Finale Re-cap

This Tribe Will Self-Destruct in 5, 4, 3...

No Reward Challenge, there was a long review that included everyone voted off so far.

Immunity Challenge #1
Huge Puzzle, obstacle course to collect 8 bags of puzzle pieces.
Ozzy won Immunity. Adam was a close second.

Scheming Is Free
Ozzy said he sees Yul as his main competition. Adam wants to try and get the Idol out before he goes.

Tribal Council #1
Jeff asks Ozzy if anything has changed to change Adam's fate. Ozzy says 'no' and Adam agrees with him. Adam makes one last attempt to get some votes for Yul by saying Ozzy is strong, Yul is smart - Becky and Sundra, he's not sure what they are; boring he guessed.

Voted Off Adam

Adam's Final Words
. . . you got us good . . . I played fair and square and played my best . . . congratulations and good luck . . .

Jeff's Final Words
The four of you did the impossible but now the game changes, whether you like it or not, you must vote one of yourselves off.

Fallen Friends Remembrance
On top of a mountain on the way to the final Immunity Challenge. The tree mail announcing this is the first idea that they have that maybe more than two will face the Jury. They collected everyone's torch and burnt them in a fire at the top of the mountain.

Immunity Challenge #2
The Final Immunity Challenge. Endurance, stand on top of a perch in the water. It gets smaller as time goes on. Jeff tells them about there being three finalist before challenge starts.
Ozzy won Final Immunity.
Here's the order that they went out in: Becky went out first, Yul was second (but he can still use the Hidden Immunity Idol), Sundra [elapsed time over 2.5 hours].

Scheming Is Free
Ozzy finds it hard to chose between Becky and Sundra so he suggests that they have a tie so those two decide at Tribal Council (however ties are broken). Yul and Becky conspire together for Yul to give Becky the Hidden Immunity Idol.

Tribal Council #2
There is talk about the possibility of Yul giving the Hidden Immunity Idol to Becky to save her but it comes down to a tie between Becky and Sundra, just like Ozzy suggested. The tie breaker once again is fire making. After an hour of trying Jeff allows them to use matches. Sundra runs out of matches and Becky finally makes fire so she survives.

Voted Off Sundra
Well, she lost the tie-breaker.

Sundra's Final Words
. . . I'm proud and surprised that I made it this far . . .

Jeff's Final Words
Now you have gone as far as you can on your own, it will be up to the Jury now.

The 3 Finalists Face the Jury


Poor Becky, she was largely ignored. Jeff said each Juror could question one or all of the finalist and many of them chose to focus on Ozzy and Yul. Parvati even said Becky is sitting between giants.

The opening statements were brief. Yul said he thought of others as he played the game. Becky said she isn't as smart as Yul or as strong as Ozzy but she played the social game well. Ozzy said he was an underdog most of the game.

There wasn't a real "Snakes and Rats" type speech, the questions were generally very civil. Jonathan however said Ozzy was an arrogant brat - I think he used the term Jungle Prince - and asked him why he should award the million dollars to someone like that? Ozzy basically said the he planned to use the money to go to college which will help make society better. Some where in all the questions, Ozzy made a real emotional appeal regarding his father (something about wishing he knew him better).

No closing speeches by the finalists were shown.

Yul Wins Survivor Cook Islands!

Yul (pictured) won with 5 votes to Ozzy's 4 votes. None for Becky.

Check back later tonight or tomorrow morning for my full review and commentary.

Final Preview and Commentary

This Tribe Will Self-Destruct in 5, 4, 3...
Official CBS description:
As the number of remaining tribe-mates dwindles down, one alliance is forced to think about turning on each other. Will this strong alliance finally crumble?

At the Immunity Challenge, the Survivors must complete an obstacle course that ends with the most difficult puzzle in Survivor history. Who will capture this all important victory for a spot in the final four?

Endurance is a key factor in the final challenge for Immunity. Who will be the last one standing to secure a chance for $1,000,000?

