Previously, the 18 Best Beasts arrived. Blah blah blah, read the Ep 1 recap. I will say this: Jif just characterized Amber & Boston Robs alliance as making a connection. Eww. Cmon this is Survivor, not The Bachelorette. Tonight we find out just how stupid the remaining 17 All Stupid Suckers are and who is mercy booted.

There IS a didgeridoo in the opening music. Thanks to Raiders Herring Fishers for noticing that.

Same Bogus, Day 4. First of all, thanks to QJaz for coming up with the fab new nic for this tribe. Giant water snake enjoys a morning swim. Its raining, yet nobody is standing out in the rain drinking. Rupert gets todays first DR to tell us they didnt leave the pot out ready to catch rainwater. They left contaminated well water in the pot and so all the rainwater that collected while they were at TC was ruined. You see, these Stupids thought they were going to get fire at the TC and that they didnt need to bother collecting rainwater.

The bounds of stupidity are expanded every week. I mean, even if you DO have fire, and have been boiling water, it would still make sense to set up some kind of system to catch free clean water. Wouldnt it? And lets say they HAD been given fire, and not just flints but 5 torches, lit and ready to go. Knowing that its likely it will rain would mean that starting a proper fire on which one could boil water would be difficult. So they would have been able to enjoy some water while they (1) found dry kindling & wood and (2) boiled water and (3) let the water cool enough to drink. That is just one more example of poor planning and lack of thinking that seems to be indicative of the general lack of ability of these so-called all-stars. And thats just one more reason Ive already begun calling this "All Stupid Survivor."

Rudy regales his tribemates with some Vietnam stories. Jerri says Rudy sleeps on the ground and is drinking the well water, even after learning of the parasites in it.

My hubby is watching with me and notices that Rudy lets the water separate before drinking it.

More Vietnam stories: Rudy says they used to make ice from a reservoir in which dead bodies were floating. He therefore figures he doesnt need to worry about the water here. :rolleyes . Whatever. Or maybe what he really means is hed prefer it if they could somehow kill somebody and let the body steep in the well. Add marrowbone jelly to the mix.

Muggy Mugs Colby tells us about the non-fire. Shii Ann tells us about white tongues. There is more rain. Lex says when the rainwater comes, people stop worrying about keeping dry and they all start drinking. We see footage to illustrate.

Richard is naked, and Lex isnt worried he finds it hilarious. Richard tells the others that you get cold when you huddle up trying to keep dry, and instead you should be running around enjoying it. Colby DRs about how he thinks Hatch wants everyone naked. Colby is also wondering if he should be concerned about the fact that he is becoming comfortable with Hatchs nakedness. I think it's too late. Colby is "curious" if you know what I mean.

Schleppera is led in a sing-a-long by Backwoods Tom. This group is having fun! Have You Ever Seen the Rain? Okay, so its not too stupid to put on a happy face and sing instead of moping. That was kind of cute.

Treemail Same Bogus visits Treemail and finds a big crate that bears the dire warning, Dont Open. Very Valuable. Keep Dry. We are shown that the crate is sealed by three locks. Jenna M says they always give you boxes and you work thru all the things it could contain. She is so happy to have something to do.

Muggy Mugs comments about the crate, then BostonRob proves he is still a rebel at heart. He wants to open the box, but the rest of his tribe says no. Amber wonders if there is an animal in the box, lending more credence to the idea that anybody else on her tribe is the brains of the operation. Boston whines in a DR (thats diary room confessional, a term I use and Id think you might be familiar with by now, but just like Probst had to explain to these second chancers that Fire = Life, Im re-explaining DR. Its all for the benefit of new viewers/readers.) Where was I? Oh yeah, BostonRobs DR. He sing-songs in an Im so pissed off tone that we wouldnt want to upset Pretty Boy Probst. Actually thats kind of funny, in a BostonRob is a bit of a dick way.

Reward Challenge. Jif tells them to git a look at new SameBogus, with Tina as the first voted out. Shocked looks ensue.

They are going to be sweating their guts out for a reward of blankets. Woo. Yeah. Thats some paradise. Bet those blankets would be soaking wet by the time they got them back to camp. Jenna M & Tom sit out and Jif again has to point out to the Stupids the reason for sitting people out. Players are to swim out to retrieve logs that will form the rungs of a staircase. A staircase to the stars! Are other players waiting there for them? Oh and each tribes swimmers must stick together. As each log is retrieved, one more player is benched from the Swimming.

