Survivor Gabon - Recap Seven

Survivor Gabon Week 7 Recap - WARNING! Possible Show Spoilers In This Column! Lying, cheating, backstabbing, hating, conniving, half-truths, promises not kept, scheming, deception. I’m not talking about the Presidential campaign, that’s over! I’m talking about Survivor Gabon. Yes indeed, Old-Time Survivor is back! Plus, we have the ubiquitous twist.

This week’s episode starts out with the typical planning and strategizing at both the Kota and Fang (rhymes with thong) camps. Tree mail arrives and the tribes are told to bring only their personal items and make their way to the beach. Both tribes are ecstatic, surmising the long awaited merge has finally arrived. It also sounds like a meal is possible as well.

Well, they were at least half right, there is a meal waiting for them. A veritable feast fit for a king: chicken, meat loaf, mixed nuts (yes, mixed nuts), a cornucopia of fresh fruit and wine. Randy sits on the beach with a class of wine and declares himself the king of Gabon.

During the meal, the survivors were given a clue for yet another Individual Immunity Idol. Randy finds it in about 7 seconds. He doesn’t want it and the other nine decide that the Idol is evil, not unlike the apple in the Garden of Eden. So they put it in a bottle and toss it in the ocean. Okay, they aren’t that bright.

Remember I said the gang was half right about their interpretation of the tree mail? What they got wrong was the part about a merge. Much to their chagrin, the merge did not emerge. The twist! Instead of a merge, they draw numbers to form two new tribes. The new Fang crew consists of Matty, air-headed Sugar, Corrine, King Randy and Charlie. The updated Kota clan is made up of Crystal, Ken, Marcus, Susie the bigmouth and Bob.

Back in their respective camps, the new tribes’ members proceed to form new alliances and make promises they have no intention of keeping. Old-Time Survivor! Crystal, the Olympic Gold Medalist, promises Marcus she will never write his name down at Tribal Council. Moment’s later, she stares into the camera and basically states she just lied and would slit his throat in a heartbeat. Outwit, Outplay, Outlast. Don’t ya love it?

The Immunity Challenge is an endurance test. Each survivor must support a wooden pole on the back of his or her hands. Lower your hands and the poles fall and you are eliminated. The survivor who lasts the longest wins immunity for their tribe, sending the opposing tribe to Tribal Council. World-class athlete Crystal lasts exactly one second with Sugar holding out for 10 seconds. Not long after, six more survivors fall to the wayside, leaving only Matty (Fang) and 58-year-old Bob (Kota) remaining. Bob finally succumbs and Fang is victorious.

Kota goes back to camp and the plotting and lying begins. Crystal makes a deal with Marcus to vote out Ken. While Marcus is informing Susie of the plan to get rid of Ken, Crystal is making a beeline to Ken and they plot to oust Marcus. Ken and Crystal then go to work on Susie. The lies and the backstabs are flying. This puts Susie in the powerful position of swing voter. She decides to eliminate Marcus the 28-year-old doctor from Atlanta.

It appears that the group of survivors from season 17 has finally gotten it. They are at long last lying, cheating, backstabbing, hating, conniving, telling half-truths, not keeping promises, scheming, and deceiving each other. Ah yes, Old-Time-Survivor! Until next week…From Gabon