The final Survivors battle it out to convince the Jury that they are the most deserving of the $1,000,000 prize. Who will walk away with the money and the title of Sole Survivor?

Commentary
Here's my speculation on how Survivor Cook Islands ends.

The Final Four
Yul will be in the Final Four since he has the Hidden Immunity Idol. I think unless Adam (pictured) wins the next Immunity Challenge that he is the next one voted off. He has struggled with puzzles so that looks like a long-shot. The other four know if they sit in the final three with Adam that they will most likely lose.

The Final Three

That leaves the Aitu 4 (Yul, Ozzy, Becky and Sundra) to partake in the final endurance Immunity Challenge, which Ozzy should win easily. I think Sundra will be voted off leaving Yul, Becky and Ozzy in the final three. My reasoning: Ozzy has some power after winning the final Immunity and keeping Becky and Yul in the final three means that they can't vote for each other.

And the Winner of Survivor Cook Islands Is . . .
. . . Ozzy!

I think he will win most of the Raro votes. Jonathan will vote for Yul.

Rumors
No solid rumors to report just yet. Check back Sunday afternoon, I will post any last minute rumors that I get then.

Survivor Cook Islands Summary

This is a brief summary of Survivor Cook Islands to prepare viewers for the finale this Sunday night, Dec. 17, 2006 8:00 pm ET.

There are five Survivors left - the Aitu 4 plus Adam. The final will narrow them down to three for the final voting. Nine Survivors make up the Jury; no word yet how a tie will be handled.

How We Got Here
After Jonathan and Candice (pictured) mutinied and left Aitu for Raro the Aitu 4 had the numbers against them (7 to 4, if I remember correctly). Candice just missed Adam and wanted to be with him again. Jonathan went with her thinking that she was his closest ally. It didn't work out too good for the new Raro, they lost a lot of challenges in a row and Candice went to Exile Island three straight times before being voted off.

After the merge, Raro thought that there was no way Aitu would form an alliance with Jonathan (pictured) again - they were wrong. Yul convinced Jonathan to go along with the Aitu 4 and Raro hate Jonathan for it, especially Nate who was the first to be voted off. Old Raro were picked off one by one, Adam is the last Raro left.

The Aitu 4
Yul is the master mind and recognized leader of the Aitu 4. He has the Hidden Immunity Idol, which he used to persuade Jonathan to go along with them. The Idol can be used until the final four to save him (or someone else) from being voted off at Tribal Council.

Ozzy is like Tarzan out there, he effortlessly climbs trees and swims like a fish. Puzzle challenges do not slow him down either. He is one of the best Survivors ever in the challenges. He has not really upset anyone in the game and is seen as a free spirit and independent despite being in the Aitu 4.

Becky thinks of Yul as an older brother figure - in other words she's Yul's puppet. She thinks that she's playing the game but Yul is really playing her. She's not really a threat to win challenges.

Sundra has just floated along to this point, drug along by Yul and the Aitu 4. I can't really say she has played under the radar because that connotes a conscious effort on her part which I don't think is the case. She also is not really a threat to win challenges.

Adumb
Adam is naive and not that bright. He's the type of player that is really surprised and offended by the lying and alliance breaking in Survivor. I mean really, people lie in Survivor? Did he watch the show before going on it? And don't let his buff bod fool you, he stinks at the challenges.

Next Updates: Saturday afternoon I will preview the finale and speculate on the final three and eventual winner. Sunday afternoon I will post any last minute rumors that I get.

Update: Vote to give one of the Survivors a car!

Ep. 13 Re-cap

I Have the Advantage...for Once

Reward Challenge
Time to get dirty. Ten minutes to collect mud.
Luxury spa reward night away from camp; beer, wine and champagne. Second and third place finishers also share in reward.
Ozzy won and chose Adam to go to Exile Island. Parvati and Yul also share Reward.

Exile Island - Adam

This leaves Sundra (pictured) and Becky alone at camp. Becky says Ozzy really likes to win [she's just realizing that now?]. She now wants Ozzy gone sooner rather than later.

