Repeating History

Those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it -Socrates This week we are going to add a section called, “Would I have done it that way?” Matsing Day 9 To take a quote from Star Wars, “The total destruction of the rebel alliance will soon be complete.” The total destruction of the Matsing tribe is almost complete and they don’t have Luke Skywalker nor Obi Won Kanobi on their side. Three challenges, three defeats and now down to three members left in their tribe vs. six in each of the other two. Once again the talk around camp centers around who to vote out. “Would I have have talked about who to vote out?” Not before I knew what the challenge was, what’s the point. All you are doing is promoting negative thoughts before a challenge. Meanwhile over at Tandang… This tribe appears to be very strong as they have a tarp, they have this, they have that, but cue the theatre music, they are about to lose their head. Abi openly tells RC she doesn’t want to talk to her anymore, evidently she re-evaluated her “Three minutes after we met, I look good in a bikini you look good in a bikini let’s be best buds for life alliance,” has worn off. That will happen when your best bud (RC) tells you that she has found a clue to the hidden immunity idol –AND- reads you the clue aloud. Then best bud B (Abi) goes out and finds the idol right under RC’s nose. Peter jumps on the boat and wants to cause chaos and reassures Abi that he doesn’t trust RC either. “Would I have taken the clue knowledge supplied to me and found the idol?” I would have done half of what Abi did. She found the idol (Which I would have done or at least looked for it) but she also previously told Peter she was given the clue and then she tells him she found the idol. WTF? She now risks that her first friend RC sticks around past the merge so she will find out that Abi has the idol and Peter now has the ability to blindside Abi. Two bad things could be bring the end to Abi. Take control of what you can control in the game and quit giving up decided advantages. She is already buds with Peter, what did she gain from spilling the beans? Kalabaw Jonathon who has found the hidden immunity at their camp now wants to buddy up with both Jeff and Carter. While the three guys are out collecting food in the water they talk. Earlier in the game we heard Jeff say that he wanted Jonathon gone, he did this if front of the entire tribe. By telling the tribe he wants Jonathon gone and now thinking about keeping him might put him on the chopping block later because of a trust issue. Now he sounds like his running for president as he says, “I need to re-evaluate my thoughts and might want to partner up with Jonathon.” “Would I have told the others I had found the idol if I was Jonathon?” In this case maybe, he knows he is a returning player and people might want him gone because of that. I need to write a Cardinal Rule subsection for returning players. The way he approached Jeff was beneficial and he also spoke loud enough for Carter to hear who was standing close by. Experience is kicking in with Jonathon as he wanted Carter to hear the conversation. The three guys are gone from camp for about two hours and the three girls in the tribe are very aware that the guys are probably forming an alliance because they have been gone so long. Ya think? I am guessing the guys are thinking the same about the girls at this point. Quick Review The two tribes who have won all the challenges and haven’t had to vote anyone out are dividing at the seams. Yes folks this game is as much psychological as physical. That and the fact you never know when Jeff Probst might show up and say, drop your buffs, we are realigning the teams. You have to expect anything is this game. The Immunity Challenge The teams will take turns carrying two heavy clay pots via a long log which you carry over your shoulders. They must transverse through an obstacle course and then set the pots on top of posts of varying heights. If a survivor drops or breaks a pot along the route they simply have to return and start over. The goal is to set six rice filled pots and then use a ball on a rope to swing and break the pots. Something not to be overlooked here is the tribes who haven’t lost a challenge must sit out three players and each team decides to have all the girls sit out. This does not go un-noticed by the girls on both tribes. Unfortunately Matsing has the lead early for the first time in any challenge, but loses yet again. Russell goes off on a rant once again. Pre-Tribal Council Malcolm, Denise and Russell takes turns talking to one another knowing full well one of them is going home. As I watch this go on at camp the only thing I know for sure is, I don’t know who is going home. I would have thought at this point Russell, who has a clue to the hidden idol in their camp, would have spent his entire time looking for the idol which he doesn’t. ”Would I have looked for the idol at this point?” Ah, hell yes. I wouldn’t care if the other two knew it, I have a one in three chance of going home and if I find the idol I am staying so I would have taken advantage of my last opportunity to stay. Tribal Council Again, I had not clue as to who was going home, but Russell is voted out. It basically came down to either Denise or Russel with no one talking about voting out Malcolm. Let's rewind to last week, the same Malcolm who was chastised for snuggling with Angie who was voted out last week. Short memories and this shows how fast your head can go on and off of the chopping block. Knowledge is King Getting back to the title of this blog. People continue to make the same mistakes as players from the past. The Hidden Immunity Idol is just that, hidden, people don’t know you have it, that is the biggest individual advantage you can have in this game. While Denise and Malcolm did look through Russell’s “stuff” to see if he had the idol from their camp before they voted, that’s called games-man-ship. At least Jonathon had a plan when he told Jeff he had the idol over at Kalabaw. Meanwhile at Tandang, Abi seems just to be happy that her former best bud RC doesn’t have the idol. I am guessing Jonathon uses the idol to his advantage while Abi, well Abi gets blindsided because of her over confidence in herself, she won’t think anyone is voting for her. Three things hold true in Survivor. One, If you play the idol at tribal council you can’t get voted out that night. Two, find a way to use the hidden immunity idol to your advantage. Three and probably most importantly, build trust within your group, not just a couple of people. For some reason RC doesn’t have the trust of her tribe mates and will probably be the first of her tribe to go because of it. She was readily available to tell everyone she doesn't trust Lisa early on, but has no clue how to defend that when her name comes up as untrustworthy. For someone who says she is a super fan and knows how to play, she doesn’t look the part. As with past players who were cocky in the beginning, she doesn't have a plan B.