Survivor: Caramoan - Episode 5
Persona Non Grata
By Ben Willoughby
March 14, 2013
We get a bunch of other people interviewing about the idol – though not Julia, never Julia. But Michael tempts fate by saying that “as long as Reynold doesn’t find it," which is the editor’s cue to put in footage of Reynold finding it and having to limit his joy to whisper-laughing. Boo! I bet Probst went up to the idol-hider and said “Why don’t you take a rest? I got this."
Reynold doesn’t bother reading the idol message, explaining to the camera “I know all this by heart, it’s the second one I’ve found." He has another of his delusionally confident interviews, saying “I should keep playing them, if I can keep finding them," but he understands now that there’s “a correlation between opening your big fat mouth and having the idol get played." “Back in business, baby! This is how you play Survivor,” he says to camera. What, finding hidden immunity idols, giving gloating interviews to camera and being repeatedly taken for a sucker? Well, it’s how Russell Hantz played Survivor.
Anyway, Reynold goes back to camp, and lies down in the shelter with Eddie. “You and me still taking this thing to the end?” he asks. Eddie says yes, so Reynold whispers “got it," referring to the idol. They reconfirm their alliance with a fist-bump and a “you and me dude, all the way." Eddie, who we never even saw looking for the idol, interviews how funny it is to watch Sherri combing the beach and the woods when he knows it’s in Reynold’s bag.
Now we can check in at the “favorites” barbecue. We see them cooking meat, but the discussion is all about Brandon. Andrea says that he seems sullen, and there’s something in his eyes that’s weird. The barbecue discussion is the usual post-challenge props, Brandon being a rock and Phillip big-upping his “strategy” of yelling at them.
Brandon interviews that “I was trying so hard not to make this not about me, but all of a sudden Phillip decides to take ownership of winning this challenge for himself," like it’s Phillip’s fault that Phillip was the last one holding the net in the air and Probst said “once again, a hero for the ‘favorites’”. Brandon feels like venting, so when Brenda asks if they are going to take down the the tarp (which is filled with rainwater) and Phillip says he would rather save his energy, Brandon says “she was just giving a suggestion, Phillip." Phillip replies coldly that he was just providing input, and Brandon says “your input is more like a dictatorship."
This quickly descends into bickering. “I don’t want to argue it now,” says Phillip. “I will argue it.” “Then it’ll be a one-sided conversation.” “How about you [STFU] and let somebody else have an opinion?”, when Phillip just said he’ll basically STFU but he doesn’t want to listen to Brandon’s opinion.
Corinne interviews about how Brandon is unpredictable and she doesn’t know what to do with that, while Malcolm, with resigned humor, says that “Brandon finally snapped. Phillip caught Brandon on one of his downward swings." Malcolm considers that no matter what strategic consideration Brandon plays, at some point he’s going to go past the threshold where he’s more of a drain on the camp than he’s going to be useful down the road”.
Brandon asks with a smirk whether he should go apologize, and the others advise him against it. Phillip, down the beach, is interviewing how Brandon is a “young punk who won’t shut up” while he is a “street fighter” and while he’s trying to avoid confrontation, if Brandon “ever came at me, he’s going to see a different side of me. “I think he’s unstable, I think he should be out of the game.”
Phillip and Brandon have a talk, ostensibly to try and put things to rest, but it quickly goes nowhere. Brandon says “Let’s talk” and Phillip rushes in. “No no no, my dilemma is, with me in control of it like to a certain extent, where we are playing right now, you are going to get above the slot where you finished last time,” which was sixth, if you were interested.
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