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)!