Lisi will join the losing tribe Ravu, after it votes off Anthony at the next Tribal Council. For those keeping track, since Gary quit, Anthony is indeed the first man to be voted out of Survivor Fiji.
From what we have been told, Ravu can truly be certified as the second coming of Ulong. It is due only to the tribal switch that former Ravu players will advance further into the game than the last standing member of Ulong did during their season. Ravu loses all three Immunity challenges following the tribal switch. Relief, in the form of the merge, will come at long last after the first two members of the Jury are seated.
Drama doused.
[information was updated in subsequent article - 02/15]
Hidden Idols
On a happy note, producers have corrected the grievous oversight from last season which guaranteed a player still holding the hidden Idol at F4 a place in the finals. For Survivor Fiji, the rules have changed and the hidden Idol is good only up to and through the F5, after which it becomes useless.
Hidding the Idols back at camp changed the game in more ways than one. The Idols are inside the actual camp, which makes it almost impossible to search for them without the prying eyes of fellow tribemates, especially given the restful location in which they lie. Players join forces to dig, with an agreement to "share" the Idol if it is found, making the play of the Idol a more interesting strategic choice.
As we reported, we were told that at least three hidden Immunity Idols are found. None are found before the tribal switch, two are found before the merge and one is found after the merge. Of the Idols played, one definitely changes the outcome.
The Power of a Promise: Controversial Decision
One of the big talking points before the show premiered was the controversial decision which is made late in the game. As we stated earlier, the controversy impacts the final outcome.
From what were told, what seasoned spoiling sleuths across the boards have deduced is accurate: the controversial decision does indeed center around the infamous car curse. As Probst stated during his pre-season Press Conference, "the car challenge plays an instrumental role in this season, a huge role." The surprising winner of this challenge will once again have a big impact: deals are struck, keys exchange hands, and the car curse lives on in dramatic fashion. As for the lucky recipient, a close reading of Probst's Press Conference should prove fruitful.
For previous and/or additional spoilers, check the cast page and the last published update.
The Recruitment Controversy
As if on cue, the seasonal debate over the continued recruitment of players for the game rages on across the boards.
Fans who have poured their time and energy into filling applications season after season are never more irritated than when players make it on the show through recruitment, and then fail to deliver, either by laying low or quitting the show. But as this season proves, not all who quit are recruits, and not all recruits are bad choices.
Recruiting has been a part of the show since its inception. Rudy, one of the most memorable characters from any season, was in fact hand-picked by Mark Burnett for his then fledging show. Recruited players may be hand-picked by insiders, and they may get to circumvent some of the application hoops, but they still have to participate in the interview process. The Jury is still out on the latest recruit class, but how a player does on the show cannot be narrowed down to how that player made it on the show in the first place.
We don't expect the controversy to end any time soon, but we hope that the shift in recruitment continues to favor those players who want to play the game hard, as most hard core fans of the show would wish them to do. There are players who fail to live up to expectations, and then there are Rudy, Yul and Yau-Man who definitely put their stamp on their respective seasons.
