Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Episode 2


Despite losing Jim, Totoket was feeling optimistic about their future.  All it would take was winning the next immunity challenge to even up the numbers.  Angela was particularly vested in the challenge as the last vote showed her to be on the bottom of the tribe.  They left their camp and headed to the challenge site with heads held high.

As Totoket arrived at the immunity challenge, Metacomet members craned their necks to see who was no longer on the Totoket tribe.  Simply put, there was visible shock on at least half of the Metacomet faces to realize that Jim was gone.  This served as an early wake up call to anyone who thought they could coast to the merge.  “Excellent” thought Amanda, “game on.”

The second immunity challenge was called “Blind Leading the Blind.”  Four bags of puzzle pieces were scattered across a field.  Pairs of blindfolded castaways tied together at the wrist would be directed to retrieve a bag by their tribe’s caller.  After all four bags were gathered, the blindfolds would come off and the tribe would race to the puzzle making station.  The first tribe to complete their puzzle would win immunity!

The tribes strategize
Metacomet being a person up decided to sit out Josh believing he would be more useful in future challenges and bearing in mind that the same person cannot sit out back to back challenges.  Amanda, with her strong voice and leadership was elected the tribe caller.  Angela, knowing how much was on the line for her personally in this challenge, volunteered to be Totoket’s tribe caller.

Survivors ready?
Once the challenge got underway it was far from a smooth operation.  Melissa took a quick tumble and was dragged along the ground briefly by Nicholas until she was able to recover her footing.  After a hard collision, Steve ended up on the ground looking worse for wear.  It was hard to tell whether Josh cringed or smirked at this from the sitout bench.

A meeting of the minds
Fighting for her life in the game, Angela led Totoket to an early lead in collecting all four bags.  As they raced to the puzzle making station, she called out that she and Larry would assemble the puzzle.  Before Totoket could even finishing emptying their puzzle pieces from the bags, Metacomet finished collecting and raced over to begin putting their puzzle together.  Diana and Christine quickly got to work.  Despite Totoket’s early lead, Metacomet soon caught and passed them.  The outcome quickly became clear as Metacomet assembled their last couple of pieces.  Christine once again found herself in the role of challenge heroine while Diana had her first taste of glory on the big stage.  Not one member of Totoket took their eyes off the ground as Metacomet was declared the winner.

Larry and Angela get to work...
...but they can't hold off Diana and Christine
Shortly thereafter, Metacomet returned to camp.  Christine and Diana continued to relive their come from behind victory while Steve went for a walk.  This presented a perfect opportunity for Josh, Amanda, and Dennis to search for the hidden immunity idol.  The three journeyed down to the beach and headed toward the rock wall that was mentioned in the clue.  After some time searching, Dennis noticed a funny looking spot in the wall.  He brushed aside a small rock and plunged his hand into a crevice.  It emerged holding a hidden immunity idol!  He shared his good news with Josh and Amanda and pledged to use the idol to protect the three of them.

Steve suspects the idol clue has been found
No sooner than one minute after the Totoket tribe returned from the challenge, Melissa made a solo expedition to seek out the hidden immunity idol.  Angela jumped at the chance to be left with the rest of the tribe.  Knowing that there was some support to vote Melissa out at the last tribal council, she tried to gauge interest this go around.  She made her case by pointing out challenge performance (she lead Tokoket to a strong start while Melissa was being dragged on the ground), health (she only had a slight cough while Melissa’s ankle continued to be a worry), and loyalty (here she was talking to the group while Melissa looked for the idol alone).  This argument got Larry, Nicholas, and Meredith thinking. 

Will Melissa find the idol?
Angela, having made her case decided to see if the rest of Totoket wanted to join Melissa in searching for the idol.  The four of them went down to the beach and split up.  After less than five minutes of searching, Meredith was on to something.  She noticed a faded brown color against the gray rocks from a slight distance.  After moving closer, her suspicions we confirmed.  There lay the second hidden immunity idol wedged in between two medium sized rocks!  She quickly snatched the idol and pocketed it.  In a veteran move, she continued to search for the idol so as to not raise any suspicion.  A little while after, Totoket abandoned the search and began to make preparations for tribal council.

