Episode 9, Coby Starts the Jury

Stephenie merges with Koror. Tom wins Individual Immunity. Coby is voted off at Tribal Council.

After the recap of last episode, Stephenie is shown struggling at Ulong. She says that it's real scary being alone and that it's ironic that Bobby Jon taught her how to make a fire and she beat him by making a fire. Over at Koror, Ian tells us that they're all getting thinner, Janu does nothing and Coby is annoying. Coby in private plays the work martyr again. He tells us that he stopped working on Day 22.

Stephenie gets tree mail telling her to pack up the outrigger canoe and go to Koror with a sealed message. When she arrives at Koror there are hugs and kisses all around. The message for Koror is that Stephenie is now part of their tribe. (Technically a merge, I guess, but no new tribe name and color.) Stephenie says Koror is like heaven compared with Ulong. She tells them that she knew that she would be welcomed and made to feel at home on Koror (very diplomatic of her). In private Jennifer tells us that she's afraid of competing with Stephenie and the sooner that she's gone the better. Coby tells us that as soon as he can he's going to tell Stephenie everything about Koror, who's aligned with who etc.

What's a merge without a party? And what's a party without food? Two native Palauians, Joe and Edwin, show up to teach the Survivors how to fish. This is a two step process. Joe explains: first catch little fish from the beach, then use them as bait to catch bigger fish out on the outrigger canoe. He wants volunteers for each job and Coby says that he'll catch bait fish. Tom then starts talking about who will go out on the canoe and he suggests Ian, since Ian is into that sort of thing (he's is a dolphin trainer). Coby then throws a hissy fit and says that he's being left out. Tom and the others are confused (along with me), didn't Coby just say he wanted to catch the bait fish? (Yes, he did. I guess it's a hairstylist's prerogative to change his mind.)

Anyway back to fishing. Joe and Edwin take a few of the Survivors out fishing (Tom, Ian and I think Gregg). They fish using just a fishing line and baited hook, no rod or reel. Joe pulls fish in with ease. Tom is showed catching a fish too. The underwater camera work here was well done and interesting. They showed a fish being pulled in from a good distance away from the canoe. When they get back, Stephenie says they caught about thirteen fish and a lobster. Joe and Edwin bid the Survivors good-bye. To make the party complete the Survivors are given rum. Tom overindulges, slurs his speech and falls down a few times. The next morning he says that he doesn't remember some things from the night before.

Coby finally gets Stephenie alone to tell her everything. He says Gregg, Jennifer, Tom, Ian, and Katie are an alliance versus Coby, Caryn and Janu (and formerly Willard). He tells her that he and Janu have a secret alliance with Gregg and Jennifer. He also tells her that the other women are jealous of her. Unfortunately he's not sly enough and Katie and Jennifer see what he's up to ("It's so obvious what he's doing," one of them says). After Coby is done with Stephenie the women talk with her. Stephenie plays it very smart and diplomatically. She tells them that Coby told her that they see her as a threat and that they're jealous of her.

Reward Challenge
Competition: no reward challenge - merge party instead.
Reward:

Immunity Challenge
Competition: endurance, stand on a little perch in the water. The last one standing wins Immunity.
(Individual Immunity from here on.)

After about an hour Jeff Probst brings out donuts (mmm . . . donuts) and Coby and Janu give up. At the two and a half hour mark, Jeff Probst brings out chocolate chip cookies - everyone but Stephenie, Tom and Caryn gives up. Some time later pizza shows up and Tom wins Immunity when the two women surrender.


Koror at Tribal Council
(paraphrased)
Probst: All of you except Tom traded food for Immunity and the chance of winning one million dollars. (stupid, aren't they?)
Stephenie: I felt welcomed so maybe I won't be voted off.
Coby: There are other targets too.
Janu: I haven't pulled my weight. I think it might be me tonight. (Then why did she give up Immunity so easily?)
Probst: Stephenie are you worried? On a scale of 1 to 10.
Stephenie: It's an 8 or 9.
Probst: Then why did you quit?
Stephenie: Tom's a tough competitor and I'm not good with temptation.
Probst: What if it's your time to go tonight?
Stephenie: Then I'll be real mad at myself.

Time to vote. Ian is shown voting for Coby; Janu for Stephenie. The votes are revealed: 1 for Stephenie, 1 for Janu, 5 for Coby. That's enough, Coby's torch is extinguished. Janu has a real big look of surprise on her face.

Alliances
It's safe to say the Soft Alliance between Gregg, Jennifer, Coby and Janu is history. Stephenie voted for Coby so she's more in the loop than Janu, who voted for Stephenie.

Heroes and Villains
I still like Stephenie. She's playing a good game but she has too much going against her. Koror won't want her around long. She can probably beat any of them in Individual Immunity, so they'll want her gone soon. And she's an easy target since she's from Ulong. Coby thinks he was voted off because he was a threat. The fact that he was annoying was also a factor.

Official Episode Title: I Will Not Give Up

Won Reward:
(no reward challenge - merge party instead)

Immunity: Tom

Voted Off: Coby
(he got five votes)

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Survivor Live: Bobby Jon

Bobby Jon said that he's a hard worker but hard work doesn't always get you what you want. He says he may have over done it and not have been rested enough for challenges; he should have conserved his energy a little more than he did. Work was also a release for him; it let him get out all of his frustrations.

Jeff: they just had to believe him about his ankle. Ashlee: she told them that Survivor was just not for her. Bobby Jon admits that Tom may have intimidated him a little bit. He regrets not being upfront with Ibrehem when he was voted off. Not that Bobby Jon would have voted differently but he wished he would have told him about it before hand. Bobby Jon said that he wouldn't have changed his vote if he had known the truth about James not voting for him (Stephenie played along when Bobby Jon thought that James voted for him even though it was her that voted for him.) Bobby Jon had wanted Jolanda to stay. He thought that she was physically strong and could have helped them. The best part of Survivor was getting to swim at jellyfish lake. He lost about twenty pounds on Survivor.

Tonight's Episode
I Will Not Give Up
When Stephanie becomes the last member of the Ulong tribe left, she is forced to survive on her own; some of the castaways enjoy a memorable evening, especially one who indulges a bit too much.

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Jeff Varner (Outback)

Ex-'Survivor' Contestant Working in News

Greensboro, N.C. (AP) - Jeff Varner, who was bumped from "Survivor" in 2001, has a new job in reality television: TV newsman. Varner will join WGHP, the Fox affiliate based in High Point, as a weekend anchor, the station announced Friday.

Prior to his stint on "Survivor," Varner worked as an Internet project manager in New York City and earned a journalism degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Still, he says his "Survivor" ties have created some career challenges.

"I have the label of reality-show contestant tattooed across my face," he told the News & Record in an earlier interview. "I have a journalism degree, the experience, and I can write better than most producers. But I know I have to work three times as hard because credibility is a big issue."

After his ejection from "Survivor," Varner's charm earned him a series of television appearances and jobs, including one as an interviewer and correspondent for the TV Guide channel.

"Jeff brings to the table charisma, energy and his strong desire to return home," said Karen Koutsky, WGHP's vice president of news.

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Note: I don't remember him but he did make it to the merge on Survivor Outback. I don't know if he made the jury or not. Does anyone remember?

Jeff's Bio at CBS

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