Episode 8 of Survivor: Nicaragua

This week on “Survivor,” the tribes finally merge.  LaFlor and Espada were mixed up three episodes ago, but they finally join together when LaFlor goes to live at Espada’s camp.  They get new buffs, some fresh food, and a new name—Libertad—to go with their new beginning.

Elizabeth: It’s about time for the merge—the young group vs. old group idea never works out, and then by the time the tribes get mixed up, the old people are outnumbered and get voted out for being vulnerable.  It just doesn’t seem fair.

Hilary: I’m sorry, but why has La Flor not voted Marty off?  He’s annoying and doesn’t deserve to be there.

NaOnka’s Sassiness

“I want her to know I have her back. Even though I kind of don’t. But I kind of do at the same time. It’s like a toss-up.” —NaOnka

This pretty much sums up NaOnka.  She’s as childish as the students she teaches in her physical education class.  She’s selfish, a know-it-all, and defiant.  She’ll deny everything until she gets caught red-handed, and even then she still tries to pull someone else down with her.

NaOnka makes herself a huge tortilla, and when someone else eats it, she decides to punish the whole tribe for it. She takes their food, cooking supplies, and anything else she wants.  “It tastes better when you’re stealing it,” she says as she steals some fruit.

She hides everything in the woods and makes herself all the tortillas she wants.  Then she lets a few people know about it, and, like a child, denies it when everyone else blames her.

Elizabeth: She decides to tell the whole tribe that she stole everything only after Alina tells her it’s the right thing to do.  Such maturity. Maybe that’s why at the end of the day, Brenda still finds the patience to deal with her.  Who can get mad at a small child?

Immunity:

For immunity, contestants needed to grasp two metal handles that kept tension on a steel bar hanging above a tile.  The last man and woman who kept tension on their bar and didn’t break their tile would win.  Jane won for the women and outlasted all of the men too.  Fabio wins for the men but was still beaten by Jane.

Hilary: Jane really just wanted another reason to brag.  She caught some fish and she held a metal bar. Woo-hoo.

Elizabeth: Even though everything is now for individual immunity, that may not have been the best move.  It proved she was strong, but it made her look like such a show-off.

Tribal Council

The tribe is divided between voting for Marty and voting for Alina.  Alina does all she can to save herself, while Marty just keeps running his paranoid mouth.

Elizabeth:  It’s like he can’t shut up, and he’s only hurting himself at this point.  People are getting sick of listening to him.

“You are a 100 percent Grade-A dirt squirrel.”  This is the compliment that Benry leaves Alina with as he casts his vote for her.  Sadly, the dirt squirrel got voted off the tribe that night.

Hilary: How is Marty still on the island instead of Alina? What is wrong with these contestants? But then again, in a place where being called a dirt squirrel is a compliment, nothing is as it should be.

Elizabeth Tauber can be reached for comment at [email protected].  Hilary Weidner can be reached for comment at [email protected].