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Tribal Council #11 - Babongo Tribe

<'Tally the Vote' begins to play, as the camera shows an aerial view of the Tribal Council village and the seven Babongo members can be seen walking towards it. A close-up view of a flickering flame is then shown, before the camera fades out to show the castaways walking in to the main Tribal Council area. Paloma can be seen walking in front of Jeff, before the camera shows Crystal and Charlie setting their torches into their slots, and then zooms out to show the entire Babongo tribe. Jacquie now sits down on her stump, before Jeff is shown again>

Jeff Probst: We'll now bring in the members of our jury: <A close-up view of a watchful Paloma is shown> Ace, <The camera now switches angles to show both Ace and Ken walking in to the main Tribal Council area> and Kenny, voted out at the last Tribal Council. <The camera scrolls across several Babongo members, before turning to show Ace and Ken sitting down on the jury benches. A frustrated Randy tenses his expression, before the camera goes back to Jeff>

Jeff Probst: Randy, let's start by talking about your second trip out to Exile. Did you spend any time looking for the hidden Immunity Idol? <A blank-looking Randy is shown next>

Randy: Uh, I found it. Here's what's left of it. <A comical sound is now heard, as the camera shows Randy revealing a severely charred hidden Immunity Idol and Jeff raises his eyebrows>

Jeff Probst: <to Randy> You're saying that's a hidden Immunity Idol? <The camera abruptly cuts back to an expressionless Randy>

Randy: <bluntly> It was. It's not anymore… <The camera now shows a thoughtful Jacquie>

Jacquie: <to Jeff> But would it still count? <A blank-looking Jeff is then shown next>

Jeff Probst: <to Jacquie> Randy's idol is dead. <A prominent sound is heard, as the camera shows Ken subtly shaking his head> That's the way he wanted it… <Jacquie is shown again>

Jacquie: But it's still an Immunity Idol… <Jeff shakes his head, as Jacquie says "It's just burnt">

Jeff Probst: Nope. Sorry. That idol's done… <A close-up view of a relieved Charlie is shown, before the camera scrolls across several Babongo members and then returns to Jeff>

Jeff Probst: Let's talk about the Immunity Challenge. Paloma, <short pause> you had a strong reaction to Randy winning. <Paloma can be heard saying "Yeah"> Tell me about that. <The camera now focuses in on Paloma for a few seconds>

Paloma: Randy's celebration of winning Immunity was, like, everybody knew that he won, <A view of G.C. is shown, as he shifts his expression> so why did he need to shove everyone's faces in it? <The camera then scrolls over to Randy again>

Randy: <to Paloma> I won Immunity. I got excited about it… <Paloma is then shown next>

Paloma: <to Jeff> Like, we saw you give him the necklace. Nobody else was disrespectful like that when they won, and then… <The camera shows an offended Randy, as he interjects>

Randy: <to Paloma> You wouldn't know cause you can't even win nothin'! <Paloma begins to say "Yeah, cause…"> You've been dead last in every challenge, <laughs> and you wanna tell me I can't get excited?! You're nuts! You know, your chance at winning a million dollars just went out the door… <The camera shows another view of Paloma>

Paloma: Well, nobody else said "Take that, bitches," so… <A prominent sound is heard, as the camera shows Ace raising his eyebrows. Another view of Randy is then shown>

Randy: <to Paloma> Why don't you shock the hell out of me and win something yourself instead of relying on these two to do everything?! <Paloma now shrugs, before a clip of Dan is shown> Then you can say whatever the [censored] you want! <Paloma shifts his expression>

Paloma: <to Jeff> Then he wonders why he doesn't have any friends… <There is an eerie shift in the music, as the camera shows Ken staring ahead, and then fades into a close-up view of a flickering flame. Jeff is then shown again>

Jeff Probst: Let's talk about that, Randy. <The camera continues to show Jeff> When I handed you the necklace, you said "That was for Kenny." <Randy can be seen nodding his head, as he says "Yeah"> From where I stand, it sounds like you and Kenny were great friends… <A view of a watchful Ken is shown, before the camera goes back to Randy>

Randy: It's not we "were" friends. We "are" friends. <Ken smiles, before Jeff nods his head and says "Okay"> You know, I'm definitely not gay, but <long pause> with Kenny, I felt a closeness that I haven't felt for another human in twenty-something years… <Dan is shown with a puzzled look on his face, before the camera switches angles to show a confused Jeff>

Jeff Probst: <to Randy> What do you mean when you say "another human?" <A sympathetic music plays, as the camera shows an emotional Randy, who hesitates before responding>

Randy: Uh, my best friend for the last thirteen years was my dog, Johnson. <Randy now clears his throat, as his voice cracks> He's been dead now for five years; <short pause> he's the only person I ever loved who loved me back and, uh, never let me down… <Charlie is then shown shifting his expression, as a prominent sound is heard and the camera goes back to Jeff>

Jeff Probst: Paloma, <Jeff pauses, as the camera turns to Paloma> is this something that Randy's talked about with the tribe, or is this news to you? <The camera scrolls across several Babongo members, before focusing back in on Paloma>

Paloma: Um, yeah; <short pause> he's told us about it, but <pause> I'm not trying to be mean, but like, the more time I spend with Randy, <Randy now looks towards Paloma> the more I wonder if his dog dying was from suicide, like… <A prominent drumbeat is heard, as Paloma continues talking and a surprised Dan raises his eyebrows, before an infuriated Randy stands up from the benches and harshly points at her>

