'Survivor': Animal Instincts

Analysis of "Survivor: Palau" Episode Three, by CBSNews.com's Ellen Crean.

However, she does admit that she has a problem: "It's hard being on this team (Ulong) when you have these guys that are super-strong and (have) tons of stamina and (are) work-aholics. Like, I can never measure up to Bobby Jon. I mean, he's frickin' Tarzan."

Her point was that she suffers in comparison to such physicality. But, really, early in the game, it is good to be in a "Survivor" tribe that is full of super-strong Tarzan-type guys. It's even better if your team occasionally wins an immunity challenge, which Ulong can't seem to do.

Episode 3 started at Ulong's camp, with Jeff and Kim complaining about how, at tribal council, Jeff Probst had asked all kinds of nosey questions about their relationship. Jeff the contestant smoothly interviewed: "I just basically said that we're keep each other warm."

But Kim had much more to say, first calling Probst's line of questioning "obnoxious" and then earnestly telling the camera, "I don't want people con-JERRING (conjuring) this image up in their head that's not accurate and thinking that these two personal lives are, like, strategy. I don't want that image."

Some would say that Kim is just not interesting enough to merit all this camera time. But look at the reactions she inspires! James, for instance, heaped scorn upon her claims that there was no strategy in her nighttime cuddling with Jeff: "Right now, they're cuddling," said the Steelworker from the South, his tone fairly dripping with disgust. "Next week, they're gonna be making out, you know: sucking face and stuff?

"She's a woman, and all she has to her advantage is her sex-shee-ality (sexuality) ... Kim's got to go. I'm keepin' an eye on them. I've got ears like a bat, I'm tellin' ya."

Without Kim, how would we get entertainment like that?

But Ulong doesn't have a monopoly on entertainment. Over at Koror, Caryn decided to have it out with Katie, who is "tart" and "has something to say all the time about everything and it's especially true with me."

The confrontation didn't go very well, because Katie's primary reaction to Caryn's tongue-lashing was to laugh ("because she was so irate") and later to calmly inform Caryn that she has created animosity between them where there used to be none (from Katie's side).

So, within the first 15 minutes of Episode 3, viewers had all kinds of new opportunities to decide whether or not they like Kim, James and Caryn. Even Katie and Jeff came in for some sizing up, for those who object to passive-aggressive personalities.

And those who object to plain old aggressive personalities, there was Angie. During the reward challenge, she almost singlehandedly drowned half the Korors, and that led to the Ulongs winning a sewing kit.

Later on, Koror found a bunch of poisonous sea snakes and killed a few of them by cutting off their heads. Instead of eating them, they used them as bait to lure some sharks close to shore, stalking the sharks with big pointy sticks, visions of shark steaks dancing in their heads.

Not surprisingly, the sharks were way too smart to stand still and let the Korors poke them to death.

The turning point of this particular episode came when Jeff the contestant, on his way to use "the little boy's room" (his words, not ours) in the middle of the night, stepped on a coconut and injured his ankle. (He said he heard a "snap, crackle, pop" at the time, never a good thing unless there is a bowl of cereal in front of you.)

Jeff's ankle tragedy was particularly ill-timed, because it turned out that the immunity challenge was called the very next day, and it was a doozy. The two tribes had to race in shallow water, tied together, with each Survivor carrying 20 pounds of sand. If you had to drop out, OK, but you had to give your burden to another teammate to carry.

Immediately, Jeff unloaded his pack of sand and left the competition. And, as the tide came in and the water got deeper, the two tribes trudged in a wide circle, one trying to catch the other, as the competitors dropped out, one by one.

In the end, it was Tom, Gregg and Ian (Koror) who caught up with Ibrehem, Stephenie and Bobby Jon (Ulong). And, in case you are not counting, that's three immunity challenges that have been won by Koror. And if you are watching closely, then you know very well that a big reason for Koror's success is Fireman Tom. At the end of the immunity challenge, he was lugging 80 pounds of sand and he still had the spirit to encourage his teammates and the grace to allow Ian to make the victory pounce as they caught up with
Ulong.

Bobby Jon, who is on the opposing team, is the one who said it: "Tom is a man among men."

As soon as Ulong got back to camp, Jeff calmly announced to the tribe that they should vote him off, since he did not expect his ankle to get any better soon enough to be of any further use. "There's no reason," he concluded, "to vote anyone else out."

James admitted to the camera that Jeff's request threw a monkeywrench into the tribe's agenda, since the plan had been to get rid of Kim. It turned out that James and Bobby Jon cast their votes against Kim anyway. (Jeff himself wrote down James' name.) But Jeff got his wish and was sent home.

Here's a rundown of the remaining players:

Tom: He is a star and if the other players are smart, they will get rid of him as soon as they begin competing as individuals.

Angie: She is turning into a team asset through her ferocious performances during the challenges, but she is making a lot of enemies in the process. To cite only one example, Janu the Jungle Goddess will not soon forgive Angie for dunking her during this week's reward challenge.

Bobby Jon: This guy appears to be a very shrewd judge of character. He's made more sympathetic because of his growing friendship with Angie.

Janu: She seems to have endeared herself to her tribemates, but she doesn't compete well in the challenges.

Jenn: Can't quite remember who she is? Join the club!

Gregg: Next to Tom, Ian and Bobby Jon, he doesn't show well.

Ian: He swims like a fish, he makes sweet self-deprecating little jokes, and he more than pulls his own weight in the challenges. He and Katie are fast friends and perhaps have formed an alliance already. This could hold him back, because Katie is not without enemies.

Katie: She has declared war on Caryn. It's too early in the game for such open hostility.

Caryn: It's only a matter of time before Caryn gets the old heave-ho. She is way too dramatic.

Stephenie: She was the only woman who lasted to the end of the immunity challenge this week. A real tough competitor who will be a threat as an individual player. If everyone else is smart, they will eliminate her sooner rather than later.

James: He's clever, but he doesn't do a very good job of hiding his mean streak.

Ibrehem: He is so likable, quiet and strong, but don't you think there is more to him than meets the eye?

Willard: He is getting by on the strength of his tribemates. When the time comes, he probably will be voted out as "the weakest link."

Coby: Tries hard and plays well with others.

Next week: It looks like Ulong doesn't do its homework and gets scolded by Mr. Probst.
By Ellen Crean