Survivor: Gabon is turning out to be chock-full of twists and surprises. The latest was the ouster of Jacque Berg — who had been playing a great game and was a major contributor in the physical challenges — by a tribe that sorely needs a strong tribe member to win the challenges.
This season’s Survivor, aired locally on Q-11, has the castaways marooned in Gabon, Africa — widely regarded as “Earth’s Last Eden.” In Gabon, the castaways embark on an amazing adventure, trying to survive extreme conditions while attempting to forge alliances with strangers from diverse backgrounds.
The very first to get voted out was Los Angeles music production assistant, DJ and boxer Michelle Chase. The pretty 24-year-old, who had been married and divorced by the time she turned 19, said that although she was athletic, she found the condition on the jungle tough. “I didn’t expect it at all that it would be freezing cold all the time and that took a lot out of my mental game.”
The second tribal council resulted in the snuff-out of Gillian Larson’s torch. The second Survivor cast-off, a 61-year-old expert swimmer and retired nurse, said that she was disappointed that she didn’t last long in the game. But Gillian added, “I’m doing fine. I have a great family and a great life and hey, life moves on.”
Paloma Soto clashed with and was eventually out-maneuvered by cocky, manipulative tribe-mate Ace Gordon in the next episode. Twenty-four-year-old Downey was the third person to be sent home.
The fourth episode shook things up big time. The tribe reshuffled and it tested some of the alliances already formed by the members of tribes Kota and Fang. This twist did not go well for Jacque who had been playing her best game. She went from the strong Kota tribe to the weak Fang tribe after the reshuffle and even after she performed well during the challenge, she still got voted out.
The 25-year-old sales executive is athletic and driven and she had shown how she could be an asset to the tribe. Her tribe-mates, however, seemed more focused on their alliances than about making sure that the tribe remains strong. One less strong member, however, will make it even more difficult for the tribe to win the challenges.
It’s an interesting situation for the tribe. And some interesting characters remain. Hot doctor Marcus, for one, is a favorite among viewers and he also seems to be well-liked by his fellow castaways. Kelly has clashed with some of the other tribe members and seemed like on her way out but she has, to the surprise of many viewers, remained in the game.
Survivor: Gabon airs Fridays at 2 p.m., with a primetime telecast at 7:25 p.m. and a weekend replay on Saturdays at 5:30 p.m.