Larry, Angela, and Meredith go idol hunting
Angela reminded Larry, Nicholas, and Meredith of her arguments before wandering off.  As the three conferred, Melissa came and sat down with them.  She simply asked if they were sticking with the plan and voting out Angela.  She received three affirmative answers.  Satisfied, Melissa left the group to collect seashells down on the beach.  “It looks like we have a decision to make” said Nicholas.  The other two nodded.

Meredith ponders how best to use her idol
Totoket was none too happy to be going back to tribal council.  Larry said that the Totoket tribe was stronger on paper than Metacomet but something was just not clicking in the challenges.  Meredith added that they were one watermelon bounce and a couple of puzzle pieces away from having sent Metacomet to the first two tribals.  Angela said that she would not be surprised if she were voted out but felt she had a strong case to be spared.  When asked who her case was against she didn’t hesitate to say Melissa.  This bit of news didn’t bother the young quantitative consultant.  She said that Angela had made her bed at the first tribal council and must lay in it.  She too could have flipped like Larry but she chose to stick to her now wiped out alliance and must pay the price.  Nicholas said that there were no worries about a hidden idol being played because it had not been found.  There was no way it could have since during the search everyone kept a close watch on each other.  Meredith tightened her grip on her bag.

It was time to vote.  Angela voted Melissa and hoped that there would be three more votes going the same way.  Melissa voted Angela and said that the result was a foregone conclusion, but nothing personal.  It was not to be though for Melissa as Angela had convinced the rest of the tribe to side with her!  The votes came down 4-1 for Melissa and the relief that showed on Angela’s face was evident.  This seemingly unified Totoket was hopeful that this vote would begin their turnaround.  They had no more time to waste.

Melissa's smile (and flame) would soon be extinguished
Nicholas and Totoket choose their side
Next time on Survivor:
     - Diana looks for someone to trust.
     - It’s do or die for Totoket!
     - One tribe member secretly plots to throw the challenge.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Episode 1


Like any all star season (Heroes vs Villains, Caramoan), Survivor:  Branford is jumping into a challenge right from the get go!  The first immunity challenge is called “Melon Felon.”  A huge watermelon will be slathered with grease and thrown into the middle of the ocean!  Both tribes will race from their side of the course to try to be the first to steal the melon and bring it back to their raft.  There are no rules regarding roughhousing.  We are getting physical from the get go!

The tribes strategize before the challenge

Once the challenge gets underway it is clear that both tribes employ a different strategy.  Totoket sends their strongest swimmers out to try to retrieve the melon while leaving the rest of their tribe disbursed between their raft and the melon to create a hand off system.  Metacomet instead decides to rush all six of its tribe members full steam ahead towards the center of the course. 

The watermelon proves to be quite hard to hold onto.  It falls into the possession of no less than 5 castaways in a wild opening scramble.  After Totoket seizes early possession of the watermelon and begins to move it their way, Steve makes a diving tackle onto Nicholas dislodging the watermelon!  After a few seconds of chaos the melon makes its way into the hands of Christine.  This proved to be horrible news for Totoket as the former college swimmer and lifeguard pulls away from the pack and wins the challenge for the Metacomet tribe!  In a surprise twist, the Metacomet tribe also gets to keep the watermelon as a reward.  Totoket can only watch in disbelief as the reality of attending the season’s first tribal council sinks in.

Metacomet goes back to camp in a jubilant mood.  For her challenge heroics, Christine is given the responsibility of using the tribe machete to cut up the watermelon.  During the celebration Josh notices a clue to the hidden immunity idol in plain sight!  He pointed this out to Dennis and Amanda as the three of them had formed an alliance.  Using his game smarts, he decided not to grab the clue with the rest of the tribe around.  Later on Amanda went back to retrieve the clue and shared it with Dennis and Josh.  It alludes to an idol hidden in the rock wall near the ocean.

Christine is lady of the hour after the challenge
Once Totoket returns to their camp, Jim realizes that he (unintentionally) forgot his shoes at the challenge site.  Angela agrees to accompany him to retrieve them.  Quickly realizing their similar interests in the game, the two make an alliance.  A brief discussion results in the decision to target an ailing (ankle issues) Melissa.  Jim looks to get Larry on board with this decision.