Randy: <shouting> You don't talk about him! He's got nothing to do with this game! <A wide view of the entire tribe is now shown, as several castaways look frightened> You don't know anything about him! <There is an uncomfortable silence, as the camera shows a fuming Randy sitting back down on the benches, and a stunned Jeff awkwardly clears his throat>

Jeff Probst: Paloma, "not trying to be mean?!" <Paloma is now shown with an expressionless look on her face> Of all the insults I've ever heard at Tribal Council, that's clearly one of the worst… <The camera continues to show Paloma for a few seconds>

Paloma: I mean, I'm sensitive to it because I love animals, but <long pause> like, Randy's been disrespectful to everyone else, and <pause> if I was stuck with him for 15 years, I'd want to kill myself. <Paloma then turns towards Randy> I mean, you're 50 years-old and you can't even get along with anyone?! <There is a prominent drumbeat, as the camera shows a disgusted Randy turning towards Paloma>

Randy: <to Paloma> Actually, I'm 49. <Paloma is then shown with a strange look on her face>

Paloma: <sarcastically> Okay, that's an excuse for it… <Dan raises his eyebrows, before the camera switches angles to show Randy again>

Randy: <to Paloma> No! I'm just saying, <A wide view of several uneasy Babongo members is shown next> if you're gonna talk about me, get it right, you know? <An eerie shift in the music occurs, as the camera focuses back in on Paloma>

Paloma: <to Jeff> Okay; <short pause> he's 49 years-old and he doesn't know how to get along with people?! <The camera then abruptly cuts back to an angry Randy>

Randy: <to Paloma> And you don't know anything about my life, so… <There is an extended silence, as the camera shows both Ken and Ace and then returns to Jeff>

Jeff Probst: Paloma, <long pause> does Randy strike you as the kind of guy that you might not want to get into it with? <The camera now shows another close-up view of Paloma>

Paloma: You mean, like, do I feel threatened by him? <Jeff is shown with a wide-eyed look on his face> Um, I'm not afraid to speak my mind with Randy; <pause> like, I'm not scared of him even though I think he's a crazy person. <An emotional, yet outraged Randy shakes his head dramatically> I mean, like, what he did to the idol, like, he obviously has issues… <There is a prominent drumbeat, as the camera shows Ace and Ken, and then returns to Jeff>

Jeff Probst: Crystal, <short pause> is this game starting to become more personal? <The camera now switches angles to show Crystal>

Crystal: Yes. Like Paloma and Randy, for instance; <The camera shows Paloma with a tense look on her face> they're just two very different personalities, and you start to tire of people after a while cause they get on your nerves day in and day out. <A wide view of all seven Babongo members is then shown next> So things are said in the heat of the moment in this game, but <long pause> hopefully they know that once we make it back to the U.S. that hey, it was just a game and you're doing what you have to do to win a million bucks. <The camera shows Jacquie gazing ahead, and then turns back to Jeff>

Jeff Probst: Dan, <short pause> what's your take on Randy? <The camera turns to Dan>

Dan: Um, <pause> I want to say I'm a lawyer, not a doctor, <laughs> but I'll tell you something: I get Randy, <A stern-looking Randy is then shown> and I don't think he's a negative person just because he feels like being that way. <Another view of Dan is shown next> Um, I personally think Randy wasn't loved enough as a kid, and he's a guy who doesn't have a lot of friends, <The camera switches angles to show a view of Ken> doesn't have a lot of close family members out there, and I think that maybe he just needs a hug… <smiles> <The camera now shows an emotional Randy with an angry look on his face>

Randy: Uh, I didn't know I signed up for therapy… <Dan can be seen looking towards Randy>

Dan: <to Randy> Therapy helps… <The camera then cuts back to a frustrated Randy again>

Randy: <to Dan> I've been through tens of thousands of dollars worth of therapy… <Dan asks "Have you?" before the camera abruptly switches angles to show Jeff widening his eyes>

Jeff Probst: <to Randy> Tens of thousands of dollars in therapy? <Randy nods his head>

Randy: Yeah; and I am the way I am. It hasn't solved anything cause they can't find anything wrong with me. <Another wide view of all seven Babongo members is shown. Charlie is then shown with a concerned look on his face, before the camera turns back to Jeff>

Jeff Probst: Randy, I'm being respectful; <short pause> have you been through a lot in your life? <The camera then switches angles to show a reluctant Randy>

Randy: Uh, <pause> you name it and I've probably experienced it. <A close-up view of Crystal is then shown> One thing tops the next, and <long pause> I loved that dog, and <pause> I miss him to this day, <A quick view of G.C. is then shown> which is why I'm not gonna put up with that [censored] from someone who doesn't know anything. <Randy now points towards Paloma again> She's not to say a single word to me every again… <Another prominent sound is heard, as the camera shows Paloma shrugging carelessly. Jeff is now shown again>

Jeff Probst: Dan, do you think it's possible for someone like Randy, <Randy is shown looking up> who's obviously experienced a lot of tragedy, to change? <The camera then switches angles to show a thoughtful-looking Dan>

Dan: I definitely think Randy has potential to be a great guy, <Randy is now shown staring ahead> and open up more to people. <Dan is then shown again> You know, I've had therapy and it's helped me deal with some of my own "issues," <The camera shows a quick view of Jeff, who has a strange look on his face> I guess you'd say, but <pause> the thing is you have to want to change, and I don't know if Randy does… <A wide view of all seven Babongo members is shown, before the camera focuses back in on Jeff>

