After the merge, at the end of this week’s episode, we will have a tribe of ten players.

There will be 5 original Yaxha and 5 original Nakum.

Nakum - Bobby Jon, Brandon, Cindy, Danni, Judd
Yaxha - Gary, Jamie, Lydia, Stephanie, Rafe

There will be 4 post-mix Yaxha and 6 post-mix Nakum.

Yaxha - Bobby Jon, Brandon, Danni, Gary
Nakum - Cindy, Jamie, Judd, Lydia, Stephanie, Rafe

Gary is the only original Yaxha that was never on Nakum. His greatest ally was Amy, who is gone now. He is one.

Cindy and Judd are the only original Nakum who were never on Yaxha. They are not great friends. They are two.

Bobby Jon, Brandon and Danni have always been together, going from Nakum to Yaxha together. They are three.

Jamie, Lydia, Stephane, and Rafe have always been together, going from Yaxha to Nakum together. They are four.

Will it make a difference? Based on friendship, I’d have to say that Gary’s gone, Cindy and Judd are gone. Bobby Jon, Brandon are good friends and Danni’s probably a good part of that too. They might have a chance. I can’t see Bobby Jon winning though, so maybe Brandon and Danni make it to the end.

The last four explain why Stephanie is always on a losing team. Rafe is a nightmare. He’s going soon. Lydia? I donno, maybe. Steph and Jamie might make it to the end if they don’t kill each other first. I don’t see any strong freindships there. Steph will not win it. Lydia is flying under the radar. She might surprise us.

I think my money’s on Brandon and Danni taking it to the end and Danni winning it all.

What do you think? Tell us in the forum.

This one started off with a great moment in TV history by showing us the open, festering sores that everyone had from hitting that big ball last week. Bobby Jon shows us a close up of him pulling his shirt off his shoulder, where it stuck to his open sore while he was sleeping. It doesn’t get any better than that! And they wonder why viewer numbers are falling off…

The reward challenge was one with cloth wrapped around poles stuck in the ground. Basically, they had 4 people at 4 poles. One person wrapped themselves in cloth by unwrapping it from the pole. When they were done, run to the next pole, where the two people have to wrap themselves. Then three people, then four, wrapped together. Then they unwrap in order. The first team to do this whole thing wins. It goes well, even if the game makes no sense, until Steph, Lydia and Rafe have fallen and they can’t get up. More… »

Margaret and Brian Gone!

Tonight was a different format. There were two challenges, but one was right after the other and both tribes went to tribal council and lost a member.

It started out with complaints about the mesquitoes. Seems like they’re getting cranky out there. Margaret was sitting around Nakum being bummed. She hates Judd. Judd hates her. Judd’s a cocky idiot.

They meet for the first challenge, two people against two people pushing a big ball across the opposite goal line. Two women against each other then two men, then a man and a women. First tribe to score 3 times wins a BBQ feast.

They push, they play, people win, people lose. Notable events are Amy falling down and hurting her ankle again and Bobby Jon going caveman and yelling at Jamie. Nakum actually wins the BBQ feast, including bread, hamburgers and beer.

As the winner of the reward challenge, Nakum gets to do another challenge for individual immunity. Both tribes go to tribal council, but one person on Nakum gets to have immunity. This challenge had each person running out to a frame, untieing a bag, run back to thier little stand and going to get the next. When they get all 3 of their own bags, they untie them and dump out the lettered tiles, which they use to spell a phrase. First person to have the phrase spelled wins immunity.

Stephanie starts out well on this one and Judd is way behind, not even getting his untied before he looks over at Raff’s tiles, all spelled out. Judd says out loud the phrase “Ancient Ruin” reading from Raff’s before Raff even gets it. Raff wins.

The walk back to camp for both teams is all about who’s going home tonight. Both teasm face it. Nakum has thier BBQ, where Judd is an arrogant jerk and drinks an extra beer, which get’s everyone upset, but who really did drink that extra beer? Judd doesn’t know. Judd doesn’t care. He thinks he’s invicible. Moron.

Amy’s ankle is swelling up over at Yaxha, but she’s just fine, no problem, please dont’ vote me off! Brian tries to keep the old tribe together against Boby Jon.

