'Survivor' Week Four: Cocky kings and cute boobies

This season's theme was supposed to be racial identity,  but only eight nights into the game (and four weeks into the show), nobody on Survivor: Cook Islands is even mentioning race. However, issues of gender become particularly important on Thursday (Oct. 5) night.

Some points of interest:

Strange break from tradition.
I'm no Survivor historian, but I know the way that episodes begin: Scenes from last week, followed by opening credits, followed by commercials, followed by nighttime in the tribe that last lost a member. For some reason, though, Thursday's episode beings with a recap and goes straight to the Aitu tribe, where mice are everywhere and Ozzy is feeling unhappy that his ally Cecilia was voted off last week. "I just don't feel like playing along anymore," he announces, expressing his intentions not to try so hard anymore for his team. Then we go to the first commercial break. Any theories on the minor structural deviation?

Playing dumb or dumberer.
Candice returns from Exile Island and Flicka immediately starts pestering her to figure out why she thinks she was chosen for the dubious honor. Given how clueless Flicka actually is, Candice decides to play dumb and responds, "I just don't feel like playing along anymore." In reality, though, she thinks that Parvati and Adam wanted to protect her from elimination to keep intact their WHY (White, Hot and Young) alliance.

Men are from Raro.
Over in Raro, the men are lounging about drinking from coconuts and watching football, or whatever the Cook Islands equivalent to watching football must be (probably ogling Parvati stretching in her bikini). The women are making fire and grumbling.

Reward challenge.
They're playing for three blankets, two pillows and one hammock and the task features an obstacle course leading to a code that can only be cracked after an underwater swim. Given the gender clash at Raro, it isn't surprising that they have teamwork problems and get tied up in knots, while Aitu rushes ahead and wins. They opt to send Adam to Exile Island, a destination that isn't even worth screentime with the idol already found.

Aitu has bigger fish to fry.
The winning team is happy about the additions to their camp (not that we ever see the pillows, hammock or blankets again), but they're happier to have stopped the Raro juggernaut, as Flicka observes, "All of us feel threatened by the brawn on the other team, because they're so beefy, you know?" But hoping to beef up their own tribe, Jonathan and Ozzy go fishing. They return with 11 fish and Ozzy takes credit for nine of them, crowning himself the "sole provider." His friends decide to call him Poseidon.

Sparks fly in Raro.
At first they're literal sparks, as we see J.P. ordering everybody around, particularly the firebuilders, mostly while sitting on his rear. But there are other embers building, these between Parvati and Nate. The flirty boxer/model figures Nate's her only chance to infiltrate the Alpha Male alliance, but Nate may be feeling something. But he quickly adds, "I don't want to find myself thinking like a dumb-dumb. Guys, sometimes we can't control ourselves." So instead of hooking up, they just make fun of J.P., who has crowned himself king. Nate acknowledges meaninglessly, "Right now, the ball's in his pocket, but it could easily leave."

Boobies!
They're hunting boobies over at Aitu. There are boobies in the bushes and boobies in the trees and they're all wondering how they can get their hands on some boobies, wondering what boobies taste like. Cao Boi is particularly aggressive in his boobie-quest. Poking a nest, he untrees a baby boobie. Jonathan is very empathetic. He's holding it in his hand shaking his head, while Cao Boi hangs around up in the tree trying to apologize to the boobie.

Immunity time.
They have to assemble a stretcher and then swim out and rescue a teammate in shackles and then return and build a fire. In a swimming race between Poseidon and the King, Ozzy is tough to top. The lead is extended thanks to Cao Boi's unorthodox fire-building strategy, an arm-waving adventure that causes Jeff Probst to observe, "Cao Boi's either going to be a hero or very silly." He's a hero, as Aitu wins immunity.

The aftermath.
Stephannie feels bad about the challenge and in a moment of weakness, she says, "I'm the one who caused us to lose the challenge and I'm probably the weakest link," to which the guys reply, "Well OK." But Jenny and Rebecca know that if Stephannie goes home, the women will get picked off one at a time and decide to flip the script and give King J.P. the boot. But the gals question whether the bonds of sisterhood will keep Parvati on board. They approach the bikini-clad vixen who is, indeed, skeptical, as she toys with her skimpy bottom. Sorry. I'm a little distracted here. Next, they approach Brad, which certainly has its own subtext. Neither will commit, which makes Tribal Council a mystery.

Tribal Council.
In Tribal Council, J.P. admits to his leadership role. He also admits that he got his butt kicked in the swimming challenge, directly leading to their loss. He's ready for what he calls his "hardest vote in this game." It's unclear if he means that his choice was a difficult one or that he senses he may be in a bit of danger. J.P. isn't nervous as four votes go in his direction. But the fifth and deciding vote floors him.

"Dang. Holy crap. You guys outwitted me big time."

The King is dead. Long live the Queens of Raro?

Any thoughts on this week's episode? Any favorites yet? Still waiting?