Survivor: All-Stars, Episode 9 – Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Rob?
by Ken Kellam III -- 04/05/04
Well, now that Rob has made Lex an offer he probably should've refused, how does it bode for the rest of the game? Join Ken as he explores the answers to these and other questions.
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The previews leading up to this week's episode led us to believe there'd be a twist, and Amber would get the short end of the stick. They were right; well, sort of. She ended up staying in her old tribe, but got a whole new bunch of tribe mates, not to mention a brand new target on her back.. Not only did she look to be in a numbers crunch, but she was separated for the first time in this game from the person who apparently does all her thinking for her.
This isn't new territory for Amber. Remember that in the Outback, once Jerri was ousted, Amber had to fend (and think) for herself, and only lasted six days. The irony is, this time she stayed in the game at Jerri's expense.
Now that she's somehow managed to last at least three more days, how long can she stay in the game? It all depends. If there's a merge (and the previews on the CBS web site indicate that there will be), she'll most likely side with her old Chapera teammates, and pick off the opposition one by one. But if there's no merge (and CBS is trying to trick us), and the "new" Chapera loses another challenge, she's probably gone.
That brings to mind the following question regarding Rob: By striking a deal with Lex, does he even realize how much he's showing his hand? Better yet, why do his own tribe mates allow him and Amber to be such a power of two? Has there ever been a more obvious alliance that needs to be broken up for reasons of strategy? Not only do his own tribe mates realize it, but so do the former Mogo Mogos now in Chapera. Rob says he came to play the game of Survivor, but it appears as if he's thinking with his nether-regions. After all, has anyone in Survivor history looked so glum after WINNING a challenge? By the look on Rob's face, you'd think he was on the chopping block.
Here's a question regarding the "new" Chapera: Why on Earth are they so afraid of Rob, and how can Lex possibly trust him? They seemed to be pretty good at Survivor trivia, so you'd think they remembered the way he played the game in Marquesas, saying things like, "I've been lying this whole game," and "I want (John) to trust me, but he shouldn't." Granted, when Jerri told Lex that Rob would stab him in the back at the first opportunity, she had an agenda, but she was absolutely right.
On the other hand, does it really matter? Even if they'd ousted Amber instead, the former Mogo Mogos would still be down 5-4, and have a chance of being Pagonged. It's possible they might have regretted it later, claiming they should've dumped Jerri. But does anyone really think Rob intends to save Lex, or for that matter, anyone else besides Amber? No matter WHAT Lex, Shii Ann, and Kathy do, they're probably doomed due to sheer numbers.
It's like the story of the snake who asks a little girl to carry him to a hill. Naturally, she refuses, because he's a snake, but he talks her into it. Well, at the top of the hill, the snake bites her, and when she asks why, he replied, "You knew what I was when you picked me up."
Similarly, Lex should've known what Rob was when making a deal with him. Of course, it isn't just Lex, as Kathy and Shii Ann are apparently afraid the "Godfather" will leave a horse head in their shelter. Shii Ann even went so far as to say if they crossed Rob, the wrath of God would come down upon them. Uh, I'd be more inclined to think the Almighty would be miffed by the fact they made a deal with the devil.
Here's another question regarding Lex: Why does he keep feeling the need to tell people they're going? He claims it's the honorable thing to do, but every time he does so, he puts himself at risk. Between trusting Rob and showing his hand, Lex isn't playing the game as well as he may think. He told Jerri her impending doom was simply a strategic move, but giving someone time to regroup and possibly lead a coup against you is strategy?
Now that Jerri's gone, we should ask this question: Did she deserve to go? Please feel free to read on once you've finished laughing. She's probably deserved to get her torch snuffed again for quite some time now, but doing so wasn't the greatest strategy on the part of her teammates, at least not yet. Nevertheless, she wasn't destined to win this game, nor should she have. Her apparent obsession with finishing ahead of Colby seemed at times more important to her than actually winning.
Here's a question regarding the former Chaperas, now in Mogo Mogo, sans Amber: Did they get screwed by the switch or what? They'd worked hard to do well in challenges and keep their camp nice and clean, and now others get the benefits of THEIR hard work, and they pay the price for the new Chapera's lack of housekeeping skills. Regardless, they still came through in the immunity challenge.
Speaking of the challenge, here's an observation: someone should tell Rob and company that Nairobi is a CITY in Kenya, not a country. One of the questions in the trivia challenge was to name the country Survivor: Africa was held in, and you'd think with Africa alum Big Tom on their side, they'd get it easily. But alas, no such luck. Then again, maybe Tom DID give them the right answer, but they couldn't understand what he was saying.
Apparently, Rob goes back on his word next week. The question is, are we supposed to be surprised? The guy has already shown that he pours lies out of his mouth as easily as be pours beer INTO it. Well that's it for now. Until next time, the Sandman has spoken: It is time for me to call it a night.
