May 9 2008

After last week’s upset by Amanda, Cirie admits she was fooled, but now believes that she, Amanda and Parvati are committed to taking each other to the final three. Erik interviews that he is surprised Amanda is still around because he sees her as a threat with the jury. He wants her gone.

This week, the women to go for the jugular. Too bad their only prey is poor, innocent ice cream scooper Erik. They know to get him off the island they need to make sure he doesn’t win the challenges. Amanda, Parvati and Cirie discuss strategy, and they feel that if Erik wins the challenge, he’ll send Natalie to Exile Island and vote Amanda off. They decide to have Amanda pretend to align with him and see if he’ll send Parvati to Exile Island instead. The idea is to keep Natalie from finding the last hidden immunity idol. Especially if Erik has the immunity necklace. Amanda asks Erik flat out if he intends to vote for her, and he admits he doesn’t think he could win over the jury if she remains in the game. They make a pact that if Erik wins the challenge and gets to take someone with him to share the reward, he will take Amanda and send Parvati to Exile Island. Erik wanted to send Natalie, and had told her he would, but Amanda convinces him that Parvati will just lie around and not even look for the idol.

THE CHALLENGE

The game is to see how well the players remember past seasons of Survivor. Jeff will ask questions, and the person with the most correct answers wins a helicopter ride to a resort, a massage and dinner. They also get to spend the night. Jeff asks questions that most of us would not remember, but in the end, Erik wins the reward. He says that Amanda will join him, and that Parvati will be sent to Exile Island. Natalie’s horns go up as she seethes because he didn’t keep his word about sending her to Exile Island or sharing the reward. Cirie takes that opportunity to play devil’s advocate and put a bug in Natalie’s ear about whether or not she should trust Erik anymore. In fact, Cirie is having way too much fun watching Natalie stress over Erik’s betrayal.

THE REWARD

On the helicopter ride over to the island resort, Erik tells Amanda that he didn’t choose Natalie to share the reward because he just wants to focus on relaxing at the resort and not some sort of strategy. Amanda plays along and tells him she feels the same way. After their massages, (…I hope they got to shower first…) they have dinner on a terrace by candlelight. Erik admits that he’s not used to making decisions. Amanda realizes this, as do we.

Over on Exile Island, Parvati is laying out on the beach sunbathing. She doesn’t even look for the idol since she trusts that Amanda and Cirie will be taking her to the final three. When she returns, she’s not one shade darker. That Micronesian sun didn’t do a damn thing for her.