The previews warned us and it came true - the merge is here!  With Ami gone, Erik pledges his alliance to Ozzy as they get on the boat to join tribes.  Erik pledges alliance, Ozzy says he'll be honest - hmmm, doesn't seem like a good trade to me...:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Tribes are joined and questions of if old alliances hold or which "new" alliance will.  Parvati joined with Alexis and Natalie and spoke for herself and Amanda and said that they were an alliance - Amanda is not too happy about that.  Another alliance that isn't making happy is Alexis' alliance or budding showmance with Ozzy.

After the tribes merge and have a feast the immunity challenge is on!  Each person must stand under a grate which is in the water.  As the tide comes in there will be less and less room to breath - the last person standing wins.  The last two standing are Ozzy and Jason and while Ozzy struggles and in the end gives up, Jason remains calm and easily wins.

Back at camp it appears that Eliza is marked for elimination as Parvati has had enough of her.  Jason offers her the hidden immunity idol and they plot to vote off Ozzy.  As Jason reveals the idol to her Eliza isn't convinced - it is a stick, it is a stick with a smile...

At tribal, Eliza plays the stick, Jeff teases us all as he tells how the idol works and then dramatically ends it with "and this isn't the idol".  Eliza exclaims then ah haa - Ozzy has the idol (to make sure all know), but nothing works for her and she is sent to the ponderosa.

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Thank you.

The conditions are rough in Micronesia! From the constant rain, bugs and smells to the whines coming from the players - all are suffering. Except over at the circle of life - the light shines on the mountain ridge and the Lion Theme music plays as Ozzy holds Erik up as his prodigy son!..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

For a trip to the Herbal Essence Great Escape Spa four blindfolded teammates have to wheel the money wheel through an obstacle course, breaking tiles along the way to reveal smaller money stones which then are put together to solve a puzzle. It was an interesting challenge and in the end Malakal wins! Finally a win for Malakal.

Off to the spa where Ozzy gets to shower with Amanda and Ami, Erik gets to drool, and Cirie gets a good laugh.

Back at Airai Kathy is loosing it to the point Jeff is called in. Kathy quits.

The immunity challenge requires teammates to pull a rope and cross a floating bridge. When at the platform they attach the rope to a puzzle piece and the tribe pulls them in. Once all the pieces are retrieved they have to solve the puzzle. Malakal or should we say Ozzy gets a great lead in retrieving the puzzle pieces but in the end Airai's puzzle solving ability leads them to victory.

At tribal there is a hint that Ozzy will be out but in the end the Malakal tribemates again follows Ozzy's lead and vote out Tracey.

"Penner" is still feeling the pain of his cut but hangs in there for the reward challenge.  Teams are playing to win 2 natives coming to camp to show them the ways of living off the land.  Each team swims out and gets planks and ropes.  After all are gathered the team has 10 minutes to build a blockade for the other team’s tunnel.  Then the teams have to make their way through the tunnel - first team to get all their team members through the tunnel and onto the map win.  Even with Penner’s injury Airai wins easily!

Chet and Jason head off to Exile Island.  Chet uses the time to rest and heal his heel injury while Jason goes in search of the idol.  He follows the clues and finds..... the pointy stick!  Or, as Jason believes, the hidden immunity idol.

Jonathan is checked by the medics and as much as he sounds like Alan Alda as Hawkeye Piece, even he can’t keep infection from spreading.  The medics and producers order him from the island and take him off to surgery - Jonathan, the infection has spoken.   You played a great game this season Penner.

The immunity challenge is a repeat from Cook Island where the teams use stepping poles to transfer 2 tribe members from one tower to another.  Once the team members are transferred all of the team must stand atop a platform.  Airai, or should we say James, changes the game and lifts the stepping pole with the tribe member up and carries all to the next tower.  Airai is the clear winner!

Chet begs to go home and in the end the tribe allows him to end his misery.

On our podcast we talk with Billy Garcia, Survivor - Cook Island, about his upcoming charity wrestling match with Johnny Fairplay - check out all that is happening April 5th at www.myspace.com/billygarcia

Come join in on the fun - listen and subscribe to the podcast at www.survivor.tubecasts.com.  Also, listen to the live show we record each Thursday at 9:30 EST after watching Survivor - chat with other Survivor fans (and possibly other past Survivor contestants) and/or call-in with your opinions.

Thank you for reading!

Both tribes are still bickering amongst themselves but show up for the reward challenge ready to go.  They are competing for 3 hens and a rooster - wooo hoo!  4 swimmers from each team swim to a platform and then dive to retrieve lettered coconuts from a cage, once they get all 10 coconuts they swim back to the shore.  On shore they use the letters to spell a word - triumphant.  Ozzy starts the game with a strategy to move as many of the coconuts to the front of the cage as he can on his turn making it easier for the others on his team to retrieve their coconuts faster.  Wow, does that pay off for the team.  The Fans easily beat the Favorites!