Jeff Probst: <to Dan> Is it too late for Randy to change? <The camera goes back to Dan>

Dan: I don't think it is. <An uncomfortable Randy shifts his expression> Um, it may not be in this game; <short pause> it may not be in another 39 days, but eventually you have to make a conscious effort, and that's coming from a guy who has been where Randy's been. <Jeff is shown listening intently, before the camera cuts back to Dan> I'm not saying I'm perfect now, but <long pause> it took a long time for me to be comfortable with who I am and, you know, work through those issues a little bit… <The camera shows Ace with a strange look on his face, and then fades into a view of the central fire, before going back to Jeff again>

Jeff Probst: Let me ask you this, Randy: <Another view of Randy is shown> have you gotten anything positive out of being in this game? <Randy can be seen nodding his head>

Randy: I have changed some; <short pause> I have made friends in Kenny and Ace… <The camera shows a quick view of Ace and Ken, and then turns back to Jeff again>

Jeff Probst: <to Randy> Friends who are, conveniently, on the jury… <Randy now looks up>

Randy: I didn't put 'em there… <A close-up view of Ken is shown, as he nods his head dramatically. There is an extended silence, before the camera scrolls across each of the Babongo members, and then returns to Jeff>

Jeff Probst: So, getting to the vote: <short pause> Charlie, how do you think tonight's vote will change the game? <The camera now shows Charlie>

Charlie: Tonight's vote is extremely pivotal in that it's gonna decide which side of the tribe gets control of the game, <Another close-up view of an undecided Jacquie is shown> so <long pause> it could go either way. <Charlie is then shown again> I mean, I really can't predict what'll happen… <laughs> <The camera turns back to Jeff again>

Jeff Probst: Jacquie, <short pause> is this an easy decision? <A conflicted Jacquie is shown>

Jacquie: It's so hard. <Crystal is shown with a tense look on her face> I mean, I'm never happy unless I'm number one, but <pause> I've been going back-and-forth all day. Honestly, I still don't know what I'm gonna do… <The music speeds up and becomes more dramatic, as the camera shows a rapid clip of Dan, and then fades out to show Jeff>

Jeff Probst: Alright; <short pause> let's get to the vote. <The camera now continues to focus on Jeff for a few seconds> Randy, you have the individual Immunity necklace… <The camera quickly zooms in on a glaring Randy, as he interrupts Jeff>

Randy: I'm keeping it… <The camera then scrolls back over to Jeff again>

Jeff Probst: You cannot vote for Randy; <short pause> everybody else is fair game. <A view of both Paloma and G.C. is shown, before the camera shows the entire main Tribal Council area>

Jeff Probst: It is time to vote; <A wide view of several Babongo members is shown> Charlie, you're up. <Charlie can now be seen standing up, before the camera abruptly switches angles to show an expressionless Crystal staring into the distance>

<A close-up view of a burning torch is then shown, as the camera zooms in on the flickering flame, and then fades out to show Charlie holding his vote up to the camera: Crystal>

Charlie: Sorry, Crystal; <The camera fades out to show Crystal staring ahead> you're the biggest threat out here… <Charlie is then shown placing his folded vote into the urn, before the camera focuses in on G.C., and then fades out to show Paloma arriving at the voting confessional. She picks up the pen to cast her vote, before the camera shows a close-up view of Crystal. Paloma can then be seen writing 'Crystal J' on her piece of parchment. The camera now cuts ahead to show Randy uncapping the pen. The central fire is shown burning, before the camera returns to Randy, and he holds up his vote: Charlie>

Randy: We already decided on Charlie. <A rapid clip of Charlie is now shown> Paloma, you're next. [Censored] you… <Randy sharply folds his vote and shoves it into the urn. An African tribal mask is shown, before the camera fades out to show G.C. writing 'Charlie' on his piece of parchment. The camera shows a view of an unsuspecting Charlie, and focuses on him for a few seconds, before abruptly cutting ahead to show Dan walking up to the voting confessional. The camera shows him uncapping the pen, and then turns back to the other six Babongo members. He is now shown holding up his vote: Crystal>

Dan: Crystal, it has to be you… <Another close-up view of a flickering flame is shown, before the camera shows Crystal writing a name down on her piece of parchment. She then holds her vote up to the camera: Charlie>

Crystal: You are a huge strategic threat, <An uneasy Charlie is now shown> and we gots to break up you and Paloma. <Crystal folds her vote in half and places it into the urn, as a mysterious sound is heard. The music then becomes more dramatic, as the camera fades out to show a clip of a conflicted Jacquie walking up to the voting confessional. She uncaps the pen and stares down at her blank piece of parchment. The camera fades out to show Crystal staring into the distance, and then scrolls over to Charlie, who is resting his chin on his hands. Jacquie can then be seen writing a 'C' on her parchment, before the camera shows a rapid view of Dan, and then cuts ahead to show her returning to the main Tribal Council area. She sits back down on her stump, before the camera scrolls back over to Jeff again>

Jeff Probst: I'll go tally the votes. <Jeff can be seen walking out of sight, before the camera fades out to show a confident Crystal, and then scrolls over to an unsuspecting Charlie, who can be seen looking around. Dan is now shown, before the camera fades out to show Paloma. A haunting tribal chant is heard, as the camera shows a burning torch, and then scrolls forward to show Jacquie. Jeff is then shown returning onto the screen with the voting urn in his hands>

