Survivor Philippines

It's an understatement to say that I am really stoked that John Cochran wins Survivor Caramoan Fans vs Favorites 2. He is definitely a favorite castaway and he is even more so, a fan of the show from the very beginning.  Of course, he certainly has no competition with Dawn and Sherri on his side. Not even if you put Erik, who got evacuated and Eddie, the final member of the jury in their places, Cochran would've still won. It's definitely the revenge of the nerd, as Cochran gets all the jury votes.

I am as thrilled as well that Malcolm Freberg finally wins Fan Favorite / Player of the Season   by a mere one percent and bags 100 grand, beating Brenda, who happens to be pregnant a year after filming. It should have been two seasons in a row for Malcolm but that's alright. I am worried  that Brenda might steal this award from him at the last minute. Brenda is nice and all that, but she has not pulled off any memorable /strategic move. 

But Brenda certainly had her revenge against Dawn, forcing her to take-off her dentures during the final tribal council. That's just both mean and fair at the same time, but definitely a moment.

At the reunion, Brandon Hantz is conspicuously absent. It has been reported that he threatened Phillip that's why he is not invited by CBS to the reunion. We had enough of him, and the Hantz for that matter.

Meanwhile, next season is declared as Survivor: Blood vs. Water. We will have returning castaways, battling it out with or against their own loved ones. Some names have already been spoiled. This would be interesting, to say the least. It starts filming tomorrow in Palaui Islands, Cagayan Province, Philippines. 

When I am just about to retire this blog for good, Survivor films their 27th season in my own country, now for the third time in a row. See you in September, I guess.

We have had great moments in Survivor Caramoan: Fans vs Favorites - so many shocking tribal councils, epic strategies and blindsides and hair-raising meltdowns but this episode's elimination would go down as one of the most painful to watch. 

"It hurts."  Brenda's last words as she walks out the tribal council best described just what happened and most viewers would agree. Her sweet smile, unwavering almost all throughout her stay on the island, has been replaced by pure agony during her last moments. But it is Survivor - it hurts and it's cruel. And Cochran knows this too well, so as the other players who turned their backs on Brenda after extending them a favor nobody could repay. Cochran is right, "Likeability is  a liability," indeed.

Three days more in the island, there are still five players and only one episode left we all look forward to, the finale. Among the remaining players, it's Cochran who is on top of the game - he has become the unlikely annihilator of immunity challenges, winning most of them; he has maneuvered the some of the most epic blindsides - which include Brenda and Andrea's downfalls. Cochran has kept a fair distance from everybody else, clinging to nobody in particular yet he has become a commanding presence, a true decision-maker for the rest of the tribe. Cochran should win by all accounts. Eddie is probably the luckiest. He's been the target from the very beginning and he is well aware of it. Yet he is still in the game, even without winning any immunity challenges. Among everybody else, Eddie is most ready to go. Yet he is still in the game, becoming less and less obnoxious compared to how he started. Erik and Sherri are evenly matched for me. They benefited for not being obvious targets and not being the main strategists of the game. They just go along with their gut and make no heavy impact on how the votes would turn out. Dawn, on the other hand, is becoming more and more obnoxious, probably the most hated at this point of the game. Especially after what she did to Brenda. So, what happened? 

After Andrea is eliminated, Cochran knows that his winning streak on the island could have an expiration date. Erik on the other hand is having his own version of meltdown- crying, complaining of  hunger and even attempting to get some fruits from the highest coconut tree I have ever seen in my life, and I live in the Philippines.

After all Erik's drama... more drama as the tree mail arrives - a smart phone with video messages from their loved ones. These tearjerkers never fail even after watching how many seasons of Survivor and even if castaways, old and new, have known this is coming, the emotions would always be as raw. And Jeff Probst is once again, caught choking up, this time with Brenda and her father's reunion as she tells him that she thinks of him every moment of the day.

It's a dizzying reward challenge, some loved ones prove to be liabilities for the castaways like Eddie's and Cochran's. So, it's a great match between Brenda and Erik. But Brenda and her father prevail. Like the usual, Probst asks Brenda to pick one pair to join her on a floating barbecue party, just across the camp. Brenda picks the dramatic Dawn and her husband. 

But here comes the dilemma, Probst presents another video message from another set of their loved ones - making the castaways all the more hysterical. Probst then asks Brenda to choose if she and Dawn and both their two loved ones would join them at the floating bbq or the other four castaways with their pair of loved ones would go instead.

