November 30, 2006: King Rat
This show is so good I am almost moved to write poetry, and yet there are no words to express how much I'm enjoying
Survivor: Cook Islands. Alas, I will attempt to recap the happenings at the Aitutonga tribe.
In the aftermath of Nate's departure, Parvati was outspoken about her disappointment in Jonathan. She was so upset with him that she could vomit on his face. Now, she's billed as a boxer. Would a right cross not suffice? Parvati did make me laugh - when Jonathan flat-out told her that "Yul does have the idol," and she
still did not believe him. Hilarious. Perhaps, Nate should have left his glasses behind.
Like I should talk. For weeks now I've watched the rat footage and mused as to why the show always cut to Jonathan afterward. Perhaps
Burnett is trying to tell us something? Um, yeah. If you come away with anything from this episode, it's that everyone thinks Jonathan is a rat. He may very well be, but I'm thinking this rat's going to come out on top - at the end of Day 30,
Probst was snuffing out Candice's torch and not Jonathan's.
It was close. After that auction - where Jonathan ate, drank and made merry in a most obnoxious manner - things were looking bad for the man who bought almost all of the food as well as forced bidding prices up on items he did not want. The
Survivor auction is always interesting. People blindly vie for food rewards with their $500 purses in hopes of getting a meal from the mainland. To my recollection, this was the first time a bath was put on the block, making me wonder how pleasant things
really are at the camp.
Overall, the auction was strange. Out of nowhere, Becky gets all determined to keep Candice from winning the mysterious "power" item that Jeff was selling. Immediately, Yul and Adam stake their women and drive the bids up. Becky won, gaining Candice's cash and the power to send someone immediately to Exile Island. Like we didn't see Candice's fourth visit coming. It's almost getting sad seeing her go. Almost.
Before Candice exited, Yul got all cocky and pulled out his idol for all to see (and Parvati to authenticate). There is no place for that in this game. Now I'm all worried that Yul's going to screw up and get played. Follow that up with his new passion for wooing
potential jury members. Yul may be assuming too much in this game where fortunes keep changing. Just look at how Adam won immunity, and the Aitu four were all out of the running by the end of the first round. With Jonathan's record, Aitu could have been at risk.
The tribal councils this season have truly been the cherry atop my sundae. Coming off of a tension-filled dinner where the hard workers shunned the cool kids and Candice and Jonathan exchanged many a word, tribal council was heated. Nate enjoyed watching the fireworks. I surmise from his gesticulating that it was hard for him to merely observe all of the calling on the carpet. In the end, there was no group hug. But Adam and Candice shared what Nate might describe as a "dirty, stanky, whack" goodbye kiss. And like Parvati, it almost made me want to vomit.