Kathy and Ozzy are sent to Exile Island where Ozzy is anxious to search for the hidden idol.  Kathy is happy to have someone who will show her the ropes of Survivor survival.  Ozzy sneaks off to search for clues and ends up finding the idol.  Taking direction from Yau-Man's moves, Ozzy creates a fake idol and hides it - very clever.

For the immunity challenge the tribes are harnessed together between long poles, they have to unlock the harness and then move through an obstacle course grabbing 6 necklaces.  Once all necklaces are found the remaining 2 tribe members put then on the coding wheel and solve a puzzle.  The Favorites had their harnesses unlocked, and necklaces found before the Fans got unlocked - the Favorites easily won immunity.

Joel still is in charge at the Fans camp and tells Mikey B that Chet is out.  Tracy catches Joel and convinces him that he has a better idea - keep Chet and get rid of Mikey - Joel likes "his" new idea and the they vote out Mikey.  Darn it!

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The Fans return to camp after they blindsided Mikey by voting off Mary - Mikey tells Joel that it was a big mistake - not sure if Joel belived him though.

Warpaint and a Comfort Catalog are delivered for the tribes to prepare for the reward challenge.  Teams line up on opposite ends of the lagoon and charge each other.  The goal is to get your team's three bags and two from the other tribe into the end zone all at one time.  It is an all out wrestle fest with grabbing and blurring all around.  In the end the Favorites won!

Kathy and Ami head to Exile Island where Kathy wants nothing to do with searching for clues - from the editting it looks like the idols were not found.

The reward challenge has 2 men and 2 women from each tribe holding up a basket.  The other tribe shoots coconuts into it and the first to drop their basket looses.  It looks like the Fans had the clear advantage and they win Immunity.

The Favs are a divided team with the Penners vs. the Parvatis with both fighting for Cirie's vote.  In the end Penner looses and it is Yau-Man who is voted out.

We do a live podcast weekly at 9:30ish EST - come chat with other Survivor fans and listen in - for details check out www.survivor.tubecasts.com/blog.

-Marji

The Fans may have won the challenge last week but they are a divided camp.  The younger 7 vs. the older 3 are having a rough time getting fire, building camp and getting food.  Finally two camps are built (yes for one tribe), fire and food are had and the Fans are feeling better.  Over at Beaches Resort, Favs Camp, the players are getting together in couples and enjoying resort life.

The challenge this week is one challenge for reward and immunity.  5 players from each team must swim out to a platform, leap and break a tile and a key will be released, the key is retrieved - each must get a key.  The keys then unlock a chest holding a puzzle which must be solved.  Ozzy, dolphin boy, gives the Favs a lead but it is a close race until Chet can't get one of the keys - after that the Favs have a huge lead and win!  They get immunity, a fishing boat, gear and get to pick one person to go to Exile Island (a twister - Exile Island is back).  Kathy is the choosen one.  Then another twist, the team must also pick one from their team to go to Exile also - Cerie is choosen.

Kathy and Cerie take advantage of the clues for the hidden idol on Exile Island and the producers leave us guessing as to if the idol was found.

There was a lot of scheming on the Fans camp and Mikey and Mary were blindsided as Mary is voted out.  Joel is laughing his way to the top of the pack (or so he thinks).

Come listen to our podcast at www.survivor.tubecasts.com or click on the player on our home MySpace page for the latest show.  This week we discuss the following topics:

• Seperate camps for one tribe - smart or stupid?
• Do the Fans think too much and are they star struck by the Favs?

We are adding to our podcast also - we're doing a live show and you can call in with Skype.  Please join us if you can - we are on around 9:30 EST - join the chat, listen live, and/or call in if you would like.

Thank you.

Happy Valentine's Day!

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or e-mail us at survivor@tubecasts.com

I think we all feel bad for Ravu - why, oh why can they not win anything???  Let's hope that the previews are true and we see a tribe mix-up next week.

Come listen to the podcast, click the player on the page or come visit www.survivor.tubecasts.com/blog

Check back for our mid-week shows also.

Thank you!

We talk with Erica about her experience on Survivor in Fiji and her thoughts on the other contestants.  We knew she must have been chuckling watching Sylvia in the slip-and-slide challenge - hmmmm, they voted Erica out over Sylvia why?  All in good fun.

Press the player on our MySpace page to listen to the show or find it at www.survivor.tubecasts.com/blog she comes on the second half of the show.

Let us know what you think.

Thanks!

-Marji

Okay, it was the second episode of Survivor-Fiji and I am already a little tired of Moto living in the life of luxury.  This is Survivor! Mike doesn't agree.

There was some action when Ravu was searching for food all over the island, poor guys licking the leaves to get the rain water but in the end Erica found pineapples for them.

That sure didn't pay off for Erica because after a close challenge her team loses and she gets voted off.

Best of luck to her.

Want to hear more - come visit www.survivor.tubecasts.com/blog to hear the podcast and post your comments.

Now, what do you all think of the Have vs. the Have Nots in this season?