Review of Survivor Micronesia: Fans Vs. Favorites

Jeff Probst, Survivor guru, opened Survivor season 16 with 10 die-hard Survivor fans stranded, at least in reality television terms, among the Rock Islands of Palau, Micronesia. One by one, Probst introduced the fans to the "favorites," a second team of 10 Survivor favorites from Survivor seasons past. These favorites include Jonny Fairplay, perhaps the most demonized of all the Survivor contestants in the show's history who lied about the death of his grandmother to win a reward, Amy and Eliza from Survivor: Vanuatu, Cirie from Survivor: Panama - Exile Island, Jonathan, Ozzy and Parvati from Survivor: Cook Islands, Yau-Man from Survivor: Fiji, and Amanda and James from Survivor: China.

After being assigned the usual unpronounceable tribe names and being given Survivor buffs, the fans and favorites were given their first challenge. The first person from each tribe to sprint across a lagoon and find the individual immunity idol would be safe at the first tribal counsel. Looking like deer caught in the headlights, the fans, who were new to the game, and the favorites, who should have known better, sprinted through the lagoon. In an ironic twist of biblical proportions, Yau-Man smashed Jonny Fairplay's head into a canoe to snatch the favorites' immunity idol. you-Man then told Kathy where to find the Fans' immunity idol.

As the favorites and fans set up their respective camps, the fans had the usual issues with shelter, food, water, and fire. One of the more annoying contestants finding herself in the spotlight was Kathy, who questioned Chet without mercy about his sexual orientation. Kathy then proceed to ask Tracy about her breasts.

In contrast, the favorites chatted, sought out alliances, and made themselves comfortable while they feasted on the local fair. Yau-Man even started a fire by using his glasses and a drop of water as a magnifying glass to focus the sun on some dried coconut husk.

When the two tribes met for the immunity competition, the overly confident favorites set themselves up for a beating. The competition required the two tribes to assemble puzzle pieces that would function as wheels on a cart, and then maneuver the cart through a course. Each tribe then had to dig planks out of sand to build a bridge for the cart to cross. Once over the bridge, the tribe members had to pull the wheels off the cart, disassemble the puzzle wheels, and reassemble them to form a turnstile. How these contestants can understand the instructions for these competitions is beyond me.

After bragging about how well off they were at camp, they started the immunity competition off poorly, failing to assemble puzzle pieces that would double as wheels and then crashing their cart, spilling Eliza out headfirst and giving her a shiner. Meanwhile, the fans cruised through their puzzle and set off through the woods with their cart, smashing through the obstacle and quickly building their bridge. As the favorites tried to uncover the planks for their bridge, the fans threw sand at them to distract them before cruising off to victory.

After losing pathetically, the favorites trudged back to camp and soaked their sorrows away in the lagoon. As they chatted, they realized their fault was overconfidence. They also realized that their party of 10 would soon become a tribe of 9.

The favorites, no strangers to the power and the uncertainty of alliances, had already discussed sides. Eliza, Yau-Man, Jonathan, and Ami decided to target Parvati on the theory that she and James would make a strong couple. On the other side of camp, Parvati, James, Ozzy and Amanda decided to vote out Eliza, who they do not trust.

Not a target himself, and also not a part of any alliance, Jonny Fairplay began moping about his pregnant girlfriend and his baby on the way, claiming at first that he needed to bring home the million and then that he just wanted to get home to make sure they were safe. Perhaps sensing that he was doomed eventually anyway, Jonny Fairplay began talking about his girlfriend and his baby to be. He even managed to eek out a few tears as he hinted that it may be his day to go home at tribal counsel.

At tribal counsel, Fairplay refused to ask his tribe-mates to send him home. However, his fate was already sealed. As Fairplay made his parting comments, hugging Jeff Probst goodbye, he seemed content to be the first person voted out of Survivor: Micronesia.

Sources:

CBS, "Survivor: Micronesia -- Fans vs. Favorites."