Survivor: Philippines - LEGO Wiener Whiner - 25.10

It's that time in the Survivor season...time for my LEGO recap!  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it!

Artis was voted out at the last Tribal Council, & made his way to Ponderosa.  Those in the US can watch the videos at cbs.com, but I've embedded them at the end of this recap for the rest of us.

After Tribal, Abi-Maria is trying to think of a way to change up the game.  Right now, everyone else is seeing a Final 6 plan that doesn't include Abi or Pete.  She takes her trusty wine bottle & I think *maybe* the plan was to win Lisa back with a heart-to-heart, but that's not what happened.

"I'm done trying.  Yes, Lisa, the past few weeks was me TRYING."

Lisa says "A big part of who I am & who I have been is someone who feels comfortable to be used", & a big part of who I have been is someone who positions LEGO minifigures inappropriately when I hear comments like that, but who I am today is someone who also takes photos of the inappropriateness, but keeps them for her own amusement.  Sorry internet.  And Lisa.

I like Lisa a lot, but Lisa believes she's taking control of her own destiny.  How exactly is that?  I'm happy that she's parting ways with Abi now, but does it really mean anything?  Should it mean anything?  The previous night was her chance to take control of her destiny & vote with Penner, but it was Skupin who made that move, so of course Lisa is going to switch now.  When her only other option is down in numbers.  Not cool.

For the Reward Challenge, 2 teams will compete one-on-one to flip 3 drums over, while turning the other team's drums down.  You have to have all 3 drums turned up at the same time to win a match.  Coincidentally, it's not unlike a frequently-used puzzle in LEGO video games (go to the 2:20 mark).  The first team to win 3 matches goes on a spa day.

"My hair!"

The teams are divided as such: Abi-Maria, Carter, Malcolm & Pete against Penner, Skupin, Denise & Lisa.  It is a tied game & now Abi's turn to compete.  Yes, Abi is competing, but there is a very good reason she sits out so often.  She flips everything over, whether it's her team's or not.

I never promised everything would be to scale.

Probst will not let an opportunity for an Abi-dig pass, & says, "Abi, are you clear on what's happening out here?"  Skupin tries a different approach on his second go, & heads in the opposite direction.  This gets confusing & the other team wins Reward.  Yes, Abi gets to go on a reward for her pathetic performance.

Having some pampering time for The Hair sounded great to Malcolm before the teams were divided, but now he's stuck having cocktails & a mani-pedi while the people he wants to align with are back at Gangrene.

It was worth it.

Back at Gangrene, Abi-Maria is gloating about the Reward & annoying everyone.

"The chicken was so delicious it was ludicrist.  You want some?  You can't have any."

Skupin says, "Normally everyone's really super-gracious when they come back from a reward, but Abi's downright cruel.  She flaunted it, wouldn't stop.  Carter is asked what he thought of the Reward.

"Salsa was yummy.  It was spicy &...."

 Abi interrupts him & for a moment I think we're going to see Carter explode.

Look at that intense expression!   Look out, Abi!

Abi-Maria really thinks she's doing everyone a favour - maybe they'll be able to taste the amazing tapas when they're eating their plain rice!  Nope.  Everyone is slowly having their souls sucked out of them by Abi.

Dementor Abi-Maria is pleased to see someone else cooking for a change.  "I'm glad you guys stepped up to the plate, because I am done with the kitchen."  Denise is all Bitch, please.  She says in a confessional, "You have lost your freakin' mind, girl!  Part of me just thinks that's fine, just let it piss everybody else off.  You know what, your time will come.  Whiners are wieners.  You need to go home."

Malcolm & Skupin discuss the possibility of a Final 4 with Denise & Lisa.  Skupin doesn't necessarily want to say yes, but "if you say no, then you could end up the odd man out."  Lisa would rather put her trust in Penner than in Malcolm...possibly because she has already betrayed Malcolm to Pete & Skupin.  Even though Penner's lobbying didn't result in Lisa switching her vote at the last Tribal, it did have an impact.  Lisa & Skupin approach Penner about a Final 4.

Penner would rather go vote-by-vote at this point.  "I'm not that interested in committing anything to anybody, not yet."

"I am burdened with glorious purpose."

Penner misses the opportunity, & a Final 4 agreement is made in the forest without him.

The Immunity Challenge was designed so that Probst could say "buoy" as many times as humanly possible.  It is a 3-stage challenge.  Round 1 involves a buoy on a rope, which is tangled & knotted throughout obstacles.  First 6 to get their buoy to the end move on to Round 2, where the buoy is on a rope wrapped around a balance beam.  First 3 to get their buoy to the end move on to Round 3, where the buoy is on a rope wrapped around a boat.  First one to get their buoy to the end wins Immunity.  Buoy, buoy, buoy & the Final 3 are Carter, Skupin & Denise, & it so happens that they're each standing on a platform in their original tribal colour.

Skupin dives into the water & is immediately circled by a shark on his way to the boat.  Skupin's arm has been developing its own perforated marks at the shoulder for such an occasion, & the arm pops off painlessly.

"No worries!   I'm good!"

Soon Denise & Skupin are flinging themselves off & under the boat, moving their buoy along, but Carter has developed another strategy.  Speaking of strategy, remember last week when I (& everyone) praised Penner's genius for collecting all the mud-bags at once?  Carter tweeted that it was actually his idea, so let's give him credit for that.  He's more than just a blank face & high hair, you guys.  Carter's strategy this week is using his long limbs, moving the buoy around the boat without ever getting out of it.

Carter's strategy works, & he wins, proudly wearing his new Immunity necklace.

