Already on a tear, 'Survivor: Micronesia - Fans vs. Favorites' offers new advancements in the art of deception

WOW! I think we can all agree on one thing, last week's episode of Survivor: Micronesia -- Fans vs. Favorites was a blinder! This game got even more interesting thanks to one swift stroke from Parvati and Cirie. The field is as wide open as my eyes right now, and I'm officially declaring this anyone's game. Take that Vegas odds makers!

Go 'head on 'lil mama! As expected, Amanda is fuming after the double cross, and only James remains of those whom she can truly call her confidantes. She's spoiling for a fight, and one can only assume that she's going to work over some of the fans in an attempt to bring them to her side.

You can bid on some food, but not on my SOUL! Parvati prepares herself to try and bring James and Amanda back on her side. Shining up her tramp stamp, she makes her move on James first. James is having absolutely NONE of it. Refusing to have his intelligence insulted by Parvati's overtures, James, as always, calls it like he sees it. "It's always gonna be awkward," he says, before making a biblical reference or two. I think I must have gone to high school with Parvati, because I remember several girls just like her, and the things they say haven't changed. Hell, I think we all must have gone to high school with Parvati.

Amanda plays Parvati cooler than James, thinking of her own neck. She agrees to Parvati and Cirie's offer of a three-way pact. But inside, she is as dubious as James on the topic of their loyalty.

The Survivor auction commences, and our heroes are given $500 to bid on food and items, both disguised and on display. Besides seeing our survivors pigging out and Erik licking chocolate off of Cirie's fingers, the interesting development from this challenge is Jason being sent to Exile Island. An Exile Island which now boasts a newly-hidden immunity idol!

Lucky bitch. Natalie and Parvati come back to camp, yammering on about how Jason is the luckiest survivor in history. Natalie even goes so far as to refer to him as a little bitch. What this pair of IDIOTS fails to realize is that THEY are the ones responsible for his fortunes. Parvati was the one who engineered Ozzy's departure, thus sparing Jason for a night. Natalie is the one who sent Jason to Exile Island so he could look for an immunity idol. If they're are truly concerned about getting rid of him, it seems odd that they are giving him so many opportunities to stay on the island.

Jason wastes no time in looking for the idol, and successfully so. He finds it hidden under a rock, and he has another card to play. Pretty good right? Wrong! Jason isn't the luckiest survivor in history, but he certainly  may be the densest. Taking Natalie's action in sending him to Exile Island as a tacit alliance, he feels confident that he is meant to share the news of his findings with her, and strategize accordingly. Not only does Natalie lack the initiative for such a plan, I doubt that she's considered Jason a partner in an alliance since the merge.

Jason would appear to be playing right into Natalie's hand, as she and her sisters make plans to rid the island of our thick gymnast friend. If all goes according to plan, they will neutralize him in the immunity challenge, and then flush out the idol he found on Exile Island. Could this be the opportunity that James and Amanda need to chip away at the nest of harpies in current possession of this game?

Happy birthday, you're not going home. Day 30 and Erik's birthday arrive hand in hand, and his first gift is tree mail giving clues as to the nature of the immunity challenge. The suddenly vocal Natalie reveals more details of their plan to oust Jason, and the fact that they have no intention of voting Erik off on his birthday. Which means he will almost certainly be leaving tonight.

A trio of competitions constitute the immunity challenge. James and Erik swiftly emerge as the front-runners, and face each other down in a test of balance on a pair of rope bridges. A narrow victory by Erik nullifies my previous prognostication and leaves James and Jason in extremely vulnerable positions.

The damn apple-eater prevails. Our smug Parvati celebrates the outcome of the immunity challenge, relishing an A-Team moment as her plan comes together. After Jason leaves to check the nets for fish, Natalie confirms that he has the immunity idol by looking in his bag, and talking to him in person. She executes the remainder of Parvati's plan, conning him into voting for James, while a vote is being set up to bounce him if he does not play the idol. Natalie definitely relishes her new role as deceiver. Maybe she has more initiative than I once thought, but she definitely does not have Jason's best interests at heart.

James and Amanda meet, James asking her to write down Parvati's name. Amanda clearly wants to effect a reversal, but is afraid to go against the strength of the group of women. Natalie appears to be growing ever more confident with her role in the evening's machinations. How long before Parvati and Cirie start feeling threatened by her?

Tribal council convenes, and James seems to accept his fate, but not before revealing to the jury that Pravati was instrumental in Ozzy's departure. The deck appears to be stacking up against Parvati, should she make it to the final two. Jason expounds upon his newfound social standing in the tribe of women, or so he would think, before all head off to vote. Realization dawns upon Jason as he ties in votes with James, and then is voted off. Maybe he'll figure out what happened some day. James and Amanda beam with smiles of relief -- scene.

This season is on fire, and I can't even begin to speculate on what will happen next! James is having his finger looked at, and he'll need every bit of himself in working order to stay on the island. The always emotional "visit from the family" episode is on order for next week, I don't think any of us will be missing it!

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