Early Show: Janu

Janu said that she quit because it was the best move for her spiritually and for the game. She went on to say that she went into Tribal Council thinking about quitting. She was thinking about it while exiled. She didn't do it to save Stephenie; she didn't want to be a pawn.

Katie is a unique person who for some reason just couldn't deal with Janu being sick all the time. Janu was shocked when Coby was voted off.

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Episode 10, Janu Quits at TC

Tom, Janu, Caryn and Gregg win Reward. Tom wins Immunity. Janu is exiled for being the first out of the Immunity challenge. At Tribal Council Janu quits and the plan was to vote off Stephenie.

After the recap of last episode, Janu feels betrayed because she wasn't told that her friend Coby was going to be voted off. (I think that I would feel more threatened than betrayed, but that's just me.) Janu catches Katie and Caryn gossiping about her and confronts them. She says something like "are we in junior high school?" The discussion gets pretty heated. (I wouldn't do this either, it just makes her more of a target.) In private Katie says Janu is a crazy person who talks in circles and Gregg says she's a "buzz kill."

Reward Challenge
Competition: build a tower in the water
Reward: a feast with the native Palauans

The Survivors are split into two teams. Each team has six scaffold pieces to build a tower out in the water. One piece at a time is carried out to the water to assemble the tower. The first few sections are underwater and the last few rise above the water. Once the tower is complete, someone is to climb the tower and retrieve a flag and everyone is to return to the beach.

It was close, but the team of Tom, Janu, Caryn and Gregg won. They met the chief and were entertained by some lovely young dancing women. Food-wise they had fish, chicken, ribs and corn on the cob. Beer was served but no one was shown drunk. Janu feels sick, excuses herself from the table and then vomits outside. (I'd say that's a buzz kill. Coby said on Survivor Live last week that she was sick with diarrhea and vomiting since Day 3.)

Immunity Challenge
Competition: Palauan water torture

All the Survivors were out in the water under some bars. There was about six inches between the bars. To start, the bars had several inches of clearance above the water however that changed as the tide came in. The last one to stay under the bars wins Immunity. To make things a little more interesting the first person to quit is to be exiled to an island to live by themselves for a night.

Here's the order that they gave up in: Janu (very quickly gave up, saying she was cold), Caryn (about an hour in), Katie, Jennifer, Stephenie, Gregg, Ian and Tom (the winner!). The men were smart and tried to make snorkels with their hands. Tom was the most successful at it so he won Immunity. When Janu quit most of the others were cracking jokes at her expense (the jerks). They laughed when Jeff Probst asked Janu if she ever made fire and she answered "no."

Immediately following the challenge Janu is whisked away on a boat to another island for the night. She's given a machete, flint, steel and a canteen of water. However she really struggles and it's not until after dark that she is able to start a fire.

Back on Koror, the plotting begins - who to vote off? Tom says to Gregg that the women want to vote off Janu. Gregg and Jennifer want to vote off Stephenie. Gregg says that she's a real physical threat. Tom tells us in private that it looks like Stephenie although he's personally against it.

Janu returns and is welcomed back by the others.

Koror at Tribal Council
The Jury watches: Coby, Janu smiles when she sees him.
(paraphrased)
Probst: Janu how was exile?
Janu: Hard but I did it. It took like ten hours to start a fire.
Probst: When the others wished you "Good Luck" did you believe them?
Janu: No, it was half sincere half the game.
Caryn: I'm shocked that Janu feels that way.
Probst: Tom how do asses your vote, the worth versus the threat of the others?
Tom: The game is on. Voting is strictly about the game.
Probst: And you Gregg?
Gregg: I see them all as threats. It's about what's best for me.
Probst: Katie why should they keep you?
Katie: I'm not a threat. (Good answer.)
Probst: Janu same question?
Janu: No reason. If I were them I'd vote for me.
Probst: It seems like you want to go?
Janu: I'm satisfied with how far I've gotten. Vote me off.
Probst: Ian why should you keep Janu if she wants to go?
Ian: No one is forcing any one to stay. If you want to go then go.
Probst: Stephenie if looks could kill then Janu would be laid out on the ground right now.
Stephenie: [all choked up] I cannot believe that she doesn't want to stay. I would do anything to stay and she could care less whether she stays or goes. (I think she even cries.)

Janu quits! She says that it's all on her own accord. Stephenie and Coby exchange glances and smiles.

No voting. Janu will still be part of the jury.

