"Survivor: Second Chance" (CBS)
Quick Note: We’re going to be bringing you all kinds of “Survivor” fun this season including episode recaps, exit interviews, and Power Rankings with Jenn Brown and Max Dawson. Be sure to follow me on Twitter (@gordonholmes) for up-to-the-minute news and info.
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Last Week: Peih-Gee was accused of theft, Jeremy started an alliance based on heft, and poor Vytas only has a third chance left…
39 Days, 20 People, 1 “Survivor” Blog…
Let’s take a look at the tribes as they currently stand…
The Bayon Tribe (wearing pink)
Andrew – Pearl Islands
Ciera – Blood vs. Water
Jeremy – San Juan del Sur
Joe – Worlds Apart
Kass – Cagayan
Keith – San Juan del Sur
Kimmi – The Australian Outback
Monica – Samoa
Tasha – Cagayan
Stephen – Tocantins
The Ta Keo Tribe (wearing teal)
Abi – Philippines, 35
Jeff – The Australian Outback
Kelley W. – San Juan del Sur
Kelly W. – Borneo, 37
Peih-Gee – China
Shirin – Worlds Apart
Spencer – Cagayan
Terry – Panama
Woo – Cagayan
We kick things off over at Ta Keo where they’re finally getting fire. Kelly isn’t happy that Varner flipped on them. Who taught her the word “flipped”? They didn’t do that back then.
Meanwhile, Kelley is finally able to open the package she got at the challenge. Fortunately for her, it’s an idol. How funny would it have been if it was another clue? Or like a Pez dispenser?
Later, Varner asks Team Shirencer who to get rid of next. Spencer thinks it should be Terry, Kelly, or Woo. After that, Varner confesses to us that he made his move to lull Spencer and Shirin into a sense of false security.
Wha-huh?
Varner tells Terry that they need to wake up and play the game and get rid of the strategists. I was right! He is Keyser Soze!
In other news, Abi is proud of herself for not stabbing everyone dead when she got four votes at Tribal. Golf clap for Abi.
She interrupts Peih-Gee’s story about the chimney she built in China to make sure everyone doesn’t hate her. She then pulls a similar trick with Woo, Jeff, and Terry and Terry curses her out. Varner thinks she’s like their own Brazilian soap opera. “The Young and the Braceletless”?
Over at Bayon, Joe is trying to make himself as valuable as possible. Like those eyes aren’t valuable enough.
Andrew tells a story about how his wife is a model/law student. Yup, I hate him.
Oh wait, he cries when thinking about her. I take it back, you’re adorable, Andrew.
Kass agrees with me. Her heart grows three sizes and breaks the heart-measuring machine. She’s confused because she thought everyone was going to be at each others’ throats. That’s what happens when you have a tribe that wins, Kass.
Later, Jeremy wanders off to collect himself and lets us know that Val is pregnant. How many immunity idols does the baby have? I’m setting the over/under at six.
As Jeremy is away, Stephen accuses him of looking for the idol. Savage doesn’t believe it though, he thinks the power of his model/law student story drove him away. Stephen just can’t win.
Back at Ta Keo, Abi overhears Peih-Gee and Shirin talking about her. This erupts into a fight. Shirin quietly drifts away like Homer Simpson slinking into a shrub in an Internet meme.
Later, Abi overhears Shirin laughing about the incident and takes it very personally.
Terry sees how upset Abi is and approaches her. Somehow, they manage to bond over the incident and it looks like they’re a team now.
The next morning, Varner and Abi both agree to work with Terry and they want to target Shirin or Spencer. Whoa… They shake on it, but Jeff Kent isn’t around to let us know if it’s a four-finger handshake or not.
Immunity Challenge Time: The two teams will race up and down three A-frame structures. Then they’ll use a rope to pull a crate along a jagged course. Finally, they’ll use the pieces in the crate to build a vertical puzzle. First tribe to complete the puzzle wins immunity, a tool kit, and shelter materials.
Ciera will sit out for Bayon.
