“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.” –Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Is Russell somehow cosmically attuned to hidden immunity idols? Maybe it’s magnetism. While Galu pats itself on the back and celebrates its march toward victory, Russell scrambles for his life — and finds a second idol without any clues. When he uses the idol to blindside Kelly, he makes the move of the episode and completely upends the game’s dynamics. Congratulations, Russell, on a well-deserved Fishy Award.
Last time Russell found the idol without a clue, a lot of people said he just got lucky. But Russell makes his own luck. It’s not easy to go out digging in the wilderness when you haven’t eaten anything but coconuts and rat-kebab in three weeks. Most people just hang around camp in a listless torpor. Check out Jaison, Mick and Laura when Natalie comes back to camp with her rat. They can hardly lift themselves out of the shelter to go look.
Not only does Russell have the willpower to force himself into action, but he also has the savvy to look in all the right places. “It has to be near something — a landmark — something,” he says. As I mentioned last week, Russell has obviously done his homework and watched past seasons. He’s gathered some of production’s tricks. In my mind, that just magnifies his achievement: He studied the playbook and now is putting what he learned into action. After searching by tree mail and the water well, he finds the idol under a bridge. “I’m shaking,” he says.
While he at first claims he won’t “tell a damn soul” about the idol, we all know Russell can’t keep his idol in his pants. He runs off to show Shambo, and the two once again plot to take out Laura. By including Shambo in his plans and treating her with a respect that Galu can’t muster, he cements her loyalty. Russell is disappointed when Laura wins immunity, but I think it’s good news for the Foa Foa four. As long as Laura’s around, Shambo is against her.
Galu, on the other hand, is already fantasizing about how they’ll celebrate when Foa Foa’s been eliminated. They briefly consider the possibility that Russell could have the idol — but toss it aside. Bad move. Even if you think he doesn’t have it, you should play defensively and assume the idol’s out there. If Foa Foa had the idol, you can guess they would give it to Russell as the “most likely” target. Why not vote Mick?
In tribal council, Galu shows its typical hubris by insulting Erik while he’s sitting right there. Kelly calls him “a snake starting a lot of trouble.” She doesn’t seem to realize that he’ll be voting for a winner.
But Kelly won’t be winning anyway. There are only a handful of times in the show’s history that the idol has successfully saved a player — Gary in Guatemala, Yau-Man in Fiji and Amanda in Micronesia. When Russell plays his, he not only saves his skin, but he flips the game on its head. “I aint finished playing just yet,” he says. So pimp.
Galu is sent reeling. Dave Ball’s mouth may actually become unhinged. And Foa Foa can’t contain their grins. There’s truly no better feeling in Survivor than watching your plans come together at Tribal Council. Winning immunity is a rush, but strategy is what the game’s about. Pity the rest of Aiga. They’re playing against one of the greatest strategists in Survivor history.
Galu has managed to squander an 8-4 lead. Now, with Shambo an honorary Foa Foa, the factions are five to five. Can Galu turn the game around? So far, they’ve been playing junior varsity Survivor. –Stephen Fishbach
Tell Us: Will Russell get a third idol? Is Galu screwed?
Monty Brinton/CBS(2)
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