OFFICIAL WEBSITE & OFFICIAL PROFILES

For 39 days, 16 castaways were stranded in Asia.  Every 3 days on the island became a 1-hour show.  The first contestant eliminated pockets $2500.  Each successive eliminated contestant wins more money, through the next-to-last Survivor, who receives $100,000.  The final Survivor wins a million dollars!

Images (C) 2002 CBS, Inc. and Mark Burnett Productions. This page is in no way associated with CBS, Mark Burnett Productions, or the Survivor production.

It has been said that the fun is not actually getting somewhere, but the journey of getting there. Based on the fact that Brian has promised everyone a trip to the final two (and last time I checked, only 2 people can get there), the potential fireworks and nastiness here could more than make up for the very bland people and middle episodes we had this year.

But let's stop talking about it and start recapping it - Day 37:

We start with Clay realizing that Ted was furious that he got booted off with no warning. No one fully realizes what's going to happen at that time

The people have 12 floats to celebrate for the 12 fallen survivors. After that, we get to see Uncle Jeffy - and we start with our first immunity challenge - 'Second Chance' - this is a combination of all of the challenges done before - digging for a ball and bringing it through an obstacle course, then completing a sliding tile puzzle. After that, the person has to cut a rope and get out of a jail cell by creating a pole. After that, you have to eat a Thailand surprise. First person done with that wins immunity.

Clay is going first and has the early lead, but Brian catches him at the sliding tile puzzle. Both women are all the way back, and it's a 2 person race. This turns into a one person race when Brian completes his puzzle and gets out of the jail. He gets to his food item - a lovely tarantula - while everyone else is still at the sliding puzzle. Brian wins immunity.

I hate to lose - and I hate to look like a fool while I'm doing it'. Your losing's not done yet, Helen. 'Today, it's time for Helen to go' says Brian, and him and Clay concur.

This dialogue shows how much mastery Brian has in the game -

Brian - Jan, you know where the vote is going tonight?
Jan - Me?
Brian - No
Jan - Who?
Brian - Helen
Jan - No
Brian - It's not your turn yet.
Jan - OK

Jan agrees with that - but that's not what they tell Helen - they tell her that Jan is going out - and she agrees with that. Jan, of course is the swing vote, but she is probably the dumbest under the radar person EVER. If she was a chicken, Brian was Colonel Sanders, telling her that she won't be killed - and she agrees, though she realizes that she could have pushed the colonel into the oven.

Tribal council time - and everyone says the same thing - you can't trust anyone and that it comes down to who you can trust. A very negative spiritual aura - could be some fun later on in the episode. Not much fun now, as we know what's going to happen with Brian's vote - Helen. 'Cause and effect - you caused this effect.'

Jeff comes to tally the votes - and it's fairly anti-climactic - 3 for Helen, and oe for Jan. Helen did not look like a happy person leaving - I'm sure we'll see more of that too later on. 'The three of you that are left - break a leg - and I mean it'. Ouch.

Day 38 - Jan's getting sad (I though she should have had a place in the final three) , Brian is getting strategic (I think that she had a place, until the final few days), and Clay is getting arrogant (She has to vote for one of us, and she sees that all of us have voted for her - who is she going to blame?). The three come back - and see a new float to design - this one belonging to Helen.

They also get breakfast - and a visit from Uncle Jeffy - who gives them a boat and a map. They are supposed to take the floats and put them down the river at points marked on the map - then at the end of the map, park the boat and go into a cave - where Jeff will be waiting with the final immunity challenge.

We then get the obligatory montage of the people who have left us in the show - which is great for me, because now I have time to write this up and not miss anything about the show.

Now that the montage is over, it's time to see Jeff - and the final immunity is a test of wills. Each person gets 6 coins - three for each hand - they have to slip coins between each fingers and put themselves in a Thai position of meditation. They are out of they quit or if the coins 'slip through their fingers'. The last person left wins immunity and is guaranteed to be in the final two.

At the 12 minute mark, Jan gives up her right to win the game by giving up. Once Clay sees that, he quits, and Brian wins immunity. Jan, at this point, knows she is going home in third. 'I couldn't take myself to that next level.'

