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| Survivor:
Samoa episode 1 detailed reward challenge spoilers/
speculation |
Between
the
"Meet
the Cast" CBS preview video, Jeff Probst's "Tribal
Council Orientation" and the first series
of TV
ads for Survivor: Samoa,
there are shots of two challenges: the one featured in the TV
ad (with only four participants per tribe), and another involving
using ropes to climb over barriers. There's also a shot of Probst
revealing the immunity idol (thanks, VolcanicGlass),
and neither Probst's not the competitors' clothes match the four-person
TV ad challenge. Since there are 20 people shown in the TV ad
challenge, it must then be the Ep1 Reward Challenge.
Probst narration from the TV Guide Channel preview: "The big
twist we have this season is we force each tribe to choose a
leader." ... "This season for the open, we really wanted
to kick-start it with something. So they get off the boats, and
right away pick a leader, based only on first impressions. So
they each pick a leader. And now, right away, based on nothing,
pick four people to run this challenge. And to make it further
difficult, we're gonna label them. Pick who you think's the strongest,
pick who you think's the best swimmer, who's the most agile,
and who's the smartest."
We've separated
the challenge into stages, below:
Stage 1: Retrieve keys from the water ("Best swimmer")
John is running/retrieving for Galu, and Jaison is for Foa Foa.
The preview videos show Probst at the starting line, saying "Survivors
ready, go!" here, so this is clearly the start. Jaison is shown
coming back to shore, carrying something that looks like yellow
keys.
Update: SurvivorPhoenix confirms Jaison is indeed carrying a
key.
| Reward
challenge stage 1 vidcaps: click
to view larger picture |
Pre-RC; Jaison running for Galu, John for Foa Foa
|
Waiting for Jeff Probst |
John and Jaison race out |
John and Jaison race out |
Jaison swimming to the keys |
Jaison returns, with key(s) |
Stage 2: Hauling bundles of logs ("Strongest")
This leg is done by Russell H for Foa Foa, and Erik for Galu.
Russell H seems to be carrying his bundle with ease, while
Erik is struggling. The purpose seems to be to make steps
to allow access to the balance beam/obstacle rope section
(Stage 3).
| Reward
challenge stage 2 vidcaps: click to view
larger picture |
Russell H, human tanker
|
Erik, less successful |
Waiting for Cardona
|
I'll be there in no time!
|
Stage 3: The old over-under, over-under ("Most agile")
This leg features Marisa for Foa Foa, and Yasmin for Galu.
Each tribe has a balance beam with a rope twisted around
it. There's also a circular object (more keys?) that Marisa
and Yasmin appear to be pulling along, following the twists
of the rope - all while not falling off the balance beam,
we presume.
| Reward
challenge stage 3 vidcaps: click to view
larger picture |
Along the balance beam |
Working the ring along the rope |
Working the ring along the rope |
Working the ring, alongside Yasmin |
Not going well?
|
Marisa makes it to Liz
|
Stage 4: Puzzle ("Smartest")
The final stage takes place on the platforms visible just behind the starting
lines and the balance beams. Elizabeth does this stage for Foa Foa (see the first
pic for stage 1, above), and by process of elimination, Shannon must be doing
it for Galu. As SurvivorPhoenix's vidcap of
a sports promo shows, this is a 3-D puzzle to assemble a statue.
| Reward
challenge stage 4 vidcaps: click to view larger picture |
Along the balance beam |
|
So who wins? There are lots of shots of Foa
Foa (yellow) tribe's camp with smoke, and since the first challenge
is usually for a flint/steel reward (with or without immunity),
we'd argue Foa Foa wins the first RC. For comparison purposes, there are
a lot of shots of Galu sitting around a smokeless campsite, bent
over, presumably trying to make fire the old-fashioned way, which
never works.
 Also,
this result is consistent with the in-challenge shots: (1) Jaison
is shown coming back to the beach, solo. (2) Russell
H is seen carrying the yellow log bundles with ease, while Erik
is shown struggling mightily with the purple ones. (3) Marisa
is shown on the balance bar part with a bit of a lead over Yasmin
(although Yasmin apparently catches up somewhat). All of this
is consistent with a Foa Foa RC win.
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