Survivor South Pacific Episode 4 recap, September 5, 2011.

Welcome to the fourth episode of Survivor: South Pacific!

In the Upolu tribe, Coach has Rick, Sophie, Brandon and Albert firmly in his alliance. Edna, on good terms with Coach, is a “spare sixth” in their alliance, leaving Stacey “at the bottom of the pecking order.” Christina, already voted out, remains on Redemption Island after winning her challenge against Semhar during the second episode.

Meanwhile, Ozzy also has a core alliance with Keith, Jim, Whitney and Elyse, “leaving the oldest and nerdiest” Papa Bear Mark, English prof Dawn and Cochroan as the odd ones out. Papa Bear was voted out at the end of the last episode, joining Christine on Redemption Island where we will see them “compete in a duel to stay alive”.

It’s Day 9. Ozzy and Elyse are lying down together on a swinging hammock and talking about his childhood. He recalls his interest in survivalism going back to the time he read Robinson Crusoe. Their chumminess doesn’t go unnoticed, however. Jim notes that they have a “very powerful tight” bond where “you can’t give him {Ozzy} that physical presence and that voting presence, but then he would run it like Rob did last year”.

Jim then meets with Cochran and they agree that toppling Elyse would remove “a variable” that is the basis of much of Ozzy’s power. They shake on the deal, calling it a “Survivor move”. Afterward, Cochran says privately that Jim is like a “used car salesman” with “suspiciously white teeth” (like the big bad wolf!). He figures that at the least, it will buy him three more days, as he thinks he’ll be the next to go if and when the tribe meets next in Council.

Back at the Upolu tribe, the post-revelation drama of Brandon’s identity and attempt to oust Mikayla continues. Brandon says “I let my pride get to me… from here on out, I’ve decided to be a better person, a better player, a better survivor.” He talks with Mikayla and apologies to her and hopes that she accepts his apology. Privately, Mikayla says he should think two or three times before he talks, because it makes him look like a fool. “But his uncle, look who is uncle is. That’s what always gets me.”

He then goes to see Edna, “I lied to you and I can’t lie to anybody any more.” He talks about the “core five” in the alliance, which doesn’t include Edna, who asks “there’s only a core five, not a core of six”? She is disappointed to hear this and realizes that although she is in Coach’s good graces, “it’s easier to believe a lie than it is to accept the truth”.

Next comes tree mail for the Upolu tribe, along with a basket of swim suits. (Production is overtly attempting to give us eye candy, as we will soon see.) Dawn confesses that, being Mormon, she doesn’t feel comfortable being in her underwear and bra out in the open. The tree mail reads:

Two more from your tribe will visit the Arena.
a decision which needs to be just.
witness them battle to stay in this game,
and watch as one of them bites the dust.

There’s a discussion about who wants to go to Redemption Island to witness the duel and some of them don’t want to go. Jim offers to go, and Cochran offers to join him.

Sure enough, the swimsuits go on and the camera operators go into full swing for our viewing pleasure. They’re not the only ones going in full swing as Elyse dances her way down to the beach.

Jim goes and sees Ozzy in the open tribe shelter (where Elyse is also present, always nearby Ozzy) and talks strategy. Ozzy says not to talk strategy now. Ozzy says privately that “Jimmy’s trying to play the strategy point too much.” And he says it openly, too, even in Dawn’s presence, who catches the hint that Ozzy’s a bit piqued with Jim.

It’s time for the duel between Christina and Papa Bear Mark on Redemption Island! Brandon and Edna from the Upolu tribe arrive as witnesses along with Jim and Cochran from the Savaii tribe. In response to Jeff’s question, Papa Bear says he doesn’t hold any grudges against the Jim and Cochran for voting him out. Then Jeff asks Brandon if there’s anything he wants to say and Brandon apologizes to Christina for how he handled the tribal council that got her voted out. Jeff asks Christina if she accepts Brandon’s apology. She replies a bit sharply, “I accept it. Whether I buy it or not is a different story.”

The duel is fairly simple, involving tossing weighted bags on top of ten crates, one bag at a time. The first one to toss one bag on each of the ten crates survives and the loser “is out for good”. Christine starts out with a slight lead by two bags until it gets to the eighth bag, where Papa Bear gets the eighth bag after Christine does. They both now have two bags left to land on crates. Then it’s tied 9-9 and the first to land their bag on the tenth crate will win… and Christine survives yet another duel! Papa Bear gives her a big hug and cheek kiss in congratulations, even though it means his going home. Papa Bear is not upset about leaving, saying that he has already fulfilled his dream just by being on the show.

We return to the Upolu tribe as Day 10 dawns. Edna is doing her best to get along with everyone, laughing it up with them over morning coffee, saying privately that she has to play the social game. Stacey resents this, saying Edna “goes on and on and on, doesn’t she have an off switch? She needs to be disconnected.” Now looks who’s disconnected.

But Edna is chatting it up too much while they’re washing clothes in the lagoon. She’s asking Mikayla all kinds of questions about her modeling career and Mikayla says in confessional that Edna asks too many questions, “at one point I answered just to shut her up.” Mikayla says Edna’s asking Rick all kinds of questions about hunting, too. And now Edna is walking on Coach’s back giving him a foot massage, which he loves. Both Stacey and Mikayla are getting fed up with Edna’s antics to get in everyone’s good graces — or on their nerves.

