielle and which one would you rather be in the final two with? The correct answer is Danielle so Shane will be voted off. Shane was also out of the loop last week with his lone vote for Danielle. Or not, I have been wrong in the past . . . .

Survivor Fantasy
I'm sticking with this group of four again but changing some of the Bonuses.

My picks, for what it's worth:
Aras, Exiled
Cirie, First Interviewed
Terry, First Interviewed
Danielle, Exiled

I really think Cirie has a good shot of First Interview since she got Danielle to change her vote last week to vote off Courtney. Terry has been First Interview for the last several weeks so maybe that streak continues.

Next Update
Tonight night As It Airs 8:00 pm ET, GMT -4 hrs.

Preview Episode 13

Title: Bamboozled
The final five castaways compete for time with their loved ones; one contestant needs to continue his winning streak to ensure his safety in the game.

In heated argument, one Survivor spots a major weakness in another. Can this weakness be exploited?

With just five Survivors remaining, one holds the power to change the game with a vote. Who is it?

With love on the line, it's an all-out battle to win the next Reward Challenge. Who wins the love? Who is left with a night on Exile ISland?

With four straight individual Immunities under his belt, Terry knows he must keep his winning streak going to stay in the game. Will his luck finally run out?

A Pure Guess
I have a feeling that Shane is the next one to be voted off. I bet he sees his son and forgets all about the game (or mistakenly thinks he's secure enough) so the others vote him off. I would not be surprised if a deal is offered by Jeff: you can spend some time with your loved one but it will be on Exile Island. Alternately maybe the Reward is a night on Exile Island with a loved one.

The Tribe
Here's who's still playing the game:

old Casaya
Aras, Cirie, Danielle, Shane.

old La Mina
Terry.

Next Update
Thursday afternoon: my Survivor Fantasy picks and any last minute rumors that I get.
Thursday night: As It Airs 8:00 pm ET, GMT -4 hrs.

The End Is Near

We are down to the final five which means the end of Survivor Guatemala is near. I thought that usually the final four made up the grand two hour finale but according to Yahoo TV the schedule looks like this:

Thu. May 4, (Final Five)
Bamboozled
The final five castaways compete for time with their loved ones; one contestant needs to continue his winning streak to ensure his safety in the game.
1 hour.

Thu. May 11, (Final Four?)
Call the Whambulence
[no description available]
1 hour. (??)

Terry has the Immunity Idol in his back pocket so he should make the Final Four and from there anything can happen. I am kind of surprised that Terry isn't playing up the fact that he is the only La Mina member left and there are only two former La Minas on the Jury. As tight as Casaya are and now that Courtney is gone, I think a few of them would stand a good chance of winning the million dollars if they were in the Final Two with Terry. Terry should play that up and maybe he can get to the end and swing a few votes in his favor to win the money.

Survivor 13 Location?
Rumors are already speculating on where the next Survivor will be. The consensus seems to be Australia or the South Pacific (Cook Islands).

Survivor Hut
I plan on blogging Survivor 13 (and beyond) and I'm thinking of using a more permanent URL at blogspot.com; I'm tired of changing things each season. Right now I'm thinking of using Survivor Hut, does anyone have a clever name that I could use instead?