Survivor: Cook Islands -- Episode 3

Much like certain members of the US Senate, a couple members of the revamped Aitu tribe voted out of fear, rather than voting for what they felt was right. As a result, Cecilia was sacrificed in the name of security on Survivor: Cook Islands.

After six days as four racially segregated tribes, the Survivors were summoned in front of Jeff Probst to merge into new tribes. Cecilia, Parvati, Brad, and Jonathan were randomly selected to start the schoolyard pick.

Tribes were first selected by gender, with the stipulation that each successive pick must be from an old tribe not yet represented on the new team. Cecilia was given first choice, and she and Parvati alternated picks until the teams were as follows:

Cecilia >> Jessica >> Sundra >> Becky >> Candice
Parvati >> Jenny >> Cristina >> Rebecca >> Stephannie

The men chose their teams next. Brad picked first:
Brad >> JP >> Nate >> Adam
Jonathan >> Yul >> Ozzy >> Cao Boi

The four new tribes were then combined randomly to form two new tribes. Cecilia's and Jonathan's teams became the new Aitu, and Brad's and Parvati's teams formed the new Raro.

Aitu
Cecilia, Jessica, Sundra, Becky, Candice, Jonathan, Yul, Ozzy, Cao Boi

Raro
Parvati, Jenny, Cristina, Rebecca, Stephannie, Brad, JP, Nate, Adam

Nate felt like the Fresh Prince as he toured Raro's camp: "They took us out of the ghetto and took us to Bel Air." Parvati was just happy Nate was around, so that she'd have someone new to flirt with.

Things were just as congenial at Aitu, where Cao Boi told Jessica, "You're not Asian, but I love you."

Speaking of love, the merge gave Cecilia the opportunity to ask Candice about her supposed romance with last week's evictee, Billy. A stunned Candice clarified that, when she told Billy, "We love you," at the last challenge, "I didn't mean it like that."

Becky all but skipped introductions, quickly getting Jonathan and Candice to agree to an alliance with her and Yul. Yul cemented his bond with Becky by disclosing to her that he'd found the hidden Immunity Idol on Exile Island.

When Jonathan tried to pull Jessica into the alliance as well, she balked, claiming that she wanted to get to know everyone before joining an alliance. She confessed to the cameras that she wasn't completely comfortable around Jonathan and Candice.

At Raro, Nate speared an octopus, which wrapped itself around Brad on its way to the cooking pot. Then a whale swam by Aitu's beach, and, after one-upping the other hunters last week, I expected Yul to swim out and catch it.

Tonight's Immunity Challenge was a repeat of one of my favorites from a few seasons ago. The members of each tribe were clipped, single file, to a rope that created a huge oval track. Tribes started on opposite sides of the oval, and the object was for your group to catch up to, and then tackle, a member of the opposing tribe.

To make things a little more difficult, the track was situated in knee-deep water, and each tribe member carried a 15-pound bag. Contestants could drop out of the race at any time, so long as they gave their bag to another person to carry. In an endurance race, the longer a team could spread the weight out amongst its tribe members, the better.

After only one lap around the track, all of the female members of Aitu dropped out of the race. The strategy was for the men to put on an early burst and catch the other tribe. But with the extra baggage, they were unable to do so.

The female members of Raro held out slightly longer, with Rebecca lasting for several laps. The men of Aitu tired quickly, and Raro soon caught up with them. The men of Raro were easily able to tackle a sluggish Cao Boi.

In addition to avoiding Tribal Council, the winning tribe selected a member from the losing tribe to Exile Island. They chose Candice, in order to keep anyone else from falling in love with her.

At Aitu camp, Ozzy promised not to vote for Cao Boi, and Cao Boi suggested they vote for Becky. So Ozzy recruited Cecilia, Sundra, and Jessica, who all agreed that Becky should go.

With their original alliance in jeopardy, as Candice languished on Exile Island, Jonathan asked Jessica about her plans. Jessica said she didn't have a good vibe about Becky, and she was set on voting for her, and not for Jonathan's proposed target, Cecilia. Jonathan told Jessica she needed to think past the next vote and ultimately do what was best for her.

Yul worked to persuade Cao Boi that his position in the game was better if he stuck with Yul, Jonathan, and Becky. Cao Boi seemed skeptical, though he did decide to talk things over with Jessica, to see where she was leaning.

Both Cao Boi and Jessica agreed that they didn't trust Jonathan. Cao Boi told Jessica that they would be outsiders in any group, but that they might have better luck sticking with the unified front of Yul, Becky, Jonathan, and Candice. Jessica's brain hurt, as she realized she really was going to have to think further ahead than the next challenge, if she wanted to stay in the game.

The conversation seemed like a classic Survivor red herring, just thrown in to add a little suspense. Jessica and and Cao Boi had originally been so adamant about voting for Becky. And they'd been so resistant when initially confronted by Yul and Jonathan.

As members of both sides cast their votes at Tribal Council, everyone said that tonight's vote was pure strategy, nothing personal. Everyone except Ozzy, who resented that Becky didn't try to get to know him. His need to make everything personal could get him voted off sooner than he would, otherwise.

To the surprise of a previously relaxed and confident Ozzy, Sundra, and Cecilia, (and me) Jonathan's and Yul's pressure worked on Jessica and Cao Boi. Ultimately, they made what they viewed as the safer vote: sending Cecilia home, even though they liked her better than Becky.

If I wasn't sure already, I'm now convinced that Jonathan, Yul, and Becky are serious players. And I think they're all going to be around for a long time.

Next week, the men of Raro take a break from work, and Cao Boi ratchets up his weirdness by knocking a baby bird from its nest.