Tribal council for Nakum comes first. Judd just goes off on Margaret. He really shoots his mouth off, just like that guy in high school on the football team that you always hated. He yells and acts like an idiot, then they all vote out Margaret. There is huge animosity in this tribe and it’s not going away with Margaret.

Raff gets to stay and watch Yaxha’s tribal council, which is a virtual lovefest. Everyone loves everyone else and we’re all proud of each other. Rah. Rah. Rah! Then they all vote out Brian.

Notice that both tribes had 7 members, with 3 old tribe members and 4 new members, yet they both voted unanamously against the person going home. Do the old tribes matter any more?

Next week on Survivor - Amy confronts Gary about being a football player and Yaxha visits Nakum.

CBS News

“Never once did I speak a bad word about Brian. They had me in interviews, and he’s not gay.”
Blake Towsley

(CBS) Thursday night on “Survivor: Guatemala,” old tribal loyalties were ignored as the Yaxha tribe sent one of their strongest players packing.

Unfortunately for real estate agent Blake Towsley, he never learned the old adage “silence is golden.”

“I completely got blind sided,” Blake tells The Early Show co-anchor Rene Syler. “It didn’t make sense to me. I left the game like ‘How did that happen?’ ” More… »

CBS News

Rupert Boneham (CBS/The Early Show)

“You forget about the social side of ‘Survivor.’ You don’t really understand when you start talking about yourself and how other people around you see you.”
Rupert Boneham

(CBS) America’s best-loved Survivor, Rupert Boneham can’t get over the hype of how harsh the conditions are on Guatemala. “That’s why it’s called Survivor!” he says.

He told The Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith, “Panama was pretty darn hard. What they’re complaining about in Guatemala is any time you have over 100 plus degrees, 90 percent humidity, and rain that is just torrential, it is hard. It is hard.”

Yes, after winning the million dollars, he still watches the show.

“I was a ‘Survivor’ junkie before I got on the game. Now I understand the game even more,” he said. More… »

Rob Mercatante’s Guatemala Journal

CBS has opened a “Guatemala - Central America Relief” page on the Survivor: Guatemala website to raise funds to “help the victims of Tropical Storm Stan.”

Which is a good thing, right?

Well, yes… but there are some bizarre aspects to the site. For example:

* There is no link to the Relief page from the Survivor: Guatemala page.

* Instead of providing information about the disaster and its many victims, the only commentary CBS makes is:

“The FBI warns people donating to hurricane relief over the Internet to beware: Agents have reviewed 2,100 sites claiming to be relief funds and found 60 percent were foreign and more likely to be bogus. At least eight criminal investigations are under way.”

Not exactly a motivational plea for assistance, is it?

* Finally, of the eight charities listed on the page, at least half don’t appear to be in any way involved in relief efforts in Guatemala: the Salvation Army USA, the United Way, Islamic Relief, and the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals!!!

It seems that the Survivor: Guatemala website is about as likely to assist Guatemalan victims as the t.v. show is to reflect Guatemalan reality.

Don’t believe me? Here’s the link!

UPDATE: It seems that your emails to CBS worked! The new webpage, while still short on information about the tragedy, at least provides links to aid organizations that are actually working in Guatemala. Nicely done, folks.

For those of you who didn’t get a chance to see the original, dismal web page… here’s a screenshot.

(Note to CBS executives: I’ll make the screenshot go away if you make a sizeable donation to one of the aid organizations. Hehe.)

The Golden Boy, Blake, was voted off the island tonight because he’s self-centered, rude, insensitive, and obnoxious. The funniest part is, he didn’t know why he was voted off. That’s how self absorbed he is.

Tonight started with everyone on Nakum upset with Judd for flipping sides last week. Well, maybe that we really just Margaret upset with him. He’s over the old tribe and she’s not. Over on the Yaxha tribe, it split between the city folk, Amy and Brian, and the country folk, Brandon and Bobby Jon. Being religious is an issue here too, where Brian is faking it to get along.

The Reward Challenge looked kind of fun tonight. The whole tribe had to advance together, but only one person could work on the first two tasks. The first task was to cut through two ropes with a sharp knife. This drops two “handles”. Next, another person has to chop through a log with an axe to drop two more “handles”. Everyone runs up a hill to a platform where the handles go into a turnstile. Everyone twists on the turnstile, which is attached to a rope which draws a cart up the hill on rails. When the cart is at the top, 6 people get in while the one extra person chops the rope and everyone rides the cart down the hill. First one to cross the finish line wins.

