The premiere of “Survivor: Nicaragua” aired on Wednesday September 15. Hilary Weidner and Elizabeth Tauber will be reporting an on-going blog on what goes down every week on this drama-filled, action-packed survival show.
Immediately after appearing on the show, the 20 contestants were given a challenge to find a medallion that held some sort of power. Brenda Lowe, contestant on the Younger Tribe, eventually found the medallion, which was hidden in a tree.
Instead of splitting the 20 confused contestants into tribes, host Jeff Probst split them into two age groups: 40 and older (Espada) and 30 and younger (La Flor).
Hilary: This seems like a bad idea because the younger team will definitely dominate the show. They are younger and stronger. Shannon Elkins (from the younger tribe), and I have the same viewpoint.
Elizabeth: It could be a good idea. The young team probably has some physical advantages, but the older team could outsmart the older team in more common sense or mental challenges.
Before going to their camps, Probst gave the younger tribe the option to trade in the medallion for fishing material and materials to make fire. The younger tribe chose the fishing material and material to make a fire and the medallion was handed over to the older tribe.
Hilary: I think they made the right decision by choosing the fire and fishing gear. I mean, come on, the medallion will only be immunity or something like that. So the younger tribe did the right in thing in my book.
Elizabeth: I think I would’ve chosen the fire and fishing gear. We don’t know what the medallion could do, so it’s just like taking a chance. If you have fire and fish, you have water and food, which could help significantly in challenges.
Johnson is on the older tribe Espada, and team members resent him because he was once a super bowl winning head coach for the NFL.
Hilary: I am not sure why everyone dislikes him because he was the head coach of the Dolphins and the Dallas Cowboys. He seems like a really down to earth and nice person.
Elizabeth: I think I would be looking up to this guy if I was on the tribe. He was able to lead a team of football players to win a Super Bowl title. I think he could lead a tribe through some victories as well.
Espada, despite not having materials to make a fire, made the fire very quickly, which was pretty impressive since they didn’t have flint.
Hilary: Later on, Johnson seemed to be hacking up a fur ball. Maybe this show is a little too intense for him? Plus he is complaining a lot, when you join this show you know what you’re in for, right?
Elizabeth: You signed up for the show, you’ve probably never been in this position before, but you could be a little prepared. The girls aren’t even complaining yet.
Johnson uses his coaching skills and tries a pep talk before their first challenge.
Hilary: That was kind of odd, but I guess it motivated them.
Everyone seems to be having a problem with Judson “Fabio” Birza on the younger tribe, La Flor.
Hilary: Elkins thinks that “Fabio” is really stupid and is a dumb blonde. He is also out to get the girls and not out to flirt with them, but we will see how that works out.
Elizabeth: “Fabio” adds some humor to the show if you ask me.
Kelly Shinn, a member of the young La Flor, does not have a full leg because of a birth defect, causing the tribe to be judgmental and even hostile towards her.
Hilary: This is mean. She doesn’t have a leg, and she is doing pretty well. Cut her a break.
Elizabeth: The girl has a fake leg. Would you be playing that game if you had a fake leg? She was obviously really motivated to play the game and doesn’t see her prosthetic leg as a disadvantage. It proves that if you really want to do something, it can’t hurt to try.
Brenda Lowe seems to be flirting with the guys on the show, especially Chase Rice.
Hilary: Lowe is using poor Chase, or Chase is using Lowe. Hmmmm.
Alina Wilson is forming a fake alliance with Shinn, the girl with the prosthetic leg.
Hilary: I mean grow up, she might be decent at this game. Ease up, Alina.
Challenge One
The younger tribe came into the challenge chanting.
Hilary: That was awkward. I’m not going to lie.
Elizabeth: I know they’re the younger tribe, but they aren’t 12-years-old. They could grow up, just a little.
The medallion gives a huge advantage at challenges, although there’s a twist. If a tribe decides to use the medallion at a challenge, that team will get an advantage in that challenge, but then it goes to the other tribe, giving them a chance to use it in the next challenge.
Espada decides to keep it for this challenge.
In the challenge, each tribe has a bucket and pieces of a funnel. The tribes have to hold the funnel pieces together as one member dumps a bucket of water down the funnel and into their bucket. Once the bucket weighs down, puzzle pieces of their tribe flag are released, and whichever tribe puts its puzzle together first wins.
It was close for most of the challenge, but La Flor came out on top and won the first challenge, sending Espada to tribal council where they have to vote off a member of their tribe.
Before Tribal Council
Jimmy T is promoting for Johnson to be voted out tonight, but he seems obnoxious and, to put it nicely, insane. Maybe we should not listen to the freak of the tribe.
Meanwhile, Johnson is worried about the strength of the team and wants to vote the weakest link which would be Wendy DeSmidt-Kohlhoff, who is both weird and very talkative, not a good combo.
It looks as though the vote will be between either Johnson, the football coach, or DeSmidt-Kohlhoff, the talker.
Tribal Council
The annoying DeSmidt-Kohlhoff talked her way out of the tribe and was the first to be voted out.
Hilary: It was a good idea. I don’t think I could deal with her, and I‘m just started watching the show.
Elizabeth: She was annoying through the TV, which I could mute if I really wanted. I couldn’t imagine dealing with her in real life on an island.
Previews for the next episode:
Seems that tensions are rising. We will have to see what kind of fights break out on the next episode of “Survivor.”
Hilary Wiedner can be reached for comment at [email protected].
Elizabeth Tauber can be reached for commetn at [email protected].