Alliances
It looks like it will be Tom, Ian and Katie versus Gregg, Jennifer and Caryn. Stephenie is a goner next week unless she wins Immunity. In a preview to next week's episode, Stephenie is shown trying to get a girls-versus-guys thing going. That won't work, Jennifer is too close to Gregg.

Heroes and Villains
How can anyone not like Stephenie? She gives her all for the game - physically, emotionally and mentally. She's also easy on the eyes. Alliance-wise, I like Tom, Ian and Katie. I don't care for Gregg and Jennifer. I really don't like Caryn, she's annoying.

Official Episode Title: Exile Island

Won Reward: Tom, Janu, Caryn and Gregg
(an island feast)

Immunity: Tom

Removed from Competition: Janu
(No voting, she quit on her own accord at Tribal Council.)

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Stephenie Phila. Inquirer Article

A tribe of one, and a singular personality

By Jonathan Storm
Inquirer Columnist

A star is born, but can she survive?

Fellow competitors call Stephenie LaGrossa, who grew up in Glenolden, Delaware County, "charismatic," "determined" and "forthright."

Jeff Probst, host of Survivor: Palau - where Stephenie, 25, became the first one-person "tribe" in the show's history - says she is second only to Survivor god Rupert Bonham in generating viewer interest.

"Stephenie has proven she is one of the toughest ever to play Survivor, and, when it comes to women, perhaps the toughest," Probst said in a telephone interview.

"Every guy wants Stephenie," said Coby Archa, the 32-year-old hairdresser from Tyler, Texas, who was voted off last week. "And every girl wants to be Stephenie."

People who dismiss TV reality shows as, at best, superficial brain candy are missing a fascinating character study and naturalist video extravaganza when they skip CBS's Survivor, the best, most popular and longest-lasting of the current reality game shows.

Tonight at 8, they will miss one of the most capable and compelling of the more than 160 candidates who have scrounged for roots and berries, and for the admiration of their compadres, in wildernesses around the world, as she tries to navigate new waters in her quest for glory and $1 million.

Check that. This lean, mean fighting machine already has the glory.

And Stephenie (Survivors always go by their first names) was almost the only contestant with a brain in the young (average age: 27) and buff Ulong Tribe that set a Survivor record for losing eight consecutive "immunity challenges," contests contrived by the producers to guarantee members of the winning tribe more time in the game. With only two Ulong left, she used her head to knock off Bobby Jon Drinkard in a ceremonial fire-building contest, and she was all alone.

After fending for herself overnight and for most of a day in a tropical island jungle in Palau, a tiny country southeast of the Philippines, Stephenie - a lacrosse standout at Archbishop Prendergast High and at Temple and New Jersey's Monmouth University - was allowed to paddle over the water last week to join the eight other remaining Survivors in the Koror tribe. (Survivor producers are enamored of exaggerated ceremonial hoodoo and exotic tribal names with indigenous roots.)

"We've never had anybody go back to camp alone," said Probst, who has supervised 10 iterations of Survivor since 2000. "It's basically the scariest scenario we've had. You're forced to live by your own wits. The cameramen don't factor in, because you know, after 20 days, they would never even speak to you, much less help."

Now, Stephenie, a pharmaceutical sales rep who has four brothers and is the youngest child in her family, will be forced to engage a different set of wits as she jockeys to remain in the game with a group of older competitors (average age: 36) who have lived together for three weeks.

Her arrival immediately blew a hole in the tribe.

"The whole time, we agreed we were going to keep strong all the way to the end," said Koror's Coby by phone from his home. "She changed that immediately. She's a likable player, and everybody wanted to play with her."

They didn't want to play with Coby anymore. He was exiled, but not before giving Stephenie the complete lowdown, at least as he saw it, on the rest of his team.

The show was taped during the winter, but candidates still struggling on TV are kept incommunicado.

Coby said he was not surprised when Stephenie showed up on his island, but now, as a viewer, he wishes the producers had let her soldier on alone. "I think that would have been fascinating."

Many fans agree, but Probst explained that the producers had discussed the possibility of an eventual one-person tribe before starting the Palau installment, whose biggest wrinkle was that the contestants would be allowed for the first time to choose their own tribes.

"You can't end the show at an immunity challenge, and Stephenie loses, and she goes off in a boat," he said. "That's not Survivor... .

"Since World War II is a theme of the show [Palau is littered with downed planes and shipwrecks], we decided if one tribe conquered the other, it would get its remaining member.

"We never dreamed it would happen."