Jim and Cochran have returned and Cochran talks with English prof Dawn. Dawn gives him an update on all the chatter that was going on about Ozzy saying “No strategizing, you know, we’re not strategizing.” Cochran tells Dawn that they need to do something because they’re likely the next two to be taken out. Dawn agrees and says that “Elyse is in Ozzy’s back pocket.” Cochran says in confessional that he knows they don’t quite have the numbers yet to take out Elyse, so they need more support. He’s pretty eager to make a big move like this as he “thrives on big strategic moves… it’s going to change the course of the game and it’s going to surprise a lot of people.”

It’s now time for the tribal immunity challenge! Here’s how it goes. Three members, two men and one woman, from each tribe will have a pole across their shoulders behind their necks. Ten-pound bag weights will be roped onto the poles with the other tribe deciding which person gets the weights on their poles. Once someone drops their weighted-down pole, they’re out of the challenge. The last person left standing wins immunity for their tribe. There is also a reward — live chickens, one rooster and two hens. Good for “eggs, or the other…” (without it being explicitly said, lest PETA file a protest). Also included is another clue to the location of the individual immunity idol.

The weight carriers for Savaii are Keith, Dawn and Jim; for Upolu are Brandon, Stacey and Albert. Both tribes choose to spread the weights around and as time goes along we see everyone with quite a few weights on their poles. Brandon’s pole must have at least eight, maybe nine or ten bags on each side and he’s got the grim look of a Russian weight-lifter. Twenty-six minutes go by and we find out everyone is fairly heavily weighted, with Jim and Brandon holding up 200 pounds. Whoa.

Keith is first out at 180 pounts as the pole slips down his shoulder blades and he can’t hold it up. Albert loses his balance and is next out. Jim and Brandon’s poles are both increased to 220 pounds and then 240 pounds (a Survivor record) and they’re really feeling it. They both make the record books, but Jim eventually has to let go, and Brandon soon follows.

Now it’s down to Dawn and Stacey. Stacey has her pole clear down her back to the top of her buttocks and is somehow holding it there. Dawn’s weights also get to the bottom of her back, but she grimly holds on. Stacey’s weights start getting out of balance and one of her arms gives out. Dawn and the Savaii tribe win the challenge! Coach’s Upolu tribe will hold tribal Council to evict one of their own.

It’s Day 11 and Upolu return to camp. Privately Stacey says that she’s done her part by holding up 140 pounds, “more than any of the girls”, although she couldn’t outlast Dawn. Edna privately says she’s worried that everyone sees her as the weakest link. She confides to Stacey about her fears, but Stacey doesn’t offer any reassurance. “She is scrambling like scrambled eggs in a hot skillet right now”, Stacey jokes in her confessional, bragging about her weight lifting. “Can Edna life 20? I doubt it.”

Coach goes and talks with Stacey and lets her know that it’s her or Edna. Stacey says she is pulling her weight but “I don’t massage your back, uh…” with that trademark wide-eyed wiggle of her head. Privately, she says that she’s not a big liar, but if it’s what it takes to stay in the game, she’ll lie. She decides to stir the pot by approaching Brandon and telling him to keep his eye out for Mikayla, Sophie and Albert.

Brandon then goes to Coach and tell him this. Coach tells him, “Stop it. This game is going to get so much crazier than this.” He advises Brandon not to believe everything he hears. Sophie overhears this and privately says that “our alliance is based on trust”. Coach, on the other hand, says in confessional that he is concerned about Brandon “kicking over the kettle at the most inopportune time”, adding that this is his “third and possibly final time” in the game and he’s “not going to let anybody or anything mess it up”.

It’s time for the Tribal Council. Coach starts by saying that whether to vote someone out or not isn’t based solely on whether or not they won the competition for the tribe, with Jeff adding it’s being put in the position of being either the “hero or the goat”.

“Let’s try a little group therapy”, Jeff begins. He asks Rick what the most annoying thing about Albert is. Rick looks surprised, even a bit bewildered, before answering, “He snores.” Then Brandon has to answer about Edna, saying that “she has a lot to say about a lot”. Edna’s next, saying the most annoying thing about Stacey is that Edna finds it difficult to “engage Stacey”. Makayla is next, saying Brandon is a great kid but it’s always in the back of her mind who his uncle is and “blood is blood”.
There’s a some drama as Brandon breaks down into tears, wanting to be recognized for who he is, not who his uncle was. But his uncle is still his family and he wants to represent his family in a positive way and “I’m going to do it.”

After a question by Jeff to Albert whether the vote is about trust, Albert says yes, it is. Now it’s time to vote. The edit keeps bouncing back and forth between Stacey and Edna, so it appears that it’s one of these two who is destined for Redemption Island.

And the vote is counted… Edna (she looks like she just got slapped in the face), Stacey (gulp), Stacey, Stacey (Edna has a wicked smile now), Stacey, and Stacey is the fourth person voted out in tribal council. Coach wants to give her a hug, but Stacey marches right on with her torch, not in the mood for any niceties.

“I’ll be back,” Stacey warns.

And so will we for next episode!