The challenge starts off and Bayon jumps off to an early lead because Varner is busy faceplanting in the Cambodian sand. Been there.
The teams even up at the crate portion. But Bayon is able to take the lead again based on their pulling strength.
Kass and Kimmi start the puzzle for Bayon. Eventually they’re joined by Kelley and Peih-Gee.
Kelley and Peih-Gee tag out to Spencer and Shirin, Kass and Kimmi tag out to Jeremy and Joe.
Team Shirencer think they have it, but the women on the puzzle need to be a mirror image.
Joe and Jeremy get it right and win immunity. One-man-show Joe.
Seriously, can somebody put Joe to work ending world poverty?
As they head off, Varner spells it out saying Spencer and Shirin had a chance to save themselves, but failed.
Back at camp, Spencer is very happy to be in control of the game. Oh…there are those famous last words.
Varner breaks down the vote saying that Spencer is too smart and Shirin is too savvy. He doesn’t care which one goes first. Peih-Gee doesn’t seem to care either as long as she’s with the majority. Kelley’s into it too even though Shirencer was her original alliance.
Later, Shirin says she’s psyched that she has the numbers. Ah…this hurts my soul.
Shirin takes Abi aside to apologize, but Abi’s not having it. She tells Shirin that she’s now loyal to Terry because he had her back. She then spills the beans that everyone is targeting her and Spencer.
Shirin asks if they’re still together and Abi delivers the most evil smile I’ve ever seen and tells her that they’re done.
Spencer and Shirin try to sway Woo, telling him he’s too much of a physical threat. He doesn’t buy it. It doesn’t help that this is the first conversation Shirin and Woo have had.
In a sad bit, Spencer breaks down when he realizes he’s going to have to vote for Shirin. Sad lad.
That night at Tribal Council, Spencer says he remembers the game being awesome, but it’s really rough.
Shirin doesn’t remember it being awesome because of the fighting during her season. She knows she’s on the bottom and hopes she can fight her way back into the game.
Abi felt betrayed because Peih-Gee and Shirin were talking about her. She then credits Terry for rescuing her.
Probst points out that Mike rescued Shirin during her season. Well, Mike rescued Shirin from a face-to-face berating while Terry rescued Abi from a laugh. Kinda like comparing apples to trucks.
Shirin, however, appreciates the irony and wishes she had acted differently.
Spencer then comes out saying that he feels like a target because he talks about strategy too much.
Varner admits that one member of Team Shirencer is going home.
Spencer promises to be more of a team player and less of a strategist if he survives the vote.
Probst thinks it’s amazing that Spencer and Shirin are in the same situation they were in during their seasons.
Shirin thinks change is hard and she hopes to chip away at it. She admits to her mistakes and if she goes home she has nobody to blame but herself. She hopes for a third chance.
Voting Time: Shirin votes for Spencer, Spencer votes for Shirin, and the rest of the votes are sooper secret.
Probst does that thing where he tallies the votes, puts them in the most dramatic order, and returns.
We’ve got one vote for Spencer, three votes for Shirin, three votes for Spencer, one vote for Shirin, and the second person voted out of “Survivor: Second Chance” is…Shirin.
Verdict: I CALLED IT! When we were shocked that Varner turned against his pre-game alliance after the first Tribal, I asked Probst if Varner was trying to throw people off his scent…
Holmes: Any chance this is some kind of Keyser Soze move to throw people off of their scent and Varner will get back with Kelly and Terry?
Probst: (Laughs) I don’t know. Varner could be playing some kind of a long game and playing people. It’s a good question, but I don’t know.
Overall, another good episode. But, I can’t wait to see some of the others at Tribal.
Who’s Going to Win? Varner’s a cool customer. I’m sticking with my pick.
Power Rankings Results: Jenn had Shirin in spot seventeen, Max had her in spot thirteen, and I had her in spot fifteen. So, the current score is Team Jenn 17, Team Max 13, and Team Gordon 15.
Any Questions? Drop me a line on Twitter: @gordonholmes
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