Ozzy (pictured), Parvati and Yul got a plane ride to a real nice hotel for the spa treatment. Parvati tried to be charming with Ozzy. A loss of power means dinner by candlelight. Then it was naked hot-tub time with champagne.

Nothing for Adam to do on Exile Island but lay on the sand. It's his third time on Exile Island. It was cold and rainy for him.

Back from Reward, Yul talked with Sundra and said he underestimated Parvati.

Immunity Challenge
Puzzle, balance beam and maze.
Ozzy won Immunity. Yul was second but not real close.

Scheming Is Free
Yul (pictured) says it will be either Adam or Parvati. He talks with Adam and tells him he can stay. Yul tells Parvati that she is the bigger threat because she is agile and coordinated. Adam and Parvati work Ozzy to vote off Becky or Sundra by saying both of them have just floated through the game. Yul has a word with Adam about their talking with Ozzy. Adam feels very uneasy about Tribal Council.

Tribal Council
Hat Talk, Yul just playing for the Jury? Yul brings Jonathan's hat to Tribal Council to return to him as he requested at last TC when he was voted off. Jeff brings up the game and Yul admits that he did it part out of the game and part just being nice.

Voted Off Parvati

Parvati's Final Words
. . . I definitely could have worked the hot tube better . . . I learned so much about myself . . .

Jeff's Final Words
The 5 of you have lasted 36 days so far, you have 3 days to go before 1 of you wins the million dollars.

Water-cooler Talk
Here's what they'll be talking about at work in the morning and maybe a few other tidbits.

Jonathan's Hat: Yul would have been smarter if he suggested that they as a group return Jonathan's Hat to him. Take it along quietly and have the person voted off return it to Jonathan.

Jeff's description of the muddy Reward Challenge: It's like watching bad performance art.

No car Reward this season? Viewers can vote to give a car to one Survivor but will there be a challenge for one this season?

Preview Episode 13

I Have the Advantage...for Once
Official CBS description:
Two outsiders vow to fight to stay alive, knowing they will have to win challenges and manipulate players to stay in the game. Will they be successful in turning the tides?

The Reward Challenge forces Survivors to get dirty in exchange for a little pampering.

Relaxing time at the Reward allows one Survivor to talk strategy with an enemy. Can this outsider plant a seed that could turn the game around?

Concerned about their ally's strength, two tribemates talk about breaking up their alliance sooner than discussed.

One Survivor is caught trying to manipulate a member of the opposing alliance before Tribal Council. Could this be the end for the shrewd Survivor?


Rumors
There is not much consensus on who wins Immunity but the focus seems to be Ozzy, Adam or Yul (not much help, really).

Speculation is that Parvati will be voted off at Tribal Council. Becky supposedly catches her plotting with Sundra or Ozzy.


The End Is Near!
The final of Survivor Cook Islands will be this Sunday night (Dec. 17, 2006) at 8:00pm ET. As usual the 2 hour finale will be followed by a 1 hour re-union special.

TV Ratings Dec. 10

Nielsen TV ratings for the week ending December 10

1. CSI (CBS)
2. Sunday Night Football (NBC)
3. Deal Or No Deal - Mon (NBC)
4. 60 Minutes (CBS)
5. Survivor (CBS)
6. Heroes (NBC)
7. Extreme Makeover (ABC)
8. Cold Case (CBS)
9. Shark (CBS)
10. Without A Trace (CBS)
11. Criminal Minds (CBS)
12. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (CBS)
13. Sunday Night Pre-Kick (NBC)
14. The Amazing Race (CBS)
15. Frosty The Snowman (CBS)
16. CSI: NY (CBS)
17. ER (NBC)
18. House (FOX)
19. CSI: Miami (CBS)
20. Two and a Half Men (CBS)

I haven't seen Survivor this high in the ratings for a while.