Jeff Probst: Once the votes are read, the decision is final. <G.C. is now shown listening intently> Person voted out'll be asked to leave the Tribal Council area immediately. <Rapid clips of both Charlie and Crystal are shown> I'll read the votes. <The camera focuses back in on Jeff again, as he removes the lid from the urn and sets it down>

Jeff Probst: <Jeff reaches into the urn and pulls out the first vote> First vote: <He now reveals the vote to the castaways> Charlie. <A close-up view of a shocked Charlie is shown, as he raises his eyebrows. The camera shows a thoughtful-looking Dan, and then returns to Jeff, who already has the next vote in his hands>

Jeff Probst: <The camera now shows Jeff turning the next vote over, and revealing it to the castaways> Charlie. <The camera shows another clip of a wide-eyed Charlie, and then zooms out to show several Babongo members> Two votes Charlie. <The camera now shows a close-up view of an uneasy Paloma, and then turns back to Jeff>

Jeff Probst: <Jeff pulls the third piece of parchment out of the urn, and quickly glances at the vote before revealing it to the castaways> Charlie. <A close-up view of a confident Crystal is shown, before the camera switches angles to show Randy with a smug look on his face> That's three votes Charlie. <Charlie is shown again. The camera then focuses back in on Jeff>

Jeff Probst: <Jeff quickly reveals the fourth vote to the castaways> Crystal. <An unconcerned Crystal is then shown raising her eyebrows> Three votes Charlie; <Another close-up view of Charlie is shown next> one vote Crystal. <The camera shows a view of both G.C. and Randy, and then scrolls back over to Jeff again>

Jeff Probst: <Jeff can be seen turning the next piece of parchment over, and revealing the vote to the castaways> Crystal J. <The camera shows Crystal shifting her expression, and then switches angles to show Jacquie with an uneasy look on her face> Three votes Charlie; <A quick view of Charlie is then shown> two votes Crystal. <The camera shows a wide view of the entire Babongo tribe again, and then returns to Jeff>

Jeff Probst: <The camera shows Jeff pulling out the sixth vote, and turning it over> Crystal. <A prominent drumbeat is heard, as the camera shows Crystal raising her eyebrows again. Randy tenses his expression, before the camera shows Ace and Ken exchanging glances> That's three votes Crystal; <A rapid view of G.C. is shown, as Jeff pauses> three votes Charlie. <Charlie is now shown with a hopeful look on his face, before the camera shows an uncomfortable Jacquie looking towards him> One vote left… <The camera shows a close-up view of Crystal, as she adjusts her position on her stump. Jeff is now shown again>

Jeff Probst: <The music softens, as Jeff pulls the final vote out of the urn, unfolds it, and then stares at it for a quick second> Eleventh person voted out of Survivor: Gabon, <Charlie can be seen peeking up nervously> and the third member of our jury: <Rapid clips of the anxious castaways are shown, before Jeff reveals the deciding vote> Crystal~. <There is a prominent drumbeat, as the camera shows Randy raising his eyebrows questioningly. G.C. is then shown with a bewildered look on his face, before Crystal's jaw can be seen dropping>

Crystal: <shocked> What the [censored]?! <The camera switches angles to show Jeff again>

Jeff Probst: <to Crystal> You need to bring me your torch. <The seven Babongo members are shown, as Crystal reaches down to pick up her bag and then stands up>

Crystal: <shocked> Wow, Jacquie! <Jacquie can now be seen staring ahead> Damn, you guys got me again… <laughs> <Another view of G.C. is shown, as he continues to gaze into the distance confusedly. Charlie is then shown looking relieved, as Dan pats him on the shoulder. The camera shows a rapid clip of both Ace and Ken, before cutting ahead to show Crystal placing her torch into the slot in front of Jeff>

Jeff Probst: Crystal, <long pause> the tribe has spoken. <A prominent drumbeat is heard, as the camera shows Jeff snuffing out her torch, and then turns to an expressionless Jacquie>

Jeff Probst: <to Crystal> It's time for you to go… <Crystal can then be seen walking out of the main Tribal Council area, before the camera shows G.C. running his hands along his face, and then switches angles to show a furious Randy again. Crystal is now shown fading into the engulfing darkness, before the camera focuses back in on Jacquie, and then returns to Jeff>

Jeff Probst: Well, <long pause> tonight has been a Tribal Council like no other, and the surprise of tonight's vote is a great reminder that you can never be sure what's gonna happen in this game. <Dan is then shown, as he nods his head knowingly> Keep that in the back of your mind as you head into the tail-end of this game… <The camera now returns to Jeff>

Jeff Probst: Grab your torches; <short pause> head back to camp. <Quick views of both Randy and G.C. are shown> Good night! <'Ancient Voices of Gabon' begins to play, as the camera shows the six remaining Babongo members standing up and grabbing their torches, and then turns to both Ace and Ken again. The castaways can then be seen walking out of the main Tribal Council area, before the camera zooms in on an outraged Randy>

Randy - CONFESSIONAL: I'm humiliated. My life was aired in front of the tribe; you know, things that have no business being brought into this game, <The camera continues to show Randy> and <long pause> every Tribal Council that the Kota Three stay in the game, I get even more pissed off. <The camera now focuses in on Dan> Dan has, uh, actually earned a bit of respect, but Paloma, <pause> she'll get hers in the end. <The camera shows Paloma carrying her torch> You know, she won't be Final Three… <An aerial view of the Tribal Council village is then shown, as the camera scrolls around it. The screen then fades to black>

EPISODE 11 NOTES:

Here are a few important notes about Episode 11 and (possibly) future episodes in the story. I encourage you all to read them so that you have a better understanding of what is going on.