'I'm looking at the big picture - I know it's a $900,000 mistake I could be making...I'm going up a 53 year old lady, which isn't much, but she hasn't stepped on anybody's feet.' And that's the deciding factor - as Brian figures that Clay has made too many enemies and puts Jan's name on his expulsion sheet. So as the original Chuay Gahn member has finally been usurped from her position, we now have two remaining - Clay and Brian.

'A guy in mid-thirties and a guy in his mid-forties just kicked all them young people's ass' says Clay, as he and Brian congratulate each other over the fact that they are the last 2 people left. So what do the 2 mature people do? They destroy things - like burning the boat that they used to get the water. 'It was nice to see it go.' I will laugh if they need it for the final trip to the jury.

Day 39 - 'I would not change anything I've done, any experience I've had in the last 39 days.' says Clay. You sure about that? There is much love on the camp as Clay and Brian continue to congratulate each other on the island. 'Each of us had to do something for the other to survive.' said Clay. Brian adds - 'We both had fun - we're now sitting in the Winner's Circle - you can't get any higher into the game - and it's now up to the jury to decide our fate.'

And speaking of which - he comes the jury of 7 members - and they don't look very happy (not that you would expect them to). Uncle Jeffy tells the survivors that each person on the jury can ask one question, with opening and closing statements from Clay and Brian. Clay talks about how anyone would do what he would had to do and to help him get through his own troubles. Brian talks about respect and how everyone should vote that would feel good about themselves. Point to Brian

The Jury starts to ask their own questions. Erin goes first - 'I want to know why the person next to you does not deserve the million dollars.' Brian says that Clay coasted through some things and did not put out the effort while Clay responded that Brian insisted that everything had to go through him. I'm guessing Clay wins this one.

Ken (to Clay) - 'I kept me integrity, because that's what I go home with' Brian, 'Why did you tell me that Ted had to go?' Brian stalled, then gave Ken 'a 'Well, I thought that he was splintering away from the group' answer. That was not what he told Brian, and Ken said that was not what he told him, but would not explain himself when Jeff asked Ken to say what Brian told him. Ken says that it was between Brian and - and he pointed to the sky. Hmmmmm...Point to Clay

Penny - 'Did you get to bother to knew who I am?' Penny asked Brian where she was from and the siblings - he had no clue, while Clay knew that she was a Texas Tech fan and her family is going to make wedding plans - as well as a myriad of other things. Point to Clay.

Jake - He recalls when Penny gets voted out and he gets blasted by Clay that night. Clay responds by saying that that was his response when Jake tried to make alliances with all of his tribemates. Brian said he did not feel the same way. Point to Brian.

Ted - He blasts Brian for betraying him, and blasts Clay for riding on Brian's coattails. But he also asks Clay what his definition about a racist - Clay says that he never was racist and that he was fair to Ted. Ted asks Brian if that was true, and he says 'no'. Was there some racism from Clay that we didn't get to see? Looks like Brian gets this one.

Jan - She asks Clay to explain to her how Clay worked harder than Clay. He explains that he would have done the work if asked - but Brian did it. Case in point, Clay. Another point to Brian.

Helen - 'You are the epitome of the trashy used car salesman...now it's your opportunity to give me the decency to tell me - and tell me why did you vote for me.' Brian - 'I was pissed at you for going behind my back., I hear through Jan that you and Ted were planning on plotting against me, and it pissed me off.' Clay - 'I'd like you to contribute to me three reasons that you contribute to the survival of eight people staying on this island. Clay - 'There's no answer that I could give that could satisfy you.' Ouch.

Helen looks like the swing vote here - and it also looks like Brian's master plan is coming undone. Like Rich Hatch, Brian was great in terms of strategy and getting there, but Hatch sewed it up in the jury and had an almost a masterful performance, while Brian was awful and did almost everything in his power to give the money to Clay. Clay could easily win this thanks to the jury vote, and what I thought would be a massive victory could go 4-3, Clay. And I think that Clay wins this easily if he wasn't so damn annoying earlier on in the game.

Is Helen so pissed at Brian that she will change her vote and cote for Clay to win the money? Helen seems to be the $900,000 vote, and if this costs Brian the money, then he has no one to blame but himself, as this could be the Susan Hawk vote of Survivor 5.