“Survivors ready. Go!” and everyone runs up to the first station. Brandon chops at the rope with his whole body and makes it through the first one quickly. Jamie uses deliberate strokes to cut through the rope and this takes a little longer. Brandon whacks the second rope and the tribe is off to the chopping task. Jamie uses deliberate strokes to cut through the rope and this takes a little longer.

Bobby Job chops this log like his life depends on it and makes it through quickly. Jamie uses deliberate strokes to cut through the rope and this takes a little longer. The whole Yaxha tribe race to the platform and install the handles. They twist it and the little cart makes its way slowly up the hill. Jamie uses deliberate strokes to cut through the rope and this takes a little longer. Yaxha gets in the cart, the rope is cut and they fly down the hill like they’re at Disneyland. Jamie uses deliberate strokes to cut through the rope and this takes a little longer. Yaxha wins and Jamie finally cuts through the first rope.

Stephanie’s team loses again.

The reward is a crocodile proof cage that they can get into the water with. It’s got a deck around it with lounge chairs, and umbrella, chips, dips, guacamole, and margaritas. This thing looks like a hot tub with a deck around it in your backyard. It’s big enough for everyone to get into the water in it.

Poor Stephanie whines some more about how her team is always unable to win, that she’s caught in a bad dream and can’t get out. She complains that Bobby Job cheered when he won and that was tacky, but the truth is she’s just jealous. “Bobby Job cheering like a little girl” was the quote. The poor girl cries on TV. Poor, sweet, Stephanie. When will her luck change? I feel so sorry for her.

Back at Nakum, Blake is named “Golden Boy by Amy. There’s a rain storm for a long time during the night and Brian and Blake go to sleep under the shelter while everyone else stands in the rain under an umbrella. Brian gets up later and takes the late shift watching the fire. Blake sleeps all night.

Sitting around camp, Blake starts to tell stories and they are all about himself. Everyone is laughing and happy, but really annoyed that he just goes on and on and on about himself. Brian starts to play “Bait Blake” to help him dig the hole. “Blake - Tell us about your best drunk story”, followed by a long rambling story where Blake is the center of the universe. He talks about his girl friend’s breast size and what he likes regarding women’s bodies. This is with women sitting listening. Can we think of a better way to offend the people who will vote on us later? Blake, you’re a Frat boy idiot. Young, stupid and pretty.

Nakum is bummed because they lost. Steph whining helps morale to die. Everyone wants to go home…except Lydia. She decides that she’s going to cheer everyone up. She sings, she dances, she juggles, she dances some more. Everyone starts laughing and having a good time. This girl just scored some points in my book. I’m liking her more and more.

Immunity Challenge - Each tribe gets into 2 groups of 3 people holding a net between them. The last person runs a catapult which shoots a ball out into the field where the teams are, who try to catch it. Whichever team catches 5 balls, wins.

Yaxha catches the first one, then Nakum catches the next. Nakum gets the next one, then Yaxha catches the next. It was 2 to 2, so Nakum catches the next 3 to win. Wait, I can hear you thinking “But that’s Stephanie’s tribe. Stephanie actually won!”. I have no idea how that happened either. It’s a mystery.

Yaxha is the guest of honor at the Tribal Council. The jockeying for position beforehand pits Brian against Blake. Did Blake annoy enough people? Will the old tribal lines hold and vote off Brian? It all comes down to Danni as the swing vote. Golden Boy vs. Tribal Loyalty.

We see he write down a “B”, then it fades away. Who will it be? Well, Blake’s an idiot and he goes home.

They made an announcement that CBS is helping the relief effort in Guatemala from the hurricane damage that killed a bunch of people and destroyed a lot of homes. I hate to link to the official CBS site, but this is a good cause. http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor11/relief/

Next week’s promo has Amy getting hurt AGAIN. Margaret and Judd hate each other. Bobby Jon and Jamie yell at each other like little boys.

Was Blake the right one to vote off? Tell us in the Forum

jam.canoe.ca
By JOHN POWELL — JAM! Showbiz

Brooke was struck down on last night’s ‘Survivor’ broadcast.