1) I'm not going to say for sure that this is my favorite episode of the season (so far) because I'm not sure if it is, but it has two of my favorite moments with Randy's scene on Exile and Randy vs. Paloma at Tribal Council plus the TC therapy session that comes out of nowhere. And Crystal's blindside, which I especially love, considering that she was voted the #1 Edgic Contender as of last episode and got the most votes to win. Not such a predictable season anymore now, is it? I've said that the post-merge episodes this season are strong and I still believe that, so I hope you will enjoy these last four eps! I'm excited for the ending!!

2) This note is particularly for the people who ask me for advice about writing fanfics. I think with this episode you can see the importance of planning and storyline progression, and if you take a story such as Randy/Ken and the idol, for example, this is the kind of thing that you should be putting onto a chart so you can follow its progression throughout your story. It works well and it's very easy. Episode 4 Randy introduces that he doesn't like the hidden Immunity Idol and he wants it destroyed. Episode 6 Randy wants to take out Ace for having the idol, but Ken convinces him to stay with Ace so that they won't be eliminated by the idol. Episodes 7-9, you see more of the Randy/Ken bond. Episode 10 Ken keeps Randy grounded and then gets eliminated by the idol, meaning that Randy loses his closest friend in the worst way. Episode 11 Randy goes to Exile to destroy the idol and avenge Ken's elimination and he continues to self-destruct now that Ken is out of the game. The moment on Exile is probably the height of this particular storyline and now it will be on the downslope from here. So my suggestion is to make a chart and plot these kind of stories because it will help you.

3) Not too much to say about this recap, although I really like it. I think it does a great job of summing up the most important parts of the last episode, and the stories that come up this time: specifically Jacquie as the swing vote and Randy's anger over Ken going. I also had to leave the part in where Randy said Paloma was annoying to set up for the conflict between them and for Paloma getting picked as a choice for the "most annoying" during the challenge. It gives a good overview of Kenny's plan too and how he went about getting his allies, and then was ultimately voted out. I think everything else is pretty straight-forward and self-explanatory.

4) The Night 27 is kindof interesting. Pretty straightforward, I think. It begins with a confessional from Randy where he says that nothing's changed because his alliance still has a 4-3 advantage over D/C/P so Dan using the idol only prolongs his fate for 3 more days. This would be true, if Jacquie stayed with them, but for a few reasons she doesn't - I will get into this later. Randy talks about how his entire alliance has been eliminated (the same thing happened to Jacquie before) and then he gives the episode title. There's a small conversation between Jacquie and Paloma, and hopefully Jacquie's confessional gives you the sense that she is isolated from both sides. She knows that she is just playing for fourth right now because C/D/P are tight and the Fangs didn't even include her in their decision. You should sympathize with her position right now. Finally, there's a conversation between Jacquie and Crystal where Crystal lies to her about the rest of the Fangs not trusting her. I love how Jacquie tells Crystal their move was stupid and she would have never allowed it. It was nice for her to have that moment of putting the Fangs in their place. And Crystal's confessional sets up Jacquie as the obvious swing.

5) The Day 28 scene begins with some narration from Charlie, who was mostly absent from the last episode, as he analyzes his position in the game pretty thoroughly. We also see him starting a fire for the first time, which is symbolic in that his life in the game was shaky but it gets restored by the end of the episode. He has some great insights on the game and then in his second confessional he says that everyone's assuming he would never vote against Dan but that's not true. He had a similar confessional to this a few episodes go, but I considered cutting this out since it obviously didn't come into play in this episode. I decided I should give the people who are rooting against Kota some hope that they won't be the Final Three though. :) As I always say, things are put into the episodes for a reason, so something will have to come of this eventually.

6) As a lot of you predicted, we now get a scene where Randy and Jacquie become Final Two allies. Some kind of connection between them had been set up since Episode 7, and the previous episode foreshadowed that a big part of Jacquie's future story would be finding someone to go to the end with. When Randy lost Ken, this left him open as the perfect person for Jacquie to take to the Final Two.

Looking at the dynamics of the "Fang" alliance, it's obvious that if they really did get to the Final Four, there would be a tie at F4 between Randy/Jacquie and Crystal/G.C. This is why it becomes important for either Randy or Jacquie to get the Immunity Idol because they can use it at the Final Four and guarantee that Crystal goes home. Then they'd have a 2/3 chance of beating G.C. in the final challenge and being able to take each other to the Final Two. However, Jacquie doesn't know that Randy has had negative feelings towards the hidden Immunity Idol from the beginning and has contemplated destroying it before. The fact that Ken was eliminated by the idol makes Randy hate it even more (this is why I said it was significant for Ken to be taken out this way), and he's almost certainly going to destroy it now. I like his confessional that Jeff can shove the idol up his ass…

7) I seem to have developed the opposite schedule of when to use this Reward Challenge because I've had it in China and Gabon and the real show has had it in Fiji, Micronesia, and Tocantins, so I'm apparently using it in odd seasons and the real show is using it in even seasons. Anyway, it's always one of my favorite challenges (when it actually has an impact), and this is an instance where the challenge actually does some damage through having Crystal and G.C. as the last two - making it even more obvious that they're strong together, than G.C. listens to Crystal no matter what, and that they're unlikely to break.