Jif gets ready to get busy and theyre underway, swimming for blankets! Rudy does one swim and sits out. Fast forward.

Sue, BostonRob & Amber are still swimming for Schleppera. SameBogus is doing well. Jerri is struggling to breathe, completely winded. Then only Boston Rob & Sue are schlepping and Ethan & Rupert are still at it for the SameBogus. I couldn't bring myself to rewatch the tape to note who was left for the Muggy Mugs. PompousJif calls Rupe looking strong as ever.

Ethan, Mariano and Hatch do the final legs for their respective tribes. All the while, Jenna L has been busy squawking encouragement from the sidelines. Man her voice is like fingernails on a chalkboard. She has gotten more shrill with the passing years. Ethan wins it for SameBogus.

Then Jif offers a proposition. Instead of blankets, Jif is prepared to offer a cooking pot that has a clue to find the key that opens one of the locks on the locked box, which he now reveals contains rice. Along with the cooking pot will come a map and a flint they can use to make fire. But the catch, and isnt there always a catch, is that if SameBogus takes the offer, the other two tribes will also receive the same deal of pot, clue and flint, etc.

With virtually no hesitation, SameBogus decide to take the deal. And everyone cheers while muttering under their breath, Suckas! And way to nullify the entire expenditure of energy. Why not just give them the damn flints? Even MB is displaying stupidity.

Ads.

Muggy Mugs, Day 4. A travelling multi-pede insect thingy crawls. Im sure its fraught with meaning. What, ho? Richard takes a DR to express his surprise that they ousted Tina. Hes shocked that there are big targets on the past winners. Except him. Except not. Except he doesnt care. Except can someone boot him already? He is tiresome. Truly, it is way too early in the game to be such a pompous ass. Maybe were the only ones being tortured with it, but his more arrogant than thou schtick hasnt amused me even a little bit.

Schleppera, Day 4, where ToiletRob also discusses Tinas ouster, but hes excited and happy about it. He tells us he always thought she was so phony. It is almost pot/kettle, except ToiletRob has been upfront, with the viewers at least, about his backstabbing ways. Tina just lies to everyone.

Making Fire Now everyone is building fire. Or trying to. Having a flint and knowing how to use it are two opposite ends of the fire-making spectrum. It will only work relatively quickly if the kindling is gathered and piled properly. And the flint has to be struck a certain way. Alicia has a big mouth but it looks to me like her instructions get them heading in the right direction, and her group is the first to actually have fire. Of course, BostonRob takes the opportunity to whine about Alicia's bossiness.

Rupert is seeing flame but its not sticking. And then it is. SameBogus gets fire second. Jenna L. puts her head in the fire and singes the hair off the front of her blackboard. I mean face. For just a second there, I thought she might have inhaled smoke and had to be removed from the game. But no, my hopes were cruelly raised only to be dashed.

Lex takes control of the Muggy Mugs flint, and it is not going well. He seems to be striking the flint too far away from a miniscule bowl of kindling. The rainstorm comes, and the Mugs argue over whether to keep going or stop until the storm passes. Well, actually Kathy wants to keep going while everyone else wants to stop. Lex wants to save resources. But by the time the storm is over, its dark and they bed down for the night, still without fire.

Kathy blames our lame boys for not making fire. Posters commented on why didnt she just have a go herself, but its not that easy to wrest things away from another person, especially someone like Lex. Talk about a way to get his gut going.

More ads.

Mugs, Day 5. Finally the last tribe of Stupids has fire. Kathy is calling for more fuel, more sticks. Kathy stupidly DRs that fire is everything food, water, etc. She works hard to not say Fire is Life. But shes probably thinking it.

Richard reads the poem on the cooking pot and Mugs heads out to look for the first key. And oh boy look at Richard wearing shorts for the climbing. In a matter of moments the key is found and apparently there was much cheering. Richard talks with derision and disdain (naturally) about his tribemates going nuts because they found the key. He is above all that, because for him the game is about the inter-personal stuff, not about the survival stuff. Oh yes, Richard, we've seen your approach to the inter-personal stuff. :rolleyes

Rudy is hurt! At SameBogus we learn that Rudy has hurt his ankle and hes limping a little. Hell soldier on, because hes tough. He'll be okay in a week he says. Yeah, we got all kinds of time, Rudy.

Immunity Challenge. The ordeal this time is to swim down, do some untying of something, then empty the sunken boat thats been loaded with many heavy crates and get it up to the surface. Get the water out of the boat and get it and everyone back to shore. Alicia & Shii Ann sit out. Too bad that Rudy is on the loser tribe, because of everyone he most needs to sit out.

