(CBS) Analysis of "Survivor: Palau" Episode Four, by CBSNews.com's Ellen Crean.
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Ulong, it has been TOO long! When will you win an immunity challenge?
As Jeff Probst so helpfully pointed out at the last Tribal Council, since the beginning of the game, out of seven challenges (immunity and reward), you have lost five.
And, after voting Kim off the island, that leaves Ulong with FIVE tribe members, next to Koror's nine.
Numbers are very important in the game of "Survivor." So how did the numbers get to be so lopsided so quickly in this round? Here are a few possible reasons:
Theory 1: The tribes were unevenly matched from the start, because the players were permitted to pick their own teammates. Not sure how the tribes were put together in previous seasons, but it is likely to have been done with more of a professional eye than was utilized in the "schoolyard pick" method on Palau.
Theory 2: Fireman Tom is Apollo, the Greek god of the sun, in mortal guise, and Ian the Dolphin Boy is actually Poseidon. This would adequately explain the difference between the men of Koror and the men of Ulong: the men of Koror are not actually "men" at all!
This also would explain Caryn's odd little interview this week, where she told the camera that the women of Koror feel strangely compelled to follow Tom and bow to his commands. (Yes, yes, of course she was being sarcastic. Do you think Caryn has the monopoly on sarcasm?)
Theory 3: Among the members of the Ulong tribe, there has been too much hesitation to allow a leader to come forward. Probably no one wants to claim a leadership position because that puts a player at risk of getting the boot too soon. This past week, the group designated James as its representative in the reward challenge, but they only took that action when Jeff Probst demanded that they make a choice.
Within the Koror tribe, however, unity does not reign entirely. Coby observed that Tom, Ian, Gregg, Katie and Jenn are "all one unit," and that he, Willard, Caryn and Janu are "the underdogs here."
Even so, here is something that Willard said about Tom this week: "Tom is a leader. That's what he does for a living. He's an officer in the fire department. He's highly motivated. He works hard. He's our little motor that makes the train run."
It doesn't look like Ulong has a little motor to make its train run. Probably Stephenie or Bobby Jon could have filled the bill. But, by now, that train has most likely left the station.
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For the reward challenge, each tribe had to build a bathroom: a latrine and a shower. For the winning team, the "Survivor" construction crew would build a deluxe shelter.
Koror won, it appeared, because their structures were very sturdy. The Ulong creations wobbled when they were tested by the judge (Jesse, the production designer for "Survivor").
As evening fell and it became clear to Ulong that they had lost yet another challenge, there was such joy over at Koror that Fireman Tom did a cartwheel. Not only did they get a super shelter, but they also got a housewarming gift: two ice-cold bottles of Champagne.
A totally blissed-out Ian compared their new shelter to the Taj Mahal and proclaimed, "Everything worked out the way it's supposed to."
Oh really? Would ULONG agree with that statement? In the history of "Survivor," has there ever been a more depressing sight than Ulong waiting in vain for the construction crew to show up at their camp? It was the slow dwindling of their confidence that was the killer.
But in "Survivor," life goes on pretty quickly, and the next day it was time for another challenge, this time with immunity at stake. The tree mail made reference to David and Goliath, and brains versus brawn, but it turned out that the challenge amounted to wrestling, where a participant was called upon to knock the opponent off a platform and into the water, using a large padded bag.
The first tribe to win six matches would win immunity. It took 11 match-ups. Here is a summary, with the winner's name in bold:
1. Tom vs. Bobby Jon
2. Stephenie vs. Jenn
3. Gregg vs. Ibrehem
4. Angie vs. Caryn
5. James vs. Coby
6. Kim vs. Janu
7. Tom vs. Bobby Jon
8. Stephenie vs. Jenn
9. Gregg vs. Ibrehem
10. Angie vs. Caryn
11. James vs. Coby
So, yes, the deciding wrestling match was between James (Ulong) and Coby (Koror), and no, James did not win and so lost immunity for his tribe. As Stephenie said later that day, "James lost it for all of us." And Bobby Jon drily observed, "We got our butts kicked today. Imagine that. That's what's been happening around here lately."
James, of course, could not let the defeat pass without commenting: "It feels terrible to have my butt whupped by a homosexual. But a lot of gay folks are strong, man. They all workin' out at the gym and all, you know? Damn!"
Kim, Stephenie and Angie discussed the wisdom of getting rid of one of the men. Stephenie declared that losing repeatedly was "killing" her and Angie agreed, "It's devastating." But she reminded Stephenie, "At least we know that we're doing our part. We didn't fall off (the wrestling platform)."
Said Stephenie, "Thank God for the women, 'cause the guys, they're gettin' their butts handed to 'em."
Later, at Tribal Council, Jeff questioned James: "Frustrating to lose to Coby?"
And James replied, "No doubt. I'm thinking, 'Man, he's a hairdresser. He don't look like he got any muscle tone. I oughta be able to whup him.' "
After a predictable vote (Kim's out), Jeff solemnly addressed the Ulongs, saying, "After a demoralizing first 11 days, the question is: What are you going to do to change the outcome? Grab your torches. Head back to camp."
Next week: Another twosome emerges (Gregg 'n' Jenn), the Ulongs apparently get lost in the jungle, and the game takes "an incredible turn"! An incredible turn? Could that mean that Ulong wins immunity? New episode on different night, Wed. 8 p.m. EST, March 16
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/14/earlyshow/series/survivor/main679843.shtml