One interesting bit of trivia about this challenge that most people probably don't know is that when the castaways fill out the surveys, they do not simply put one person's name down. They are asked to rank each person from 1-6 based on how true the statement is for that person. So when it say "Who mistakenly thinks they are in control of the game?" You rank them with 6 being the person who MOST thinks they are in control down to 1 for the person who LEAST thinks they're in control, and then the correct "answer" becomes the person who has the highest score for that question. So it's not necessarily the person who is answered the most number of times. It's a total of a bunch of numbers, so I had to try to think that way in terms of coming up with who would really be the correct answer for some questions because I had a hard time with some of them.

For who was the most honest and who the tribe couldn't survive without, I felt that these were interchangeable for G.C. and Dan. I just didn't want to have the same person as the answer for both questions.

You'll notice that Paloma got picked a few times for negative questions and this was supposed to be a hint at her being somewhat disliked by certain people, especially Randy…

For the question about who thinks they are in control, I didn't consider until now that maybe it should have been Jacquie due to her swing vote position and she would probably feel like she was the deciding factor in the way the game goes, so that may have been an oversight on my part. But the way that Charlie ended up as the right answer was because he had the highest overall total for that question (mostly because of the Fang members picking him).

Paloma was the second choice for who is least deserving of being in the game still, but I didn't think anyone would guess her over Randy.

This challenge was a lot longer than I wanted it to be. :S That's the only downside to it - it involves a lot of dialogue which makes it 6ish pages instead of 4-5.

8) Crystal ends up winning her third individual challenge, which makes her look like even more of a target. On top of that, her choices here are questionable. First of all, I definitely HAD to have one of the Fangs win this so that Randy could be sent to Exile - that was a necessary move, and none of the Kotas would have sent him. I needed the Kotas to have some time alone with Jacquie, and I didn't want G.C. to win another challenge similar to the ladder one so Crystal was the obvious choice. Plus, I've said many times that "Africa" is important to the story with certain characters, so having Crystal and G.C. go away on an Africa-related Reward was important.

Still, she didn't make the best decisions. I can understand why she picked G.C., and I love her telling Randy/Jacquie to volunteer, but Charlie was absolutely right. It was incredibly stupid for her to leave Jacquie at camp with the Kotas. She should have taken Jacquie on the Reward and left G.C. at camp to cover for her because he would be most loyal - just like he did in Episode 9. And this mistake is partially what cost Crystal the game. G.C. also made a mistake. He could have refused to go and said to take Jacquie instead. They're both to blame for this blunder, but Crystal felt she had an obligation to take G.C. due to the African cultural experience.

9) This Day 28 is pretty much narrated entirely by Charlie. Charlie and Dan apparently swapped roles this time, since Dan is the almost INV one now and Charlie gets all the confessionals. I'm not going to say much about this scene because it's mostly Charlie being strategic and Jacquie continuing to act undecided and playing up the role of the swing vote. There's two things I do want to mention though: 1) Charlie gives a pretty good analysis of Jacquie in saying that she's been underestimated the entire game but her vote is extremely valuable now; 2) Charlie saying that if he wasn't sure about Jacquie, both sides could come together for one vote and get rid of her. I wanted to make it seem like this would happen, but it wasn't really an option because then there would be a 3-3 purple rock tie next time. It was supposed to be a bigger part of the episode though (ie. discussed before Tribal Council), but I had to cut it out in the end.

10) This Reward scene is okay. Nothing special about it. It's another scene that was altered because I originally had an iboga initiation ceremony in it, but removed this for length purposes. With that gone, it ended up being pretty much the same as the Episode 9 village Reward from the real Gabon season. I did have this planned in advance, however since there is always this type of Reward every season. I had to keep it as short as possible and I didn't want to waste time on the feasts so I just gave some narration there, and then Crystal and G.C. both got some significant confessionals during the dancing part. Based on G.C.'s last confessional, I would say Crystal accomplished her goal of making G.C. appreciate Africa more.

11) I really like this scene from Day 29. The best part is how it has two separate things going on between Crystal/G.C./Jacquie in the hut and the Kotas who are around the fire, yet the Kotas can kindof see and hear what is going on in the hut. And they can hear raised voices between Crystal and Jacquie, because Jacquie once again stands up to Crystal here. It was difficult for me to flip back and forth between what was going on in each, but I hope it came across okay where you could understand what was happening.

If Crystal leaving Jacquie at camp was her first mistake, this was her second. She don't lash out at the person who is the swing vote and that's what Crystal did here, and she pretty much admitted that Jacquie would be third in their alliance. At the beginning of the scene she said "if they found out how close we are they may try to separate us," and then she basically told Jacquie that she and G.C. wouldn't break. So this connects back to the beginning of the episode where Jacquie says that the only way she would get to the Final Two is with the hidden Immunity Idol. And conveniently, her "ally" Randy is out there looking for it, but he has a very different mission that she doesn't know about…

BTW, G.C.'s comment that he doesn't like Jacquie having all the power was supposed to relate to Charlie saying that both sides could team up against Jacquie. It was supposed to make you think that might happen.

12) As I said at the start, Exile is one of my favorite scenes in this episode and gives on of the best moments from Gabon. My writing isn't good enough to capture it as well as it would be on TV, but this is a scene that really defines Randy as a character and it leads up to the Tribal Council session. Picture the sad, sappy musics that were used back in Australia and Africa as Randy essentially delivers a eulogy to his friend Kenny, and then burns the hidden Immunity Idol, the thing that he believes is responsible for his friend being taken from him. And then you'd be able to watch the idol burn as Randy looks upon it with pure disgust, yet a strange satisfaction at the same time.

