Survivor Nicaragua - Episode 5 - Espada don't Noah what they are doing!

Twists, swaps and stupid moves, that is what Survivor is all about... well maybe not.


First off I was glad to see that even though the swap happened, we finally got to see two challenges.  To me the show progresses better when there are two challenges to break up the camp life.


Let's start at the swap, I was happy to see that both power alliances got broken up, as that makes the game more interesting and I think the swap has helped both Holly and Kelly B.  I also liked how they did the swap, by drawing a captain and then picking the people from the other tribe that you don't want.  Definitely some strategic thinking had to go into that decision.


Before we get to the reward challenge, let me say that I think they are getting so much better at designing the challenges.  I really liked both challenges this time around.  The ball and having to catch it was probably a lot harder than it looked, having to watch it and then react at the last minute.  It was a close match and I was worried that Espada was going to give it away when NaOnka was just rifling those balls up really fast.  I was thinking, give your guys a chance to breath, but in the end they pulled out the reward.  The traditional 2 chickens and rooster.


Back at camp Tyrone started off wrong, because it did look like he was telling them how they were going to run the camp, but it could have been some editing too.  He could have done better by asking how they did things, kind of like Marty did on La Flor, but not doing it in such a cocky way, like Marty did.  In the end, Tyrone just didn't have the social game to mix with the younger players.


At La Flor, Marty showed everyone he had the idol and Brenda said that it was the dumbest thing he could have done.  Maybe or maybe not, we'll have to see.  Marty had a point that Jill probably would have said something about it, so why not get it out in the opened now, but on the other hand, he could have held that info until he needed it and if confronted about, he certainly could have come clean at that point.  I could certainly see Marty's idol being flushed out at the first Tribal Council he goes to (assuming that he doesn't win individual immunity next week) and then going home the next time he goes to Tribal Council.  If he makes it to the merge, then he will still have a tough time staying, but he is the chess master (which is another mistake saying that).


NaOnka was ready to checkout and I think she would have been a good choice send home.  I say that not because she has annoyed the heck out of me this season, but for the same reason that was brought up in Tribal, you just don't know when she'll wig out again.  But since she stayed, it definitely should have been Dan to go home.  Once again they vote out someone strong, just because they don't like the way they act, when Dan is weak and will not help them in any challenges, yet no one thought to mention him as a possibility.  Personnally, I would have taken out Dan, then NaOnka (or the other way around, it really doesn't matter) then gotten Tyrone.  If NaOnka stayed around, then she would be better physically than Dan would have been and if she regained her wits, then Tyrone could go and all is fine, if not then she goes, then Tyrone.  But that's my thoughts and obviously they wanted Tyrone to go, so he went.


Now let me back track to the immunity challenge, because I really liked this challenge.  It would have been funny if NaOnka had been on the wheel, but cruel at the same time.  In this challenge I thought Espada was smart by slowing it down some and that got them the ball first, but they just couldn't execute on breaking the tiles.  I thought that it was good that Tyrone stepped aside and let Benry have a go at it, because he did better than Tyrone did, but the both missed a lot.  Jimmy T would have won it for them for sure, but they sent him packing last week.  Jill and Fabio did an excellent job of getting the win for La Flor.


So next week, as I alluded to earlier, they will be playing for individual immunity, which if they follow previous seasons, both tribes will have one person that wins immunity and more than likely one tribe will get to sit in on a portion of the tribal council of the other tribe while they partake in a meal or something.  


Wild guess but I think Brenda will win individual immunity for La Flor, they will flush Marty's idol and send Jan home, to break up the alliance there.  I think Alina will win immunity and NaOnka will have recomposed herself and Dan will go home. I could be way off base, but who knows.


So until next week... the Tribe has spoken.