Neither did James Miller, self-styled leader of the Ulong tribe, who also never dreamed Stephenie would connive to vote him off and out of any chance to win money. Apparently, he still doesn't get it.

"She seemed like she was just honest. She was forthright with me," he said with admiration.

He does know one woman, however, who is not sold on Stephenie.

"My wife," who looks forward to meeting Wonder Woman at the May 15 reunion show, he said. "She's debating on whether or not she's gonna whip Stephenie's tail."

A tip for Mrs. Miller: Don't even try.

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Survivor Fantasy: My Picks

Tom, first question at Tribal Council
He's the leader of the pack, so maybe Jeff Probst will want to put him on the hot spot.

points last week: 89

Ian, first question at Tribal Council
He seems to be shown a lot and he likes the water. He's also close with Tom, so maybe Jeff Probst askes him about Tom.

points last week: 56

Gregg, takes a nap
More naps have been shown in recent weeks and maybe Gregg will be shown napping with Jennifer.

points last week: 50

Stephenie, first interviewed
She was an obvious target last week and yet she survived so maybe she'll be the first interview this week.

points last week: 164

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Tonight's Episode
Exile Island, Episode #1010.
An unexpected performance by a tribemate during a Challenge results in a victory for the team.

One castaway confronts her tribe, leaving everyone feeling uncomfortable and leaving her feeling alienated.

A twist at a Challenge brings very bad news for one Survivor.

In danger of going on the chopping block, a Survivor makes a heartfelt plea not to be voted off. Will this plea fall on deaf ears?

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Sea Mist Beach Club

The Sea Mist Beach Club, my tribe in the Survivor Fantasy League, has scored 11,416 points so far. We are 1,100 points behind the 100th place team in the private tribes standings. At one time we were less than 100 points from making the table. Oh, well . . .

This Week's Bonus Questions and Answers are:
1.Which Koror member seemed to have too much to drink after a long day of fishing? (Tom)
2. What was the first food the Survivors were enticed with at the Immunity Challenge? (donuts, or try doughnuts)
3. Name one of the two Survivors who jumped from their perches for pizza during the Immunity Challenge. (Stephenie or Caryn)

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Survivor Live: Coby

Survivor Live, the Internet Talk Show
Guest: Coby
Hosts: Dalton Ross (Entertainment Weekly) and
Jenna Morasca, sole survivor Survivor Amazon

Coby said that he over-reacted in the last episode. He thought that he would have lost his temper before that. He just got sick and tired of looking at everyone on Koror. It may have been different if they hadn't won so many Immunity challenges.

Everyone is boring on Koror. Gregg chickened out of their alliance. Janu was really sick with diarrhea and vomiting from about Day 3. (What happened on Koror on Day 3? That's also the day Willard hurt his feet and/or got heat stroke.) Tom makes all of the major decisions. He was real drunk and fell down like five times. Coby chose Caryn instead of Angie because he thought he and Angie together would have been too much of a target, both being freaks and all. Also he thought Caryn would choose Willard instead of Jonathan and Coby didn't want Jonathan around. He was strong and Coby didn't want to compete with him; also he wasn't very sociable. Katie and Jennifer were useless around camp. At least Caryn would get firewood and Janu held her own in challenges. Once Coby realized that he didn't have the numbers on his side he switched to a Johnny Fairplay strategy: he'd be unlikable in the hope that someone would want to be in the final two with him.

Coby is most proud of winning the sumo wrestling challenge against James. He said that he went on Survivor for fun and the experience. Also he wanted to prove to himself that he could be part of a team since he was never included as a kid (he could have just joined a slow-pitch softball league if that's all he wanted).

Next for Coby: return to normal life, for which he has a new appreciation.

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Early Show: Coby

Harry Smith asked Coby if he snapped after being "left out" of the fishing trip. Coby basically said yes and that he's surprised he held his temper for so long. He did a lot of the hard work but no one would play with him (*sniff, sniff*) so he turned bitter. Harry also said he's sorry to see Coby gone because he was one of the few interesting people on Koror (I agree). Coby replied that he turned into a bitter old queen and it wouldn't have been interesting for long.

Coby had his little talk with Stephenie to give her power in the game. He knew he had little power in the game so he thought that he'd shake things up a bit. He didn't count on such a big backlash though (maybe he should have done it in a more discrete way then.)

In giving up Immunity for a few donuts he was "calling their bluff," whatever that means.

Standard Survivor Cliche: Coby said being on Survivor was an amazing experience that changed his life.

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