If it seems like he found the idol easily, he didn't. He looked for over a day. That's why this was his second day out there. And all he had to really do was search the area for a burnt log and dig under it.

Randy accomplished something here that he's talked about since the very beginning of the game. Going back to the first four episodes, he's had confessionals about not liking the hidden Immunity Idol and about wanting to play a pure game. He gets rid of the idol here so that that's one variable taken out of the game, and he says he'll win the game this way. We'll see…

I've said over and over again that I became really frustrated with the idol after Micronesia. It was ridiculous how the idol was found in every single episode and Randy was my way of dealing with that frustration, and saving me from having to figure out how to continually fit idols into my planned endgame. Plus, as I said earlier, everything has a purpose and when Randy had the scene in Episode 4 about wanting to destroy the idol and then Ken talked about not wanting to be eliminated by the idol in Episode 6 or 7, it had to amount to something. So this was inevitable!

13) I always knew that Randy would win Immunity here. Destroying the idol and coming to terms with Kenny's elimination empowered him, and I figured the best challenge for him to win would be an endurance challenge. I had initially planned on using the one from the real Fiji season where they had to put their feet on tiny pegs within a boxed structure and stay there as long as they could, but when this challenge came up in Gabon, I decided it would fit a lot better.

I had to keep it as short as possible, but there's a few things to point out: 1) Paloma being the first person eliminated. She also did very poorly in the last Immunity Challenge (not ever crossing the balance beam) and the Episode 9 Immunity (eliminated in the first round). It had to be this way because of what Randy said at Tribal Council about Paloma sucking in every challenge. She doesn't have a great track record. 2) Dan having a confessional about being the prime target still. This is his only confessional in the episode and it was to make you think Dan was still vulnerable so that Charlie getting votes was more of a surprise. 3) Randy celebrating. I vaguely recall having a few people "celebrate" after winning Immunity in my stories, but none stands out more than this one. For some reason, I think of Shii Ann in All-Stars. I toned Randy down here. I originally had him calling them mother f***ers. I cut that line out though and just left the "bitches" part. So Randy gets excited about winning Immunity and Paloma plays Alicia to Randy's Shii Ann.

I really like Randy's confessional at the end of the challenge, and I love the irony of him destroying the hidden Immunity Idol and then actually winning Immunity right after.

14) Due to the extra long Reward Challenge, this Day 30 had to be shortened and I regret that it was only the most relevant strategic parts that were left in it. I'm trying to work some of the stuff into the next episode because it would have been great, and I do feel that some explanation is necessary to explain what happens at Tribal Council. The way the scene is supposed to be, Randy comes back after winning Immunity, he says he knows he's not going anywhere so he can be a complete ass to everyone and they can't do anything about it. He reveals the burnt Immunity Idol (more on this in a minute), and proceeds to torment everyone like he did in Episode 10 of real Gabon. He gets into a confrontation with Paloma about him "celebrating" at the Immunity Challenge and her doing terrible at challenges [I salvaged this part and wrote it into Tribal Council], and then when she is making coffee (remember her coffee reward at the auction), he smacks the cup out of her end, spilling the coffee on the ground and causing her to end up screaming that he could have burnt her. So this was the basis of their conflict. Some of it got moved into the next episode, so you'll kindof see the continuation but not really the beginning. I did try to allude to it in the last episode though with Randy's confessional that she is annoying and he would like her to go.

15) Anyways, Jacquie was counting on Randy finding the idol so they could use it on Crystal at the Final Four and she is DEVASTATED to learn that he burnt it. Ken was the only person who knew about Randy's prior hatred of the idol. She thinks this is stupid and irrational and it makes her reconsider her deal with Randy to go to Final Two because she thinks he is too much of a loose cannon at this point. So in addition to Crystal's poor choices, this is the straw that breaks the camel's back and pushes Jacquie back over to Kota again. Her hesitance to go to F2 with Randy leaves her seeking other options once again, and when Paloma offers it, Jacquie accepts.

Instead of Randy and Dan like it should have been, the vote ends up being between Crystal and Charlie. Obviously Crystal was the choice due to Randy having Immunity, but also because of her threat status and because there had been a bit of an unspoken rivalry (maybe even a dislike) because Crystal and Jacquie that came up subtly throughout the season (ie. Crystal not talking to Jacquie at the Episode 7 Reward). The Charlie vote is, surprisingly, suggested by G.C., who has usually just been the person to agree to whatever anyone else says up until now. I believe this is the first time he's actually brought up a name to vote off, though I could be wrong about that. But I think it's very logical because it's 100% true that Charlie/Paloma are a pair and so is Charlie/Dan, so to separate both of those, you get rid of Charlie, who also happens to be the most strategic of the group.

Nothing else to say about the rest of the scene. Jacquie gives the typical swing vote confessional before TC, and that's all…

16) Okay. Now it's time for one of the longest non-Final Tribal Councils and one my favorite ones ever in that it's so unconventional. There are so many things about it that I like, such as Randy showing the burnt idol to Jeff and then Jacquie asking Jeff if it would still count to use it. It must be in the rules somewhere that a destroyed or damaged hidden Immunity Idol is unplayable and if it's not, then it's in my rules. Jeff tells Jacquie the idol is dead, and this is probably the moment where she definitely decides not to go to the Final Two with Randy, and takes Paloma's offer instead.

