'Survivor' recap: Don't need no hateration

More battle lines were drawn this week on "Survivor: Nicaragua," but, unfortunately, I think the most damaging ones were between this season’s castaways and the viewers.

I'm starting to think that maybe CBS and I just aren’t feeling each other this year in the reality department. I didn't care for too many of the most recent “Big Brother” house guests, and I'm finding it hard to root for many people in the current "Survivor." And like the past "Big Brother," the show seems to be filled both with people employing ridonkulous strategies and others who are putting on too much of a show with their crazy.

But last week's insane tribal council was entertaining, and even though the outrageous Shannon is gone, we still have cray-cray NaOnka. The La Flor tribe returns to camp (sans Shannon and his homophobic comments) and feels more united now, but Na is right in saying "we've been divided." Before you know it, the tribe’s laughing at Fabio again and Na is glowering. "His hair got on my nerves!" Sigh. Straight-up hating. You know if someone said something about her hair, she'd go off.

Interestingly enough, we learn Fabio is playing dumb and likable as his strategy, which makes me like him a little more. He's playing dumb, yet isn't annoying anyone besides Na. I don't know what to say about Jill over in Espada. Not only did she just about hand over the immunity idol to Marty last week, now she's telling him to tell the rest of the tribe. So that it makes him look loyal and builds the team up? Um, what? I’m glad Tyrone knows the deal –- only one person can claim the idol.

Marty knows this too, so of course he’s happy to see his tribe propping him up after his bold move. As Yve and a few others seem to grow more enamored with Coach Jimmy, Marty is enjoying some of Na's haterade, talking about the coach like Na does Fabio (although Marty is probably receiving the least hair love in this pair). Although Espada's alliances don’t seem to be too set in stone, with Tyrone seeming like the most vocal outsider, sides are clear in La Flor. Na, Chase, Brenda, Sash and Kelly Purple are a team against the others, mainly Alina and Kelly B. -– whose disability Na sure does dig at when she has the chance.

In this week's challenge, Benry has a chance to make up for his performance last week in almost the exact same way. The tribes had to find, roll and assemble 10 barrels before one player tossed a bean bag onto each for a prize of a garden kit and a fruit basket. La Flor didn't use the Medallion of Power this go-around, which was a good move. Host Jeff Probst called out Espada and Dan specifically for moving slow this episode, but in the end, it came back down to one player from each tribe tossing something onto something else. Once again it was Benry versus Tyrone, but this time Ty choked. Thing is, he could've let someone else try, as Jimmy T. was bursting at the seams to. But it was a while before he did, and by then Benry was ahead after a short bit of play from Chase.

La Flor wins, they get the medallion back and the prize, in which lies another immunity idol clue. Kelly B. and Na both see it, so when they put the food down back at camp, there’s a brief brawl for it before Na walks away with the piece of paper. "Don’t think I’m going to be nice to you because you have one leg. I'm not gone be nice to you, you got to be kidding. My name is NaOnka, not fool." Double sigh.

Meanwhile, tensions are rising at Espada over Jimmy T. feeling like Coach Jimmy didn't let him come off the bench during the challenge (really?). Marty campaigns hard to get Coach out, and of course Jill says, "Whatever you say." (!) Marty thinks he's the smartest guy alive heading into tribal council, thinking Coach is going to be blindsided. If anything, Coach gave the tribe the go-ahead to let him go when he was the only one to say he thought he was weak. Given that, even Coach’s strongest supporters voted him out, with an 8-1 tally –- Coach voted for the obviously weak and hardly-able-to-walk Dan. But in his post-vote speech, Coach said he had fun but "was miserable the whole time." Ah well, guess he really was just in it for the game.

What did you guys think of the episode? Who are the players you love and the ones you hate? I like the easy-going Jane more than the goofy Fabio, but still don't care for the only real game players so far, Marty and Brenda. If you like Na, well, enjoy more of her swell teachings here.

-- Anthony Williams
twitter.com/anthonyw_ent

Photo: Marty Piomboe. Credit: Monty Brinton / CBS

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Comments

[KMJ]

There have been really good Survivor seasons and really bad ones. The really bad ones usually start out with people trying to form alliances from day one. Day one is way too early because you don't know who's who. The best strategy in the early going is to, as Jimmy said, vote off the weakest player. Once you get rid of the chaff then you can start to figure out who's who and think about alliances. I thought the older tribe would do okay initially because the younger tribe seems to have one brain between them but now I don't know, the older tribe has made just about every dumb move you can make so far. The Dr. on the older tribe is an idiot she was the only one who figured out the clue and should have gotten the idol and told no one. Sharing the immunity idol is 1. impossible and 2. a dumb idea and always has been. Telling the whole group about it is even dumber and I can't believe that Tyrone was the only one who was able to see through that. Jimmy T, anybody who says "I should be the leader" should never be the leader. Letting go of Jimmy so early was a dumb idea, yes he will be a threat because he's Jimmy Johnson but the man has made a career out of motivating people, getting them to do their best and dealing with all different kinds of personality types. Why you wouldn't want to keep someone like that around for as long as possible is beyond me. The better approach would be to make an alliance with him to get you at least to the merge and then use it to your advantage. People are thinking about having to go against him in the end, you have to make it that far first. One thing at a time. I think the older tribe, by keeping Dan, sealed their fate. There is no one on that tribe besides Tyrone who is in any kind of shape to compete with the younger tribe. They all complained about Jimmy but he seemed to do alright in the challenge last week and they haven't lost one thing because of him. I don't see them winning very many challenges and will be in a weak position going into the merge. The younger tribe seems to me to be a bunch of idiots. Na would be a good strategic player if she didn't have the mentality of a 5 year old . Alienating team mates and getting on their last nerve never works out well, especially not for the females. Brenda seems to have a little bit of smarts but she doesn't seem to be using them. I don't see the five person clique lasting as long as it revolves around being a clique and nothing more. I think the younger tribe will shake up as soon as one of those girls on the outs makes a move.

[Minorkle]

NA, NA,NA,NA
NA, NA,NA,NA
NA-ONKA GOODBYE

[Beth]

I cannot believe Marty was that paranoid about Jimmy Johnson that he'd have maneuvered to vote him off so quickly. If he had been smart, he would have kept him at least another tribal council or two. The tribe will split and Jimmy T will be a huge problem for Marty. Even bigger than Coach ever could have been. Dan should have gone this week. Period. If for nothing more than Jimmy catches fish and is a great teacher/motivator, he should have been kept on the tribe.

Jealousy, thy name is Marty.

[Tee]

I agree Anthony, I'm not feeling most of the cast members either, as well as I did BB. I'm not sure what has changed. Maybe the casting crew? But they need to return to the drawing board.

These people are playing like idiots this season. The ones making moves are hurting their own tribe, and the rest follow along like mindless zombies. Dan should have been voted out to keep the tribe strong, but Jimmy T and Marty have such frail egos and are so pathetically threatened by JJ, they're not thinking rationally. They too will dig their own grave. Jimmy T is a bitter old man and I just want to slap Marty.

Tramp Naonka just makes herself look more and more ghetto every time she opens that nasty trap. Her parents are probably proud of her too, which goes without saying what they must be like. She needs a good butt kicking to humble her little fanny out. Unbelievable. Yet, those young idiots can't see how despicable she is!