Enough analysis. The jury has to vote FOR someone - 'Clay and Brian, you WANT to see your name on this one' says Jeff. Erin voted for Clay, based on honesty. Ken votes - and we don't get to see it. Ted votes - for Brian 'You are the lesser of the two evils.' We don't see who Jake votes for. Penny also votes for Clay. 'Clay got to know me as a person, and Brian never did.' We don't see Jan's vote - but we see Helen's - and it's for Brian 'You deserve to win because of your work ethic. Several of the team challenges, you won almost singlehandedly on your own...Good luck. I hope you win.'

In my guess, Helen was the swing vote - which means that Brian should win this 4-3. And we get to see the votes.

Clay
Brian
Brian
Clay
Clay
Brian

And the winner of Survivor Thailand is.....





You don't think I would just tell you, would you?





Brian Hedik, who wins by a count of 4-3, to the throng of the screaming (or somewhat screaming) audience.

But finally, there is some justice - Uncle Jeffy himself gets to narrate the show, instead of a news person or (ack) Rosie. No offense Rosie, I loved you on Star Search, but you were AWFUL on the show - and there should be no one else asking the questions than the guy who spent 39 days with them.

We start with Brian, who talks about daily affirmations and that it was only a game. Jeff asks Brian if he was surprised that he only won by one vote - and Brian . Jeff asked Clay about why he missed the Golden Opportunity. about Jake - and he thought that he had Jake's vote. 'I didn't think I was cutting a bridge with Jake. I'm still confused about (the racist thing with) Ted, and with Helen, nothing I could have said would have satisfied her.'

So why did Brian take Clay? Brian - 'One word, Paranoia...Clay did make a few mistakes and he did allow his emotions to take over where he didn't think before he acted. Clay had more enemies.'

As far as the racist thing, he got it from Helen - but never heard it directly from Clay. So that's 2 votes that were swing, thanks to Helen. 'I trusted Helen enough and based on the events - I kind of believed her.' Ted.

Now talking about fatal moves - 'I didn't think that Jan was emotionally stable enough' while Helen tried to get a threesome together - and Jan, Ms Braindead, didn't remember. (To Helen) 'I'm sorry...I should have approached Helen.' For the 'wise woman' in the group, Jan is a moron. 'I screwed up, I'm sorry...We did have a chance.'

It's a good thing that you can't see the things they talk about in the camera - especially for Brian's sake.

Jeff - 'Did your opinion of him change after the show?'
Helen - 'Yes, sir'
Jeff - 'Would you have changed your vote?'
Helen - 'Yes sir'
Jeff - 'Even for Clay?'
Helen - 'It would have been tough'

Meanwhile we spend 5 minutes discussing why Clay voted for Jake instead of Penny when Penny got booted - but we all know why - it was for Penny to vote for Clay at the end. Even Clay acknowledged that.

So what about the Ted and Ghandia incident? They both apologize, but they are both back to their families and lovey-dovey (or at least that's what everyone is saying).

We also touch about Shi-Anne's and Robb's shining moments. robb is now closer to his parents and that he grew up - awwwwwwbarf.

We get to see videos of Stephanie - with her taking her clothes off. 'We thought that you were going to be a barrel of fun.' According to her audition tape, she is naked looking for fish. 'Where was THIS girl when the show was going on?' asks Jeff. Stephanie answers that her body couldn't handle it.

Another stereotype - Erin of her breasts - the 'Survivor Hot Chick' who, like Stephanie, covered up. And another mistake - Jed realizes that going against the team was bad.

We see a preview for Survivor 6 - The Amazon. We touch a little bit about Jake's reunion with his wife - and Tanya's news that her father dies while she was on the set of Survivor. But they had a party together right before she left for Survivor.

We finally talk to the person first voted out - John, who has as much camera time now as he did for the first episode. John explains that he was too aggressive the first time out and that's why he got voted out.

Finally, Jeff ends this with hawking Survivor 5 Trinkets on E-Bay.com for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Contestants for Survivor 7, and 'Study John Nash's non-Cooperative Game Playing Theory. All the answers to Survivor are there.'

On behalf of Chico and myself, Thanks for reading these recaps. We will be exploring the mysteries of the Amazon and these contestants in a few short weeks. Join us, won't you?