Demon Rum And Demon Tom

As Stephenie Joins The Korors, The Worm Turns

(CBS)  Analysis of "Survivor: Palau" Episode Nine, by CBSNews.com's Ellen Crean.

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The demonization of Tom has begun.

Suddenly, he's not being depicted as Apollo god of the sun. Who is he now? Well, definitely not Bacchus. In Episode 9, he got pretty drunk on island rum.

But all that comes later.

First, Ian gave us the prevailing point of view on Janu, the former Jungle Goddess, who has been reduced to reclining in the hammock all day long. Ian reports that she has become the tribe's "dysfunctional aunt who lives in the attic." Coby is dismissed as "the pouter of the tribe."

Meanwhile, Coby was busy rinsing Caryn's tresses in the surf (like he's back in Texas, doing hair!) and catting away about his arch-rivals: "Ian gets a piece of fruit and Tom gets a clam and everybody throws a party."

However, the first major development in this episode was Stephenie's arrival at Kamp Koror. Of course, before that happened, we got to see the brave little Survivor struggling to keep her spirits up and her belly full, all alone at the Ulong camp. She tried fishing and when that didn't work out, she struggled to provide herself with a single coconut. "It's a big one, at least," said stalwart Stephenie.

The most touching moment with Stephenie came, though, when she got the message that it was time for her to go over to Koror and become one of them. After reading the happy news through tears of joy, she hightailed it over to the other side as fast as she could, proclaiming, "It's the merge! I'm going to have friends!"

It's amazing to see how the addition of just one person to Koror changes the game. But there you are! Apparently, Stephenie was fondly remembered by some of the group, from the day three weeks earlier when they all landed on the island together. When she approached Kamp Koror, Ian called her "a sight for sore eyes."

Coby the Cat didn't waste any time, observing that "Katie shot up Stephenie's butt the second she got here." And then he went on to say that he couldn't wait to inform Stephenie of all the intra-tribe intrigue and to debunk her of the idea that Koror is "so tight and sweet and loving."