Back at Gangrene, the decision is made to split the votes 3/3 for Abi & Pete, with all votes going to Abi if she doesn't play the Immunity Idol.  Penner is confident, but he will acknowledge the possibility of a different outcome. "Could somebody surprise me & play an incredibly stupid move?  Maybe...Either Pete or Abi will go home.  Could it screw up?  Yeah."

Trying to save themselves, Abi-Maria & Pete target Malcolm.  If they can get one person to switch their vote, they can take out a huge threat.  Well, yeah.  Why hasn't anybody really tried to do this yet?  I don't want him to go, but they should get rid of Malcolm.  Lisa & Carter say no thanks to a common sense approach, so Abi tries to sway Penner a different way.  She reminds him that the others might not be as loyal to him, & Penner responds with "I don't trust any of them completely, but they do trust me, you see?"

"There are no men like me."

Pete approaches Skupin (who is managing just fine with one arm, thanks for asking) & explains the scenario.  Skupin felt cornered by Malcolm into the Final 4 agreement & when Pete starts gushing about Malcolm's talents & skill, Skupin looks thoughtful.  "I'm not saying no."

Malcolm knows his name is being thrown around.  His newly-conditioned, voluminous Hair is tickled by the whispered words that come to him on the ocean breeze: "Malcolm" "Threat" "Idol" "Vote".  He could play his Idol, but he would lose his leverage & that could affect his relationship with the fulcrum that is Penner.  He also doesn't want to be sent home with the Idol in his pocket.

Once torches are in place & everyone is seated, the jury comes in.

Mistakenly, Jeff Kent has forgotten to conceal his true identity, & is a bit confused.  He decides to change.

"What?  I'm a rancher.  I work on a ranch."

RC wants to slip into something more comfortable as well, & while she's changing, Kent does, too.

"OK, you got me.  Anyone know who I am now?  MVP?  Anyone?"

Disgusted by the ignorance of these people, Kent sheds that final fake skin & leaves before his true identity is exposed.

"That'ssss it. Come on, guysssss.  We're outta here."

Abi says she regrets the last Tribal Council, & Jeff asks if it may be a cultural divide.  Abi says, "My attitude may be perceived as not the most gentle."  Everyone laughs & Denise disagrees with Probst's suggestion.  She deals with a lot of ESLs, & they are helpful & kind & all things that Abi is not.  Abi doesn't feel understood, & is getting emotional.  Probst suggests Abi may be the perfect person to take to the Finals, & Denise says yeah, "If that's the kind of game that you want to play."  She likens taking Abi to people in past seasons taking "the deadweight, they take the unlikeable person."  Abi is shocked at this.

"Wow, I never thought I was the unlikeable person."

Denise doesn't want to win by default.  "It's like bringing someone to a poker game that's never played poker, just so you can steal their money."  Abi is now in tears, but look: Abi is fond of blunt truth-telling, she's just not used to getting it back.  And the tears aren't all because of Denise; Probst can take some of that blame.

Have you ever seen The Soup's segment "Reow! With Brian Williams"?  It showcases Williams' catty & hilarious commentary during Rock Center.

I'd like to suggest a "Reow! with Jeff Probst"...check out the entries from this Tribal Council alone:

"Abi, is this the first time you've been in a situation where a group of people say Wow, what's wrong with you?" Reow!
"Abi, you didn't grasp that you're seen as unlikeable?"  Reow!
"You didn't grasp that people laughing at you - in our culture - is a sign that you're full of it?"  Reow!
"Denise, you were just talking about wanting to play the game with good people & not bring somebody like Abi to the end..."  REOW!

Probst has taken it too far.  But who could snap him out of it?

Dawson is dragged away by security, & Denise tries to break it down for Abi.  Four times she tries, & four times Abi interrupts her, saying "I don't understand what you're getting at."  Um, maybe listen & you will?  Abi has made up her mind, though.  She's not letting this therapist get into her head.  Abi heard what happened when Denise's ally Malcolm started making a new friend.  She knows how Denise sabotaged that alliance by talking to the other party, really talking to her, & telling her that she shouldn't be ashamed of what she wants.  It's only natural.  And we all know how that turned out.

"Even oatmeal cookies are totes yumz!"

Time to vote, & Abi turns to Pete & says "That was brutal by them."  Pete assures her "You'll be OK" in a dry monotone, without so much as putting a hand on her shoulder.  Inside, he's wishing he had just taken care of the puppy when he had the chance.

Why couldn't you stay in the backyard like you were supposed to, puppy?

Abi tearfully plays her Immunity Idol, & I gasp as Malcolm doesn't play his.  I really don't know what Skupin will do.  3 votes for Abi don't count.  2 votes Pete, 2 votes Malcolm.  Probst reads the last vote.

Pete becomes the 4th member of the jury, & the teaser for next week claims "Abi gets a taste of her own medicine."  WTF would you call Tribal, then?  I'm no Abi fan, but that was all pretty harsh.


I have to thank my son for loving LEGO as much as his Mom & Dad do, giving us an excuse to buy it.  Looking for specific pieces in our home is like entering the Lestrange vault at Gringotts.  Kai also created the main Gangrene camp for me, so thanks, Kai!  Be sure to check out my past all-LEGO Survivor recaps!


Also, a reminder there will be no recap for the next 2 weeks, but the plan is to get a quick recap post combining the 2 episodes up before the Dec 12 episode.
Check out some of my favourite Survivor blogs in the meantime:
Dalton Ross @ ew.com
Jeff Pitman @ truedorktimes.com
Max Maisel @ Exo-Raiku's Views of Interest
Bianca Castro @ Survivor-Insider

Reasons to watch Artis' 2 Ponderosa videos: his reaction to his reflection, an RC snub, & this fabulous image:

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