Episode 6, James Goes Home

Ulong wins Reward but loses Immunity yet again. James is voted off at Tribal Council after another tie vote.

After the recap of last episode, Ibrehem says that was one crazy Tribal Council (last week's). James lays into Ibrehem in front of Stephenie and Bobby Jon. In private Bobby Jon criticizes James saying that "we win and lose as a team." Ibrehem is then shown praying. He says he tries to get away and pray when he can. (I wonder if someone from production showed him which direction Mecca is?)

Over at Koror everyone seems to have a new "rush of energy" according to Ian. Tom seems to agree and says it's building time and Gregg and most of the others are shown cutting logs etc. However Katie seems to think it is "craft day" according to Coby. She's shown sewing or making necklaces or some such thing. Caryn says something like Katie must think that she's just here to entertain us. (Katie does not seem to be very popular at Koror.)

Reward Challenge
Competition: knock out tiles using a replica WW2 gun; first tribe to 8 wins
Reward: snorkeling at Jellyfish Lake (plus food and drink)
Sits out: Janu, Jennifer, Katie and Ian

Ulong wins Reward, 8 tiles to 7. Stephenie knocks out all four tiles she shoots at and wins it for her tribe.

For the record (I think this is correct):
Bobbj Jon M, H , H, H
Gregg M, H , H, H
James 4 misses
Coby M, M, M, H
Ibrehem M, H, M, M
Tom H, M, M, M
Stephenie 4 hits
Caryn M, H, H, M

They each took a single shot in turn (and in the order listed above, which turned over after each had a shot). M=missed tile, H=hit tile. To sum things up, everyone knocked out at least one tile except for James who missed all of his.

Stephenie (left) says that they really needed the win to boost their spirits and morale. They got to spend the afternoon on a nice boat eating (some sort of potato chips, Herr's I think) and drinking Mai Tais (except for Ibrehem I guess). The snorkeling with the jellyfish looked amazing (this fresh water type doesn't have stingers). They were everywhere and the water looked pretty clear too. This is one reason I like Survivor, I've never seen anything like this. I don't remember Ibrehem swimming. Is he deathly afraid of the water or what?

What's in a Mai Tai? mmm rum . . .
        1 ounce light rum
        1 ounce gold rum
        1/2 ounce orange curaçao
        1/2 ounce Orgeat (Almond Syrup)
        1/2 ounce fresh lime juice
        1 ounce dark rum

Shake all but the dark rum with ice. Strain into old fashioned glass. Top with the dark rum. Garnish with a maraschino cherry. Drink responsibly - if at all, don't drink and drive.

Meanwhile at Koror there's a major storm, very windy indeed! The next morning Coby says it was "pure hell." Katie says Janu is really losing it (I think she means emotionally). Tom talks with and consuls Janu.

Immunity Challenge
Competition: build it up, tear it down
Sits out: Tom, Gregg, Coby and Caryn

Tree mail brings a footlocker-size wooden box, rope and the other tribe's flag. The instructions say to secure the flag as best as they can inside the box, so starts the Immunity Challenge. The tribes are given another opportunity to make it more difficult to get to the flags. Out in the water are bundles of lumber. They are given 20 minutes to get the bundles and use them in constructing a barrier around the boxes. Afterwards they will try and retrieve their flag from the other tribe's contraption. The first tribe to do so wins Immunity.

From the time they got the tree mail, James tells Ulong that they can't lose this competition since he knows all sorts of knots from being in the navy. One particular knot he says shows no ends and the more you pull it the tighter it gets. Sounds good, right? How can they lose this challenge? They lost by not hustling, that's how. First off only Stephenie and Bobby Jon go in the water to get the lumber. Ibrehem only goes in up to about his waist (Again, is he deathly afraid of the water or what?) James stays behind to work some more on the box. The only problem is that he spends a lot of time adjusting his toga. (Yes, you read that right.) He stands there fixing his clothes rather than tightening knots or whatever. Somehow Ulong managed to at least use all of the materials provided. Koror had some pieces left over, which should have made it easier for Ulong. It didn't appear to matter. Koror were the first to get their box out of the construction area and to the table in order to untie the original knots (the ones James really bragged about). Koror ran and hustled all the way between stations and Ulong looked like they were on a Sunday stroll. It didn't look like Koror won by that much time, maybe if Ulong had hustled they could have won.

Koror win Immunity.

Stephenie is not used to losing blah, blah, blah . . .
James tells her that he's sure Bobby Jon won't vote for him. However Bobby Jon tells her that he wants James to go because he thinks that James voted for him at last Tribal Council. Bobby Jon thinks this because the handwriting looked like a man's. Stephenie tells him that's right, that she voted for Angie. In private she tells us that she did vote for Bobby Jon. She lied to him! My Stephenie is a liar, all right! Giddy up, game on. How will she vote? If she votes for James with Bobby Jon there will be a tie.

Somewhere in here James says that Ibrehem's God (aka Allah) may have saved him last time but this time his God (presumedly a good redneck Christian God) is stronger so Ibrehem (left) will be gone. Yes, James is a big jerk. (Note: He's all the same God, you're all sons and daughters of Abraham. Learn to play nice. Tolerance and understanding is a good thing.)

Ulong at Tribal Council (sixth straight time)
(paraphrased)
Probst: James you guys haven't won one immunity?
James: We must hear the word "immunity" and subconsciously sabotage ourselves.
Probst: James do you hold yourself up to the same criteria as the others, like Ibrehem?
James: There are other factors involved not just how well you do in challenges. Like how you get along with others.
Probst: Bobby Jon do you trust the others?
Bobby Jon: Yes.
Probst: How about you Stephenie?
Stephenie: Yes, I trust them.
Probst: Even though all three of them are from Alabama?
Stephenie: Yes, I do my best and don't think about that.

Time to vote:
2 votes for James, 2 votes for Ibrehem. Another tie vote!
Stephenie and Bobby Jon vote again and James gets both of the votes so he's gone.

Alliances
Stephenie and Bobby Jon (right) have agreed that Ibrehem is the next to go if necessary. There wasn't anyway to tell how well the Soft Alliance between Gregg and Coby is holding up.

Heroes & Villains
James is a real jerk and I'm glad that he's gone. I still like Stephenie a lot. I like Janu (right) when she's not crying.

Official Episode Title: Jellyfish 'N Chips

Won Reward: Ulong
(snorkeling at Jellyfish Lake)

Immunity: Koror

Voted Off: James

Note: next week's show returns to Thursday night.

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