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At Kalabal, Jonathan is out searching for the Hidden Immunity Idol while the other five are in a cave bitching about him. His looking in random places gets him nowhere, but his experience gives him an advantage when he realizes that in addition to the machete and the pot that are provided every season, there was also a beautiful box with a big bag of rice. Searching in the box, he finds a clue to the HII’s location, which is apparently right under his nose. I’m going to guess right now that it’s part of the lid of the box.

At Matsing, Russell also finds the clue, but he just lucks into it. However, while Russell sneaks away to read the clue while collecting firewood, he’s seen by Zane. Later at camp, Zane asks Russell if he has had any chance to look for the idol. Russell’s response is immediate: if he sees anyone even looking for the idol, that person is a target. Zane naturally believes that Russell has already found the idol, and if they lose the first challenge, they are definitely going to get rid of Russell.

Probst sighting!

It’s the first immunity challenge of the season. Each tribe will split into three pairs, and the first pair will be tied together and run through the jungle and up a cargo net to collect some paddles and then race back, the second pair will use the paddles to row a boat out to a buoy which marks a submerged chest and then swim with that chest to shore, and the third pair will unpack the pieces inside the chest to solve a puzzle. Want to know what they’re playing for? Chickens. At least that’s what the immunity idols look like. Wooden chickens.

First team to finish will also get a complete fire-making kit with kindling and gasoline and cigarette lighters or whatever, the second team will get flint, the Survivor equivalent of steak knives, and the third team gets Tribal Council. So there’s that interesting dynamic from a three tribe season, which is that it’s okay if your team sucks, it just doesn't have to suck the most.

We see a bit of challenge strategy discussion before we start. Jonathan is asking who are the best paddlers, probably because that will be the most physically demanding part of the challenge. Russell is saying that he sucks at puzzles, so he should be running. Angie is also saying she sucks at puzzles, but Russell tells her to do it anyway, and not to panic. “Just bear with me, you two do the puzzle," he says to Roxy and Angie. He's not asking them to bear with him, he's asking them to do what he says. Leadership!

Also, the teams are wearing face paint for this challenge. The only noteworthy attempts are Russell, who looks like a seagull has crapped on his forehead, and Zane, who is going for the Braveheart look.

The first set of pairs run through the jungle, with Artis and RC from Tandang getting back first, Zane and Russell from Matsing arriving shortly after (with Zane so tired from the effort he is begging Russell to pull him), and Dana and Katie from Kalabal coming back a distant third.

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