Oh my. I liked this one, guys…

This week’s episode started out in the La Mina camp where Dan decided to bring Ruth Marie into the Boys Club as a loyal 5th. The men agreed and Ruthie was tickled pink to be safe, or so she thought. Sally was feeling the tribe’s collective cold shoulder but didn’t whine- she worked it.

REWARD CHALLENGE: PUZZLE PARANOIA (from cbs.com)
The tribes reconvene at the Reward Challenge, where host Jeff Probst explains the rules. Each tribe gets six floating puzzle pieces. One tribe member at a time will swim out, dive down, unclip a puzzle piece, and bring it back to the puzzle frame. Once the piece is placed in the puzzle frame, the next person can go out. When all six of the puzzle pieces have been collected, the tribe may start assembling the puzzle by matching corresponding symbols on each side of every piece. First tribe to get it together correctly wins the Reward: Casa de Charmin: a full-service bathroom courtesy of Charmin.

The competition gets underway as Sally and Bobby dive in for their puzzle pieces. Sally’s speed in getting the first puzzle piece and her superior strategy helps La Mina to an early lead. After a few heats, Casaya closes the gap when diminutive Ruth Marie struggles to pull her puzzle piece into the frame. Neck and neck with all six puzzle pieces in the frame, the two tribes scramble to assemble their puzzles using two different strategies: Casaya works quickly and quietly, while La Mina is fraught with confusion. In the end, Casaya’s cooler heads prevail, gaining them victory and its Reward. With the power to choose an Exile, Casaya selects Terry, hoping a stint on the dreaded outpost will deplete La Mina’s fierce leader.

Of course Terry finds the idol…of course. Is there a cape under that yellow shirt of his?

Do you think it was nasty for Bobby to take a big ol’ poo in the virgin outhouse when the tribe just said that they would rather use it for storing dry firewood & towels? Did they really have to show a picture of Bobby’s sandy feet under the outhouse door with his shorts around his ankles?? Ewwwww….

IMMUNITY CHALLENGE: SEA LEVEL TREE LEVEL (from cbs.com)
The two tribes make their way to the Immunity Challenge location, where Terry is reunited with his hungry La Mina tribemates. Host Jeff Probst explains that the Challenge will test the tribes’ balance, teamwork and patience. One person is seated in a chair attached to a pulley, while another person is situated directly above them in a crow’s nest, where an empty water drum hangs. The other four remaining tribe members are together in pairs, which will race across a balance beam carrying buckets. Once they reach the water, they must dip their bucket in, get water, race back and empty the water into a larger pail. The person in the crow’s nest will pull that pail up and empty the water into the drum. As the drum takes on water, it will lower, but the person in the chair will rise until they’re high enough to pull a pin releasing their tribe’s flag. First tribe to release their flag wins Immunity.

With Danielle in the seat for Casaya and Ruth Marie in the seat for La Mina, the two tribes are in a dead heat until Dan, bound to Terry, falls off the balance beam, forcing him to start again from the beginning. Casaya is steady, but the swift combination of Sally and Austin make up the difference, forcing an even race to the finish. La Mina falters when Austin’s slow, cautious pouring allows Casaya to splash ahead as they hastily fill their bucket moments before La Mina, elevating Danielle to the top of the pole, where she releases the flag, insuring Immunity for Casaya.

As La Mina set out for Tribal Council, there was voting unrest. Nick and Dan wanted to honor their promise to Ruth Maire but Austin and Terry had flip-flopped to keeping Sally. My guess is that since Terry is the supreme ruler on high, Ruthie-Ruth lost that toss-up.

It seems like everything is beginning to gel. Shane appears to be over his various addictions and my girl Sally kicked some proper ass in the immunity challenge. I love that they kept her. Just make it to the merge woman!!

At this point in the game, who do you think is the most annoying on each tribe? Me- I’m going with Courtney (what a freak) and ….hmmmm – nobody on La Mina really bugged me this week.

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