Finally Someone With Balls

Throughout the 21st season of Survivor I have been struggling to find somebody to root for. Early on I found Brenda very fetching, but it was only my hormones talking. Once her air of superiority started oozing out, I was no longer a fan, despite how good she looked in that bikini. While Fabio possessed a charming naiveté, his uncanny resemblance to Jeff Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High wouldn’t allow me to pull for him to win it all. I was left with no one to root for.

Tonight on Survivor: Nicaragua that all changed. And I didn’t even see it coming.

The beginning of the show was basically Nay and Purple Kelly whining and bellyaching how they couldn’t take it anymore. Their bitching and moaning was incessant. It was at this point that I became resigned to the fact that this was going to be yet another episode centered on unlikable people acting badly.

Finally the complaining stopped when it became time for the Reward Challenge to take place.

The tribe was divided into two teams of four for the challenge, with neither team picking the inept Dan. Since he was without a team, he had to pick which team he thought would win. If correct, he would also receive reward.

Want to know what they were playing for?

The winners were whisked away to the “Survivor Cinema” where they would be entertained by a private screening of Jack Black’s new movie, “Gulliver’s Travels”. They would also be treated to all the movie theater food they cared to eat.

The challenge consisted of each team lugging a giant 8-foot Gulliver dummy through an obstacle course without dropping it. The blue team of Benry, Holly, Chase and Nay won, barely beating the yellow team made up of Sash, Jane, Fabio and Purple Kelly across the finish line.

Dan was grinning from ear to ear because he had picked the right team. I guess he can do something.

Probst had barely declared the blue team victorious when Nay announced to that she was quitting. The startled Probst then sarcastically asked if anyone else wanted to quit. His jaw nearly hit the beach when Purple Kelly said that she also wanted to quit.

After getting over his initial shock, Probst told them both to think it over and let him know at Tribal Council what their final decision would be. He then made a startling announcement of his own.

He offered the winning team the chance to earn a brand new tarp and a huge can of rice for the tribe; all it would take is for one of the winners to forgo the reward and return to camp with the losing team.

One would assume that since Nay said she was quitting at the end of the day, she would be the one to give up the reward so that everyone could benefit from the tarp and rice. It made perfect sense, didn’t it?

I guess not, because she didn’t say a word. But someone else did.

Barely batting an eye, Holly, the 44-year-old rancher from South Dakota stepped forward and said that she would do it. She said that she could watch movies and eat hot dogs the rest of her life, right now her tribe needed that tarp and rice!

Finally someone with balls! Finally someone to root for!

My opinion of Holly had done a complete 180 from when she had her infamous meltdown on day 5. If possible, my fondness for her increased even more when she gave Purple Kelly a heartfelt “don’t quit” speech.

Tribal Council was almost anticlimactic. Despite some impassioned words from Holly and Jane, Nay and Purple Kelly quit and had their torches snuffed. Unfortunately, they both will be allowed to part of the jury that decides who becomes the sole Survivor and wins $1,000,000.

I know who I will be rooting for. Holly. She has balls.

Until next time…from the booth.