Survivor Gabon - It's a game.

Ken, the professional gamer (with Crystal's help) has managed to take out Ace and Marcus by convincing Sugar and then Susie to vote with them so Ken, who is the brains of the Ken/Crystal alliance is feeling pretty sure of himself. He might wanna watch that. Ace and Marcus both were pretty cocky too when they got voted out. Ken has pegged Bob as the next one to go and Bob is no dummy, he's well aware that he's "toast" if his side doesn't win, or if they don't merge. He is hanging out there without any protection as things stand right now.

Fang can't get a fire going. Randy says it's a good thing we don't have any rice, we don't have anything to cook. I guess he's accepting camp without fire as ok. Or his "biting" wit just isn't that funny. IMO

The reward challenge involves a sling shot type device, three person size, that is one on each side holding the ends while the third person launches the ball which appears to be about grapefruit size.
Kota tribe enters without Marcus. Charlie is shocked, Corrine says she's pissed because he didn't "deserve it" which brought a crack from Susie, that it's a game. Corrine sits out for Fang.
The sling shot/catapult device is used to shoot towards a "hole" akin to a golf game. Ken manages to win the first round for Kota. Second round goes to Fang, tied now 1-1. At the last shot, Randy and Matty and Charlie argue while Sugar watches. Fang wins the reward. But Randy of course is still gritching about it.

They send Bob to exile island. Randy and Matty diss each other in interview right after the challenge (that they won). The reward is a trip to a local tribal village with food and festivities.

Fang is Charlie, Matty, Randy, Sugar and Corrine. Kota is Bob, Ken, Crystal and Susie.
Fang gets a bath from the women of the village. Charlie is feeling bad about Marcus being voted out, said he (Marcus) did a lot of the thinking for us. Randy enjoys the tribal dance and thought one of the women was coming on to him. He danced. So did Matty and then all of them danced in the circle with the women. Matty saw it as a relief break from the stress of the game.

Ken is out in the canoe getting stuck going in a circle because the side balance thing is stuck in the reeds. He brings back a fishing net with fish to Crystal and Susie. He feels like the man of the group there "alone with two beautiful women." He is really getting delusional. Meanwhile Bob is off to find the idol and choosing the clues rather than comfort not knowing it's gone. He follows the clues well and finds the nail in the tree where the idol used to be. He figures maybe Sugar found the idol but he's going to do something anyway and he creates a fake idol. He's hoping to fake out the others with his fake idol. Of course Ken nor Crystal will be fooled because they already know it's not out there. Poor Bob. He's a victim of circumstances beyond his control or knowledge. I hope he's not voted out tonight. Ace, who I did not like, and Marcus who I did like got booted in part because of their own arrogance and Bob hasn't been arrogant that we've seen so I hope he doesn't lose challenge and end up being booted anyway.

Challenge, is about being the best fire starter. Randy says Crystal couldn't start a fire with a book of matches and a can of gasoline. He admits he has hated Crystal from the beginning and holds a major grudge.

This is a merge, drop your buffs. The idol is an individual idol. The new buffs are blue. They get flint, steel and a box of fire making supplies. Make a fire and burn through the rope first and you get immunity.

Susie is first to get flame. Sugar now has flame. No one else is even in it. Susie's fire is up to the rope, so is Sugars. Susie wins immunity! All of the guys don't even have a flame. They return to one camp, the old Fang camp. Interview right after shows Randy saying he's not going back to camp tonight (after TC) with Crystal. He says she'll be gone or he'll be gone. Geez Randy, you may be taking this too personally.

After the return to Fang camp they have all of the possessions and supplies from Kota.
Corrine talks to Sugar who is the swing person right now, trying to convince her to get along with Randy and vote Crystal out. Corrine thinks Sugar buys it, but calls her a moron in interview.
Ken, Crytal Matty Susie talk about Corrine. Ken wants to get Charlie out so he talks to them, making up that Charlie is the brains behind Kota even though it's not true. Ken talks to Sugar and says we'll get Corrine later, we need to get Charlie. Ken is still mad that Charlie cost him the second hidden immunity idol at the feast. Sugar realizes she's the "maiden of the hour". However she is aware that Ken will lie and she doesn't talk to Crystal, but also doesn't like some on the other side so she is not sure which way she's going to go, she really has no alliance at this moment, but both sides want her and she is very aware it's up to her.

Jeff says at TC, no talking to the jury. Jeff asks Randy about the tension on the last shot of the reward challenge. Randy says Matty's shot would have made it 9 times out of 10 but his shot would have made it 10 times out of 10. Then they get into the argument between Crystal and Randy. She says what's the beef, he says you and TC were running the tribe and split it and cost them challenges. Jeff asks her if she ever regrets any of her emotions, as she's been pretty vocal, she says she does not. Jeff talks to Charlie and Kenny a bit. Then he asks Randy about who has changed in his opinion. Randy says Kenny has grown. Sugar thinks she "knows"who everybody is.
Vote
Randy votes for CC (Crystal) and says "Bitch".
Ken writes down Charlie and says "Sorry Charlie"
Ken votes Crystal
Sugar thinks a while before she writes down a name.

Tally - Crystal, Crystal, Crystal, Crystal, Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, Charlie, and last vote is Charlie, and Corrine is shocked, Marcus shakes his head from the jury box.
Bob lowers his head a bit worried apparently.

Randy wrote down "C.C." When Jeff pulled the vote he asked who wrote that, and Randy spoke up saying "Crystal Cox" Jeff sort of scolds him saying if you don't want everyone to know who you voted for you have to write down a name so I don't have to ask. I suspect he didn't care. Of course now she is still there and knows but then again, it wasn't a secret.

Now if I have this right the merge has produced not a merge but a realignment of two major alliances. Crystal, Kenny, Matty and Susie (now with Sugar?) against Randy, Corrine and Bob?
Kenny is the gamer and he's really playing a good game of Survivor for such a geek, but he knows it so he might want to be careful. Sugar knows he lies. She might soon let him think she's going with him and flip yet again. Randy, Corrine and Bob are clearly at a disadvantage as far as the numbers go and Randy's open hatred of Crystal has just put a huge target on his back since she's in so tight with Kenny. I'd bet Kenny will have her back against Randy when push comes to shove. He needs to needs to get into the game as a game more than the personal vendetta he's on right now. Bob doesn't seem to have done anything wrong except be lined up with the wrong guys which could be a fatal mistake at this point. He and Kenny can match brains but Kenny has the conniving skills that Bob seems to be lacking at the moment.

I have no idea who's going to win this one. Corrine treats the other females with disdain until she needs them. None of them is dumb enough to fall for it. They just tolerate her for their own advantage. Susie is a surprise as the first individual immunity winner in my book, but I don't see her lasting. Randy, poor thing, is not likely to make it to the finals because of his attitude. Sugar has managed to stay out of the fray and clash of personalities by going to exile so much and that gives her the hidden immunity idol safety net as well. I guess even though Crystal is surprisingly worthless at challenges her hook up with Kenny has served her well. And I must say Kenny the gamer has played the game better than anyone else in the over all picture. After all, it's about surviving but on top of that, it is a game. If his ego doesn't get in the way or if he doesn't over reach, things look good for him but this year, getting confident has been a huge mistake.