Survivor 44 Scoop – Week 8 Recap: Winners, Losers, Top Moments
Survivor 44 Scoop – Week 8 Recap: Winners, Losers, Top Moments
John Powell – GlobalTV.com
Before we begin this week’s report I just wanted to send along my condolences to the friends and family of two-time Survivor castaway Keith Nale. After a battle with cancer Keith passed away yesterday. He was 62-years-old.
Keith, a fire captain from Louisiana, appeared on San Juan del Sur and Cambodia. He was a very successful, a very skilled and a very strong, well-rounded player. On San Juan del Sur he competed with his son Wes and finished fourth and in Cambodia he ended up fifth. During San Juan del Sur, Keith won the most individual immunity challenges with three.
For me, I will always remember that one scene in Cambodia in which Keith all of a sudden decided to load up a rickshaw with the other reward winners and drive them around without a care in the world.
“We don’t have no beach in Louisiana you can roll up onto so this is a once-in-a-lifetime deal! Here I am driving a tuk-tuk on the beach in Cambodia with all of my buddies hauling them around like a taxi driver!” he said with a big grin on his face.
That one scene exemplified to me Keith’s love of life and adventure. He truly was a Survivor original.
Tonight’s episode, “Don’t Get Cocky Kid”, finally delved into what we have been discussing for weeks: the war between Soka and Ratu. After all the talk, the lines really have been drawn in the sand with the Tika Three in Carson, Carolyn and Yam Yam siding with Soka’s Heidi, Frannie and Danny. This has left Lauren, Kane and Jaime twisting in the wind.
You can bet Ratu will be scrambling next episode but it is unlikely they will be able to break this tribal alliance as after Ratu is over and done with, Tika and Soka will be able to square off fairly with three on each side so nobody has the upper hand in that showdown. Carson and Yam Yam did discuss bouncing back and forth as Ratu and Soka picked each other off but I don’t think that strategy will come to fruition. That would highlight Tika as floaters and possibly cause Ratu and Soka to team up against them. It is safer for Tika just to ride things out with Soka.
It is a very sweet deal for Tika and Soka. The question becomes will anyone successfully make an alliance with a member of the other side to give them even more stability and possible momentum in the game? It remains to be seen where those cards will fall but we have seen Yam Yam and Heidi, Danny and Carson strategizing in the past.
Stay tuned, folks.
News
News
News
Moment # 5: The tribe is forced to divide into pairs.
News
News
News
Moment # 4: Carson pukes his guts out.
News
News
News
Moment # 3: Carson makes Danny aware of Heidi’s betrayal.
News
News
News
Moment # 2: Heidi gathers the troops against Ratu.
News
News
News
Moment # 1: Carolyn just can’t figure out that knotted net.
Next time on Survivor…
Brandon Cottom
Brandon Cottom and Jeff Probst. Photo: Robert Voets/CBS.
Just like he did in the NFL Brandon played with a lot of grit and conviction. As an athletic castaway he should’ve solidified a very strong buffer around him before the merge as he is exactly the type of player who is targeted in the “new era” of Survivor. He did do that at the beginning of the game. He just didn’t follow through later on.
Strategic Gameplay
Brandon Cottom. Photo: Robert Voets/CBS.
Brandon did show off his physical prowess many times. I mean, look at how he and Matthew dragged around those coconuts. Crazy! Whatever happened to that alliance with Danny though? Brandon just wasn’t a strategic mastermind this season.
Rating: 2 / 5
Social Gameplay
Carson Garrett and Brandon Cottom. Photo: Robert Voets/CBS.
Brandon survived being targeted at the start of the game and crossed tribal lines when it came to building bonds.
Rating: 3 / 5
Entertainment Value
Brandon sure did have his fair share of moments. There was the heat exhaustion emergency, the bird cage immunity find, his feud with Kane and the journey with Carolyn and Danny. Despite all of that I wish we would have seen more of his personality and character.
Rating: 3 / 5
Final Rating: 8 / 15
Who played it cool and who proved themselves to be a fool? Every week John Powell makes his picks for the worst and best players of the week.
Jaime picked the wrong tribe to side with at the merger and her game will surely suffer because of it. One wonders if she is even playing or being dragged along.
Brandon should have known what a massive target he would become and shored up support to make it further in the game.
The Ratu tribe didn’t do what needed to be done to bring Tika into the fold and more importantly keep them there.
Yam Yam has already started branching out with Heidi, making other bonds and relationships. This may make the difference in the end.
Danny really worked his side of the deal with Tika increasing his stock and proving his loyalty in the game by saving Frannie as he did.
Heidi brokered that deal between Tika and Soka, a deal that could see them take control and dominate the game from here on in.