Meanwhile, what Jim and Angela don’t know is that while they were gone, the rest of the tribe took the opportunity to band together and look for a chance to get one of the two out.  The conversation lasts all of ten seconds but is simple and to the point. 

Jim talks to both Larry and Nicholas and gets agreement from them to vote Melissa out of the game first.  Meredith can only sit back and smile at what she perceives as a clear 4/2 tribe division which she is on the right side of. 

Minutes before tribal council, Nicholas sneaks off to get water and manages to find a clue to the hidden immunity idol!  Unfortunately he is not fast (or savvy) enough to hide the clue from the prying eyes of Angela, Larry, and Jim.  This results in Nicholas being in the unenviable position of having to give up his advantage and read the clue to the rest of the tribe.  It also alludes to an idol hidden in the rock wall near the ocean!  However, none of the tribe has the opportunity to look as tribal council looms closer.

Totoket in happier times
At tribal Jim bemoans the fact that most of the tribe did not come prepared to strategize.  He acknowledges that his going against the grain could be an issue.  Larry describes that an idol clue was found but that none of the tribe has had time to search.  Melissa expresses her fear about being voted out first which Angela quickly relates to.  Nicholas, despite his clue blunder expresses confidence that he will not be voted out first.  He chose to share the clue with his tribe in order to relive any tension that it could have caused.  When asked what he would have done if he had found the clue in private he confirms that he still would have shared it with the rest of the tribe.  Meredith, quiet and stoic, is ready to get to the vote claiming to know exactly what will happen.

One by one the Totoket tribe casts their votes.  In a vote that you can’t make up, Jim and Melissa each receive three votes!  This marks the first time in Survivor history that there is a tie vote in the season’s first tribal council!  After a brief discussion regarding tiebreaker rules, Totoket revotes under the rules that only Melissa or Jim can be voted for.  During the revote, Larry flips and votes for Jim saying that it is a respect vote.  This results in a 3-1 vote in which Jim, thought by many to be a strong contender this season, is the first voted out of Survivor:  Branford!  Angela can only look crestfallen as her closest ally is voted out.  It would appear that she has her work cut out against an alliance of four.

Jim is about to discover that tribal is not such a fun place

Larry flips
Next time on Survivor:
-          Angela scrambles to make inroads with her tribe.
-          The hunt for hidden idols is on!
-          A blindfolded challenge causes great humor (and injuries)!

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Pregame


The castaways arrived in Branford, CT the afternoon of July 12th with high hopes.  Pregame strategizing was kept to a minimum but the first time that the whole group was assembled, chatter began.  Castaways began to make tentative deals, talk trash about which was the better tribe, and two castaways even began making game-related dollar bets with each other.  This would be the last time that castaways on rival tribes would have the opportunity to talk before the merge.
Meredith, Larry, Diana, Dennis, Josh
Steve:  Supreme confidence or nervous excitement?
Once production was ready to begin, the castaways were divided into their respective tribes to take their publicity photos.  The Totoket tribe which wears green consists of:
     - Melissa:  a 24 year old quantitive consultant from Key West, Florida.
     - Larry:  a 23 year old slumlord from Amherst, Texas.
     - Angela:  a 22 year old professional daredevil from Warwick, Rhode Island.
     - Jim:  a 28 year old actuary from Enfield, Connecticut.
     - Meredith:  a 20 year old hippie from San Francisco, California.
     - Nicholas:  a 25 year old semi-pro hockey player from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.

Totoket Tribe (clockwise):  Melissa, Larry, Jim, Meredith, Angela, Nicholas
The opposing tribe known as Metacomet which wears purple consists of:
     - Josh:  a 25 year old high income match maker from Los Angeles California.
     - Christine:  a 27 year old cat mama from Longmeadow, Massachusetts.
     - Steve:  a 28 year old Crimean from New York, New York.
     - Diana:  a 25 year old aspiring contortionist and aerial yoga student from Syracuse, New York.
     - Dennis:  a 25 year old construction worker from Jersey City, New Jersey.
     - Amanda:  a 25 year old camp counselor from Wheaton, Illinois.

Metacomet Tribe (clockwise):  Dennis, Diana, Christine, Steve, Josh, Amanda
After months of anticipation, the game was only moments from beginning! Yet so many questions remained...

24 hours, 12 people, 1 survivor!