Then there's a minor argument between Paloma and Randy [this is the part that was supposed to happen back at camp], before we get into the part about Randy's life where he reveals the story about his dog, Johnson. I have to clarify that I really did try to be respectful to Randy here, so I apologize to him if this was not respectful in any way. I understand the comment by Paloma was kindof cruel and maybe it was a little cruel of me for writing it, so that's why I'm saying that it wasn't my intention; it was the character. When Paloma says about Randy's dog committing suicide because she would want to kill herself if she was stuck with him, this is the clip from the Preview where he is so upset that he stands up and points right in her face and yells at her to not talk about him. This turns into another argument between them where Paloma says Randy is 50 years old and doesn't know how to deal with people, blah, blah, blah. Then Paloma says she's not afraid of Randy and he's crazy and has issues. Crystal gets a question about the game becoming more personal - clearly it is - and then it turns into a Tribal Council therapy session.

17) Jeff asks Dan what his take on Randy is, and then Dan gives what I would say is a pretty accurate assessment of Randy. It makes Randy uncomfortable though to be talked about in this way, and then it leads to Randy and Dan both talking about how they've had therapy before and Dan saying that it helped him become more comfortable with himself. I like this part because I think it gives you a better understanding of both Randy and Dan, especially Randy, and you get to know why he works the way he does. I think Dan hits the nail on the head when he says that Randy has to want to change and he might not want to.

The last two questions are basically the only discussion of the vote since it was incredibly obvious throughout the whole episode that Jacquie would be the swing vote and it would be ridiculously drawn out for me to spend an entire Tribal Council on this. I almost cut out both of these questions, to be honest, especially Jacquie's because it wasn't really anything new from her confessionals. I felt like Jacquie was Susie in Episode 8 of real Gabon because all of Susie's confessionals were so repetitive and talking about getting to the Final Three. Here, Jacquie's were pretty much the same thing for Final Two and swing vote.

So they vote, and I decided to show every vote except for Jacquie's. The other good thing about having a vote between Charlie and Crystal is that I could show Jacquie just writing the "C" on her vote and not the rest of the name. I like when that happens. And so it is 4-3 for CRYSTAL, not Charlie. She is shocked that Jacquie betrayed her and that another Fang member went home yet again…

ETA: I realized after I posted the episode that I should have put 3 of Crystal's votes first since those were kindof obvious and the Charlie votes were more of a surprise. Then I could have had the last Crystal vote.

And based on the last confessional, it seems that Dan may get a bit of a pass as far as Randy is concerned. Paloma will likely become his new target.

18) CRYSTAL AS THE ELEVENTH BOOT:

I'll talk a little bit about Crystal now. First of all, I'll say she was one of my favorite characters of this entire season and I am prepared for the backlash that's going to come from her supporters. However, I think this episode has potential to be one of the best of the season and I would really, really HATE if it gets rated down because people are upset with Crystal going. I'm pretty sure that had Charlie been voted out it would get a lot of 10s, but please try to consider the whole episode.

I am expecting this to be probably the most surprising boot so far of the season in that many of you didn't predict it before reading the episode, but that's definitely the way I wanted it to be. It was an intentional move for me to give Crystal a more positive, insightful episode last ep so people would give her more support and not expect her to be booted next. I didn't expect her to become the #1 Contender though.

I loved Crystal and I would have loved to see her win. Her "story" just didn't ever strike me as being the winner's story. It seemed to be missing something that I can't really put my finger on even though her edit was pretty strong.

I think Crystal was partly responsible for getting herself voted out through the decisions she made in the episode (as explained earlier), but I would say that overall, she played a very good game this season and it was an accomplishment for her to make it this far.

I feel that this blindside is very reminiscent of the way that Crystal went out in the real show - it just happened a little bit sooner. Jacquie kindof played the role of Sugar here in that Crystal was maybe a bit of a bully to her. That's why I was surprised that I was so surprised when Crystal was booted at Final Six because I should have recognized the similarity in the episode, but I was sure she would be in the Finals back then. She even went on a Reward in her boot episode too, which will no doubt help to soften some of her negativity.

19) EPISODE 12:

On Thursday night, I posted during the Tocantins episode that I was upset because the real show did something very similar to what I had planned for Episode 12. As you can see from the preview, it has to do with the family visit. You'll probably recall that, like the hidden Immunity Idol, I was growing tired of the family visit last season. I didn't really like the one I did in Micronesia. It was extremely boring. So I needed something to spice it up and I decided the best way to do so would be to make the winner choose between having their own loved one or giving it up so everyone else can get their loved one and then going to Exile. That person would NOT get their loved one. I hated how Taj got to see her husband even though she supposedly made a sacrifice to go to Exile. That's not how it works in my version and you'll see how it plays out.

Also, in the next episode, Randy finally "crashes and burns" and starts to make people's lives miserable. Part of this was supposed to be in this episode. And Charlie and Paloma also discuss cutting Dan loose at this point. I personally think it would be a stupid move, assuming that my players are as strategic and game-saavy as they usually are. Someone please tell me why it's a stupid move for them and I will give you imaginary points. :)

20) Finally, I really hope that you all enjoyed the episode, and I would once again like to offer my sincere thanks to you for reading it. I'm amazed to still have so many people reading into the eighth season (wow!). I would greatly appreciate it if you could spend a few minutes to leave some comments on the episode and let me know what you thought. Thanks in advance for all the replies!