3 Finalists, 9 Member Jury

I speculated on this weeks ago and now Survivor producer Mark Burnett confirms it in TV Guide:

There will be three finalists (instead of the usual two) at the final tribal council. And with the size of the jury raised to nine (from seven), there's the possibility of a three-way tie in the competition for the $1 million prize. Not to mention a bigger dose of rancor, bile and wacko questions from cast-offs who make up the newly expanded jury.

He talks some more about the final challenges and the reunion to be held in Los Angles. He also talks a little about the next Survivor:

And the future? Survivor: Fiji — the show's 14th edition, set on the South Pacific island — will likely debut in February. "It has an extremely unique opening episode," Burnett says. "There will be an Exile Island, but it's quite different, and the hidden immunity portion of the game has an interesting twist." And look for yet another new way to divide the tribes — and keep Survivor fresh.

It's an article worth reading in its entirity:
Survivor: Cook Islands — Finale Shockers Revealed!

Ep. 12 Re-cap

Arranging A Hit

Reward Challenge
Blind water toss with family members.
Luxury night away from camp.
It came down to Pavrati (pictured) and Jonathan but Parvati just beat him out.
Parvati's father chose to share the Reward with Adam and his father and Sundra and her mother. Pavarti chose Jonathan to got to Exile Island.

Exile Island - Jonathan

While the others are away, Yul, Becky and Ozzy decide to hide the food from them. Ozzy doesn't like having to feed Adam and Parvati and then they win challenges. Adam and Parvati bring food back for the others so the plan to hide food gets forgotten.

Immunity Challenge
Water obstacle course to collect pieces to a long pole. Then they used to pole to collect two rings.
Ozzy (pictured) won Immunity

Scheming Is Free
Jonathan says in private that he senses a shift, and feels he may be the one to go. Adam works on Yul to get Jonathan voted off. Jonathan states his case to Yul. In confessional Ozzy says it's down to Adam or Jonathan.

So it looks like Jonathan or Adam.

Tribal Council
Jonathan is the topic of discussion again, although its not as heated as last time. Once again Nate (pictured) looks on happily as Jonathan is criticized.

Voted Off Jonathan
(as he leaves he says that he wants his hat back)

Jonathan's Final Words
. . . those people are terrible liars . . . I wish they had told me to my face that I was going but they didn't want to have to deal with me talking - I guess they're tired of my talking . . . now they'll have a peaceful camp but have to stab each other in the back - like that's something new in Survivor . . .

Jeff's Final Words
. . . trust should now be an issue for everyone left in the game.

Water-cooler Talk
Here's what they'll be talking about at work in the morning.

Becky's sister is named Sara - Sara Lee?

Adam calls his father by his first name, George, because he is his best friend.

The cave with fresh water in the Reward looked cool.

Was voting off Jonathan a dumb move for Yul? I think it was but maybe he didn't have much choice.

Last Minute Rumors and Commentary

Rumors
Reward Challenge: Parvati and her father win and she selects Jonathan for Exile.

Immunity Challenge: It involves swimming so Ozzy is expected to win.

Voted Off: Parvati

Commentary
Again why not Adam? He's more of a threat to win the next Immunity Challenge than Parvati is, right?

Preview Episode 12

Arranging a Hit
Official CBS description:
One Survivor is seriously hurt when they slice their finger with a machete, forcing the medical team to arrive at camp. How will this injury affect their position in the game?

One alliance devises a plan to hide food from their competing tribe members in an effort to make them hungry and weak. Will they succeed in breaking down their fellow tribe-mates?

At the Reward Challenge, surprise guests arrive to help the Survivors compete for the opportunity to take part in a local ceremony and feast.

At the Immunity Challenge, balance and agility are assets. Who can maneuver their way to victory?

Titan TV description:
A medical team comes ashore after Parvati slices her finger with a machete. For reward, the castaways are surprised to see loved ones and compete to spend time with them. One alliance tries to hide food from rival tribe members to make them weak. At tribal council, the 14th person is voted out. Jeff Probst is the host.