Off they go. Richard getting naked for swimming challenges is becoming a given.

Quite a bit of underwater footage of getting crates out. SameBogus is first to have its boat up and at the platform, Schelppera and Mugs soon follow suit. Now the bailing begins. Schleppera successfully turns its boat over and gets all the water out. The other two tribes take "bailing" literally and proceed to try to literally bail water out. Honestly. All Stupid Survivor. Ethan even throws the oars and bailer away, and has to swim for them.

There is so much of Richard pixellated that you cant see half of the other players.

Schleppera has a huge lead and wins again. Hatch in the back of Mugs boat causes it to sink, but he hops out and pushes his tribe to victory. SameBogus goes to TC again.

Ads.

SameBogus is doomed. Doom music plays for SameBogus to have a proper maudlin moment. Jerri says they played stronger but not smarter. Thats because smarter is beyond the capabilities of just about everyone here. This show has not attracted the cream of the intellectual crop, if this batch is considered the All Stars.

A vulture looks on. Ethan DRs that he figures hes going to go tonight, but Rudy has to go home. Rupert DRs about how its killing him to be here, so how can Rudy manage? Still he wont be writing Rudys name down. Jerri talks about Rudy being tough as nails. I didn't recognize this for the misdirection it was, although I have to say that sending Rudy home was really the best move, both for the tribe and for Rudy's health. Had he not gotten injured, he'd definitely have been worth more than many of these Stupids. But injured? No.

Ethan is really strong, but he needs to give his tribe another reason to keep him. So he goes out fishing, but gets nothing. Rupert goes out and of course gets a fish. My hubby sniffs, "One fish." Rupert is the king of fishing, even if he doesnt have a fancy rubber-band loaded spear.

Tribal Council. Rupert talks about how high they were after winning the RC and how low after losing the IC. Its pretty run-of-the-mill. Ethan says they made a silly mistake. Jerri points out the obvious, that it is their second time here. (:b anghead ) Rudy doesnt know why hes here again. (It's because youre on the losingest tribe, Rudy.) Hes three years slower, but putting up with the people is harder than putting up with the elements. Yep. At least you escaped being on Dicque's tribe this time.

Ethan is asked about how he felt when Rupert brought back the fish: Why, Jif, psyched because I was gonna eat. What are you insinuating? That I might be jealous because %&$ Rupert caught the %&$ fish? He acknowledges that hes a target. Jenna L. is still voting based on the money issue. She babbles and I cannot process what she is saying. I simply want to smack her.

Time to Vote Ethan writes a teeny weeny tiny Rudy in the middle of the vote paper. Id love to get a hand-writing expert to analyze that. It just screams low self-esteem. Because of his pact with Rudy, Rupert votes for Ethan. We see no other votes, so I guess it is Ethan. Or Rudy. Damn this season is making me stupid too. One thing is for sure, it wont be that annoying cow Jenna L. wholl be leaving tonight.

First vote is Ethans for Rudy, followed by Ruperts for Ethan. Another Ethan and another Rudy vote. The last vote is for Rudy. Jerri is either bawling her eyes or its raining on her. Jif speaks to the group about how they didnt want to vote Rudy out, but someone had to go. Forget it, Jif. You cannot put thoughts into heads incapably of processing them.

Final Words: Rudy expresses surprise that not two hours before, all was set to vote out Ethan. Rudy menacingly refers to his friends who will something or other.

Turns out that Jenna, Jerri & Ethan voted for Rudy. Since Rudy is not going to be on the jury, Jerris tears might have been genuine. Ill give her the benefit of the doubt that she didnt want to boot Rudy, but felt it was (a) best for the tribe and (b) best for Rudys health.

Next time on Rupert & Jerri go head to head, which is misdirectional-speak for makes not a damn bit of difference. She says hes a complete control freak. Ethan says perfect. It, whatever it is, is just what he wanted. Hes probably being sarcastic. Meanwhile Richard faces off with a shark. We can only hope the shark bites him in his bare ass.

Meanwhile official clues allude to some kind of twist. Perhaps they will re-form the tribes, divide SameBogus up, or shuffle the 16 players into two completely new tribes. Who knows? Id say, who cares but the fact is, while Survivor may suck, it still manages to get us coming back for more. I think were gonna need a 12-step program to stop watching it.

Thanks for reading. Post here or send me a PM.