Brenda, with what appears to be a very sincere move, decides to give the reward to the other four losing castaways and their pair of loved ones, leaving her and Dawn hungry, watching by the beach. 

Dawn, the drama-queen that she is, bawling, as she watches with Brenda how the rest of the castaways are enjoying the reward she just missed. I admire Brenda for just being so patient with Dawn. 

At the immunity challenge, the castaways have to hang on to a rope as they are lowered, diagonally  facing the water. Without any luck, or advantage on his side this time, Cochran is the first to go. Followed by Eddie who knew that his time is up as he falls off. The rest soon followed, leaving Dawn and Brenda. 

Here we are again, Dawn is trying to negotiate with Brenda, the way Andrea did during an endurance challenge. Dawn says that she's never won an individual immunity and Eddie is already out. And as usual, Brenda doesn't negotiate, which Dawn respects. But Dawn wins. Brenda reveals that she would've hanged on longer if it's Eddie she's fighting with and not the most paranoid person on Earth.

After the challenge, Cochran is again on the move. Is it going to be the obvious vote, or is it going to be the smart vote. Cochran says that during the reward, her mom told him that Brenda will win especially after what she did for them. He knew that Brenda has all the winning votes going for her because she is most liked, but "Likeability is  a liability" in that point of the game. Cochran would try to persuade the others to vote for Brenda, instead of Eddie, but he knows that it's going to be a hard sell.

Dawn, on the other hand, seems to be undecided if she would let Cochran make a decision for her again, because she went on the losing end when they played together the first time. 

At the tribal council, Jeff reminds Eddie that everything about the season has become unpredictable so far, so he might not be going home. Eddie couldn't care less, actually. He is ready to go and he is grateful for just having the time of his life. Sherri says that nobody could touch Brenda after what she did for them during the reward challenge. Brenda says that it was a bitter-sweet decision. Cochran says that sometimes the easy vote, is not the smartest vote. I will give Cochran an award for just being the best in quotations this season.

The votes are cast and counted. Eddie gets 2 votes, Erik gets 1, Brenda gets 3. Brenda's smile turns into grief. She tells everyone as she stands up, "I was honest with you guys." 

Brenda's good heart and genuine sweetness got the best out of her. She let her guard down in a ruthless, heartless game. Dawn will definitely face some tough time if she reaches the finale, especially from Brenda who once dived for her dentures in one of her hysterical meltdowns.

The Finale: Someone might quit or get evacuated so close to the end.

CBS has announced that the 2-hour finale of Survivor Caramoan: Fans VS Favorites 2 would be on May 12, Sunday  (May 13 in the Philippines) followed by the 1 hour Reunion Show, they're pretty much wrapping up the show and things are happening really fast - hence, we had a double dose of immunity challenges and tribal councils and zero reward challenge in this week's episode. 

But instead of what we might have expected that the last two remaining amigos - Eddie and Reynold - would get voted out back-to-back, we get an epic blindside in the last TC of the night. 

On with the recap.

It's the final 8 after Malcolm was voted off, and the epic bromance of Eddie and Reynold since day 1 remains. Reynold bluffs that he is confident that he could win five immunity challenges in a row. Eddie just plans to roll with the punches. Cochran on the other hand believes that the power is in the hands of the favorites and he will do everything without reservations this time that he'd probably scare his own mother.

First Immunity Challenge

The next day, the castaways receives a tree-mail informing them that they're about to have an immunity challenge, to Erik's dismay hoping that it's a reward challenge instead. Reynold knows he has to win, or else he's a goner.

Jeff Probst announces that the winner of the challenge would not only get an immunity necklace, but an information about the game as well, which turns out to be the same information Malcolm got at the auction. For the challenge, each of them would stand on a triangular, pyramid type platform floating on the water. It has three levels, making them move up the platform and try to balance as long as they can despite trembling legs, the current and the wind.

To make things more interesting, Probst would try to bribe the castaways with food for them to quit the challenge. Classic.

Probst makes the first offer - donuts and milk, which is shared by both Erik and Eddie after mutually deciding to jump at the same time. Asked by Reynold if it's worth it, Eddie replies with "I don't know yet."

Probst then tells the players to move their feet one step up to the second perch. He makes another offer, 3 hotdogs on a bun and soft drink. Cochran announces that his thighs are about the burst and jumps even without the approval of his alliances. For Cochran, as long as one of them and not Reynold wins the challenge, he's going to be fine.