For ‘Survivor’ Stephenie Lagrossa, the more things change, the more they remain the same. After much gratuitous whining and complaining about always being on the losing tribe, the producers made Steph’s wish come true and switched up the tribes on last night’s episode. With the swap masked in a giveaway Reward Challenge, Steph, Jamie, Lydia and Rafe found themselves on the rival Nakum Tribe while Brandon, Danni, Blake and Bobby Jon went to the Yaxha Tribe.

Showing that having bad luck is better than having no luck at all, Steph and the new Nakum Tribe promptly lost their first Immunity Challenge and once again she found herself at Tribal Council. Delightfully rubbing salt in her wounds, host Jeff Probst was quick to point out that the ‘Survivor’ superwoman had won just four of the 21 challenges she had participated on the CBS reality show. It sure sucks to be Steph.

With fresh dynamics that saw Nakum divided right down former tribal lines, a disgruntled Judd Sergeant jumped ship and abandoned his old Nakum mates. Joining up with the ex-Yaxha members at Tribal Council, Judd was the swing vote and “weakest link” Brooke Struck took the Walk of Shame. Much to the chagrin of die-hard fans of the show that like to play amateur detectives and put the plot pieces together to form a much larger picture, Brooke’s boot was another in a long line of ‘Survivor Guatemala’ exits that could not be predicted from the editing as virtually no back-stories are being told as the series progresses. What future impact this style of editing has on the series as a whole remains to be seen.

The Survivors at the start of the broadcast were: More… »

MSNBC.com

By Andy Dehnart

Stephenie, one of the two ?á?í?Survivor Palau?á?í? cast members given a second shot at $1 million on ?á?í?Survivor Guatemala,?á?í? asked a simple question last week. ?á?í?Why, just once, can?á?í?ôt I be on a great tribe??á?í?

When, on day nine, host Jeff Probst unexpectedly mixed up the tribes, Stephenie almost had that chance.

Except she ended up on the losing team yet again. Her new tribe consists mostly of women, whereas the other tribe has so much testosterone (or ?á?í?maletosterone,?á?í? as Judd called it) that the trees in their campsite are starting to grow hair in strange places. Even though Stephanie?á?í?ôs tribe still managed to stay competitive in the immunity challenge, they still lost, and she once again returned to Tribal Council.

The switch-up came early in the game, arriving as part of a disarming reward challenge. But calling it a challenge does disservice to the word ?á?í?challenge,?á?í? because it wasn?á?í?ôt one. More… »

E! Online News

by Josh Grossberg

Is Jeff Probst ready to leave the rugged life behind?

After six years in the jungle, the khaki-clad host of CBS’ Survivor may be planning to grab a torch and leave the seminal reality game show when Survivor concludes its 11th season this year.

Inside TV reports that the 43-year-old Probst is going to quit once his contract is up at the end of the current installment, Survivor: Guatemala, which the Eye network debuted on Sept. 15.

He cited the constant traveling that comes with his emcee duties and his desire to settle down with his girlfriend, former contestant Julie Berry, whom he began dating last year after her edition wrapped as reasons for his possible departure .

Probst hinted as much in a conference call last month to hype the premiere of Survivor: Gautemala, telling reporters he was “definitely in love. More in love that I was six months ago.” More… »

Webindia123.com

There were reports Thursday that Survivor host Jeff Probst may be ready to vote himself off the CBS reality show he’s anchored for six years.

Inside TV reported Probst will not renew with the show after his contract expires at end of this current season.

Probst, 43, is in a relationship with former contestant Julie Barry and has expressed a desire to settle down, which he has not been able to as he traveled to remote areas with Survivor.

During a conference call last month to hype Survivor: Guatemala, Probst said he was definitely in love, E! Online reported.

I get it now … Love is the E-ticket ride at Disneyland, he said, adding he was tired of the road. I want to start a family.

www.azcentral.com

NEW YORK - Unlike the players, Jeff Probst doesn’t have to struggle with any of those challenges on “Survivor.” And, he gets meals, a clean bed and daily showers while he’s on location for the show.

But, word is, he doesn’t want to host “Survivor” any more.

Inside TV says Probst wants to leave the show when his contract is up after next season.

The magazine says he wants to settle down with his girlfriend, Julie Berry from “Survivor: Vanuatu,” and get a job where he doesn’t have to travel.

Inside TV says former players might be considered as host if Probst leaves.