February 15, 2007: Pineapple Power
Forgive me for saying this, but
Survivor: Fiji is shaping up to be a little schizophrenic. On the one hand, you have this newfangled show where the living is easy for one tribe. I mean come on, when have you ever heard "I'm full" on this show
before any team has won a feast? Then you have the real
Survivor. Tried and true, it's the one we know and love and that keeps us watching every season. It's the one where you see a group of hungry, dehydrated people desperately rubbing sticks together to make fire. Nowadays, it's as if I'm watching one show with two different intensity levels. On one level, I felt badly for Boo - even though he is one of the 'haves' - when his hammock broke after his slew of mishaps, but not nearly as intensely as I felt for that thirsty 'have-not' tribe. So I'm a little frazzled. What am I supposed to feel and for whom?
It's so easy to root for the downtrodden that I find myself trying not to like Ravu. Who wants to fall for the blatant manipulation of the show's setup? But then it happened. Ravu started to explore the island, and I was taken back to the first
Survivor and the original castaways who did more than just sit around on the beach scratching their bug bites. They tried to enjoy the experience and have some fun while figuring out the game. Remember that coconut phone of Greg's? Remember
Gervase and the guys playing cards? We got a glimpse of that playful spirit in
Marquesas as well, when the gang went exploring and found a waterfall for frolicking. It wasn't about the game 24/7 for them. Now, I'm not saying that Ravu is at that level of playfulness yet, but when Erica found those pineapples there was a whole different vibe at camp that was nice to watch.
But pineapples will only get you so far, as Erica was to learn. Was it fair that a little freaking out during a challenge made Mookie and Rocky flip the switch on Erica instead of Sylvia? Probably not, but that's the beauty of the game. You never know what can happen. Moto won the fishing gear and immunity. (What's with the dual-reward immunity challenges? Give me one of each!) I hoped they would choose to send Sylvia back to Exile Island just to give her a fighting chance at staying in the game. But instead, they chose Earl, whom I like. He promptly chopped a snake in half. "Snakes are misunderstood, but we have an understanding now." That was the second time he made me chuckle. The first was his exuberant response to Erica's pineapple discovery: "Me and Erica, we're getting married now!" Plus, he showed some remorse at killing an animal. What's not to like?
As long as were talking about schizophrenia, over on Moto, we saw another side of Dreamz - a decidedly less annoying side. He opened up about his difficult childhood and put things in a relatable perspective for the show. "
Survivor is easier than being homeless." Picking mangoes does seem less stressful than dumpster diving for dinner. That about says it, doesn't it?
As I try to settle into the season, here's hoping Ravu can win a challenge next week and even up the playing field - and that Sylvia can find the idol, because I don't think she's as bad as her tribemates make her out to be. Until next week, who are you rooting for?