The remaining players are all on top of the platform. Dawn and Sherri jump out of the challenge. Reynold stays on with several incredible recoveries. But eventually, Reynold is out. The fight is between Brenda and Andrea. Andrea makes a deal that she will share with Brenda the clue if she wins. But Brenda wants to go on with the challenge and says she'd be happy if Andrea would beat her instead. Andrea says that she wants to win the challenge because she hasn't won yet. 

The challenge goes on for three hours. In what Probst decribes as history, Andrea and Brenda make their own rule which is to lift their left legs to get it over with. Andrea wins both immunity and reward.

The Big Threat

Back at camp, even though Reynold knows that his time is up, there's still a hope for him if somebody will use the opportunity and timing to strike and blindside somebody in that point of the game.

Reynold's idea is not actually far-fetched as far as Andrea is concerned as she realizes that Brenda is a big threat to her and she regrets that she would be sharing the clue with her. So, Andrea decides to take her entire alliance of six to look for (hopefully) the last immunity idol of the game, which Malcolm failed to find. Erik finds it but immediately hands it over to Andrea. Cochran could only say that Erik learned nothing.

So, with the immunity necklace and an extra idol, Andrea is even more confident of getting rid of Brenda as he runs around telling everyone that the latter is the biggest threat to all. And with that, Cochran feels like it's the beginning of the end for the alliance of six. Dawn on the other hand believes that it is definitely and option to blindside Brenda.

First Tribal Council

At the tribal council, Reynold says that he could be used as a great instrument to blindside somebody, to make a move that would change the game. Dawn says that at that point of the game, paranoia comes because you know that you can't be trustworthy as well. 

Apparently, no major moves for this tribal council as Reynold gets 4 votes, with Erik, Sherri, and Eddie getting 1 each.

Reynold is more than gracious as he walks out. For his final words, he admits that he no longer has any more rabbit to pull out of the hat but he had the time of his life.

The final seven returns to camp. Only one amigo left, Eddie who with Sherri, make up for the two remaining fans in the game. But it seems that Eddie could still get a couple of good night sleep as the attention has shifted from him to Brenda. 

Andrea is so eager, trying to convince Cochran that Brenda, then Dawn has to go. But Cochran has other things in mind as he warns  both Dawn and Brenda about Andrea's plan.

Second Immunity Challenge

For the second immunity challenge, the castaways must swim through a couple of obstacle courses, untie some serious knots, get a key, solve a ladder puzzle and unleash the "immunity" banner. Erik is on fire as he effortless go through the obstacles. It's a race between Erik, Brenda, Eddie and Andrea. But it is Erik who wins immunity and redeems himself after handing over the hidden immunity to Andrea earlier. Erik makes sure that he won't give his idol to anyone else this time.

Andrea makes her move and tells Eddie to vote for Brenda. Eddie is more than willing to oblige and he knows that as far as Andrea knows, they're going to blindside Brenda. For Eddie, after 33 days in the island, it's the first time he has an idea who they're voting for.

Cochran makes a realization as to why Andrea is throwing Brenda under the bus. It's because Andrea wants to take Eddie in the final 3. "Whether it's personal or strategic, I don't know. I'm worried that I'm gonna be replaced by Eddie. If I am a part of your plan, you're not a part of my plan," Cochran said.

Brenda on the other hand is very much aware that Andrea wants to blindside her. Andrea comes up to Erik and offers to take him at the end. Erik, this time feels in control of the game of the game, more than ever.

Second Tribal Council

At the second tribal council, Eddie is facing the same dilemma as Reynold was and he is hoping that they would make the "move". Cochran admits that Andrea's hidden immunity is a concern, because she could use it until the final five. Sherri, Dawn, Andrea and Cochran all admit that lies and talks of the final 3 have been tossed around the camp. Andrea says that she would use her immunity if she gets paranoid enough (but earlier also said that she is confident about her plan).

The votes are cast. Probst tallies the votes.

Brenda gets 2 votes, Eddie gets 2 and Andrea gets 3, making her the latest member of the jury. 

The look on Reynold and Malcolm's faces were priceless as the shocked Andrea gets voted off. She could only muster, "That was really good!"

Probst tells the final 6, "We've been talking about the big move for weeks.. Tonight, you made it.. the question is, now what?"

Andrea's final words "I was confident. I wasn't even thinking about playing the idol. It happened again."

I think that necklace is cursed.

Next week: Cochran is in trouble. Erik is losing it. And a visit from home changes everything.